Verge Day 3 was convicting, challenging and continued the stream of inspiring everyone. I don’t have time to recap the whole day, but as I’ve thought about it there are some major game changing take-homes from Day 3.
Everyone has been inspired to embrace the gospel and it’s missional implications, but day 3 laid out the necessary components.
Overall the main take-home was a healthy community + healthy dependence on God + healthy discipleship = healthy gospel mission.
Healthy Community
Dhati Lewis did an amazing job of challenging everyone to evaluate the health of those we call and send on mission.
One of the more beautiful & balanced statements he made was this:
“A lot of us spend time trying to be unleashed without first getting healthy but others of us try to get healthy primarily without having a concern about getting unleashed.”
It’s a great picture of pursuing mission without neglecting community & cultivating community to be on mission. A great message in the midst of the methodology conversation.
Healthy Dependence on God
The two speakers who stood out from the rest were Jeremy Story & Dave Gibbons. Knowing Jeremy from NYC, I expected his message, but loved how he spoke with such conviction on the transformative power of prayer on the mission of God. Amazing content and convicting message from him.
Dave Gibbons stirred things up by sharing his own story in experiencing dependence on the Holy Spirit. Discussing his initial lack of openness to the Holy Spirit & gifts of healing but how God used his own children and ministry partners to challenge him to be open to be used by God with spiritual gifts the American church has neglected because of their abuse in the charismatic circle.
I left both of these with confirmation in the essential nature of dependence on God for His mission to flourish in a community.
Healthy Discipleship
Neil Cole laid the foundations of discipleship with 2 Timothy 2:2 “what you have been taught, entrust to faithful men who will teach others also.
Rodrick Gilbert & George Patterson brilliantly taught that to be Christian is to be a disciple maker, developing & teaching people to model the life and ministry of Jesus.
George Patterson is easily the most enjoyable speaker. He always does something out of the ordinary that slams the truth home and makes it memorable. He planted people in the audience who tried to prevent a Christian from becoming a disciple maker. It was engaging and memorable.
Kevin Peck, who has taught me more than I even realize, taught on Christ’s plan for discipling the world. In contrast to us spending most of our time on the many to reach the few, Christ spent his time with the few to reach the many. There was no plan B. This seemed like a big epiphany for the crowd.
Healthy Gospel Mission
All of this results in the mission all of us were inspired to pursue. The mission of replicating the love, message & mercy of Christ in other people.
It was a refreshing and challenging day.
Today and tomorrow are travel days for our family back to NYC. I’m looking forward to continuing to process all that happened at Verge.
I’m very thankful to the Austin Stone and the many speakers for their time and energy to make this such a great conference.
