Influence That Changes Things: Confluence

"Confluence will be my topic for the upcoming

Christian message to your professional network,"

said Pastor Seth Cain, keynote speaker for an upcoming business network event. I was to develop this network's flyers and invitations. "Would you like to explain that a little further for me?" I asked. I hated to tell him I had no idea what confluence meant.

"Give me a few minutes and I'll send you an email to help you with the flyer," Seth told me. Relief rolled over me and I got right onto the next project.

Confluence: The Influence That Changes Things was all that the entire email contained. Now, I should have told him I was clueless on the direction his message was headed because I was ignorant of the clear meaning of the word: confluence. I'm still working on humility...pray for me.

I spent hours researching confluence and finally came up with this for the promotion:

Many factors influence change. People don’t resist change, they resist being changed. Don’t miss this lunch and learn. Seth will guide us to become the influencers that bring people to want to change.

Well, the good news is that I nailed it! God is merciful, especially to the weak ones like me. Seth shared with us that he is a bivocational pastor along with his co-pastors at Heritage Church in Greer, SC with a vision of pouring into the lives of a few that impacts their lives deeply to become influencers in any culture. WOW! Numbers don't drive these pastors...oh, this is refreshing. Seth's websites are: Church website: http://chcgreer.com/ , and his business: Martus website: http://martussolutions.com/

Seth told our network about growing up in the Shenadoah Valley of Virginia as a young boy. A major flood covered acres and acres of land with water. He clearly remembered a 60 foot bridge covered with rushing water carrying housing parts, dead animals and debris from miles away. Rivers, creeks, tiny tributaries had water filling their banks and flowing together in one fast moving poweful rush of water that pulled up trees, houses and anything in its path. These small conduits of water became a mighty force when they came together and moved in CONFLUENCE.

Seth told us he managed a retail store while going through college. He was able to win the trust and understanding of employees throughout the store to buy into the needs of operating the store in excellence. They came together and flowed in one direction with momentum and celebration of each others' contribution to the common goal. This process initially took more time and energy on Seth's part, but then the joy and energy of working together made work a joy and most fulfilling.

Oh, I'm all into CONFLUENCE. In fact, I'm convinced we Christians need to come into understanding of confluence in order to fulfill the commands of Christ.

I want to hear from you. Got any ideas on Confluence....influence that changes things, changes people?

These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.Acts 14:1

New American Standard Bible (©1995)