Every year I clear out part of my schedule so that I cant take 4 days out and go to Atlanta to spend time with the people at the Orange Conference!! Which you can register for this week! There is not a better place in the country to take your family ministry team. There are a lot of great conferences out there. And it is not about one being better than the other. We all need DIFFERENT voices in our life! And different conferences do that. But there are some things that make Orange a unique conference!

Here are 3 things that I think make Orange Unique

Relationships – I go to several conferences though out the year and I don’t make relationships anywhere like I do at Orange! There is a common ground that everyone there shares. They are either involved in family ministry or they are pastors that believe in it. This give immediate collateral to begin developing relationships with people that will last!

Focus – Orange spends a lot of time focusing on how to make PARTNERSHIPS! Partnership with parents and partnership with other organizations! They encourage the thought that we are better together than we could ever be apart! Which totally motivates you to begin developing a strategy to help you lead your team to be more effective! They are focused on the family and empowering leaders to make a greater impact on the family!

A philosophy not a curriculum – A lot of kidmin conferences are gearing you and pointing you toward using their curriculum. And yes orange has curriculum. But they don’t focus on that. They spend more time helping your team embrace the philosophy of partnership and strategic movement for each age of life. It gives you the ability to process what you do through their philosophy without their resources

If you are interested in going to Orange and taking your team to Orange then go HERE and register! It is well worth the time and the investment. It will recharge and refocus your team for sure! 

Here are my thoughts from that from Session!

Our tension in ministry: There are more high priority items then there is time to do them

Boundaries help us know who we are so we know when you are being who you aren't

• Boundaries give us clarity
• Boundaries help us say yes and say no
• Boundaries help us identify when to confront and when to let it go!!

Boundaries are frightening to us

• Fear of a loss of love
• Fear of wrath
• Fear of hurting someone.

Boundaries really are a stewardship issue

• Understanding that it is not your ministry but that you have been given the responsibility of leading for a time.

Learn to work out your no muscle.

• Boundaries demand that you say no to GOOD things
• Boundaries help you develop healthy expectations for those around you.
• Boundaries will ultimately keep you healthy.