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Sunday Rewind

December 13, 2009
  • The band sounded great today.  They’ve got some special stuff cooked up for next Sunday and our Christmas Eve Eve service.  You don’t wanna miss it.
  • We’ve got a new web site AND new tshirts on the way.  More info coming soon.
  • A lot of people are getting excited about Revolutionary Love this year.  The two opportunities are totally different but compliment each other well.  We’re meeting physical and spiritual needs here and in Honduras.  Awesome.
  • So excited to be working with Brett & Michael at Trash Mountain.  These guys are top-notch and uber-organized.
  • Also, don’t forget the trip we’re planning to Honduras next August with Brett.  The informational meeting is January 10th – email JJ to sign up for the meeting.
  • Don’t forget to reserve your tix for the Christmas Eve Eve event.  They’re free but we’re trying to figure out how many folks are coming so let us know asap how many you need.
  • NEXT SUNDAY we’re doing a combined service at 10AM.  It’s going to be a blowout and we’ve got some special stuff lined up.  Be there or else.
  • Enjoyed teaching our Next-Level 1 class today with my wife.  It’s cool to watch people take their first steps in connecting with RPC and God.
  • Oh, and this guy organizes as well as anyone I know.  Seriously, I walked out of the auditorium after talking with the Trash Mountain guys, walked right into the classroom and started teaching.  Everything was prepared.  I LOVE that.
  • Sinus issues Friday + cooking pork on the smoker all day yesterday = feeling bad today.  Ugh.
  • Gonna go to bed now.  I’ll leave you with the Trash Mountain video from today…

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What Can I Do?

December 8, 2009

On Sunday we announced that after much prayer the staff and I have determined it’s time for RidgePoint Church to sell our building and relocate.  Beginning this Easter we’ll meet in the Fine Arts Auditorium of Auburndale High School.  Between now and then we’ll need to buy quite a bit of equipment that’s specially geared for churches that meet in portable locations.  There are also about a thousand other things that need to happen, and since I’ve already had people ask what we needed them to do I thought I’d make a short list of what’s needed so far…

Pray. We need wisdom for our staff as we determine what equipment we need and how much of ours we can reuse.  While this is going on our trustees are in the process of selling our facility, which as you can imagine is a daunting task.  There are literally hundreds of details that need to be ironed out, but they’re on top of things and I’m confident it’ll sell to the right people at the right time for the right price.  Pray for wisdom and for God’s will to be done in this entire process.

Serve. As attendance in all areas continues to grow weekly, we could use some more kid’s ministry workers (Elementary-age & preschool).  And when we go portable it’ll open up a whole new service opportunity: setup & breakdown teams.  PCI is estimating we’ll need at least 4 teams of 8 people each to rotate setting up before services and breaking down after.  For those of you who are numerically challenged, that’s 32 people.  Oh, and the PCI consultant told me yesterday that during setup nothing gets carried – everything rolls – so it’s designed for women to be able to participate also.  Bottom line – if you’d like to help let me or JJ know.

Give. As I said, we’ll need about $100K at the end of January to place our equipment order.  This is very doable, but we’ll all have to give to make it work.  And while some are able to give more than others, we can all sacrifice something.  Not equal amounts, but equal sacrifice.  There’s also the major matter of building some homes in Honduras, which we’ve pledged to do while we’re doing this.  And this is above and beyond our regular giving, ’cause we’ll still get an electric bill and insurance bill this month :)

I know that as the process moves forward there will be a lot more things for you to do, but if you’d like to help right now this is what we need.  I’m pumped, and I hope you are too.  Circle the date, because in 117 days we’re going in!!

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Sunday Rewind

December 6, 2009
  • The band was incredible today.  I love to hear them do Crowder stuff.
  • Today we launched Revolutionary Love, our annual Christmas series where we give towards those with needs bigger than ours.
  • By the way, here’s the link to the slideshow of the well we drilled in Zambia.  We raised the money last Christmas, and Seeds of Hope drilled it a few days ago.
  • We also made a huge announcement today (in fact, I’ve waited 7 years to make it).
  • On Easter Sunday 2010 (April 4th) RPC will begin meeting at the Fine Arts Auditorium at Auburndale High School.
  • We’ve been partnering with AHS for 2 years, and this is a natural outgrowth of that.
  • In order to do church in a portable setting, we’re going to need about $100K worth of audio, video, lighting, & children’s equipment.
  • Yeah, you read that right :)
  • This is a big deal, but it’s more doable than you may think.  That’s 100 families each giving $1000, or each of us giving $50 extra per week for the next 8 weeks.
  • We’re partnering with Portable Church Industries, and I spent the afternoon with their consultant.
  • By the way, he was VERY complimentary of our volunteers.  From the band to the children’s workers, he said the talent and dedication level of our volunteers is much higher than what he normally sees at churches our size.  It made me proud.
  • As a reminder, I’ll say it again: this is not about money or speakers or projectors or anything else – it’s about changed lives.  We must be willing to do whatever it takes to reach people who are far from God.
  • Remember – circle the date on your calendar – April 4th, we’re leaving our building and moving forward into the future that God has for us.
  • Part 2 of Revolutionary Love is next week, and we’re still going to help those in need overseas.  Next week we’ll talk about how we’re going to build houses for the  homeless in Honduras.  Don’t miss it!
  • From digging wells in Zambia to building homes in Honduras to feeding the hungry right here in Polk County, I’m so proud of the way RPC continually reaches out to serve others.
  • This has been an incredibly intense day; I’m about to unplug and watch football until I pass out (which won’t take long).
  • Hope you have a great week!!

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Quick Hits

December 2, 2009

Updates on random thoughts floating through my dome…

  • This Sunday is shaping up to be Epic.  Seriously, if you have anything at all to do with RPC you need to be there.  We’ll make the biggest announcement in our history – about where our new location will be.
  • As we prepare to relocate RPC, the number of consequential details are staggering.  I could never do it without our staff and trustees.  They are amazing.
  • There’s a new RPC shirt in the works.  More info coming soon.
  • Am I a horrible person that I don’t care about Tiger Woods’ personal life?  Maybe he’s guilty, maybe he’s not.  Whatever.
  • My son’s rocking a new haircut.  I like it that he gets his hair cut at the same place in downtown Auburndale that I did growing up.  And yes, I had hair.
  • My truck is beginning to scare me.  It’s 10 years old with 130K+ miles, but it runs and drives great.  How long can this last?
  • My blogging has quieted down some, but I’ve made up for it on twitter.  Find out what’s going on here.

Posted in random | 2 Comments »

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Black Friday Tips

November 26, 2009

Here are a few tips to make everyone’s shopping experience a little more enjoyable…

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Let’s Talk Turkey

November 26, 2009

Wow, it’s good to be back in the loop after a few days away.  Miranda & I left last Friday for a few days away, and little did I know at the time that I was unplugging from the internet.  So after a self-imposed silence (I’ll explain more in a minute) it’s time to plug in again.  Here are some quick hits so we’re all up to speed.

  • I knew we were going somewhere we’ve never been before (a timeshare in Virginia Beach), but I didn’t know they wouldn’t have internet access.  Actually, they did but it was $9.95 per day, which to me is the same as not having it at all.  :)
  • After staying in Savannah Friday night we drove to Va. by way of the Outer Banks.  This was the first time we went through that part of North Carolina, but it definitely won’t be the last.  Anyone feel up to a trip next summer?
  • One thing we did do was drive.  A lot.  Since last Friday we’ve logged about 38 hours in the car, which sounds crazy as I sit here writing it.  But ’tis true.
  • Vacations are the time I’m proudest of the staff and leadership of RPC.  These guys never miss a beat when I’m not around, which is incredibly liberating.  From speaking to doing the Sunday Rewind to running a smooth service, I rest well knowing that everything is taken care of.
  • By the way, I heard the band was off the chain last Sunday, and Denise brought the house down.  Which made being away somewhat bittersweet.
  • We served 2,000 Thanksgiving meals to the needy this morning with over 50 RPC’ers. Which explains why Miranda & I drove 14+ hours straight yesterday to get home.  And it was worth every bit of it.  What an incredible day, which you’ll hear more about.  Or you can check these out.
  • We came home from serving and had a great combined Thanksgiving lunch with both of our families.  It’s so nice to have great relationships with both sets of our parents.
  • Now that today’s Thanksgiving outreach is over, it’s back to vacation.  We’ve got a great weekend coming up, including fishing, golf, and spending time with our little man. 
  • Just a reminder – you don’t want to miss RPC on December 6th.  We’ll be laying out the plan for our relocation, AND giving you a chance to help some folks with some serious needs.  This December, Revolutionary Love lives!!

Hope you had (and are having) a great turkey day.  Peace out.

Posted in church life, home life, vacation | 1 Comment »

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Finally

November 17, 2009

I’ve been waiting months for this.

The tension has been building.

The chatter has been at a fever pitch.

Just when you thought you couldn’t stand it any more -

Here it is.

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Children Of The Corn

November 16, 2009

Okay RPC, the results are in.

Yesterday we collected 44 gallons of corn for our Thanksgiving Outreach Meal.  That’s 21 shy of our goal, but still pretty incredible considering:

1. Some mentioned that several stores were completely out of stock of the one gallon cans, mainly because RPC’ers were scouring the area in search of them.

2. Some of you didn’t know until yesterday we were collecting them.

3. They’re heavy, and not everyone can lift them.

Okay, I made the last one up.  But whatever the reason, we still need 21 cans to reach our goal.  And at $3 per can, this is absolutely doable.  If you’re having trouble locating the gallon cans, you can bring 4 big cans (29 oz).  Just be sure you’re bringing whole kernel corn.  Oh, and while you’re down that aisle pick up a few regular (14oz) cans of chicken broth for this Sunday.  We’ll need about 250 of those.

This may seem like a lot of food, but remember what it’s for.  We’re partnering with several other churches in the Auburndale & SW Winter Haven area to provide hot Thanksgiving meals for over 1200 people. In the end it’s a small price to pay to feed such a large number of people.

This is just another example of how we can accomplish more together than we can separately.  Remember, our lives grow bigger when we grow smaller.

Posted in celebration, church life | 2 Comments »

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Sunday Rewind

November 15, 2009
  • Today was a wild day.
  • Errol did an awesome job on drums.  Jordan & I have been working with him, and he had a bit of stage fright starting out, but he came around beautifully and wound up rocking it.  What a testament to the power of hours and hours of practice.
  • BTW, I just love his family.  They are incredible and incredibly faithful.
  • Today’s sermon was on the importance of baptism, and at the end we gave people a chance to be baptized on the spot if they chose.  The invitation was eloquent, something like “If you want to be baptized stand up and let’s go.”  Yeah, tact is one of my strong suits.  :)
  • We had 2 people spontaneously baptized in 9am service (I was specifically praying for those two yesterday because I really believed it was their time).
  • We had 11 people in 10:30 service baptized, which kind of created a traffic jam upstairs.  Which is cool.
  • For those of you keeping track at home, that’s 13 people who took a gigantic spiritual step today in their faith journey.
  • After the sermon, I feel confident that those being baptized knew exactly what they were doing.  Which makes it even more awesome.
  • Know what’s even cooler?  That there are still 5 or 6 people that we know of who are still going to be baptized.
  • Know what’s even cooler than that?  That we just baptized several people a few weeks ago.
  • RPC, God is up to something incredible in our midst.  We MUST NOT take this for granted.  Some people go to church their entire lives and never see the things we’ve seen over the last 3 years.
  • OK, on to the big announcement: we’re putting our property up for sale.  We’re very rapidly filling up both services and will be completely out of room soon, so we must do something.  And instead of adding more services, we feel that God is leading to us move forward toward where He wants us to be.
  • Word on the street is that there’s a video floating around out there…
  • We’re selling because of our space issues, but I’m not gonna lie – I’ve hated sending people outside to use the restrooms for over 7 years.  That’s 378 Sundays for those of you keeping count (I know I am).
  • So what’s up next for us?  Where are we going?  We had a cookout today and shared the news with our Family Group Leaders.  If you weren’t there you’ll just have to wait until December 6th for the rest of the story.
  • Oh yeah, by the way:  you won’t want to miss December 6th.  It’ll be one of the biggest Sundays in the history of RPC.  We’re talking EPIC.
  • I’m so thankful for our staff, trustees, and leaders who came out today.  It’s so incredible to see the “leadership horsepower” that God has assembled at RPC.  It’s almost as if He’s planning for something BIG around here.  :)
  • I’m also thankful for the ones who weren’t able to be there today.  We were missing some key folks but it’s all good.
  • Whew.  That’s a lot of typing.  Told you it was a big day.
  • I’m out.

Posted in church life, end of the week | 3 Comments »

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Meet & Greet

November 11, 2009

With all the new faces around RPC, I thought I’d take a minute and answer some questions that I get asked from time to time.

1. What did you do before RidgePoint Church? I worked in Information Technology for Publix Supermarkets at their corporate office.  I knew very little about programming computers, but I was good at speaking in front of large audiences so they made me a Product Manager.  Which means I stayed busy training folks to use their software.

2. What kind of Bible do you use? I read lots of different translations, but on the weekends I teach from the New International Version (NIV).  I like the Message and the Living Bible as well.  And when I first became a Christian I used the New American Standard Bible, so when I quote verses from memory they’re often NASB.  I think most translations are pretty faithful, so if there’s a specific one you like I’d say stick with it.

3. Do you really not like people? On the stage, I’m an extrovert and fairly animated. But when I’m not teaching, I’m a bit of an introvert. If you have any background in DISC profiling or Meyers-Briggs you understand primary & secondary temperaments.  Let’s put it this way – at a party I’d be the guy sitting to the side with my 2 or 3 friends waiting for it to be over.

4. Why don’t you allow children in your services? Because that environment wasn’t designed for kids.  The music is loud, and it’s dark, and sometimes I talk about subjects they’re not ready for.  And while most men I know need to hear teaching about internet porn, you probably don’t want to explain it to your 6 year old.  We’ve worked really hard to create age-appropriate environments for kids of all ages, and we encourage everyone to take advantage of them.

5. Do you do counseling? In spite of RPC’s size, I still counsel people fairly regularly. Most pastors give up counseling early in the growth of their church, but I really enjoy it and will do it as long as I can.  But as we grow I have less time for it, so the chances that I’ll be able to counsel everyone who asks shrinks weekly.  I’ll generally say yes as long as I’m not neglecting my professional or family responsibilities.

6. What do you do for fun? I like reading, history, [saltwater] fishing and golf.  And I love hanging out with my family.

7. What is your educational background? I graduated from Clearwater Christian College in 1999 with a B.A. in Pastoral Studies and a B.A. in Bible.  I also minored in Biblical Languages.  I’ve taken some graduate-level courses, and will probably finish my Master’s one day, but for now I’m focused on not missing my little man grow up.

8. What do you do during the week? I know some people think pastors only work one day a week, but my week is usually pretty busy. I usually study and strategize in the morning, and meet with lots of people for leadership discussion and/or counseling in the afternoons. Right now I’m involved in a series of conference calls every week with NPCC.  And most weeks I have at least one evening meeting to attend.

9.  What achievement is most important to you? Without question: her.  And judging by statistics I’d say staying married for 7 years is a big enough achievement.

10.  If you weren’t a pastor, what would you do? I might be a lawyer or an entrepreneur of some type.  Or figure out how to make a living off fishing. :)

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