The Global Leadership Summit

Bill Hybels is a ninja.

I don’t know how to say it any clearer than that.

From the impact Willow Creek has had on modern church to the influence his books have had on young Christians like me, he is awesome.

So much so that, one Thanksgiving, the entire Acuff family sat around a small TV at a rented beach house watching an interview he did. This was the first and last time we spent Thanksgiving night captivated by a DVD of a pastor.

But there we were, watching Bill Hybels talk about leadership and life with an up-and-coming musician named “Bono.” (Perhaps you’ve heard of him? He’s part of a small band called “U2.”)

The interview was unbelievable, and not just because it was Bono. What was so great was the way Hybels challenged Christians to get involved in the issues tearing our world apart.

Fast forward a few years, and the folks at the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit asked if the readers of Stuff Christians Like would like a discount to their next event. My immediate answer was “Bill Hybels is a ninja.” That’s a confusing way to answer a question, though, so I changed my answer to “Yes!”

The goal of the summit, which will be held on August 9-10, is to transform Christian leaders around the world with an annual injection of vision, skill development, and inspiration for the sake of the local church. This is the 17th summit they’ve had, and like every year before it, the lineup of leaders who will be there to serve and inspire is ridiculous:

Bill Hybels
Condoleezza Rice
John Ortberg
Craig Groeschel
Geoffrey Canada
Jim Collins
Patrick Lencioni
Cheryl Wudunn
Mario Vega
Marc Kielburger
Christine Caine
Pranitha Timothy
William Ury
Gungor
Kevin Olusola

As a pastor’s kid, I’m a huge fan of events that encourage and equip the local church. As someone who is trying to grow into a leader, I love events that challenge me to grow beyond my comfort zone.

This year, more than 65,000 people will watch the summit at one of 200 different locations via satellite broadcast. It will be shown in more than 85 countries and translated into 39 different languages.

If you want to be part of the summit, register by June 26 for the best rates and enter “acuffblog” to save $20 on the registration fee.

The theme this year is “Lead Where You Are,” and it’s going to be awesome. I hope you’ll check out the summit. For more info, visit their website.