Nearly 1,000 people from businesses and the faith community attended the 25th annual Connect Silicon Valley, formerly known as the Silicon Valley Prayer Breakfast, on April 4 in Santa Clara, California.
For more than two decades, the event—whose core mission is “connecting with God and connecting with each other so we all grow closer to God“—has brought together leaders in technology and business to discuss faith, prayer and leadership.
The breakfast event, which included music by Hillsong San Francisco, gave attendees the opportunity to connect with people around their table. It also featured speeches from Patrick Lencioni and Sue Warnke.
Warnke, Senior Director of Engineering Content at Sales Force, shared her story of coming to God later in life. In the midst of a successful career, Warnke felt empty and struggled to balance the demands of work and family life. She said it was at this point that she uttered three words that changed the course of her life and led her on a path towards faith and God: I give up.
Those three words, Warnke said, transformed her approach to life and business.
“I am convinced that God wants to use us,” Warnke said. “But it’s not about us. But, if we can let go of our control, our desire to succeed and prep our life and lead it, God can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.”
Patrick Lencioni, founder and president of The Table Group, delivered the keynote address.
Although he was a practicing Catholic, Lencioni described how in the past he was a success addict, and relied on external accomplishments to build his self-worth.
“I knew that there was something missing,” Lencioni said. “I had faith, but I wasn’t living for anything.”
After a spiritual awakening, Lencioni said God worked on his heart over the course of several years to strip away his success addiction and instill in him a true sense of purpose.
“Everything I do is supposed to be ministry,” Lencioni said. “What I’ve kind of come to realize is that I am a minister, and that we all are.”
Attendees had the opportunity to attend breakout sessions after the breakfast ended. Topics for the sessions included “Building Effective Corporate Culture,” “Is Science Irrational without God?” and “Innovating with God in the Marketplace.”
As Connect Silicon Valley continues to expand its mission, the organization is planning to host quarterly breakfasts and salon discussions. Through bringing people of faith together, the organization believes it can influence a generation of business leaders.
Their website says it best:
“Relationships are at the core of everything we do. Our programs encourage conversations that help people to connect with each other and with God.”
Editor’s Note: Guideposts is a non-profit sponsor of Connect Silicon Valley’s annual prayer breakfast.
