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Today was another good day at RPC, and the end of a loooong week. Here are some highights.

Michael hit a home run. We continued our summer sermon series - “Faces of Leadership” - this week by hearing from our Student Pastor, Michael Mathews. He talked about how we should stop making excuses (”get off our but’s”), and he had a “but-counter” so we’d know how many times he said it. I lost count in the 80’s. Funny & poignant.

Our kids areas run smoothly. I didn’t stay in the back for the entire day like I did last week, mainly because I was in the way back there. They have a great system, and they work it well. Our kids, from birth through high school, are well taken-care of.

Next week will be special. Next Sunday we’ll hear a surprise message from a surprise speaker. Trust me, you’re gonna love it. And this speaker is so pumped that they’ve been preparing for weeks and have asked me to come hear a “preview” walk-through version tomorrow night. Should be excellent.

Today was exhausting. After getting home from RPC and getting Noah down for a nap, I finally got our old washer & dryer moved out of our garage, helped Miranda’s parents move their new big screen tv & set it up, then grilled out and entertained some friends that we had over. Then we put Noah down for the night & finished up the dinner dishes. This is literally the first time I’ve sat still since this morning. A busy, but good, day.

This week will be crazy. We’ll spend the week shifting offices around, getting ready for Travis to start work at RPC in 2 weeks. If you happen to call the office and we miss it, be a little patient with us - and blame this guy. Ha ha.

The host team was incredible. You could really tell a difference in the overall mood of the service because of all the greeters and hosts we had hanging around helping people. Luke Ostberg’s family group did an amazing job handling things today.

So that’s what going on around here. What’s up with you?

Wow, what a week.

Monday: got home from meeting @ 9 pm.

Tuesday: got home from meeting @ 10 pm.

Wednesday: visited my grandpa in the hospital in Daytona until 9 pm (including 4 hrs driving).

Yesterday: got home from premarital counseling @ 7 pm.

I’ve seen some turmoil in a couple of friends’ lives.

Oh, and we’re remodeling yet another office in anticipation of this guy arriving.

In between I attempted to be a dad and husband.

It’s a good thing this guy’s speaking this week and not me - I don’t know when I would’ve studied.

So, believe it or not I’m really looking forward to mowing the grass in a little while. I don’t know, but a couple hours riding a mower and listening to the ol’ iPod sounds like a pretty good time to me right now. Call it my decompression chamber.

What do you do to get away?

Had the chance to go fishing with some good friends Saturday night, and I figured that since I wasn’t speaking the next morning a semi-late night wouldn’t kill me. Boy, was I wrong. Here are some of the very random lessons I learned…

• Murphy’s law tells us if you go fishing with a boat that has no spare tire for the trailer, you’re gonna have a blow out. Oops.
• Common sense tells us if you have a blow out on the Polk Parkway at 1:30am on Sunday morning, you’re on your own because nothing’s open. Oops #2.
• I’m sure there’s a law of thermodynamics that tells us if you drive on said flat tire, even at slow speeds, before long you’ll be driving on the rim. Oops #3 (but who’s counting?)
• Through personal observation I learned that you can’t drive very long on the rim of a blown out tire. By the way, don’t touch it - it’s REALLY hot by now.
• And if you leave the boat on the side of the road to go get a spare, be sure to leave two buddies and a Glock to watch over things (this one actually worked out ok).
• Oh, yeah - when you get back with the spare tire of a MUCH smaller boat (namely, mine) hoping it’ll fit, don’t get in a hurry because…
• Most likely, all five lug nuts will be firmly welded rusted in place.
• Don’t cut your hand on the shredded rim as you fight to remove said lug nuts.
• Once you get them off, the new (much smaller) tire/rim WILL fit, but don’t get excited yet because…
• When you lower the boat off the jack to drive home, the much-too-small tire/rim combo will IMMEDIATELY go flat (by now it’s getting laughable)…
• Don’t be afraid, drive home anyway. I mean, if you can demolish one trailer tire/rim, why not two?
• The smaller tire & rim will, surprisingly, hold up MUCH better than the much larger stock one did.
• After finishing the drive at a brisk pace of 10mph, you’re not going to bed before 3am. But don’t get too comfy because…
• you’re getting up at 8am to go to RPC and chase 100 13 two-year-olds around.

Good times. Actually, we had a blast in spite of our minor setbacks. But then, we’re kind of twisted like that.

What’s that? You say you already knew most of these lessons?

Then why didn’t you call me?

I’m using the month of July to learn about some of the other environments at RPC that I don’t normally get to observe. Today I had a tour of duty in ZooStation, our preschool department…

Where did all of the kids come from? Seriously, there are kids everywhere. Both services saw almost every room packed full of youngin’s.

What do you get when you put 13 two & three year olds and 3 adults in a small room? Organized chaos, that’s what. Beautiful, teachable, organized chaos.

Our kids workers (both ZooStation AND PowerUp) deserve a medal. They have great attitudes and are flexible, which is why it all works so well.

Work the system. Because the system works. The check-in, check-out, and volunteer systems at RPC really run like a well-oiled machine.

We have some facility issues. I saw some things today that I was unaware of - improvements we need to make to our facility to make our workers and kids lives easier. I was glad I got to see them with my own eyes - it made today totally worth it. By the way, we’ll begin addressing some of those issues this week.

Chris did an incredible job. Or at least that’s the word on the street. I’ll check out the podcast later this week.

If you want more rewind info, check out Travis’ post here.

Good night and God bless…

This is the funniest thing I’ve seen in a while.

After I’d spoken at the two Saturday night services at CATS, Joe handed me the following picture. Some guy handed it to him and asked him to give it to me. He apparently drew this during one of the services. Joe didn’t know who he was, but the guy promised he was listening as he drew. I say it’s worth having one bored listener if this is what I get in return.

Can’t put my finger on it, but there may have been some creative liberties taken.

Whadda ya think?

It’s been a different kind of weekend, and this is a different kind of rewind. As most of you know by now, I wasn’t at RPC this weekend so it’d be tough to review anything that happened there. But Michael and Travis did a pretty good job of that already - check it out here and here. Miranda had to work, so Bobby McCue rode along with me as I went back up to Ocala to speak at all four of the weekend services for Church@TheSprings again. They’re doing a summer series where they’re having some different pastors who’ve been involved in a NEXT coaching network come and speak for them, and I was the first victim speaker.

Everything went well, and Bobby & I had a good time. Their crowd(s) were all really into the services, which made it feel like it wasn’t a holiday weekend at all. It was (believe it or not) a pretty relaxing and enjoyable trip overall. Bobby & I have been friends for the full 6 years I’ve been at RPC, but we don’t get to hang out like this very much. And on the way home we made a quick stop at Gander Mountain, the new store that’s supposed to rival Bass Pro Shops. It doesn’t - the quick review goes something like this: “same stuff, more money”.

Anyway, that’s where I’ve been the last 2 days. It was a good weekend, but I’m looking forward to being back at RPC this weekend.

What’s up with you?

I promised an announcement this week, and here it is.

Over the last year and a half we’ve seen consistent growth. We have more people, more income, more opportunities, and more influence than we’ve ever had before. All of which means it’s more important than ever that we be good stewards of all the above.

At the same time my responsibilities have increased steadily in two areas. My primary responsibilities involve speaking (obviously), casting vision, determining the direction of the church, and in general charting the course for our future. I call this the 1,000-foot level.

But there is also the need for attention to details, like which copier do we need to buy and how can we best maximize office space and what do our 6 full time and 2 part time staff need to work on this week to move us closer to our goal? This is the 100-foot level.

Time for a little secret. Pastors of smaller churches lead at both levels, mainly out of necessity. We constantly switch back and forth, which can be draining. And it’s not that I mind all the details at the 100-foot level. I know they’re necessary, but they don’t GIVE me evergy, they TAKE it from me. And there comes a point when addressing each level becomes so big that you can’t afford to alternate any more.

That’s where RPC is. There’s too much on both levels to be addressed by one person. It’s obvious (or at least it was to us) that we need to hire someone to handle the 100-foot level, so I can be freed up to lead, speak, and chart the course for our future at the 1000-foot level.

So we’re hiring an Executive Pastor. Someone to manage the details. God has blessed us financially to be able to do this, and he’s also sent several qualified candidates to choose from. Michael Mathews was the obvious choice, mainly because he’s been my go-to guy for several years now. He was pumped at the chance, but after praying about it he felt the timing wasn’t right, and we support him on that.

So after much prayer and hours of discussion between the Personnel Team and the Trustees, we unanimously agreed to offer the job to Travis Thompson, and he accepted. We are excited about this, as is Travis, and we believe - we KNOW - that this is the right fit both for us and for him.

Travis comes on board at the beginning of August, and I know he’ll add value immediately. I’m already breathing easier, and he hasn’t even started yet.

So go on over and check him out at his blog. Support him Sunday as he kicks off our new series. And encourage him about this great opportunity, for him AND for us.

And some day soon he’ll share the full story of what brought him and his family to RPC. It has “Divine Providence” written all over it.

So what do you think?

I wish I could send a letter to me. Specifically, to me where I was 3 years ago, when the transition started from the more-traditional First Baptist Church to the not-even-remotely-traditional RidgePoint Church. As I look back over the path we’ve traveled, there are some tough lessons I’ve learned that would’ve helped more if I’d known them sooner. If I could talk to the old me, here’s what I would say…

Insiders will always tell you what they want. Or what they need. Or what they think they need. Or what it’s going to take to reach them. They’ll talk to you about the music and the dress code and the lighting and the subject matter of sermons and how some (or all) of it doesn’t work for them. They’ll say it loud, and they’ll say it proud, and they’ll often be the only voice you hear. And because they’re often the loudest or only voice you hear, you’ll tend to give them a lot of attention.

But that’s where you’ll go wrong.

You see, the people you’re supposed to reach don’t really care about the church. That’s the point. They aren’t going to stop by your church on Sunday morning on their way to the lake to explain why they aren’t staying. They aren’t going to email you to tell you the things you could change to make them more interested in coming. They aren’t going to give a voice to all the things you need to do differently to reach the unchurched. But their voice is EXACTLY the one you should be listening to.

That’s the problem. The voices you hear aren’t most important, and the one you need to hear isn’t speaking. So what’s the solution? YOU. You speak for them. You be their voice. You be the champion that fights on their behalf.

It won’t be popular. And it won’t be fun. And it won’t win you a whole lot of friends.

But it’s the right thing to do. And it’s what God told you to do. And it’s what Jesus said he would do.

Remember that whole “leave the 99 sheep to go after the 1″ thing? How do you think those 99 felt about it? I’m guessing they didn’t like it very much, and probably spent a lot of time bleating and complaining.

But the shepherd didn’t care because what he was doing was right. It’s not a popularity contest, it’s leadership.

Do the right thing. Let the chips fall where they may. And in the end, what matters most isn’t who is still your friend or how popular you are. It’s whether or not you were faithful.

Just sat down to reflect on the crazy week at RPC. Check it out…

Judgment Call is done. It’s been awhile since I’ve felt so strongly about doing a series, and since we’ve had SO MUCH feedback. But this series also took it out of me, especially today. Let’s just say it was fun, but I’m glad it’s done (sorry - that was awful).

Convictions can be sticky. Again, I assure you I could’ve found A LOT of easier things to talk about today, but I really felt like this message was needed. We’re turning EVERY decision into life or death, and some things just aren’t that important. Someone said it this way: “In necessary things, unity; in doubtful things, liberty; in all things, charity (love).” That sums it up pretty well.

Our growth is exciting. We’re seeing a ton of new faces around (many of them showing up with bibles - how cool is that?). We’re watching people growing closer to God AND each other in their family groups. And we’ve got some pretty exciting baptisms coming up soon. In short, God’s at work. I told someone this week that many people go to church their entire lives and never see what we’ve seen just in the last six months. I hope we never take it for granted that God decides to show up among us.

Fireworks are here. And I love them. We lit sparklers with Noah for the first time tonight. The noise and lights are fun, but for pete’s sake not after my kid’s in bed. Seriously.

Our new series will be off the chain. For the next few weeks we’ll be hearing from some of our other leaders at RPC, and it should be intense. We’ve been planning this for months, and I think you’re really going to enjoy it.

I’m putting myself into circulation. I’ll be speaking at Church @ The Springs in Ocala next week (gotta pay for vacation somehow), but after that look for me in ZooStation and PowerUp. I want to take a couple weeks and see what is normally going on around our campus while I’m doing my thing. It should be fun.

Noah has fins. Well, not really, but he IS doing really well at his swim lessons. He already knows how to turn himself over in the water, make it to the side of the pool and hold on. Oh, and we bought him some new swim goggles, which he proceeded to wear while he was taking his bath tonight. And once I figure out how to upload it to YouTube I’ll show you the footage. Just trust me - it was hilarious.

You can check out Travis’ download here. And stay tuned this week for a MAJOR announcement concerning a MAJOR hiring for RPC…

Okay, it’s your turn. What do you want to rewind from today?

Wow. Ugh. Today was a great day, but a long and tough one. Here are some highlights.

Miranda is sick. She’s been in bed since Thursday with a fever and other various goodies, and the doc told her yesterday she has strep throat. Fun fun.

I’m wiped out. My parents took Noah for the day to give me a break, so I responded by taking a two-hour nap. These last two weeks have been intense on me, so after services I’ve been brain-dead and dog-tired. Feels like old times.

I need to blog more. I’m feeling guilty about leaving you in the dark. And it’s not like there’s nothing to say, because things are happening fast. What can I say - I’m in a slump. For now, keep up on Twitter.

Two people crossed the line of faith this morning. We did a pretty straightforward invitation in both services, and had two people respond to give their lives to Christ. The cool things is that for both of them this was their first week at RPC. Crazy.

The weather was crazy. About half way through the second service the bottom fell out. I could even hear the thunder and wind while I was speaking, which is crazy because I usually can’t hear a thing. By the time we finished the rain was literally blowing sideways, so over half the crowd hung out and chatted for another half-hour or so. I absolutely LOVE how flexible and good-natured our people are.

This is a busy week. Full days, traveling, & several night meetings will keep me hopping. That’s ok - I’ll breathe on Friday. No, wait, Saturday. Whatever.

Ok, here’s the thing. Today was an intense day, so let’s have everyone chime in and share their thoughts. Even those of you who normally read up and then leave. It’s your turn.

Speak up.