Random Friday

I was privileged to speak at Easley High School  FCA this morning.

Very cool to see Coach Hunters room overflowing with students.

We received a challenge from scripture to step up and lead a school that is desperately looking to follow someone who is the real deal.  God challenged Joshua in this way  in Joshua 1:1-9.

Carolina Creme doughnuts are the best in entire universe. I can say that  because  I’ve  been to each doughnut shop in the entire universe.

I hope Clemson can get this thing turned in the right direction. I don’t think we are far off.  I didn’t think we were very far off for the last nine years either.

I’m almost done with Tom Sawyer. I probably should have read it a long time ago. Although I’m not finished I highly anticipate it will go on my “Favorite Books of All Time” list.  Huck Finn will soon follow.

The First True Love Waits Message went well I thought. I’m always nervous when I preach on Love, Sex and Dating. Not because of the subject matter, but because  misuse of a common phrase can cause riotous laughter among teenagers.

I never worry about keeping a teenagers attention during a message on sex.  There is seldom eye contact, but you know they hear every word.

Godly leaders invest, empower, and launch people out into the ministries and places to which God has called them.  Selfish leaders horde people and resources because they are afraid to lose what they’ve built, instead of trusting God to sustain what He has built.

The student ministry is instituting a “youth worker only” policy for adults during Collide on Wednesday. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s hard to man the 7,000 doors that lead into the High School Worship area.

Parents and other guests will still be welcome on a weekly, call ahead basis.

I love my wife and kids. There are others who can fill  my ministry role, but only I can be their Husband and Daddy. I refuse to be the guy who is married to ministry instead of his family.

The second line of the above paragraph came from Terry Carlton. Check out his blog. He’s a pretty smart kid.

I Cor 3:8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will ^areceive his own ^1reward according to his own labor.

a 1 Cor 3:14; 4:5; 9:17; Gal 6:4

1 Or wages

New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 . The Lockman Foundation: LaHabra, CA

 

Start a Movement

Hilarious video that can teach a lot of great leadership lessons. Enjoy!

 

Striving for Excellence

There are areas in all of our lives in which we would like to be better. A few of mine are preaching, vision casting, spiritual leadership of my family, Saying enough is enough is and taking time be refreshed rather than grinding away until nothing is left, making a priority of  taking youth workers and student leaders  through the directed to delegated process instead of leaving them to flounder in either, et al.

Some of these things I’ve done fairly well with lately, in others I’ve failed miserably. Striving for excellence in any one thing is not a problem. The issue that I, as most people I know , encounter is honing down the list of things you want to strive for excellence in. When the list gets to long excellence is out of reach in all areas.

The Student and Children’s staff have been reading a book by Andy Stanley called “Next Generation Leader”  that has continued shape my thought in this area. When we get done I’ll give you some of my favorite Quotes.

I’m  continuingto see the value I bring to the Kingdom and personal sense of satisfaction I have when I  pour myself into people rather than into tasks.  Something I’ve for a long time, but let the “Tyrannyof the Urgent” steal from me.

 

Shout Out To All Mom’s Everywhere

For Mother’s Day I have to bring everyone’s attention to a quote by Tony Compolo’s wife, as seen on Mark Batterson’s Blog on May 9th. Check it out. Flippin’ Hilarious and So True.

 

5 Posts That Have Challenged Me

5. Craig Groeschel –> 4 D’s of leadership

4. Kevin Campbell –> What do you have?

3. Perry Noble –> Submission Equals Sacrifice

2. Jeremy Byrd –> Daddy’s Lesson in Prayer

1. John Piper –> It Was the Preached Word that Saved Me

Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.  Proverbs 11:14

Peterson, E. H. 2003. The Message : The Bible in contemporary language . NavPress: Colorado Springs, Colo. 

 

 

How We Win

A few weeks ago I talked about the  Locker Room Environments for our Sunday Morning small groups team and the goals we seek to accomplish in each of those environments. As promised, I want  to discuss a “Win”.  When you know you’re doing your job well, what are those easy to remember core principles that drive your every action. For our Sunday Morning Small Group Leaders there are  4 very simple principles that can leave you feeling like a million bucks. After all, everyone wants to know if they are doing a good job right? So here we go if you want to “Win” as a Small Group Leader (Bible Fellowship Teacher), these 4 things drive your preparation.

1. Create a Warm, Friendly Environment
2. Teach a Creative, Applicable Lesson
3. Cultivate Relationships with Students
4. Always Think Life Change

There you go. Simple concise and easy to remember. I could literally write an entire book on  the importance of each principle, but I don’t have to. It’s all covered. These principles are the kindling for innovation in the class room. Start here and let innovation drive you!

Notice that only one of the four things we seek to accomplish involves delivery of content. Just as a farmer must plow before he plants, so must a Leader prepare the student and the atmosphere to get maximum impact during their time each week.

 Oh and if you want more information about the importanceof clarifying the goals for your team. Andy Stanley authored a book called “7 practices of Effective Ministry” that I highly recommend.

 

I Corinthians 9:19-22 I am a free man, nobody’s slave; but I make myself everybody’s slave in order to win as many people as possible. ²⁰While working with the Jews, I live like a Jew in order to win them; and even though I myself am not subject to the Law of Moses, I live as though I were when working with those who are, in order to win them. ²¹In the same way, when working with Gentiles, I live like a Gentile, outside the Jewish Law, in order to win Gentiles. This does not mean that I don’t obey God’s law; I am really under Christ’s law. ²²Among the weak in faith I become weak like one of them, in order to win them. So I become all things to all people, that I may save some of them by whatever means are possible.

American Bible Society. 1992. The Holy Bible : The Good news Translation (2nd ed.) . American Bible Society: New York

 

Monday’s

There is something great about Monday’s now, that was never that great when I was still in school. As a child and teenager, even  a college student, Monday represented the long hard grind of mostly boring classes and homework. But recently my concept of Monday’s has been changing. Monday’s  now are lodged in my mind as the first oppurtunity to pursue what God’s has called me too. Sunday’s and Wednesday’s are the culmination of the vision and the labor, but monday’s are about the creative process. Monday’s used to be automatic dreariness, but now they are full of eagerness. Monday is the first oppurtuntiy for innovation (trying to figure out how to do something better than ever). So as I wait on Sunday service to begin, I’m eager to join in worship, I’m eager for some good sunday food, I’m eager for a day of rest, but monday will be the time the activity begins again.  Our king has risen !(On Sunday) So let’s get after it! (on Monday)

• John 9:4-We must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work
  American Standard Version. 1995

 

Quoteable: Making Vision Stick

For the second Andy Stanley book in a row, I read Making Vision Stick. This is a pretty cool book on how to reinforce the core values of your organization. After all just because you know and live by them doesn’t mean everyone in your organization does. Check it out. You can read it in a few hours and you will better understand how to get people to buy in to long term goals you can see on the horizon. Here are few of the most notable excerpts.

• Vision is about what could be and should be, but life is about right this minute. As important as we believe it is for people in our organizations to embrace our picture of the future, their lives are consumed with the present.
• It is better to have a vision statement that is incomplete and memorable than to have one that is complete and forgettable
• You have to present people with a reason for the vision. You have to answer the questions: Why must we do this? Why must we do this now?
• They already know there’s a problem. They probably have a hunch about the solution.  What they need is someone to give them a reason to rise up and do something about it. That is the role of a leader.
• We all need to be reminded why we are doing what we are doing. We need to be reminded what’s at stake. We need to be reminded of the vision.
• If you say you believe something, live it out. And live it in a way that the people around you can see it. That’s not arrogant. That’s liberating.
• Everybody gets tired and distracted at times, admitting it is healthy and will give your inner circle permission  to admit it as well.
• Leaders must keep their antennae up for new things that have the potential to distract from the main thing. New projects, programs, or even products must be vision centric.
• What people complain about communicates their understanding of the vision
• If your ministry vision centers on engaging the unbelieving people with he message of Christ, But 90 percent of the prayer requests from your leadership and staff are about sick people, your vision is slipping. We Pray for what we are most burdened for.
• If God has given you a picture of what could and should be, embrace it fully and refuse to allow the busyness and urgency of life distract you.

Proverbs 29:18    Where there is no vision, the people perish

f perish: or, is made naked

The Holy Bible : King James Version.

 

Quoteable: Creating Community

I’ve read 3 books since I last blogged and it’s going to take a few days to catch up so bare with me. The latest was Creating Community by Bill Willits. They put Andy Stanley’s name on too so it would sell better. I guess it worked since I bought it. I thought this was an excellent overview of what drives North Point Church in the area of Small Groups. In Fact they have a goal of getting 50,000 people into groups by 2010. For those of you who don’t know, there is a movement amongst newer churches to organize around small groups or cell groups rather that a traditional Sunday School. One of the primary reasons is cost. New churches grow faster than older churches, statistically speaking, so providing educational space for many new believers at a rapid pace can really hurt growth potential and budgets in a newly planted church. A church can pretty much do it how they want,  but here’s a brief description of the basic difference in the the North Point small group and the standard Sunday School.

• NP Small Groups    
• Closed Group- no new members during the groups life span
• meets for around 18 months  then divides
• Meets in a Home on various nights.
• Church does not provide on campus space for meetings
• Childcare is reimbursed from the church.
• Discussions are Lead
• Meetings last longer than an hour and there is no time frame other than start time

 

• Standard Sunday School
• Open Group- anyone can join at any time
• Classes can divide at any time but seek to create new units every 18 to 24 months
• Meets in a classroom in a time frame adjoining Sunday morning worship
• Classroom space provided by the Church on Campus
• Childcare is provided by the church through children’s classes
• Lessons and bible study is primarily taught through lecture
• Schedule is typically limited to an hour

 

North Point provides small groups because they feel it is a superior model for not just assimilating people but really getting them connected to others who will become their primary ministry partners. I feel both systems can work if done with excellence.

Here are some quotes:

• Speaking of American culture: ” our goal is to avoid people at all costs- and cost us it does”
• Americans are among the loneliest people in the world – George Gallup
• Sheep are never attacked in herds- they are attacked in isolation from the flock
• living life alone does not accurately reflect the one who’s image we bear
• Christian community is the final apologetic- Francis Schaeffer
• God has called the church to create environments where authentic community can take place
• Clarifying what you want people to become will ultimately define your churches mission.
• Saying spiritual maturity is a point in time is like saying physical fitness is a point in time
• When people think of your organization what is the word they associate with it?
• Some people want to belong before they are willing to believe
• People Care for people they know well
• For a step to be effective it needs to be easy obvious and strategic
• Group processes have to work with the average person in mind
• Qualifications are meant to keep some people out of leadership, not all people out of leadership
• If a ministry isn’t a step toward community we don’t do it ( I like this one)
• Without the participation of senior leadership, a point leader is in the unenviable position of marketing a ministry that key leadership doesn’t support.

 

The First Kicks!

I felt the first kicks a few days ago! Saturday morning October 25th to be exact. Both the girl and boy are getting more active. It was AMAZING. I mean, it was so unbelievablly cool I can’t even explain it.  The boy kicked first on the left and then my  little girl had to get in on the action cause she ain’t takin nothin off nobody!! You get that boys? You better watch out! lol

There are some definite ways God is stretching me through this whole process.

My Trust- I’m totally out of control. I’m just waiting. There are so few things I can do actively to protect my children. I’ve just got to keep reminding myself that they are God’s children, created for His purposes to Rock this planet for Christ.

My Marriage- I can already see how time demands will stress mine and Veronica’s relationship. Parts of our days that are spent together naturally will soon have to intentionally scheduled so as not to let our world revolve around the kids. (but your children are supposed to be the center of the home) uh… shut up. Have you read the Bible? Not saying that it is going to be easy, because children have pressing immediate needs, but that is the truth of the scripture. Children are raised to go, Spouses are nurtured to stay. pray for me

My Energy Level- There is no possible way I can let my weight affect my way of life the way it has recently. I’ve been playing B-Ball with the boys in the morning and taking my  mega-man vitamins, haha. I can tell a noticeable difference in the way my days are accomplished.

My Language- I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to say crap, freakin, stupid idiot, crack monkey and some other of my favorite exclamations near as often when my kids are around. That’s gonna be tough. But I’m a man! I can do this!

I Corinthians 9:25-27    ^Everyone who enters an athletic contest practices self-control in everything. They do it to win a wreath that dies, but we to win one that never dies.^26That is the way I run, with a clear goal in mind. That is the way I box, not like someone punching the air. ^27No, I keep on beating my body and making it my slave so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified.

International standard version New Testament : Version 1.1. 2000 (Print on Demand ed.) . The Learning Foundation: Yorba Linda, CA