Takeaways from the Unleash conference

Lee Stephenson: Welcome, everyone to the Unfiltered podcast. Lee Stephenson here, church planter in Orlando. And overseer of Church Planting for Converge.

Danny Parmelee: Danny Parmelee, and I oversee Church Planting for Converge MidAmerica and Southeast.

Lee Stephenson: And we're just continuing our pattern; real conversations about church planting. And specifically, we just recently in our Converge family had what we call the Unleash conference. And the Unleash conference was geared towards really how do we unleash every leader, every church to think about multiplication? How do we multiply leaders? How do we multiply the local church? How do we, you know, push the kingdom of God forward and what he's, you know, wanting to accomplish, and just making sure we're in alignment with that? It was phenomenal. It was here in Orlando. And it was fun to see, I mean, roughly 800 people on site. And we had multiple... couple hundred people off-site that were also watching and engaged in the conference as a whole. I know, Danny, you were here as well. What were some highlights for you? Or even for your church planters that happened to wander in and spend in those days with us?

Danny Parmelee: Yeah, it was really great. And I know that probably comes across as super biased since it was a Converge event. But to be honest I get "over-conferenced" out. When I was a church planter, just loved conferences. But now just as part of my role in my job, I go to so many conferences. So, to be honest, I was a little bit hesitant. Didn't know what to kind of expect. But Unleash was really, really awesome this year. And I think that there's two reasons for it. Number one is it did feel like a gigantic family reunion. It was very celebratory, but not hype. So, I've been to conferences before where it just feels like hype. Like they're trying to like manufacture excitement. Where this was that family reunion. You're seeing people. There's smiles and high fives and reconnecting. So just that in and of itself was absolutely awesome. But the speaker lineup this year, not out of a like, oh, I learned all of these tools that I can now take back and use in my ministry. But they spoke to the heart. So, there was a number of times where it's like, as a pastor or as a person in this type of work, I was feeling pastored and that's just awesome. Because we're, you know, constantly, you know, on the clock so to speak. We're trying to help other people and to come into an environment where like, oh my goodness, like someone's actually speaking to me on different things.

Lee Stephenson: Choco De Jesus and then Jeffrey Johnson. And what for you personally, which one felt like it connected with you and what God was doing in your life, Danny?

Danny Parmelee: Yeah. Well, I mean, again, this is super biased. Kevin Queen, he's a friend of mine in the Nashville area. And he just, he was talking about being yourself. And you know, just avoiding the whole comparison game and following what God has kind of laid on your heart. And so to me, that was just really, really awesome. And it felt like the whole room was just locked in and engaged. And of course, there was laughs and stuff in there as well, too. But it just felt like this spirit, heart penetrating talk that was one pastor to another.

Lee Stephenson: Yeah, for me, it was both the combination of Chad Moore and Ryan Leak that just connected to my heart in kind of this season as well. And then we had a lot of different workshops and good food. One of the themes that, you know, I picked up throughout all the keynotes and just the experiences as a whole, which I think will kind of be our platform for this conversation in this podcast, is what does it mean to be the person that God has wired you to be? And I think it's... We live in a culture that is about hype. It's about self-promotion. It's interesting, I just came across a recent statistic that talked about 54% of teenagers want to be a social media influencer, YouTuber, that kind of thing. You know, like that's how things have changed. You know, it's what happened the days where it's like, I want to be a doctor? I want to be a cop. I want to be a fireman or, you know, I want to be a teacher or a pastor. It's now I want to be famous on YouTube. But I do think that there is a almost copycat culture that we wrestle with in the last I'd say five to 10 years in the church planting world. Where we have access to see other churches, what we would classify successful churches. And it's like, if I can do that, then I'll be successful as well. And that can become a detriment, both to a community. Can become a detriment long term to a church. But it can become a detriment to the planter's soul. What was your takeaway from some of that conversation, that theme this year?

Danny Parmelee: Yeah, I mean, that is the exact stuff and I think it hits home. And even as I work with planters, I see this a ton. And understand that there is a positive, there is a value to looking at those who are a few steps ahead. To take best practices, to learn from, to emulate those that are, you know, have a strong relationship with the Lord and are doing great things. However, where I see the shift go to an unhealthy place is where you do have that. It's the copycat of literally, the delivery, the style, the terms, and it's almost like...

Lee Stephenson: The dress.

Danny Parmelee: I mean, the clothes, the cliches. I mean, so much of where it's like, okay, now, you're literally just trying to be like them. And for what end? And a lot of them, it does become wanting to be that influencer, that celebrity person. Instead of saying, like, I just I love the way that they're leading people to Christ. It's like, oh, I love the way that they deliver their sermon in this sort of way. And I think that's it. Yeah, it just, it's unhealthy. And the reason why it's so unhealthy, is it's really hard to attain. And so for a church planter, you're looking at these people, and you're constantly comparing. And then you do those things, and you're not having the same results. And then maybe you begin to question God, question your own value, your own worth. And it's not you. And that's the reason why.

Lee Stephenson: And I think, for me, even from a scriptural standpoint, the thing that grounds me is even how Paul talks about like, "I planted. Apollo's, you know, came along and watered." And I think that we have to become comfortable recognizing that there are different roles, different callings that God has placed on all of us, when it comes to the role that he wants us to play in kingdom. And when it comes to kingdom expansion. And my charge to church planters is exactly what you were saying, Danny. Like, be comfortable with who God has made you. Don't try to be someone that you're not. Don't try to be the next cool thing. Whatever it may be. Like, be you. And live and be comfortable with that. And recognize it. Some people will reject that. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, right?

Danny Parmelee: Yeah, absolutely. And I remember those times in planting. So, when I was planting, I mean, it was Mark Driscoll and Matt Chandler. And if you could try to be like Mark Driscoll and Matt Chandler, that was a... And you can you almost find it in your own preaching voice, and you start sounding like them and kind of acting like them a little bit. And I just think there's a danger to that. And, I mean, worst case is that you're missing out on the opportunity for God to do something special and unique in the way that he has created you.

Lee Stephenson: Absolutely. And for me too, like getting together in that kind of conference, I think the strength of being part of a community like Converge is it does feel like family. And when you do come together, you have that reunion experience. And there's people I hadn't seen in several years. Just part of the COVID and the pandemic and all that kind of stuff. People weren't traveling. And it was just great to catch up. And be able to sit down, have a meal or a cup of coffee, and, "Hey, tell me. Catch me up over the last couple years? What's God doing?" And recognize some people have moved to different positions or different states. And to be able to hear, celebrate, pray for one another as well. It's just...it's meaningful. And I think that's another thing. It's easy to miss out on that kind of experience when you are out there as a lone ranger church and church plant. There are conferences that you can go to. But relationally, you miss some of that important connecting piece.

Danny Parmelee: And I think, too, one of the awesome things in the structure of the way that Unleash happened this year is that there was intentional kind of networking time that was built in. And so, I was looking forward to the breaks and the lunches. And my phone's like, buzzing like, "Hey, are you at Unleash right now?" And I was like, "Yeah, where are you?" It's like, "Okay, you know, meet out on the quad right now. And we can, you know, have lunch together, whatever." And we didn't have as much sun as we were hoping for.

Lee Stephenson: That was the only problem. And I tried to do what I could do. But you know, there's certain things just out of my control.

Danny Parmelee: That one's kind of up to God. Yeah, that one's out of your control, Lee. But honestly, that was great that it was an intentional part of kind of the scheduling to be able to do that. And then to have free nights as well, too. So, you kind of wrap all of those things together. Unleash, what do we have on the horizon for it? Or what's one of the next...

the first week of February in: 2023