It was the calm before the chaos. At 6 am last October 4, I walked from my hotel room to the River’s Edge Convention Center show office, where my team would be gathering in 15 minutes to finish setting up for the Minnesota Conference’s Church Leadership Summit. I unlocked the door and turned on the lights. Our boxes of programs and giveaway bags sat open, ready for distribution. Name badges were lined up alphabetically, waiting for their owners to check in. Silence reigned.
I took a deep breath. I had done the math. It looked like 725 people would be on site—the largest convention I had ever helped organize. I asked God to be with us. I prayed that He would inspire every heart and intervene where needed: in travel plans, illness, technology and speech.
As the conference office team gathered in the show office, an exterior door banged open, and the chaos of the day began.
The day was a blur of people checking in, turning on projectors, greeting presenters, troubleshooting, answering questions and walking thousands of steps. And then the clamor of the day turned into the quiet of the evening.
From 8:30 am to 8:30 pm we witnessed people asking questions, growing, meeting friends and praying together. We nodded along during Pastor Bob Folkenberg, Jr.’s sermons. We smiled as Maplewood Academy students led in congregational singing. We winced when the last of our giveaways disappeared from the registration table. And when the caterer served lunch to all 725 people, we saw God multiply food just enough to feed everyone who came.
Every single one of our 55 presenters showed up, a first in our Church Leadership Summit history. Not one breakout session was canceled due to illness or other unexpected challenges.
As the day came to an end, and silence began to overtake the building, I reflected on what I witnessed. I hadn’t made it to many sessions, but I had listened as people processed what they were learning. And I realized: God was present in the building that day.
He reminded us that we are called. Called to “live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them” (1 Cor. 7:17).
You don’t have to be in an elected position to be a leader. God has given each of us gifts to answer His call—wherever we are. If 725 people each influenced just one person for Jesus every month—and then that person did the same—the ripple effect would be incredible. By next October, that single day of training could represent nearly three million people touched by the gospel.
That’s the power of embracing your call. It starts with one person saying “yes” to God—and multiplies from there. How about you? Is the Holy Spirit speaking to you today? Will you embrace your call?
Worthy insights from leadership summit presenters:
“The power of your calling is directly related to the intimacy and trust you have with Jesus.”
—Bob Folkenberg, Jr.
“If someone struggles with mental health, never say they have weak faith. We need to stop thinking we can ‘fix’ people but journey with them.”
—David Kamande
“Evangelism is not about inviting people to your church. It is inviting people into your life.”
—Vadim Dementyev
“In Leviticus 19:34, God says, ‘I love the stranger and want you to love the stranger too.’”
—Lisa Isensee
