Catalyst ‘O9, Quick Highlights
I went into Catalyst with some incredibly high expectations. And I did not leave disappointed. I left exhausted, like every ounce of me (body, soul and mind) was stretched to the absolute limit, but not the slightest bit disappointed. Brad Lomenick and his team have certainly figured out how to produce a WOW event.
As you can imagine, I need some time (like a year) to process everything I experienced, but here are some quick highlights:
- Hanging out with friends, new and old at Brad Ruggles’ Bloggers Meetup. The event was a wonderful testament to how powerful social media in building community.
- Hearing some strong and passionate Christian voices like Matt Chandler, Reggie Joiner, Andy Stanley, Dave Ramsey, Louie Giglio, and Priscilla Shirer. Each left their “mark” on me.
- Worshiping with 13,000 believers. One of the most moving moments of the entire conference was when Todd Fields led us in his beautiful rendition of It is Well.
- Spending time with my boss, Michael Hyatt, and his daughter, Megan, and the entire Cross Point Church staff. I am so blessed to have all these people in my life and I am thankful for every moment that they invest in me.
- Watching a grown man in a leotard dive (or more accurately perform a belly flop) from 35 foot high platform into a baby pool. Don’t take my word for it, you can watch it here.
And some quick pictures:
More details about Catalyst ’09 aka #cat09 to come. I promise.
If you attended, what were some of your highlights?
Lindsey,
The image of Jimmy meeting Mark on stage will seared in my mind forever. Having Jimmy read the letter from his Compassion sponsor that he has treasured for so many years and then come face to face with the person who's generosity changed his life brought life to an old Ray Boltz song. Most of us will never get to see the lives we impact on this side of eternity. I read a Twitter comment from someone who felt that this moment was a glimpse of what we will see in heaven.
I know that many "spontaneous" moments in an event such as Catalyst are actually scripted. I don't think Jimmy saw this one coming. It would be great to have Brad tell the story of how they put this together on a future podcast.
I so wish I could go to Catalyst some day…. it sounds great!
Thanks for sharing some of the highlights with us!