Yesterday I posted a few ideas for next steps following this year’s KidMin Conference (you can read that here). Today, I thought I’d share some of my general session takeaways. Be warned…my notes are not lengthy. (1) It was a little dark in the general session room for me to take many notes and (2) I was really taking everything in and tried to just be present, especially after the phenomenal worship times.
FRIDAY EVENING GENERAL SESSION
I was not familiar with Roddy Chong prior to the conference but boy did his story resonate with me. He spoke about being chosen by God and the many doors that God opened for him that he never imagined being opened. He shared about traveling with well-known singers (Shania Twain & Celine Dion). His story resonated with me because I, too, have seen God open many doors for me that I NEVER thought would happen for me. It is really humbling to see God work in unimaginable ways. Roddy also spoke about the need to not be defined by your mistakes. That’s a good lesson for everyone!
The Skit Guys are a KidMin Conference favorite! I always enjoy them! They do a beautiful job of blending comedy and thought-provoking challenges. One question they tossed out was, What are you afraid of? They challenged us with this: God chose you before it all began. If he did that, He has a plan for you. You have nothing to be afraid of.
SATURDAY MORNING GENERAL SESSION
Greg Baird spoke on Saturday morning and he did not disappoint. I follow Greg on social media and also enjoy his blog posts, so I knew I’d enjoy hearing from him. He referenced Ephesians 6:12, which says:
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
- We are not superheroes. We are in a battle. When we are in ministry, the target on us becomes bolder to the enemy.
- We cannot surge [SURGE was this year’s theme] ahead if we cannot stay on the battlefield.
- What keeps us from surging ahead?
- We simply try to survive (Acts 20:24). It’s not about me – it’s about Jesus.
- We get distracted. Our ministries need to be about Jesus.
- We focus on the wrong danger (things like numbers vs life transformation, families falling apart, etc.).
- When we do these things, we do ministry in our power.
- What do we do to combat these things? (Zech. 4:6)
- Instead of trying to survive, trust God.
- Instead of being distracted, immerse yourself in God’s Word.
- Instead of focusing on the wrong danger, focus on your relationship with God.
Greg closed with a quote from Phil Vischer: “Impact does not come when we are pursuing impact – impact comes when we are pursuing God.”
SATURDAY EVENING GENERAL SESSION
Jon Acuff spoke on passages from Isaiah 30.
- Give God our expectations. God will never be handcuffed by your failures or unleashed by your successes.
- We need to learn how to be present. Sometimes our lives are so loud we miss God’s whispers.
I didn’t attend Sunday morning’s session (I was having breakfast with a friend) or Monday morning’s session (I was headed home). I did attend Sunday evening’s session with DeVon Franklin but I was too busy agreeing with him to write stuff down! Sorry!
Were you at the conference? What were some of your takeaways? Let me know by commenting below!
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