The following post is long but if you want to fast forward, just read the bold.
BUZZ has lived up to the hype for me.
I'm POSITIVE that I will explore the many things I've picked up already... but I want to spit out a few things from today that I may or may not speak about later....
Some of my 1,000 thoughts...
- They make mistakes too!
I know the leadership hates it... but I appreciated that videos didn't go perfectly and lighting blew a fuse (appeared to be the case during Mark's talk)... The venue is an average theater size...etc. What's the point? It's within reach. Most conferences try to wow you so much and make everything so perfect that you feel like crap because you can't ever duplicate in any significant way the vibe. Mark and his amazing crew have made it great without making it feel untouchable. NO ONE should be able to go home saying "But I can't... blah blah blah..." Shut up... yes you can. They've done a great job to give you something that is within reach and yes... they make mistakes too... Welcome to humanity.
- I like meeting bloggers.
I had the feeling many times today of what it is like when you see a face that you feel like you know from way back when. Kinda like seeing someone you went to middle school with. That's the feeling I got when some bloggers walked past me. I was blessed to meet many today (I'm too tired to remember all and link them so I won't try). I like meeting bloggers because you can start to get a vibe for them. It allows you to connect even more with their thoughts.
- The Theater portion was cool.
I agree with Gary that a whole conference of the theater stuff would have been cool. Maybe next year a pre-conference day can be just for theater guys/gals. (cough, cough)
- Gary is more raw than his blog.
He toned it down today and said "get some nards". The dude is just raw. We need those guys on the team. Besides... hearing about his redneck buddies makes me glad I'm not on the other team in Canton... whoever they are.
- I love the coffee house.
NCC has done a great job with the new Coffee house.... Ebenezers. It looks terrific and does a great job of blending with the community while pushing the community forward. Also, I appreciated Mark's honesty when talking about the name during his 1st message... So Far, So God is right. Thanks Mark for letting us in on that experience.
- The NCC staff and volunteers are amazing!
Heater Z. (small groups) is one of the most eloquent people I have met from ANY CHURCH STAFF at any sized church I've been to around the country. She's obviously brilliant in several areas but the thing that I enjoyed about hearing her today was the frankness with which she approaches her ministry. She's smart but she doesn't get hung up there... she's past that... she's more focused on getting the job done than on impressing anyone with her mind.
- Joel is a great guy ... the type we need more of.
Joel is a smart and very funny guy who makes things work at NCC. He could be the main guy anywhere in the country but his passion is to be the guy holding up Mark's arms. Everyone needs a Joel. He's selfless in his support of Mark and the vision of NCC and he's got a great understanding of the world around him. Some of my favorite comments today:
* When talking about Sr. Pastors working with Campus Pastors of a multi-site... Senior Pastors see a piece of trash and have a cow thinking that excelence is going down the tubes.... "didn't they see that? This is a piece of trash... did they walk by it all day? I can't believe that the campus Pastor let his happen... my gosh.... I mean... it's a piece of trash!!!" (paraphrased)
* Tonight he was trying to talk about how he would vote for a particular guy to win a prize during the event... the guy (Trinity) who is lodging at his home... He messed up [I pray] and said "My vote is for you because if you win, we can go home and share the booty." I'm thinking he meant to say bounty... reward... etc... but he said "booty" and the building shook with laughter.
- Pastor Joel's wife was nice to me too.
Mark has a point Pastor at the Ballston location and his wife sat next to me during the tail end of the Question/Answer portion. Nina was very kind in sharing more info about a question I asked. She went on to answer a few other questions I had about NCC, D.C., her husband's role, etc. Thanks Nina for being so open.
- Ed Young continues to impress me.
I don't care if he says the same thing the next 5 times I see him. He's like a good book you want to read again and again. He has his message down... it's very relevant and he comes across so real. His position is becoming more and more the Senior Pastor to Pastors. He's sliding into a role of leadership for America's Pastors that will only magnify his impact on the Kingdom.
- I think Tony Morgan is a little taller than me.
I apprecited seeing Tony in person. My undergrad was in pre-law. Tony was a city manager before ministry. I appreciate his impact via the Simply Strategic series and now podcasts and blog. He's a great guy that I look up to.... no really... He looks like he's an inch or so taller than me.
He's also a nice guy. His partner in crime Tim Stevens is here too... I just haven't had the opportunity to say hello yet. Hopefully in 7 hours I will have fixed that.
- I love D.C.
It's a wonderful town. Much of what shapes what will be in history books is decided in this city. Most of the buildings have a presence to them. This city has a vibe. What is true about this city as well as most major cities however is that just a few blocks from downtown lies some of the most poverty stricken areas in our nation. D.C. has that eclectic vibe and great divide. We need more proactive and missional churches in our cities... I'm passionate about that. Maybe sometime I'll share my heart on that... for now though I just say that D.C. is a great place.
I'm looking forward to tomorrow~
2 comments:
Tally- thanks so much for your gracious comments. It was great connecting with you-- so glad you came to Buzz. Hope to see you again soon!
Tally, you were totally thriving in DC! You immersed yourself in the weekend, talked to everyone and completely soaked up the experience. I can't wait to hear more of your reflections from Buzz. Awesome hanging out with you.
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