Last Thursday I had the opportunity to spend my day at a pastor’s equipping conference for Promise Keeper’s 2013. My first trip to Cedar Falls seemed to be doomed from the start. Many of the roads that I was supposed to take were closed because of flooding. There were many times I felt like turning around and going home, frustrated by the poor information that came from the GPS voice on my phone. However, eventually I made it to Riverview Conference Center (a half-hour late), and I was rewarded for my persistence in making it to my destination. I had the opportunity to meet and listen to other pastors speak. It is a tremendous encouragement for a relatively new pastor like myself to be able to listen to the wise counsel from other men who have been doing this much longer than I have. Sometimes as a pastor you can feel like you are on an island. Thursday helped remind me that I am definitely not on an island. There are others with some of the same experiences, praises, and problems that I have had.
We also had the opportunity to meet and listen to some great men of God like Dr. Raleigh Washington, the current President & CEO of Promise Keepers and Coach “Mac” Bill McCartney the original founder of Promise Keepers. Both of these men along with others inspired and encouraged us as pastors to be great leaders where God has placed us. The #1 take away that I got from Coach Mac was this: “pastors you have the greatest calling on the face of the planet.” This coming from one of the greatest coaches in college football history, a man that will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this summer. That is a statement that can humble, intimidate, and motivate. But I KNOW without a doubt I have been blessed by God with a great opportunity as pastor and shepherd here in Newton, Iowa. I left motivated and excited to see what God is going to do at Cornerstone Bible Fellowship in the future!
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