Elephant Room 2

Elephant Room 2 Notes
January 25, 2012

Panel: James MacDonald, Mark Driscoll, TD Jakes, Steven Furtick, Wayne Cordeiro, Crawford Loritts

Conversation #1 “With A Little Help”
Networks vs. Denominations

The effectiveness has to be measured with networks or denominations.
How do you keep networks and denominations fluid? Keep it a local church driven movement. -Graham

Man, movement, monument, museum – journey to death -Driscoll

Network should be more like a home instead of a prison. You should want to be there not have to be there. -Driscoll

Make sure that you honor those whom have gone before you. The next generation doesn’t need to think they are the first ones who came up with cooperation. -Furtick

The issue is leadership. Great leadership, great movement. -Cordeiro

Start in your own community and then take it to the nations. -Graham

Conversation #2 “Can’t Buy Me Love”
Gospel vs. How to share the Gospel

What is the Gospel? & What is the holy annointed approach? Pragmatism should rise out of this. -Loritts

The Gospel cant be so vague. Paul didn’t have a speech impediment when he wrote I Cor. -Loritts

Sometimes the problem with narrowing the terminology of the Gospel becomes more important than the Gospel or the power of the Gospel. -Furtick

The Gospel is offensive. Double-meaning. Offends and is on the offense. -Furtick

The watering down and casual preaching of the Gospel is really harming the church. Don’t cloud the cross. Point them to Jesus. -Loritts

Teaching people to respond, you don’t get them to respond. -Loritts

When you break down the Gospel to a science, you miss the mysticism of the Gospel. Methodology is not the point. -Jakes

5 elements of the Gospel: God, sin, death, Jesus, faith. -Driscoll

Easier to be critic than a pastor. -Driscoll

Conversation #3 “Hard Day’s Night”
Pastor Burn Out

Too many guys are working on everything but themselves. I thought my capability is equal to my calling. Wrong. -Cordeiro

There will always be needs and some guys feel trapped by this. This can lead pastor into a very dark place. -MacDonald

Make yourself accountable to a good team of people who can tell you no. You can’t do it alone. -MacDonald

Satan can’t kick you out but he can still your joy. Don’t allow the ministry to make you miss the moment. -Cordeiro

It’s easier to preach about Jeremiah because those aren’t personal stories. Preach and practice what you are preaching. Behind the curtain really matters. -Jakes

With mentors it is so hard to let people in because of the risk of abused trust. That can’t be an excuse. -Cordeiro

Have mentors that don’t just compete with you but rather complete you. Find mentors outside of ministry. -Jakes

Do your kids have someone different at home and at the church? -Graham

Ask your wife to not just ask what you are doing but rather how you are doing? -Driscoll

Don’t just focus on leadership development but rather leader development. -Loritts

God doesn’t use what we bring to the table, he brings what we surrender to Him. -Loritts

Conversation #4″Ticket To Ride”
Sound Doctrine

It isn’t always the best decision to bail on a church that strays from doctrine and throw rocks. -Jakes

There are some distinctives between the Father, Son, Holy Spirit. -Jakes

Trinitarian – one God three persons. Modalism – one God is manifested in three ways. -Driscoll

None of our books about Doctrine will be sold in heaven. We are only given an authority here in this world. -Jakes

The time has come for us to take the heat to have a conversation. -Jakes

God is 3 & 1. There is going to be one throne and one God as Jesus on that throne. -MacDonald

Stop letting people tell us who people are. -Jakes

The goal is love. -Furtick

Conversation #5 “Come Together”
Racial Diversity

The way to get the walls down we need to get the roof off. Get God in. -Graham

You can’t integrate your church until you integrate your life. -Jakes

The country is becoming more and more diverse. You can either evolve or die. -Jakes

The clubs are doing a better job than the church with diversity. -Jakes

One of our biggest problems is apathy. -Graham

Don’t let anyone tell you who your friends should be. -Loritts

Pride grows in our garden without ever being weeded. -Jakes

Pray that God will give you a love and passion for all people. -Furtick

The first step is to really address racial diversity with your church family. Don’t settle for comfort. -Furtick

It is very important to up understand that in order for you to be used by God, believe God is bigger than you. -Jakes

Conversation #6 “Help”
Fallen Pastors and People

Anyone on a church staff is a steward of the church and message. -Loritts

Remove the person immediately from their position. This is a not throw away. It is the beginning of a process of repentance. -Cordeiro

If they are negotiating they have not repented, if they are compliant they are not repentant. -Loritts

Replacement can never be guaranteed. A promise of repentance will prove and determine where and if they can be reinstated. -Cordeiro

You’ll be ready to come back when your wife is ready for you to come back. -Loritts

Pastors have one strike and they are out at least in that church. -MacDonald

It is just as important to have an accountability system for a pastor’s wife as much as the pastor. -Driscoll

You are ready for ministry after moral failure when you re know more for your repentance than your sin (Sprugeon). -Graham

Be careful not to only focus on sexual stuff. Also be careful not to alienate the victim and not the environment. -Jakes

Monitor your staff as an example to the church. -Furtick

Conversation #7 “We Can Work It Out”
Partnership Boundaries

So much of fundamentalism is based in fear. -MacDonald

I’m gonna get in a room with people and start to talk. That decision is what brought this conference to life. -MacDonald

Be careful about saying that you aren’t judgmental. Your heart is not that pure. -Furtick

People say they are defending the Gospel, but they are really just crappy friends. -Furtick

Don’t just lay up boundaries, get to the center. -Furtick

One of the joys of my life is to connect friends with friends. -Graham

Minorities don’t have the luxury of fighting and debating. Of we were going to get anything accomplished in the world we had to unite. -Jakes

Flip strength from what we are against instead to what we are for. -Jakes

Christians need to learn how to talk to people. Period. -MacDonald

As leaders you can make a point or a difference (Andy Stanley). -Driscoll