One of the things that I am really impressed with here at Foothills is our student ministry. We have a great leader in Scott Chatfield, we have great adult volunteers, but I must say, we have the greatest bunch of teenagers I have ever been around!
Many of those teens just got back from Bigstuf camp in Panama City. They had an incredible time. God touched many of their lives, in fact 17 of them were baptized in the ocean in Panama City! (That means we have baptized over 170 people since April!!!!) A couple of them came up to me and shared with me that they had been baptized. They were so excited. And I am excited and proud of them.
They also won the Ultimate Frisbee and the Volleyball competitions. Way to go!
If you think about it, pray for all of our students as the head back to school in a couple of weeks.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
finally!
Most of you know that we have had a major struggle with the permitting of our new facility. There have been delays that were totally unforseen. I suppose that is the nature of constructing a large facility.
I've got good news! It seems that everything has been ironed out and we are moving forward once again. Yesterday we had concrete trucks pour the pads for the perimeter supports for the new building, which means it won't be long before we see things moving vertically.
It can't come to soon. Our attendance through the summer has been amazing! There have been Sundays at the 11:15 am service that we have had to bring in metal folding chairs so everyone could get a seat.
I wanted to remind you that on August 5th we will resume our 6:00pm service, so there will be 4 different service times to choose from (8:30am, 9:45am, 11:15am, and 6:00pm)
Buckle up your seatbelts because when school gets back in it is going to be crazy!!
I've got good news! It seems that everything has been ironed out and we are moving forward once again. Yesterday we had concrete trucks pour the pads for the perimeter supports for the new building, which means it won't be long before we see things moving vertically.
It can't come to soon. Our attendance through the summer has been amazing! There have been Sundays at the 11:15 am service that we have had to bring in metal folding chairs so everyone could get a seat.
I wanted to remind you that on August 5th we will resume our 6:00pm service, so there will be 4 different service times to choose from (8:30am, 9:45am, 11:15am, and 6:00pm)
Buckle up your seatbelts because when school gets back in it is going to be crazy!!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
words of wisdom -- part 3
Another thing I tell new church planters to make sure of, is taking your time when it comes to choosing who will be in leadership positions.
New churches have a way of attracting people who are looking to become a big fish in a small pond.
You must take time to get to know people before you invite them to become leaders. They must walk with God on a daily basis. They must share the values of your church. They must love you and have your back. They must be totally unselfish. They must be servants.
When I have people who come in and want me to fast-track them into a leadership position, I generally say something like, "would you be available to help sweep a floor or clean a bathroom?" If they look at me with that "you must be kidding. How could you expect someone as talented as myself to do something so menial?" look, I won't consider them for leadership.
Don't be in a rush to annoint someone as a leader. Take your time, and God will bring the right people.
New churches have a way of attracting people who are looking to become a big fish in a small pond.
You must take time to get to know people before you invite them to become leaders. They must walk with God on a daily basis. They must share the values of your church. They must love you and have your back. They must be totally unselfish. They must be servants.
When I have people who come in and want me to fast-track them into a leadership position, I generally say something like, "would you be available to help sweep a floor or clean a bathroom?" If they look at me with that "you must be kidding. How could you expect someone as talented as myself to do something so menial?" look, I won't consider them for leadership.
Don't be in a rush to annoint someone as a leader. Take your time, and God will bring the right people.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
words of wisdom --part 2
I'm often asked what I would do differently if I were starting Foothills over again. My first answer is always, "I would start with a larger core group." I think I would try to build a core of at least 50 people before launching.
Statistically speaking I have read that churches that have core groups of less than 50 people will rarely ever make it to the 200 level.
I remember 9 years ago when we started with our core group of 17, and held our first service. It was great 70 people showed up! We were ecstatic. The problem was that the next week we had 38, and then 32 , and one Sunday after about 4 or 5 weeks our attendance was about 25 people.
I was discouraged personally, but what I was really worried about were the people in that core group. I was afraid that they would be ready to bail out. I remember after that service, gathering everyone together and giving the best motivational speech I have ever given. I told them that God was at work, that next week there would be more people, that this was really going to work. That we just needed to trust God.
I'll never forget all of them looking at me and saying, "Hey, you don't have to worry about us, we're not going anywhere. You can save your speech"
After that Sunday we began to grow. Literally week after week, we would set attendance records. That was definitely our turning point.
Thinking back on those early days, I'm not sure how we ever retained any of our first-time guests. It must have been extremely intimidating for guests to walk into a service where there were 30 people. Had we built a larger core we would have been able to have critical mass, even when there were very few guests.
Another reason that it's good to have a larger group is for logistical reasons. You need people to serve. You need people to set up and tear down every week, serve in the children's areas, greet, play in the band, sing, hand out bulletins, follow-up with guests, etc.
Then there's the financial side of the equation. It's very expensive to start a new church. There are a lot of expenditures that you have to make for the first time. like letterhead, envelopes, logos, bulletins. There is a ton of expensive sound equipment, and trailers to haul it, and a million other little things that you don't think of.
Yes, Foothills has defied the odds. I was forttunate to have people who surrounded me in that core group who had tremendous faith, and were willing to do whatever it took to reach people.
But if you are thinking about starting a new church, do yourself a favor, spend the time to build a bigger core group.
Statistically speaking I have read that churches that have core groups of less than 50 people will rarely ever make it to the 200 level.
I remember 9 years ago when we started with our core group of 17, and held our first service. It was great 70 people showed up! We were ecstatic. The problem was that the next week we had 38, and then 32 , and one Sunday after about 4 or 5 weeks our attendance was about 25 people.
I was discouraged personally, but what I was really worried about were the people in that core group. I was afraid that they would be ready to bail out. I remember after that service, gathering everyone together and giving the best motivational speech I have ever given. I told them that God was at work, that next week there would be more people, that this was really going to work. That we just needed to trust God.
I'll never forget all of them looking at me and saying, "Hey, you don't have to worry about us, we're not going anywhere. You can save your speech"
After that Sunday we began to grow. Literally week after week, we would set attendance records. That was definitely our turning point.
Thinking back on those early days, I'm not sure how we ever retained any of our first-time guests. It must have been extremely intimidating for guests to walk into a service where there were 30 people. Had we built a larger core we would have been able to have critical mass, even when there were very few guests.
Another reason that it's good to have a larger group is for logistical reasons. You need people to serve. You need people to set up and tear down every week, serve in the children's areas, greet, play in the band, sing, hand out bulletins, follow-up with guests, etc.
Then there's the financial side of the equation. It's very expensive to start a new church. There are a lot of expenditures that you have to make for the first time. like letterhead, envelopes, logos, bulletins. There is a ton of expensive sound equipment, and trailers to haul it, and a million other little things that you don't think of.
Yes, Foothills has defied the odds. I was forttunate to have people who surrounded me in that core group who had tremendous faith, and were willing to do whatever it took to reach people.
But if you are thinking about starting a new church, do yourself a favor, spend the time to build a bigger core group.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
church planting words of wisdom
Many times I meet with church planters, and soon to be church planters. It is a great joy to be able to pass along some of what I have learned over the last 9 years.
Actually my first exposure to church planting came in about 1993. At that time I was a member of a great church that was reaching many people for Christ. This church was very special to me because I was saved there, baptized there and married there. I was actively involved, serving in many capacities. (I was not on staff. I was still in business at this point.) This church was about a 30 minute drive from where I lived. One day the Pastor approached me and asked if me and my wife would be interested in helping begin a new church in our community (Jupiter Farms)
Our first response was "no", but we agreed to pray about it.
After wrestling with God about it, we reluctantly agreed. Our first meeting was in our living room with a very small core group. We eventually "officially" began and started meeting in an elementary school. Keep in mind, I was not on staff, but nonetheless got an up close and personal picture of church planting. I learned aot about what to do and even more about what NOT to do! I am proud to see how God is using that church (Church in the Farms) to impact the Jupiter Florida area. If you would like to know more about that church you can click here.
When we moved to Seneca, South Carolina in the summer of 1996 we didn't think we would ever be involved in beginning a new church again. We actually moved here to start a new business, which we did, but after 6 months I felt God's call to ministry, so I began to take some seminary classes. It was obvious to me that with my background of starting businesses and being involved in the church plant in Florida, that church planting was in my DNA.
I won't bore you with the details, but we launched Foothills Community Church in April of 1998. It has been such an incredible journey!
As I mentioned in the beginning of this blog, I meet many church planters who want to know what to expect, so I thought that i would devote a couple of days to pass along a little bit of what I've learned along the way, as well as some things that I would do differently if I was starting over.
Today I want to leave you with one thing.---- Church Planting Is The Hardest Thing You Wll Ever Do!
That's it. It's hard! That's why so few actually make it.
To those who have never done it, it looks easy. It looks glamorous.---It's not.
It is fun. it's exhilirating. It's the greatest adventure you will ever have. But it's not easy!
Many guys want to plant a church for all the wrong reasons (that's another topic for another day) They read about churches like Northpoint, NewSpring, Elevation or even Foothills, and think "man that's a great job. Just prepare a message and stand up in front of thousands of people and deliver it."
What you don't see is all of the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into laying the foundation of that church. When everyone else leaves for the day, the one who carries the burden of that church is that Lead Pastor. No one, no matter how committed, carries the responsibility like that Lead Pastor. If that church closed down tomorrow, everyone else would find a new church, but for that Pastor he would grieve as if he lost a loved one.
So if you are an aspiring church planter, that's cool, but just be ready to pour yourself into that role. It is not a job. It is an absolute calling! Go for it!
Actually my first exposure to church planting came in about 1993. At that time I was a member of a great church that was reaching many people for Christ. This church was very special to me because I was saved there, baptized there and married there. I was actively involved, serving in many capacities. (I was not on staff. I was still in business at this point.) This church was about a 30 minute drive from where I lived. One day the Pastor approached me and asked if me and my wife would be interested in helping begin a new church in our community (Jupiter Farms)
Our first response was "no", but we agreed to pray about it.
After wrestling with God about it, we reluctantly agreed. Our first meeting was in our living room with a very small core group. We eventually "officially" began and started meeting in an elementary school. Keep in mind, I was not on staff, but nonetheless got an up close and personal picture of church planting. I learned aot about what to do and even more about what NOT to do! I am proud to see how God is using that church (Church in the Farms) to impact the Jupiter Florida area. If you would like to know more about that church you can click here.
When we moved to Seneca, South Carolina in the summer of 1996 we didn't think we would ever be involved in beginning a new church again. We actually moved here to start a new business, which we did, but after 6 months I felt God's call to ministry, so I began to take some seminary classes. It was obvious to me that with my background of starting businesses and being involved in the church plant in Florida, that church planting was in my DNA.
I won't bore you with the details, but we launched Foothills Community Church in April of 1998. It has been such an incredible journey!
As I mentioned in the beginning of this blog, I meet many church planters who want to know what to expect, so I thought that i would devote a couple of days to pass along a little bit of what I've learned along the way, as well as some things that I would do differently if I was starting over.
Today I want to leave you with one thing.---- Church Planting Is The Hardest Thing You Wll Ever Do!
That's it. It's hard! That's why so few actually make it.
To those who have never done it, it looks easy. It looks glamorous.---It's not.
It is fun. it's exhilirating. It's the greatest adventure you will ever have. But it's not easy!
Many guys want to plant a church for all the wrong reasons (that's another topic for another day) They read about churches like Northpoint, NewSpring, Elevation or even Foothills, and think "man that's a great job. Just prepare a message and stand up in front of thousands of people and deliver it."
What you don't see is all of the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into laying the foundation of that church. When everyone else leaves for the day, the one who carries the burden of that church is that Lead Pastor. No one, no matter how committed, carries the responsibility like that Lead Pastor. If that church closed down tomorrow, everyone else would find a new church, but for that Pastor he would grieve as if he lost a loved one.
So if you are an aspiring church planter, that's cool, but just be ready to pour yourself into that role. It is not a job. It is an absolute calling! Go for it!
Monday, July 23, 2007
summer attendance
We were discussing in our staff meeting this morning how this summer's attendance is doing incredible. We are slightly lower than before summer's numbers, but we have an enormous amount of first-time guests. What that means is that when school gets back in and everyone is back from their vacations we are going to see another major jump in average attendance!
Seats in the 2 prime times (9:45am and 11:00am) are going to be at a premium.
Here's what I'm asking you to consider. Consider attending either the 8:30am or 6:00pm services.
I realize that not everyone can make that shift, but if you can, it would free up some seats for guests at our 2 prime times.
Our new building should be ready for us to occupy in March, so it would be a temporary shift.
We are experiencing some amazing momentum this summer, so make sure you don't miss out on what God is doing.
Seats in the 2 prime times (9:45am and 11:00am) are going to be at a premium.
Here's what I'm asking you to consider. Consider attending either the 8:30am or 6:00pm services.
I realize that not everyone can make that shift, but if you can, it would free up some seats for guests at our 2 prime times.
Our new building should be ready for us to occupy in March, so it would be a temporary shift.
We are experiencing some amazing momentum this summer, so make sure you don't miss out on what God is doing.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
An incredible day!
Today was a phenomenal Sunday at Foothills for many reasons.
First it was fun to bring the message after two weeks off. The second reason is that I believe that the Lord did an amazing work in so many lives. I could sense the Holy Spirit at work bringing freedom for so many people today. In case you missed it, we are in a message series called "Livin on a Prayer". We're looking at some famous prayers in the Bible. Today I talked about David's prayer. Just 3 simple words, but so profound.... "I have sinned" David after a year of misery and trying to cover up his sin, gets confronted by Nathan the prophet and admits, I have sinned. Those 3 little words don't sound earth shattering, but they set David free from his gulit, shame and bondage. Those same 3 words are just as powerful today! There are so many people who are enslaved because of their past mistakes, but God stands and waits for us to just come to him and confess and receive His freedom.
No matter what you may have done. No matter how much you may have blown it, there is forgiveness at the cross of Christ.
One more thing, don't forget to pray for our teenagers who left for Bigstuf camp in Panama City (pray for the adult volunteers too!)
First it was fun to bring the message after two weeks off. The second reason is that I believe that the Lord did an amazing work in so many lives. I could sense the Holy Spirit at work bringing freedom for so many people today. In case you missed it, we are in a message series called "Livin on a Prayer". We're looking at some famous prayers in the Bible. Today I talked about David's prayer. Just 3 simple words, but so profound.... "I have sinned" David after a year of misery and trying to cover up his sin, gets confronted by Nathan the prophet and admits, I have sinned. Those 3 little words don't sound earth shattering, but they set David free from his gulit, shame and bondage. Those same 3 words are just as powerful today! There are so many people who are enslaved because of their past mistakes, but God stands and waits for us to just come to him and confess and receive His freedom.
No matter what you may have done. No matter how much you may have blown it, there is forgiveness at the cross of Christ.
One more thing, don't forget to pray for our teenagers who left for Bigstuf camp in Panama City (pray for the adult volunteers too!)
Friday, July 20, 2007
Inspired
I was totally inspired while I was on vacation. I was inspired by how orderly my Dad's garage was. Everything had a specific place, everything was put up where it was supposed to be. So yesterday I stopped by Home Depot and bought some shelving units, and some plastic storage containers and starting wading through the accumulation of junk in my garage. I threw away some things. I moved some things to new places. I got rid of some cobwebs. And now my garage has order! I feel so much better.
Spiritually speaking that's what we need to do every so often; take a close look at our lives, and start getting rid of some junk and get things in order. It feels so much better than allowing spirtual junk to accumulate in our lives.
What are some things that are in your life that you need to throw out?
Spiritually speaking that's what we need to do every so often; take a close look at our lives, and start getting rid of some junk and get things in order. It feels so much better than allowing spirtual junk to accumulate in our lives.
What are some things that are in your life that you need to throw out?
Thursday, July 19, 2007
What I did on my summer vacation--part 2
As promised, here are some pictures of some of the fish I caught down in Florida.
The snook were caught in Sebastian Inlet (3 of us caught between 15-20), and the little shark was caught off the beach in Jensen Beach.
One of the things I miss the most about Florida is the great fishing. There are so many options. You can fish in freshwater, the intracoastal, off the beach, or go offshore.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
What I did on my summer vacation
This past Sunday we got a chance to visit Life Church's Wellington, Florida campus.
They are in a series called "At the Movies." I was very impressed with how creative the Wellington Campus presented the movie theme. This particular campus chose the Pirates of the Caribbean theme. They had volunteers in costume. They gave out their bulletins at a ticket booth. They gave away popcorn, candy, hot dogs cokes, etc
The band did a nice job, and the people were friendly. They were having some lighting problems, but other than that it was smooth.
The message was via video but it wasn't distracting. It would take some getting used to, but apparently it wasn't deterring growth because they had a decent crowd (we were at the 9:30am service. I was told that the 11:00am was better attended)
I spoke briefly to the campus Pastor who gave me a little of the church's history before hooking up with Life Church.
They did a very good job of branding the Life Church name. Although they were meeting in a High School, they did an amazing job of decorating.
Overall a great experience.
As we move toward the future here at Foothills Community Church we are looking at some possible locations for a second site.
They are in a series called "At the Movies." I was very impressed with how creative the Wellington Campus presented the movie theme. This particular campus chose the Pirates of the Caribbean theme. They had volunteers in costume. They gave out their bulletins at a ticket booth. They gave away popcorn, candy, hot dogs cokes, etc
The band did a nice job, and the people were friendly. They were having some lighting problems, but other than that it was smooth.
The message was via video but it wasn't distracting. It would take some getting used to, but apparently it wasn't deterring growth because they had a decent crowd (we were at the 9:30am service. I was told that the 11:00am was better attended)
I spoke briefly to the campus Pastor who gave me a little of the church's history before hooking up with Life Church.
They did a very good job of branding the Life Church name. Although they were meeting in a High School, they did an amazing job of decorating.
Overall a great experience.
As we move toward the future here at Foothills Community Church we are looking at some possible locations for a second site.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Back to reality
Well, I'm back at the office this morning after being gone for 2 weeks. So far this morning I have been trying to play Catch-up. It is a tribute to the staff you have, when you can come back from vacation and things have not missed a beat. If anything, they are going better.
This past Sunday our Pastor of Connections, Brian Marshall spoke on the prayer of Nehemiah. We had 7 first time salvations and several recommitments! Our attendance has been extremely strong and there are lots of new people every week.
We had a blast on vacation. Got to spend time with my parents and nephews, as well as my wife and kids. We fished, golfed, hung out at the beach, fished some more, ate way too much, swam in the pool, and fished some more (I'll try to post a couple of pics this week.) I feel so refreshed.
There are many great things that we have planned for the weeks ahead. So make sure you don't miss out!
This past Sunday our Pastor of Connections, Brian Marshall spoke on the prayer of Nehemiah. We had 7 first time salvations and several recommitments! Our attendance has been extremely strong and there are lots of new people every week.
We had a blast on vacation. Got to spend time with my parents and nephews, as well as my wife and kids. We fished, golfed, hung out at the beach, fished some more, ate way too much, swam in the pool, and fished some more (I'll try to post a couple of pics this week.) I feel so refreshed.
There are many great things that we have planned for the weeks ahead. So make sure you don't miss out!
Sunday, July 08, 2007
A few thoughts
We went to Christ Fellowship Church last night. They always put together such a great service. When we're in Florida many times we will attend church on Saturday evening instead of Sunday morning.
Even though this is the area of the country that I grew up in, and spent most of my life in, it is still amazing to see how unchurched this region is. (unless you have lived in an area like this, it's hard to understand) There is such a huge need for more church plants to begin to reach this area. I understand that Christ Fellowship will be launching their fourth site in the Palm City/ Stuart area. Very cool!
I have been praying for Scott Chatfield this week. He will kick off a new series called "Livin on a Prayer." Scott fills in for me many times when I'm out of town. I am fortunate to have the right staff around me so that when I'm away, I don't have any worries. Not just on Sunday mornings, but throughout the week. (I only called in to check on things once this week!)
I always get so refreshed when I get away. I can hardly wait to get back! I have so much to share with you!
Even though this is the area of the country that I grew up in, and spent most of my life in, it is still amazing to see how unchurched this region is. (unless you have lived in an area like this, it's hard to understand) There is such a huge need for more church plants to begin to reach this area. I understand that Christ Fellowship will be launching their fourth site in the Palm City/ Stuart area. Very cool!
I have been praying for Scott Chatfield this week. He will kick off a new series called "Livin on a Prayer." Scott fills in for me many times when I'm out of town. I am fortunate to have the right staff around me so that when I'm away, I don't have any worries. Not just on Sunday mornings, but throughout the week. (I only called in to check on things once this week!)
I always get so refreshed when I get away. I can hardly wait to get back! I have so much to share with you!
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
back in FL
Well, we are back in Florida again. It's always alot of fun.
Today we went to the beach and fished. We caught a ton of fish and then came home and had a fish fry. My Mom makes the best fried fish I have ever eaten!
There is something very cool about taking some time for R&R. I highly recommend it.
Last Sunday our services went really good. Our attendance has been very strong even in the dead of summer. We also had lots of Spiritual decisions!
Oh, one more thing. I understand that we should start seeing more progress on our construction real soon. Hopefully they will be pouring some concrete in the next week or so.
Today we went to the beach and fished. We caught a ton of fish and then came home and had a fish fry. My Mom makes the best fried fish I have ever eaten!
There is something very cool about taking some time for R&R. I highly recommend it.
Last Sunday our services went really good. Our attendance has been very strong even in the dead of summer. We also had lots of Spiritual decisions!
Oh, one more thing. I understand that we should start seeing more progress on our construction real soon. Hopefully they will be pouring some concrete in the next week or so.
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