Surfing the Inner N8

The first session of Catalyst, the conference I went to near Atlanta a couple weeks ago, featured Andy Stanley as the speaker.  Some highlights:

• As pastors and other Christian leaders, we’re called to influence people we don’t have official authority over.  In other words: “We can’t make them do anything.”
• In order to motivate people into action, one essential is moral authority.
• Moral authority comes from alignment between our creed and our deed.  That is, we do what we say.  We do what we’re asking others to do.
• Moral authority goes beyond positional authority.
• People expect this alignment from us–and they should.
• When we compromise our moral authority, we lose our ability to influence people.
• Our public & private lives must be consistent with each other.
• Without moral authority, all the leadership practices in the world lose their effectiveness.
• Three key areas where moral authority is applied in church leadership: (1) Forgiveness; (2) Family; (3) Finances.
• Forgiveness is our message!  We must not harbor bitterness.
• We must never carry with us into the future the hurts of the past.
• There’s no excuse for bitter, vengeful church leaders.
• We’ve been forgiven, so we must lead the way when it comes to forgiving.
• I must never let my family feel like the church is my mistress.  If I do, I lose my moral authority.
• Family must be prioritized over ministry, work, sermon prep, etc.
• Never misprioritize when it comes to family!  Don’t sacrifice what is permanent for what is temporary.
• Every dollar I receive in my paycheck came from someone who chose to give it to our organization.
• If I want to lead generous people, then I must be generous.
• Moral authority gives people confidence in our leadership.
• Moral authority shows that we really, truly believe in where we’re trying to lead people.
• Moral authority must be gained, maintained, and retained!