Quotes of Andy Stanley

Andy Stanley's 2006 Drive Conference for church leaders took place earlier this month at NorthPoint Community Church near Atlanta and Tony Morgan took great notes--saving me $2,500 in travel and conference expenses (ha!). In one, two, three, four, five installations, Morgan lists 73 "smart things" that Andy said. Here are my favorites:

2. We all do ministry in communities where people think church is for church people. That's the type of world we live in. People care about God. People want to connect with God. There's a hunger for God, but the church is in the way. "I'm giving the rest of my life to change that."

4. Sinners liked to be around Jesus. They liked him, but they were nothing like him.

5. Leaders are very dissatisfied unless there's progress.

15. When a local church gets off-mission, God gets uninterested. God says, "They don't need me."

18. Are you willing to take a critical look at your organization or ministry team and determine whether or not you're unintentionally making it harder for people to take steps toward Christ?

19. God works through systems. For example, your body is a complex system designed by God. It's systematic and predictable. God created systems. That doesn't make him small. Likewise, God works through systems in our ministry. Systems aren't secular.

32. Anytime you hear, "our people just won't," you're listening to someone who doesn't understand systems. They're blaming people instead of addressing the systems.

34. What's rewarded gets repeated.

47. Connect the dots. You need to figure out a way for every single volunteer in your organization to understand what they contribute to the whole.

48. The very best people are busy people. Because of that, you need to define the terms of service. What's the commitment required?

54. Obey God and leave all the consequences to him.

56. Learn to fight your battles on your knees.

63. The question we need to ask is this: What is the problem that won't be solved if we don't do what God has called us to do?

72. You capture a person's heart, you'll get their hands.