Slices of Orange

Francis Chan, Donald Miller, Chap Clark, and I (and about 4000 other people) spent Monday through Wednesday in Atlanta, Georgia. There, we processed student ministry, culture, post-modernism, the church, and quality graphics attached to all these things. Here are some of the quality quick-hitters of last week. (By the way, my book is on sale in the lobby.) Not sure I necessarily agree with all of these, but these are the words that stoked my imagination.

(paraphrase) “I can take six talented people and start a tremendous church or put together a tremendous worship service. The question is, did the Holy Spirit show up, or did I market that well? Was it the Holy Spirit, or talented people working together?” – Francis Chan

“I’m tired of blackjack Christianity. You know, where we sit around at the same table but we’re so focused on the dealer that we never talk to each other.” – Francis Chan

“Don’t be fooled by the sheen of safety that so many of our parents wear. Don’t think about people in the context that you see them in.” – Chap Clark

“Parents are scared that they have lost the ability to understand the world. This creates a reaction of overt defensiveness, disrespect, and a critique of the world that teenagers are living in.” – Chap Clark

“You can’t raise G rated kids in an R rated world.” - Chap Clark

“If you care, you will suffer.” – Chap Clark

“Who is discipling our kids?” – Chap Clark

“A leader speaks order into the chaos.” – Donald Miller

“If there is no one available to speak to our kids during pivotal moments, they will lose faith.” – Andy Stanley

“If you’re not teachable, you have to learn everything the hard way.” – Andy Stanley

“I don’t want to have a testimony how God healed my marriage; I want to have a good marriage.” – Andy Stanley

“If we don’t keep our families together, we have become part of the problem of culture.” – Andy Stanley

There were a few more, but I will leave it at that for now, lest you get blog fatigue. Let me know what you think. I am particularly struck by Andy Stanley’s words on marriage (middle quote) and Francis Chan’s talented people vs. the Holy spirit dichotomy.