Catalyst Conference 2006

Overview

Catalyst is not your traditional conference. In fact, hardly anything about the conference could accurately be called traditional. Reggie Joiner and Lanny Donoho, who are vitally involved at Andy Stanley’s North Point Community Church, put on quite the show as they give announcements and fill some of the time in between sessions.

Monkeys, horses, pillow fights, dodgeball, whoopee cushions, break dancers, rock concerts, U2, the Beatles, and glow in the dark pens and bracelets: these aren’t typical at most pastors conferences. We even had a surprise visit from comedian Jeff Foxworthy, who expounded on the rednecks of the Bible, and a Christian version of America’s Got Talent featuring (1) former youth pastor, Dave the Horn Guy, (2) an incredibly talented beatboxer, and (3) a girl with the uncanny ability to repeat instantly what someone says to her—pronouncing each word backwards.

But Catalyst is not all about fun and games. Their desire to help pastors reach today’s culture is obvious, and their love for God and others is equally evident. The Catalyst folks are very concerned about making a difference in the world. Last year they raised thousands of dollars, which was used to build 38 wells in Rwanda. Now more than 22,000 people have quick access to clean water—instead of having to boil muddy water from a nearby river. Many similar opportunities were available this year for individuals and churches to team up with organizations trying to minister the love of Christ.

Session Highlights

Andy Stanley kicked the conference off with a solid reminder from Daniel 4 and 5: “The Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes.” He applied this to pastoral leadership positions, stressing that leaders are in the positions they are in, not because of their greatness, but because God chose to put them there. Consequently, (1) leadership is a stewardship, (2) leadership is temporary, and (3) leaders are accountable to God. This simple truth and its implications should motivate leaders to be diligent, fearless, and humble. This set the stage for the conference by reminding us that it’s all about God and not about us.
[Download the notes]

Marcus Buckingham shared some valuable insight from his years of studying leadership and management in large corporations. He argued that all problems are management problems. The role of a manager is “to turn one person’s talent into performance.” The biggest problem is the tendency to focus on correcting weaknesses rather than developing strengths. Great managers don’t treat people as a means to an end, they don’t generalize, and they identify the unique skills of their employees and let them put them to use.
[Download the notes]

George Barna discussion was anything but traditional. His willingness to do just about anything to adapt to changing culture was unmistakable: “God doesn’t give a rip about our methodologies. He cares about our hearts!” His statistical analysis of trends suggests that by the year 2025 only 33% of Christians will still be gathering for corporate worship, fellowship, and preaching. “Church” doesn’t work anymore. We need to focus on being the church, rather than doing church—a common theme from several speakers. In light of this decline in the traditional understanding of church, it is essential to put stress on the family unit as the church for future generations.
[Download the notes]

Gary Haugen, President of International Justice Mission, made a strong appeal for the church’s involvement in fighting for social justice for the needy and oppressed around the world. Sex trafficking is a huge problem in some countries. Each year an additional one million children get pulled into prostitution. The conservative church has neglected its responsibility in social matters because of liberalism’s equation of social justice with the gospel. Clearly, if we are to be like the Savior, we must strive to meet the needs of the whole person, both physical and spiritual—keeping the gospel distinct, yet not separate, from social justice.
[Download the notes]

Rick McKinley and Donald Miller discussed what they didn’t like about the traditional church and why they are doing things differently. Coming from an unsaved background, Rick felt like he didn’t fit in at church or Bible studies. He felt uncomfortable and out of place with Christian people; he got the sense that he was never quite good enough. The church has neglected teaching discernment, and has rather taught objective (and often man-made) standards of right and wrong. It has incorrectly insisted that people change their lifestyles first, and then come and hear about Jesus. There has been a tendency to protect the gospel rather than to proclaim it. The issues the church is facing are far more complicated and subjective than most would like to admit. We may not have all the answers, and it’s okay to admit that.
[Download the notes]

[Download the other notes, including the notes from John Stott’s cancelled session]

An Evaluation

Buzzwords like “revolution,” “authentic,” “transformation,” and “journey” peppered many of the speakers talks, making it clear that there was a strong reaction to what they consider to be errors in traditional Christianity. Many of their concerns are legitimate, but I’m not convinced that the solutions offered were always right on the mark. The tendency to overreact is something we all battle—going further the other direction than we should, rejecting the good along with the bad just because of a connection with a group or movement we don’t like. It happens on both sides of nearly every issue. The church needs both new and old perspectives. It needs the input of younger and older generations. It needs continual dialoguing on these ever-important issues. Catalyst is one way to enter into this larger discussion. Graciousness, humility, and commitment to the Word are sure to keep us all heading in the right direction.

More Catalyst Info

The Catalyst Conference is a leadership event sponsored by The INJOY Group, the leadership ministry of John Maxwell. In addition to Catalyst, INJOY sponsors a variety of events that have different emphases and target different audiences: The Leadership Effect, Exchange, Thrive! Simulcast, and Maximum Impact Simulcast. Catalyst is also vitally connected to North Point Community Church and its senior pastor, Andy Stanley, who was influential in bringing Catalyst into being. Catalyst’s relationship with these two men and their ministries accounts for the fact that they are both regular speakers at the conference each year.
[Read more about the birth and history of Catalyst]

What’s unique about Catalyst that sets it apart from other conferences? I would answer that question with three words: leadership, relevance, and size. Catalyst targets the next generation leader, and there is no larger pastors conference around. In their own words, it’s “all about shaping leaders in the Church, presenting the next big ideas, practices and content.” “There are dozens of events, but only one leadership experience . . . clearly it’s Catalyst.” It is “the leadership filter for what’s next in the church.” Catalyst strives to help church leaders stay up-to-date, relevant, innovative, and cutting-edge. This is necessary because the church is always evolving with the culture. With this kind of focus, it’s not surprising that Catalyst attracts thousands of twentysomethings. In fact, nearly 75% of the more than 10,000 attendees would fall into this age group. Add the thirtysomethings, and you’re probably looking at 90%.
[Read more about the vision and purpose of Catalyst]

Catalyst is a two-day event (three, if you choose to attend the labs—roughly an extra $100). This year’s conference marked the eighth year—the first being in 1999. The price runs between $169 and $299 per person, depending on (1) how many are in your group and (2) when you sign up. Discounts are available for full-time students. The conference takes place in the Atlanta area, and the last several years it has been held at The Arena at Gwinnett Center, which this year was nearly filled to capacity.

Speakers

This year’s conference speakers were:
Andy Stanley | Marcus Buckingham | George Barna | John Maxwell | Gary Haugen | Rick McKinley | Donald Miller | Louie Giglio | Kevin Carroll | John Stott (scheduled to speak, unable due to unexpected surgery)

Additional lab speakers were: Eugene Peterson | Craig Groeschel | Mark Buchanan | Andy Crouch | Lauren Winner | Erik Lokkesmoe | Chris Seay | Shane Claiborne | Mike Foster | Margaret Feinberg | James Emery White | Tim Elmore

Past speakers have included names like Dave Fleming, Leonard Sweet, Malcolm Gladwell, Bill Hybels, Brian McLaren, Erwin McManus, John Eldredge, Bill Strickland, Mark Sanborn, Chuck Colson, Brad Stine, Ron Martoia, Tim Sanders,
Truett Cathy, and Laurie Beth Jones.

The focus on leadership and relevance is clear.

Websites

To learn more about the Catalyst Conference, check out these websites:

• the Catalyst Space
• the Catalyst Blog
• the Catalyst Monthly
• the Catalyst Podcast

Also, check out the video and pictures.

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