I had the opportunity to meet and grab a lunch with Francis Chan of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley on Tuesday.
It was a great couple of hours and gave me tons to think about. Here are some of my thoughts:
- Authenticity is huge. Chan is such a down to earth guy and it was incredibly refreshing to see that quality in him.
- Faith matters. Francis Chan kept talking about being in positions that didn’t make sense without God. The president of their college later added that Francis Chan’s biggest mark on their church has been his faith — if the elders believe that something is worth doing then there’s nothing that stops him.
- Normal Christians. I’ve always thought that there needs to be more normal Christians in the world. It was cool to hear Francis Chan echo that same thought about a dozen times. He told us the story of the college student that remarked that her classmates thought she was annoying because she is a Christian. His response was that she is annoying because she is annoying. “I am a Christian and she annoys me. She’s annoying because of her personality not because of her faith.” The students they have at their college are required to be in classes at the local community college largely so that they learn to be normal people as well as faith filled Christians.
- The Gift of Teaching. Francis Chan has got it. Click here to subscribe to his podcast.
- Beware of groupies. Kim was a little overeager in the meeting and made sure to get an autograph and picture.
