MySecret Strategy (Don't Let Anyone Know)

I posted recently about the lunch I held for pastors and Alpha leaders from Red Deer area churches. However, for various reasons, there were a number of pastors that couldn't make it. So I plan another one for the  City of Lacombe, a few km north of Red Deer (date and venue yet to be announced). I have already heard back from a couple of pastors, so I feel I can now publish this post.

I am about to reveal one of my secret strategies, but first this...

Last year at the Leadership Summit at Holy Trinity Brompton, Bill Hybels began his talk with this anecdote:

"Nicky Gumbel called me at home in the US and asked me if I believed in free speech. I said, 'Well I'm an American, fairly conservative, of course I believe in free speech.' So Nicky said, 'Then how would you like to come over to England and give one.'"

So... I am about to reveal a secret. When I am planning one of these area lunches, I pick a church and give the pastor a call. The conversation usually goes something like this:

"I'd like to invite you to lunch," I say, "In fact, I'm planning to invite all the pastors in your area to come to lunch, to both give and get feedback on how Alpha went last year with the Alberta2013 Initiative."

"Great," they usually reply, "Count me in."

"Fantastic," I say, "Can we use your building?"

Sometimes I announce the lunch before I even have a venue, and the first pastor to reply gets the call.

I have found pastors to be very gracious in their responses, but please keep this very sensitive information a secret, if you can.

Thanks and Blessings,
John