LYNCHBURG, Va. — Deacons, pastors and other church leaders trekked up the mountain for the annual Leadership Gathering at Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference Center, May 6-8. Nearly five hundred strong, they celebrated the theme, “Energy: The Power of One” taken from 2 Timothy 1:6-7.
Jon Gordon discusses the energy of “the power of one. (Photo by Alice Rusher)
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Jon Gordon, author of several best-selling leadership books targeted to business and industry as well as to churches, spoke on the power of positive energy. A copy of his book, The Energy Bus, was given to everyone who attended and Gordon abbreviated its content during his first presentation. The book is subtitled, “10 Rules to Fuel your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy.”
Gordon recalled that four years ago, while sharing the platform with Anne Graham Lotz, her message penetrated the resistance of his Jewish background and he became a follower of Christ.
Virginia Baptist Mission Board staffer Ken Kessler welcomes participants at the Leadership Gathering. (Photo by Alice Rusher)
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“As Christians, we should be the most positive, loving people on the planet,” he told the crowd gathered in the auditorium.
Noting that God wants to do the impossible through his people, he asked, “If you were a betting person, who would you have bet on? Jesus, a vanquished leader and his 12 mediocre followers or the Roman empire? Yet today, 2,000 years later, we call our children Peter, Paul and Mary, and call our dogs Nero and Caesar.”
Despite the energetic potential of the church, he noted that negativity causes many to leave their potential untapped. “Complaining is a big problem. Complaining is like vomiting. It might make you feel better, but it sickens everyone around you.”
Referring to negative people who suck the energy out of us, he told the church leaders, “Stay positive. Keep running. Never give up, in spite of all the energy vampires out there.”
In addition to Gordon’s keynote addresses, a wide variety of breakout sessions were offered to pastors, deacons, key committees and others in leadership positions.
The event is sponsored by the Virginia Baptist Mission Board.