Bob Lilly and Scott Murray
200 guests attended the second annual Mission in the Marketplace to learn about how to share their faith appropriately in the workplace and in the community.
They heard from former athletes who transitioned into the business world as well as professionals and emerging entrepreneurs, who discussed the challenges facing such conversations.
Dallas Cowboy legend Bob Lilly – who was recently named to the National Football League’s “100 Greatest of All Time” – mentioned insights he learned from his parents as he grew up in a home of faith, and focused largely on the impact he experienced under the leadership of the late Tom Landry, the first coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
Lilly cited Landry’s opening meeting with the team, when he announced that he was a Christian and he promised that he would never conduct himself or say anything that would compromise his beliefs. Lilly continued on to say that Tom Landry lived up to his commitments and that the men who played for him over multiple years tended to become better role models than those on many other teams.
When asked about today’s Dallas Cowboys, Lilly added that today’s free agent environment has totally changed the dynamics of teams. “In our day, you played for the same team throughout your career, so you had confidence in what the guy next to you was going to do in a given situation. That changes completely when you’ve never played at his side before.”
Veronica Cochran, CEO of the International Association of Administrative Professionals, shared that leaders choose to run toward responsibility rather than run away from it. She added that leadership is our collective calling, while also emphasizing that leaders are intentional about their influence. They set a direction and use their influence to stay along that path.
Three-time Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboy Chad Hennings explained that our identity and the choices that we make will define who we are. The former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot also quoted Proverbs 13:20, “He who walks with wise men will become wise.” Every attendee received a copy of Hennings’ book, “Forces of Character.”
The largest laugh of the night occurred when Bob Lilly reflected upon being honored as one of the NFL’s “Greatest 100 of All Time” during Super Bowl Week. “It was an interesting time for a defensive lineman. I was down there in Miami for this anniversary and I was standing there talking to Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Roger Staubach, and then (John) Elway was right over here (pointing to his left), and I’m thinking… my mouth started watering. I could get ‘em all at once!”
A panel of emerging leaders discussed the challenges and opportunities they face in launching and growing their businesses while fulfilling their faith beliefs. The panel consisted of:
• Elizabeth Huffman, owner of Black Door Renovations in Southlake
• Rachel Porter, loan officer for Red Diamond Home Loans
• James Durham, founder/president of TBI One Love and sales coach at Zig Ziglar Corporation
• Johnnie Yellock, retired military veteran and recipient of the Combat Action Medal and Purple Heart
The purpose of Mission in the Marketplace is “To encourage Christians to openly share their faith in business for the purpose of growing God’s Kingdom.” A portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit GRACE (Grapevine Relief and Community Exchange).