At Catalyst, there’s an elephant in the room. And a donkey. And a trampoline-jumping slam-dunk crew. Cloggers, stompers, a Pentecostal adult choir from the Southeast. An awe-inspiring children’s choir from Africa. Comedian Jeff Foxworthy. Jon Foreman from Switchfoot. The double-jointed popping wonder Robert Murraine from “So You Think You Can Dance.” Cutting-edge business experts, paradigm-shifting pastors, incredibly anointed worship musicians and more than 12,000 on-fire Christian leaders. And that was just in the first hour.

OK, so maybe those were main stage highlights from throughout the two days, but the conference was so overwhelmingly amazing, it often felt like that was the pace.

Born in 1999 with a heart to challenge young church leaders personally to become change agents, Catalyst continues to deliver a dynamic, transformational attendee experience.

Welcome to Catalyst

From the moment you enter Atlanta’s Gwinnett Arena conference grounds (which are lined with quirky welcoming signs), you’re met by friendly volunteers who are handing out donuts and sharing their umbrellas to walk you through the rain to the door. That atmosphere permeates the entire event.

Inside, the production value alone is unmatched, delivering an audio, visual and lighting feast. Surprises lurk around every corner, the anticipation and sheer joy of which could hold the attention of even the most easily distracted among us. Case in point?

• A school bus drives onto the conference floor and out come a mariachi band, a banjo player, a dodgeball champ ... and a pig.
• Attendees are moved to tears on all levels of the emotional spectrum – worshipping extravagantly, cheering through a video baptism, laughing at all the antics, watching children dance, being encouraged to persevere through hard times and admonished to pursue excellence for His name’s sake.

Although founded as a Next Generation conference for young Christian leaders, a glimpse at the crowd affirms the reach has widened. The conference is for anyone who understands that church is more than a building, preacher or program. It’s for the church leader who has a healthy discontent with the status quo. For those who aren’t afraid to acknowledge they have more questions than answers. For those who have an insatiable desire to be challenged to fix what most others might not consider broken.

Truly, Catalyst has broken its own mold. And I don’t think they’d have it any other way. Guests on the main stage ranged from 8-year-old African children to video of 90-year-old Billy Graham, who was honored with the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award. In between that, speakers included a range of authors and leaders from the business and church communities, such as Jim Collins, Seth Godin, Brenda Salter McNeil and Matt Chandler.

Conference Attendees – A Wide Spectrum

I talked with one group of youth leaders in their mid-20s – Dustin Stottmann (Delaware Baptist), Jason Copenhaver (Faith Crossing Baptist) and David Fensler (Living Oaks Baptist) – friends from Oklahoma Baptist University. First-time attendees, their favorite speakers the first day were Steven Furtick (a 20-something pastor himself) and Craig Groeschel. For the second day, they were most excited to see Andy Stanley and Dave Ramsey – the latter, not for his potential impact on their ministry, but more for the personal benefit.

Contrast the youth leader crew with other first-time attendees, Pastor David Welch (age 55) and his wife, Kathy. For nearly three decades, Welch has pastored Church of God of Prophecy in Fairbanks, Alaska. He says his congregation of about 30 encourages him to attend conferences, setting aside money to make it happen. When asked why he chose to attend Catalyst – a guaranteed 12- to 16-hour travel day – Welch says it appealed to him as a motivational tool. “It wasn’t too specialized in any one thing, but had a broad appeal in a wide variety of areas.” He adds, “Every speaker had something that ministered to us in one way or another.”

Divine appointments also seem to play into the Catalyst experience. Publisher Katherine Kennedy and I finally got to meet several folks from across the nation who we’ve only corresponded with in the past. It was also a time to connect with friends such as Mel McGowan, Michael Trent and Bob Adams.

Welch had his own small-world moments, too. During his travels, he was reading Mark Batterson’s latest book, “Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God.” During one session, the gentleman sitting next to Welch mentioned he was from National Community Church in Washington, D.C. – pastored by Batterson, who happened to be sitting nearby. Welch was then able to meet Batterson and get his book signed.

Catalyst organizers thrive on connections, too, introducing the crowd to lots of inspirational Kingdom causes and co-laborers. At one point, they brought up a U.S. serviceman Ryan Webb and his wife Charity. During the conference, they learned Webb was on a two-week leave from the war – and chose to spend part of it at Catalyst. Standing ovations ensued, as bags of materials from the bookstore were given to him to take back to the battlefield.

One of the best things about Catalyst is its expansion plans in 2009. Besides the 10-year anniversary celebration Oct. 7-9, 2009, in Atlanta, four Catalyst One Day events will also sweep the nation. The big news, however, is the unveiling of Catalyst West, April 22-24, 2009, at Mariners Church in Irvine, Calif.

Featuring the same essential ingredients of the Catalyst experience (a focus on leadership, along with a healthy dose of the unexpected), the California event promises to deliver. Attendees will receive treat enough through worship, led by Hillsong United with Brian Houston, in one of the band’s two U.S. events slated for 2009.

Beyond the first day’s lab sessions, some of the main stage speakers include business blogger and author Guy Kawasaki; Life without Limbs founder Nick Vujicic; and pastors Andy Stanley, Craig Groeschel, Erwin McManus, Perry Noble, Jud Wilhite and Francis Chan.

Each speaker will tap into the event’s “You Are Here” theme. “We’re really trying to help leaders understand that wherever God has placed them – no matter how difficult or challenging or daunting – that God has placed them there for a very specific reason,” shares Catalyst employee and West Coast Director Ben Arment. “It also plays into the idea that achieving the God-given vision you have requires understanding where you are and knowing the steps to get where you want to go.”

The Catalyst crew is leading by example on that front. “The thing we strive for is to really help pastors become freed from the constraints of ministry,” Arment explains. “We feel a sense of responsibility to be innovative and to lead out ahead because we know that so many pastors and worship leaders in particular come to learn from what we do. That’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly at all. We feel so blessed that the message and purpose we have is satisfying something out there among church leaders.”

Quick Facts

The founders of Catalyst include Andy Stanley and Reggie Joiner from North Point Community Church, along with John C. Maxwell, Gabe Lyons and other young leaders from INJOY.

The first Catalyst Conference drew 1,500 attendees. The 2008 event had more than 12,400.

Related Article:

Catalyst Wrap-Up