Best Thinkers in Church Ministries Show What They Do Best
The best thinkers and leaders in church ministries are unpacking the latest breakthroughs, each unique in ministry style, at Willow Creek Association's Acts 2 (A2) Conference.
Rather than preaching a successful ministry model for other leaders to adopt, the A2 Conference recognizes the different approaches churches take to reach the nation with widespread application.
"I think what it (the conference) does is it really exposes people to so many different types of ministries around the world," said Matthew Barnett, senior pastor of The Dream Center in Los Angeles and one of the innovators at the A2 Conference which opened today. "I think it's celebrating the revival that's happening in America."
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The revival Barnett referred to was God working on many different fronts to reach America.
"That's what it's going to take to reach America ... not people trying to be everything but flourishing at what they do best," Barnett noted, according to Willow Creek Association.
This year's A2 conference provides breakthrough thinking and innovations through five prominent and distinct ministries. Willow Creek, one of the nation's largest megachurches, will also be revealing their latest transition strategies for their next ministry era.
Innovators other than Barnett include Craig Groeschel, founder of LifeChurch.tv, which takes a multi-site format; John Burke, lead pastor at Gateway Community Church in Austin, Texas, which embraces a "come-as-you-are" culture; David Ireland, senior pastor of Christ Church in Montclair, N.J., which promotes multicultural outreach; Mark and Nicole Conner, senior minister and associate minister of CityLife Church in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - a church leading through change; and Gene Appel and widely known Bill Hybels of Willow Creek.
"Every person relates to a different model in some shape or form," commented Barnett.
The conference will feature case studies - a proven method for leadership preparation - on five unique church ministries where participants will follow key leaders behind various innovative models as they describe the landscape and background they faced. Each key leader will tell how they got where they are today and the decisions they made in getting there.
Plus, a special Bullpen session will get a panel of church experts for a follow-up of unscripted dialogue and conversation with questions from attendants and online submissions.
"A2 isn't about telling your church to embrace any particular model or breakthrough. Instead, it's a place where you can be exposed to innovation and ask the right questions," said the A2 website.
Last year's conference gathered more than 4,000 leaders from churches around the world and had such church experts as Andy Stanley of North Point Community Church and Erwin McManus of Mosaic.
A2 is sponsored by Willow Creek Association but is a collaboration of innovative church ministries across the nation.
