27 March, 2025

Inaugural Spire Conference Marks New Beginning for Leaders

by | 17 October, 2019 | 0 comments

By Jerry Harris

Leaders from all over the country descended on the Marriott World Center in Orlando, Florida, for the first-ever Spire Conference from October 8 to 10. More than 1,500 leaders from churches of all sizes gathered with their staffs to learn, network, and collaborate to inspire a movement of healthy, growing churches. One hundred three churches with weekly average attendances of more than 1,000 were represented.

This gathering highlighted the Spire platform, a 24/7 tool to facilitate year-round encouragement, tools, best practices, and relationships inside the Restoration Movement. The platform also serves as an invitation into relationship for those churches and Christian leaders who are looking for a tribe.

Spire unveiled its new app, creating a virtual link to the new network platform. Leaders were informed about a new partnership with Gloo, a resource for churches to harness the power of big data to build effectiveness in their ministry areas. Among the concentrations at the conference was one that explored ways to avoid ministry burnout, a common occurrence that impedes development of new and young leaders in our tribe.

The Spire Conference made a concerted effort to reach younger generations who are assuming the mantle of leadership. It could be seen in almost every area, from technology to worship, speaker choices to practical tools. The focus moved from monologue-style presentations to  dialogues, which included huddles, breakouts, and spaces for teams to process together.

The Spire Conference and platform is not a fresh coat of paint on the North American Christian Convention, but a completely fresh experience tightly focused on leaders who carry the responsibility of shepherding a movement of healthy growing churches. To learn more, go to Spire.network.

Jerry Harris

Jerry Harris is publisher of Christian Standard Media and teaching pastor at The Crossing, a multisite church located in three states across the Midwest.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Columns

Walk a Little Farther

Has your faith become complacent? Is your lifestyle a bit too predictable and comfortable? Is the Lord nudging you to do more, give more, or risk more? Don’t quit if the Lord wants you to walk a little farther.  

When “Your All” Isn’t Enough

One of the great dangers of the modern church is that we have come to rely on our thinking, strength, wit, and skill and believe we can strategize, market, and promote our way out of the place in which we and our churches find ourselves.

The Power of Repetition

One of the most significant things I learned over the course of more than four decades of preaching in the local church is people don’t need to be taught something new as much as they need to be reminded of what they already know.

Solutions for Ministry Stress

The fear of the Lord leads to a life of holiness and obedience, while the comfort of the Holy Spirit brings peace and strength amid trials. These two spiritual qualities enable us to be all God wants us to be as we seek to live out Jesus’ mission.

Follow Us