STORY Chicago ’09 – Dave Gibbons
Dave Gibbons leads the Newsong Global Alliance, which catalyzes new churches all over the world. He serves on the Board of World Vision US and is the Chief Vision Officer of Xealot, an organization that develops leaders of movements. Dave is the author of The Monkey and the Fish: Liquid Leadership for Third Culture Leaders. He has been married to his wife Rebecca for 25 years and is the father of four children.
- Story Chicago
- People have a desire to connect in a true meaningful conversation
- We’ve defined success for our churches by size and the strength of our budgets (60-80% of our budgets are in buildings and staff)
- When the eastern world looks at how the western world handles our elderly, they look at us as barbarians.
- “Isaiah 6” – The stump will be a Holy sea that will grow again. When there is a personal revelation of your weakness, it releases a Holy side to your mission.
- The way we do spiritual formation shows how we don’t understand how to deal with pain.
- Do you think that everyone you interview can serve in your church?
- The most important things in an assessment is listening to the narratives to the person’s story.
- It’s pain that leads to focus
- We’re not listening to the people’s story, and we’re not intersecting God’s voice with that. We’re just getting them through so we can get them in the volunteer lines.
- You have to hear with that Holy Spirit is doing for an individual and then you customize something for them.
- Let’s reassess our assessment process
- Train people to listen to people’s stories
- Let’s develop a theology of suffering and discomfort
- What should people feel uncomfortable about? Walking through that discomfort can actually birth the Holy seed.
- Your pain will guide you
- It’s not about your feelings… love’s a choice. Do you think Jesus wanted to go to the cross?
- Start confessing your sin. Deal with honestly the issues going on in your church.
- Deal with brokenness… the Holy Spirit will be released in your midst.
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