I wanted to highlight two of the speakers we heard late last week in the leadership track as both were really engaging and enjoyable. Neither were explicitly getting after leadership issues, but I think both hit on things that are really crucial for us to remember as we develop as ministry leaders and maybe more importantly, as followers of Christ.
First, the former Mayor of Fort Collins, Colorado came to speak to us. His name is Ray Martinez. He mostly shared about his own journey. He grew up as an orphan in the system for 5 years, was adopted, and started working as a shoe shiner in Fort Collins – shining even the Mayor’s shoes at the time. He eventually got into law enforcement and then when he retired from the force he became Mayor for 6 years and had to stop because of term limits. That story alone is impressive in light of the determination and commitment to overcome all of those challenges. I was very moved to hear that story, but he shared more about his recent journey about trying to find his biological mother. This was a very powerful story, though I won’t recount it here. All I would say is that his story is a must read for anyone who has been orphaned or in the system. He has a couple books out and a new one on this recent journey called Baby Boy – R that people can order from his website http://www.raymartinez.com.
The one thing that stood out to me besides God’s grace and capacity to redeem all things was Ray’s emphasis that one moment of leadership – where we are stepping out to influence for the sake of the well-being of others for a genuinely good purpose – can make all the difference in the world. He had a couple stories from his police career that illustrated that powerfully. Sometimes I can get casual about my day and forget that God can accomplish divine and powerful encounters through some of the most basic or routine encounters we have. I want to see the possibilities of all my interactions and not take them for granted. Ray was a great example of someone who maintains that expectation that God is at work around every corner.
The second speaker was Dr. Richard Pratt from Reformed Theological Seminary, but I’ll touch on him tomorrow since it’s late and I’m tired.
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