- dave writes about it here
- perry has two great posts on what it would be like if twitter was a communication tool during biblical times - he does a post on an old testament character (david) and a couple of new testament characters - interesting!
- michael gives four reasons that he discovered after about a week of using the service - i'm not there yet - i don't know that i could come up with four...what about you - anyone else twittering?
- the best post, and the one that pushed me into finally deciding to use the service (i reserved my name early on, but didn't use it - i tend to do that with most new websites/services) - anyway, michael gives 12 reasons to start twittering - really good reasons and compelling arguments. one of his comments says that he'd love to put a 140 character limit on some meetings - i'm all for that one :)
- finally, michael put together a "beginnner's guide to twitter" - if you're wondering, check it out - again, easy to follow, great content, take the plunge! this is the one post that will help you more than any other.
the 411 on twitter
ok, here's a bit more on twitter...as i said previously, this is just an experiment for me...here's the short version of twitter - consider it..."microblogging" - i.e. you create posts that are 140 characters or less (sms 0r text length) that are viewed via sms or via web...anyway, here are some other bloggers that have posted about it - check 'em out:
twitter...do
so, i took the plunge...i'm now a twitterer...
you can follow me at:
twitter.com/rickwomack
more details on this one week experiment when life slows down - i think that's in august:)
join the fun...come on twitter...do!
you can follow me at:
twitter.com/rickwomack
more details on this one week experiment when life slows down - i think that's in august:)
join the fun...come on twitter...do!
don't give up
dave ferguson posted these notes a few days back...pretty basic items here that he heard rick warren share. there are some things here that i heard rick share a few weeks ago while in orlando and the content is pretty 'common-sense' stuff, but we sure do miss it a lot of time...going to repost the entire post of notes from dave here...think about these things...
dave's notes follow...
dave's notes follow...
5 years ago Rick started praying for 50 young emerging pastors that he believed were going to make the big difference in the kingdom in years to come. Since then, almost half of them have either flamed out or burned out. So, how do we last in ministry?
1. ENJOY THE GRACE OF GOD.
- Driven-ness comes from a lack of understanding or experiencing God's grace. Some people have preached the grace of God their whole lives and never experienced it or felt it. You need to enjoy Gods' grace.
- Never confuse prominence with significance. You may never have a church of 1,000 people or you may never be on the cover of Christianity Today - but don't confuse your significance with prominence.
- If you don't settle this issue...you will not last!
- Ministry is received, it is not achieved. God gives it to us as a gift. We are valuable and God loves us. God likes you! He really likes you!
- I used to go into my kids room and just watch them sleep. I loved them no matter how good or bad they were. I loved them because they are my kids! I helped create them.
2. BE AUTHENTIC.
- Obvious imperfections in the pastor can be a very good thing. It tells people that they can be used by God. People will think, "if God can use Rick, God can use me."
- When you live with authenticity it gets better every year; when you don't it gets worse every year.
- You can fake love for a few years...but not for long.
3. REMEMBER IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU.
- When you start to think it's about you - you get either bitter or prideful.
- The average pastor leaves the church because of seven critics. That's too bad. On the other hand if the pastor stays, the critics leave.
- II Corinthians 4:5 - "we are your servants."
- Lots of guys start out as servants and become stars.
- Paul says, "I do it for Jesus sake" II Corinthians 4:5 (NIV)
- People always want the success without the suffering.
- Stop comparing yourself to others.
- If you are going to have a Christ-like ministry, you will be criticized. The religious leaders were the one's that criticized him. Why? For being associated with "bad people". Jesus was called "the friend of a sinner."
- You can be a friend of someone without buying into all that they believe.
- If you have no friends who are unbelievers or disreputable - you are not Christ-like.
- Ignore your critics and remember who you are trying to impress.
4. ACCEPT YOUR HUMAN LIMITATIONS
- You are not a superstar...you are human.
- know your limits and know your warning signs.
- Phases of how I dealt with my weaknesses:
- 1st - I denied my weaknesses
- 2nd - I hid my weaknesses.
- 3rd - I accepted my weaknesses.
- Now - I glory in my weaknesses.
- When God makes a mushroom it takes 6 hours; when God wants to grow an oak tree it takes him 60 years. And it will take time for God to build a church.
- While God is growing a church he is also growing you!
5. DO EVERYTHING OUT OF LOVE.
- Where do you start? How about with your wife. Love your wife. "Guys, listen to your wife...she is the Holy Spirit."
- The people are not there for your benefit; you are there for their benefit.
- It takes unselfish church to grow. The church that doesn't want to grow is saying to the rest of the world, "Go to Hell!"
- Every church caters to somebody - who are you catering to?
6. MAKE TIME FOR DAILY RENEWAL
- Formula for renewal: divert daily, withdraw weekly, abandon annually.
- If you work with your mind - use your hands to de-stress.
- Daily renewal - take a day off every week. What is your sabbath. If you are not taking a day off every week you are breaking one of the 10 commandments.
- II Corinthians 4:16 - "we are being renewed day by day".
- Got to have two things for renewal:
- Plan - what is your plan for personal renewal?
- Partner - who is it that will hold you accountable?
- Don't wait for someone to build a group who will partner with you. Do it yourself.
- Ecclesiastes 4:12
7. LIVE IN LIGHT OF ETERNITY
- "Fatigue makes a coward of us all" - Vince Lombardi
- 3 motivation
- internal motivation
- external motivation
- eternal motivation
- Only he who sees the invisible can achieve the impossible.
- "You don't determine a man's greatness by his count or by his wealth - you determine his greatness by what it takes to discourage him."
- Great people are just ordinary people who won't give up.
DON'T GIVE UP. DON'T GIVE UP. DON'T GIVE UP.
one prayer...sermon titles
got an email that the "one prayer" video teaching messages are in. most are in english, a few in spanish - there are 47 churches/pastors that have shared their "one prayer" for the church...check out these titles...personally, i'm going to pray these sermon titles for me, my family, my church, my denomination and the Body of Christ...(as i have time i'm going to watch a few here and there) - i've just given you the sermon title here (not the church or pastor)...pray these things...
| "Make Us... Unshakable" | |
| "Make Us... Relevant" | |
| "Make Us... Irresistible" | |
| "Make Us... Authentic" | |
| "Make Us... Selfless" | |
| "Make Us... New" | |
| "Make Us... Dead" | |
| "Make Us... Wake Up" | |
| "Make Us... Evangelistic" | |
| "Make Us... Passionate / Powerful" | |
| "Make Us... Holy" | |
| "Make Us... Effective" | |
| "Make Us... Courageous" | |
| "Make Us... Fearless" | |
| "Make Us... Authentic" | |
| "Make Us... Extremely Generous" | |
| "Make Us... Extremely Generous" | |
| "Make Us... Global" | |
| l | "Make Us... Effective" |
| "Make Us... Magnetic" | |
| "Make Us... One Man" | |
| "Make Us... Followers" | |
| "Make Us... One" | |
| "Make Us... Dreamers" | |
| "Make Us... Perfect, Complete, And Lacking Of Nothing" | |
| "Make Us... Intercessors" | |
| "Make Us... Different" | |
| "Make Us... Free From Shame" | |
| "Make Us... Passionate Lovers" | |
| "Make Us... Dangerous" | |
| "Make Us... the Church" | |
| "Make Us... Free" | |
| "Make Us... Uncomfortable" | |
| "Make Us... Bold" | |
| "Make Us... Peculiar Again" | |
| "Make Us... Obedient" | |
| "Make Us... Engaged" | |
| "Make Us... Whole" | |
| "Make Us... Obedient" | |
| "Make Us... Servants" | |
| "Make Us... The Conqueror" | |
| "Make Us... Diverse" | |
| "Make Us... Shine" | |
| "Make Us... Thirsty" | |
| "Make Us... Integrated" | |
| "Make Us... Wise" | |
| "Make Us... Irrationally Loving" | |
| "Make Us... Never Forget Why You Came" | |
| "Make Us... Different" |
never say goodbye
remember that song...it was the mid-80's and bon jovi (still one of my favorite bands) rocked it...
it was the theme song of countless high school graduating classes...ok, so the lyrical content is not great...but there's one line in that song..."together...forever"
how idealistic! to think that we could possibly "never say goodbye" - unfortunately, life is full of goodbyes!
i've tried to replace the "goodbye" with "see you later" (inspired by the last episode of M*A*S*H) - but that doesn't work!
sometimes we have to say "goodbye"
as i've reflected these past few days and weeks, i've realized that there are really very few friends that i haven't said goodbye to - here are a few:
it was the theme song of countless high school graduating classes...ok, so the lyrical content is not great...but there's one line in that song..."together...forever"
how idealistic! to think that we could possibly "never say goodbye" - unfortunately, life is full of goodbyes!
i've tried to replace the "goodbye" with "see you later" (inspired by the last episode of M*A*S*H) - but that doesn't work!
sometimes we have to say "goodbye"
as i've reflected these past few days and weeks, i've realized that there are really very few friends that i haven't said goodbye to - here are a few:
- amy (and now scott that they are married) - met her shortly after patrice and i were married, then we all 3 worked together...here's the cool thing...no matter where we've lived, amy's come to visit us at least once - thanks amy (and now scott that they are married) - you guys are great
- rachel - met at a mexican restaurant - no surprise huh? - she helped us start a church, then followed us to two other church plants to help them out - it's been a long journey, but i'm glad we've never said goodbye
- jeff - my college roommate...after you live with someone for two years, you really know a person! i love jeff like a brother because he's just the real deal - so glad we've never said goodbye - we don't see each other but just every few years, but we stay in touch through email and phone calls - he's the one guy that i've always been able to vent to and he's helped keep me grounded and focused on God's call
- todd (stricknine) - helped him in a church plant, then we lost contact for a while, then i went to work for him as an employee, then the church we attended hired me and he went to work for me as a volunteer - now, he's the one guy that i know i can call on anytime to pray for me (and i do!)
they said it...
listening to a sermon podcast from steven furtrick and he made this statement...
so, how does this:
apply to you?
think about it...weigh in...
"stop asking what's wrong, start asking what's next!"
so, how does this:
apply to you?
your life?
your church?your ministry?
your career?your family?
your finances?think about it...weigh in...
would love to hear your initial thought after reading the statement above
creating...interest...habit
genesis clearly outlines a few important facts for us...just thinking out loud here...
1.) our God is The Creator
2.) we are created
3.) in His image
4.) the creative ability that He has...is available for us
5.) we should create!
having said that, i was talking with a pastor the other day who's in the revitalization process in a church...he had done an email blast campaign with outstanding success (blasted out 200,000 emails to a zip specific area, had 12,000 people "open" the email, and has had over 1200 "hits" on his website in the last 7-10 days)...this is what i said to him when talking about the effectiveness of this (i.e. if it generates actual people in the chairs)...
...don't miss the importance of this...
1.) we have to give people a 'reason' to WANT to come to our church - that's called interest - there are things you can do to create interest! aren't there? what would the opposite be? "oh, i don't want people interested in coming to our church!" - ridiculous statement isn't it? of course!
2.) then we work on the 'habit' of them coming to church - that's why we do sermon series (at least that's my hope!) - if you're NOT doing sermon series...start! AND, give them a reason to come back the next week...tease them, give them a "lead in" - "tip them" to something that you'll be covering next week...in other words, HELP them make up their mind BEFORE they leave that they ARE coming BACK - perhaps you're saying to yourself, "that's a mind-game, that's shallow, that's not spiritual" - what would the opposite be? "oh, we don't really care if you come back next week!" - ridiculous statement isn't it? of course!
1.) our God is The Creator
2.) we are created
3.) in His image
4.) the creative ability that He has...is available for us
5.) we should create!
having said that, i was talking with a pastor the other day who's in the revitalization process in a church...he had done an email blast campaign with outstanding success (blasted out 200,000 emails to a zip specific area, had 12,000 people "open" the email, and has had over 1200 "hits" on his website in the last 7-10 days)...this is what i said to him when talking about the effectiveness of this (i.e. if it generates actual people in the chairs)...
"we are after creating interest,
then we create habit"
then we create habit"
...don't miss the importance of this...
1.) we have to give people a 'reason' to WANT to come to our church - that's called interest - there are things you can do to create interest! aren't there? what would the opposite be? "oh, i don't want people interested in coming to our church!" - ridiculous statement isn't it? of course!
2.) then we work on the 'habit' of them coming to church - that's why we do sermon series (at least that's my hope!) - if you're NOT doing sermon series...start! AND, give them a reason to come back the next week...tease them, give them a "lead in" - "tip them" to something that you'll be covering next week...in other words, HELP them make up their mind BEFORE they leave that they ARE coming BACK - perhaps you're saying to yourself, "that's a mind-game, that's shallow, that's not spiritual" - what would the opposite be? "oh, we don't really care if you come back next week!" - ridiculous statement isn't it? of course!
innovation...
i'm doing a talk in a couple of weeks on moving forward with innovation...so, i'm curious...
what are your thoughts on the "role" of innovation in ministry?
does it have a place?
does it have limits?
how, who, what, when, where, and why determines those limits (if there are any)
do you think our God is innovative?
do you think Jesus was innovative?
what do you think innovation is exactly?
just curious about the thoughts of my readers - i have mine pretty settled, and i have most of my talk complete (in my head at least...)
chime in...please!
what are your thoughts on the "role" of innovation in ministry?
does it have a place?
does it have limits?
how, who, what, when, where, and why determines those limits (if there are any)
do you think our God is innovative?
do you think Jesus was innovative?
what do you think innovation is exactly?
just curious about the thoughts of my readers - i have mine pretty settled, and i have most of my talk complete (in my head at least...)
chime in...please!
sunday night download
time for another sunday night download...here goes...
- i've added some and deleted some blogs that i'm tracking on my blogroll - check 'em out.
- watching the ACM awards...some good, some bad
- speaking of country music, the song by trace adkins, although sappy, still reminds me that its important to embrace and squeeze every moment out of life - "you're gonna miss this"
- did something today i've never done...more later
- so proud of my kids, they've finished up another year of school with great grades, great crct scores, great attitude and great personality - i love my kids!
- extremely proud of my wife - she served as the second grade lead teacher this year - it was a trying year because of health issues, but she's an overcomer - i'm proud of her! i think God used this year to stretch her and move her to new levels of leadership. she also ended the year with a great group of kids and a ton of parental support
- speaking of her kids, i spent friday serving up sno cones - dragon colors baby - red and blue...next year we'll move to green i guess
- my sister did something she's never done before...more later...
- got a ton to do the next couple of weeks - wow, please pray for me - so much to do!
- have you had the baked apple dumplings at cracker barrel? quick, run out and get you some...probably the best desert ever!
- my brother did something he's never done before...
- i got to see all of my nieces and nephews on the same day - love it!
- we, my brother, my sister and i commandeered...hijacked...took over the service at my dad's church. my dad turned 60 last monday, and on may 31, he'll celebrate 25 years in ministry - to honor him, we've been plotting, scheming and acting secretly behind his back to pull this off. the choir knew, the congregation knew, he didn't. should've seen his reaction when my brother and sister went in to relieve the pianist and worship leader of their duties, then he turned and saw me - we hugged on the platform - then i told him he wasn't preaching, i was! sorry God, i'm sure you gave him a great word...it was priceless, something i'll never forget! i preached a word from luke 15 - you know the story...the parable of the honorable father (used to be the parable of the prodigal son - i renamed it today) - i talked about the legacy that our father has built into our lives, the character and honor he possesses as a person and how that is passed from generation to generation - it was the most "different" sermon i've ever preached. when it was all said and done, my brother's family (4 of them), my sister (5 of them) and my family (4) joined our dad on stage...btw, about 4 weeks or so ago he told our mom that what he wanted for his birthday was to have all of his kids on the platform with him...homerun!
- [edit]...to follow up on debbie's comment, yes, you have to have the ice cream on the baked apple dumplings!
dawg blog
just wanted to pass along a link and a couple thoughts about the current dawg football team. richt has taken approximately 23 players down to honduras again this year to perform service projects, disciple men and reach people. there's a great post on the georgiadogs.com site where you can read input from the players.
chris davis, sophomore center from jefferson, ga, talks about playing futbol (soccer) with the locals - he said it was a skinny man's game...couldn't agree more! (so that's why i'm not playing as well as i once did)
chris davis, sophomore center from jefferson, ga, talks about playing futbol (soccer) with the locals - he said it was a skinny man's game...couldn't agree more! (so that's why i'm not playing as well as i once did)
lakeland "revival"???
i've pondered on this for several weeks now as people that i personally know and love have gone to the "revivial" in lakeland...so, as i said in my last post, i really try to guard the tone regarding my blog...having said that, let me share first my thoughts and then the thoughts of someone i know and trust as having an accurate word from God and an accurate first-hand assessment...
my thoughts...
J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma.
my thoughts...
- i use the word revival parenthetically - here's why: what i seem to be observing from reports that are available is that it's mostly Christians going to these meetings. historically, revival has to do with life-transformation leading to community-transformation. at this point i know there are some salvations occurring (life-transformation indeed), but i know of churches (specifically, church plants!) that are reaching far more and they are not being labeled as the "______ revival" - so, to me, its a renewal, not a revival
- as with every great move of God, there will be flesh involved - you may not like me for saying this, but i'll say it - every thing we do has some element of 'flesh' in it - don't like the room temp? too bad, you're listening to the 'flesh.' don't like the lighting? too bad, that's the flesh - point being, we can't escape this. having said that, the services that i've watched on tv (and yes, i'm sure it's different 'in person') seem to contain a great deal of 'flesh' - such as, people being 'slain' in the spirit, and after falling reaching up to straighten their skirt or shirt out, or people being pushed over - now, understand, i'm all for seeing God's power do a powerful work in people and i took at least 3 or 4 trips to the brownsville revivial years ago. as well, i've been used by God to see this happen to people - know what? i BARELY had to touch them for God's power to consume them. but that's just me...i totally want to be sure that it's God when i feel like that may happen so i purposely barely touch them or lay hands on them. please understand, there will always be elements of the flesh i believe and i don't judge the outcome nor the fruit of the revival on these things - i do however, want to know that people aren't attracted to a 'show' or an 'event' - if you know me, you know that i totally think the PROCESS is so much more than the event - put another way, it's in the journey that we grow to be able to embrace the "end."
Honest Questions About the Lakeland Revival
I support any holy outbreak of revival fervor. But let’s be careful to guard ourselves from pride and error.
I support any holy outbreak of revival fervor. But let’s be careful to guard ourselves from pride and error.
God is stirring deep spiritual passion in the hearts of the thousands of people who have traveled to Florida during the last month to experience the Lakeland Healing Revival. Since these meetings began in a 700-seat church on April 2, the crowd has moved four times to bigger venues, the fervor has intensified and the news has spread worldwide—thanks to God TV and online broadcasting.
Within a few weeks, the bandwagon effect was in full swing. It’s safe to say that no outbreak of Pentecostalism in history has gained so much international exposure so quickly as these meetings have.
I’m a cheerleader for the charismatic movement, so I rejoiced when I heard the news about revivalist Todd Bentley’s extended visit to Ignited Church. It was thrilling to hear the reports of miracles and to watch the crowd grow until a stadium was required to hold everyone.
| “When we put bizarre behavior on the platform we imply that it is normative. Thus more strange fire is allowed to spread.” |
When I visited a service on April 15, I was blessed by Heather Clark’s music and the audience’s exuberant worship. And I laughed with everyone else as I watched Bentley shout his trademarked “Bam! Bam! Bam!” as he prayed for the sick and flailed his tattooed arms over the crowd. Hey, Jesus didn’t pray for people according tothe Pharisees’ rulebook, so I’m open to unconventional methods.
But I would be dishonest if I told you that I wholeheartedly embraced what I saw in Lakeland. Something disturbed me, but I kept my mouth shut for three weeks while I prayed, got counsel from respected ministry leaders and searched my heart to make sure I was not harboring a religious spirit. The last thing we need today is more mean-spirited heresy hunters blasting other Christians.
I am not a heresy hunter, and I support what is happening in Lakeland because I know God uses imperfect people (like me and you) to reach others for Jesus. At the same time, I believe my questions are honest and my concerns are real.
My motive is not to criticize Bentley or the pastor who is sponsoring these meetings, Stephen Strader. In September 2002 Charisma featured a seven-page article about Bentley’s amazing conversion from drug addiction. I believe Bentley is a sincere brother who wants people to encounter God’s presence and power. No doubt this 32-year-old evangelist needs our prayers now more than ever, especially since he has become the focus of international media attention.
But as the noise from Lakeland grows louder and its influence spreads, I’m issuing some words of warning that apply to all of us, not just the folks in Lakeland. I hope everyone understands that these cautions are offered in love:
1. Beware of strange fire.The name of Jesus is being lifted up in the Lakeland revival, and three people came to the altar for salvation the night I attended. Larger numbers have come to the front of the auditorium to find Christ every night since then.
Yet I fear another message is also being preached subtly in Lakeland—a message that cult-watchers would describe as a spiritual counterfeit. Bentley is one of several charismatic ministers who have emphasized angels in the last several years. He has taught about angels who bring financial breakthroughs or revelations, and he sometimes refers to an angel named Emma who supposedly played a role in initiating a prophetic movement in Kansas City in the 1980s. Bentley describes Emma as a woman in a flowing white dress who floats a few feet off the floor.
All of us who believe the Bible know that angels are real, and that they work on our behalf to protect us and minister to us. But the apostle Paul, who had encounters with angels himself, issued stern warnings to the Corinthians, the Galatians and the Colossians about angels who preach another gospel or that demand attention. In Colossae, believers were so enamored with angels they had seen in visions that they became “inflated without cause” by spiritual pride (Col. 2:18, NASB). Paul was adamant that preoccupation with angels can lead to serious deception.
We need to tread carefully here! We have no business teaching God’s people to commune with angels or to seek revelations from them. And if any revival movement—no matter how exciting or passionate—mixes the gospel of Jesus with this strange fire, the results could be devastating. We need to remember that Mormonism was born out of one man’s encounter with a dark angel who claimed to speak for God.
2. Beware of bizarre manifestations.When the Holy Spirit’s power comes on people they may feel weak or even fall. The Spirit’s power can also cause people to tremble, shake, laugh or cry. Such manifestations are biblical and we should leave room for them. But where do we draw the line between legitimate experience and fanatical excess?
The apostle Paul had to deal with outrageous charismatic manifestations in the Corinthian church. People were acting like raving lunatics—and turning the church in to a free-for-all of unbridled ecstatic behavior. Paul called for discipline and order, and he reminded early Christians that “the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets” (1 Cor. 14:32). In other words, Paul was saying that no one under the influence of the Holy Spirit should act out of control.
In many recent charismatic revivals, ministers have allowed people to behave like epileptics on stage—and they have attributed their attention-getting antics to the Holy Spirit. We may think it’s all in fun (you know, we’re just “acting crazy” for God) but we should be more concerned that such behavior feeds carnality and grieves the Spirit.
When exotic manifestations are encouraged, people can actually get a religious high from jerking, vibrating, screaming or acting intoxicated. (I have even been around people who writhed as if in pain, or made sexual noises—thinking this was a legitimate spiritual experience.) But emotional euphoria doesn’t guarantee a heart change. The person who is bucking like an untamed bronco in a church service would benefit more from sitting still and reading the Bible for an hour. When we put bizarre behavior on the platform we imply that it is normative. Thus more strange fire is allowed to spread.
3. Beware of hype and exaggeration.Our hearts are crying out today for a genuine move of God. We want the real deal. We’ve read about the Great Awakenings of the past and we long to see our nation overcome by a wave of repentance. The church is in a backslidden state, and our nation has rebelled against God. We are desperate!
In our longing for a holy visitation, however, we must be careful not to call the first faint breeze of the Spirit a full-fledged revival. If we do that, we are setting people up for disappointment when they realize it may not be what we blew it up to be.
Some of the language used during the Lakeland Revival has created an almost sideshow atmosphere. People are invited to “Come and get some.” Miracles are supposedly “popping like popcorn.” Organizers tout it as the greatest revival in history.
Such brash statements cheapen what the Holy Spirit is doing—and they do a disservice to our brothers and sisters who are experiencing New Testament-style revival in countries such as Iran, China and India. We have a long way to go before we experience their level of revival. Let’s stay humble and broken before the Lord.
I am rejoicing over all the reported healings at the Lakeland meetings. Miracles are awesome. Crowds are great. But miracles and crowds alone don’t guarantee a revival. Multitudes followed Jesus during His ministry on earth, but many of the people who saw the dead raised or ate food that was supernaturally multiplied later crucified the Son of God.
It was the few disciples who followed Jesus after Calvary who ushered in a true revival—one that was bathed in the fear of God, confirmed by signs and wonders, tempered by persecution and evidenced by thousands of conversions, new churches and the transformation of society. We should expect nothing less.
J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma.
on the radar
been saving quite a few posts (so this is longer than my typical post) that i wanted to pass along to you - really finding a lot of great bloggers out there in the church planting tribe...great content, i'll pass some along here...here we go...what's been on my radar?
- dave ferguson (on my blogroll) tells the story of donnie williams and lifepointe church (great name, btw!) - they added a second site and went from 445 to 979 in attendance - their second site has outgrown the first site - awesome! he attributes the success to: prayer!; getting organized; finding leaders that were dormant in their first site - check them all out
- dave also tells the story of troy (whom i met in orlando a couple weeks ago) and their church launch - love the strategy they put into motion - lots of serving...in fact all the leaders were challenged to host a block party in their hood to connect with people; they also did 18 service projects
- tony gives us 7 leadership filters - great stuff - here are my favorites: "am i making this decision for the good of the church, or just my area?" and "is this just a temporary solution?"
- mark talks about aesthetics - every, every, every pastor and leader needs to read this post! my favorite paragraph is Listen, that may sound extravagant. But what if we put half that effort in welcoming people into our worship environments? What I'm trying to say is this: aesthetics are important. If you don't believe me, then why are a dozen chapters in Exodus devoted to the aesthetics of the tabernacle. God is in the details. He details everything from the color of the curtains to the recipe for the incense!
- michael (prez. of thomas nelson and frequent reader of rickwomack.com...right!) has listed several important lessons he's learned through blogging. it has inspired me to write my own equivalent post in the not-so-distant future. for now, one of the important lessons i've learned is this: blogging forces me to carefully consider the reader first...while i'm sure to miss the typos, it's the tone that i most concern myself with! btw, michael's blog is a great look into the life of a corporate ceo who follows Christ - i'm currently making a choice on a couple of books that he's read just because he read them first and recommended them...that's called influence (and i appreciate it)
- also from michael, he nailed 12 good reasons to begin twittering...i haven't yet - still pondering the usefulness and time demand of it - anyone else twittering out there? the whole phenomenon is amazing how it has so quickly gained traction.
- here's a challenging post on "extractionalism" - i referenced a quote a few days ago from it - you need to read the entire post - here's my favorite quote: "The problem is that extracting believers from relationships within the culture has a negative impact on both believers and unbelievers. Christians fail to have any spiritual impact or participation in extending the kingdom. Non-Christians go to hell. Neither of these things is good—especially the part about going to hell."
- larry from elevation writes a post that every volunteer church leader and pastor must read - it deals with the crux of the matter when it comes to volunteers!
- would you participate if you could help plant 500 churches? would you care? the one prayer campaign has focused the one time offering from the hundreds of churches on planting churches in cambodia, china, india and sudan - i'll ask again, r........u........n? ("are you in?)
evaluating ministry #4 - strategy
Strategy
· Strategy answers the question, “How do we get there?”
· Granite & Sand – Granite=core, no change; Sand=change, dust it off, redesign...some things need to be written in granite so that they can NOT easily be changed (i.e., people matter to God, therefore they matter to us...prayer comes first...ministry to the entire family is a priority); some things need to be written in sand so that they can easily be changed (prayer time is at 6am on mondays...or, or early morning service offers traditional worship, etc)
· Strategy changes….can’t pastor/lead a church at 50 like you do at 150...bumber sticker alert..."change happens" - or something like that :)
· Henry Ford said if he gave people what they wanted it would have been a faster horse
· Strategy is NOT sacred – vision is what you lead with, not strategy - when you lead with strategy over vision, it's called programming...
· Strategy is moving because the church is moving…it’s a moving target....
· Strategy turns vision into reality
mi casa
ok, so i took some heat from some good friends (good friends can do that you know) on the layout of my blog, so when i got home from hanging out with them for supper, i gave it a remodel...also added a bookshelf where you can click through and order some of the books that i'm reading or have read - this will change often and you'll want to come back to check it out as it changes...thinking about adding a "musicshelf" of some songs/artists i'm listening too - we'll see about that - don't want to clutter it up too much...
so, comment away, better, worse, ok, - if you know me, you know most everything is a process, so you won't hurt my feelings...comment away
oh yea, if there are typos on here - don't get too upset about it! i do my best, but often times i don't re-read my posts, i just post on the fly and watch for misspelled words (sometimes!)...
so, comment away, better, worse, ok, - if you know me, you know most everything is a process, so you won't hurt my feelings...comment away
oh yea, if there are typos on here - don't get too upset about it! i do my best, but often times i don't re-read my posts, i just post on the fly and watch for misspelled words (sometimes!)...
moving forward
"Moving Forward" is the theme of this year's annual camp meeting and conference we have - this song is probably going to be one of the songs from the worship set - i think it's appropriate and it rocks - i love it...enjoy...
evaluating ministry #3 - structure
Structure
· Answers the question, “How are we positioned to move forward?”
· Structure will change…it needs to change ahead of growth
· Structure for CAPACITY – because capacity trumps capability – ex. 2 Kings 4
· Of extreme importance is realizing that communication also changes with structure – almost all church disputes, feuds, fusses and fights occur over miscommunication, no communication, unclear communication or mis-perceived communication
· Internal structure and external structure must adapt
· Internal – communication, decision making, roles and responsibilities – relational issues
- External - governmental, budgeting, procedures - procedural issues
r.......u........n?
are you in?
just checked out the site at oneprayer.com - simply AMAZING!!!
713...read that again...713 churches are on board with doing the "one prayer" campaign in june - i'm going to try to make it to a service at free chapel
evaluating ministry #2 - staffing
ok, i said yesterday that i was still sorting through which order to put these in, i'm almost certain this evaluation tool is second (btw, i'm also considering consolidating some of these and trying to work this list down to 5, but this is what i taught at the reach conference so i'll keep sharing all of them here this week and next)
the second vital issue is staffing (paid and unpaid)
the second vital issue is staffing (paid and unpaid)
Staff
· Answers the question, “Who are the ‘go-to’ people?”
· Get the right people, in the right place…start with people – Jim Collins, Good to Great, says, “First who, then what?”
· Find a leader, make room for them – leaders are always on the lookout (Furtick)
· Commitment to the vision trumps commitment to the position – too many people are in love with their position and could care less about the vision – return to the vision – it’s primary!
· If you’re a leader, work yourself out of a job – replace yourself – when possible, hire from within – why? Because they were with you before you paid them! They own the vision and understand the DNA.
· 3 keys to keeping Staff: 1.) clear and compelling vision (that comes from S.P – people need VISION and they need HOPE.); 2.) dynamic leadership skills of the S.P.; 3.) caring attitude of S.P. – RELATIONSHIP!!!!!
evaluting ministry #1 - shared values
first thing i talked about at the reach conference was evaluating ministry - i'm still sorting through what order i think these evaluation tools should go in, but i know at least that this one is first...
one assumption that needs to be made is that the vision is clear, compelling and catalytic in nature
one assumption that needs to be made is that the vision is clear, compelling and catalytic in nature
Shared values
· Answers the question, “What matters most?”
· A set of beliefs that illustrate how you do life…or in this case, church! Values are not “add-ons” they are “built-ins” (add-on="would you like anti-virus software with your new pc?"...built-in="the operating system is windows, it's built in!")
· Values are exhibited by the pattern of your life and your church (and your life! on a personal level)
· Values are what drives you - they define you
· Values become your filter for EVERYTHING you do
· Being FAIR is not a priority…rather, be true to your values - this means you'll have to say no, and not worry about it being "fair"
· You’re values can and will change…in the process and trenches of ministry – not because of a vote or committee – they change because your DNA becomes better understood…
· You’re values must be shared by key leaders and decision makers
sunday night unwind
made it home from the boro (statesboro, ga) - great trip, great conference, great time!
some highlights from this weekend:
- todd and i had a great time kickin it together all the way down the road to the boro - lots of time to talk whilst traveling the roads lined with pine trees - btw, those that say we're overpopulating the earth, RIDE WITH ME sometime - i'll show you plenty of back road country that is not even close to being overpopulated!
- had krystals on the way down - wanna guess the nickname for krystal burgers? it's funny that todd called it ?????? - but even funnier that when we got there nick called them by the same name
- todd was up first and brought the passion for first impression - as if! did you think he wouldn't? anyway, great job of stirring people up to begin to think like a guest, evaluate ministry and function and start getting it right
- first night nick talked about cultural evangelism - great content and delivery - btw, in all my research, i'm pretty sure it wasn't timmy, it was jason that fell in the well (episode #87).
- seriously, nick and todd set the bar high and really did a great job of delivering the content!
- on another note, travis and his crew had the church looking great! they really went out of the way to demonstrate excellence in every stinkin think they did - great job gang and thanks for making us feel so welcomed (and the gift basket in the hotel room was an awesome touch - really made me and my family feel appreciated and filled the "snacky void" that we had at times)
- after service friday night, Estamos envueltos hasta el viernes por la noche con una celebración de nuestra herencia familiar
- saturday my wife and kids along with todd's family all rolled in - so great to have them there with us!
- i spent some time saturday just before lunch talking about 8 ways to evaluate ministry - i'll be sharing those throughout this week - check back every day for a new post
- my second talk on saturday was on transferring vision - communicating vision to your church and giving them some 'handles' to get a grip on vision - i'll share some of those in the future...
- sunday i sneaked over to fumc in stateboro to listen to my sister lead worship and my brother-in-lay lay down the word in the 9:01 service, then it was over to alwc to be with them for the sunday service - todd was there early to provide some on-sight coaching with his first impressions people - great give and take discussion about some "why" issues...
- travis brought a great message, the worship was really good, and the people were "with him" the entire time - i'll say what i said on friday night, this church is going to be a difference-maker in statesboro and a flagship church in the georgia conference - i believe in the pastor and his wife, i believe in his leaders and i believe in his vision - God...make it happen - amen!
down in the Boro
i'm down in statesboro (btw, this is a really neat and growing town - we need more churches here!) for the next few days to teach at a conference in a local church that is hosting us for a church revitalization conference - i'll be teaching a couple session on basically evaluating ministry and owning vision - please pray that:
i think it's going to be a great weekend for a couple of reasons: 1.) i'm excited because i believe ALWC has great potential to be a flagship church in georgia for the iphc; 2.) i'm excited to see todd operate in the gifting he's anointed for - i love seeing the potential and purpose in others being released (something i'll touch on this weekend!).
anyway, i'll try to post some summary notes and thoughts when it's all said and done, in the meantime, go back to praying - mucho thanks!
- i'll say what needs to be said
- how it needs to be said
- with anointing
i think it's going to be a great weekend for a couple of reasons: 1.) i'm excited because i believe ALWC has great potential to be a flagship church in georgia for the iphc; 2.) i'm excited to see todd operate in the gifting he's anointed for - i love seeing the potential and purpose in others being released (something i'll touch on this weekend!).
anyway, i'll try to post some summary notes and thoughts when it's all said and done, in the meantime, go back to praying - mucho thanks!
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