#9 – We Chose Staff over a building When we started our church, one of the things I had already made a decision about was that we were going to wait at least 3 years before pursuing any kind of building. The reason? I waned to develop and train a staff that could lead and adequately meet the needs of our church. I still believe this has been the right decision for us. We have always tried to staff slightly ahead of the growth and the addition of a staff member has always brought more growth. Now we are feeling … Read More
Session 2 – Drive ’05 Conference
Let’s just start out by laying out the fact that Andy Stanley is a beast! The guy just blows me away every time I hear him speak. Session #2 was on creating relevant environments. He mentioned the 3 components that make an environment relevant: Context, content, and presentation. Context is where the material is presented Content is the material that is being presented Presentation is how the material is presented The key to having an environment that is relevant is to have all 3 of the factors in operation. At dinner tonight, our staff discussed where we are strong and … Read More
Session 1 – Drive ’05 Conference
I can’t even begin to tell you how challenged I have been over the last 2 days. This has been like drinking water from a fire hose. Reggie Joiner taught session 1 and challenged every church leader to institute radical change. He shared that incremental change never works, even though we try it, hoping that we can fly under the radar. He says that what is needed is nothing short of radical change. Whatever it is that needs to change in our churches, we already know what it is, we just need the courage to do it. He ended his … Read More
Beam Me up Scotty!
I had a great time with my new friend Scott Hodge and his lovely wife Amanda today. We are both at the Drive conference this week and we hooked up for lunch. I am amazed at what God is doing in other churches and how he is using unique leaders to change this world. It’s awesome to be part of it. Scott is the Lead Pastor of Orchard Valley Community Church in Aurora, IL. We had a great time talking about church, movies, and Christian Heavy Metal bands. He’s a cool guy that is doing a great work reaching unchurched … Read More
Top 33 Victories Part 8
#8 – They didn’t talk to 10 people – they talked to 1 person 10 times! One thing we haven’t fallen for, is the thing that people say which all Pastors hear from time to time. It’s the old, “Pastor, I’ve talked to several people about this and they think we should __________.” At that moment, EVERY TIME, I say, “Who did you talk to? Let’s get them together so I can understand what’s going on.” Sure enough, I find that it isn’t 10 people they talked to. They just talked to 1 person 10 times. Pastors, don’t fall for … Read More
Top 33 Mistakes Part 8
#8 – We tried to do too much too soon This is the classic trap of any church plant. I’ve seen a hundred times and experienced it myself. What’s funny is that this is the 1 thing I said I wouldn’t do and I still got sucked into its’ gravitational pull. There is a thrill in starting new things. It’s one of the reasons we planted a church instead of taking over an established church. In the excitement of it all, we want to keep that fire burning and we start things that are good, but later on end up … Read More
Field of Dreams
I had the opportunity to go to Turner Field last night. Let me say, it was amazing! Ted Turner didn’t spare any expense building this state of the art baseball facility. The owner of the Marlins should take note on how to build a baseball park that is conducive for baseball. American Idol runner-up Diana DeGarmo sang the National anthem. It was good. The Braves won and it’s always a good thing when the home team wins. I know this doesn’t help the Marlins, but what can I say? I got swept up in the moment. Plus, John Smoltz pitched … Read More
Top 33 Mistakes Part 7
#7 – I did not have a clearly defined vision before we started the church I know this sounds insane, but it’s totally true. If you were to have asked me how Calvary Fellowship was going to reach people 2 months before we started, I would have said something spiritual sounding like, “I am going to teach the Bible” or “I am going to let the Spirit lead.” That’s not spiritual, that’s called ignorance and lack of preparation. What this lack of vision did was cause me a lot of headaches. Why? Because when you don’t have the course laid … Read More
Top 33 Victories Part 7
#7 – I let my wife be herself My wife never felt comfortable in the typical role of a pastor’s wife. While my wife is a gifted teacher, she has never felt the urge or the call to run a Women’s ministry. She doesn’t lead worship or play the organ, yet since we started Calvary there has been pressure by some to force her into that cookie cutter mold. My heart for her has always been that she be herself and that she find the ministry that God has for her. For some reason, people have this idea that the … Read More
I went to church today…
I got to sit in church today. It was a nice feeling. It has been almost a year since I just sat in a church service. But I got to visit Northpoint Community Church in Alpharetta, GA. This is my 3rd time at Northpoint, but it was still great. These guys never cease to amaze me. It was so impressed with their creativity, commitment to excellence, and focus. Andy was great as always. I’m looking forward to attending the Drive conference tomorrow. It’s going to be great! (Photo taken from my treo)
