I just got done creating a bookmark folder with the website of the 100 largest churches in America and the 100 fastest growing churches in America according to Outreach magazine. I think this is an important exercise for any Pastor because I believe these are churches we should learn from. I’m guessing that all pro golfers lear from Tiger and all basketball players learn from Koby. We should learn from those who are getting it done. Here’s a couple of observations I had: – This is the most diverse group of churches I’ve ever seen. Every church listed is an … Read More

– Today was incredible! – I thought we’d see a dip in attendance from last week… we didn’t! – The band did an amazing job. – The band did 4 song clips during the message to describe the 4 Greek words for love. When I was talking about “eros” love and Mark and the band played “Let’s get it on” by Marvin Gaye, the place went nuts. It was hilarious! – Our set up/ tear down crew are the most amazing group of people on planet earth. – I felt great today teaching the services. 2 services with 30 minutes … Read More

– Today was totally insane! – It was our first service at Barbara Goleman High School and it was amazing! – Both services went great. Tons of new equipment to figure out, but it was smooth. – First, thanks to Jesus for allowing us to serve Him in ministry. What an honor it is to preach the Gospel! – Second, thanks to all of our volunteers who got to the school at 5AM to make the services happen. – Third, our staff hasn’t slept in 2 weeks as they’ve been working hard to make this service a reality. Guys, thank … Read More

– Awesome and crazy Sunday! – After 6 years, Sunday was our last Sunday at the theatre. People asked me if I felt nostalgic or sad. I didn’t until I saw the whole place empty and the theatre looked like the first day I saw it. – I remembered seeing 450 seats and thinking, “Will we ever fill this place up?” The fact that we were doing 3 services in the theatre reminded me of God’s faithfulness and power. – I also reminded me that God wants our churches to succeed more than we do. – Have said that, I … Read More

– I’ve got my message for next Sunday done, but this Sunday isn’t done. Yikes! – Can’t wait for next Sunday! We’re moving to the Barbara Goleman High School on September 28th! The auditorium seats over 1,000. We have triple the children’s space. This is going to be a great for our church. – God is blessing us far more than we deserve! But I love it! – This Sunday is our last Sunday at the theatre. We had a lot of good times there, but we’re moving on. – Our folks are going to be amazed at how the … Read More

– Today was great! – We concluded our “Go Green” series as I talked about ‘how to live a blessed life’ – We encouraged people to take a step and begin tithing. The response was great! – I think some of the weirdest thinking in the church is about money. We’ve got to get this right if we’re going to disciple people because stewardship is part of discipleship. – Hector did a great job leading worship as I sent Mark out to do some reconnaissance work. – We let the cat out of the bag that we’re moving from the … Read More

What do you want to become a master at? Leadership? Children’s Ministry? Youth Ministry? Leading worship? Being a Bible teacher? Countless people have become masters in their field by following these rules: 1. Spend 3% of your income on study materials of your area of desired mastery. 2. Read one hour a day in your field of desired mastery. 3. Talk to one person a week who is mastering the area in which you desire mastery. Within 3-5 years, you will be a recognized expert in your field. The reason people never master an area is because they won’t focus … Read More

– Today was great. We did a combined service due to Labor Day that worked great. – We try to get the whole church together a couple times a year for a combined service. – I love it because it turns what would be a normally low day into a win for the church – It’s also a great break for our volunteers who get to the theatre at 5:30AM to set everything up. – I taught on how to get out of debt. It’s amazing how many people are in debt and we need to teach people what the … Read More

Creating a small groups culture in your church is one thing, but maintaining that culture is another thing entirely. How do you maintain a culture of small groups in your church? I believe one way is to have full staff involvement (including the Senior Pastor) in groups. When the staff is involved in groups, it comes out in conversation. The church hear about groups from the stage as each teaching Pastor communicates about groups. They are also setting an example that to be a leader in this church, you lead a group. I’ve never seen a church that has 70% … Read More