Orange Conference 2018 Recap

I did not believe it could happen, but who was I kidding. For years, I have witnessed a fabulous community, dedicated to impacting families, push the church to think differently about leading the next generation. I, along with thousands of others, have been drawn into and become a part of that community.

What I could not believe was that this year’s conference could be better than last year’s. Last year, so many of us cried and celebrated as tough issues were raised that are typically swept under rugs in our churches. This year Orange took it to the next level.

To say that the OC18 theme, ONE VOICE, was great is an understatement. As we gathered, 8100+ uniquely different people, with uniquely different churches, we were challenged to remember what Jesus prayed for us — “I pray that all of them will be one…” John 17:21

Depending on who we ask, we will receive different answers regarding the unity of the Church. I know of many churches that work together, and the opposite is also true – there are many churches that do not work with other churches. The bottom line is that we still have so much work to do. Though it may seem impossible to unify the Church, Jesus’s prayer is still in motion. The Orange Conference gave me an immense amount of hope.

I learned way too much to unpack in a single blog post, so here are some excerpts from my notes:

Gerald Fadayomi shared that we can do more together when we treat each other like the next generation is watching. As kids and students watch the Church, “Our unity effects His credibility.” Gerald clarified that statement with this question. “How can a generation believe that God loves us when we cannot figure out how to love one another?” What a powerful question.

He concluded by sharing that churches do not have to stop being themselves. He said it this way.

“Unity is not uniformity. Unity is setting our differences aside to make a difference.” -Gerald Fadayomi

Danielle Strickland helped us to see that we can do more together when we live like the future is now. Sometimes our present realities effect our beliefs. We can tend to forget promises of the future because of chaos today.

Danielle challenged us to take our future and bring it into the present. “It’s all real,” she said. Choosing to live like the future is real should allow us to work together without reservations.

This whole idea of the Church being one voice can seem impossible. Reggie Joiner reminded us that we can do more together when we keep doing what seems impossible. He journeyed through scripture, sharing the potentially impossible task Nehemiah faced. By everyone working together, the impossible was achieved.

Working together is not impossible. Reggie encouraged us to “go see for ourselves.” He shared that if enough of us got close enough to situations different than ours, we could get somewhere. We must “keep working together, regardless,” he said. The goals we want to achieve could be achieved by working together.

“Keep doing what seems impossible and you will do more than you have ever done.” -Reggie Joiner

We can do more together when we recognize we can’t get there on our own. That’s what Doug Fields reminded us of. No one succeeds alone. We need each other. We is greater than me. This is all Leadership 101, but we often forget that we need help.

“Healthy discipleship requires that leaders work together.” Doug Fields

Andy Stanley challenged us, as usual. He referred to scripture to remind us that Jesus modeled, predicted, prayed for, and branded oneness. With Jesus as our example, it should be evident that we should be one voice.

“We can’t all be right. But if Jesus is correct, we can all be one. Andy Stanley

Josh Shipp shifted us towards our families. He shared how we can do more together when we create a safe place for kids over time. It is one thing to create a safe place. It is another to create a safe place consistently. As kids and students realize that they can constantly trust leaders in our ministries, there are no limits to what they will be willing to share with us.

“Every kid is one caring adult away from a success story.” Josh Shipp

Kristen Ivy introduced the idea that we can do more together when we create a safe place for kids who are different. She shared that, “When we get closer to those different than us, we see ourselves differently, see God more fully, and show the world what love is.” Let us embrace the fact that God made us uniquely, yet we are all made in Hs image. That symbolizes differences making one voice.

We all laughed out loud and cleared our throats as Ryan Leak spoke to us. He taught us how we can do more together when we create a safe place for each other. We can be safe people through vulnerability, authenticity, confidentiality, and grace. Being real allows us to be a real help. Being fake helps no one.

“The mask has done us a disservice.” Ryan Leak

There was so much more content and many experiences that made this Orange Conference unforgettable. Check out more quotes and the recap video below. I also encourage you to visit the Orange Store.

Until next time…