You probably noticed that I didn’t write as much last week as I tend to do. That’s mainly because I was attending the Disciple Project. I did check-in with a brief update last week, but was saving the majority of my writing and reflections for later. Well, its probably time to share.

I mentioned previously that I met a number of people in person whom I have either followed or friended through social media channels over the past couple of years. That was certainly true, and it was wonderful to be able to put a face to all of these amazing people and beautiful minds.

Even more than meeting these people though, I was in awe of and engaged in so many conversations with great depth, these conversations were definitely a highlight. I had fantastic conversations with leaders of all areas related to ministry and the church. From assistants to the bishop, to people who are serving on synod and church related non-profits, to pastors, faith formation directors, youth directors, and even the educational director of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s response to World Hunger. These conversations were all life giving, and who knows, may lead to a new call and/or future opportunities in some area for me.

In addition to these conversations, it was invigorating to hear from high school and college aged leaders about ministry and ministry projects they are leading and serving, as well as ones that they will be serving. Their minds are full of hope and ideas for collaboration that inspired me to continue in my own work. There obviously is so much innovation and entrepreneurship going on among these leaders, I think Peter Drucker would surely be proud. But this is true of all the leaders that were present and part of the Disciple Project last week.

I know that I am going to continue to process this past week for quite awhile. But in sharing some more of what I am thinking about right now, I think it might be nice to share both some of the quotes that struck me last week, as well as some of the questions. These are all potentially great blog topics individually, and I might pursue them as such in the weeks ahead. We’ll see. For now, give these quotes and questions a read and see what strikes you.

Favorite Quotes that were said or shared:

• “At this point, we need to move from ‘Here I Stand,’ to ‘Here I Go!” ~ Shared by Pastor Rich Nelson, attributed to Brian McLaren
• “The best leader walks with their people and group.” ~ Peggy Hahn
• “How you think about what you do, makes all the difference.” ~ Peggy Hahn
• “If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it, even if I do not have it at the beginning.” ~ Shared by Peggy Hahn, attributed to Gandhi
• “Cross-cultural experiences are imperative and under-valued!” ~ Peggy Hahn
• “My life is like a living prayer, and through this, people see me as a leader.” ~ Judith Dykes-Hoffman
• “I define ‘leader’ as ‘one who is willing to sacrifice self.'” ~ Judith Dykes-Hoffman
• “I’m tired of complacency.” ~ Judith Dykes-Hoffman
• “Often the important starter of change is simply a reflection or understanding that things can be different!” ~ Peggy Hahn
• “It’s not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” ~ Shared by Peggy Hahn, attributed to Charles Darwin
• “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” ~ Shared by Peggy Hahn, attributed to Albert Einstein

Favorite Questions Posed, Pondered or Created:

• How do you define what it means to be a leader?
• Who are the people who have taken a chance on you?
• How do you channel “good intentions” in good and effective ways?
• What is going on in the world that is bothering you most?
• What do you want to change in the world?
• How are you a part (or can/will be a part) of making that change?

These quotes and questions are all somewhat related to the conference’s overall theme and focus on koinonia. What strikes you out of all of this? What immediately strikes me is that there is both a sense of collaboration and community in all of these. There is a sense of service, and I would even say neighbor love as well.

One of the social activities of the week is a whole group block party. As part of this, each small group or track that everyone was in, was in charge of providing one part of the fun. Our small group, “Follow to LEAD” decided that we wanted to poll all those attended using post-it-notes and sharpies to respond to the question, “What do you want to change in the world?” We got some great responses (which you can see in the picture at left), and posted them on the wall.

My friend Megan Dosher Hansen, typed them up and created a Wordle. We reviewed the Wordle, and then it was used as part of the closing worship sermon at the end of the week (you can see what the large group came up with at right). It was a good experiment, but also a nice way to visualize the possibilities, passions, vocations, and perspectives of the whole group at the Disciple Project.

I have a hunch, that if we polled a much larger audience, we would probably get similar responses. That gives me hope. The question then is, how are you a part of (or will be part of) making that change that you want to see?

What questions do you have for me about my time at Disciple Project? 

Finally, I need to say thank you! Thank you to all of you who made last week possible for me to be there, but also for sharing and providing such depth and life. To speak in the vernacular for one moment, Y’all are amazing, thank you!