Some Really Big News!

Bob FranquizChurch

One of the things I’ve found in attending conferences over the years is that the place where you really learn is in-between sessions. That’s because this is the place where you can ask the really practical questions about ministry and church. My prayer for years has been that a conference would come that took these practical matters to the stage and allowed us to hear from some people who are doing ministry well in a portable setting with all of the challenges which come with that. Having said that, Calvary Fellowship is going to host a conference specifically for churches … Read More

I’m for sale on E-Bay

Bob FranquizUncategorized

Well, not me, but my old band Amboog-a-lard’s demo sold for $31 on e-bay. People it’s a cassette! The reason it sold for that much is because one of our band members went on to join Marilyn Manson and sell millions of records. But I will think that I added something to the sale. 🙂

Bienvenido a Miami

Bob FranquizChurch

So the news is out that Fellowship Church has landed in Miami. I think it’s a great thing. Lord knows we need relevant ministries in Miami. I’m interested to see if they make some cultural adjustments to what they do to reach people in Dallas to reach folks in Miami. Either way, welcome!

Book Review: Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church

Bob FranquizBooks

Honestly, after finishing Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church by D.A. Carson my first thought was, “This book could have been 100 pages shorter!” They book was good and I think for the most part it was a fair assessment of the people they featured in the book. I think Carson did a good job of trying to find some common ground with the various people involved in Emergent. I think the title of the book is unfortunate because “The Emerging Church” is very broad and many within it do not wish to be linked to Emergent in any way. … Read More

Erwin McManus on Reading

Bob FranquizChurch

In this article from Catalyst Monthly, Erwin McManus talks about something really important for leaders: reading books that make you uncomfortable. I’ve talked about this in the past, but I believe as a leader you have to expose yourself to ideas that force you to think. The problem is most people don’t read books to think, they read books to relax. Leaders should read because it opens them up to a new way of thinking or at the very least allows us to understand someone with a differing view a little better.

Attention John Piper Fans

Bob FranquizBooks

I know I’ll surely be stoned for this, but I’ve never read anything by John Piper except his book on fasting. So here’s my question: If I were to pick up a Piper book or two, which would you recommend I read first?

Book Review: Communicating for a Change

Bob FranquizUncategorized

WOW! Those were my first words when I finished reading Communicating for a Change by Andy Stanley and Lane Jones. This book is an absolute must-read for anyone who communicates on a regular basis. Let me be totally honest and say that I’m a bit bias because I believe Andy is the best preacher in America. Andy gives an honest, practical look at preaching, but he challenges us to ask the question, “What are we trying to do with our messages?” Are we trying we just “Get through the material?” or “Trying to tell them everything about the text?” or … Read More

How the 50 Most Influential Churches have Influenced Me

Bob FranquizChurch

In light of the Church Report’s list of the Top 50 most influential churches, I decided to share a couple of ways some of these churches have influenced me: #1 – Willowcreek – They taught me that leadership and vision are critical to the success of any church. #2 – Saddleback – They taught me to keep the unchurched in mind in everything we do. #3 – Northpoint Community Church – I’ve learned so much from Northpoint, but their greatest influence on me has been how to preach with only one point (This has been the greatest blessing to me … Read More

Feedback: We all Need it

Bob FranquizChurch

We had a surprise visit this weekend from a couple of Pastors/leaders from this church, who came to check out how we do church in a theatre. I didn’t get to talk to them afterwards, but we were able to connect through e-mail. Visits like these (especially when they are unannounced) create a great opportunity for feedback. These guys were doing some R & D of their own, but I wanted to hear the good, the bad, and ugly about what we’re doing and their experience. Even if you change up your routine and come in through a different door … Read More

Book Review: “Choosing to Cheat” and a Couple of personal thoughts

Bob FranquizUncategorized

I just finished Choosing to Cheat by Andy Stanley. This book is an absolute must-read! It is an important book especially for those in ministry, because the lines of ministry and God get blurred sometimes for us. I was talking to someone recently and telling him about how Pastors’ kids are sometimes the most out of control kids in the church. He asked why. I said, “Because dad isn’t ever home. He’s always counseling other people and fixing their families.” All the while, the Pastor’s family is waiting for him to come home. Guys, this may seem basic to some, … Read More