Aspen Group Blog

The Aspen Team recently held a successful Pastors Lunch in Naperville, Ill. where scores of Chicagoland church leaders gathered to hear Aspen President Ed Bahler talk about the subject Conquering Fear in Uncertain Times. Whether it was the topic or the food (Maggiano’s!), we were glad to see such a great turnout in these times of economic uncertainty. (More pix in the Photo Gallery!)

The discussion centered on the characteristics of a Movement (think Book of Acts) versus an established and stagnant organization. A Movement has clarity of purpose, message and motivation and calls people to go beyond themselves in passionate pursuit of a calling. Economic turmoil, on the other hand, has a tendency to limit creativity and risk-taking if we allow our fears to overwhelm our faith. I once heard that a church is an organism with organization. Interesting balance there.

Judging from the evaluations turned in afterwards, the attendees got a lot out of it as well. Stay tuned for the next round of Aspen events. And don’t forget to sign up for the September 15^th Cornerstone Conference – there’s a great “pre-early bird” discount in place until June 15^th