Whatever

Just wanted to share an excerpt of an article I read by Louie Giglio in this month's CCM Magazine.

"So often Christians live such indistinguishable lives in the "secular" arena, while shining so vividly within the confines of the church. But the challenge is for us to make a mark in the streams of culture, which requires a massive devotion of life and energy to the end that we do whatever we do with an excellence, authenticity and Christ-like spirit that is unmatched in the world.

It's clear in Scripture that people will never hear and know the face of Christ without a "preacher," but there's a good chance they're not searching for someone in an suit with a podium between his proclamation and their dilemma. I say this...as a communicator of God's story. So I'm not knocking us preachers. But I believe the world is waiting for someone elbow to elbow with them in their daily pursuits who is exporting a completely different Kingdom mentality by the character they reflect in all they do.

So feel free to do "whatever," as long as you can do it all in His name. And do every single ounce in such a way that makes the world wonder what makes you tick the way you do. In that moment a door will open to an audience who doesn't realize they just asked possibly the only preacher they know to tell them of a God who is greater than everything they've ever seen."

Half-Hearted Ministry

This week was such a memorable week. Starting here at Allison Park and then jumping right into an incredible time at the Pastor's Roundtable with close to 100 pastors from around the country. The presence of God was amazing and the speakers didn't disappoint either. Tuesday night we had a good time of prayer and I believe God spoke things into each of our lives. Something God was speaking to me and has been all this week is to put my heart into whatever I'm doing.

There is nothing worse than doing heartless, mindless work. It wears on you and usually does more harm than good. But God has not called us to a life of heartless, mindless work. He desires that we put are all, our heart and energy into our ministry. It's our calling and our destiny. As a leader, though, we can often see our hearts pulled in so many different directions. Our hearts become partitioned off to where no longer are we passionate about one thing, but rather we're half-hearted in many things.

The verse that God brought to my mind is the passage in 1 Samuel 14:7 where Jonathan's armor-bearer says to him, "Do all that you have in mind...Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul." When my life is one day taken from me, I want to be known as a person of heart and passion. A person that put their all into everything they did. What is your passion? Is your heart in your passion or have you allowed it to be pulled in other directions?

JOHANNES AMRITZER – BEING THE PRIEST FOR THOSE THAT DON’T GO TO CHURCH

>You are not just a pastor for those in your church, but you are a pastor for your entire community.

Genesis 23:6
>Although the land wasn’t his yet, Abraham would move around in the land of the Hittites as if it was his.
>We as pastors need to be recognized as a mighty prince of God among those outside the church.
>Be a priest for those that don’t go to church – that’s how you win those within your community.

Acts 17:16-34

How Paul Connected with Those Outside the Church
1. Paul knew how to discipline his spirit. (v16)
>If you cannot discipline your spirit, you can never become a good missionary.
2. Paul built relationships with all kinds of people. (v17)
>A true missionary doesn’t just choose who to build relationships with.
>A true man of God/priest can be a priest to a whole society.
3. Paul was given a platform among them. (v19-21)
4. Paul knew how to connect with their culture without compromising. (v22-23)
5. Paul is quoting their own authorities. (v28)
>In doing this, we show them that we are in the middle of their life.
>When you quote their authorities, it shows that you are interested in their lives.
6. Paul brings everything to repentance. (v30)
>What good is our relationship building if we don’t bring them to repentance?
>It’s our job to push people, to challenge them.
7. Paul was willing to disciple people. (v34)
>When we are discipling people that don’t go to church, they ask the right questions. They ask questions that pertain to life.

GREAT DISCUSSION!

JEFF LEAKE - 5 KEYS TO BEING BOTH PENTECOSTAL AND MISSIONAL.

1. Explanation
2. Demonstration
3. Compassion
>Ministering not just through demonstration but to the heart of people.
4. Inclusion
>Pastor the moment and people fell safe and secure.
5. Instruction
>Teaching people what it means to live out the gifts of the Spirit.

We had a great discussion time today at the Roundtable. Let me know what you think: Can we be both Pentecostal and Missional? If so, how do we do that?

BRAD LEACH – “GOD’S HEART FOR STRATEGIC CITIES”

>In today’s world, we have created an entire Christian subculture where kids can be raised and eventually live as adults in an entirely Christian setting.
>This isn’t the world Jesus was born into and it’s not the world Jesus wants to be born into again.
>The tendency to run away from the mission field is as old as missions.

JEREMIAH 51:34

>The Israelites blamed Nebuchadnezzar for exiling them, but he was actually being used as a servant of God to transport the Israelites to the mission field.

3 RESPONSES THE CHURCH HAS TOWARDS THE CITY - TIM KELLER

1. Jesus against the city.
>Leads to an “Us vs. Them” mentality.
2. Jesus of the city.
>Where we begin to view every movement in culture that is working to serve the oppressed is from God.
>The end result is that the church just becomes one of many institutions that is nothing more than a community center or a political action group.

JEREMIAH 29:1,4
>As the Israelites are complaining about being exiled, God says, “I sent you here.”
>Jerusalem was the “Christian City” – Everyone believed and was the same.
>Babylon was the a place where people didn’t believe the Bible and believed in all kinds of gods.
>Throughout scripture, Babylon represented evil and sin.

JEREMIAH 29:5-6
>There is a different between missionaries and refugees.
>God tells them to increase – his desire is that they were missionaries, not refugees.
>Have kids so you can leave a legacy in the city. Invest yourselves in the city.

3. Jesus transforming the city.
>The Hebrews had a theology of “Sacred Space”
>Jesus said that wherever I go is going to be sacred.
>When we move a church into a neighborhood we make that space sacred.
>Jesus said that the church should be like salt. It will work its way into those parts of culture that tend to rot and preserve them.

JEREMIAH 29:7
>Your life is now tied to this place. If they prosper, then you too will prosper.
>Live in such a way that you are influencing culture.

>Diversity can often lead to sin. (i.e. race riots, sexual perversion, etc.)
>When we bring Jesus to the sins of the city, diversity becomes beautiful again.
>God doesn’t say quietly wait your time until you go home, but He tells them to work for Babylon’s prosperity.
>When the city isolates itself from the community, the brokenness becomes more evident.
PROVERBS 11:10, “When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices.”

Ask yourself this, if your church was taken from your city, would your city even miss it?

JEREMIAH 29:8
>God says, the city isn’t an evil place. Make roots and settle in.
>When you try to isolate yourself from the sin of the city, we forget that we are sinners too.
>We mistake the fact that holiness is separation from sin, not sinners.
>”Preaching against culture is like preaching against a person’s house – it’s where they live.” –Ed Stetzer
>The Bible isn’t against culture, it’s about redeeming and transforming culture.

>It wasn’t until 1950 that the world reached 1 billion inhabitants. Today, only 60 years later, we’re at 7 billion.
>God is behind this growth, because the result of globalization is urbanization. This allows us to reach the city.

>Today is the best time in history for us to continue what the Apostle Paul did.
>He would plant churches in the city and “pollinate” those there with the gospel. These people in the city would then take the gospel to their hometowns all over the region.
>So in reaching the city, he was actually reaching the region, if not the continent.
>The cities became strategic sending centers.

JEREMIAH 29:10-11
>We often forget that this was written to missionaries.
>He points them back to Jerusalem, which tells us that we don’t have an unlimited amount of time.
>God points us to the best city, the new Jerusalem. It gives us a hope.

>Your faith is founded about the mission.
>Your faith will die without the mission field.
>We have to be willing to choose our city over our career.
>Oftentimes, we pray, “God give me my city.”
>But we have to remember that the city is God’s and so are you. You need to pray that God gives you to the city.

JOHANNES AMRITZER – “LOVE MIRACLES”

Genesis 30:27-43
Genesis 31:10-13

>Jacob had a vision, a dream, and he didn’t change it.
>Jacob chose what Laben didn’t want.
>We need to invest in those that nobody else wants to invest in.
>Jacob saw what God saw.
>He knew his calling-his destiny-and he didn't waver from that.

RON JOHNSON – “THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN KINGDOM ADVANCEMENT”

“We should not be working to just build ministries. We need to be facilitators for what God is doing.”

Acts 16:6-10

>You’re only one moment away from experiencing something that could transform your future.
>The biggest challenge in experiencing that moment is whether or not we are listening.
>Hebrews 5:14
>God doesn’t just want to speak to you when you’re in the pulpit, but also in ordinary the rest of your week.
>In this passage, Paul is just running with his companions.
>He had deep affection for these men – you don’t find that with colleagues, you see that with family.
>Everything we have, we will give up in a moment for family.

How Paul and his companions were guided by the Holy Spirit
1. They were seeking to go into places.
>If we’re going to be guided by the Holy Spirit, we have to be willing to do at least what we know how to do.
> “If we’re going to be used by God we have to stop being a bunch of parked cars.”
2. Paul was expecting the unexpected.
>To be used by the Holy Spirit, you have expect the supernatural.

WAYS GOD SPEAKS TO US
1. The inward witness of the Holy Spirit
2. The inward voice of the Holy Spirit
3. The audible voice of the Holy Spirit
4. The Bible
5. The Prophetic
6. Through Visions and Dreams

>He is a supernatural God and He works in supernatural ways!

>God knows more about reaching a ‘seeker’ than we will ever know.
>God is far more seeker-sensitive than we will ever know.

3. Paul and his companions were practicing immediate obedience.

Ignite 07 Young Pastors Roundtable

This week I'm taking part in a conference here at Allison Park Church called Ignite07. It's always a powerful week of incredible speakers. Over the next few days, I'm going to post notes from some of the sessions. Here's the first one:

SESSION #1: JOHANNES AMRITZER - "KEY FACTORS IN ACTS-ORIENTED MINISTRY"

-There are no techniques or routines in life with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:28 - Everything in spirit-filled ministry is about releasing the grace of God.

Acts 2:42-47
Acts 4:32-33

3 Key Factors
1. The Sensitivity and Obedience to the Words of the Holy Spirit
-Acts 8:29-Philip, Acts 10:19-Peter, Acts 13:2-Paul & Barnabas Sent Out
-Everything is about listening and obeying the Holy Spirit
-“We cannot become spirit-filled if we live our lives as charismatic robots.”
-Don’t let people put you in a box - you need to follow the Holy Spirit at all times.
-This is the most important thing – to follow the Holy Spirit.
-Your life can change so fast just by obeying the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
-Sometimes we have to give away what is in our hands in order to receive what God has for us.
-It’s not about reasoning, but obeying the Holy Spirit.
-Everything we have the Holy Spirit has done for us.
-The faster you flow in the Holy Spirit without reasoning things away, the faster your
churches will grow.
-You need to follow the Holy Spirit in every little thing – in every part of your day.
2. The Fellowship of the Believers
-Our fellowship is holy.
-Our moments together should not be wasted.
-Sometimes we take our fellowship lightly.
a. Oftentimes in ministry, there are many colleagues, but very few friends.
b. Faith
i. Faith is not denying, it is living.
ii. Faith is facing things as they are.
iii. Faith comes from deeper within.
c. Our fellowship needs to be real and genuine and true.
i. Relax – if you are really spiritual it will show.
ii. We don’t need to compare and compete with one another.
-When we are part of a fellowship that is holy, there is no reason to leave.
a. We stick because we are family.
b. We are a band of brothers.
3. The Supernatural
-There must be a stream of the supernatural running under everything we do.
-The Holy Spirit is there all the time.
-Acts 4:32-33

Sorry it's been so long since I last posted. Today I've finished my last step in unpacking, I unpacked my office. Glad to have that done, but now as I sit down and reflect - wow I am blessed!! Over these last few weeks I've been going over the synopsis of my life, reflecting back to past chapters and I've come to this realization. God has blessed me far more than I could ever deserve. Sure I've walked through valleys and been on mountaintops, but each of those experiences has deposited something of value into my life. I have a great family, great friends, and I live in the hometown of the Pittsburgh Steelers!!

Growing up I loved reading The Hardy Boys books. I would stay up late, reading in bed about all kinds of criminals and these two young brothers and their friend Chet hunting them down. The one thing I always loved about those books was the suspense and anticipation of what was going to happen next. Yesterday I turned the page into a new chapter of my life. I have a similar feeling of anticipation. I just can't wait to see the turns and twists God has for the rest of my story.

Putting the Student First

I just came across this article about a university in North Carolina that is truly putting their students first. There goal is to create the best possible experience for their students. Read it here and let me know what you think. How does this translate into the church?

Becoming All Things

In 1 Corinthians 9:20-22 the Apostle Paul makes this statement:

"To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law..., so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law..., so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some."

This is a profound statement in our approach to seeing the gospel become a reality in the lives of many. But I believe there is also a principle here that we can apply as followers. As a follower, we must be willing to 'become all things' to our leader that their vision might be accomplished. Before you go freaking out over that statement, let me explain. I've had the opportunity to work under a number of leaders with completely different styles of leadership. Some have been 'list guys', some have been more laid back, some have been workhorses, some have been micro managers, still others have been more 'hands off.' Depending on what kind of leader you find yourself working under, you need to adjust how you work with them. To one leader you might be very organized, to another you are more laid back, to yet another you're more creative. It's understanding what your strengths are, but just as important, understanding what your organization needs from you to be successful.

When you put yourself in a box saying, "This is the way I work and I cannot change", you limit not only your ability to grow, but also your understanding of who God has made you. God has created us "in His own image" and I don't know anywhere that says God is stuck in a box. How you are now is only the tip of who God has made you to be. Honestly, if you had reached your full potential in God's eyes, you'd be dead right now. Although you may be a very organized person, allow yourself to be in situations where your creativity is tested. Or if you have more of a laid back approach, place yourself in scenarios where you need to be more 'hands on.' Stretching yourself and growing is a key to not just leadership, but also followership.

Follow the Leader

So many blogs, books and seminars talk about "How to be a Great Leader" and rightfully so. If we are going to see people come to Christ, we must be leading them, but what we as leaders often miss is in order to be a good leader, you must first be a good follower. That's what Christ said in Mark 9:35, "..."If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." With all that is written about being a leader, this week I'm going to post a few thoughts on "Followership" (the counter to leadership!).

Following takes a passive approach. Not passive in your morals or principles, but rather in your approach. We all accomplish things in a different way, and as a follower, your goal is not necessarily to accomplish your tasks in the way you want them accomplished, but to accomplish them how your leader wants them. For example, if you are planning a big banquet and your pastor/leader thinks red table cloths would go great with the orange carpet, you might be outraged. But as a follower you can put in your two cents, give your opinion, but ultimately your goal is to pull off this banquet as your leader desires.

So often, followers can get too worked up in the details and miss the big picture. Although it might be the worst color combination ever, what's more important is are you following your leader? Are you being obedient with a right attitude? Now I understand there are situations where you are working with a leader that you can't follow. You can read more about that here, here and here, but what I'm talking about is as a follower, see the big picture. See what your leader is trying to accomplish and do everything you can to make it a reality!

Design & Print Resources

This week I've had a great time hanging out with some good friends here in Pontiac. I've had the opportunity to help them with some graphic design stuff, which I always love to do. But with that said, summer is here and I know many churches have outreaches, crusades, and other events that they want to promote and have flyers printed for. Below are some great contacts and info on having things printed or resources for designing that I use that may be of some help to you:

STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY
The Stock Exchange - Great site and the best part is it's free!
Getty Images
IStock Photo

FREE FONTS
TypeNow
DaFont
Urban Fonts

PRINT
Overnight Prints - They have great prices for business cards, letterhead, envelopes, postcards and as the name says, they're pretty quick!
Polydot Print - This site is good if you are getting 5,000 or more of something printed (That's their minimum). If you're under that quantity, Overnight Prints is better in price.
Orange32 - This company is very similar to Polydot Print in what they print and their minimum. They are a little more expensive, but they do print special cuts - meaning they will print things on card stock in different shapes, which can be kind of cool.

Well, I hope those resources are of some help to you!! If you have any others, feel free to leave a comment and share the wealth of your knowledge! :)

Organizing Your Day

I know one thing that helps me be most productive is being able to have a list of things in front of me that I need to get done for the day. With that said, here's a couple "List Sheets" I've designed and used over the years. The first is based off of a list a friend gave me and the second is based off of a post by Pastor Jeff Leake here. Just right click the image, save it, and do what you want with it! I hope it helps you organize your day!!

Relaxing

Today I find myself in the middle of a two week 'vacation' before I start at Allison Park Church. The last few weeks have just been crazy, so it's definitely nice to get a break. Yesterday I went to the Assemblies of God Day at Kennywood Park. It was relaxing and I got a nice 'tan' (actually a lot of red not so much tan). Today I'm heading off to Pontiac, MI to visit a good friend, Bobby Hawk. He planted Pontiac Family Worship Center in 2003. I was privileged enough to be on a launch team from CBC that came in a helped with the first summer that year. I always enjoy going up there and hanging out with Bobby and seeing how things are progressing.

With that said, though, pastors are horrible at relaxing. I think it's because so many perceive ministers as 'being lazy." After all, "we only do one thing (preach) and it takes us all week to do that one thing." Consequently, we try to over compensate for that by working ourselves to death. Some stats I've read here and here would suggest that burnout is a huge problem with ministers today. We do have an incredible responsibility to communicate the great message of Jesus Christ, but we can't do that if we're not on our game.

In Mark 2:27, Jesus says that "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."

As pastors how much more should we be obedient to the command of God to take a Sabbath! It seems that many in the church think there's something wrong or sinful with taking breaks! Take a day off-or worse, take two days off! I know it's a revolutionary thought, but maybe our bodies aren't machines. Maybe we're not superhuman. I know we all would like to think we're hard workers that don't need rest. That couldn't be further from the truth! Pastors are some of the hardest working people I know. But when we don't take a Sabbath we always fall short of our potential. Those we're leading are depending on us being well rested and at our best. Take a break this week. Take up a hobby. Enjoy God's creation. Spend time with your family. Do something that has nothing to do with your ministry, because I promise it will actually be the best thing you've ever done for your ministry.

Notes from Sunday's Message

Here are some general notes from my message this past Sunday.

Title: omg-idk
Opening Video: Cingular Texting Commercial

INTRODUCTION: There is nothing more frustrating then trying to do something you’re not equipped for. You see this mother trying to talk with her daughter and she can’t even understand her. She doesn’t speak her language. So often we find ourselves in a situation like this, but rather than admitting we have no idea what's going on we try to play it off and act like we know what's going on.

Moses found himself in a similar frustrating situation here in Exodus 17.

TEXT1: EXODUS 17:4-6

TRANSITION SENTENCE: Moses was faced with millions of frustrated people. They knew they needed water, but didn’t know how to get it. Moses being the smart man that he was went before God with this problem. God consequently speaks to him and gives him instructions for how to find water for the people of Israel.

As he obeys the word of the Lord and strikes the rock with his staff, water comes flowing out.
There are three principles we can learn here from Moses.

1. Moses goes before God. (omg)
A. He didn’t try to rationalize where water would be.
B. He didn’t put together a committee to explore the odds water would be over the next sand
dune.
C. He went to God. He went to the one that has all the answers.
D. So often we go everywhere else, and God is our last option.
a. Well God, I’ve gone to this specialist and that one. I’ve had a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th
opinion and it looks like You’re my only hope now – You’re my last resort!
E. Make Him your first option! It will save you a lot of headaches.
2. As Moses went before God, He didn't come with all the answers. (idk)
A. We all have that little kid in us that thinks we know-it-all.
3. Moses obeys the commands of God.
A. God calls us all to holiness, and holiness is not so much about perfection as it is obedience.
a. Obedience to God is not doing what we think is best or what seems best to us, it
is doing what God instructs us to do.
b. Obedience forces us to compromise what we want or desire for what God wants or
desires.
TRANSITION SENTENCE: Moses was facing a similar situation in Numbers 20. The Israelites are complaining as usual and they have no water. Isn’t it great when we face a problem that we’ve seen God answer before? It gives us greater faith, because we know, “God did it once and He’ll do it again!” What a great lasting effect obedience to God has on our lives. It gives us victories in our past that compel us onward over our future obstacles. But as we’ll see here in this passage, there is one BIG mistake we can make when we are standing before a mountain God has conquered for us in the past.

TEXT2: NUMBERS 20:2-11

I. We see Moses did what we talked about earlier.
A. He went before God.
B. He understood that he didn’t know-it-all.
C. Here’s the problem, though, rather than obeying the word of the Lord for that time, he became dependent on the word God had given him in the past.
D. Do you know that God can be his greatest enemy?
a. Trying to obey what God has instructed in the past rather than hearing from
God this time is just as bad as obeying some cult or false God!
b. Understand this, God always desires the same results, the same end. But His means to that end are always changing.
E. Just as in both of the situations Moses went before God because the Israelites needed
water – the situations were very similar.
F. Well, lets look at what happened with Moses because he didn’t obey God’s word for that
time.

TEXT3: Numbers 20:12

A. God has given us numerous promises throughout scripture. Promises like:
a. “I know that plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you.
Plans to give you a hope and a future.” (Jer29:11)
b. “…I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.”
B. These are great promises that we can take to the bank. We know God does not go back
on His word. It is reliable - unchanging.
C. But when we aren’t obedient to the voice of God we place ourselves in jeopardy of
experiencing the fulfillment of those promises.
D. Moses never experienced the Promised Land because of his disobedience. Because of his
dependence on the word God had given him years before.
E. God desires us to live lives of obedience not perfection.
F. When we aren't willing to obey what God instructs us, we will always find ourselves living outside the Land of Promises.
CONCLUSION: Sure that’s how it was done back then, but God has a fresh word for today. A fresh direction for today. His ultimate goal and end will always be the same, but we must be willing to hear from Him for today. We must be willing to go before God individually admitting we don’t have all the answers, listen and then be obedient to what God tells us. But we as a church of individuals, as a family, must, must, must, be willing to listen to the word of God from our pastor and be obedient to that. Because disobedience to the word and direction God gives His Anointed will always result in us standing outside that Land of Promises wishing we had just obeyed.

Wrapping Up a Crazy Week

Wow! What a whirlwind this past week has been!

MONDAY: Helped out a new church plant - Crossroads Community Church in California, PA.
TUESDAY: Hung out in Pittsburgh with one of my favorite ministry teams - Floodgate from Central Bible College.
WEDNESDAY: My final youth service - needless to say tears were shed. It was an emotional night. Plus at the end of the service I got a cake in my face-that's a good night!
THURSDAY: Went out to dinner with our church secretary and her husband (AKA my 'adopted' grandparents-Janet & Fran Good)- We went to Jerome Bettis' new restaurant Grille 36. Moderate prices, average food, but great atmosphere!!

FRIDAY: Had my final weekly meeting with two great girls: Faith and Paige :( I'm going to miss you girls-God has some great things in store for you! Then I went to dinner with some family friends, and to top off the day I saw my favorite movie of the summer so far-Oceans 13. Somehow they managed to top the last one!

SATURDAY: Went to Ambridge Christian Center to support a good friend, Mike Santisteven, and hear another good friend speak, Daniel Day. What a powerful service!!
SUNDAY: Today was pure craziness! There was laughing, weeping, gnashing of teeth...and then some more weeping. I preached about how God doesn't desire perfection but obedience. I'll post some notes on that later.

What I've Learned about Leadership from Carpooling (Part 2)

We've all been there. Driving behind a friend on your way to this new restaurant that's "supposed to be" amazing! The problem is they think this is Fast and the Furious and they're weaving in and out of traffic. Just keeping them within view is tough enough, let alone staying right behind them. At those moments of insanity, what is it that keeps us going? What keeps us from turning around and going back to the Taco Bell we just passed? Why do we stick with it? If we understand why we continue to follow that person, we'll have a better understanding of why other's continue to follow us as leaders. I know it's a stupid, random thought. But follow me here.

We follow that friend for these reasons:
1. Because we trust them.
We trust that they know where they're going. We trust that they at least have a moderate understanding of where they are and what it takes to get there. If we didn't think they knew where they were going and how to get there we wouldn't be following them.
2. Because the destination is worth the frustration of following.
The restaurant is "supposed to be amazing!" If this was some dump, of course it wouldn't be worth the effort of following. But this is a "great restaurant!"
3. Because our friend is taking us somewhere we've never been before.
It's a new experience. It's something different from what we've done before. If you were just following them to some little fast food place thathttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif you've been to a hundred times, you wouldn't be so concerned with following. But this is new. It's adventurous. You're blazing a trail!

Now I know, that probably doesn't all run through your mind when you're following a friend, but think about it - it's true. As leaders in the church the same things apply. The only difference is that we are leading people to a place far greater than Red Robin or Cheddar's. We're leading them to new adventures and experiences in Christ.

In order to accomplish that, though, we must:
1.Earn the trust of those following.
2. Maintain our spiritual walk and make sure we are taking those following to a place of eternal value.
A place where they experience God in a way that brings value to their lives. A place that actually lives up to the hype! A place that's worth the effort of getting there.
3. Lead our people to new experiences.
And I'm not talking about having a 'snake handling' service. But allowing them to experience God in a deeper way than they have before.

What I've Learned about Leadership from Carpooling (Part 1)

Yesterday I was taking our church van to the garage to have it looked at and asked one of our preschool teachers to follow me over there. As we pulled out of the parking lot I took off and just headed towards the garage, which is about a 4 or 5 mile drive down the road. Once I was on the road, though, I completely disregarded the fact that she was supposed to be behind me. I'm sure we've all been there. You're in a hurry to get somewhere and all you can think is, "Why don't they just hurry up!" As I sat at the stop sign waiting for her to catch up, this thought crossed my mind: How many times do we as leaders become so driven to meet our goals that we forget about those that are following? Sure the destination is important, and sure they want to follow us, but are we leaders that others CAN follow?

There are many times that we as leaders need to ease up on the gas. Maybe even sit at the stop sign and wait for them to catch up. Because if we reach our destination by ourselves, what good is that? The very essence of being a leader means that there are others following. Driven leaders can very easily fall into the trap of keeping there eyes so fixed on the prize that they forget about looking in the rear view mirror to those following behind. To be a successful leader you bet we need to have our eyes on the prize! But take the occasional glance back to make sure the trail of cars is still behind you. More on this tomorrow.

Baseball and Self-Control

Just thought I'd pass along a funny video I'm sure many of you have already seen. I know all of us wish we could do this sometimes. I guess this is what happens when you possess no self-control!

Jesus and Coffee

Today I took a group of students to help Greg & Debbie McKim who are planting a very unique church in California, PA. Our youth ministry supports them monthly and we've made a number of trips down there to help out. What's unique about their church is that they've started it with a coffee shop. They have the only coffee shop in this college town (home of California University of PA) and the coffee shop provides both income for the church and relationships through which ministry can take place. It's a cool place and I know God has some cool things in store for them. I'm just glad our students have had the opportunity to see a church like this in it's beginning stages!

Commencement

Last night I went to our local high school graduation to see seven of our students graduate from Norwin High School. It was a great night where 401 seniors graduated taking their first steps into this whole new world. The one frustrating thing was the time of prayer they had at the beginning and end of the ceremony. Now don't get me wrong, I think it's great that they included a time of prayer at all, especially during a public high school commencement ceremony. But that wasn't the problem. The problem was with the students they had 'praying'. It was pretty clear that this was one of the few times these students have ever prayed period. The closing prayer included a quote and a joke. They really weren't prayers at all, but rather speeches. I believe God should be a part of school activities such as this, but an interesting thing happens when we try to secularize that which was meant to be sacred.

In 1963 Pittsburgh's own, Madalyn Murray O'Hair, effectively removed "coercive" public prayer and Bible-reading at public schools in the United States. Since that time many within the church have been fighting, debating, and working to bring public prayer and Bible-reading back into our public schools. As admirable as this may be, I think if that were to happen, it would be an incredible crime and disservice to all that we hold to be sacred and holy. It was common in the late 50s and early 60s for teachers to be praying or reading scripture in a way which was either mocking the very thing they were doing or at best devaluing it. Secularizing the sacred will bring the downfall of any society. Just look at what took place during the Crusades in Europe. The sacred became secular. The message of the gospel is meant to be proclaimed throughout society and in the marketplace. But in so doing, we cannot allow the sacred to become secular! Thomas Jefferson explained this well, "In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." Allow the sacred to be experienced by the secular, but do all you can to keep the sacred from experiencing the touch of the secular.