When we started our church 6 1/2 years ago, there was nothing like NNCC or ChurchPlanters.com for church planters (or at least if there was, I didn’t know about it). This led me to plant CF without having a clue as to what I was doing or having any guidance as to a strategy about launching a church. I had never read a book on church planting because I was told that all this stuff was carnal and all that I needed was the Bible and the Holy Spirit. I know that sounds really spiritual, but that’s like a couple … Read More
Great posts I’ve Read Recently
I’m sure many of you are reading these blogs, but if you’re not, here’s a few posts that have made me think recently… – Craig Groschel’s series on barriers was great. But his whole “Above the Line/ below the line” deal was out of hand. These 2 paragraphs are better than 1/2 the books I’ve read this year! – Ben Arment’s post on “The Klondike Bar Effect” is great. It’s a good read for those taking attractional ministry to a ridiculous extreme. – Steven Furtick’s post on being scared was powerful. It was as honest a post as I’ve read … Read More
Calvary Fellowship Pictorial…
I showed a bunch of pictures of our environment at my pre-conference intensive at the National New Church Conference and those that attended asked if there was a way to get these pics. So here they are. We’re getting better at remembering to take pictures, so these photo albums should increase in coming months. Enjoy…
Hanging in O-Town
I had a great time teaching at Calvary South Orlando on Wednesday night. I was able to teach on my favorite subject (John the Baptist) and hang out with some friends. Charles (the Pastor) and I planted our churches around the same time, so I’ve always felt a sense of camaraderie with him and the church he planted. I was blessed to be able to visit and teach, see some old friends and make some new ones. We got to hang out afterwards and talk shop (which is one of my favorite things to do) before we drove home. I … Read More
Good Stuff Happening…
God seems to be opening a door for us with the press that we’ve never knocked on, but it’s opening nonetheless. Our worship Pastor, Mark Rodriguez, was just interviewed in the Miami Herald and on NPR. Anyway, you can read and listen to the stories here.
National New Church Conference Recap
Just got back from my trip to Orlando. What a great time! – My pre-conference workshop went great! Thanks for praying. I really felt like I was able to share some helpful stuff and hopefully save a lot of church planters a lot of mistakes. Thanks to Tadd for the “action shot” of me teaching. – What I was able to see of the conference was great. Jim Putman did a workshop on connecting people into community that really challenged how we communicate the importance of small groups. We have 65% of our church in small groups. They have 100% … Read More
My New Book is Out!
I thought it was going to take Amazon.com a little longer to get it, but my new book is out. It’s called Watermark and it’s an explanation of what baptism is. It started out as a pamphlet on baptism and turned into about 50 pages on the subject. It’s got an introduction, the chapter “Watermark” from my Elements book, and an FAQ on baptism. 50 pages sounds like a lot, but the design gives the books a lot of breathing room. We put Watermark together because we wanted everyone who gets baptized at our church to really understand what they’re … Read More
I’m Still Amazed…
I’m still at how much good stuff gets left on the editing room floor of a Pastor’s office as he’s preparing a weekend message. Sometimes there’s just more content than there is time, so you’ve got to boil it down (like a stew). There are days I wish we go old school and preach like the Puritans: 30 point messages, lasting 5-6 hours. I know it’s not realistic, but a preacher can dream…
The Pointer Sisters were Right!
“I’m so excited and I just can’t hide it!” I am so looking forward to my time at the National New Church Conference in Orlando on Monday and Tuesday. I’m excited about teaching a pre-conference intensive on portable churches. It has been wild trying to put on paper everything I’ve learned about being portable over the last 6 1/2 years. So many lessons that God has taught me over the years (and a lot that I’ve learned the hard way). If I can help some church leaders avoid a few of the mistakes we made, I will look back on … Read More
Book Review: They Like Jesus, but not the Church
They Like Jesus but not the Church by Dan Kimball was a very good read. I think as Pastors we can get caught in the Christian “bubble” and lose contact with anyone who is far from God. Dan’s research about those who like Jesus but not the church boiled down to 6 common observations emerging generations have about the church: – The church is an organized religion with a political agenda – The church is judgmental and negative – The church is dominated by males and oppresses women – The church is homophobic – The church arrogantly claims all other … Read More