If at first you don't succeed

Last week a friend gave me 2 tickets to last Wednesday's Clemson Baseball game. I was pumped! My beautiful wife Liz and I were going to be able to spend a couple of hours together at the old ball park. It doesn't get much better than that. Unfortunately the weather turned bad. We waited for an hour or so for the rain delay, but it didn't look like it was going to let up, so we left. (They actually played the game after a 3 hour rain delay) Needless to say I was disappointed.
Well, this afternoon we are going to get a second chance. That same friend blessed us with 2 more tickets. It's supposed to be 65 degrees and sunny. We're going to give it another shot.
Life is like that many times. Our plans and dreams sometimes don't work out like we thought they would. It's pretty discouraging. It's at these times that we have to choose whether or not we will risk it again. Some people never do. How sad.
By the way, why is it that everything is so expensive at sporting events? I'm all for people making a little profit, but come on. I bought a bag of sunflower seeds. In a convenience store they cost about 50 cents ---at a Clemson game they charge 2 bucks!
One more random thought about sunflower seeds. Sunflower seeds are good, but you have to be careful where you spit the shells. Just ask the guy that was sitting in front of me during the rain delay!

Here's what I've learned---so far

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that one of the goals I have set for 2007 is to talk to more leaders that are ahead of us developmentally as a church.
I began to email Pastors of churches that i am hearing great things about. I contacted 12 so far, and have heard back from 8. That's not a bad ratio!
Today I thought that I would give the list of the 8, and then in seperate postings, share my findings.
1. Flamingo Road Church -- South Florida -- Pastor Troy Gramling
2. Westside family Church -- Kansas City --- Pastor Dave Cox
3. Radiant Church -- Arizona -- Pastor Lee Mcfarland
4. New Life Church -- Arkansas -- Pastor Rick Bezet
5. River Pointe Church -- Texas -- Pastor Patrick Kelly
6. Cornerstone Chandler -- Arizona -- Pastor Linn Winters
7. Friendswood Church-- Texas -- Pastor Rick Baldwin
8. Northway Fellowship -- New York -- Pastor Buddy Creamens

My heartfelt thanks to all of these men for taking time out of their busy schedules to speak to me.

Southern Blasphemy

Last Sunday was the closest I have ever come to getting tarred and feathered at church for something I said. What was the shocking statement that I made? Was it some blasphemous comment about the deity of Christ? Was it a sacreligious theological statement? Did I say something about someone's Momma?
No it was worse! I said that Nascar was a dumb sport!!! (In retrospect it's not the kind of statement you want to make in the South, to win friends and influence people)
When I got home from Church on Sunday, I figured I would tune into the Daytona 500 to see what the big deal was. All I can say is, I have seen the error of my ways. I actually started to get into it. I ended up watching the first half of the race. If I hadn't had to go back to church that evening for our fourth service, I might have watched the whole thing! To all my Nascar good old boy buddies, I sincerely apologize. I have seen the light! Be sure to be at church on Sunday for my Nascar coming out party.

Pass it on

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I have had meetings with several Pastors in the last few days. One thing that I'm always reminded of, is that I usually get more out of those meetings than anyone else.
First, I get the benefit of seeing things from someone else's perspective. This always keeps me from getting too myopic.
Second, I get the benefit of sharing our story and vision. Every time I tell our story, it has a way of keeping things fresh.
Third, I get the benefit of meeting new people; and not just any people, but people who have laid it all down for the sake of a call. These men are pioneers---they are visionaries---they are men of great dreams and great faith. That inspires me!
Fourth, I get the benefit of learning. I always walk away from those meetings with more knowledge and greater understanding.
Before becoming a Pastor, I was in business. In business, there is a tendency to view everyone as a competitor. People in business are very careful NOT to tell others much information so as not to give them a a competetive edge. What I love about church is that we are all on the same team. If anything we have done, can benefit others---that's great!
I realize that God has blessed Foothills Community Church, and me as a leader. It is my responsibility to share what He has taught me with others.
If you are a church planter or pastor, and we can be of assistance, let me know. You can shoot me an email at greg@foothillscc.org

Talking Shop

For a church planter, there is nothing quite as fun as talking church. Over the last few days I have met with a few pastors and it has been great.
Yesterday evening I had a chance to talk to Gary Lamb. He stopped by for a couple of hours on his whirlwind tour of the I-85 corridor. I had met Gary briefly a couple of months ago, but this was the first time we actually got to sit down and talk church. Gary is one of those guys that takes some flak because he's not afraid to speak his mind, but he's got a genuine passion to reach the lost with the Good News. I really like Gary. He is a thinker, and he's not afraid to ask questions.
Gary and his church, Ridgestone Church, are way ahead of where we were at two years old. They are blowing the doors off of his part of the world.They are not only growing larger, but they are seeing lives changed by the hundreds!
It sounds like Canton Ga. is alot like Seneca, SC in many ways.
I have no doubt that Ridgestone will continue to grow, and reach people for Christ! Keep it up Gary.

Another record

For two weeks in a row we have set attendance records. Yesterday we had 1,400 people! The place was packed for both the 9:45am and 11:15am services. If you attend Foothills at either of these services, you may want to consider moving to the 8:30am or 6:00pm service.
I know it would be a sacrifice, but for the next 10 months or so until our new facility is built, it would free up some seats for our guests at those two prime times.
There is nothing quite as exciting as seeing God move. There is so much energy in our services it is nearly tangible. Keep inviting your friends!

Change

One of the things that I have noticed is that great churches are not afraid of change---in fact in a lot of ways they thrive on it. You can bet though that even within those churches that embrace change there are those people who oppose it. The leaders responsibility is to lead the people to change, and then through the change and finally not to get too comfortable because there is going to be more change!
I actually enjoy change. At Foothills we change a lot of things. We are in the process of changing things from a physical appearance standpoint. our lobby is being reconfigured for more room. We have changed the entrance areas to our Chidren's area (they now have a seperate entrance to expedite the check-in process). We are about to tweak that again. We create different stage designs on a regular basis, etc.
I have found that if change does not become part of the culture from the get-go, chances are that when you finally do want to change things, there will be resistance. We have all heard the horror stories about the Pastor that was fired because he moved the pulpit----how ridiculous!
It is easy to become too predictable. If people become conditioned to the point that they already know what you're going to do before you do it----it's time for change.
We are going to be messing with the order of service. We have become WAY too predictable. We want people to expect the unexpected.

Another big day

Big Mo is really rolling. Yesterday was incredible. We had another record attendance for a non-holiday Sunday. We also introduced our new worship leader, Eric Peter's. He did a great job in spite of nearly having laryngitis.
Our 11:15am service was packed to the gills. We ran out of chairs and had to bring out the uncomfortable metal chairs. If you are a Foothills person and you would like a little more elbow room, consider the 8:30am or 6:00pm services! By doing this you will also free up some seats for 1st time guests.
Our series: "You To be" has been phenomemal. Yesterday we talked about the fruit of Patience. I really hate those messages that smack me right between the eyes. I definitely need to work on that one!

What a day!!

This past Sunday we celebrated our groundbreaking. It was incredible. Despite low temps and howling winds, we had around 700 people show up and participate.
I have been to several grounbreaking ceremonies. Usually there are a lot of dignitaries and gold shovels, which is fine, but that's just not us at Foothills. We are a team. So our groundbreaking was a B.Y.O.S event (bring your own shovel). It's hard to describe the feeling of watching hundreds of families grasping their shovels around the perimeter of what will be our new building.
As I looked at the crowd, it occured to me that this was history in the making. Years from now, there will be people worshiping the Lord in that building who have no idea who I am. They will have no idea of the sacrifice that so many made so that they would have a place to worship. But the reason we do what we do is not to gain the applause of man, but to gain the applause of our Almighty God.
I am proud to be a part of a great movement of God like Foothills Community Church.

Newspaper ad

Yesterday the Seneca Journal ran an article about our upcoming groundbreaking. Although they aren't exactly the New York Times---we appreciate the pub.
Whatever you do, Don't miss this historical day. We have got a great celebration planned!
This Sunday January 28,2007 at 4:00pm

conferences

I am really excited about a couple of conference coming up in the next two months.
The first one is the Church Planters Conference at Mountain Lake Church. Even though I planted Foothills over 8 years ago, I have a real passion for Church planting and church planters. There are also a couple of sessions that really caught my eye. We are bringing several of our team to this one.

Then there's another one that I am looking forward to. Our friends over at Newspring are doing their first conference, "Unleash". This one should be killer. Perry and his crew at Newspring always roll out the red carpet and do it right.
If you get a chance, plan to attend one of these. It will be worth the investment.

Looking ahead

We just finished our weekly staff meeting. One of the things we discussed was our Easter services. After some great input we decided that we are going to be doing 5 services on Easter Sunday (7:15am, 8:30am, 9:45am, 11:15am and 6:00pm)
This is going to be a really long day, but we want to reach as many people for Christ as possible, which means that it's not always going to be convenient. I am extremely excited thinking about what might happen that day!!
Between now and then you can bet there will be a lot of planning and preparation to make it happen. But in the meantime I am extremely pumped about our current series that we began yesterday called "You To Be". We'll be looking at the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Yesterday we kicked it off with Faithfulness (I know, we're not going in the right order!) This week we'll look at Joy.
Don't forget also this Sunday (Jan. 28th) at 4:00pm we will be having our Groundbreaking celebration. Be here by 4:00pm with your shovel, family and friends, as we break ground Together! Then we'll head back inside the auditorium for about 20 minutes of Praise and Worship.

You have not because you ask not

I have always tried to learn from the wisdom of others. I did that when I was in the business world, and I continue to do that in the church world.
Many people are too proud to ask their peers questions because they want to seem like they've got it all figured out. I admit that I don't know everything.
In 2007 I have made a goal of trying to talk to as many Pastors of churches that are 2 or 3 levels ahead of where we are right now. The thought is that they have already been in my shoes and probably have some valuable insight to offer. There are probably some things that have worked well, and there are probably alot of things that haven't. I would like to hear about both. I have drafted a series of questions that I am trying to get answered from these men.
In January I emailed 9 different Pastors of churches that range in size from 1,600 to over 5,000.
I have heard back from 5 of those Pastors. I have spoken to 3 so far, and have 2 scheduled for phone conversations later this month. Most guys know what it's like to be in the trenches. They remember what it was like to be where we are, and are willing to take time out of their busy schedules to help. I believe God honors that.
They have been a wealth of knowledge. I will post some of my findings at a later date.
I have challenged my staff to do the same thing in their respective areas.
I will also try to continue to be a resource for other churches that have questions for us too.

Get in the Game wrap-up

We finished our Get In The Game series yesterday. Yesterday was basically our annual State of the Church message. You can hear it here.
It is definitely one of my favorites messages to do every year. It is a chance to celebrate what the Lord did at Foothills in 2006, and where we believe He's directing us in 2007. It is so much fun to just cast the vision of the church.
2006 was a year of many milestones. Our average attendance increased 32% from 2005. We had 198 first-time salvations. We had another 207 people who recommitted their lives to Christ.
But there are a couple of areas that we want to improve on. Only about 33% of our adults and teenagers are involved in LIFE groups and only 33% of adults and teens are serving in a ministry.
Even though many churches would love to have those percentages---it's not good enough. We are trying to create a culture where when you become part of Foothills, you are expected to be involved in a small group and a minstry.
Our people are so cool. Whenever we issue a challenge--they respond. So I expect that these percentages will increase dramatically this year.
One last thing that was really incredible was when we counted up all of the people who have signed up for our BELONG (membership) class this week and last week, we had over 100 people say "I want to be a part of Foothills !!

In case you're wondering if numbers really matter...

Sometimes I read something and think.... "I couldn't have said it better myself", or "why didn't I come up with that idea?"
Well this blog post that Perry had from Clayton King is one of them. Brilliantly stated reasons why numbers truly matter.

Pet Peeves

All of us have pet peeves. I have quite a few of them. Being late is one, rude people is another. But one of my biggest pet peeves has to do with Pastors who use the "I'm just a poor little old Pastor" card.
I have noticed that many Pastors pull that card out whenever they want something, or they are looking for some pity.
If they go to a restaurant, they want a discount because they're just a "poor little old Pastor". If they buy a car they expect a better deal because after all they are just a "poor little old Pastor!"
I once met a Pastor when I lived in Florida that actually tried to get a guy to build him a pool--- for free---because he was just a "poor little old Pastor"
Give me a break. Do you really want people to pity you? I don't. I want people to treat me like everyone else. I'm not looking for handouts or sympathy.
Now, I know that many people like to express their love to Pastors tangibly by giving gifts. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about Pastors who walk around with their hands out, and always whining about what a big sacrifice they are making to serve God. And constantly dropping hints about how they may not be able to pay their bills. QUIT IT---PLEASE!!
You are giving the rest of us a bad name.
Now a word to the churches. If your Pastor(s) is truly struggling to make ends meet because you are too cheap to pay them a good income, then shame on you. That's not even Biblical.

Alright, I feel better.

Get In The Game

We had an incredible day yesterday. Despite terrible weather we had a great crowd.
We kicked off a new series called, "Get In The Game". It is a 2 week series about our vision as a church. We are using a baseball theme, and challenging people to take some spiritual steps this year toward full devotion to Christ. In addition to coffe and donuts, we had a popcorn maker out in the lobby, with pennants , and even some bleachers on stage. During our welcome time we did a 7th inning stretch and gave out sets of tickets to Clemson's opening game of the season. The only catch was in order to get the tickets, the person had to lead the congregation in "Take Me Out To The Ballgame"---It was hilarious!
The best part however was the response to the challenge for people who have been sitting in the bleachers as spectators, to put on the uniform and commit to being part of the team. We had dozens of people sign up for our next 3 membership (Belong) classes.
Next week we'll cover the rest of the bases and have our annual State Of The Church message. That's always one of my favorite one's to do.

Ground Breaking

When we moved into our first facility 3 years ago we knew that it would be temporary. We believed that the Lord would multiply our church and we would eventually need to build a second phase. He did. We have nearly tripled in size during those three years!

To keep up with the growth we have added more services. (We currently do 4 services)
Having four services has helped by adding more space, but what we have found is that most people still prefer to attend church in our prime times (Sunday mornings 9:45am and 11:15am)

In order to continue growing we needed to add more seats in those prime times, so we began a capital building campaign last year, and had blueprints drawn up, and met with contractors and FINALLY we are ready to break ground on phase 2! To see a video you can click here

It is very exciting to think that this dream will soon be reality-----but here's the thing we must make sure we don't lose sight of; Jesus Christ didn't come to this earth and die on a cross for a Building. He came for People!
Buildings are great. But building buildings are not our goal at Foothills. Our mission is not complete because we built a new building. Our mission will only be complete when every person knows Jesus Christ personally.

What should really excite us, is to think that God has used Foothills Community Church to lead hundreds of people to faith in Christ!

By the way, We will have a ground breaking celebration on January 28th at 4:00pm, followed by a brief time of praise and worship. It's going to be incredble. Do not miss this event.

Recap of Christmas

2006 ended with a bang for Foothills Community Church. Our Christmas services were phenomenal. We had a record crowd (1,730 people) and tons of spiritual decisions. (11 salvations and dozens of people recommitting their lives to Christ).
One thing that I'm constantly reminded of is, that not only do we have the best staff in the world, but we have the best volunteers too. To be able to pull off the type of services that we have every week takes between 150 and 200 people serving. To all of you who have found a meaningful place of service and have given of your time to help people find Jesus---Thank You!!

Overall 2006 was our best year ever. Our average attendance grew by 32%. We had around 200 salvations. We had another 200 people make recommitments. We had more baptisms, more people involved in serving and more people participating in LIFE groups than ever before.

2007 is going to be incredible!