Today I got a little break from delivering the message. Our Pastor of Connections, Brian Marshall filled in for me. It's nice to have zero responsiblities on a Sunday every now and then.
Last week I actually got a chance to get a little bit ahead. I began working on a message in our new series, "RED" that starts next Sunday. It's a message series about Jesus parables.
For those of you who have the responsibility to prepare and deliver a message every single week, you know how tough it can be. There is probably nothing that drains you more. When that process begins to become a grind---it's time to take a break. In the early days of a church plant it feels like you can't take a break. For some reason most of us think that if we aren't up on stage, the world will stop spinning. Which of course only adds to the pressure. I am blessed to have other capable communicators on staff who can pinch hit for me so I can take a breather.
My goal is to speak 40 -42 Sundays a year. If you don't get a break once in a while your creativity will dry up. You will begin to feel like a sermon machine that pops out a sermon every 7 days, and let me tell you, that will take its toll on you. So do yourself (and your congregation) a favor---take a Sunday off!
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Simple Man
Well we finished up our series, "WOW, Can You Play That At Church". Our final message in the series was the song Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd. (the importance of simplifying our lives). It was awesome, Scott nailed the song!
We had a pretty diverse selection of songs in the series, but we figured we would wrap it up with some good old Southern rock. Our band and singers are so talented.
If you're interested in hearing the messages from that series you can click here
We had about 1200 in attendance today, but we were slammed in the 11:15 service. I saw some people standing. I can hardly wait til we start construction on that new building.
We had a pretty diverse selection of songs in the series, but we figured we would wrap it up with some good old Southern rock. Our band and singers are so talented.
If you're interested in hearing the messages from that series you can click here
We had about 1200 in attendance today, but we were slammed in the 11:15 service. I saw some people standing. I can hardly wait til we start construction on that new building.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Wow!
I just found out that so far in 2006 we have had 100 salvations! Think about that for just a minute. 100 people have for the first time in their lives crossed over the line of faith and are now Christ-followers! That's an average of about 4 people per week.
That does not include children who have made a commitment in our Children's ministry (there have been many there) These are just people who have indicated on their response cards that they have invited Christ into their lives.
Now the hard work really begins---helping them grow in their faith. We offer a class to get them started that we call XCEL. It is designed to lay a spiritual foundation. From there we try to involve them in one of our LIFE group Bible studies, and integrate them into the life of the church. Many times our system doesn't seem to work, but many times it does. I think our responsibility as a church is to have tools available for people to plug into. The responsibility ultimately rests on them. I would love to hear what other churches are doing to successfully disciple new believers.
That does not include children who have made a commitment in our Children's ministry (there have been many there) These are just people who have indicated on their response cards that they have invited Christ into their lives.
Now the hard work really begins---helping them grow in their faith. We offer a class to get them started that we call XCEL. It is designed to lay a spiritual foundation. From there we try to involve them in one of our LIFE group Bible studies, and integrate them into the life of the church. Many times our system doesn't seem to work, but many times it does. I think our responsibility as a church is to have tools available for people to plug into. The responsibility ultimately rests on them. I would love to hear what other churches are doing to successfully disciple new believers.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Mother's Day Musings
Without a doubt preparing for Mother's Day sermons are among the toughest. After all, what can you say that you haven't already said? I do know this, mother's are pretty sentimental and they expect to get their props on Mother's Day (and they certainly deserve it)
Mother's Day is always one of our higher attendance days of the year. One of the big reasons is because we do our Parent/ Child Dedications on Mother's Day, so all of the grandparents, aunts and uncles usually come. Today we had so many parents and kids that we had to stand in front of the stage because we couldn't get everyone on stage at the same time. As I looked at all of those little children I couldn't help but think that right before me were lives with unlimited potential. There is no telling what impact those little ones will have in this world. Thank God for parents who are committed to raising their kids in Christian homes.
It's no wonder that Jesus had a special place in his heart for children.
By the way, we had 1,254 people today! That's a 42% increase from Mother's Day last year.
Mother's Day is always one of our higher attendance days of the year. One of the big reasons is because we do our Parent/ Child Dedications on Mother's Day, so all of the grandparents, aunts and uncles usually come. Today we had so many parents and kids that we had to stand in front of the stage because we couldn't get everyone on stage at the same time. As I looked at all of those little children I couldn't help but think that right before me were lives with unlimited potential. There is no telling what impact those little ones will have in this world. Thank God for parents who are committed to raising their kids in Christian homes.
It's no wonder that Jesus had a special place in his heart for children.
By the way, we had 1,254 people today! That's a 42% increase from Mother's Day last year.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Search for significance
David Blaine is a freak. If you have never heard of him, let me tell you a little about him. He is a street magician and a guy who does really crazy stunts. Once he was buried alive for a week. Then he was frozen in a block of ice for 3 days, and last week he lived underwater for 7 days in a big fishbowl in the middle of New York City. After breaking that record he tried to break the record for holding your breath underwater. His goal was 9 minutes. He didnt break it, but he held his breath for over 7 minutes while being handcuffed underwater.
Keep in mind that he CHOSE to do all of those things! This guy is nuts. What would possess someone to try these life threatening stunts. I'm not sure, but my guess would be Fame.
It's amazing what lengths people will go to for significance. The need to be known is a pretty basic human need. The reality for David Blaine or any of us is that only in Christ can we have that need for significance met. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things He planned for long ago.
By the way, I can't wait to see what David's next stunt will be!
Keep in mind that he CHOSE to do all of those things! This guy is nuts. What would possess someone to try these life threatening stunts. I'm not sure, but my guess would be Fame.
It's amazing what lengths people will go to for significance. The need to be known is a pretty basic human need. The reality for David Blaine or any of us is that only in Christ can we have that need for significance met. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things He planned for long ago.
By the way, I can't wait to see what David's next stunt will be!
America, what were you thinking?
There has been a huge travesty of justice. Chris got voted off of Idol last night. You must be kidding. Katherine desrved to go home. You could tell by watching her, that she expected to be the one who would be packing up and catching the next flight out of Idol Land.
Oh well, I have no one to blame but myself. I didn't call in to vote for Chris.
He will no doubt land a big fat record deal, so it's hard to feel too sorry for him.
I guess now my money is on Taylor.
Oh well, I have no one to blame but myself. I didn't call in to vote for Chris.
He will no doubt land a big fat record deal, so it's hard to feel too sorry for him.
I guess now my money is on Taylor.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
idol
My guess is that Katherine goes home tonight. She was pretty weak last night. The truth is that she probably has the best voice in the competiton but she didn't bring her "A" game --so long Kat!
Surprisingly Elliot stepped up. I think his performance will probably keep him around 1 more week.
Taylor missed a huge opportunity last night with the Elvis thing. That should have been his world. He was just so-so.
Chris was just ok last night, but I still think he will be the last man standing. Besides that, he has cool sideburns.
Surprisingly Elliot stepped up. I think his performance will probably keep him around 1 more week.
Taylor missed a huge opportunity last night with the Elvis thing. That should have been his world. He was just so-so.
Chris was just ok last night, but I still think he will be the last man standing. Besides that, he has cool sideburns.
Adding another service
We are in the planning stages of adding a 4th service. We will make the big move on September 17, 2006. Everytime we have added a service, we have had a significant jump in attendance.
Even though all of the services will pretty much be identical, this one will be a little trickier because it will be on Sunday evening (probably 6:00pm).
It will be kind of wierd to go home after speaking at 3 services in the morning, just starting to decompress, and then have to go back and do it again. Actually I am a little more concerned about what it will mean to our volunteer base. I know that many churches can swing it, but intuitively as a leader it still concerns me. Our volunteers are the most incredible people in the world, and I would put them heads-up against any church-- but it still concerns me.
The good thing is, that if we are able to begin construction this summer as planned, it will mean that it will be a short term (1 year) assignment.
As they say, "it's a good problem to have".
Even though all of the services will pretty much be identical, this one will be a little trickier because it will be on Sunday evening (probably 6:00pm).
It will be kind of wierd to go home after speaking at 3 services in the morning, just starting to decompress, and then have to go back and do it again. Actually I am a little more concerned about what it will mean to our volunteer base. I know that many churches can swing it, but intuitively as a leader it still concerns me. Our volunteers are the most incredible people in the world, and I would put them heads-up against any church-- but it still concerns me.
The good thing is, that if we are able to begin construction this summer as planned, it will mean that it will be a short term (1 year) assignment.
As they say, "it's a good problem to have".
Monday, May 08, 2006
Another one in the books
Sundays are so much fun at Foothills! Yesterday we had a great crowd even with the overcast sky and cool drizzle. What was really cool was how many kids we have involved in our Children's ministry (Critter Crossing--pre-school, and Planet Kidz--k5-5th grade) . Yesterday we had over 275 kids!
Our volunteers did an amazing job making sure everyone stayed dry walking through the parking lot. We have an umbrella team that make dozens of trips back and forth from the parking lot to the building. It's really great to hear people's comments the first time they experience this. They can't believe that people would serve them that way.
Sometimes it's the little things that say the most to a guest.
Our volunteers did an amazing job making sure everyone stayed dry walking through the parking lot. We have an umbrella team that make dozens of trips back and forth from the parking lot to the building. It's really great to hear people's comments the first time they experience this. They can't believe that people would serve them that way.
Sometimes it's the little things that say the most to a guest.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
American Idol
Well last night wasn't a big surprise. Everyone I talked to figured Paris and Elliot were going to be in the bottom 2 , and Paris was my guess for going home last night.
I felt bad for her, because at this stage, everyone of them is pretty good.
Chris is my pick for #1, followed by Taylor.
This is the first year I have watched American Idol. I could never figure out why people were so into it. Now I know. It's kind of addictive.
I felt bad for her, because at this stage, everyone of them is pretty good.
Chris is my pick for #1, followed by Taylor.
This is the first year I have watched American Idol. I could never figure out why people were so into it. Now I know. It's kind of addictive.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Leaders are Learners (part 2)
Another method of learning that has helped me become a better leader is meeting with other leaders in person. I have found most Pastors/churches to be very helpful in making themselves available to mentor other churches. You may be surprised at how far buying a lunch for a Pastor will go.
Our church has benefitted greatly from meeting with churches like New Spring Church, Northstar Church, Marathon Church, Brookwood Church and Crossroads Community Church. They have rolled out the red carpet and it is incredible how much impact it has had.
If I read or hear about a church that may have already been where we are going, I don't hesitate to pick up a phone or email somone and ask if I can correspond with them or even schedule a staff road trip to hang out with their staff. I think I have only been turned down once or twice. My theory is, Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Since we began as a church, it has always been our heartbeat to be a resource for other churches, so we have tried to make ourselves available for churches too.
There really is no conference or seminar that can come even remotely close to the things you will learn meeting face-to-face.
Our church has benefitted greatly from meeting with churches like New Spring Church, Northstar Church, Marathon Church, Brookwood Church and Crossroads Community Church. They have rolled out the red carpet and it is incredible how much impact it has had.
If I read or hear about a church that may have already been where we are going, I don't hesitate to pick up a phone or email somone and ask if I can correspond with them or even schedule a staff road trip to hang out with their staff. I think I have only been turned down once or twice. My theory is, Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Since we began as a church, it has always been our heartbeat to be a resource for other churches, so we have tried to make ourselves available for churches too.
There really is no conference or seminar that can come even remotely close to the things you will learn meeting face-to-face.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Leaders are Learners
Leaders are Learners!
I don't know if Rick Warren actually coined that phrase, but it's one that has stuck with me. I really think one of the key attributes of a great learner is not only their capacity to learn, but their willingness to learn.
I thought what I would do for the next couple of blogs, is to mention some of the ways I learn.
There are alot of ways to learn, but one of the ways that has helped me the most has been to visit other churches and see first hand what they are doing. Seeing would include:
1. Seeing an actual service--- I try to schedule times each year where I take a Sunday or two off and intentionally go to other church services. I have the advantage of being within a couple of hours of some great churches.
When I visit, I try to observe every aspect. From the moment I pull into the driveway until I leave, I am taking mental notes. I always try to maximize my time. I will usually plan to visit two churches every time. For instance a couple of months ago I took a Sunday and visited Mountain Lake Church's early service, and then I drove to Chestnut Mountain Church for their second service. Another time I drove to Northpoint Church for their early service and on the way back I hit Crossroads Church for their second service.
Generally, my goal is to visit churches that are larger than ours. (Don't underestimate what you can learn from any church---even if they are smaller!)
While many of the things these churches are doing may not work in your context, there are transferable principles that will work anywhere.
If I am on vacation, I always make it a point to visit a church in the area that I am traveling to. I will usually go online to Willowcreek's Willownet and use their "Find a church" function to look them up.
A couple of weeks ago I got a chance to go to Palm Beach Gardens Christ Fellowship
I grew up in Palm Beach Gardens, so I am down that way a couple of times a year. This church is making a huge impact in a very unchurched area. I think they run about 10,000 in attendance, and they have recently gone multi-site. The Pastor, Tom Mullins was a football coach at my High School. He is a dynamic leader. John Maxwell is also a teaching Pastor there.
Whatever you do, you owe it to yourself (and your church) to see firsthand what others are doing.
In my next blog I will share the 2nd way that I learn.
I don't know if Rick Warren actually coined that phrase, but it's one that has stuck with me. I really think one of the key attributes of a great learner is not only their capacity to learn, but their willingness to learn.
I thought what I would do for the next couple of blogs, is to mention some of the ways I learn.
There are alot of ways to learn, but one of the ways that has helped me the most has been to visit other churches and see first hand what they are doing. Seeing would include:
1. Seeing an actual service--- I try to schedule times each year where I take a Sunday or two off and intentionally go to other church services. I have the advantage of being within a couple of hours of some great churches.
When I visit, I try to observe every aspect. From the moment I pull into the driveway until I leave, I am taking mental notes. I always try to maximize my time. I will usually plan to visit two churches every time. For instance a couple of months ago I took a Sunday and visited Mountain Lake Church's early service, and then I drove to Chestnut Mountain Church for their second service. Another time I drove to Northpoint Church for their early service and on the way back I hit Crossroads Church for their second service.
Generally, my goal is to visit churches that are larger than ours. (Don't underestimate what you can learn from any church---even if they are smaller!)
While many of the things these churches are doing may not work in your context, there are transferable principles that will work anywhere.
If I am on vacation, I always make it a point to visit a church in the area that I am traveling to. I will usually go online to Willowcreek's Willownet and use their "Find a church" function to look them up.
A couple of weeks ago I got a chance to go to Palm Beach Gardens Christ Fellowship
I grew up in Palm Beach Gardens, so I am down that way a couple of times a year. This church is making a huge impact in a very unchurched area. I think they run about 10,000 in attendance, and they have recently gone multi-site. The Pastor, Tom Mullins was a football coach at my High School. He is a dynamic leader. John Maxwell is also a teaching Pastor there.
Whatever you do, you owe it to yourself (and your church) to see firsthand what others are doing.
In my next blog I will share the 2nd way that I learn.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Running out of room!
When we moved out of Seneca High School in November of 2003 and into our very own building we figured that we would be able to meet in this facility for about 5 years before needing to start on Phase 2-----WRONG!
We have been here for about 2 and a half years and space has become an issue.
I have always heard that there are three potential space obstacles--- 1) not enough children's space 2) not enough parking 3) not enough seats in the auditorium
One of the things we planned well for when we built this building was for children's space. This has not been too much of a problem for us.
The parking deal WAS a problem for us up until 2 weeks ago. But after changing our service times and allowing 30 minutes between our second and third services instead of 15 minutes---this doesn't seem to be too much of a problem.
Our problem (or should I say "Opportunity") is auditorium space. We just simply don't have enough space in the 2 prime times (9:45am, and 11:15 am)
We have just finished a very successful building campaign called "Only One Life" which will allow us to begin construction of our Phase 2 this summer (hopefully) This building should eliminate the space obstacles--at least for a couple of years!
If you are interested in seeing the video of what the building will look like you can view it here:
We have been here for about 2 and a half years and space has become an issue.
I have always heard that there are three potential space obstacles--- 1) not enough children's space 2) not enough parking 3) not enough seats in the auditorium
One of the things we planned well for when we built this building was for children's space. This has not been too much of a problem for us.
The parking deal WAS a problem for us up until 2 weeks ago. But after changing our service times and allowing 30 minutes between our second and third services instead of 15 minutes---this doesn't seem to be too much of a problem.
Our problem (or should I say "Opportunity") is auditorium space. We just simply don't have enough space in the 2 prime times (9:45am, and 11:15 am)
We have just finished a very successful building campaign called "Only One Life" which will allow us to begin construction of our Phase 2 this summer (hopefully) This building should eliminate the space obstacles--at least for a couple of years!
If you are interested in seeing the video of what the building will look like you can view it here:
Monday, April 24, 2006
Easter Follow-up
The weekend after Easter can be a challenging one. Everyone is pumped up about Easter Sunday, but the next weekend is back to normal. I've always said that the real success of Easter Sunday is really the weeks following. During the weeks that follow you get a sense of how many people you actually retained after the "big weekend".
Well, yesterday was a great confirmation because we set a record attendance for a non-holiday weekend. Not too shabby!
Our team really stepped up. Josh is doing a great job leading worship, and Scott knocked it out of the park, singing Boulevard of Broken Dreams. I am so impressed with the commitment level of all of our volunteers. It truly humbles me. It sounds like a cliche', but we really couldn't do it without them.
Well, yesterday was a great confirmation because we set a record attendance for a non-holiday weekend. Not too shabby!
Our team really stepped up. Josh is doing a great job leading worship, and Scott knocked it out of the park, singing Boulevard of Broken Dreams. I am so impressed with the commitment level of all of our volunteers. It truly humbles me. It sounds like a cliche', but we really couldn't do it without them.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
sometimes bribery works well
As I mentioned a couple of days ago our Easter services were incredible. We had a record attendance of 1,670. Easter was only the second time we had 4 services (Christmas eve/ Christmas day was the other). The big difference was that all 4 services were on Sunday morning. The service times were: 7:15, 8:30, 9:45, 11:15am.
We were curious to see if anyone would actually attend our 7:15am sunrise service. We figured the best way to insure that people would show up that early was to bribe them. So in addition to our normal healthy, low calorie snacks (Donuts!), we decided to add another health conscious food----sausage biscuits! If you've never been in the south, let me explain something to you; sausage biscuits are a rednecks surf and turf. It is fine cuisine.
It seems to have worked. Here are the breakdowns for the times:
7:15 -- 212 in attendance
8:30 -- 297 in attendance
9:45 -- 604 in attendance
11:15 -- 557 in attendance
Someone asked me if speaking at 4 services was difficult. To tell you the truth, it was really no different than doing 3 (our normal). The only thing that is kind of wierd is when you can't remember if you said something in a service or not. They all sort of blend together in your mind.
We were curious to see if anyone would actually attend our 7:15am sunrise service. We figured the best way to insure that people would show up that early was to bribe them. So in addition to our normal healthy, low calorie snacks (Donuts!), we decided to add another health conscious food----sausage biscuits! If you've never been in the south, let me explain something to you; sausage biscuits are a rednecks surf and turf. It is fine cuisine.
It seems to have worked. Here are the breakdowns for the times:
7:15 -- 212 in attendance
8:30 -- 297 in attendance
9:45 -- 604 in attendance
11:15 -- 557 in attendance
Someone asked me if speaking at 4 services was difficult. To tell you the truth, it was really no different than doing 3 (our normal). The only thing that is kind of wierd is when you can't remember if you said something in a service or not. They all sort of blend together in your mind.
world famous
While driving back from my trip down to Florida, I couldn't help but notice all of the billboards along the highway advertising almost anything you could imagine. There were a couple in particular that really made me think. 2 different restaurants used a similar phrase. They said something like, "Come and dine at the World Famous _______ restaurant." The only problem was, that I had never heard of either of those restaurants. It's highly unlikely that anyone had heard of either of the restaurants. So the question is, what does it mean to be world famous?
My guess would be that to be world famous, the entire world would know of you. (hence, World Famous)
As Christ-followers our job is to make God, world famous. To spread God's fame everwhere we go.
Essentially we need to be living, breathing, walking billboards advertising the good news of Christ.
My guess would be that to be world famous, the entire world would know of you. (hence, World Famous)
As Christ-followers our job is to make God, world famous. To spread God's fame everwhere we go.
Essentially we need to be living, breathing, walking billboards advertising the good news of Christ.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Easter Reflections
Not only was Sunday Easter, but it was also Foothills Community Church's 8th birthday.
Our first service 8 years ago we had 70 people in attendance. Yesterday we had 1670 people!
God is truly amazing. I don't know what the next 8 years hold, but if they are anything like the first 8, it will be VERY interesting, to say the least.
Our first service 8 years ago we had 70 people in attendance. Yesterday we had 1670 people!
God is truly amazing. I don't know what the next 8 years hold, but if they are anything like the first 8, it will be VERY interesting, to say the least.
Friday, April 14, 2006
You can't always get what you want
The Rolling Stones said it well; "You can't always get what you want"
Before I left for my vacation I had plans, big plans. I was going to catch up on all of the fishing I haven't been doing. Unfortunately the weather never cooperated. Windy conditions made it impossible to fish. Here I was in South Florida, the fishing capital of the U.S.A., and I can't fish--Bummer!
I had a decision to make, was I going to let that ruin my vacation or have a great time in spite of it? I chose to make the best of it and just relax. I must say, I didn't realize just how badly I needed to relax--just kick back and do nothing. It was great.
It's surprising how many hidden blessings are available to us when our best laid plans don't pan out the way we thought they should.
How do you respond when your plans change because of things out of your control?
The Bible is full of stories of men and women that were greatly used of God when they were able to yield their plans, dreams, goals and aspirations to God.
Before I left for my vacation I had plans, big plans. I was going to catch up on all of the fishing I haven't been doing. Unfortunately the weather never cooperated. Windy conditions made it impossible to fish. Here I was in South Florida, the fishing capital of the U.S.A., and I can't fish--Bummer!
I had a decision to make, was I going to let that ruin my vacation or have a great time in spite of it? I chose to make the best of it and just relax. I must say, I didn't realize just how badly I needed to relax--just kick back and do nothing. It was great.
It's surprising how many hidden blessings are available to us when our best laid plans don't pan out the way we thought they should.
How do you respond when your plans change because of things out of your control?
The Bible is full of stories of men and women that were greatly used of God when they were able to yield their plans, dreams, goals and aspirations to God.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Thank God for my wife!
This past Friday evening thru Saturday afternoon my wife and I attended our church's annual Marriage Retreat in the mountains of N.C. along with about 30 other couples.
We had a great time of reflecting about what's really important in life.
I love my job. I get the privilege of being the lead Pastor in a great church, and get to do all sorts of cool things in ministry, but when it all boils down, my first alliegance is to my Lord, and then my wife and then my kids, and somewhere a little farther down the line, my ministry.
Even though I know that, sometimes it's good to be reminded of that.
How are you doing with your priorities?
We had a great time of reflecting about what's really important in life.
I love my job. I get the privilege of being the lead Pastor in a great church, and get to do all sorts of cool things in ministry, but when it all boils down, my first alliegance is to my Lord, and then my wife and then my kids, and somewhere a little farther down the line, my ministry.
Even though I know that, sometimes it's good to be reminded of that.
How are you doing with your priorities?
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