The Now Summit: Engaging The Greatest Generation Of All

Many years ago, a leader said to me, “When we preach we add, but when we teach, we multiply.” I never forgot this important lesson. Sooner or later, if we are planning to speak beyond the grave, we must move from addition to multiplication. The lesson of multiplication.

On another occasion, when I was preparing for another long airline trip, a close pastor friend said, “You can either spend the money or spend the man. But, when the man is spent, it is over.” He was not trying to teach me regarding the stewardship of money, but the management of a healthy self. The lesson of management.

Nearly forty years ago, I was given a leadership series taught by the late Howard Hendricks. If you have not studied under Dr. Hendricks or read his books, you do not know what you are missing. Long before the leadership buzz of today, Dr. Hendricks was teaching personal leadership to his students. In 1984, I heard him say, “Paul did not say, ‘Here are 99 things I dabble in, but this one thing I do.” I encourage you to watch The Ultimate Final: The lesson of ministry.

When we launched the Global Church Network (GCNW.tv) in 2002, we were determined to multiply, manage and minister. Over the last several weeks, GCN hosted the Dr. Robert Jeffress—Dr. James O. Davis Leadership Roundtable at First Baptist Dallas in Dallas, Texas, and Cohosted The Now Summit with Dr. Jay Strack, Founder/President Student Leadership University in Orlando, Florida.

At First Baptist Dallas, key leaders attended the leadership roundtable from across the United States. Dr. Jeffress is a Southern Baptist Pastor, author, radio host, and Founder of Pathway To Victory Television program. He is the senior pastor of the 14,000-member First Baptist Dallas and is a Fox News Contributor. His sermons are broadcast on the television and radio program Pathway to Victory, which is broadcast on more than 1,200 television stations in the United States and 28 other countries and is heard on 900 stations and broadcast live in 195 countries.

Dr. Jeffress and I both taught two leadership lessons. Once these lessons are edited, they will be featured in the Global Church Divinity School (GCDS.tv) to help pastors worldwide.

Last week, Dr. Jay Strack and I hosted The Now Summit. The Now Summit is focused, not on the next generation, but the “now” generation. When someone is waiting for the next train or plane, there comes a point when it is no longer the next, but the now train or plane. For decades we have heard leaders talk about reaching the next generation, but it is time now to connect and convert the generation that is right before our eyes.

We were fortunate to have Dr. Leonard Sweet and Dr. Os Guinness to explain the necessary leadership bridges that need to be built for the next to become the now. It does not matter how good your highway is, if no one can get on it. It is our responsibility to create the onramps necessary for the now generation to get on the highway of ministry. We are making plans to host a National Now Summit on December 3-4, 2024, for 500 distinguished youth leaders, who believe God can save the West. We must answer the question, “What must we do now to save the West?”