This year's theme, RESILIENCE, was a powerful and needed word. In fact, our first speaker, Haman Cross, from Detroit, spoke on these 4 contributing factors that build resilience:
#1 A Refreshing Sense of Purpose
Be reminded of why you're here. In the Biblical story of Jesus multiplying the loaves and fishes, the story concludes with the disciples being told "to gather up the fragments so that nothing is wasted." We need to be about gathering up the fragments.
#2 Ride or Die Partners
We all need a few "ride or die" partners...people who stand with and stick with us in the journey of our call and faith.
#3 Raw passion to survive and thrive and to do something significant
God often pushes us into work in which we feel inadequate, ill-equipped, unprepared for the challenges. We need to stay close to Christ in the work in order to keep the vision and passion alive and to be sure that we're "on the right wall". (Cross talked about how we can be climbing a ladder of success only to look and find it's up against the wrong wall).
#4 Reality of God's Presence
Live in the reality of God's presence, power, and faithfulness. We will find our resilience in Him, not in the situations and circumstances in which we find ourselves.
