Tag Archive - church

C3 Recap #2

February 23, 2007 in Ministry, Personal with 2 Comments

I returned this afternoon from the second and last day of the C3 Creative Church Conference. I’ve been to alot of conferences in my life, and honestly I don’t like most of them. This one is unique to the conferences I’ve been too, and I hope I get a chance to attend next year. Here’s some highlights from day #2:

  • The 5th Session Speaker was the Bishop T.D. Jakes. Bishop Jakes was quite different from the other speakers, but what he brought to the conference was heavy! He carries such wisdom on leadership, and he really left the crowd stunned with his message.
    • He used Exodus 4:1-12 as his text, and spoke about Moses being called by God.
    • 4 Points, comparing Moses with a Leader today:
      • The Shepherd’s Source: God called out the leadership already within Moses. God has equipped each of us to do exactly what he means for us to do.
      • The Shepherd’s Spirit: God has created a unique, focused, and clear vision within Moses, and he planted it upon Moses’ life.
      • The Shepherd’s Staff: What’s in your hand Moses? He spoke about what’s already at your disposal as a leader, and making the best use of the leadership (staff) around you.
      • The Shepherd’s Stutter: Ever felt like God chose you to do the one thing you’re most ill equipped to do? Why would God choose Moses, the stutter, to be the voice of his people? God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness.
  • The 5th Session Speaker was the Ed Young, again. This time he spoke about the things he learned watching his father over the years. It was really, a potpourri of wisdom. Some nuggets included:
    • “Do the Hard things first.”
    • “Have ZERO partiality towards people in your church.”
    • “Have a funeral in your mind for the negative people in your life.”
    • Learn the Power of the Absence.
      • “If you don’t take breaks in your schedule, your schedule will break you.”
      • “Leadership is truly measured when we’re not there.”

It was really a great, refreshing time for this littlepastor. There aren’t really enough of these things in my life, and I’m glad I got to experience it this year.

C3 Recap #1

February 22, 2007 in Personal with 0 Comments

Spent the first day at the C3 Creative Church Conference at Fellowship Church. Great, great, great event; It’s a really simple format with some really impressive speakers. Here’s some highlights from Day 1:

  • The First Session Speaker was Ed Young:
    • “Delegation is the Catalyst to Creativity.”
    • “When Pride walks on the stage, God walks off!”
    • “Delegation without Investigation is Relegation.”
    • “Delegation is not to exile a task to another, it’s entrusting others with the What If’s.”
  • The Second Session speaker was Craig Groeschel:
    • “God uses the insecure, risk taking, pain enduring idiots.”
    • “We often say it’s all Him, but we believe it’s all us.”
    • He had three great questions for all leaders:
      • In what area of Ministry have I become dangerously secure in my knowledge and abilities?
      • What Faith risk is God calling me to take?
      • What painful decision have I been avoiding?
  • The Third Session speaker was Mark Driscoll:
    • “Without the Gospel, all life is vanity.”
    • “The 1st two ten commandments are the key to the other eight. If we keep the first two, we’ll never break the other eight.”
    • The two enemies of the Gospel: Idolatry & Religion
      • Religion says, “If you obey, God will love you.”
      • The Gospel says, “Because God loves me, I will obey.
    • “Religion sees hardship as punishment, but the Gospel tells us good fruit can come from suffering.”
    • “The Gospel always leads to a life of confident humility.”
  • The Fourth Session speaker was Dr. Ed Young:
    • Spoke out of Isaiah 54, on Strengthening your Stakes, and lengthening your cords. In other words, doing the things to prepare for something big.
    • “Children are the most important thing to be cared for in the local church, and all other excellence should flow from this area outward. Not the other way around.”
    • “To neglect the children in our society is to neglect our current and future at the same time.”

It was a really great first day! I’ll bring more updates on Day #2 real soon…

Perspective

February 15, 2007 in Personal with 0 Comments

A little perspective today.

Working in a church, I attend many funerals. Most funerals I attend are for older people who have lived mostly full lives.

Today was different.

One of our mid-week musicians at the church I work at was killed this weekend in an auto accident. He was 35, married for two years and just had a baby boy a few months ago. I did not know this person well, but I knew his face. We might say hello to each other, but never knew him very well. However, I do know the people that knew him well. For that I grieve and mourn for their loss.

I have not sat in a funeral service where so many were overcome with grief and sadness, in a very long time. Just a terribly, terribly sad thing.

A little perspective today.

Labels Schmabels

February 13, 2007 in Personal with 5 Comments

During a conversation today, I realized that I was trying to shake some labels that had been attributed to me. This happens quite often in my ‘line of work’; and I find it extremely frustrating. I work in a church, a pretty normal church. Some would say that we are cutting edge and non-traditional, while still others might find us bland and super traditional. When people find out what I do they assume things about me that aren’t necessarily true. They try and fit me in a box, and put a label on who they think I am. For instance, because I work in a church does NOT make me like everyone else you’ve ever met that worked in a church. I am not your grandpa’s minister. I listen to all kinds of music, I appreciate the arts, I read books, and I do many other things that I think make me not ‘churchy.’ In fact, I rarely let others know that I even work at a church; because of the assumptions that come along with it. (And yes, most of the things you make fun of on Christian TV, I also make fun of. Who wouldn’t? Most of it is absurd!) And some of these labels comes from those involved in non-traditional churches; who assume I lead communion with a priest collar because my church is traditional. My church is what it is (and I love those who make it what it is), but let me be who I am; apart from my church.

Another example, at my church I primarily work with children. I don’t do this because I’m too stupid to be a senior pastor; or because I’m too nerdy to be a youth pastor. I do it, because I’m good at it, and I love working with kids. When people find out I work with the kids, it’s like I’m the one guy at their church that they do NOT want to speak with. Their expression often says, “What does he know? He only hands out cups of cold water and goldfish for a living.” And of course I get looked at funny since I’m a man; and not woman. Seems you can’t always trust a man working with kids…

Another example, I’m white. I attend an extremely multi-racial church; and often I’m labeled quickly as being upper-class and snobby by some of the people at my church because I’m white. I did go to college, but I’m anything but upper class. After inviting most of these people over to my house for dinner, they realize that I’m barely upper lower class.

And a final instance, I’m 30. This is important because I often am mistaken for being in my early 20′s. Good problem, right? Can be a good thing, but often I’m labeled as ‘too inexperienced’ for what I’m doing. Some of those who have worked under me have assumed that I’m an idiot; and was handed my job because of someone I knew, not my experience or qualifications.

It’s funny how these labels stick to me. I’m not the person most people think I am after they get to know me. It’s a common occurrence to hear the people at my church or other outside of church tell me, “Boy I didn’t like you when I first met you, but you aren’t really like I thought you would be.” What am I to make of that?

Super Bowl Sundays

February 4, 2007 in Links, Personal with 0 Comments

In honor of the Super Bowl, I wanted to post my favorite scene from the Simpson’s. Unfortunately I couldn’t find it anywhere. In the scene the Reverend LoveJoy is welcoming everyone to a special Sunday night service at the church, and there is hardly anyone there. He says that he is glad that on Super Bowl Sunday a few people could make it. Upon hearing this, a man on the front row jumps up and screams, “It’s Super Bowl Sunday!?! I forgot!” Then he runs out of the church as fast as he can. High Comedy, and yes… you’d have to see it to appreciate it.

Since I can’t find the Simpson’s video, I’m posting a great ‘rub salt in the wounds’ video on THE most famous Dallas Cowboys holder in team history, Tony Romo.

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