coming over to the dark side

For the last 2 days my office computer has been down. Our IT guru, Paul has been back and forth trying to revive it. The problem seems to be virus related. In spite of our anti-virus software it still made it through (which is not the first time).
After some counsel from the Mac guys at Foothills, Paul, Scott, and Josh they have convinced me to come over to the darkside and buy a Mac. So today they hooked me up and ordered one. My old computer will become a check-in computer.
In case you are wondering I'm getting the iMac

Baptism service coming soon

On May 18th we will be doing baptisms during all 4 services. If you were at Foothills in April of 2007 you will remember that we did a spontaneous baptism service (click on the multimedia tab), and baptized 112 people that day. It was by far, the most moving service I have ever been a part of.
Well this year we are doing it again. The only difference is that we're letting people know in advance (so I guess that technically it's not a spontaneous baptism!)
If you are one of the people that have become a Christ-follower and have not yet been baptized, this is your chance.
Whatever you do---Make sure you are at church that day!

sunday recap

We had another great day at Foothills. Here are a couple of the highlights:

** OTHERS is what Foothills is all about! The only legacy that will truly outlive us is the spiritual investment that we make into OTHERS

** Great energy yesterday, even with the rain

** We did our new building tour. People were pumped to see the inside of the building. Most people couldn't believe how big the new building is. We are going to see it filled up pretty quick.

** We have hired a Campus Pastor for our new location in Toccoa----more on this later.

** WE gave out our "Their Chair" commitment cards. We hope to raise $750,000 to help offset some of the costs for furnishing the new building as well as the Toccoa location. Some people already turned their cards in(I guess they couldn't wait until next Sunday!)

** We are planning some very cool things when we get in the new building (First service July 13th)

"Their" Chair

As Foothills Community Church gets to the last stages of construction on our new building we are going to be asking people to help cover some of the cost to equip the building (chairs, children's equipment, furnishings, sound, lighting,video, etc.) Sort of a mini capital campaign, if you will.
We are hoping to raise an additional $750,000. Basically here is what I will be challenging people to consider over the next 2 weeks: I will be asking people to purchase chairs for the new auditorium and also chairs for our new location in Toccoa.
Obviously the chairs won't cost $750,000, but it is an easy visual reminder of what we are giving to. Here is the breakdown, we are going to ask people to purchase 1,500 chairs at a cost of $500 each. But here's the key---they aren't purchasing that chair for themselves, but for someone who isn't even attending Foothills yet. In essence we believe that when we step out in faith and sacrifice for the sake of others, God will send the people to fill those chairs. They are purchasing chairs for the family member or friend who doesn't know Christ yet.
Pray and ask God how many chairs you should purchase. Some people could easily purchase 100 or more, others maybe 1 or 2. Every chair counts because every chair represents someone who will have a chance to hear the Gospel of Christ.

bite the bullet

Since about January my TV has been on the blink. I have to literally beat on it in order for it to work. And I'm not talking about a couple of love taps--I mean beat on it. It's crazy. Lately it has gotten worse, so I am finally going to bite the bullet and purchase a new TV.
A couple of weeks ago we went to Best Buy and were looking at the TV's on display and it is amazing how nice the pictures are in the high-def TV's. Call me a late adopter, but the thought of spending $1000 for a TV does not make me happy. My old TV held up for over 10 years, so I suppose if I get 10 years out of a new one it comes to $100 a year. When I look at it that way, it's easier to swallow. The positive side is that I can now watch the games in high-def! Come on Football season.

More building pictures

As promised here's a recent picture of the outside of our new building. They are doing the stucco (that's why there is scaffolding up)
The inside is being painted and it's really beginning to look like the end is in sight.
Don't forget our building tour this Sunday at 4:15pm.

New website coming soon

Foothills website is in the process of getting a face lift.
Our current site has served us well, but it's time to have a fresh look. We hope to have the new site up some time in the early part of summer.
Based on a recommendation from my friend Gary Lamb we have chosen Factor 1 studios to create our new site, so if it doesn't turn out good I can blame Gary!
We are hoping to simplify operation on the new site and have it load much faster by not using as much Flash. We will be adding a couple of other things like E-vites so it's easier to invite friends.

Sunday Recap

Wow! Yesterday was amazing. Here are a a few highlights:

** Set another attendance record

** Tons of first-time guests that are really enjoying Foothills

** Our students were on fire. They had a huge turn out for IGNITE weekend. Then they carried their enthusiasm with them into the Sunday morning services.

** 38 students made spiritual decisions at IGNITE!

** We have an incredible staff

** 15 Minutes series is going to go down as one of our best ever

** Our people can eat some donuts!

** We're having fun at Foothills watching God at work

new building progress

I took a couple of pics of the interior of the new building yesterday. It was late evening so only a couple are light enough to see. I'll try to post a couple of the exterior soon. If you would like to get a sneak peek of the new building, plan on being at Foothills at 4:15pm on Sunday April 27th for a tour.
Pic #1 is the bookstore entrance
Pic #2 is looking across the lobby from the auditorium toward the Kidzone check-in area.
Pic #3 is in the lobby looking from the front doors toward the back

15 Minutes

This Sunday we are starting a new message series called, "15 Minutes."
We are basing it on the words of Andy Warhol who said that "everyone has their 15 minutes of fame." The whole premise behind this series is that all of us will be remembered for something, and the things we do today will determine the legacy we leave tomorrow. I believe this could be the most impactful series we have ever done!
Whatever you do, don't miss the next 3 weeks!

Ignite Weekend

I am very excited about our Student Ministry's Ignite weekend beginning this Friday evening. Scott Chatfield and his team do an excellent job putting this together each year. There will be about 250 students participating this year, and I am praying for them big-time!
Growing up, I didn't go to church so I missed out on this type thing. I wish I would have been a part of something like this, because they have a blast.
If you are a Middle school or High school student and you haven't registered yet, it's not too late (you can even sign up at the door.) If you are an adult and would like to help us pull this off, contact the church office.
I am so proud of our students at Foothills. They are amazing. Students---you guys rock!

10 year anniversary newspaper article

Our local newspaper ran this article recently about Foothills Community Church.
Time flies when you're having fun!

Sunday highlights

** Celebrated our 10th Anniversary yesterday as a church--What an incredible milestone!

** Got a chance to share the vision of Foothills (again). I love talking about our vision!

** I'm more passionate about our vision today than I was 10 years ago

** Vision messages are "pruning" messages. They fire-up the people who love the vision, but they prune out people who aren't behind the vision.

** We had our second-highest non-holiday attendance--- and it was spring break!

** I shared that in the last 10 years over 1,000 people have become Christ-followers at Foothills --- that's 1 out of every 70 people in this county!

** Our best days are still ahead of us.

** Look out Toccoa, Georgia, here we come! We're about to get moving on our second location. The start up day will be in September. But between now and then there is lots to do.

I used a lot of exclamation points in this post. Can you tell I'm excited?!!

Pastors I enjoy listening to (Part 2)

OK Here are some of the other Pastors that I listen to on a regular basis:

Craig Groeschel at Life Church Oklahoma (Never met him, but I feel like I know him, and I think that's what I like about Craig. He comes across as a friend who is trying to help you out. Besides leading one of the largest churches in America, he basically is one of the best communicators out there.)

Troy Gramling at Flamingo Road Church Florida (Troy is a friend of mine and what I love about him is that he is one of the most creative communicators I know of. He is a visionary leader that has great vision to reach South Florida and beyond)

Andy Stanley at North Point Church Georgia (Don't know him, but he is one of America's favorite teachers. He just has an amazing ability to take a passage of scripture that you've read a thousand times before and preach on it, and it's like "wow, that was amazing. I never saw it like that before.")

Bil Cornelius at Bay Area Fellowship Texas (Bil is also a friend and what I like about Bil (besides the way he spells his name and his cool hairstyle) is that he is genuine. I will tell you he is about as nice a guy as you will ever meet. It comes across in his teaching style)

Ed Young Jr. Fellowship Church Texas (Ed is the king of creativity and is among the best communicators in the country. Besides that, he is a fellow fisherman so that counts for something!)

That's enough for now. I might do a part 3 soon.

Pastors I enjoy

There are lots of phenomenal communicators out there. I am often asked "Who do you listen to?"
I have a long and diverse list of Pastors I enjoy listening to. I thought I would list a few here (and what I like about them). Bear in mind this is more of a sampling than an exhaustive list.


Judd Wilhite at Central Christian Church Nevada (Don't know Jud but what I like about him is that he always seems like he's happy. He's leading a church of thousands in Las Vegas)

Miles Mcpherson at The Rock Church California (Never met Miles, but he's one of my favorites. I like him because he's very funny and beside that he used to play football in the NFL)

Perry Noble at Newspring Church South Carolina (Perry is a good friend and in my opinion one of the best communicators anywhere. He's extremely funny, yet he can get in your face with his messages)

David Hughes at Church by the Glades Florida (David is a friend of mine, and what I like about him is that he is articulate, and he's got a great voice--makes me jealous!)

Francis Chan at Cornerstone Church California (I've never met Francis but what I love about this guy is his authenticity and love for scripture)

Bob Merrit at Eaglebrook Church Minnesota (I've never met Bob, but I love his stories and his midwestern friendliness that comes across when he speaks. And beside that, any person who could survive a Minnesota winter is my hero!)

Buddy Cremeans at Northway Church New York (Don't know Buddy, other than an email chat, but I love his creativity and the fact that his church is reaching an extremely unchurched area and they are knocking it out of the park)

Mike Ashcraft at Port City Church North Carolina (Don't know Mike but I love his laid-back style. Seems like he would be a cool guy to hang out with)


That's enough for now. I will do a part 2 to this post later.

ME church vs WE church

AS I was putting my message together for this Sunday and our 10th anniversary,I was thinking about Foothills Community Church and I realized that one of the main reasons that we continue to see phenomenal growth (even after 10 years) is because we are a WE church not a ME church. Here are a couple of my thoughts.

ME Churches VS WE churches:

ME churches have a tiny front door—you are expected to meet certain standards to fit in -jump thru hoops ---WE churches have a huge front door—always open—everyone welcomed—no strings attached (background, economics, race,etc don't matter)

ME churches are all about what makes ME happy –first question they ask is how can I make the saints/Christians comfortable? --- WE churches are about what makes God happy. 1st question, how can we leverage culture to introduce people to Christ?

ME churches internally focused –WE churches externally focused

ME churches are about maintenance-------—WE churches are about being missional

ME churches are stagnant and dying----WE churches are vibrant, growing and dynamic

ME churches resist change----WE churches embrace change (Message never changes—methods do)

ME churches grow mostly through church members transferring---WE churches grow mostly through conversion

ME churches see minimal life change---WE churches see life change on a regular basis

ME churches content with status quo---WE churches realize there is still much to do

ME churches ask “WHY?”---WE churches ask, “WHY NOT?

Is your church a ME church or a WE church?

Teamwork

Teamwork at its finest!! (I just needed a laugh this morning)

painful

I was looking at some old video footage from the early days of Foothills for our 10th anniversary next Sunday, and the only word to describe it is PAINFUL!
How anybody came back a second time is a mystery. The music was bad, the messages were bad, the stage sets were bad. Most of the videos I watched were from 1999 (our 2nd year). Anyways it just goes to show you, it's really a God thing! Bottom line --- it ain't about us! No matter how good we think we do services, it's still the same principle, if God doesn't show up we might as well go home. If you don't believe me, read Acts 2.

Lessons I've Learned over the last 10 years (part 3)

Here's another lesson that I have learned. Planting a Church is the hardest thing you will ever do!
My background is business. I have started and owned and operated 2 businesses, and I can honestly tell you that that was a piece of cake compared to planting and pastoring a church. There are many reasons that this is true.

First there is the pressure of knowing that there are lives literally hanging in the balance every week.If a business doesn't "make it", they just shut the doors and go home and do something else. If a church doesn't "make it", there are many people that have devoted their lives into that church, and then they have the burden to find another family of believers do life with.

There is the pain of people you love, leaving to go to a new church. In business if someone leaves, you've only lost a customer. In a church you've lost a friend.

There is the difficulty of getting most of your work done by volunteers instead of employees that you have the leverage of a paycheck to keep them going.

In a business you close up at 6:00pm and you're done until tomorrow. In a church you are always on call. Every Pastor has gotten the phone calls in the middle of the night from a person that is in crisis.

I meet people all the time who want to be a church planter. I think that's great IF God has called you to it. If you want to plant a church because you think it would be cool, or because it looks easy, or because you are a disgruntled staff-member, or because you want to be the next Steven Furtick or Perry Noble then don't do it. (I know both of these guys, and they are amazing leaders who work HARD)
It's not as easy as it looks. Contrary to what you may think, it's not hanging out at Starbucks everyday and preaching on Sunday for an hour. It's hard, disciplined,getting dirty in the trenches type work. And the Sundays come with amazing regularity!

Please understand, I'm not complaining. And I'm not looking for sympathy. In fact, I'm having the time of my life! There is nothing I would rather do. I am saying that there are many potential church planters that are called by God, and I want them to know what to expect so it doesn't blind-side them.

Lessons I've Learned over the last 10 years (part 2)

Another thing that I've learned as a church planter/Lead Pastor is that you need to figure out what it is that you NEED to do, and spend the majority of your time doing that. For me that would be Vision casting, General leadership of the church and more specifically my staff, and Preaching on Sunday mornings.

This has not always been the case. In the early days, by necessity, I not only did these things but I drove the trailer to the High School, helped with set-up and tear-down, counseled people, performed the weddings and funerals, tried my best to be there in people's time of need, ran errands, met with lots of people, etc.
As we grew I selected people to lead some of these things. As we continued to grow, we added staff that I could delegate more of these responsibilities.

Many Pastors never seem to be able to grow their churches beyond a certain point. My guess is that they have never embraced the art of delegation. They feel like they need to know everything that's going on, and thus by their unwillingness to hand-off some of their responsibilities, they become the bottleneck to the church's growth.

Recently I have been studying Moses and some of his leadership tendencies. In his early days he felt like he needed to be involved in every detail of his congregation. Fortunately for him he had a wise Father-in-law with the gift of leadership that challenged him to begin to delegate. The story is found in Exodus 18. If you are struggling with delegation I would strongly recommend you read it.

I believe that there are 3 lies that we believe that prevent us from delegating:
1) I am the only capable of doing this.
2) No one can do it as well as me
3) It would be faster to just do it myself
I'm not going to elaborate on these 3, but I will say that they are not true. There are other people that can do it--maybe better than you, and in the long run it will save lots of time to train someone to do something now and then let them do it in the future.