Chris Elrod Dot Com

2006-07-31T08:47:00.000-05:00

This blog has moved to here.

Bye, Bye Blogger . . .

2006-07-28T01:00:00.000-05:00

After two years of having a separate blog for my church planting stuff, another blog for my speaking ministry, a website for my speaking ministry, a church website and still another blog for the church (not to mention a page on several speaker bureau's websites) . . . I felt it was time to combine them all together. In order to better accomodate all of this, I'm making the jump to Typepad. You can view the new site by clicking here. Also, sometime next week www.chriselrod.com will begin pointing to the new blog.

I have no intentions of taking this site down, as it is a fairly personal dairy of the last two years. However, I have transfered to the new blog a few of the posts from this site that have received the most comments.

Thanks to all of the folks that read this blog on a regular basis. I'll see you over at the Typepad site.

Really Weird News . . .

2006-07-26T14:38:00.000-05:00

I took a look a today's online news headlines (CNN, Fox, MSNBC and USA Today) today and it was like looking at The Weekly World News at the grocery store checkout line. An 'N Sync member comes out of the closet, they found a severed hand in a stripper's home, a man is suing an ex-NBA player for hitting him with a golf ball and the rock band Steely Dan is accusing actor Owen Wilson of stealing from them. Man, I miss the days so long ago when the headlines were about the Middle East, oil prices and politics. :-)

Songs From The Edge - Volume 1 . . .

2006-07-26T02:52:00.000-05:00

Since I posted about the Last Year Portrait show here in Lakeland last week, I've received numerous emails inquiring about "the latest, greatest, cutting-edge bands" in music right now. As I wrote in the previous post, I have several folks within Compass Point that keep me up-to-date with the hottest new rock groups. One of the reasons is because we are launching a concert ministry in September. The other reason is because some of the very groups that are making a splash in the "indie-world" of music attend Compass Point. We are definitely blessed by God with talented, artistic people!

Anyway, it seems that quite a few church planters are interested in what the "25-and-below" crowd is listening to these days. In order to make it easier I put together an Imix called "Elrod's Songs From The Edge - Volume 1" over at iTunes. Just follow this link to sample, purchase and download the songs. I warn you, most of these bands you've never heard of . . . but your teens and college students have!!!

CBS "Rockstar: Supervova" Part 2 . . .

2006-07-25T20:30:00.000-05:00

Okay, if you can't do a better version of Bowie's "Heroes" than The Wallflowers cover (from the "Godzilla" soundtrack) then don't take the stage. That dude has got to get kicked off the show for degrading one of the greatest songs in the history of rock n' roll!!!

My "Rockstar" Review . . .

2006-07-25T20:23:00.000-05:00

I'm going to have to agree with Gary Lamb, the girls are much better than the guys on CBS' "Rockstar" this season. Actually, the best guys on stage are the band members . . . those guys know how to play and rock!!! Also, is it just me or is Dave Navarro a little more brutal tonight? Maybe losing a "Baywatch" babe is getting to him?

Last Year Portrait . . .

2006-07-20T06:15:00.000-05:00

One of the greatest advantages of pastoring Compass Point is that we have quite a few young, artsy-type, music-obsessed folks in attendance. One of these - Chad Chastain - is always helping me stay on top of the latest, greatest, cutting-edge bands. He's turned me on to groups like mewithoutyou, Edison Glass and The Dark Romantics. However, last night he helped me see tomorrow's top band today. I'm talking about Last Year Portrait.

Chad had been talking these guys up for some time and finally brought them to Lakeland for a show. I must admit, the songs I heard on their MySpace site were good, but didn't really blow me away. Last night changed all of that! These guys have got GAME!!!

It has been a long time since I saw a band that really cared about whether their audience was enjoying the concert. The Last Year Portrait guys worked the stage like seasoned professionals and enticed a less-than-enthusiastic crowd to really get into the evening. In essence, they took the stage as unknowns and walked out with a solid fan base in Lakeland. Whether they were sharing from their heart about their relationship with Christ or launching into a crazy instrumental of Michael Jackson's "Beat It", the audience couldn't help but be enamored by these four guys from Georgia.

The energetic stage show is just half the story with Last Year Portrait. While their music can rival anything by Fall Out Boy, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Thrice or Hawthorne Heights - it's the lyrics that really put this band on another level. With thought-provoking honesty they challenge the listener to think outside the box about life, love and God. While Last Year Portrait's music is not in the overt, Bible-thumper mentality of say . . . The Newsboys or Audio Adrenaline . . . there is a unassuming, haunting way about their lyrics that trample on the conventional, legalistic American Christianity-mindset. It both pushes and pulls the audience, yet there is no doubt these guys are true followers of Christ. They make that clear with between-song banter and lyrics like:

as we bow at the end of each day
giving thanks for our friends and family
have we ever pleaded to God for them
cared enough to show it

Last Year Portrait is on the way up! They have the chops, they have the songs, they have the stage presence . . . most importantly, they have a clear vision for how to show a practical example of God's love and grace to an ever-changing, reclusive culture. With a patience I have only witnessed in more experienced artists, the band spent several hours chatting with audience members after their set. While tired from traveling, setting up, playing the show and tearing down - the members of Last year Portrait never gave the "star vibe" or tried to hide from those wishing to talk with them. With an authentic enthusiasm they really spent quality time trying to get to know the middle school, high school and college students that attended the show. As a pastor, I am thrilled to see guys that understand and practice the idea of missional, relational evangelism - quiet and subtle, yet so effective!

Churches, colleges, promoters, festivals (especially festivals), get these guys quick . . . before they are headlining "The Warped Tour" and you can't afford them!!!

Thank God For The Booms . . .

2006-07-18T18:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning Central Floridians knew exactly when the Space Shuttle landed without seeing a television or listening to a news report. Because the Shuttle usually flies over Central Florida when it is landing - and because it is flying faster than the speed of sound - we get to hear a quick, double sonic boom. The "boom boom" rattles windows and shakes the walls. Yesterday I thanked God for the booms. I remember a day several years back when everyone here was waiting for the booms and they never occured . . .

Tonight's Musical Selection . . .

2006-07-16T23:04:00.000-05:00

Okay, I was in the mood for something loud, something that rocked and something that was Christian. I'm sorry to disappoint those that were expecting me to list a classic rock album tonight, but . . . after today . . . I really wanted something that glorified God. This CD is it!!!

"Freedom" by Whiteheart is a classic!!! Just hearing Tommy Simms spank the bass is reason enough to buy it. Yet you combine Gordon Kennedy's guitar work and Ric Florian - the best singer EVER in Christian rock - and you have an album that smokes. I had the neighbors banging on the wall (we live in an apartment) when I cranked up "Invitation". People in the next building could hear it. Talk about proclaiming the Gospel. :-)

Man, I am pumped!!!

Actually Growing Over The Summer . . .

2006-07-16T22:33:00.000-05:00

While most churches experience low attendance during the summer, Compass Point has actually GROWN!!! Don't get me wrong, as a church that is primarily made up of college students we always lose about 50% of our congregation in May. Usually we see a huge jump in attendance in mid-August when school starts again. Last summer (our first), we dropped from 60 folks to around 35 in a week. From there we declined to around 20 a week. It stunk!!!

This year we touched the 100 mark on Easter and then dropped back to around 75 until May. When the college students first left we plunged to around 35. Then things started coming up. For no other reason than prayer, some bottled water SE projects, word-of-mouth and God's blessing we started having a bunch of guests . . . and they stayed. We have been over 50 every week since the middle of June and inching upward with each passing Sunday. We have not done any special advertising, major message series pushes or special events - we just kept doing our same old thing . . . only trying to perfect it.

All of a sudden we have a need for two new Connexxion groups. We have doubled our children's program in three weeks!!! We have had to step up the date for our next Starting Point new members seminar. We are scrambling to train new folks that have volunteered for leadership. It's crazy because the major makeup of Compass Point is still home on summer break! All of this is an answer to many long hours on our knees in prayer.

We almost ran out of chairs today . . . and we know of 20 of our regular attenders that were on vacation. With our estimated attendance when school gets back in session, we expect to excede the 100 mark almost immediately!!!

I know for some that read this blog 100 people is no big deal. However, Compass Point began as a word-of-mouth Bible study with 8 people at an apartment complex three years ago. When we"officially" launched two years ago we had 20 folks the first day . . . and 10 were family members that came to help us put some bodies in the chairs. The next week we were down to 15 folks.

It has been a hard summer on the spiritual warfare front. Yet we have seen mostly unchurched folks join our ranks this summer and have baptized 9 since school let out. Even in all the muck and mire, God shows favor and blessings. I'll admit I was a little weary, but I am totally pumped today!!!

False Advertising . . .

2006-07-12T16:17:00.000-05:00

Oklahoma church planter, Danny Carlisle has a great posting on his blog about advertising as one thing and then turning out to be another. I wish more churches would adhere to this basic marketing rule!

2006-07-11T23:36:00.000-05:00

I'm missed the Journey/Def Leppard Show . . .

I was offered tickets to go see the Journey/Def Leppard show in Tampa tonight, but had to pass because of a ministry opportunity for Compass Point. I'll admit, I was a little bummed by having to miss such a great concert.

Anyway, a friend found this clip online of Journey on their 1981 Escape Tour and sent me the link. I caught them in Denver on that tour, so it brought back some cool memories.

Thanks Todd for sending the link. You rock!!!

Turned Off The Comments For Good . . .

2006-07-11T22:31:00.000-05:00

It's only been a few hours since I posted about Syd Barrett's death and I've already intercepted numerous bizarre, angry and hateful comments. Mostly about how - as a pastor - I shouldn't even acknowledge a secular group, much less listen to one. I had one responder question me about - as a pastor - should I be THAT honest about my depression and AADD. Apparently, they are not comfortable with pastor's being human. Give me a break!!!

I have no problem with people disagreeing with what I write. Heck, I'm even a little flattered when people take the time to think about it and comment. However, as "Christians", wouldn't it be nice to leave my family, my church and the curse words out of the comments? I'm a laid back kind of guy . . . but, my wife will knock you out if you talk about her. :-)

Anyway, I'm done with allowing comments on this blog. If I offend you or you disagree, then email me personally. I might even post your comments if you refrain from taking personal shots at my family and church.

Leave the curse words in if you must, I'm always trying to expand my vocabulary! :-)

Shine On Syd: The Muse Goes Silent . . .

2006-07-11T16:03:00.000-05:00

It is being reported today that Roger "Syd" Barrett, original member and founder of Pink Floyd, passed away on July 7th.

It may seem strange that a Reformissional church planter from Florida would be mentioning this on his blog. The truth is, I've alway been intrigued by Syd. While I'm a huge classic rock fan, I've never really been into Floyd's music all that much. Some of their songs I like and consider the guitar solo in "Comfortably Numb" one of the best ever recorded. For me, the "Syd Barrett factor" is the thing that has drawn me to Pink Floyd.

Syd was a man with many mental problems - most brought on by the combined pressures of fame and in-depth drug use. However, like many with mental diseases, he was a genius in areas of the arts. A painter at heart, Syd began to experiement with writing music. His lyrics were childlike at times, yet expansive in their concepts. His music was eclectic - containing strange instrumentation and time signatures - and ahead of it's time. From 1965 until 1971 he was both musically prolific and profoundly erractic. While it was his initial prescence in Pink Floyd that garnered their fame, he became a liability on tour and was eventually dropped from the band. After a second solo album and a final interview with Rolling Stone in 1971, Syd retreated from public life into a confused mentally-challenged journey as a recluse.

Over the last 30 years he has neither recorded any new music or conducted any interviews. Yet, he is still a great influence on many of the "legends" of the music community. David Bowie was heavily influenced by him. Jimmy Page kept trying to make contact with him in order to record music together. Pink Floyd's influence by him . . . well . . . he was their muse.

Syd's prescence is felt on almost every "classic" album Floyd did . . . from "Wish You Were Here" to "The Wall'. His troubled life was the catalyst for many of their songs, most notably "Shine On You Crazy Diamond." Except for a strange studio encounter with him in 1975, Pink Floyd never really reconnected with Syd. the Barrett family asked that they not since talk of the "old days" only brought him mental anguish and pain.

Yet, here they were . . . Pink Floyd . . . their reunion the talk of last year's highly promoted "Live 8" concerts . . . paying tribute to him from the stage. Thirty years on he still had an influence on them . . . still being their muse.

In his short time in Pink Floyd - and as a solo artist - Syd acheived fame, financial security, pop star status, radio hits and a legacy that influenced his peers. He hung out with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, was stalked after by young members of The Who and Led Zepplin and sparked up-and-coming artists like David Bowie and Queen to push the outter limits of music.

I guess . . . for me . . I'm not that intrigued by his musical legacy. Instead I am drawn to his mental history. As a person who has AADD and suffers from occasional bouts of depression I am intrigued . . . and frightened . . . by his story. A voice of influence, he allowed the pain, the pressure and the chemicals to cause him to give up . . . to stop fighting . . . to stop striving . . to quit reality . . . to quit life. It is an incredible and sad story. A story that causes me to pause in my own battle.

As a pastor I influence people. I also suffer from a "thorn" that wants me to retreat at times . . . to become a recluse . . . to turn inward instead of upward for help. In some aspects Syd is a muse to me also. He is a cautionary tale of "what could be". His loss is a threat to my being. If he had all that talent and inate ability and lost . . . there is a fear that so could I.

Yet, I have something he didn't . . . the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. I wish that he had had Them also- there is no indication that he did.

Syd's story is also a cautionary tale for us all . . . a muse for the ages. A tale that should make us take a look around us . . . to family, friends, neighbors, loved ones, church members, etc. . . . and see if they are struggling with depression, heartache, uncontrolled thoughts. Syd never found help on this Earth. Doctors, therapy, procedures and the medical world are temporary fixes. Real renewing of the mind comes only from Above.

There are Syd's all around us that need to find that Cure! Yet too many of us have become so trapped in staff meetings, planning sessions and brainstorming sessions preparing for next Sunday's "show" that we've become unaware . . . immune . . . of the true needs of some in our "flock". The needs that can't be fixed with great music, hi-tech staging, the latest video clips or cool dramas. It can only be fixed through personal outreach . . . through one-on-one encounters . . . through the only kind of ministry that Christ displayed throughout the Gospels - relational!!!

And so today we find out that the muse . . . a muse . . . has gone silent. In the end we are left with the haunting words of Syd Barrett's last "official" interview, . . . "I don't think I'm easy to talk about. I've got a very irregular head. And I'm not anything that you think I am anyway."

Shine on, Syd . . .

The Cost Of Liberal Doctrine . . .

2006-07-10T19:07:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, the Los Angeles Time ran an opinion piece by Beliefnet editor, Charlotte Allen. In it she addresses the recent stupidity by the Episcopal Church USA and how liberal thinking on doctrine brought them to point where they are collapsing. While inflammatory, the article really nails it on the head about the trouble with doctrinal liberalism in the Church.

I believe it is a warning to us all that thinking outside Scripture and/or ignoring Scripture (that may not be politically correct in the 21st Century) can be incredibly damaging!

With recent votes by the Episcopal Church USA, Southern Baptists (I am one) and Presbyterians . . . and recent comments on doctrine by some of the Emergent leadership . . . Compass Point and I have begun to prayerfully - and Scripturally - discern more carefully who we align with in ministry.

Paul's warning of "wolves in sheep's clothing" is becoming more and more true with each passing day. Beware!!!

2006-07-10T18:41:00.000-05:00

Go See This Movie . . .

This past weekend Denise and I took our 9-year-old niece to see Pixar/Disney's "Cars". I was expecting a cute little Disney movie - which I usually don't like very much - but, this is an EXCELLENT movie. Run, don't walk to see this flick. Oh yeah, take your kids - they'll enjoy it also!

A Sad Day For The Internet . . .

2006-07-06T23:10:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite websites will probably suck now. Amanda Congdon has left Rocketboom. She was what made Rocketboom's video blogs fresh, hilarious and cutting-edge. I hardly ever missed an episode. Goodbye Amanda, you will be missed! At least you live on in the archives.

Added Links For Church Planters . . .

2006-07-06T22:39:00.000-05:00

Over the last several church plant conferences that I've spoken at, people have continually asked me about the companies or resources that Compass Point uses. I finally took the time to reorganize my blog and added links to the "Stuff My Church Uses". I hope you find them helpful.

George Bush Sings U2 . . .

2006-07-05T22:01:00.000-05:00

George Bush Sings U2 . . .

This is one crazy and hilarious video. Someone with video editing software had WAY too much time on their hands!

Champion Off The Field . . .

2006-07-05T21:48:00.000-05:00

Three Superbowl rings and a Pro Bowl doesn't make you a champion, this does!

A Great Day . . .

2006-07-04T21:45:00.000-05:00

Denise and I had a great Independence Day today. We got to sleep in, see Discovery blast off, spent the evening with family, ate homemade hamburgers, shot some fireworks and tried to keep up with my niece in her pool. In essence, it was the perfect day!!!

Words can't begin to describe the event of actually seeing a space shuttle taking off . One of the greatest advantages of living in Central Florida is going over to Kennedy Space Center to see the rockets take off from only a few miles away. The power, the roar, the shaking ground and the sight of this modern machine heading upward is amazing. The night launches are absolutely breathtaking . . . lighting up the entire eastern sky from horizon to horizon. It really makes you proud to be an American!

The day is done, we're back at home, I'm reading FoxNews.com about North Korea's attempt at fireworks today and blogging this message.

So in closing . . . happy birthday America. You guys at NASA get an A+. Thank you Father for the freedom of democracy! To everyone else . . . goodnight.

God Goes PG Rated . . .

2006-07-03T16:14:00.000-05:00

A very disturbing article on CNN.com today about a Christian movie that was given a PG rating because it TALKED ABOUT GOD!!! It looks like Hollywood may have taken one step too far over the line. It'll be interesting to see where this goes . . .

Blessings In The Storm . . .

2006-07-03T10:43:00.000-05:00

The spiritual attacks continue. Yet . . . in the midst of the storm, Compass Point had one of it's best days ever yesterday.

We had Brian Jones - former lead singer for My Rocket Heart - as a guest worship leader and the Holy Spirit really worked through him!!! The attendance was INCREDIBLE for being in the "summer slump" and we had a bunch of new faces in the audience. Some guests came just because they saw the signs on the road. We had one couple that we gave a free bottle of water to . . . LAST SUMMER . . . when they were down from Ohio . . . ON VACATION! They just moved here permanently and wanted to be part of a church that would give away free water.

Regular Compass Point folks were pumped up! There was singing and praising and worshipping and the Holy Spirit moved!!! People made spiritual decisions and we added some new folks in our Connexxion groups. It was a real oasis in the midst of the desert!

Praise God from Who all blessing flow!!!

2006-06-29T12:08:00.000-05:00

Jim Morrison's Grave . . .

See my posting below to understand why this video is on my blog.

Back To My Spiritual Roots . . .

2006-06-29T11:43:00.000-05:00

Over the last four weeks Compass Point and I have been experiencing tremendous spiritual warfare. Sometime over the weekend I plan to put the thoughts about those attacks on the blog. However, today . . . and for the last several weeks . . . I have been taking an unexpected trip down my spiritual memory lane. In an effort to get back to those initial feelings that I experienced when I accepted Christ as my Savior, when I first felt called to ministry, when I was being challenged to grow in my faith and . . . when I first discovered that knowing God was an ongoing relationship . . . I've been on a quest to relive some of my past. The trip has brought me back to reading notes from Bibles of my teens years, pouring over articles in old CCM Magazines of artists that inspired me, seeking out photos from past mission trips and youth camps and . . . finally . . . to listening to those old Chrisian albums that gave me a passion I saw slipping from my spiritual life recently.

One of those Christian artists that spoke to me was Steve Taylor. Today he's kind of "old hat". However, in the early 80's he was cutting-edge . . . dangerous . . . outside-the-box of mainstream Christian music. I always related to that. While everyone else was listening to The Archers, The Imperials and Amy Grant I was digging Rez Band, Leslie Phillips and The Altar Boys. They were different . . . they were challenging . . . they were agressive . . . they were a rebellion against the status-quo of Christian music. In a sense, they strived to color outside the lines in order to reach people that normal "church music" wouldn't.

On a recent trip to YouTube, I stumbled back over some of Steve Taylor's videos. "Jim Morrison's Grave" was always one of my favorites. His choice of a cultural icon as an example of a wasted voice spoke to me. It told a story, it provided a modern-day parable . . . it envoked a desire to reach beyond my own understanding of Christianity . . . and truly live a missional life.

Added Some New Photos To Flickr . . .

2006-06-29T00:38:00.000-05:00

I finally added some photos I took to my Flickr account.

Root Canal Today. . .

2006-06-28T09:11:00.000-05:00

As most of you can tell I haven't been blogging alot in the last two weeks. My health has been shot . . . Denise and I believe it is total spiritual warfare. Several weeks ago it became evident that I needed a root canal. Due to some ongoing health issues we had to keep putting the dentist appointment off.

Well, today is the day of reckoning. My root canal appointment is in three hours. Words cannot begin to explain how much I loathe dentists, dental offices and the sound of the dental drill. I have this weird thing where it takes a BUNCH of shots to deaden my mouth - almost three times as much as mere mortals. :-)

So . . . off I go to an afternoon of pain, prayer and prescriptions. :-)

Sunday Night Music . . .

2006-06-25T20:08:00.000-05:00

It's been a odd week. I'm still not quite back to 100% with my health so the Aerosmith song, "Sick As A Dog" has been running through my mind for two weeks. Thus, tonight my "come down" music is Aerosmith's "Rocks" album. An all-time classic!!!

Bumming To The Blues . . .

2006-06-18T15:12:00.000-05:00

Taking a lesson from a blog-mentor Gary Lamb, I occasionally post the music I listen to when I "come down" from the craziness of Sunday. Thus, the reason for my posting today.

If you've been keeping up with this blog over the last two weeks then you know the spiritual attacks have been coming one right after another. Well, they continue - even today.

The whole worship service today was a little tense and low-key. Just some leadership stuff being attacked right now - mainly in my own life - but, nothing that God can't take care of!!!

However, I'm a little bummed by it all . . . and a little tired. So I've been jamming to Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Couldn't Stand The Weather" all afternoon. Just listening to "Tin Pan Alley" over and over again.

I'll keep blues-ing out until we leave to go celebrate Father's Day with my family at 6:00 PM. Hope all you missional, SBC and church plant folks are having a great Sunday!!! Happy Father's Day to you all.

Impressed With Mohler . . .

2006-06-17T00:43:00.000-05:00

I had the privilege of serving as Associate Pastor in the church that Dr. Al Mohler grew up in - Southside Baptist Church in Lakeland, Florida. Because of that I was always aware of his presence in the Southern Baptist Convention, as well as the Christian community at large. The few times I met him I was amazed at his deep understanding of the Bible, but also his ability to talk about the Scriptures in a plain-spoken way that everyone could easily understand.

Unfortunately, I did not get see Dr. Mohler on CNN's "Larry King Live" the other night (I don't have extended cable), but I read the transcript here. Needless to say, I was impressed with his answers and demeanor.

The topic was about the Church's acceptance - or lack thereof depending on the denomination - of homosexuality. Dr. Mohler gave clear, concise and intelligent answers that were - once again - easily understood by anyone watching the show. His answers both pointed to God's Word and God's grace with every statement. Never did he invoke his own ideas, opinions or personal thoughts - just presented the truths of the Bible.

I think the thing that impressed me the most was not what he said, but what Dr. Mohler DIDN'T say. He answered only questions asked directly of him and never stepped into the fray of the battle that the other panel members did. While the others entered into mud-slinging, accusations, tirades and temper-fueled arrogance . . . Dr. Mohler sat quietly.

Talk about a man of maturity and self-control! Talk about a great representation of Christianity!

Thank you Dr. Mohler for setting a great example for other "shepherds of the flock" to see!

Score One For The Bloggers . . .

2006-06-16T20:22:00.000-05:00

I was contacted several days ago by a state Baptist newspaper about commenting on the role of bloggers in Frank Page's win as Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) president this year. I told the reporter I was not aware of the impact of the blogs endorsing Page's nomination, as most of "us" were not supporting a candidate one way or the other. Now comes an article from Time.com about the whole blogger impact on the SBC presidential vote. You can check it out here.

Score one for the bloggers . . . I think.

In all honesty, I'm not sure about the number of blogs that actually came out against Ronnie Floyd. Most of the blogs I read were more concerned with the overall "insider politics" of the SBC than the specific candidate. In private emails, many of us SBC/missional/Young Leader bloggers expressed support for Frank Page - but not necessarily publicly.

In my personal opinion, Frank Page's election was a surprising step in the right direction for the SBC- though a very small step. Most of the pressing issues for young, missional SBC leaders were shelved until next year or left on the table by the Convention. That disturbs me!

All in all, I'm not sure the SBC bloggers actually publicly endorsed a presidential candidate. However, I do think "we" caused many folks to think about where the SBC is heading.

Irrelevance is death and irrelevance is quickly what the SBC is becoming to many young church pastors and planters. I think the blogs helped some to see that. I think that in itself was what caused the outcome in the voting.

So again, score one for the bloggers . . . I think.

Bobby Welch's Comment . . .

2006-06-16T13:42:00.000-05:00

It is being reported by several reliable sources that Bobby Welch told the SBC Convention in an address that, "Maybe if we spent less time blogging we would spend more time baptizing." Gee Bob, maybe if we spent less SBC money on tour buses and motivational trips and put it toward planting churches we might spend more time baptizing!

I've Added Some Bloggers . . .

2006-06-16T13:35:00.000-05:00

I've recently taken the time to update the blogger's links on my blog. There are some great voices out there in the blog-o-sphere that I've recently become aware of. Guys like Steve McCoy, Joe Thorn and Jonathan Herron. Take a moment to check out the others.

Started Reading Ed's Book . . .

2006-06-15T22:57:00.000-05:00

One more thing before I head to bed. I finally obtained a copy of "Breaking The Missional Code". As soon as I can control my ADD long enough to read the whole thing (it should be within a few days), I'll blog my take on it. It should be pretty good. Ed is one of the redeeming qualities of the SBC. Well, so is Al Mohler and Gary Lamb for that matter. Man, leave it to my weird blogginess to name those two guys in the same sentence ( no offense, Gary). :-)

The SBC Resolution . . .

2006-06-15T22:44:00.000-05:00

I am so proud to be a Southern Baptist Convention church planter right now (tongue firmly planted in cheek). We made a resolution against the use of alcohol. Man, I'll drink to that! :-)

More on this tomorrow. Right now I have to get past my total disgust at our complete lack of relevance in the world.

At least Ronnie went home empty-handed!

Spiritual Attack . . .

2006-06-14T11:11:00.000-05:00

Several years ago I was hit in the head with concrete which left me with occassional stuttering and minear's disease - a type of vertigo. Usually the vertigo only hits about one day every oher month - but not so bad I can't function. Two weeks ago it kicked in worse than I've ever had it and lasted until yesterday. I couldn't walk, drive or keep food down because of the dizziness. The doctors basically can't cure it or eliminate the symptoms, they just have to knock me out so I can sleep through the worst of it. Therefore I haven't really been able to do anything for the last ten days.

Denise and I truly believe that this has been a spiritual attack. The doctors have no clue why this happened and was shocked that it did. Minear's doesn't usually act like this - at least not for me.

Compass Point is going through some changes right now. Good changes, but difficult. I am in the same camp as Mark Driscoll in believing that sometimes you shake things up and create choas for the sake of growing in leadership and ministry. After six months of praying, fasting, meditation and Scripture study, I beleve that God led me to take Compass Point into this time of creative choas. The minear's began the day we started the creative choas process. I think this was by design by the enemy!

I'm beginning to understand that spiritual attack occurs when God is moving. I'm almost to the point if I'm/we're not being attacked by Satan's forces then I look to see if I'm/we're truly following God. It seems to be an indicater!

I have also found that - in my life - Satan attacks my health or my home - meaning my marriage. Nothing huge, just bickering and impatience with each other. Some days Denise and I are just having a bad day, but most of the time it is spiritual attack.

Pastor's be on guard. If God is truly doing something wonderful through you or your church, Satan will attack in mighty ways. Keep your armor up - particularly in your home!

Pimp Names For Your Staff . . .

2006-06-08T15:06:00.000-05:00

Some of the kids I substitute for in middle school turned me on to a fun website. It is called Player Appreciate and it has a Pimp Name Generator. You put in your first and last name, hit the button and it generates a pimp/rap name for you.

The Compass Point staff and I have had a blast generating pimp names. The first name it generated for me was Reverend C. Dazzle. I now make the entire staff refer to me as that.

In all seriousness, the best church staffs I have ever served oncblew off some steam - on occasion - with crazy moments. Church staffs that only get together for all-day strategy sessions and meetings just . . . well . . . suck! There is no "band of brothers" feeling in a staff if there is never any fun. Take it from the right Rev. C Dazzle.

Oh yeah, you can access the Pimp Name Generator by clicking here. Have fun!!!

Bird Flu In Central Florida . . .

2006-06-05T09:21:00.000-05:00

As most of your know, Central Florida is the winter home of many "snow birds" from up North. Apparently, they brought the dreaded bird flu with them. The photo above shows the effects. :-)

Thank you . . .

2006-05-29T11:02:00.000-05:00

I get to plant a church in the democracy and freedom of America because of the service men and women that fought - and died - for our country. To those heroes and their families . . . thank you!

The Indy 500 Rocked . . .

2006-05-28T15:39:00.000-05:00

Wow, the "Greatest Spectacle In Racing" lived up to its name! All of the lead changes in last four laps, the Andretti drama and the last moment pass was off the hook. Congrats to Sam Hornish, Jr. for the win! Now comes NASCAR tonight. What a great day of racing!!!

The Wonderful World Of Woot . . .

2006-05-26T08:16:00.000-05:00

A fellow church plnater - Adam Mayfield - turned me onto a sight called Woot! They have really cool stuff offered for one day only (in limited quantities) to purchase. They only offer one item a day and the savings are killer. I bought some wi-fi cards for like $12.00 last week. Today they have a 8-megapix digital camera for around $200 - a steal!!! Check it out.

The Freaks Come Out At Night . . .

2006-05-20T12:22:00.000-05:00

Thank God I chose to moderate the comments on my blog. Since my posting last night about "The Da Vinci Code" I've received dozens of attempted comments by conspiracy theory geeks, Vatican/Pope haters, Satanist freaks, Gnostic nuts, supposed Opus Dei members and some folks that are just complete weirdos. I think I've accidently stumbled onto Dan Brown's audience!

Those wishing to comment, please keep in mind that this is a blog for evangelistic church planters. It's not some message board for people separated from "the mother ship". Keep the comments on task with the theme of the blog or they won't get published.

One last thing, Seven Star Hand please get some help! I think you've been having way too many conversations with David Berkowitz's dog!

Just Saw Da Vinci Code . . .

2006-05-19T21:20:00.000-05:00

Denise and I just got back from seeing "The Da Vinci" code with one of my elders and his wife. Yeah, I know we spent money on a demonic movie and we'll burn in hell. Get over it! I'm preaching on it Sunday and felt I needed to see it to actually speak intelligently about it.

From a purely artistic point - the critics were right - it sucked! At two and a half hours long it was just a snore. Very little action, the plot was paper thin and the mystery was not mysterious at all. The acting was lifeless! I keep expecting Tom Hanks to yell for "Wilson" to pick up the plot a little. In all honesty, I love Ron Howard's movies (Backdraft, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, Parenthood, Cinderella Man, etc.), but this was really sub-par for him.

Also, I was a little taken back by the attendance - or lack of attendance I should say. It was opening night and we went to the 7:00 PM showing on a Friday - the most popular showtime on the most popular night. There were - maybe - forty people in a theater that seats several hundred. I don't know if the Christian community or the critics did the most damage, but "The Da Vinci" in Lakeland, Florida doesn't look like it's going to be that much of a blockbuster.

Okay, now for the real test. I personally don't think churches have anything to worry about. While the book was a little more scientific in it's presenation of the "facts", the movie really bombed in getting the whole "the-Holy-Grail-was-actaully-Jesus'-wife" thing. Not only that, but by the time the movie actually got to the point it had been almost an hour and a half. Most folks were so bored and glassy-eyed I don't think they really cared (it's just a really bad movie).

The visual presentation of the "facts" concerning "The Last Supper" painting by Da Vinci really seemed like a stretch to most folks in the theater. We talked with a few afterward and they felt like it came off more as some crazy conspiracy theory than a true presentation of historical or scientific "facts". One unchurched guy told me he thought it "was all hokey". He said he never believed the Bible anyway, but this movie just "seemed stupid". Most folks that saw the movie couldn't understand what all the fuss was by the Christian community. They knew it was fiction and really came out to see a movie they thought "would be more like an Indiana Jones-type flick". All-in-all, people in our theater came to see some entertainment, not to discover spiritual truth. They thought the stuff about Jesus having a wife was just something made up to help the plot line.

At best, "The Da Vinci Code" was a reach in it's presentation of "Biblical facts". It actually seemed to do more damage to the Catholics and, particularly the Opus Dei. From what I read, the Opus Dei is played fairly close to legend in the movie. Whether it's true or not, I have no idea. In all honesty I think the Vatican has more to worry about with this movie than evangelical Christians.

In closing, the movie stunk! The screenplay stunk! The acting stunk! The length of the movie stunk! The filmography stunk! Oh yeah, the whole heresy thing stunk also!!!

If you are a pastor and reading this, tell your people not to go see this movie. Not because it's a shot at the very foundation of Christianity, but because it really sucks as a movie!

I've Gone Back To Allowing Comments . . .

2006-05-18T16:12:00.000-05:00

After several requests, much thought and some prayer I've gone back to allowing comments on this blog. I still get some flaming email, but I also get some pretty cool responses that I have no way of showing. I won't make comments available on every post, but on the majority. So anyway, comment away.

You Never Know Who's Reading . . .

2006-05-18T15:49:00.000-05:00

I received an email from the founder and creator of Church Community Builder in response to my post yesterday. Turns out he is hometown friend of mine that I had lost touch with. We used to play music and record together.

Man, do I feel like an ass! It doesn't change my opinion about CCB, I just would have published my comments on someone else's blog - like the wuss I am. :-)

No Battleground . . .

2006-05-18T08:22:00.000-05:00

What do I and Compass Point Church have in common with Mark Batterson, Ed Young, Jr., Perry Noble, Andy Stanley, Gary Lamb or Ben Arment and their churches? The answer is . . . practically nothing. We have different visions, different audience demographics and different ways of doing things. The one thing we ALL have in common is the unbridled desire to see as many people come to Christ as possible!

I have grown incredibly tired of this "implied battleground" by some of the emails I receive from church planters and other bloggers. They seem to think there are two camps - those trying to be modern churches and those that are not. What a stupid thought process! Modern churches are stupid. Emerging churches are stupid. Identifying with a movement is stupid! Christ is the only identifying characteristic a pastor or church should have. We are all in this together and all the guys I mentioned above struggle to find out how do a better job of reaching more people.

Sure there are different ways of approaching this concept we call church. However, it shouldn't be determined by what is a "right way and wrong way" of perfecting church. It should be solely determined by the leading of the Holy Spirit in the shepherd's life in accordance with the needs of the individual flock. Approaches are not wrong. Concepts are not wrong. Ideology is not wrong. We should constantly be struggling to discover new ways to present an old Truth without dismissing things because of personal preference. Only heresy is wrong and should always be a battleground.

Gary Lamb doesn't podcast, however I do. Not because one is right or wrong, but because our flocks are different. Mark Batterson's National Community Church has muli-site services, Compass Point does not. Not because one is right or wrong, but because our flocks are different. Ben Arment's History Church uses message series, while Compass Point doesn't. Not because one is right or wrong, but because our flocks are different. God calls different leaders to different things because of different missions. God doesn't seem to care all that much about movements, just people. For a church leader to dismiss an idea or approach just because it comes from a different type of church is just plain . . . well . . . stupid.

Compass Point is more like Mosaic or Mars Hill, than say. . . Northpoint. We attract a predominately 2o-something, highly artistic, almost nerdy-hippie flock. Yet, my staff has devoured all of Andy Stanley's books and our Pathfinders children's ministry uses the 252Basics! curriculum designed by Northpoint. Why? Because it is the best solution for our flock of children and we spent countless hours in prayer coming to that conclusion. Our leadership might come up with something better tomorrow, but today Northpoint's resources are the best for our situation.

In essence, there is no battleground. Some of the leaders I have mentioned in this posting I communicate with several times a month through email or phone. I read their blogs everyday. Their thoughts, visions and strategies challenge me. They challenge me to think, to color outside-the-box, to pray, to ponder, to read Scripture, to seek God's guidance in leading this flock called Compass Point. They may have different styles, but that doesn't mean they are wrong. They are Godly men seeking to do Godly business in an ungoldly world. Anytime that "iron sharpens iron" God moves in mighty ways. That is why I will always read the blogs and books of other church leaders.

I was once asked at a church plant conference I spoke at what would be the greatest advice I'd give to church planters. It is this . . . don't box yourself in with the latest/greatest/coolest church plant movement because it makes you stop listening to other ideas from other church leaders that God might want you to use.

Compass Point is not emergent. Compass Point is not modern. Compass Point is not old-school. Compass Point is Compass Point. We are trying to reach as many people for Jesus Christ in Polk County as we can and disciple them into a growing relationship with God. We will beg, borrow or steal an idea, concept or strategy if we think God can use it to help us reach that goal - no matter where it comes from.

More Da Vinci Code Controversy . . .

2006-05-17T11:40:00.000-05:00

Tony Award-winning actor and Academy Award-nominee, Sir Ian McKellen told NBC Today's Matt Lauer in an interview this morning:

"Well, I've often thought the Bible should have a disclaimer in the front saying this is fiction. I mean, walking on water, it takes an act of faith. And I have faith in this movie. Not that it's true, not that it's factual, but that it's a jolly good story. And I think audiences are clever enough and bright enough to separate out fact and fiction, and discuss the thing after they've seen it."

McKellan, known for his work on Broadway and famous for his "Lord Of The Rings" roles, is one of the actors in "The Da Vinci Code" movie and was conducting the interview at the Cannes Film Festival. Yesterday the movie premiered there to bad reviews from critics.

For the complete story, click here.

Goodbye, Clarabell . . .

2006-05-17T11:11:00.000-05:00

Lew Anderson, the actor that played the most famous version of Clarabell The Clown on "The Howdy Doody Show" died today. With his bicycle horn and seltzer water bottle, Lew portrayed Clarabell better than any of the previous actors to wear the costume. It was Lew that uttered the final words of the show when he told the Peanut Gallery "Goodbye, kids" - much to their amazement. With that line - his one and only on the show - an era ended.

In it's time "The Howdy Doody Show" was cutting edge for television and ushered in televised programming for children. I dare say that without it, there'd be no "Mickey Mouse Club", "Sesame Street", "Barney The Dinosaur" or "That's So Raven". It captivated an entire generation and turned them - and their children and grandchildren - into the video-loving, high-tech sensory needy people that many of us church planters attempt to reach today.

For the "Baby Boomers", Lew's passing is the last living link with a childhood memory. For others of us, it is a reminder that wihout "The Howdy Doody Show", "The Honeymooners", "I Love Lucy" and other television programs, churches would be pretty boring today.

So goodbye, Lew and goodbye, Clarabell. You helped to define a generation!

It's About Meeting People . . .

2006-05-13T15:11:00.000-05:00

Today Denise and I had a blast working as volunteers at this year's Mayfaire Kid's Art Pavilion, sponsored by the Polk Museum of Art. The head of education at the museum is a Compass Point member and we had some other church folks working as volunteers. As you can see I was in charge of the hat making booth where we used rolled up grocery bags and art supplies. I met a ton of folks, made great contacts with city leaders and got to invite several dozen to Compass Point.

I once heard a church plant "expert" say that the planting pastor's job was to spend forty hours a week preparing a sermon and letting the core team build the relationships. That's just CRAP!!! The shepherd should be leading the flock by example! You can't sit in your study or office and build a church! Anyone that tells you different has never actually been a church planter.

That's not to say you should punk out on sermon preparation. There have been many Saturday nights of no sleep so I could go back over my sermon notes for Sunday. God created Sunday afternoons for three things; the NFL, NASCAR and a chance for night-owl pastors to grab a nap.

For a church planter sleep is optional, not a necessity. If you can't occasionally make it on three hours of sleep (or less), then take a cush job at an established church - don't plant. If you don't like to be around people . . . great big gatherings of people - don't plant. If you wife needs you home by 6:00 PM every night of the week to feel secure in the marriage - don't plant. If you have to have a minimum of thirty hours a week of preparation to preach a sermon on Sunday - don't plant.

Church planting is about meeting people wherever and whenever you have to. It's kind of like selling insurance . . . every person you meet could possibly be a candidate for salvation and in need of a church home.

Some days it may take a conversation with a stranger over a cup of coffee. Other days it might be wearing goofy grocery bag hats at the local park.

Whatever . . . whenever - the church planter's creed!

Reptile Caddy . . .

2006-05-11T14:42:00.000-05:00

I went golfing today for the first in a year (don't ask about my score). Anyway, as we came up to a pond on the third hole we saw an 8-foot alligator sunning intself. All I had was was my Razor phone to get a photo. Sorry it wasn't closer, but it's gator baby-making season and they're pretty agressive right now. I wasn't about to get any closer for a better shot. This is just one of those "Florida things" we deal with each day down here. Kind of like blizzards and bad drivers up north.

Name Change . . .

2006-05-10T21:38:00.000-05:00

For several years I have been struggling with a term to describe the doctinal truths that I hold dear. Thanks to the writings of Mark Driscoll, Ed Stetzer, Eddie Gibbs and others I have come to realize that I'm a reformission pastor and planter - hence the name change.

Mark Driscoll Keeps Me Up . . .

2006-05-09T23:58:00.000-05:00

So what am I doing up at 1:00 AM? Reading Mark Driscoll's latest book, "Confessions Of A Reformission Rev". I can't put it down!!!

It's like reading a biography of Compass Point . . . well, at least the first two chapters as far as the number of attenders goes. I truly believe it is the "Purpose Driven Church" for the new culture in America.

For those church planters that are trying to reach 20-somethings, this book is a must read!!! Order your copy here.

McLaren, Compolo And Heresy . . .

2006-05-09T21:26:00.000-05:00

I guess spreading heresy is becoming the cool thing for Emergent leaders to do. Check out what I mean by going here and here. Hmmm, maybe Calrton Pearson can be an Emergent leader as universalism seems to be the prevailing doctrine these days!

A Really Great Day . . .

2006-05-09T20:26:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday Compass Point had one of it's best days ever. We had a "Baptism Party" at Camp Gilead, not far from Lakeland. We started with a worship service under the picnic pavilion, broke bread together, had a blast playing games and baptized nine folks in the lake.

Very few things get me as pumped up as baptizing people. It is a feeling I long to experience as much as possible and keeps me going when the pressures of pastoring begins to take its toll. What made this one so special was the different ages of the baptism candidates. What an incredible emotional and spiritual boost. The whole church was jazzed!

Baptism, Baby . . .

2006-05-06T21:04:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I get to baptize ten folks. I am SOOOOOOO stoked!!!

Cheesy Church . . .

2006-05-04T22:30:00.000-05:00

Over the last several months I have had the privilege of speaking at several denominational conferences and training seminars for church planters trying to reach “20-somethings”. While I have met many wonderful folks and have picked up a few tips in the process, I am amazed at the dated material that is being taught by many of the conservative, mainstream denominations.

Warren and Hybels are great church planters with great churches, however their books (The Purpose-Driven Life and Rediscovering Church) are dated. Yes, some of the practices established in those books are now accepted standards when planting a church (mission statement, discipleship classes, baseball diamond of involvement, etc.). Yet these recent conferences teach Warren and Hybels as if they were sacred – the only way to do church planting in the new century. Those books are 20 years old and sixteen cultural paradigm shifts ago!!! Okay, maybe it’s like twenty or more cultural paradigm shifts.

I’m sorry to offend, but many of the practices in those books are the very reason that “20-somethings” quit going to church - big, mega, over-the-top, glossy and market-driven churches. Those practices worked . . . in their time and culture. The vast majority of their ideas are not relevant in reaching folks that are in their 20s.

Here we are in 2006 at church-plant conferences teaching from a curriculum written in the 80’s. We’re teaching the stuff as if it can’t be improved upon or adapted to a new time . . . and new culture. No, we teach our church planters to use as a cookie-cutter, be-like-everyone-else approach that can be easily packaged and marketed. All in all, the curriculum at the majority of these denominational church planting events are beginning to remind me of a cheesy 80’s music video.

I graduated high school in 1984 and one of the most cutting-edge music videos at the time was “You Might Think” by The Cars. Its use of blue screen effects, neon painted objects and abstract themes blew most of us “80’s children” away. It was ahead of its time and really set a standard for other video producers and music groups to follow.

I recently saw the video again on VH1 Classic and was doubled over with laughter. In the new video world of computer animation, digital imaging technology and advanced graphics programs it just looked . . . well, cheesy. Don’t get me wrong, it brought back a flood of great memories. However, it just looked so dated and out-of-touch with today. For it’s time “You Might Think” established video techniques and applications that still apply today. However, those techniques are the ground-floor basis for music video production, not top-of-the-line applications that are relevant and provide a “wow” factor for this generation. It was great for the mid-80’s, but doesn’t hold up in 2006.

It’s the same way with the church planting curriculum. It’s time to improve on the basics. To mold them, change them, adapt them to a new world and a new culture. Malphurs, Warren and Hybels wrote books for those reaching the Boomers of the 80’s and early 90’s. Stanley, Storch, Morgan and Young have written books for those reaching today’s culture. McManus, Bell and Driscoll are writing books for reaching tomorrow’s culture. Yet, they never seem to be taught at most church plant conferences – mentioned, but not taught.

What a shame if the legacy of tomorrow’s pastors are of planting “cheesy churches” because they were never taught a new way!!!

The Snowbirds , , ,

2006-05-04T09:44:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we had a real treat here in Lakeland. The Canadian Air Force's "Snowbirds" were in town for a one-off free show. Because it was a last-minute thing for them (they were in route to Ft. Lauderdale for another air show), they flew formations all over the city. When I first saw them I was ten miles from the airport. I drove like crazy to get to the flight line and capture a few photos. As a HUGE fan of flight demonstration teams (the Blue Angels still rank #1 in my book) I was on "cloud nine"!

Sunday Night Chill Music . . .

2006-04-30T21:16:00.000-05:00

Tonight's music to chill out by is "Alchemy Live" by Dire Straits. While it contains THE BEST version of Mark Knopler's "Theme From Local Hero", the price of the compact disc is worth it for the phenominal live version of "Sultans Of Swing"!!!

Tax Day Thought #3 . . .

2006-04-17T13:55:00.000-05:00

Ceasar sucks!!!

Tax Day Thought #2 , , ,

2006-04-17T13:54:00.000-05:00

The NFL digital package IS a ministry expense!

Tax Day Thought . . .

2006-04-17T13:53:00.000-05:00

Who is FICA and why does he have all of my wife's money?

Mosaic Now Vodcasting . . .

2006-04-17T07:36:00.000-05:00

Mosaic is now vodcasting (a.k.a., video castings) all of Erwin's messages for free! You can subscribe to the vodcast by clicking here.

Sunday Night Listening . . .

2006-04-17T01:09:00.000-05:00

Tonight's musical selection for winding down after an incredible day is one of the greatest albums of all time! "Live At Budokan" by Cheap Trick (one of my favorite bands).

Now I'm really going to bed!

An Incredible Day . . .

2006-04-17T00:27:00.000-05:00

Today we had the best day in Compass Point's history!

We didn't do anything special. We just did what we normally do the best we could.

There was God-moment after soundcheck sucked, but I'll get to that in tomorrow's post.

The place was packed and people came to know Christ for the first time. The band was on and God moved. There where kids galore and the people really got into worship. I kept it simple (John 3:16 -17) and the message was heard clearly. We had a ton of guests with many saying they found out about Compass Point from a WATER BOTTLE!!!

I am wired, yet really tired. A good kind of tired. A satisfying kind of tired. A grateful-to-God kind of tired. A God-really-blessed-us kind of tired. A what-an-incredible-day kind of tired!

It's days like these that make you glad you're a church planter!

I'm going to bed now.

Servant Evangelism Photos . . .

2006-04-15T14:23:00.000-05:00

The coolest thing was that we went up on two city buses when they stopped and gave out water to a whole bunch of people at one time. The reaction of the folks on the bus was worth all of the effort and cost!!!

No Marketing, Just Service . . .

2006-04-15T14:06:00.000-05:00

Burn out! That's about the best way to describe the folks in Lakeland. Completely burned out by churches doing Easter egg hunts and postcard marketing. So much so that there is becoming a backlash.

Dozens of churches in the area were doing Easter egg hunts today. Most folks in North Lakeland received postcards this week from - at least - four churches - all promising to be "real, relevant and relational". So much church marketing input from all areas that most people stayed away from the Easter egg hunts (attendance was the lowest in years at some of the churches) and immediately trashed the postcards before they even looked at them.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against church marketing and special Easter events. However, in a county with 250,000 people, most every church is doing it. Most of it is turning people off - at least from our community polling leading up to Easter.

We took a different approach this Easter - an experimental approach. We didn't do a special event. We didn't do a bunch of radio ads. We didn't do postcard or mail marketing. We simply passed out water. Free water. Free cold water. Free as in no strings attached. Just the card (pictured above) secured to the water bottle with a rubber band.

This morning alone we gave away hundreds of bottles of water in area parks and running trails. You can't believe the positive response from people. It was amazing!

We quit two hours ago. In that time we have received over 500 hits to the website. Twenty-three folks have signed up for the email newsletter. Sixteen have emailed "thank yous" for the water and promises to attend.

I know, I know . . . it's not the hundreds that would have been reached by a postcard. As I said, it's experimental. We spent time in the community talking to folks and tried to be sensitive to their needs. In this case it was a need for no more marketing and hype from area churches at Easter.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's report.

Seed Service Photos . . .

2006-04-13T00:01:00.000-05:00

Daily Schedule, Seriously . . .

2006-04-12T23:56:00.000-05:00

Well, I got home to find several flaming emails for not taking the "daily schedule" question seriously. I thought the question itself was a joke. Apparently it was serious - so here is today's real schedule.

6:45 AM - Wake up, grab shower, check email, post to blog

7:40 AM - Take wife to work

8:00 AM - Drop wife off at work and head home

8:15 AM - Arrive at home and head out on patio for daily quiet time

8:50 AM - Head to Bob Evans for worship planning meeting

9:00 AM - Order breakfast and talk with staff about June services

10:00 AM - Head to Starbucks

10:15 AM - Arrive at Starbucks and study sermon notes for Easter

11:45 AM - Head to lunch meeting with Florida Baptist specialist to plan conference

1:30 PM - Finished planning church planter's conference and head to coffeehouse

2:00 PM - Arrive at Mitchell's Coffeehouse to hang out with some of our college students

3:00 PM - Use coffeehouse wi-fi to complete and send email newsletter

4:30 PM - Leave to pick up wife at work

5:00 PM - Arrive at home for quick meal with wife

7:00 PM - Attend small group Bible study

8:30 PM - Head out with church members to watch "Lost" on hi-def at friend's house

9:00 PM - Watch "Lost"

10:00 PM - Talk about "Lost" with church members and their guests

11:00 PM - Arrive at home, check email

11:30 PM - Have another quiet time (didn't get it all in this morning)

12:30 AM - Check other blogs and update mine

1:00 AM - Post this message and go to bed

A Day In The Life . . .

2006-04-12T08:35:00.000-05:00

I recetly received an email from a PlanterBlogs.com reader in Iowa asking about my daily schedule as a church planter. The truth is that no two days are alike. When you are ADD like me, that's a good thing! However, to honor his request, here is my schedule from yesterday - Tuesday, April 11, 2006:

6:30 AM - Alarm clock goes off

6:36 AM - Alarm clock still going off

6:39 AM - Alarm clock goes airborne

6:45 AM - Realize I'm late and hit three walls trying to get to shower

7:00 AM - Pop Tarts (the breakfast of champions)

7:15 AM - Back up Ipod and check email

7:16 AM - Wife yells to "stop doing computer crap and get to the car"

7:17 AM - Wife yells something about divorce if I don't come on now

7:19 AM - Get to car only to find wife heading back into house to retrieve forgotten purse

7:20 AM - Take wife to work

7:21 AM - Start Ipod playlist for ZZ Top over car speakers

7:23 AM - Wife swears to throw Ipod out window if I don't play something "Christian"

7:24 AM - Begin to suffer through 231,156th playing of Casting Crown's "Who Am I?"

7:30 AM - Wife dropped off at work

7:31 AM - ZZ Top back on

7:45 AM - Arrive back home and head out to the patio for "quiet time"

8:00 AM - Struggling to concentrate on praying with planes, cars and buses going by

8:07 AM - See large black snake in garden

8:08 AM - Prayer life kicks into overdrive

8:10 AM - Attempt to keep family cat from eating snake

8:11 AM - Attempt to keep snake from eating family cat

8:20 AM - Prayer of thanksgiving for surviving snake "incident"

8:21 AM - Vow to ask Noah why snakes made ark when I get to Heaven

8:30 AM - Grab shower

8:31 AM - Realize wife used up hot water an hour ago

8:32 AM - Wrap up in towel to ward off hyperthermia

8:45 AM - Go to home office to check email and blog

9:23 AM - Wake up in office chair wondering "how long was I out?"

9:30 AM - Back at task answering email and blogging

10:00 AM - Begin online studies for upcoming sermon

10:42 AM - Feel Holy Spirit leading me to change sermon

10:53 AM - Realize feeling is not Holy Spirit but old Pop Tarts

10:54 AM - Switch back to original sermon topic and continue studying

12:30 PM - Pop Tarts (lunch of champions)

1:15 PM - Leave for Starbucks to meet Southern Baptist state guy

1:23 PM - Try to convince SBC guy that we can really worship without pipe organ

1:58 PM - Finish meeting

1:59 PM - Make note in PDA to switch denominations

2:00 PM - Head across town to other Starbucks

2:03 PM - Pass mid-north Lakeland Starbucks

2:07 PM - Pass central Lakeland Starbucks

2:13 PM - Pass mid-south Lakeland Starbucks

2:15 PM - Pass Starbucks in Barnes & Noble

2:24 PM - Reach conclusion that Starbucks is a cult

2:27 PM - Arrive at south-Lakeland Starbucks for worship planning meeting

2:31 PM - Worship leader arrives for meeting

2:33 PM - Worship leader orders "girlie" drink with massive amounts of vanilla

2:36 PM - Worship leader announces he must share about his "burning bush" revelation

2:37 PM - Worship leader reveals that God loved us so much He gave us flip-flops

2:39 PM - Become convinced that worship leader not joking but dead serious

2:40 PM - Other staff members join in suggesting we add flip-flops as a worship element

2:41 PM - Have officially lost control of the worship planning meeting

2:44 PM - Gain control back and work with staff on worship service

4:00 PM - Leave meeting to pick up wife at work

5:03 PM - Pick up wife at work

5:21 PM - Yelled at traffic and shook fist

5:22 PM - Glad that there is no fish sticker on car

5:31 PM - Arrive at home with wife

5:46 PM - Wife says not cooking dinner get a Pop Tart if I want something

6:00 PM - Go to bed early so tomorrow can hurry and come

Bad Day For Braves . . .

2006-04-12T07:32:00.000-05:00

I may live in Florida and be a rabid Bucs fan, but when it comes to baseball I'm a Braves fanatic (it stems from the early days of cable television and a two week flu bug - don't ask). I'm totally bumming today because Chipper Jones busted his leg and is on the DL for 15 days or longer. I hope this is not an omen for the season!

A Thought From Spurgeon . . .

2006-04-11T09:07:00.000-05:00

He will reveal Himself to our seeking hearts. Though not necessarily when and where we may expect. Therefore we have a need for perseverance and steadfast determination in our life of prayer." - Charles Spurgeon

Must-Read Blogs . . .

2006-04-10T08:18:00.000-05:00

I just received an email from a PlantersBlog.com reader asking me which blogs I read everyday - without fail. While I have my NewsGator account clip me dozens of blogs to read each day, there are five I have delivered directly to my email inbox that I never - I mean NEVER - miss reading on a daily basis. They are:

1. Gary Lamb

2. Mark Driscoll

3. Perry Noble

4. Anthony Coppedge

5. Tony Morgan

Perry On Rumors . . .

2006-04-10T08:09:00.000-05:00

Perry Noble has a great blog today on a pastor's perspective concerning rumors. Check it out here.

Seed Services . . .

2006-04-10T07:52:00.000-05:00

North Lakeland is growing by leaps and bounds - particularly through new homes being built and purchased. Many of these new homes are a stones' through away from the YMCA that Compass Point is meeting in. The realtors/developers/builders tell us that those buying them are mainly families purchasing their first home or folks not wanting to live in the Tampa/Orlando area. Anyway, 95% of them are in the building stage with no yard or exterior.

For the last year the Compass Point staff has been going out walking and praying through these new communities. No real original idea - except three weeks ago we included the entire church in the deal. We called it a "Seed Service" and would throw out a handful of grass seed at each home or lot we prayed over. It took off and our folks just kept doing it. They really have a heart for our soon-to-be neighbors.

Every Sunday night since the "Seed Service" there has been a group of Compass Point people out praying in our new subdivisions. The greatest thing is that the staff never really drove this. We just planned on doing it about once a quarter. People just took it upon themselves to invite others and go out informally. Most of the time they pray over homes/lots for an hour (throwing out seed they purchased themselves) and then head off to dinner together.

I know that, for most of you reading this, a "Seed Service" is nothing new under the sun. However, the fact that our folks have embraced it has really blown me away. Sometimes God just moves in such an unexpected way that you can't help but fall on your knees in awe. This is one of those times!

Thinking Outside The Box . . .

2006-04-10T07:48:00.000-05:00

How's this for thinking outside the box. A pizza parlor in Nome, Alaska is now delivering - free of charge - pizzas to remote Eskimo villages . . . via airplane. Talk about thinking outside the box. Check out the CCN.com article by clicking here.

Gators' Gonna Get Ya . . .

2006-04-03T22:47:00.000-05:00

UCLA learned the hard way that Gators bite!!! 2006 NCAA Division 1 Basketball National Champs. I love the way that sounds!!!

Rock Star . . .

2006-03-25T23:27:00.000-05:00

I got to experience something really cool today. Tim Serdynski, the worship leader of Compass Point, plays around Florida as a solo Christian artist. Today he played Real Fest 2006 and needed a band to back him. He asked me to play bass guitar for him. I was honored that he asked an aging, balding pastor-type guy like myself to help him out. Particularly when the expected audience was half my age.

We had a blast and got to fellowship with some really great folks. I'm always amazed at the talent and honest humility in the Central Florida Christian music scene. Bands likes My Rocket Heart, Something Like Simon and The Vow are truly taking the Good News of Jesus Christ to a new generation. What a privilege it was to share the stage with them!

The weather was perfect, the audience was phenominal and the band was tight. All in all it was a really wonderful day (eventhough I got really, really sunburned)!!! To see all of the photos taken of the Tim Serdynski Band at Real Fest 2006, please click here.

Funny Site To See. . .

2006-03-22T14:32:00.000-05:00

If you are in need of a good laugh or a little craziness check out the vodcast for Ask A Ninja. My good friend Bobby Triplett turned me on to them. It's a trip!

Ipod Down The Drain . . .

2006-03-21T19:17:00.000-05:00

I went to throw some paper into the toilet at our house. I missed by a mile and bent over to pick it up. When I did my Ipod Mini - my joy - my obsession - slipped out of my shirt pocket (I forgot it was there) and into the toilet. A $200+ piece of equipment down the drain . . . literally. I was able to fish it out, but is does not work. I called Apple's tech support, but they said it was gone - nothing could be done. Even if it dries the screen and power supply is toast. The worst part is I can't really afford another one at this moment. I guess I'll have to go retro with a compact disc player for a while. Heart-broken doesn't even begin to describe what I'm feeling!!!

Just Met Abe Lincoln . . .

2006-03-21T14:28:00.000-05:00

I was just in the lobby of the Lakeland Ledger - our local newspaper - and in walks Abe Lincoln. It was actaully an impersonator that goes around to area elementary schools. However, he played the part well and was pretty cool about the photo. He told me no "head shots". I asked him if he'd seen any good plays lately. Man, do I have a really sick sense of humor!

Never Leave Home Without It . . .

2006-03-20T09:11:00.000-05:00

The photo above shows the essential stuff I never leave home without. As a church planter with no office, I rely on a great cup of Mitchells' hot chocolate in my Mitchells' travel mug, my Origins Bible from the folks at Mosaic, a Franklin Covey Retro '51 pen, my Moleskine journal for jotting down message ideas and my Ipod Mini for blocking out that unwanted noise and catching up on Podcasts. I guess you could call them "tools of the trade"! Oh yeah, the picture was taken with my Razor phone from Cingular - I never leave home without that either.

Music To Chill By . . .

2006-03-19T23:44:00.000-05:00

So what CD do I listen to when I need to chill from a less-than-great Sunday? Rick Springfield's "Working Class Dog". Yeah, I know he was a teen pop star from the 80's, but the guy rocked!!!

This is a great album, by a guy with great rock n' roll style, backed by some of the greatest studio musicians of the time. With songs like "Jessie's Girl", "Love Is Alright Tonight" and "I've Done Everything For You" this album is a classic!!! Just what the doctor ordered to blow off some steam and relax after a church-planting nightmare like today. I gotta go now and air-guitar during the solo for "Red Hot And Blue Love".

When Sunday Sucks . . .

2006-03-19T23:28:00.000-05:00

The life of a church planter is incredible! The adventure, the blessings, the feeling of accomplishment, the closeness with God, the last-minute miracles are just beyond words.

However, not everyday is a great day in the life of a church planter. Some days just suck. They are far and few between, but they do exist. It's especially tough when the day that sucks is a Sunday. The hours spent in planning, preparation and implementation seems like a waste when the Sunday service just goes in the toilet. Today was one of those days for Compass Point and me.

We got to the YMCA this morning to set up and they've had a teen lock-in that no one told us about. Kids are in sleeping bags all over the area where we are suppose to set up. They have stuff in every room making it almost impossible to get our children's area ready. Then the lights in the atrium keep going off for no reason throughout the morning - leaving our "welcome area" in the dark. Our children's leader doesn't make it because her niece had an emergency C-section. Our Life Development Pastor is late because of food poisoning. To top it off, we have to make the announcement today that he will no longer be with us because he is going to Bible college (he wants to plant a church in the near future). The children's area is hot because one of the teens from the lock-in leaves a window open all night. The air conditioning system has been programmed to lock out any changes so we can't get the rooms any cooler (sweating kids do not make for happy parents). Almost half of our congregation is college students, so the attendance for today has bottomed-out due to spring break. During the worship time the YMCA phones keep ringing until we have to finally unplug them. While I'm trying to deliver the message the YMCA staff is cleaning up from the lock-in by loading equipment onto a cart and rolling the squeaky-wheeled thing from one side of the building to the other. A mom - who has refused to put their child in our nursery because it's too hot - is now trying to keep the kid from screaming out in the service (which he has done for about ten minutes). During my message the batteries die in my wireless so the Podcast is toast. I finish with no microphone at all. It doesn't really matter because the squeaky-wheeled cart and screaming kid have overpowered any sound system we possess. We finally get to the end of the service where we announce the resignation of the Life Development Pastor (who has finally arrived), thus totally bumming everyone out. As we are tearing down the YMCA staff has discovered the "broken" phones and called the Area Director - who has called the phone company in to fix them. When it is discovered that the Compass Point staff unplugged the phones, the Area Director informs us "not to touch their stuff again." About this time the counters have informed me that we took up the lowest offering in the recent history of Compass Point. It was at this point that I began to envy the just-resigned Life Development Pastor.

Why did I share this? Because I think too many times the PlanterBlogs.com guys only tell the upside of church planting. Again, it is the greatest experience in the world, but there are some really tough days. Days when everything goes wrong and you just want to crawl in the bed to hide. Days when you question your abilities and God's faithfulness. I believe, however, it is the days that suck that makes us more into what God wants us to be - than, say the really mountain-top-experience days.

So how do you handle it when Sunday sucks?

I'm sure there are better, more experienced church planters out there with better ideas, but this is how I handled today:

1. Pray - Yeah, I know that sounds like a Sunday School answer, but I spent quite a bit of time this afternoon praying.

2. Trust - Trust that God still spoke to people even through all the crap.

3. Don't Hurt Others - It's easy to take a day like today out on the ones you love. Don't!!! It's not their fault and they don't deserve it.

4. Analyze - See what could be done better (like new batteries in the wireless) and what you just can't help (like emergency C-sections and food poisoning).

5. Take A Break - Get away from the church for the rest of the day (if you can). No meetings, no phone calls, no visitation. Go to the movies. Go play putt-putt. Go fly a kite. Whatever, but get away from the church planter/pastor thing for a few hours to recharge the spiritual and emotional batteries.

6. Forget It - Today is done. You'll have another shot at it next week. Make the changes you need to make, but let it go from there.

I hope this helps. If anyone else out there has a few ideas on what to do when Sunday sucks, email them to me and I'll post them here.

Blogger Just Answered . . .

2006-03-17T10:06:00.000-05:00

I just received a reply from the tech folks at Blogger about the 403 Error message. They basically sent me a link to the following message:

"The filer that we have been having trouble with in the last few days failed again. Those blogs that are stored on the bad filer are temporarily not available for publishing and viewing. We are working on replacing the filer and restoring access to the blogs affected."

Well I guess that is that until they get it fixed. Hopefully this message is still getting out throuh the RSS feed. If not, this will look pretty silly when Blogger comes back ononline. :-)

Blogger's Down . . .

2006-03-17T09:50:00.000-05:00

Apparenly there is a HUGE problem with Blogger today. Thousands of blogs are not showing around the globe. When you try to view the blog - including this one - it gives a 403 Error (Forbidden Access) message. I have no clue if the Blogger folks know about it, though there are several hundred postings on the Blogger Help Group message thread about it. Many bloggers (including myself) have emailed the support folks directly - so hope springs eternal.

My hope is that the RSS feeds of this blog are still going out so people will get the message. I wasn't even aware of the problem until I received an email from a church planter in Arkansas trying to access my blog.

Please accept my apology for the inconvenience. I wish thre was something I could do about it.

Another Great Day . . .

2006-03-12T23:22:00.000-05:00

We had a great day at Compass Point this morning. Things are really starting to come together for us. The set-up was quick (40 minutes and we were missing some of our regular stage crew), the band REALLY clicked, people got into the worship and the message was bearable. :-)

I'm feeling so much better, but am still nursing the after-effects of last week's cold. I came home, had a rare Sunday afternoon/evening off and just chilled. Read some, blogged some and wound-down with music from Resurrection Band. Yeah, I know - I don't really care much for CCM. Howeveer, Rez Band is different - especially the "DMZ" album.

When I was in 10th grade my family had just moved from Louisiana to Colorado and I didn't fit in. I turned to some pretty bad stuff and fell away from God. I was really into music, playing guitar, being in a band; so my mom went to this Christian bookstore to find an alternative to the Rush, April Wine, Ozzy, Journey and Triumph that I was listening to at the time. Everytime the sales clerk would play something for her, she kept telling him to bring some harder-edged music. Finally he brought her out an album from Rick Cua (who at the time was with The Outlaws - another band I was into) and Rez's "DMZ" album. She bought them and tickets to a Rez Band concert. Needless to say, I wore the grooves down on both of the records and was blown away by Rez's show. So, "DMZ" holds special place in my heart. When I listen to the music on that CD it takes me back to a time of a spiritual awakening in my life. It reminds me of a line from that Poison song, "I wish to God I didn't know now the things I didn't know then." Anyway, Rez takes me back to a time of spiritual innocence and discovery.

So enough blogging, I have to go now and sing at the tops of my lungs with "Military Man".

Sunrise, Colson And Cheap Trick . . .

2006-03-11T23:27:00.000-05:00

Thanks for all the prayers for my voice. I was blessed to have it back and was able to do the Prison Fellowship program today. In fact, it was a really GREAT day all around. I began today watching the sun come up with my wife on the fourth floor of our hotel room. Then I got to go into prison with former vice-presidential candidate Jack Kemp. I was able to pray with several inmates as they asked the Lord into their heart for the very first time. Then I had an incredible conversation with Chuck Colson (more on that in tomorrow's post) and ended the day with a free concert at the Orlando Harley-Davidson dealership by one of my all-time favorite bands - Cheap Trick. They put on an amazing show which included all their hits (I Want You To Want Me, Dream Police, Surrender), as well as some obscure gems (Big Eyes, California Man). After being in bed for most of the week I really felt liked I lived today!!!

Back sick again . . .

2006-03-10T10:12:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I went out with Operation Starting Line into Central Florida prisons and got a real bad cold/flu/bronchitis. I managed to preach Sunday (just barely, listen to the podcast for proof) and completely lost my voice Sunday night. I've been in bed all week so I can get my voice back. I'm suppose to emcee a Prison Fellowship program at the Florida Reception Center with Chuck Colson tomorrow - so we'll see what happens. I've pretty much slept, stayed high on Nyquil (the-sneezing-sniffling-wake-up-three-days-later-on-your-bathroom-floor-medicine) and whispered since Monday morning. I did however, discover a new group. They are called Waltham and they sound like a modern-day Rick Springfield. No joke, they are great!!! Anyway, I'll post something serious over the weekend.

I Hit 40 Today . . .

2006-02-28T10:17:00.000-05:00

Today is my birthday. I made it to 40-years-old. On the way home from taking Denise to work this morning I heard "You Might Think" by The Cars. It was one of the "cool" songs and videos from my senior year in high school. Needless to say, a flood of memories ran through my mind. What I've accomplished . . . what I haven't. It all reminded me of that Eddie Money song, "I Wanna Go Back" -

I was listening to the radio
I heard a song, reminded me of long ago
Back then I thought that things were never gonna change
It used to be that I never had to feel the pain
I know that things will never be the same now

I wanna go back
And do it all over again
But I can't go back I know
I wanna go back
Cause I'm feeling so much older
But I can't go back I know

Enough said . . .

An Incredible Video . . .

2006-02-27T15:50:00.000-05:00

Some days just present an incredible story about an incredible person. This is one of those days. Please take a moment to check this out.

Just Got The M-Audio Microtrack . . .

2006-02-25T21:56:00.000-05:00

I just picked up the new M-Audio Microtrack 24/96 digital recorder tonight to begin recording our podcasts with. We've had problems with compact disc recording and mini-disc recording over the last several weeks - unreliable and a mess to transfer over to Mp3 files. As a result, our podcast has only actually made it online once since we began three weeks ago. After I picked up a new flash card (the one that came with the unit wouldn't read), the Microtrack works great. It has a stereo mic that comes with it and allows easy transfer of files to a computer via USB. The great thing wih this unit is that it can record WAV or Mp3 files directly - no transfer of file types. With a 512 flash card we get a little over 9 hours of recording time with Mp3 recording at 128 bit rate (44.1). It usually lists for around $399, but we got it at Guitar Center for around $325. That's better than any deal I've found online - and we didn't have to pay for shipping. I can't wait to see how it does tomorrow! I'll keep all you tech-heads posted.

Just Added Church Plant Links . . .

2006-02-24T16:09:00.000-05:00

I took the liberty of adding a few links to my blog that has helped out Compass Point Church during our planting stage. You can find these links to the right of the blog's main page under the heading "Church Planter Links" (real roiginal, huh). In particular folks might want to check out links for two new online resources Membership Edge and Constant Contact.

Membership Edge is an online church management program and Constant Contact is an online email newsletter/press release manager. Both of these resources have allowed the Compass Point staff and I to work out of our homes and still present a professional image to the community.

Just Email Me . . .

2006-02-23T14:22:00.000-05:00

Over the last few months people have been using the "comments" area of this site to post links to their photo blogs. At first I didn't mind, but then I checked out some of the sites. If people want to take nude photos of their 80-year-old grandmother with peanut butter on her toes and a canary on her head that's between them and their psychologist. However, I don't want them to use my blog as an advertisement for that kind of crap.

Therefore, I have turned off the "comments" feature on all current and future postings. If you have any questions, comments, hate mail, love mail (from my wife only) or link suggestions, please email them to me by going to my profile and using the link to the left.

I've Been Tagged . . .

2006-02-23T13:12:00.000-05:00

I got tagged a few weeks back, but didn't do it. Then I started seeing some of my favorite bloggers answering their tags so I began to have second thoughts. Being the shallow-trying-to-fit-in-with-the-in-crowd-kind-of-guy that I am I decided to answer the next tag I received. I got tagged twice since yesterday, so here are my answers. Gee, I finally feel like I'm sitting at the cool kid's table.

FOUR JOBS I'VE HAD:
Graphic Artist
Pizza Pie Maker
Bag Boy
Steel Worker (putting it on trucks, not making it)

FOUR MOVIES I CAN WATCH OVER AND OVER:
The Hunt For Red October
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
The Patriot (Mel Gibson, not Steven Segal)
All The President’s Men

FOUR PLACES I'VE LIVED:
Shreveport, Louisiana
West Monroe, Louisiana
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Orlando, Florida

FOUR SHOWS I LIKE TO WATCH:
Lost
The West Wing
House
Frazier

FOUR FOODS THAT I LIKE:
Apple Roll (a secret family recipe)
Steaks from Garl’s (damn the torpedoes, I eat red meat)
Smokey Bones’ pulled pork
Anything with chicken

FOUR SITES I VISIT EVERYDAY:
NewsGator.com
PlanterBlogs.com
Perry Noble.com
TheResurgence.com

FOUR THINGS I WANT TO DO BEFORE I DIE:
Take my wife on a Mediterranean cruise
Have lunch with Billy Graham
Tour the Holy Land
Play guitar with Ace Frehley

FOUR PEOPLE I'M TAGGING:
Tim Serdynski
Mario Insua
Dave Nash
Chad Chastain

An Emerging Church . . .

2006-02-23T01:26:00.000-05:00

Last week I spoke at a church planter’s conference for the Florida Baptist Convention. Over the course of several days I was constantly asked if Compass Point was an emerging church. It took me back a little as I’ve never really thought about it. I always considered Compass Point just a church trying to help people find and grow in God – no real affiliation with a particular movement.

In all honesty movements really turn me off. All in all, movement-minded (driven) churches/pastors seem a little too self-important to me - especially the emerging church movement. They seem more concerned with the demise of modern, mega-churches and being a Christian welfare agency than anything else. Besides “a movement” is just another fancy word for “a fad” – here today and possibly gone tomorrow.

Don’t get me wrong, as a church planter; I have issues with mega-churches. I also believe that it is the church’s job to reach out to those less fortunate or in need. However, to be labeled an emerging church really had me back-peddling.

As a mainline, conservative follower-of-Christ I am all too aware of the emerging church’s identity as a more liberal view of Christianity. My theological thinking is more in line with Mark Driscoll and Erwin McManus than say, Jordon Cooper and Brian McLaren. Not that I am not inspired to think by Jordon or Brian (I read Jordon's blog everyday, Brian doesn't post all that much to his); I just disagree with a great deal of what they write. Still, I must admit, I like the original ideology behind the emerging church concept.

I believe the “come-and-see” churches are breathing their last breath. By “come-and-see” churches, I mean churches that put on the biggest productions or events and then spend thousands of dollars on a marketing plan in order to get people to “come-and-see” what they are all about. They do their thing within the confines of their own four walls and expect people to come to them.

I am much more a supporter of the “go-and-do” churches (as if anyone really cares what I think). By this I mean the churches that are encouraging – and leading – their people to “emerge” from the four walls to take the Gospel to the people that do not know Him. Emerging with servant project outreaches. Emerging with relational evangelism. Emerging with the idea that we should be the salt of the Earth for the cause of Christ. Salt doesn’t do squat when it’s still in the shaker! It must “emerge” in order to season (how’s that for a cliché).

So with all that being said, I guess Compass Point is an emerging church. A doctrinally-conservative, unorthodox in practice, emerging church.

A "Burning Bush" Moment . . .

2006-02-20T23:38:00.000-05:00

I was reading yesterday that only one ticket - sold in Lincoln, Nebraska - matched the winning numbers to the Powerball prize of $365 million - the largest lottery prize in U.S. history. That was at the precise moment that I felt the Holy Spirit - or possibly bad Taco Bell food from the night before - moving me to reach out to the Lincoln, Nebraska area. There is at least one tither . . . er, I mean "lost soul" . . . in that town that needs a small Central Florida congregation as their home church.

Sorry For The Silence . . .

2006-02-17T19:42:00.000-05:00

In November my father-in-law, Edwin was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. It moved very quickly and by the middle of January his health began to really nose-dive. My wife and I made many trips to Statesboro, Georgia over the last several weeks - therefore there wasn't much time for blogging. On February 1st Edwin went to be with the Lord.

Anyone that has gone through this will tell you that life stops when the final days of a loved one grows near. I basically put everything on hold - the church, the blogging, the calls, the emails, etc. - to concentrate on my wife and her family. It's the way it should be!

Thank God for a great staff and volunteers at Compass Point to handle everything - and I do mean everything - while I was absent. Thank God also for the nice emails, cards and phone calls from those of you that knew we were going through this. Mostly, thank God for His help in getting us throuh this.

Anyway, I'm back to blogging. A little tired, a little down and a little scattered - but noneoftheless back.

A Great Ministry To Work With . . .

2006-01-25T01:52:00.000-05:00

Our church joined with another church in Lakeland to sponsor a concert by a newer band called Casting Pearls. They are currently on tour with Crystal Miller - a Columbine High School survivor - giving concerts at high schools and middle schools. The event is called the 180 Tour which features the band playing a few songs, then Crystal sharing her story and then the band ends with a few more songs. The schools are loving it down here in Central Florida!!! While they have to keep the message on the positive, less evangelistic stance, the kids are getting the message.

Today alone, Casting Pearls and Crystal did two school assemblies before our show tonight. Each time they have to set up and tear down the equipment and a full sound system. These guys are definitely in it to reach kids. Anyway, even after the long day they still did a great program tonight, including a great time of worship songs. Our college ministry loved it!!!

If you get a chance, bring this tour to your area by clicking here. It's cost effective. The schools jump on it. The band and Crystal are really down-to-Earth and easy to work with. I've never seen a more professional and humble Christian band!!!

"The Book Of Daniel" Cancelled . . .

2006-01-25T00:47:00.000-05:00

It was announced by the show's creator today that NBC has cancelled "The Book Of Daniel" after only three episodes. I can't say as I blame them - the show sucked!!! I wasn't really offended by the show, though a little disturbed. Simply judging the show strictly on its own merits (forget the Christian backlash from Wilder and his band of boneheads) it really stunk! The writing was pitiful. The humor was awful. The acting was over-the-top. The "Jesus" character was the only humorous part of the show - and that's a stretch just to say something nice about "The Book Of Daniel". I tend to lean a little more to the irreverant when it comes to movies with a pseudo-Christian theme (though that is a stretch with "The Book Of Daniel"). I think "Saved" is one of the all-time best movies ever made - particularly for churches to watch! However, "The Book Of Daniel" spent a little too much time shoving political/sociological agendas down the viewer's throats and not enough time just being a good television comedy. Whatever the reason behind NBC's decision, it was a good one. Let's just hope they don't fill the time-slot with some stupid reality show!!!

Music To Relax To On January 15th . . .

2006-01-15T22:34:00.000-05:00

Last week Gary Lamb blogged about listening to Bad Company on Sunday night as a way to relax and come down from the excitement/stress/rat race of Sundays. I was pretty inspired by that as I've had real trouble getting to sleep on Sunday nights. Ideas running through my head. Mental notes of improvements or things to capitalize on. Prayer matters to go to God with. So, I decided to give Gary's idea a shot. I think it worked as I stuck on the Bose headphones and Ipod-ed out to Thin Lizzy's "Live And Dangerous" album. An oldie, but a goodie!!! Just hearing the twin guitar riffs on "Cowboy Song" sent me to another place mentally tonight. Besides . . . rocking out to Lizzy's version of Bob Seger's "Rosalie" takes away that last burst of energy for the night.

So my Sunday night tip for church planters reading this blog:

1. Dump all your mental notes onto paper, PDA, computer or index cards.

2. Spend some time with God in prayer and meditation.

3. Put this particular Sunday behind you - it's done.

4. Celebrate the successes of the day and let go of the failures.

5. Buy more Thin Lizzy.

6. Finally get some rest on Sunday nights - staff meeting is coming!!!