IMPACT 2008

It is Saturday evening here in North Carolina. The IMPACT 2008 Conference is history-in several different ways. First, it is the first conference that I know of sponsored by Lifeway, Guidestone, SEBTS, IMB, NAMB that was aimed at small church pastors. Les Puyrear and his folks at Lewisville Baptist Church did an absolutely awesome job handling the conference attendees. The food was excellent. The service was exemplary. The facilities were perfect. The speakers were excellent- probably the best group of men that could have been assembled. Each message was encouraging and each speaker gave specific ideas that can be easily implemented in smaller churches. The meeting is history in at least one other way- it brought together a widely diverse group of pastors and their wives from all across the country. I was the only West Coaster to attend, but if and when the conference is held again I will do all I can to encourage others to attend. Because of the location most of those attending were from the area around North Carolina, but that in no way limited or changed the impact of the conference.

Cindy and I both were challenged, inspirired, and encouraged by attending the conference. We fly back across the country tomorrow- pretty much an all day affair- leave our hotel around 8:30am, fly out of Charlotte at 11:30am, then through Phoenix to Portland, and then drive home. Our goal is to arrive home around 12:00am Sunday/Monday. A long trip- but well worth the effort and the time.

Several observations that were shared by the speakers that really struck home- research done by Lifeway and anecdotal evidence indicates that small church pastors are lonely- feeling isolated and cut off from support. Part of that is our own past- we have all been hurt and so it is easy to just stay isolated. Part of the problem is that we have no real strategy to invest our lives in others.

One other observation that was emphasized by Frank Page, pres. of the SBC and a pastor in South Carolina is that many small church pastors have an inferiority complex. During his service as president he has heard multiple times people say, I'm just a small church pastor... as though being a small church pastor makes one insignificant. As Frank Page said, "Who said you were unimportant?"

Well, there is basketball calling- UCLA is up on Xavier by 15. I am anxious to see the North Carolina game-later.

Steve