notes from NewSpring's Unleash conference...as promised

About a week ago I promisedt that I would blog some of my notes from the Unleash conference we attended at NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC.

In the first session, senior pastor Perry Noble challenged us to "Go For It!" His text was Matthew 17 (the Transfiguration).

He kicked things off this this little nugget: "The problem with most churches is this. They say, 'If you don't know the rules, to hell with you.'"

Then he talked to us about the four things the church needs:

1. We need Creative Environments (vv. 1-3)

"Christianity is the most important, exciting thing to happen to the world...it took the church 2,000 years to make it boring."

"The sermon begins in the parking lot."

"Every week is somebody's first week at our church."

2. We need to look beyond ourselves. (v. 4) ...because we are selfish people.

"What type of people do we want in our church? We want people who need Jesus. Some people in our church will not be okay with the type people we want to reach and the methods we use to reach them."

3. We need to pay attention. (vv. 5-7)

"Get up (take some steps) and don't be afraid (you will make some people mad)."

"When you take steps to honor God, people will criticize you. When you begin to do what God wants you to do, you're going to piss some people off." (direct quote).

4. We need to focus on what matters (v. 8)

"People's behavior won't change until their perspective changes. Jesus changes perspectives."

"Focus on Jesus!" ("When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus" Mt: 17:8. )

"What we do matters for eternity."

I'll blog my notes from session two tomorrow.