Made to Stick

If you haven’t read Made to Stick, you need to order it right now.  It’s worth the money and worth your time.  There are some phenomenal ideas in this book that will help church leaders and church planters.

One section of the book describes how movie maker pitch ideas to producers, who hear hundreds of pitches a month.  By comparing the movie to something the producer already knows, you’ll help him or her visualize the idea.  For example, trying to communicate the plot and the look of the movie Aliens might be tough.  Saying it was like “Jaws in Space” lets people know what it’s like.  They have seen Jaws, so they can relate.

We should do this for our church.  The average Joe in your community probably has a idea of what your church is like.  How can you put it in his terms so he’ll better understand?

Anyway, get the book. 

Updated Feed

Just wanted to remind everyone that I’ve switched to a hosted version, so if you haven’t been getting posts through your feed, then you need to go here.

Most Recent Posts

If you’ve missed posts called:

• Better Name
• Practicing Half Court Shots
• Today at the Office

Then you’re not getting the most up to date feed.  I have no idea how feeds, feedburner and pings really work.  But if you just unsubscribe, then go to youcanknowgod.com and re-subscribe, then you should be good.  Sorry for the hassle, but I don’t want you to miss anything.

Ministry is Crap

“Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest.” - Proverbs 14:4

If your goal is to keep your barn clean, then you better not bring in any animals. But it’s okay if the manger is messy, because it means that you’ve got animals. And you’re going to need those animals in order to have a harvest.

I remember working at a church who always complained that the teenagers were messing up the carpet. I saw it as an opportunity to be thankful for teenagers, and that carpet was there to be walked on. You may boast about how clean your manger is, but that just means you aren’t doing anything.

The bottom line is that effective ministry is messy. Small groups ought to be uncomfortable. Real relationships can get sticky. Sanctification sometimes hurts. If you’re going to work with people, then you’re going to have to deal with the crap. But the crap is a sign that something is happening.

Blessed!

A month ago, even though we couldn’t afford it, we regifted the entire offering with the instructions for people to use their part of the $8,300 to serve people in Cartersville.  It was a huge step of faith for us.

A couple weeks later, we got an unexpected check in the mail from a church that we really respect for $10,000.  Totally blown away.

Then today, a church member came by and dropped off a check from his company.  The note said their company believed in what we were doing and wanted to completely match the amount that was given.

I’m totally blown away by the generosity of this church and this business.  The heart behind the regift offering was “it’s better to give than receive” and it’s come back to us full circle.  It’s a challenge to me to keep pushing, keep teaching people about Jesus, and keep serving those who need the grace and the hope that can only come from Jesus.

God is not just at work IN Oak Leaf Church…He’s working THROUGH Oak Leaf Church.

Pastor Exchange

A few weeks ago, I decided that I’m going on a month long vacation in 2010. I’m going to take my whole family and go live in a different city (like New York, Boston,  San Francisco or some other cool place) for an entire month. I’ll work from a Starbucks and try to get in a routine. I’ll expose my kids to a different way of life and absorb the culture. I’ll make some friends through the Internet in advance and even line up some babysitters for when Jennie and I want to go out. I’ll attend a church.  It will be part vacation, part work, all living there. I’ll probably take a couple weeks off from teaching, but I’ll probably fly back the other two and speak at our church.

And then somebody suggested to me that two pastors and their families should switch cities for the month. That would surely be easier on the budget.  And there would be all kinds of church benefits.  Surely, there’s a like minded pastor from a like minded church in a city that’s different from us.

So, what does the blog world think?

Happy MLK Day

As Christians, we make big deals about a lot of holidays, but I think we’ve dropped the ball on this one.  Let me say it a little more bold.  Those of us who are WHITE CHRISTIANS drop the ball on this one.  We don’t blog about it, and the only churches that talk about it on a Sunday are black churches.  I think that’s wrong and I’m going to do a better job.  I didn’t come to Cartersville to start a white church, or to reach people just like me.

All Christians ought to celebrate the life of Martin Luther King.   The preacher who said this…

We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. 

Last night I was putting my daughter to bed and telling her again why she didn’t have school on Monday.  She asked me who Martin Luther King was.  I told her that he was a preacher (”just like you” she said) who lived a few years ago.  He tried to teach people that the color of your skin didn’t matter.  See, there was a time (still is sometimes) when people thought that you got treated differently because of the color of your skin.  I told her that the color of a person’s skin didn’t matter.  We’re all created in the image of God, and it’s what’s on the inside that matters.

She said, “like sometimes I color a picture with red and sometimes I color with  blue, but it doesn’t matter because they are all pretty.”

Exactly.

Book Review: Starbucked

I finished reading a good book called Starbucked, by Taylor Clark. Here’s some facts about how the little coffee company from Seattle.

• Americans drink 110 Billion cups of coffee every year. We drink so much coffee that they can actually detect caffeine in Boston Harbor.
• Starbucks took a commodity that you could buy for a quarter, reshaped it into a luxury, and convinced people to buy it at inflated prices. Nobody in human history has ever needed a Lattee, but they sell them like crazy.
• If you merged all of it’s rivals (chains with more than three stores), it still wouldn’t be even half the size of Starbucks. They have more than 40 million customers a week, operate more than 13,000 stores, and make more than $7.8 billion dollars.
• The average Starbucks customer goes to a store 18 times a month, and spends $4.05 each time.
• On March 2, 1991, Starbucks opened a second store right across the street from each other - fifteen yards away. Now there are 300 stores in Seattle and putting them right across the street from each other is common.
• There’s a Starbucks at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and on the Great Wall of China.

I do recommend the book if you’re interested in that kind of stuff. It’s a nice look at how Starbucks got started, how they are dominating, and the effect that they have had on our culture.

Sunday Recap

Here’s some thoughts from todays services.

• I am SO GLAD that we had church today. I hope the other 722 people were glad too. That’s not bad for a holiday weekend that coincides with the Storm of the Century.
• If you know me, you know I was just joking around on the blog and from the stage calling other churches wimps. I know you were operating with safety, and I understand all the reasons. I don’ think we’re better or smarter than you. I’m just having a good time.  Kind of like Chris.
• Our people clapped when I told them that our bad weather policy was this: We are NEVER canceling church. If it’s me a three guys named Bubba in 4×4 trucks in the parking lot, we’ll have church.
• I talked about politics today. One of the things I said is that I wouldn’t vote for a guy to be President just because he’s a Christian. A guy might really love Jesus and be a good guy, but I am not hiring him to fix my pipes if he doesn’t know what a wrench is. Being a Christian doesn’t qualify you to be President. And not being a Christian doesn’t mean that you can’t be qualified to run the country.
• I also said that our biggest problem as a country is not universal health care, the war in Iraq, the economy, education or abortion. Our biggest problem in this country is that there are many people that don’t have a relationship with Jesus.
• When the government tries to play church (Nazi Germany, militant Muslim states) or when the church tries to play government (the Crusades, the boycotting), things are out of whack.
• Matt and the band did a great job today. They started with a Daughtry tune and did We Shine, Beautiful Jesus (love that song!), and How Great Thou Art. They ended with a Killers tune. One of the guitar players was sick and kept leaving the stage to throw up. Nice.
• Next week, we’re talking about money (and none of the message will talk about giving to the church). Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
• I’m excited about watching football today.

They Ain’t Canceling a Football Game

While we’re canceling church services down here in the south, up in Green Bay, Wisconson, they are getting ready for a playoff game. I think it’s going to be in the single digits or the teens up there. Last week, you couldn’t see the lines on the field because of the new. I’m sure the fans aren’t trying to get a refund because it’s too cold. I bet the players don’t want to postpone the game due to weather.

I know it’s dangerous on icy roads guys…I want you to be safe. I just think we get way too worked up over things.  WSB lists 776 church and school closings for tomorrow!  I just watched a reporter interview a EMT worker on how to successfully walk out your front door in icy conditions. Seriously?

Make your way to church in the morning, and if you slide your car off the road, just give us a call and we’ll send some guys to help.  We know a lot of rednecks with big trucks.