Hillsong United Conference: Carl Lentz

Carl Lentz is the Senior Associate Pastor at Wave Church in Virginia Beach, VA and is responsible for the young adults and youth. He presented four key ideas that he took away from his time preparing under Hillsong in Workshop #1 titled “It’s Not Just An Australian Thing”:

• Just because Hillsong has a big church and lots of people doesn’t mean it started that way
• It also doesn’t mean you can’t do something powerful in your ministry
• Their size and reach is a result of a healthy church focused on God
• It is just as spiritual to take a youth ministry to play football as to a worship service
• The key is being authenticate in your dealing with them
• Four ideas to consider based on his experience with Hillsong
• Idea #1 – your relationship with your senior pastor is going to dictate the fruit of your ministry
  • you need to serve the passion of your house and the vision of your senior pastor
  • if you are serving a vision you are not connected to or a senior pastor you do not agree with, you will see minimal fruit
  • if you are not fully on board, you should leave – that is the most loyal thing you can do as they need your support 100%
  • be an armor bearer, where you simply serve the needs of the king (it is uncomplicated and unopinionated)
  • however you are to your leader today, you will reap as fruit
  • self-examination: if you had 1000 of you, would you be a happy leader? If not, change your attitude and habits
• Idea #2 – this has to be a calling, not a ministry career
  • they don’t try to hire guns, they raise people that are called
  • looking to the future is great, but if you focus too much on the future you will fall
  • stop looking at the 20 and wishing it was 200, instead look at the 20 and ask God what you should do with the 20
  • God loves the people you lead way too much to let you ignore them
  • the average lifespan of a youth pastor today is 5 months
  • why would a youth minister ever make a long-term decision if they won’t be around?
  • you need to be happy with where you are today and put everything into it as if you will be there for a long time, otherwise you don’t have a calling you have a career
• Idea #3 – you have to embody what you believe as much as humanly possible
  • there is a lot talking in churches
  • it doesn’t matter if you are the worst preacher or have the worst music but you live what you preach before and after, you will bear fruit
  • if you are preaching to bring your friends but aren’t bring some yourself, then others won’t either
  • frequent the same places to get to know people and invite them
• Idea #4 – make sure people leave encouraged
  • the gospel is simple, don’t make it complicated
  • make sure people leave your church with their hands and hearts lifted
  • the heaviness of being a young Christian can be tough, causing youth to go in the opposite direction when they fall

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