“Every conflict is the byproduct of immaturity.” “You cannot have control and growth.” “Art needs a frame.” “Be a proponent of the new not an opponent of the old.” One of the things we talked about was the importance of decentralization. He talked about Saddleback’s transition from a mid-week service where about 1000 people would attend to small groups. They have 26,000 people plugged into 3400 small groups that span a 100 mile stretch from LA to San Diego. That is the power of decentralization. I think multi-site is another dimension of decentralization. Launching locations keeps you from becoming too centralized.
Another topic that came up was criticism. Rick made some fascinating observations. We live in a day and age when anybody can say anything and the criticism is global, instant, and permanent thanks to Google. Rick shared some wise advice.
“If you wrestle with a pig you’ll both get dirty.” “Define yourself or others will.” “Bless those who curse you.” “Separate fact from opinion.” “Hurt people hurt people.” “Insults are insecurities.”
– Mark Batterson on Rick Warren