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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.