All Access 2010: Day Three, Session Three with Greg Surratt

Pastor Greg Surratt of Seacoast Church in North and South Carolina, and Georgia opened up the afternoon sessions of the Association of Related Churches‘ conference All Access 2010.

Surratt opened up with this random, but important fact: Be slow to label something as good or bad because you don’t know the future.

About pastoring a flock as a pastor Surratt says,”Sheep are rabid and have a taste for shepherds“.

Galatians 6:9- Don’t get tired of doing what is good.

Two Things That Make You Tired In Ministry:

1. Comparison

Don’t compare yourself to other ministers. Consider that God has made you the way you are for a reason.

2. Conflict

How To Avoid Conflict In Ministry

1. Don’t let a few vocal critics hijack the vision of your church.

The music is not up for sale at your church! (Wow!!!) How you do (or don’t) operate in the gifts of the Spirit is not up to your members.

Surratt said that Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, says not to listen to what the customer has to say because the customer will always default to their past experiences. Cuban says it’s the       job of the entreupenuer to create new experiences and to give the customer what they want not what they think they want.

2. There is a Difference Between Good Questions and a Good Spirit

Don’t be afraid of questions asked by people with a good spirit.

What issues are so sacred that we can’t talk about them.

3. Decide Which Hills You Are Willing To Die On

The Three Hills List

-Preferances

-Convictions

-Essentials

Only die on the essentials list.

With your essential list, realize…

Large lists tend to head towards legalism and produce small churches.

Small lists tend to be messy, result in larger, more effective, and empowering churches.

Watch out for the “Conviction Creep”: When Convictions try to creep into the essentials.

If your church is built on anything other than the Gospel (i.e. if it’s built on Convictions and Preferences, or if Essentials List is too big); you limit who you can reach.