brett moore

NEW BLOG

2009-01-12T18:43:00.000-08:00

Hey,

Until I figure out how to do a redirect, please visit my new blog:

http://getvision.wordpress.com

Soon, this page should take you there automatically.

Thanks.

B.

new book...

2008-12-29T14:50:00.000-08:00

lane and i are reading this awesome book..

uncensored grace by my new author/boyfriend jud wilhite.

love this quote, you'll love the book:

"When I realized the value I have in God's eyes, it changed me. I began to reimagine myself as one loved deeply by God, irrespective of what I felt. I am loved before, during, and after my sin. I am loved when I feel unworthy. I am loved in spite of myself. I wanted approval from others to validate my worth, I wanted to show everyone I could make something of myself, I wanted to become someone. But that day I realized I would never find what I searched for because I already had it. I had to personally embrace God's grace in a life-transforming way."

enjoy...also, go buy this freakin' awesome book!!!!

on christmas eve...

2008-12-24T18:38:00.000-08:00

I think it’s easy to get overwhelmed wanting to know scripture more, or walk in victory over this or that. It’s much easier to decide that today, knowing that God has given me all the grace and mercy I need to be all that He has made me to be, I am going to follow Him. Today I’m going to read and meditate on His word. Today I’m not, by his grace, going to give into temptation. Today I will be obedient to His leadings. Day after day following the long path of obedience in the same direction until, and if, we get to 70, drinking coffee early in the morning with lifelong friends…until then, day by day…until we are sitting at an even better table.

coldplay

2008-11-12T10:08:00.000-08:00

it was three years in the making.

in september of 2005 i had tix to see Coldplay at the Verizon Ampitheater in Birmingham, AL. This was back when i lived in AL. They cancelled the day before. It took me a while to forgive them, but last night I got redemption.

Quick Recap:

attendees: Brett, Lane, J. Berry, A. Berry, J. Britt, N. Britt
dinner: california pizza kitchen (yep!)
opener: mind blowing
best feature of the show: center back projection round ballons
2nd best feature: camera work

our seats were actually pretty good. we got to see behind the curtain during the opener which was pretty cool.

enjoyed a great night with wife-0 and best friends.

Rock4Love

2008-10-16T15:57:00.000-07:00

some updates from rock4love last night...

students: 1450
volunteers: 130
decisions: 218
eternity: changed

what a night...

Need a devo today?

2008-10-07T17:50:00.001-07:00

here is a link to a devo that i wrote for 12Stone Church's new believer's class...called Day 1. Great name. Someone is really creative. Want to check it out?

http://downloads.12stone.com/shareLife/day1/BibleDay01.pdf

Biggie Fries

2008-10-07T17:43:00.000-07:00

Sunday at 12Stone.
Dustin Ahkuoi
He played on my basketball team
He rocks the mic like a vandal
enjoy.

now it's locked...now it's safe...

2008-10-04T05:37:00.001-07:00

52 great links for those who work with students

2008-10-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

COMMUNICATION

http://www.twitter.com

http://www.simplyyouthministry.com/txt.html

http://www.blogger.com

http://www.blip.tv

http://www.ustream.tv

http://www.apple.com/itunes/

http://www.constantcontact.com

http://www.gmail.com

http://www.parentlink.com

http://www.skype.com

http://www.callingpost.com/

http://www.Bloglines.com

http://reader.google.com

http://www.plaxo.com/

http://www.meebo.com/

MEDIA/RESOURCES

http://www.vixy.net

http://stinkbot.com/Tubesock/

http://keepvid.com/

http://handbrake.fr/

http://www.morethandodgeball.com

http://www.wingclips.com

http://www.worshiphousemedia.com/index.cfm?hndl=details&id=10698&tab=MO

http://www.studentlife.com/resources/freevideo.php

http://www.bluefishtv.com/Store/Browse/Downloadable_Video_Illustrations/Free

http://flickr.com/

http://open.lifechurch.tv/

http://www.simplyyouthministry.com

http://www.thecountdowncreator.com/

http://www.vimeo.com

http://www.picnik.com/

http://www.jingproject.com

SOCIAL NETWORKS

http://www.myspace.com

http://www.facebook.com

http://www.bluechowder.com

METRICS

http://www.churchmetrics.com

http://www.churchteams.com

INTERACTION

http://wiffiti.com/

http://groups.google.com/

http://www.polldaddy.com

http://www.youtube.com

http://www.godtube.com

http://www.polleverywhere.com

TEAM

http://www.project2manage.com/

http://calendar.google.com

http://docs.google.com

http://www.yousendit.com

http://secure.box.net/landing1/

http://www.planningcenteronline.com/

http://x3watch.com/

http://www.rememberthemilk.com/

BIBLE/RESEARCH

www.youversion.com

www.biblegateway.com

Great News

2008-10-01T14:53:00.000-07:00

Matt Chandler is blogging. Matt is one of the most thought engaging, honest, and transparent writers and speakers out there.

His blog is called Dwell Deep. You should enjoy.

Link: http://dwelldeep.net/

presidential debate in one minute

2008-10-01T08:39:00.001-07:00

I love stuff like this..

2008-09-30T06:22:00.000-07:00

Bobby Gruenewald over at Lifechurch.tv had this to say and it is just what i was thinking...

I would never use Google if it required me to leave my house and travel to an unfamiliar building on Sunday only once a week…listen to 30 minutes of unrecognizable music, followed by a person talking for 30-40 minutes, and still possibly have to try to find a person who looked “official” just to find “results” for my search. That would be absurd! But, that is a substantially abbreviated version of what so many churches put people through who are searching.

Great Information

2008-09-24T15:10:00.000-07:00

Read this from Kurt Johnston's blog this afternoon and really learned a great deal about handling difficult situations. Hopefully, you will as well.

Handling Conflictfrom Simply Kurt by Kurt JohnstonI've mentioned our new monthly outreach event that took place last Friday night called "The 3". It was an amazing event that turned out almost exactly how our team envisioned it would. However, while parents were picking up their kids, a very upset mom grabbed one of our volunteers and frustratingly blurted something along the lines of, "I thought this was a church event! Why was there freak dancing? My daughter won't be coming back!" By the time the volunteer leader found one of our paid team, the mom was long gone.

But she wasn't gone for long. The following morning she shot an email off to Pastor Rick who forwarded it to me. I share the following email exchange in the hopes that it will encourage you as you deal with conflict in your ministry setting. while I've certainly learned that not everybody response the way we hope they will, this exchange was a powerful reminder of the importance of quickly dealing with concerned parents.

SHE WROTE:
Pastor Rick,
Why are our youth leaders allowing "freak dancing" at the youth activities??? My daughter was at the Refinery last night and came home with this disappointing news. She won't be going back.

I WROTE:
Dear Mrs. O’Brian,
My name is Kurt Johnston and I’m the junior high Pastor here at Saddleback. I wanted to shoot you a quick note thanking you for expressing your concern over the dancing at last night’s junior high event. You would be surprised at how few parents are willing to let us know when they have a concern. I’m the parent of two young teens myself and, like you, I expect church events to be an appropriate place for them to attend.

It’s important that you hear from me personally that our ministry in no way “allowed” freak dancing to be part of last night’s activities. There were leaders in the room and whenever we saw anything that bordered on inappropriate, we addressed it right away (in fact the dancing was a very minimal part of the night…maybe 50 kids participated). Obviously with over 700 students at an outreach event, many of whom have never stepped foot in a church before, there will be some students who push the envelope and who don’t have the same boundaries as our “church” kids do.

In fact, that’s why last night’s event was created; as a monthly front door experience for un-churched kids. If, out of 700 students, there were zero instances of cursing or rebelling or even freak dancing, then I would be a bit saddened because it would mean that we did an outreach event and nobody showed up who needed to be reached. Our student ministry department is committed to helping junior highers grow in their faith and in their walk with Christ, and we are also committed to reaching out to students who have yet to experience God’s amazing grace. In an interesting twist, I asked two first-timers last night if they had fun, and their response was a strong “NO!” When I asked them why they said because we played music that was too clean and didn’t let them dance the way they wanted.

Last night was an amazing night. We had food, a skate park, smores at the fire pits, a scavenger hunt, giant earthball games, outdoor volleyball, and classic tv shows in the theater. Yes, we had a few students who danced inappropriately at times, but our staff worked hard to keep that to a minimum. I understand your decision to not allow your daughter to return to “The 3” next month, but I also ask you to pray for our junior high ministry as we continue our efforts to expose lost kids to the good news of Jesus Christ.

Please feel free to call me should you have additional questions or concerns about our junior high ministry.

God Bless,
Kurt Johnston
Pastor To Students

SHE WROTE:
Hi Kurt,
Thanks so much for your reply. I appreciate the time you took and the information you gave. I feel a lot better about our church and youth group now that I have read it. My daughter brought three girlfriends last night to "The 3" and we brought the same girls tonight to the 6:30 service. Hopefully they will continue to attend, hear the power of God's Word and have changed lives!
Thank you for your commitment to the youth and thanks again for your response. I will definitely be lifting you, your team, and the jr high ministry in prayer.
In Him,

I WROTE:
WOW....3 friends to church last night, awesome! Hopefully 'The 3' will continue to open doors like that. Please tell your daughter that wildside is proud of her...that is exactly what we hoped students would do. Good for her!
kj

Yesterday @ 12Stone

2008-09-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

great service at 12stone yesterday morning. here's the video that we did to cap off our "awakening," service.

Awake O'Sleeper from Brandon McCormick on Vimeo.

Saturday Night Question

2008-09-20T18:04:00.000-07:00

I'm going to begin posing a question each Saturday night in order to see if you guys can help me come up with some answers.

Tonight's question is this:

How do you know when you're being selfish?

I should have thought of that

2008-09-18T17:56:00.000-07:00

Introducing a regular-looking pizza box with a special touch. The difference is that the box can come apart once it's delivered by your local pie dealer. While it starts out the size of a standard pizza box, customers can break the platter-size square into four plate-size sections using scoring and perforations.

And of course...we all know who really invented it, Al Gore. (not really but it seems like another idea he could take credit for.)

new sunday morning series for middle school

2008-09-17T13:53:00.001-07:00

much thanks to Ryer for the bumper/promo video for the new Sunday morning Encounter series that we are doing in middle school. 6 weeks. all about jesus.

I um...I just..What is...Just Watch: Part 2

2008-09-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

oh yeah. this is happening.

theosthetics

2008-09-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

Ray Boltz...You've got to be kidding me!!!

2008-09-13T16:45:00.001-07:00

I'll admit it. I have been to a Ray Boltz concert. I even raised my fist high in the air when he sang my favorite hit, "the anchor holds." Years later, when I should have known better, I was moved to tears when a Honduran pastor that I was serving with on a mission trip decided to sing our group the song, "thank you," our last night in the country.

But all this to say, I thought that I would never blog about or read blogs about Ray Boltz again...at least apart from the "stuff christians like," satirical site.

But today I hear about this. Ray Boltz has come out of the closet to announce his personal life to the world. I am blown away. Shocked. Really.

You can read about the story in Christianity Today

I um...I just...What is...Just Watch...

2008-09-11T06:59:00.000-07:00

words are not there...but all this to say, we must continue to evolve. or i'm out.

my favorite part is at 1:55

+ or -

2008-09-10T12:44:00.001-07:00

On Recruiting

2008-09-10T12:38:00.000-07:00

Best thing I learned yesterday...

Vision Based Recruiting is the opportunity to participate in something bigger than he/she could accomplish on his/her own.

It is:

1.) Redemptive- because it values people.
2.) Strategic- because it advances the kingdom.
3.) Empowering- because it sets people free.

-Dan Reiland- Full Circle Leadership

why i believe in you...

2008-09-07T08:26:00.000-07:00

baptizing some middle schoolers this morning as part of our church's open baptism/restoration sunday. read this quote this morning and remembered why i love working with middle school students.

"Is it not too extravagant to say that out of an individual believer rivers are going to flow? "I do not see the rivers," you say. Never look at yourself from the standpoint of - Who am I? In the history of God's work you will nearly always find that it has started from the obscure, the unknown, the ignored, but the steadfastly true to Jesus Christ." - Oswald Chambers

really?

2008-09-03T13:47:00.000-07:00

ladies and gentlemen. i implore you. when will the insanity end?

Guitar Praise songlist includes:

Darrell Evans- So Good To Me
Paul Baloche- Rock of Ages
Paul Baloche- All The Earth Will Sing Your Praises
Petra- Backsliding Blues

Things that have happened since Friday morning...

2008-09-02T12:16:00.000-07:00

1.) hung out all weekend with my parents
2.) got to go to the Decatur book festival. (yes...it's as good as it sounds)
3.) apologized.
4.) took my mom to church at 12stone for the first time
5.) watched college football. (oh yeah!!!)

new book

2008-08-29T08:02:00.000-07:00

i am so excited about this new book by mark driscoll. here is the book's promotional video.

warning: this will jack you up. if you are under the age of 18 i wouldn't watch.

two more things

2008-08-29T07:16:00.000-07:00

1.) godfather part 2- jason and nan had their second child. kathryn claire britt. welcome to the world. i love jason and nan and can't wait to see how great they turn out to be as parents. no worries carson- you're still the man!!

2.) new favorite artist- jimmy needham. check him out in this video.

excited

2008-08-29T07:11:00.000-07:00

really excited about this weekend. my dad is on his way right now to come hang out and play some golf. and my mom is coming later on tonight. i love hanging with my parents!! my dad works at a church back in tennessee so he has to go home saturday night but my mom gets to come to church with us on sunday. neither of my parents have ever been to 12stone so if you see my mom, give her a shout out.

see you sunday!

after staff retreat

2008-08-26T16:54:00.001-07:00

back from pastor's retreat tonight. here's a short list of what went on in the past 48 hours.

1.) started feeling better - i heart z-packs
2.) had amazing time alone with Jesus feeling refreshed and concentrated
3.) almost got shot by 1000 paintballs
4.) watched it rain 6 inches in 24 hours
5.) rescued lane from a tornado at her school
6.) hung out with best friends Jason and Amber Berry tonight
7.) got ready for pr!me

everything is running

2008-08-23T19:28:00.000-07:00

as of 10:28 p.m. here's a list of what's running on my body:

1.) temperature
2.) nose
3.) eyes
4.) sinuses (into throat)

hoping i get better before pastors' retreat on monday.

georgia is a country too??

2008-08-23T10:27:00.000-07:00

wow.

running mate

2008-08-23T10:21:00.000-07:00

just so you know...i am not a supporter of barack obama. i don't have any ill feelings towards him either. to be honest the more i hear the moronic clamor of people proclaiming to know his religious bent, be it christian or muslim, the more i want to give the guy a chance. here's how a recent conversation between myself and a self pronounced political "expert," friend of mine went recently...

me- "hey, i hear obama is going to announce his vp this weekend."

them- "you know he's a muslim don't you?"

me- INTERNAL DIALOGUE "why do some people still have the privilege of speaking aloud?"

all that to say, when voting for our next president, let's use some common sense.

how to pray

2008-08-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

recently been struggling with the idea of prayer. it is a DEEP subject and i think my shallow mind is striving to dive just a little deeper in my spiritual life and walk with Jesus. here's what i think...

i must approach prayer with the idea that it represents my open or closed hands about the things, people, and situations in my life that i sometimes mistakenly define as "mine." when i petition to God in prayer for "healing (haha- see post below)," or "blessing," it allows me to acknowledge that God is a HUGE part of my life and that these areas of my life are not grasped tightly, but allowed to be taken and given at HIS pleasure.

i don't think that's all but it's enough for me. right now.

b.

i believe, that you're not really sick...

2008-08-21T07:19:00.000-07:00

A sad and embarrassing story hit the wires over the last few days... this time out of Australia. Michael Guglielmucci is a former pastor who had inspired hundreds of thousands of young Christians with his testimony of having terminal cancer. The problem was... he didn't.
According to Adelaidenow.com.au, he is now seeking professional help. Earlier this year, Guglielmucci released a hit song The Healer which was featured on Hillsong's latest album. The song has become an anthem of faith for believers, many of whom are suffering their own illness and were praying for a miracle for Mr Guglielmucci, who has claimed for two years to be terminally ill.
In one church performance that has attracted 300,000 hits on YouTube, he performs his hit song with an oxygen tube in his nose. The clip was pulled by YouTube with the advice "video no longer available."

these are the people that i wish weren't giving the rest of us a bad name.

best so far...

2008-08-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

this past Sunday our pastor let our church in on a tremendous blessing that we were going to have the opportunity to be part of.

a church from south atl. just bought our old building which happens to be only about 500 yards from our new campus that we opened in january.

to let all of us know that it isn't about competition or that we are going to let everyone know who is the biggest and baddest we were going to do the following:

- pay for a new sign for the marquee as they have not put up a proper sign in front of thier building yet.

in a time when there seems to be more competition than love between churches, it struck me that i have never heard of anyone doing this before...or even anything like it.

your strongest testimony? not having an inferiorty or superiority complex...just doing as God would have you where you are right now.

deep thoughts

2008-08-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

i have a question, what does it mean to let God get you alone and set you on fire for a message? i wonder if it means that the more time i spend not alone the less passion i have when i speak?

so...in order to do well for lots of people and do justice to their souls on a consistent weekly basis i have to remove myself from those same people?

just a question from someone who is still trying to figure this thing out.

my prayer: "God, give me enough faith to have faith."

B.

that was easy

2008-08-19T07:05:00.000-07:00

been taking a break lately...for reasons i am not quite sure.

so, i'll let you in on what i've been doing this summer

1.) changed the name and programming of our wed. night service. (we're now called
pr!me)
2.) did the same for sunday mornings
3.) read some great books
4.) bought a new car
5.) fallen in love with a new class of 6th graders

that's all for now, but it looks like i'm back on the wagon.

i'm back

2008-07-16T13:12:00.000-07:00

it's been a while since i last blogged. i had a lot to do...like color this awesome picture in my coloring book for one thing.

honestly

2008-06-29T18:34:00.001-07:00

how do you feel about honesty? i for one go back and forth on the issue. there are times when i want others in my world to be completely honest with me and others when i would actually want to hear what i want, (my self confidence ebbs and flows like the ocean tide.)

it's like that in my relationship with Jesus as well. what is amazing to me is the gentleness with which he always approaches. like a parent with a cloth to clean a scraped knee.

tonight was one of those times and i think that these pictures speak louder than any words could...

coolest today

2008-06-24T11:21:00.000-07:00

coolest thing i've seen all day...

good timing

2008-06-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

timeline of the last four days...tell me that God isn't protecting me...

Friday night - AC breaks
Saturday morning - AC is fixed
Sunday at noon - AC breaks again
Sunday afternoon - AC is fixed...again
Sunday afternoon - Home Warranty is purchased
Monday - All is well
Tuesday at noon - AC breaks...really bad this time
Tuesday right now - thinking the home warranty was a good call.

New AC coming in just 29 days...

it's getting hot in here...

2008-06-23T05:48:00.001-07:00

this past weekend, we fought the good fight of trying to get the AC working in our house. we got home on Friday to find that it was about 87 degrees in our house and it was too late for anyone to come out and fix anything so we slept the most uncomfortable night's sleep ever!

saturday a guy came to fix it.

yesterday we had to have someone else come and actually really really fix it.

all that to say, it was amazing to see how there was no thinking about whether or not we would have it fixed, if we had to make sacrifices, we would without any issue because we HAVE TO HAVE AC.

i wonder how much less my passion and desperation for Jesus is compared to how much i love the air conditioning in my home?

what sacrifices is He asking me to make? what excuses am i giving Him?

try un-harder

2008-06-19T06:43:00.000-07:00

one of the biggest lies that i have ever believed was that in order to be more Godly or a better Christian i needed to TRY HARDER. this cannot be so. our culture today does a great job in keeping this going. have you been to the self help section of barnes & noble lately?

there is no way to marry the idea of self help or self improvement with walking with faith. the key i think to the christian life is not to try harder, but to give up. that's who God wants to use...those who have come to that divine point in their lives where they realize that there is no use trying to get through the sifting that this life brings about on their own.

today, i again choose to try un-harder.

fame

2008-06-18T07:51:00.001-07:00

dustin, the guy who is doing the voice over in the back was on my basketball team last year. he is famous now. wander if i'll get any perks??

Catalyst / Geico Spoof from Catalyst on Vimeo.

follow me on twitter

2008-06-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

you can now follow me on twitter. just go to...

http://twitter.com/brettmoore

see you out there.

old school hillsong united

2008-06-17T17:46:00.001-07:00

more than life.

the farm

2008-06-17T06:24:00.000-07:00

for those of you who know me, you know that golf is a big part of my life. i grew up playing the game with my dad and grandfather so it has always been a place where sacred relationship are forged and cultivated.

one of the coolest places that i have found around here to quench my passion is a place called, "farmlinks," in none other than sylacauga, al. i know it sounds like it is in the middle of nowhere and it really is but just listen to what you will find there.

also- it is a turf management and testing facility where other course designers can come and see and actually feel what different types of grass is like on the course.

they also partner with TORO and SCOTTS to make the place one of the best groomed courses in the country.

along with all this you will also find

1.) different grass on every hole and tee box
2.) a par 3 with 200 feet of elevation change from tee to green
3.) lavender scented ice towels on each 9 for those hot days
4.) chilled apples on the first tee
5.) free drinks, food, snacks
6.) complimentary range balls
7.) the nicest practice facility in the southeast not on a pga tour course
8.) some of the most cordial staff ever

so, drop what you're doing, book a date, and check out the farm...for more information check out: www.farmlinksgolfclub.com/

martes

2008-06-17T06:16:00.000-07:00

for those of you who don't know, martes is spanish for tuesday.
here's what's on the radar for the next couple of days...

1.) back to the Wed. night routine, getting ready, prepared, excited.
2.) 3 weeks until camp.
3.) finishing new curriculum for a "new believers" class we are starting in the fall for MSers.
4.) the farm (post later with description)

also- yellow dart- it was 25 and then me. wouldn't put myself in the greatest position. remember, the key is staying small in statue.

notes from colorado

2008-06-16T06:36:00.000-07:00

Just got back from the extra large youth ministry conference at GROUP headquarters in Denver. There were about 25 of the greatest youth pastors in the country and we spent three days in discussion and reflection on how to do what we do better. some thoughts...

-Anson is so funny that he makes me want to throw up
-faux pas is my favorite form of humor...(just like the t-shirts, you're big ______)
-leadership credibility = time
-the guys from Lancaster County Bible Church are going to have to get a visit in the soon time. much lol from them.
-fell in love with DAZ COG coffee. (organic from Russia)
-went to Estes Park and saw the Stanley hotel (The Shining, Dumb and Dumber, kinda freaky, kinda lame)
-Coors field and the Rockies are like thinking back to something that was cool at the time, but now feels outdated.
-people in Boulder are either really nice, or really mean. it must be all the patchouli.
-downtown Denver at midnight is much cooler after an energy drink
-some guys just aren't meant to be good at video games (me)
-ate the exact same breakfast four days in a row
-experiential is my favorite way to learn
-thanks Russ for your word into my life. it meant much
-walked away from some things in my life that i had been carrying around for way to long.
-missed my wife like crazy

Crazy Review

2008-06-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

I recently finished reading Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan. The book provides many challenges to those of us who say we follow Jesus. The book also has a companion website that provides short videos from Francis Chan to add a little for body to each chapter in the book.

Here are a few quotes from the book:

What if I told you to stop talking at God for a while, but instead to take a long, hard look at Him before you speak another word?

In our world, where hundreds of things distract us from God, we have to intentionally and constantly remind ourselves of Him.

His perfect holiness, by definition, assures us that our words can’t contain Him. Isn’t it a comfort to worship a God we cannot exaggerate?

When I am consumed by my problems - stressed out about my life, my family, and my job - I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than God’s command to always rejoice.

Do not assume you are good soil.

Has your relationship with God actually changed the way you live?

Lukewarm people don’t really want to be saved from their sin; they only want to be saved from the penalty of their sin.

God doesn’t just want us to have good theology; He wants us to know and love him.

… you have to stop loving and pursuing Christ in order to sin.

I believe these quotes will give you a good idea of the overall flavor of this book. Chan says that this book is for “…those who want more Jesus… who are bored with what American Christianity offers… who don’t want to plateau… who would rather die before their convictions do.”

His effort certainly succeeded in challenging me.

WATCH THIS...

2008-05-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

I know that many out there are Joel Osteen fans. You have to be, his book has been in the top 10 on NY Times best sellers list for about 60 weeks now.

Never been a huge fan, but I think this sums it up better than I ever could.

Also- Really big fan of video blogging.

another great example

2008-05-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

note: if you suffer from claustrophobia (spell check anyone?) this video might be a little too much for you.

but, if you wonder if MS ministry is for you, then just take a look at this video.

What's you response? Amazed? Repulsed? Throw up in your mouth?

Or was it like mine, "Cool...Dude we have to do that!"

in the past

2008-05-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

read a cool Bible passage that we talked about this past Sunday at Encounter.

Hebrews 9:14.

Amazing to think that God not only delivered me from sin, but also from the guilt and shame that go along with that sin.

Truly Amazing.

love this...

2008-05-19T04:25:00.000-07:00

this is the new ad from lexus in their latest ad campaign.

the song is one of my favorite parts, although i think it might be one of the most brilliant commercials in the past couple of years.

more crazy

2008-05-07T18:40:00.000-07:00

Crazy Love won't be in stock on Amazon until 5-15-08...slow pokes!

But, the book is available at Lifeway. (Trust me, this is the only time I will ever advocate anyone going to lifeway for any reason other than to pick up some "really cool and relevant," christian t-shirts.)

Crazy...

2008-05-07T07:35:00.000-07:00

Most of the time when I talk about books here I do so in an explanatory or informative way. I have reviewed and recommended books and I think that all of them have proven to be good if not great reads.

With that being said...go buy this book.

Crazy Love by Francis Chan.

Buy it, order it, do whatever you have to to get your hands on this thing. I sat on my couch in pure worship while reading late last night.

Trust me...you will not be the same after reading this one.

What I'm Learning Today...

2008-05-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

::Sitting in St. Arbucks here in Woodstock waiting to meet up with Dave for the night...and I'm thinking::

- I have had an awesome day so far. I think it started with a conversation with Wife-0 last night when we were talking about healthy personal time as compared to work time. So much is made of "not wanting to be a workaholic," and Andy's "cheat the church," philosophy that working hard has come under some real fire.

Here is what I think:
I am a worker, and I am not scared of working hard. I do not believe that life change comes from hearing a message, but from time spent in relationships. (JB) I love what I do and value the fact that I get to do this for a living. Why then should I feel bad for giving myself to my job with all that I am? I live and breathe to see life change, laughing faces, and true self reflection in the middle school students with which I work.

I will not feel bad about the time that this requires. I will not listen to those around me whine about not having enough, "down time." I will be a good steward of what I have been given.

Leadership is after all stewardship. It is temporary. And I am accountable. - Andy Stanley: Catalyst 2005

God, thank you for wise ears and intelligent people around me. You have blessed me with a wife who is the uber-encourager and listener. She is so amazing that sometimes I am overwhelmed.

how i see me

2008-05-04T15:58:00.001-07:00

sometimes it is easy to get down on one's self...to be a little too self deprecating. i can easily forget how God sees me and only look through my all to often self mirror which is to say... a little distorted. how do you think God sees you?

in the pipeline

2008-05-04T15:34:00.000-07:00

for this week...

1.) finish 5 min. vision statement for middle school ministry

2.) event and program line item budget for 2008-2009

3.) hang with dave at fbc woodstock on monday night

4.) finish article for GROUP magazine on true creativity

5.) make tweaks on new believer curriculum that we are writing in house

6.) series planning for next week

7.) sermon for Wednesday night

8.) research podcasting stuff for the fall

First day of May-O

2008-05-01T14:46:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of May, so... let's start with some random randomness

- Last night we broke our world record at ReMix. 310 people in the world's largest tickle fight. How was it? It looked like someone had shot a bee hive with a shotgun. But it was really fun.

- 30 new Christians from last night. God moved and it seems that he can use anyone and anything to accomplish his purposes.

- 2/3 of the way filled up for summer camp already.

- Only 3 more basketball games left. praise the Lord!!

- On a related note, I start playing baseball on June 2. (I know, I'm like Deion Sanders..which tragically, none of my students know who he is.

- Reading a great book right now, "Humility," by Andrew Murray

- Really wishing that facebook hadn't added that chat feature...now it takes twice as long to write a message! haha

- Getting ready for the GROUP conference in June at headquarters. Denver is such a cool place and I haven't been back since I interned at Focus on the Family. I am planning on reconnecting with some old pals while I'm there.

- Actually excited about movie season this year. Indiana Jones, Iron Man, and more promise to make this summer a non tragic threequal like last summer was.

- Favorite new game of 2008 - Cornhole. I love it.

Free Scoop Day

2008-04-29T13:19:00.000-07:00

Today is Free Scoop Day at Ben and Jerry’s. Nationwide.

You're Welcome.

Define the Relationship

2008-04-29T07:37:00.000-07:00

The (G)DTR is more complicated than the standard DTR because now in addition to trying to understand your boyfriend's needs you've brought the Creator of the universe into the mix. Now in addition to saying you don't like that he is playing so much Grand Theft Auto 4 (came out today, that was wicked topical of me to mention it by the way) you have to factor in what Yahweh wants in the relationship. That's why I have created this handy guide. It translates the things you most often hear in a (G)DTR and tells you what is really being said. Enjoy:

1. They say: "I need to unpack some things and reassess my boundaries."

They mean: "I've secretly gone to counseling and learned some new words that are going to make your head hurt. I'm breaking up with you."

2. They say: "I feel that I need to spend more time with God."

They mean: "I feel that I need to spend more time with God and less time with you. I'm breaking up with you."

3. They say: "I think God is calling me into missions."

They mean: "The first place God wants me to visit is a land called 'somwhere you are not.' I'm leaving tonight. I'm breaking up with you."

4. They say: "I think God has gifted me with a life of celibacy."

They mean: "I've just dropped the equivalent of a dating atomic bomb. Good luck with all that. I'm breaking up with you."

5. They say: "I feel like we've grown apart."

They mean: "I represent the word 'grown,' you represent, 'apart,' as in your falling apart. I'm breaking up with you."

wanna know

2008-04-28T18:58:00.001-07:00

think you might be called to middle school ministry? answer this...
does this picture make you want to:

a.) LOL
b.) pray for time to skip 3 years with your kids
c.) enforce stricter guardian/chaperone laws at stores
d.) want to read a different blog

in 48 hours

2008-04-28T18:50:00.000-07:00

we will attempt to break a world record

we will finish our "call to greatness," series at ReMix

jesus will be preached to middle school students who have never heard about Him before

we will be close to filling ALL our spots for camp...with 2 months until we go

i will read my 20th book of the year

the answers to when and how will be learned

you could be the catalyst to change your world

they can make a difference

2008-04-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

after this there should be no more doubt...

Right Now

2008-04-24T16:07:00.001-07:00

Right now...

- There are 1000 upcoming 6th graders from Creekland Middle School sitting in our Worship Experience Center for school orientation. (Creekland was just named #1 largest Middle School in GA, and #4 largest in the United States) It's 2 miles from our church.
- I am wondering if falling out of a moving golf cart will dibilitate me for life. But it will make a scweet camp promo video.

- I am missing my team's first basketball game of the season.

- I am working on my 60th work hour of the week. It's been a good one.

- I have successfuly taught my first Next Generation team leadership lesson. Totally freaked me out, but went great!

- I am on my way to finally get some good food before tonight's office!!

- I am tired of writing this blog post.

Really?

2008-04-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

What type of Christianity am I modeling to my students? What world view are they adopting? How do I hope they live out their faith in the real world? I've been asking this about all of the different kinds of students who come to the middle school ministry here at 12stone Church.

If you've ever asked some of those questions yourself, Lord, Save Us From Your Followers is worth reading. It's a short, easy, read ( I read it in one sitting ) filled with humor, interviews and some really valid reasoning. I doubt you'll agree with everything Merchant proposes, but if you want to be a more compassionate Christ follower and desire to be engaged in culture in a more proactive but gentle way, this book will inspire you.

what i'm learning right now

2008-04-24T06:27:00.000-07:00

that all evil comes from pride...even insecurity.
so, humility is the call on my life by Jesus

the series we are in right now called, "call to greatness: record breakers and underdogs," is THE BEST one we have done. ever.

i really love my kids. they surprise me every week.

life is short for everyone, what we do in the now matters.

wisdom comes from getting beat down.

hmmm

2008-04-21T07:29:00.001-07:00

found this interesting. also- it is interesting to note that Rob Bell never makes a direct reference to Jewish culture in this statement.

“If you are a follower of Jesus, a middle eastern man living in an occupied country who was crucified by the global military superpower of his day, and the leader of the global military superpower of your day, in celebrating victory and occupation of a middle eastern country, quotes hymns in the military victory speech about Jesus, if you are a Christian, this should make you nervous.
The Bible is a story of people living on the underside of military super powers.
The Bible comes to us from a small minority of peoples, who are conquered peoples.
So when you read this story, and you read this book, as a citizen of the most powerful empire this world has ever seen, you may miss some of it’s central ideas.
Because when it says some trust in chariots but we trust in God and you have 42.8 percent of the worlds weapons, You’re the one with the chariots.
My interest is in how we understand the story of the scriptures, and in some way separate the cross and the flag, just long enough to make sure that we haven’t bought into somethings that are the very type of things that Jesus came to set us free from.
- Rob Bell

Sadness

2008-04-20T08:26:00.001-07:00

A good buddy of mine just passed these stats along to me which served as a reminder of who the real victims are when no dad is present.

63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes--U.S. D.H.H.S., Bureau of the Census
85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes--Center for Disease Control
80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes--Criminal Justice and Behavior, Vol. 14, p. 403-26
71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes--National Principals Association Report on the State of High Schools
70% of juveniles in state operated institutions come from fatherless homes--U.S. Dept. of Justice
85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in a fatherless home--Fulton County Georgia jail populations & Texas Dept. of Corrections

Translated, this means that children from a fatherless home are:
5 times more likely to commit suicide
32 times more likely to run away
20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders
14 times more likely to commit rape
9 times more likely to drop out of school
10 times more likely to abuse chemical substances
9 times more likely to end up in a state operated institution
20 times more likely to end up in prison

Sunday Stuff

2008-04-20T08:22:00.000-07:00

Great Crowd today, still meeting all our new folks who seem to come in more and more every week.

Pep Rally at Creekland last monday is still being talked about around here...what favor huh?

Finished 3rd in a golf tournament this weekend. Way cool.

Our basketball team is absolutely terrible. I am ashamed to post our record, but you get the idea.

Lunch with John Maxwell last Thursday- to all you haters out there, you need to get to know this guy before you hate on him.

Excited about a "normal" week this week.

9 days until the "World's Biggest Tickle Fight!!!" - Let's hope we break the record AND no one is violated. hahahha

Highlights from Augusta

2008-04-15T19:10:00.000-07:00

- being frozen stiff when Tiger Woods walked 2 feet from me

- trying to remember that it's grass, so much green grass, not carpet

- watching ian poulter, a guy who had made a hole in one on thursday, throw a temper tantrum on the 7th hole

- not bringing chap stick...big mistake

- yelling at, no screaming at david feherty and seeing him wave back

- walking up the 17th hole with Elin Woods and her dad

- getting a laugh out of steve williams, tiger's caddie

- having an amazing day with my best buddy jason

Excitation

2008-04-12T18:07:00.000-07:00

Really excited: going to Augusta tomorrow for the final round of the Masters. I don't really know how I got the tickets...no, i don't think i can get any more. That is the question that I have been answering all week long.

Also- tomorrow will be the first day off for me since I started my job here at 12stone on March 14, 2007. It's been a good run, but I feel like this just might be one worth missing.

I'll update with sneak camera pics and highlights from the day tomorrow night.

peace out.

go tiger.

Top 5

2008-04-09T07:27:00.000-07:00

Ways to Kill a MS worship service

1. Use long and dramatic prayers. Prolonged use of the “prayer voice” or recapping the entire talk in the final prayer is a great way to drive away students checking out your ministry. Prayer is all about talking to God - not impressing core students or an onlooking parent.

2. Don’t even attempt any humor. Hey, I still watch Saturday Night Live and most of their stuff isn’t funny - but at least they’re trying. Students are quick to forgive humor that bombs over a service that is stiff and unemotional. Use humor as a way to open eyes and hearts to God’s truth.

3. Use as much insider language as possible. Alienate people. Find ways to talk about “them” and “us.” Always talk about church like a club that you have to get in to. Talk down about people outside the church and how they fail to live up to your standards.

4. Don’t allow crowd dynamics. When you ask a question to the audience, the room should get out of control. Be OK with that - some of the best humor and awkwardness can appear during an improv time. Interaction is key to this generation, it would be a shame to be a talking head for 45 minutes with a few songs at the end.

5. Never use students on stage. Everything will be better quality if run by adults. You will also turn away students. Every student is asking, “is there anyone like me in this room” and if they see students on stage for a testimony, on stage playing in a band, doing a skit or welcoming them and connecting them with someone from their school, there’s a good chance they’ll stick

Lately

2008-04-08T08:02:00.000-07:00

If you've noticed a despairity in the amount of blog posts lately then it is directly related to the amount of physical activity that i've been doing over the past month. here's a quick rundown...

- 2 basketball games a week
- 3 mornings a week working in the gym
- running in the eveningsk and on fridays

* is it any wonder that my toes look the way they do?

unashamed

2008-04-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

this is a blatant and hopefully clear advertisement for perhaps the funniest thing i have read in a long time. jason sent me a link to this blog this morning, and i must say that

http://stuffchristianslike.blogspot.com

drips with sarchasm, irony, and enough tongue in cheek humor to give you a cold sore.

so there you go..go check it out right now and be prepared to take a good long look in the mirror and see yourself there with a slight smirk on your face.

Thurs. Early AM

2008-04-03T04:05:00.000-07:00

Last night we started a new series... CALL TO GREATNESS. It's all about heroes who are underdogs and the odds that they overcome to be great.

1.) David and Goliath
2.) 1st Missionary
3.) Peter walks on Water
4.) Jesus and the resurrection.

Great first night of a series.

Worship: WAY above average
Message: Good
Volunteer Involvement: Average
Student Involvement: Above Average
Student Response: Good
Series: Call to Greatness, week 1, "What Giants?"

Great Read

2008-03-31T06:37:00.001-07:00

Spent Friday reading a new favorite book:

ULTRAMARATHON MAN by Dean Karnazes.

Great read, very inspirational. Kinda tough language throughout, but what can you expect from a guy who runs 150 miles at a time?! He's gotta be frustrated.

Thursdays are my favorite

2008-03-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

- basketball game tonight. we started off strong but have lost the last two games. our record is 1-2 but i think we have a chance to get the "w" tonight. if you'd like to come and see our game...tonight, 6:30 p.m. HCA high school gym.

- last night seems like a blur already. finished our CHOOSE series and now are moving on to the greatness. records will be broken.

- really glad anson is here. learning from him already.

- excited about sweet 16. hoping Tennessee has a snowball's chance in a microwave.

- feeling better about life today. thanks to wife-0.

Wednesday

2008-03-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

Praying for my hero today.

No Title Required

2008-03-25T18:41:00.000-07:00

This picture def. produced high levels of LOL.

Lane's Blog

2008-03-25T18:38:00.000-07:00

So proud of Wife-0 for blogging again. She is def. the better writer in the family. (Which is good since she is a teacher and all)

I was reading her blog and this post really moved me. Especially the part I put in BOLD letters.

Last night was O2(formerly "The Well") at 12Stone. As always it was an amazing night of praise and worship. Many thoughts ran through my mind last night..captivated my thoughts really.
1. The sight of watching hundreds of people of all shapes, sizes, and colors walk into this wonderful building He has provided to worship. Then...watching them all worship with their whole hearts. It was a sight that I believe is a mirror image of what eternity will be like.
2. Many people fled to be prayed over. One of the most precious moments I witnessed during this time was watching one of our pastors pray so hard...so intensely over a small middle school girl(this could also be because middle schoolers have won my heart..I think they are wonderful, crazy people). Who knows what giants she was facing but he prayed over her as if it were a matter of life and death...and I believe that it truly is. 3. There were many artists there of all types...music, paint, woodwork, dancing...I was reminded of Ken Gire's book, "Windows of the Soul." The thought that we can praise God and see Him in all of these ways is beautiful and creative of Him.
Church took place last night and I am so thankful God creates moments for us to come together to praise His marvelous works.

New Stuff

2008-03-25T18:24:00.000-07:00

- I am officially not one of those bloggers who just goes on "kicks" (you know who you are JB)

- I threw up last night for the first time in 3 years. Wow, TMI? I think so.

- Read "The Shack," again on Sunday- really messes me up. More so a second time through.

- Really excited about tomorrow night- Last night of CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE - Parents. (I'm not a parent, I know. But I can read.)

- Spoke at Central Middle School in Carrolton, GA last Thursday. (4 hours of driving for 20 min. of talking.) It was awesome!! Lane's grandmother made me homemade biscuits and jam for Breakfast!!

- Speaking at North Gwinnett High School on Thursday morning.

- In a major turn- last year we weren't even allowed in the school- me and the boys are going to do a CRCT pep rally for the ENTIRE Creekland Middle School student body April 14. 3,500 students: WHOA!!! God is undeniably the coolest! Pray we don't fall flat.

- Last words- "CALL TO GREATNESS!" Tune in soon for more details.

peace out.

B.

Sunday Morning

2008-03-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some things from the last week.

1.) Found out I can fit into the child seat in the cart at Target

2.) Discovered a new kind of twizzler...Kenny's!!

3.) Really over packed a room.....twice. (so not cute anymore)

4.) Read a new book- Leadership and Self-Deception by The Arbinger Institute

5.) Survived Tornado Week: 2008

6.) Helped kick-off first ever O2 event at 12Stone.

7.) Ate the best "no bake" cookies ever

8.) Won a basketball game

9.) Lost a basketball game

V is for Victory

2008-03-11T06:18:00.001-07:00

The game was a fast paced, up and down the court affair.

Brett Moore team got off to a great start building an 18 - 9 lead midway through the first half. 1st Cut cut the lead down to 2 at the half.

1st cut began the second half with some great physical defense that slowed the pace down and made BMT get into more half court sets. The game came down to the final seconds with 1st Cut having a chance to win on the last shot. BMT was able to secure the rebound and their first win of the season.

BMT heads into the second game with a 1-0 record.

Basketball Schedule

2008-03-08T06:44:00.000-08:00

Here is our basketball schedule for the year.

All games are held at Hebron (that is where you see the abbreviations like HCA=Hebron Christian Acadamy) Gym games are held at Hebron Church.

Hopefully I'll see you there!

Mon 3/10/2008 7:30 PM HCA High School
Thu 3/13/2008 7:30 PM HCA Elementary School
Thu 3/20/2008 6:30 PM HCA High School
Thu 3/27/2008 6:30 PM HCA High School
Tue 4/1/2008 7:30 PM HCA High School
Thu 4/3/2008 6:30 PM Gym A
Thu 4/17/2008 6:30 PM Gym A
Thu 4/24/2008 7:30 PM Gym A
Fri 4/25/2008 9:30 PM Gym E1
Thu 5/1/2008 7:30 PM Gym A
Tue 5/6/2008 7:30 PM HCA Elementary School
Thu 5/15/2008 7:30 PM Gym E1

Friday

2008-03-07T16:57:00.000-08:00

- Left my sunroof open last night...only to find that this morning I had a swamp of water waiting for me in my car.

- Getting ready for our first basketball game on Monday. Lifting and getting my legs up under me again.

- I'll be posting our schedule later this weekend so you all can come out and support the guys from 12Stone Church!!!

- Finishing up Organinc God tonight. Review to come soon!! I had a conversation with a parent / volunteer on Wednesday night and have found that the book has a large affect on a large amount of people.

- Does anyone else think that the only way to get through the months between Red Sox vs. Yankees rivalries comes from Duke vs. Carolina??

- Trying to do some research on Guiness World Records...so I'll ask a question: "What is the one record that you would like to see broken?"

Today

2008-03-06T12:22:00.000-08:00

- last minute changes to the program are crazy, we had another one this week.

- A.J. , one of our newer guys was awesome last night. Loads of raw talent. Great 6th grader.

- Trying different programming options to shake things up, going pretty well.

- Gossip is a really tough topic to tackle, but we did it as best we could.

- Last night can be characterized like this- "When good skits go bad." It was hilarious though.

- Praying for my friend and his family this week.

- Grant, my best buddy, totally kicked my tail. I got beat up by a 6th grader!!

Tuesday Highlights

2008-03-04T19:12:00.000-08:00

worked out like a champ this morning

great prayer meeting with Dewayne (still weird that he has the same first name as my dad)

they are doing radon testing in my office - THAT'S why I have this cough?!

staff meeting - Dan Berry - "the further you are from the problem (David and Goliath) the less likely you are to buy into the negative energy that surrounds it. He absolutely brought me to tears with his story about his wife Shelley.

creative meeting - great stuff for tomorrow night. i can't tell you, it's a secret!!

Bobby Raulerson - HS intern had his last day today, he is going to be a youth pastor in Orlando at a schweet church. God really is at work all over the place

Impromtu basketball game tonight- I have to be careful: way too competitive. In my defense some of the calls were just bush league.

Books currently on the list of "now reading" - organic God: surprisingly intuitive and easy to flow through. I'll let you know when I get done, - living by the book: thick, maybe the most important book on sermon prep this year, - stumbling in happiness: why and what of happiness (recommended by dave)

I think I might want a typewriter, just to be old school. Where do I get one + correction tape??

Sermon writing - now until late in the noche.

peace out peeps.

back from Indy

2008-03-03T19:27:00.001-08:00

back from Indy...just now.

here are a few highlights.

stayed in indy for around 19 hours. travel time - 7 hours

rode in a limo like a rockstar - they know how to do it right!!

here is my schedule for tomorrow

6:00 a.m. workout

7:30 a.m. prayer meeting

9:00 a.m. staff meeting

11:30 a.m. lunch meeting

1:00 p.m. creative meeting

3:00 p.m. - ?? writing

Off to Indy

2008-03-02T10:28:00.000-08:00

Getting ready to leave for a seriously quick trip to Indianapolis, IN.

- Jason and I are going to speak to a few other youth pastors about student ministry stuff. It should be fun. Always fun to talk ministry with new people. I never leave without a new and fun idea.

- Staying in Indy for less that 24 hours. Getting back late tomorrow night!

- My flight itinerary is insane: A direct flight to Indy from ATL is only 1 hour and 40 minutes. I will fly 2 hours to Philadelphia, PA, wait and hour, then fly 2 more hours to Indy after that! No wonder this industry is in serious peril.

- Psyched about the next week of our Choose your Own Adventure series on Wednesday!!

- Waiting on my new book from Howard Hendricks. It should get to ATL. before I get back.

- See you Tuesday!

Highlights

2008-03-02T10:25:00.000-08:00

- Won my honor back on the Wii Friday - UNDEFEATED baby! (Jason Berry is shockingly competitive)

- Ran out of Advocare on Saturday - I really need my vitamins

- Great service this morning - for the 3rd time this year - Highest ever attendance on a Sunday

- Someone told me I looked like David Spade on the ITK announcement video, good or bad??

- Recruited 3 new vols - 10 more to go before summer!!

- Packing for my quick trip to Indy.

Super Dave

2008-02-28T20:05:00.000-08:00

I had the great pleasure tonight of having dinner with one of my heroes.

Dave Edwards continues today to be one of those extra special communicators that only come around once every decade or so. His messages have been part of most of the major spiritual landmarks of my life.

Tonight Jason and I got to spend a few minutes with him.

Here are some of the highlights that I hope I don't forget:

When communicating:

Don't be Cute
Don't be Clever
Be more than Creative
Always be Clear

When writing a sermon:

1.) Evaluate the scripture in light of the night (Give me a reason why I should care about this passage)
2.) Apply the scripture to the audience (Not just general age, but sections of the audience as well)
3.) Illustrate your point (This is where you can make it fun and easy to take away)

When Reading:

Digest even the hard stuff. Make an outline at the end of each chapter. Put everything that you have just read through the filter of the lowest level of understanding. (What does it take for a 6th grader to understand?)

**Dave was extremely humble, hilarious, and gracious in his time and truly genuine. I think what sets him apart is that his Biblical content is at the highest level no matter what the topic, his take aways for every audience are unforgettable (Jason and I both were reciting talks that we had not heard in nearly a decade), and his heart for connecting with people goes beyond wanting to be liked, but to put every person in a position to experience the true and living Christ.

Book Review

2008-02-28T05:06:00.000-08:00

Just got this book in the mail to read and review for Catalyst labs...

"I became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt" by Vince Antonucci

It looks pretty funny, but now I have a longer list of required reading for review including:

Vintage Jesus - Mark Driscoll

Organic God - Margeret Fineberg

Last Night

2008-02-28T04:53:00.000-08:00

Some stuff from last night

Changed our service flow at 10 min. til to push worship to the front of the service...it actually turned out alright!

50% of our leaders (who are parents) were out at the parent seminar so that was a little interesting

We need some more work on our board of destiny

Great crowd- second largest of the year so far!

Talked about MS relationships - Who is in your inner circle?

John Lewis and Tony Trainer as Hans & Frans the announcement guys...enough said!

Message - recorded for the first time, pretty blunt, great response

Parents' seminar - Matt Brinkley brought the funk

Choose your own adventure video - funniest so far, seriously good stuff Shaver!

Met a lot of new students last night - where are all these guys coming from? It's awesome!

manana noche

2008-02-26T19:53:00.000-08:00

tomorrow night at ReMix we answer the age old question...

If a middle schooler could go on a date without his/her parents driving, chaperoning, picking up, and waiting in the car while the girl was walked to the door...in the woods, would it still happen?

not exactly, but i'm psyched anyway.

For Real?

2008-02-26T07:01:00.001-08:00

Read this today...

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/survey-finds-religious-landscape-in-flux/20080225170509990001

Some of the statistics are shocking. Here are a few that jumped out at me.

More than one-quarter of American adults have left the faith of their childhood for another religion or no religion at all, the survey found. Factoring in moves from one stream or denomination of Protestantism to another, the number rises to 44 percent.

The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey estimates the United States is 78 percent Christian and about to lose its status as a majority Protestant nation, at 51 percent and slipping

The Roman Catholic Church has lost more members than any faith tradition because of affiliation swapping, the survey found. While nearly one in three Americans were raised Catholic, fewer than one in four say they're Catholic today. That means roughly 10 percent of all Americans are ex-Catholics.

Hindus claimed the highest retention of childhood members, at 84 percent. The group with the worst retention is one of the fastest growing -- Jehovah's Witnesses. Only 37 percent of those raised in the sect known for door-to-door proselytizing said they remain members.

With that said, I guess I should get to work...

Retraction

2008-02-26T06:34:00.000-08:00

Not really sure that I am totally 100% committed to this post but here goes:

Yesterday in my post ,"Things from the weekend," I mistakenly claimed to have whipped booty on the Wii. This has set of quite a fusillade in the office between those who believe they have greater or at least equal Wii talent as yours' truly.

So this is to set the record straight:

Jason Britt beat me in Wii tennis.

Let's hope this issue is finally put to rest.

**And yes, tongue is planted firmly in cheek!!!**

Great Lesson

2008-02-25T18:58:00.000-08:00

Tonight Lane and I went to an FCA fundraising dinner for the Buford City Schools FCA clubs. It was such a great time to hang out with new and good friends Steve and Jill Colsson. Stuart Hall, 7 Checkpoints author and Big Stuff speaker, gave a great talk but it was an early part of an illustration that caught my attention. What do you think?

In the early part of his college career Stuart transferred from Alabama to another smaller school. There, the chaplain of the basketball team had chapel every week. The only attender of chapel every Wednesday? Stuart Hall. What do you think the chaplain thought about his realm of influence during those years? Do you think he thought that one day, this young guy he was discipling would someday write some of the most important stuff for a generation of youth workers? Who has had more influence? The chaplain or Stuart Hall?

I would argue that their influence, despite the disparity in numbers, is equal.

So, who are you influencing???