With every challenge comes an opportunity to grow and strengthen. You either see it or you don’t. The challenges ahead for the church are real, but we have an unprecedented opportunity to reach people with the gospel and expand the kingdom of God. We recognize the unique moment in history we find ourselves in as leaders — and the need to hear a fresh word from God for this moment. With that in mind, we are looking forward to gathering with thousands of leaders this summer in Anaheim for the Influence Conference.

I can’t wait to host the Influence Conference this August 7–8. Moments like the one we will have together at the Influence Conference are critical culture-creating moments. They become catalytic for ministry growth and effectiveness. It’s a time to seize the opportunity we have in front of us.

At the Influence Conference, we want our time together to be as beneficial as possible. We’re believing God wants to speak to us about three things specifically that are essential to the future of our Fellowship. These aren’t the only things that are important, but they are the things we believe God wants to talk to us about when we gather.

The Strength of Spiritual Parenting

Spiritual parenting is all about creating a heritage of leadership that lasts longer than your own work. It’s more than just mentoring; it goes deeper than that. It’s about finding a person who can parent you or who you can parent through incredible experiences together.

This moment together will be more than just another event on your calendar.

I have three sons, and I can’t imagine not wanting them to go further than I’ve gone, have way more success in life and ministry than I’ve had and be more blessed along the way. I’m their father, and I want the best for them. That means I’m going to stay engaged with them for the long haul.

We need leaders who have the heart of a parent, and we need spiritual sons and daughters willing to honor and listen to them. That takes humility that precedes real growth. Dick Foth and Mark Batterson exemplify this better than any other spiritual father-son combo I can think of. They will be on hand at the Influence Conference to share their experiences and advice for spiritual parents and children.

The Power of the Altar

In a distracted, digital, stressed and pressed culture, we need to experience the power of the presence of God. And not only experience it, but pass it on to the next generation. If we ever hope to be influential, we better not even think of doing it in our own power.

Altar moments, times that we get into God’s presence and let Him shake and shape us, are the way to tap into influential power beyond ourselves. Leaders who aren’t praying can never hope to fully realize their own potential, maximize their gifting and fulfill their total calling from God. It’s like expecting to drive cross country in a car with half a battery. It’s impossible.

But with altar experiences, the impossible is completely possible. How do we experience altar moments in our personal lives, and how do we as leaders do this corporately? Priscilla Shirer and Sam Rodriguez will help us go deep on this important topic at the Influence Conference. This is one session that no one should miss!

The Need for Church Multiplication

The needs of our community are dire and drastic. Daily, we log onto our newsfeed and get bombarded by bad news of how the world is absolutely hurting. And the world has no answer. But God does.

God’s solution to the problems we see in the world is the local church, and there’s never been a greater need in our world than there is right now. We need to raise up a generation of healthy leaders because we need more churches in America. The need for church multiplication goes beyond our own Fellowship, our own network or our own ministry goals. It’s a need the whole world feels, whether they realize it or not. Only God’s Plan A for the local church can make a lasting difference today.

We’re believing for a healthy church in every community in America, and part of this conference will involve hearing from church planting leaders and listening to the voice of the Lord about the part we can play in church multiplication. Also, we’ve invited renowned church multiplication experts Rick Warren and Rob Ketterling to open their own treasures of insights and wisdom to drive each pastor present.

The challenges of the world are great, but our God is greater. I know that what He can do in a moment far exceeds what I can do in a lifetime. Are you ready for that moment of clarity, confidence and culture creation? I hope you are.

This moment together will be more than just another event on your calendar. We’re praying it becomes a momentous mile marker in your life and ministry — a point you can look back on, knowing God did something awesome in a moment that propels His awesome work through you for a lifetime.

For more information about the Influence Conference or to register, follow this link.