I just finished reading Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches. The book was very well done. It gave 5 areas of theology where 1 of the 5 contributors would take the lead. Then the other 4 writers were able to respond to the chapter. It was very well done. Honestly, I think this books was really needed. Robert Webber does a great job at the end in exhorting the emerging church of the challenges they face. He also challenged evangelicals to really listen to what these young leaders are saying, because many of them are saying the same thing … Read More
How We Do Staff Meetings
After posting about our all-staff meeting, I got a couple of emails about how we do staff meetings at CF, so I thought I’d let you all know if you’re interested. So here’s a basic order: Open in prayer Devotional Review Sunday (We ask 4 questions: What went right? What went wrong? What was missing? What was confusing?) We answer each question and a name gets assigned to each wrong, missing or confusing issue to be taken care of that week. This is also where we tell stories about the great things that God did over the last week. Review … Read More
Guess who’s 6 weeks old?
I just posted a new photo album of some recent pictures of Mia. She’s growing up too fast.
Top 10 Worship Songs in America
These are the top 10 worship songs being sung in churches across America according to CCLI. Is it just me, but aren’t these songs kind of old? 1 How Great Is Our God 2 Here I Am To Worship 3 Blessed Be Your Name 4 Open The Eyes Of My Heart 5 Shout To The Lord 6 Lord I Lift Your Name On High 7 Come Now Is The Time To Worship 8 You Are My King 9 Forever 10 Holy Is The Lord
Easter is coming!
Here’s our Easter invite. We’re really excited about what God is going to do on Easter. This has been one of the greatest seasons in our church’s history. We are reaching more people than ever, and we feel like we are finally starting to run on all 8 cylinders. It has taken us a while to really discover who we are as a church (many churches start out with a crystal clear vision. Others take a little while to discover it), but the last year has just been amazing! I can’t wait to see what happens on Easter!
Book Review: Sex God
First, let me say that I’m a huge Rob Bell fan (that is, if Pastors can actually have fans). I first heard him speak at Catalyst 2003 and have been listening to him every week since. I loved his first book “Velvet Elvis” and Sex God does not disappoint! Honestly, every year I read a book that gives me a sad feeling when I’m done. Not because the book is bad. In fact, just the opposite. I find the book so riveting and yet I know that I can’t read the book for the first time every again. It’s the … Read More
Idol Thoughts
Seriously, is it fair to have a Diana Ross night on American Idol and then tell the guys you didn’t like how they sang? Do the show’s producers even take into consideration the fact that most girls can’t even hit her range, such less most guys? I’d like to them have a Metallica night to even out the playing field a bit. (Not that this changes the fact that the guys aren’t very good this year) That’s why having the finalists pick within a genre is better than being stuck inside of one artist’s catalog of songs.
Who’s Rockin’ Your World?
Last week I had breakfast with a good friend of mine and as always we came to some theological thing one of us has been trying to wrestle tot he ground. I walked away after 3 hours at Cracker Barrel thinking this is one of the most challenging conversations I’ve had in a while. I need people like this in my life. People who I can throw out an idea with and we can go back and forth. People who are thinkers rather than just repeaters. People who are reading books that others find to be “too on the edge”. … Read More
All Staff Meeting
We had an all-staff meeting today that included all of our full and part time staff. It was a great time. We have a staff meeting every week (Tuesday morning for those keeping score at home), but we are moving to a format of including all of our part-time guys once a month. Over and over I have come back to the fact that you cannot over-communicate vision. When we get sick of talking about it is when our hearers are just starting to get it.
Now it’s getting out of hand!
When my church credit card # was stolen and coffee that I didn’t order showed up to the office, it was odd. The next day when skin care products that I didn’t order showed up, it was annoying. But Fed Ex just dropped off a box that opened and contained 9 bottles of wine that I didn’t order! Now it’s getting out of hand. At this level of escalation, I don’t know what to expect next… Thankfully this was caught and we aren’t getting charged for any of it. It’s just causing me to have to call these companies and … Read More
