Orange DC Tour Stop Main Session Highlights

The Orange Tour Stops rolled through Washington, DC on Friday to share with over 500 Children, Student and Family Ministers as well as Senior Church Leaders and Pastors.  Reggie Joiner lead the main session and brought along friend Mark Batterson, Carey Nieuwhof and others to lead special sessions. Here are some highlights of the days event:

• When you see how much time you have left you tend to 1. get serious about the time you have now (we have 1000 weeks with a child from birth til graduation of high school) and 2. you tend to ask what matters more and 3. you tend to value what happens over time – Reggie Joiner
• We can’t make kids love God but we can love a kid so much that they will know God’s love and want that too – Reggie Joiner
• Time over Time gives a kid history with a leader and gives that leader the ability to make an impact – Reggie Joiner
• “When those who know you best respect you the most” – Mark Batterson
• You can never be a perfect parent but you can be a praying parent – Mark Batterson
• We are all prophets in the lives of children and teens.  We are prophets by the way we love and encourage them – Mark Batterson
• Words over time will help children and teens see/experience the love of Christ – Mark Batterson

After lunch, Reggie led another session.  Here are highlights of that session:

• We are called to do 1 thing…LOVE.  It’s all about love.
• Theology without love equals religion
• When you have relationships with people and then teach them, it changes the way you teach them.
• Questions to consider:

1. Do you want to make a statement or do you want to have a conversation?
2. How do people know we care about them?
3. Do you figt to win the argument or do you fight to win the heart?

• When you don’t say what you say in LOVE you discredit the TRUTH
• The reason you know God loves you is that he proved it over time
• It is LOVE over TIME that gives a kid a sense of WORTH
• We have value to God which is demonstrated through His creation and redemption.
• The way you love kids while they are kids can dramatically affect their future
• You may be a best chance a kid has to know they are valuable to God.  The best way for kids to know they are loved by God is for them to be loved by someone who God loves.
• The best way to give them love over time is to give them a tribe (community).  Those 2 tribes are a family and a church.
• Small Group models are relational centered models.
• When we think small groups, we think not about an age group, but about a life
• If we don’t give kids the opportunity to process they will not own their own faith
• When we have consistent leaders, discipleship happens
• A small group culture changes everything (it will get messy, it will take longer than you think, you will never be done).  But, IT WILL BE WORTH IT!

Other highlights talking about Student Ministry Environments and Training Small Groups Leaders will be coming out shortly.

If you haven’t signed up for an Orange Tour Stop, check out the remaining dates here and catch one.  You will learn so much.