Some Heros

Last week I was in Florida at Exponential. It was great to hang out with so many incredible men and women who have answered Gods call to start new God honoring fellowships. However the highlight of my week was hanging out with some guys who are my heros. It was cool to have brief conversations with Allen Hirsch, Mark Batterson, Sally Morganthaler and Vince Antonucci all of whom have had a good bit of influence on how I think about and engage in ministry. I even got invited to a private Q&A with Andy Stanley (although I still have no idea why, I was probably the only guy in the room who had a congregation of less than 500 people and certainly the only one with a congregation of less than 50. I'll chock it up to clerical error). However I can't say that these guys are my heros. The hero's I'm talking about I got to spend significantly more time with. ie

Linus Morris who's ministerial longevity, wisdom and graciousness are inspiring (I hope someday I can have made an impact for the Kingdom anywhere half as large as he has and be as humble and approachable). 

David Limeiro who is crazy obsessed (in a good way) with church planting, his encouragement of, and words of wisdom to, me are some of the most valuable I receive because He knows me and the road I walk well.

Eric and Shanon Barnes who just quit a great job at a good church to go and plant even though they don't know where/when/with whom they're going to plant or how they're going to fund it (now I'm trying to remember why I'm so crazy about them. lol)

And my newest hero Tim Reardon. I attended a pre-conference intensive on the incarnational church and I realized (no disrespect intended) I learned more and was more inspired about living an incarnational life just hanging out with Tim than from the intensive I paid for. 

After lunch with a couple other pastors on Thursday Tim said he wished he could hang out with all of us more because there was so much he could learn from us. I think we have as much or more to learn from Tim.

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