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My Favorites from 2011

January 3, 2012 in Links, Personal with 3 Comments

Every year I post a top 10 list, based on traffic that came to the website over a 12 month period.  You can go read that top 10 list if you’d like, but today I wanted to share a top list of my own personal favorites.

My favorites from this year, and in no particular order:

Small Group Leading Tips // The best post content-wise my website has ever seen, and it came courtesy of the 3rd grade boys small group leader at our church.  I also sleep with her and have fathered her three children.  She is my wife.

I Hate Sam Luce // When detailing all the reasons I really hate Sam, I also added a dumb little image of him with horns.  The best part of the posts, was the lady that came up to me at the Kidmin Conference in Chicago and said, “I just can’t see Sam without seeing those horns you added to his picture!”  Greatest thing ever.

Wanna know what my family did this year?  Check out any of these post.

Doing Hard Things and you can see a sermon I gave this year on the topic as well.

On Being a Foster Parent (another guest post from Starr)

Certainty is Overrated

I personally loved writing about Navigating Staff Relationships.  It’s been a big part of my church-life this year, and something I’m still learning to be better at.  Here are the post related  to this series:

What do you Want?

Time to Move

Practice Accountability

Assume the Best

And finally, one of the most exciting things I did this year on the blog was the video interview with David Platt.  I was totally blown away by his presentation at the D6 Conference in September, and was privileged to talk with him some more afterwards about parenting, life, and ministering to our families.

My interview with Pastor David Platt from the Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, AL and the author of “Radical: Taking back our faith from the American Dream.”

 

Would it be too presumption to ask?  What was a post you loved this year?  Not just on this blog, but anywhere.

The Definitive Top 10 Posts of 2011

January 2, 2012 in Links, Personal with 0 Comments

These are the top 10 posts for 2011 in this little corner of the blogosphere!

 

1. Dear Parents, Go to Church

2. Dear Parents, Don’t use Church as a Punishment

3. Dear Parents, Be on Time

4. Listen Up, Whippersnappers

5. Not Being a Jerk

6. Easter Rescue Series

7. Things are About to Change

8. The Rethink Transition (from 2010)

9. Dear Parents at my Church (from 2009)

10. Keys to Leading Leaders

 

HT: Rankings courtesy of Google Analytics!

Those People Exist

December 19, 2011 in Personal with 0 Comments

Those people really exist.  You know the people.  

Those people find the fault in all you do.

Those people assume the worst of the words out of your mouth.

Those people judge your intentions as faulty.

Those people are quick to criticize.

Those people are slow to defend.

Those people are hurting.

I am those people sometimes.

I am those people.

Instead of hating those people, this time I will choose to encourage, love, and offer grace to those people.

Because as one of those people myself, I need the same from them.

Trinity Loves the Family

December 15, 2011 in Ministry, Personal with 0 Comments

I love a church that loves families.  Living in Lubbock, there is one overriding observation that comes out to you quickly: Lubbock is a family town!  Trinity Church fits well right where we are, because we are a true reflection of our community.  For almost 50 years, Trinity Church has had great ministry to children, teenagers, college students and young families.  Many of those oldest in our church, have raised their families and grandkids right here at Trinity.  In fact, it’s something that is often bragged about by those older.  You’ll hear them say, “I used to bring my kids here to Trinity, and now my grandkids attend here too!”

While the past is great, it’s the future commitment to families that has me most excited.  In 2012 we truly and officially will break ground on a building that’s primary impact will be on those younger than 12 years old.  I believe that the Beyond Project will help make Trinity the place for families to be in West Texas. We’ve also undergone an extensive staffing transition over the past year that equips us to reach the family in new and creative ways.  From the size of our budget monies, to excellent quality of staff, to the long-term commitment demonstrated over the years; there is no doubt we are a church that values children, teenagers, and families!

 

Trinity Leads with Integrity

December 14, 2011 in Ministry, Personal with 0 Comments

I love my church.  I love how Trinity does everything with the highest levels of Integrity.

Let me list for you the ways:

  • We are one of the only churches in Lubbock that submits to extensive financial auditing by an outside financial agency.  I’m not kidding.  Every year we open the books, provide office space, and let the auditors share our work space to make sure that we are continuing to operate in a responsible and legal way.
  •  We are fully accredited by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), and publicly make all relevant financial data available for members and the Lubbock community.
  •  We hold every individual ministry responsible to a stringent set of values, and yearly goals.  I’ve never heard of a church that spends such massive amounts of time making sure that we are continuing to stay relevant to our community and church members.  We critique, praise, change, and evaluate all areas of ministries yearly.  We are committed to make the best use of our time, and make sure that we are doing all things to fit the Vision, Mission, and Values of our church.
  • We give pastors and senior leaders in our church sabbatical at specific intervals of their employment time.  It’s built into the employee handbook!

Probably the most important part of our church culture maintaining a high level of Integrity is attributed to our Senior Pastor, Carl Toti.  Pastor Toti has a unbelievably high level of integrity, and provides my family with a great shelter of protection from all that would seek to destroy the work of the Lord that we are doing here in Lubbock.  In his 10 years at Trinity, he as guided this church to new levels and is continuing to push us to new and exciting places for the future.  There are few men in this world more worthy of being followed than my Pastor.  Most of our integrity as a church begins and ends with this man and his family; and he has proven to be a steady hand to lead us forward.

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