Doug Fields
- Doug is doing a talk on what he's learned (and been healed from) since he left a paid church staff position.
- I've journaled my learnings over the last few years. I want to share 3 things that I've been healed from.
- One thing I realized is how much I (we) put the spotlight on numbers in the church.
- We had a little slogan in our church that "we count people because people count."
- A leader is to attendance what a crack addict is to a crack pipe.
- I realize now that from week-to-week all I was doing was feeding the beast (of my ego).
- I've read a great book recently called "Renovation of the Church" where it talks about "feeding the beast."
- Another thing I'm being healed from is the pace of life.
- For me, ministry wasn't pacing like you do in a marathon. It was more like a sprint.
- I use to drive past a McDonalds and fantasize about what it would be like to work there.
- I also put a spotlight on comparison in ministry. We do this constantly!
- John 11 - Remember when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead? He said "unwrap him and let him live!"
- Since my vision has been healed, I've learned a few things.
- Bigger isn't better. The only two people that think bigger is better are event promoters and preachers.
- Better is better!
- Hurry is the enemy of depth!
- You can't rush relationships.
- My healed vision has helped me replace "comparison" with "effectiveness."
- I must realize that I wasn't created to be Rick Warren. I wasn't created to speak like Beth Moore. I wasn't created to write like Andy Stanley. I was created to be "me."
- We need to stop complaining and start abiding (in Jesus).
- We are blinded in ministry (by things like numbers, pace of life, comparison).
- What would it look like to go on a numbers-detox?
- Busyness is a sign of brokenness.
- Every leader, every church, everything looks better from a distance.
- If nothing changes in your leadership are you happy with the leader that you are?
This post contains my notes from the general session at the Orange Conference.
This looks like it was a great session! Thanks for sharing your notes.
Looks like a powerful session, and I appreciate you sharing. So often in student ministry, we are looking at attendance, and not the spiritual depth of the students that we do have. I pray that I personally improve on not looking at numbers, but rather at the heart of the students that we do have.