At Exponential 2020 from March 2-5 in Orlando, Fla., thousands of Kingdom leaders came together for inspiration, encouragement, and equipping.
Check out a video with highlights from the whole week:
With more than 5,500 church multiplication leaders from all 50 states and over 25 countries, the conference hosted at First Baptist Orlando featured sessions led by Kingdom leaders discussing disciple making, engaging local communities, women in ministry, and so much more.
Attendees browsed by sponsor tables and grabbed lunch at food trucks.
(From left to right): Bill Hull (co-founder of The Bonhoeffer Project), Shodankeh Johnson (pastor and church planter in Sierra Leone), Jim Putman (Senior Pastor of Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho), and Bobby Harrington (co-founder and CEO of Discipleship.org), in a session entitled “Disciple Making: Activating Level 5 Disciple Making Churches,” hosted by Discipleship.org.
“This is where prayer and fasting have met disciple-making on the road to obedience,” said Hull. “That’s what makes this unique, what makes this a movement.”
Brett Andrews, founding pastor of New Life Christian Church in norther Virginia, talked about “Church Planting Nuts & Bolts,” hosted by Passion for Planting.
Keri Ladouceur, a pastor at Vineyard Christian Church and the founder of New Ground Network, spoke in Women in Ministry: Working Together for Kingdom Collaboration, hosted by The Truth Republic.
Dave Ferguson, co-founder of Community Christian Church, New Thing, and Exponential, talked about the heart behind this year’s theme, “Together: The Great Collaboration.”
Efrem Smith, founding pastor of The Sanctuary Covenant Church, asked a question of himself that we all must ask: “Some day I will stand before God and all He will want to know is this: Did I put the Kingdom of God first?”
“Minimally transformed leaders will always result in minimally transformed teams, resulting in minimally transformed ministries,” said Pete Scazzero, former leader of New Life Fellowship Church and co-founder of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship.
From left to right: Larry Walkemeyer (Light & Life Christian Fellowship), Hannah Absalom (Dandelion Resourcing), and Obe Arellano (NewThing and Exponential Español).
From left to right: Grant Skeldon (Initiative Network), Heidy Tandy (Stadia Church Planting), and Jeremy Brown (Journey Church).
Before taking the stage on Tuesday to talk about being Together as a Family, Andy and Sandra Stanley were introduced by their eldest son, Andrew, a comedian. Pictured from left to right: Sandra Stanley, Andrew Stanley, and Kadi Cole.
“Don’t settle for anything less than the best that God has for you and your team,” said Kadi Cole, Director of Multisite and Female Leader Groups at Leadership Network and a founding member of the Women’s Executive Pastor Network. “Collaborative leaders ask, who is missing from our team? What’s it like for them under my leadership? How can I help?”
“Your greatest contribution to the world may not be something you do, it may be someone you raise,” said Andy Stanley.
Doing life “Together” sees the family as the first priority of ministry and not a distraction from a life-changing ministry.
“Relationship is the core value in our family,” said Sandra. “And a ‘no’ for now doesn’t mean a ‘no’ for always.”
From left to right: Dave Ferguson, Kadi Cole, Sandra Stanley, Andy Stanley, Andrew Stanley, and Todd Wilson.
Oscar Muriu, Senior Pastor of Nairobi Chapel in Kenya, led Bible study on Wednesday morning. His church is working toward the goal of planting 300 churches in Africa and worldwide.
Grant Skeldon, founder of Initiative Network, led a conversation about building a diverse church for a diverse generation.
Alex and Hannah Absalom, founders of Dandelion Resourcing, explored what it means for a leader to embody an empowered life and lead with Spirit-led expectations.
Carrie Williams, founder and CEO of The Truth Republic, shared what it looks like to be a woman in ministry and how to tackle big challenges with solutions that actually work.
Myron Pierce, founder and lead pastor of Mission Church in Omaha, surrendered his life to the Lord Jesus at 18 years old while leaving the courtroom facing a life sentence in jail. He spoke about freelance church planting in both wealth and poverty.
Michael Carrion, senior and planting pastor of Promised Land Covenant Church in the North and South Bronx, talked about living and leading in togetherness as a Church.
“The best pastors — the most gifted ones — smell like sheep,” Carrion said. “If you want to be influential and missional, you need to be among the world.”
Greg Surratt, founding pastor of Seacoast Church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, expanded on what it looks like to together into the world as a network.
“When we leave our egos and logos at the door because we don’t care who takes the credit, I believe we can change the world,” said Surratt.
Dave Ferguson, co-founder of Community Christian Church, New Thing, and Exponential, announced the official multiplication of Exponential as the entire sanctuary commissioned the Exponential Europe launch team.
Check out the video of the announcement:
The official Exponential Europe conference will take place in Berlin from Oct. 13-15, 2020.
Oscar Muriu, senior pastor at Nairobi Chapel in Kenya. A thriving missions-focused congregation, Nairobi Chapel has a vision to plant 300 churches in Africa and worldwide.
“No part of the body should be parasite on the rest of the body,” said Muriu. “Each one of us as part of the body [of Christ] has something to give.”
Jossy Chacko, founder and president of EmpartYou, encouraged leaders to widen their circles as we go into our communities together.
“You need to collaborate with people who receive you, not only people who agree with you,” Chacko said. “When Jesus sent out the disciples, He said: Go. If they receive you, stay with them.”
An incredible time of worship featured worship leader, singer, and songwriter Ron Kenoly.
Shodankeh Johnson, the leader of New Harvest ministries in Sierra Leone, West Africa, led Bible study Thursday morning with a focus on the importance of prayer and fasting. He was introduced by Bobby Harrington (center left), CEO of Discipleship.org.
“Even on my dying bed, let me win one more soul for God,” Johnson said.
Deb Hirsch led a workshop conversation about sexuality and spirituality. Hirsh has led churches in both Australia and Los Angeles, and co-authored (with Alan Hirsch) Untamed: Reactivating a Missional Form of Discipleship.
Pete Scazzero (left), co-founder of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, spoke about the need for our churches to become more dependent on the Holy Spirit.
Kadi Cole (middle), founding member of the Women’s Executive Pastor Network, talked about male and female leaders supporting and advocating for one another.
Founder and lead pastor of The Church of Eleven22, Joby Martin (right), encouraged a room bursting at the seams to focus on thriving in ministry — not just surviving.
Author, speaker, trainer, and global social justice advocate, Danielle Strickland, took the main stage to remind us that God wants us together forever.
“The way we miss the Great Collaboration is not in what we do; it’s in what we don’t do,” Strickland proclaimed.
Albert Tate is the founding pastor of Fellowship Church, one of the fastest-growing multiethnic churches in the United States. He got the crowd on its feet shouting, “Turn the light on! Let’s make the darkness tremble!”
Check out a clip of Tate on stage:
“People are using the Bible as a consultant and not as the light and guide for their lives,” Tate continued. “It’s dark out there and people need to see!”
The final session ended with a commissioning of the Great Collaboration: to go, in love, together!
Missed Exponential 2020 in Orlando? No Worries!
If you missed any of Exponential 2020 or want to bring the conference to your team, make sure you grab our Exponential 2020 Digital Access Pass, which includes the recording of all five main stage sessions.
Our 2021 conference theme is Empowered: Moving With The Spirit. This conference will take place during March 1-4, 2021 in Orlando, FL. Learn more here!
