The first day of labs/classes are done. I heard lots of good stuff today, but there is much to be processed. Here are a few of the notable notes from the day:
1. If you are leading.... people will get mad and leave. - Perry Noble
2. Inspiration will only take you so far. You must lead by revelation.- Perry Noble
3. If we hold too tightly to an ideal picture of family, we set up families to become disillusioned.
- Reggie Joiner
4. Influencing families is about teaching them to cooperate with God and His plan; not about
conforming to the picture of a model family.
5. The word of God has to be a part of our leadership in worship. -Aaron Keyes
6. When I invite people into my stuff, they invite me into theirs. -Jamie Tworkowski
7. How are we forming people into the image of Jesus? - Jon Tyson
8. Imagination has been taken captive by the world. -Darren Whitehead
9. People were not created to handle planetary suffering day-in day-out. -Shane Hipps
10. Church has missed the boat on teaching the gospel, and has taught moral theism.
-Matt Chandler
Well there you go. The top 10 nuggets of the day. I'll probably have much more to say tomorrow. Main sessions start up early and go all day. Can't wait...gonna be awesome!
I'm out.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Catalyst Day 1
Well... got to the ATL safely yesterday. One of my favorite restaurants anywhere is Daddy D'z BBQ Joynt in downtown Atlanta. If you are ever here you have got to get by there. The 4 bone plate with red beans and rice and fired okra can't be beat. The only problem..... I usually hurt myself before I leave and wind up miserable the rest of the day. I'm still hurtin' this morning. I don't even feel like eating breakfast. But for a once or twice a year visit to Daddy D'z.... it's worth it.
So the conference itself doesn't start till tomorrow. Today we'll be heading up to the Gwinnett Center to attend some labs (specialized, smaller venue discussions) with some key leadership figures from around the country. I like the labs because you get some good q&a time that you don't ever get in the main sessions.
Yesterday... we had some good staff time. I love sitting and talking with the guys I work with, trying to figure out what needs to be done to bring our body at Firewheel to the next level of spiritual growth and leadership. There is just so much to be done to reach the community that we live in daily. As a growing, mid-sized, church we have to make sure that we are constantly working to move ourselves, and our people to the next level and not get comfortable with where we are at in any part of the ministry.
I look at the incredible group of volunteers that I have in the student ministry and want to make sure that I am giving them every opportunity to follow God's call on their lives. If that means challenging them to raise their game, or moving people to different seats on the bus, raising my game, whatever...... we've got to do it. There are so many moving parts to ministry. What is it that needs to be done to make us move and not get complacent and comfortable? That's the question that I am constantly asking myself.
It's so easy to get comfortable. When things are familiar. When things are routine..... we can operate without even thinking about it sometimes. I remember when I was leading worship at camps and stuff week-in and week-out, it got real easy to just go through the motions sometimes. I would have to remove myself from things at times and really get my heart and mind focused on what we were there to do, because the music came easy.... it could've been easy to just wing it at times.
I don't want us to be "wingin' it." That's not the way to disciple and grow leaders in the church. One of my goals would be to train a team of leaders to do what I do. A team that is actively pursuing relationships with students and parents outside of the walls of Firewheel Church. One of the many things I learned about ministry when leading worship for so many different things is that about 90% of our ministry was always done off of the stage. It was about the relationships that were made at times off of the stage.
Well.... if the church building is our "stage." For each of us involved... it's about the relationships that are made off of the stage that will draw kids and parents into a closer relationship with Jesus. We've got to do whatever possible and whatever needed to lead students into a growing relationship with Jesus. What needs to be tweeked? What needs to be changed? What needs to be better? Hmmmmmm.... I'm sure I'll hear some insights this week while I'm here.
I always enjoy the time with the guys in this setting. We have a lot of fun. I like it when we challenge each other and talk ministry. Good week ahead.....
Stay tuned for pics, funny stories, updates, etc....... sure there will be plenty of that.....
I'm out.
So the conference itself doesn't start till tomorrow. Today we'll be heading up to the Gwinnett Center to attend some labs (specialized, smaller venue discussions) with some key leadership figures from around the country. I like the labs because you get some good q&a time that you don't ever get in the main sessions.
Yesterday... we had some good staff time. I love sitting and talking with the guys I work with, trying to figure out what needs to be done to bring our body at Firewheel to the next level of spiritual growth and leadership. There is just so much to be done to reach the community that we live in daily. As a growing, mid-sized, church we have to make sure that we are constantly working to move ourselves, and our people to the next level and not get comfortable with where we are at in any part of the ministry.
I look at the incredible group of volunteers that I have in the student ministry and want to make sure that I am giving them every opportunity to follow God's call on their lives. If that means challenging them to raise their game, or moving people to different seats on the bus, raising my game, whatever...... we've got to do it. There are so many moving parts to ministry. What is it that needs to be done to make us move and not get complacent and comfortable? That's the question that I am constantly asking myself.
It's so easy to get comfortable. When things are familiar. When things are routine..... we can operate without even thinking about it sometimes. I remember when I was leading worship at camps and stuff week-in and week-out, it got real easy to just go through the motions sometimes. I would have to remove myself from things at times and really get my heart and mind focused on what we were there to do, because the music came easy.... it could've been easy to just wing it at times.
I don't want us to be "wingin' it." That's not the way to disciple and grow leaders in the church. One of my goals would be to train a team of leaders to do what I do. A team that is actively pursuing relationships with students and parents outside of the walls of Firewheel Church. One of the many things I learned about ministry when leading worship for so many different things is that about 90% of our ministry was always done off of the stage. It was about the relationships that were made at times off of the stage.
Well.... if the church building is our "stage." For each of us involved... it's about the relationships that are made off of the stage that will draw kids and parents into a closer relationship with Jesus. We've got to do whatever possible and whatever needed to lead students into a growing relationship with Jesus. What needs to be tweeked? What needs to be changed? What needs to be better? Hmmmmmm.... I'm sure I'll hear some insights this week while I'm here.
I always enjoy the time with the guys in this setting. We have a lot of fun. I like it when we challenge each other and talk ministry. Good week ahead.....
Stay tuned for pics, funny stories, updates, etc....... sure there will be plenty of that.....
I'm out.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Holding Patterns....
I was talking with my friend Earl last week about the state of the church body. Not just our church, but the church as a whole. As he spoke about some of the ruts we get in when we are not challenged in our leadership and spiritual development he used the term.. perpetual holding pattern.
If you've ever been on a plane that is put into a holding pattern, you know exactly what he means. Circling, flying, over and over...... no place to plant your feet, but a deep desire to just be home. When you look at what happens in churches all over the world today you see people fly in and fly out. Some stay a while...others not so much. Maybe they're in a holding pattern. Maybe they are just waiting to have a place to land. What is it that would make them want to land at your church, or mine? Are we challenging them to step out and be involved, or are we just giving them a place to touch and go?
I think people want to belong and be a part of something that is making a difference. I know there are those that just want to come in and get their weekly dose of God so that they can feel like they've done well....but I believe there are a lot of people we miss, because they want to make a difference and we may not give them the opportunity. It does make me wonder.... what am I doing to challenge the volunteers and partners in the ministry God's given me? What is it that makes my volunteers and students feel needed, wanted, and feel that they belong?
I think a big part of a church ministry has to be local missions. We have to be working and serving with our community in ways that give our people a tangible, visible reference to the impact they are having. Our people have to get their hands dirty in ministry. Growing ministries aren't always clean and pretty..... it's dirty sometimes. It can be a mess. Let's not be afraid of messiness.
The challenge is to get out of our holding patterns.... created by fear, apprehensiveness, comfort, etc...And let's help others get out of their holding patterns. No more church hopping when things get uncomfortable. No more searches for a place to land that is more fitting to our taste. But a desire to be challenged.... challenged to raise our level of commitment and service. What are we doing to reach our communities and people around the globe for Jesus?
On that note...school starts back in a week. One of the key ways we, as a church, impact our communities is by equipping our students to live out their faith in school. Be praying for our kids, teachers, administrators, coaches, etc..... This is a huge ministry for the whole church.
The overall challenge for us..... What are we doing to challenge each other and ourselves to get out of our holding patterns?
I'm out....
If you've ever been on a plane that is put into a holding pattern, you know exactly what he means. Circling, flying, over and over...... no place to plant your feet, but a deep desire to just be home. When you look at what happens in churches all over the world today you see people fly in and fly out. Some stay a while...others not so much. Maybe they're in a holding pattern. Maybe they are just waiting to have a place to land. What is it that would make them want to land at your church, or mine? Are we challenging them to step out and be involved, or are we just giving them a place to touch and go?
I think people want to belong and be a part of something that is making a difference. I know there are those that just want to come in and get their weekly dose of God so that they can feel like they've done well....but I believe there are a lot of people we miss, because they want to make a difference and we may not give them the opportunity. It does make me wonder.... what am I doing to challenge the volunteers and partners in the ministry God's given me? What is it that makes my volunteers and students feel needed, wanted, and feel that they belong?
I think a big part of a church ministry has to be local missions. We have to be working and serving with our community in ways that give our people a tangible, visible reference to the impact they are having. Our people have to get their hands dirty in ministry. Growing ministries aren't always clean and pretty..... it's dirty sometimes. It can be a mess. Let's not be afraid of messiness.
The challenge is to get out of our holding patterns.... created by fear, apprehensiveness, comfort, etc...And let's help others get out of their holding patterns. No more church hopping when things get uncomfortable. No more searches for a place to land that is more fitting to our taste. But a desire to be challenged.... challenged to raise our level of commitment and service. What are we doing to reach our communities and people around the globe for Jesus?
On that note...school starts back in a week. One of the key ways we, as a church, impact our communities is by equipping our students to live out their faith in school. Be praying for our kids, teachers, administrators, coaches, etc..... This is a huge ministry for the whole church.
The overall challenge for us..... What are we doing to challenge each other and ourselves to get out of our holding patterns?
I'm out....
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Closing thoughts on Barranquilla
Okay...so I've been home for almost a week now and I'm still trying to process everything from last week. Getting home on Saturday night has not left me much time to think about, much less write down, what I witnessed last week in Barranquilla, Colombia.
This was my second trip to Barranquilla and once again, it was incredible. It would take me a long time to write out the things I saw, felt, got to do, etc....so I've spent the last few days just trying to process a few of the major takeaways that God showed me on this trip. Of course there are the little things like being thankful that I live in a place where the bad traffic and crazy drivers are nothing compared to Barranquilla. They're not rude drivers or anything.....it's just that lanes do not matter, stop signs do not matter, tiny little taxis are everywhere, and people drive so close to each other that you could literally reach out and slap the person in or on the taxi/motorcycle next to you. But what are a couple of the bigger, spiritual takeaways?
One....I saw this last time, and even more so this time. These believers know what it looks like to come into a worship service with a heart of worship. In most cases there are no multi-media shows, air-conditioned classrooms, multi-million dollar buildings equipped with ev
erything for our comfort and enjoyment. Some of them have bands, very good ones I might add, and sound systems, but for many it may be a singer, a conga, and nothing else....but it doesn't keep anyone from lifting their heart in worship. There is no attitude of, what are you
gonna do to impress me today? Or...I hope we're out on time. Or...what's in this for me. It's all about what I'm bringing into this service as a sacrifice and offering to God. And they just let it go. Whether it's in the street, inside a house, or wherever the "meeting place" may be......it is a place of worship and that is what is done.
There were some similarities in our church culture and the church culture there. My team was in an upscale neighborhood one day. The people in this certain area had much....nice houses, personal cars (which is much more a luxury there than here), nice things in their houses.......very comfortable lifestyles. What we found in these areas was an attitude of complacency and contentment. Many of the people saw no need for Christ because they already had everything they needed to make life comfortable. The pastor we were working with that particular day had been struggling to reach this neighborhood since he had moved there 7 months ago. We see this same attitude in our churches, if not in our own personal lives, here in the United States. It is much easier to depend on God when we have nothing than when we have much.
On that note....I heard several stories of healings and miraculous interventions of God from people in Barranquilla. Most of these stories came from people who had nothing to depend on but God for the needs in their lives. It made me wonder about the miracles of Jesus that we read about in the new testament. I would have to do a little study, but off the top of my head, many of Jesus' miracles were performed for people who had very little personal wealth to depend on for their rescue. How many times do we lean on our own abilities, personal wealth, etc..rather than place our faith in God for guidance and direction in life. So it was no surprise to find the people living in poor neighborhoods much more receptive to the message of Christ than the people who had the means to get what they "needed." That hits pretty close to home.
I am so proud of the students we had on this trip. They really stepped up, and many stepped way out of their comfort zones. The impact they had on people's lives is matched only by the impact the people of Barranquilla had on them. They learned a lot from the people we worked with, and the people they interacted with in the barrios.
It was a great trip! That's an understatement, but I don't know that there are words to describe what was seen and experienced. I'm hoping this trip becomes a staple of our student ministry summer for years to come. The relationships that were formed are key to continued ministry. This was not a trip in which a couple of humanitarian projects were started, completed, and then everyone goes home. There were relationships established between our people and the people of Barranquilla. Relationships with pastors, church members, new believers, etc...young and old, rich and poor. And relationships are a must if we hope for discipleship, and outreach to impact any community of people.
I'm happy to be home, but I look forward to my next visit with the people of Colombia. In the meantime.....taking what we learned from the churches of Barranquilla and working on my own personal attitude towards worship and keeping my heart and mind focused on Him will be how the people there continue to impact our lives here.
I'm out.....
This was my second trip to Barranquilla and once again, it was incredible. It would take me a long time to write out the things I saw, felt, got to do, etc....so I've spent the last few days just trying to process a few of the major takeaways that God showed me on this trip. Of course there are the little things like being thankful that I live in a place where the bad traffic and crazy drivers are nothing compared to Barranquilla. They're not rude drivers or anything.....it's just that lanes do not matter, stop signs do not matter, tiny little taxis are everywhere, and people drive so close to each other that you could literally reach out and slap the person in or on the taxi/motorcycle next to you. But what are a couple of the bigger, spiritual takeaways?
One....I saw this last time, and even more so this time. These believers know what it looks like to come into a worship service with a heart of worship. In most cases there are no multi-media shows, air-conditioned classrooms, multi-million dollar buildings equipped with ev
erything for our comfort and enjoyment. Some of them have bands, very good ones I might add, and sound systems, but for many it may be a singer, a conga, and nothing else....but it doesn't keep anyone from lifting their heart in worship. There is no attitude of, what are yougonna do to impress me today? Or...I hope we're out on time. Or...what's in this for me. It's all about what I'm bringing into this service as a sacrifice and offering to God. And they just let it go. Whether it's in the street, inside a house, or wherever the "meeting place" may be......it is a place of worship and that is what is done.
There were some similarities in our church culture and the church culture there. My team was in an upscale neighborhood one day. The people in this certain area had much....nice houses, personal cars (which is much more a luxury there than here), nice things in their houses.......very comfortable lifestyles. What we found in these areas was an attitude of complacency and contentment. Many of the people saw no need for Christ because they already had everything they needed to make life comfortable. The pastor we were working with that particular day had been struggling to reach this neighborhood since he had moved there 7 months ago. We see this same attitude in our churches, if not in our own personal lives, here in the United States. It is much easier to depend on God when we have nothing than when we have much.
On that note....I heard several stories of healings and miraculous interventions of God from people in Barranquilla. Most of these stories came from people who had nothing to depend on but God for the needs in their lives. It made me wonder about the miracles of Jesus that we read about in the new testament. I would have to do a little study, but off the top of my head, many of Jesus' miracles were performed for people who had very little personal wealth to depend on for their rescue. How many times do we lean on our own abilities, personal wealth, etc..rather than place our faith in God for guidance and direction in life. So it was no surprise to find the people living in poor neighborhoods much more receptive to the message of Christ than the people who had the means to get what they "needed." That hits pretty close to home.
I am so proud of the students we had on this trip. They really stepped up, and many stepped way out of their comfort zones. The impact they had on people's lives is matched only by the impact the people of Barranquilla had on them. They learned a lot from the people we worked with, and the people they interacted with in the barrios.
It was a great trip! That's an understatement, but I don't know that there are words to describe what was seen and experienced. I'm hoping this trip becomes a staple of our student ministry summer for years to come. The relationships that were formed are key to continued ministry. This was not a trip in which a couple of humanitarian projects were started, completed, and then everyone goes home. There were relationships established between our people and the people of Barranquilla. Relationships with pastors, church members, new believers, etc...young and old, rich and poor. And relationships are a must if we hope for discipleship, and outreach to impact any community of people.
I'm happy to be home, but I look forward to my next visit with the people of Colombia. In the meantime.....taking what we learned from the churches of Barranquilla and working on my own personal attitude towards worship and keeping my heart and mind focused on Him will be how the people there continue to impact our lives here.
I'm out.....
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Last Day in the Field
Today was our last day out in the field. We were back in the same barrio as yesterday, but this time we actually go to go into the "dangerous" areas. The principal of the school allowed their 7th graders to leave class and walk with us through the neighborhood. They were going to houses and getting the people in them to come and listen to us. It was great! This neighborhood was full of kids! It was crazy!
I had the chance to sit down with one family that was really funny. The mom has 3 kids..two teenage daughters and an 11 year old son. She said her teenage daughters drive her crazy because they are always going places and they think they know everything....sound familiar moms and dads? At that moment the grandmother spoke and said....but i carry a big stick....literally (you can see it in the pic below). !
The younger lady in the pic told me an interesting story about leakage from her breast that made things rather uncomfortable but my translator handled things very well. Yesterday I had a lady breast feeding in front of me as I spoke to her and her husband. Kind of strange but I just maintained lots of eye contact with the husband.
The school we have been basing out of the last two days has been great! Today one of the teachers, Carlos, took me on a brief motorcycle tour of the city. AWESOME!!
The traffic in Barranquilla is crazy and the drivers are even crazier. It's a place where lanes do not matter and everyone is just jockin' for position, ignoring stop signs, squeezing into spaces......crazy. Better than any roller coaster i have ever been on in my life.
This was a great barrio. We saw over 300 people give their lives to Christ in two days. Of course part of that is us getting to speak to an entire school, but still. These were some of the nicest people I have ever been around.
The Firewheel students have been doing great! They have got lots of stories to share when we get home so just be ready. I'm going to let them talk Sunday night at Amp'd. They have each had the opportunity to speak in front of their churches along with speaking to individuals all week long. They have done an incredible job! I am really proud of the way that they have stepped out of their comfort zones and responded to this call. I am certain they will want to return the next time.
Tomorrow is our off day, so we're headin' out to a beach and a market place. And then we cap the day off with our Victory Service. Each barrio our team has been in is invited to attend so it should be pretty big.
It has been a great week, but I miss my family. Most of the others do too. I'm looking forward to the trip home and getting to tell all the stories from an incredible week.
Moment of the Day:
*has to be the look on my translator's (Laura) face when I asked her what the lady had just said when she was telling us about her breast leaking. She really didn't want to translate that info.
21 Days till Cowboys kickoff.....
I'm out
I had the chance to sit down with one family that was really funny. The mom has 3 kids..two teenage daughters and an 11 year old son. She said her teenage daughters drive her crazy because they are always going places and they think they know everything....sound familiar moms and dads? At that moment the grandmother spoke and said....but i carry a big stick....literally (you can see it in the pic below). !
The younger lady in the pic told me an interesting story about leakage from her breast that made things rather uncomfortable but my translator handled things very well. Yesterday I had a lady breast feeding in front of me as I spoke to her and her husband. Kind of strange but I just maintained lots of eye contact with the husband.
The school we have been basing out of the last two days has been great! Today one of the teachers, Carlos, took me on a brief motorcycle tour of the city. AWESOME!!
The traffic in Barranquilla is crazy and the drivers are even crazier. It's a place where lanes do not matter and everyone is just jockin' for position, ignoring stop signs, squeezing into spaces......crazy. Better than any roller coaster i have ever been on in my life.
This was a great barrio. We saw over 300 people give their lives to Christ in two days. Of course part of that is us getting to speak to an entire school, but still. These were some of the nicest people I have ever been around.
The Firewheel students have been doing great! They have got lots of stories to share when we get home so just be ready. I'm going to let them talk Sunday night at Amp'd. They have each had the opportunity to speak in front of their churches along with speaking to individuals all week long. They have done an incredible job! I am really proud of the way that they have stepped out of their comfort zones and responded to this call. I am certain they will want to return the next time.
Tomorrow is our off day, so we're headin' out to a beach and a market place. And then we cap the day off with our Victory Service. Each barrio our team has been in is invited to attend so it should be pretty big.
It has been a great week, but I miss my family. Most of the others do too. I'm looking forward to the trip home and getting to tell all the stories from an incredible week.
Moment of the Day:
*has to be the look on my translator's (Laura) face when I asked her what the lady had just said when she was telling us about her breast leaking. She really didn't want to translate that info.
21 Days till Cowboys kickoff.....
I'm out
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