This past February I had the opportunity to attend Exponential, an annual church leadership conference (it just happened to be in Orlando Florida in February, great planning). The feeling of 2,500 pastors and church leaders in one room with one purpose was powerful!

The theme for this year’s conference was “hero-maker”. God calls us from striving to be the hero to striving to make others the hero… Hero-maker. Jesus is the ultimate example of the hero-maker.

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:25

We looked at several influential people in history and the hero-makers in their lives. Billy Graham, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Theresa… they all had one thing in common. Each of them had a hero-maker who challenged them, encouraged them, believed in them, and most importantly pointed them to Jesus.

“We’ve been given everything we need to be world changers.” Danielle Strickland (Salvation Army Officer)

At the end, they asked if anyone wanted to come forward for prayer to be commissioned to start a new church or simply to go back home with a renewed sense of calling to lead the local church toward God’s redemptive purposes for it. It was powerful to see hundreds come forward to respond. It was powerful to dream of the ripple of this conference. It was powerful to imagine thousands of pastors and church leaders being sent back out into the world to declare the life-changing and world changing news of Jesus Christ!

I came home, one of those being sent out with a renewed hunger to see God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

“Heaven can not wait to redeem the earth.” Danielle Strickland

I’m thankful for my church and others who made it possible for me to attend this year’s conference. I’m thankful for the brothers and sisters I got to spend time with while I was there to be encouraged. I’m thankful (and excited) to see the amazing transformational work God is still up to in the world and in and through my church family at Evident Church. The way God works in every season may be different than the one before, but it is every bit as amazing, because it’s hero (Jesus) is amazing. Be a hero-maker!