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Are you ready to ... "SHIFT!?"

This weekend we begin what could potentially be pivotal and life-changing series for us a church and as individual Christ Followers -- the series is called SHIFT.

At certain times, we need increased momentum in our lives. We feel like something is a little off, we are lugging a little too slow or somehow need a surge of juice. That¹s when it¹s time for a shift.

This isn¹t about going in the wrong direction, it isn¹t a U-turn, it¹s about executing a gear change, it¹s a about an adjustment that will give us momentum A SHIFT.

This series will look at five different shifts that we think are staring us in the face, five cultural shifts, five momentum changers for us as a community and you as an individual. We only have so much energy so let¹s use it wisely, let¹s make sure we¹re in the right gear. Let¹s shift!

February 25 + 27    SERVE SHIFT From Renters to Owners
March 4 + 6             STUFF SHIFT From Giving to Surrender
March 11 + 13         FAITH SHIFT From Wishing to Expecting
March 18 + 20         MISSION SHIFT  From Watching to Engaging
March 25 + 27         PRAYER SHIFT From Saying Prayers to The Center

What Makes a Good Book?

What makes a good book? 

Though there are many determing factors that you can mention, for me, what makes a good book is whether it gets me and others talking. Not just thinking, but talking where what is being read compels me to share my learnings or its content with others.

An arena of life that I spend a good portion of my time is in a local church.  And here are five books that I and friends and colleagues of mine have read that have lead to some great discussion about the church and what it means to be a Christ follower.  I hope you will be prodded to read one or all of these books.

1. The Next Christians by Gabe Lyons 
2. Untamed by Alan Hirsch  
3. Generous Justice by Timothy Keller 
4. Radical by David Platt 
5. Crazy Love by Francis Chan

I believe it has done so for the following reasons ...

• The timeliness of its content -- it has implications for the world we are living in now.
• Accessibility -- people can engage in its content regardless of the prior knowledge to subject matter.
• It gets you think because as it challenges your current point of view.

Jesus Creed "The Series"

Jesus Creed the series will be launching this weekend at Journey.  The series based on the book The Jesus Creed by Scot McKnight will be a part of a church-wide initiative that will include an accompanying group study that all of our small groups will going through.   In additon there are supplemental learning materials --  McKnight's books the Jesus Creed and a devotional 40 Days Living the Jesus Creed.

If you are not in a small group and would like to join one.  New groups are starting in view of this current series.  The Jesus Creed small group study will begin the week of Jan. 17 and continue for the next 7 weeks to coincide with the series.  You can sign up for a group and/or purchase either of the Jesus Creed books at the Small Group Rally tonight 6:30pm at Journey Community Church or after the services this weekend.

Also toward the end  of the series we are excited to have Scot McKnight join us. For a complete breakdown of the series, see below.

Here is a complete breakdown of the weekend series:

“Spirituality”—most of us feel like we want it. We would like to think of ourselves as a “spiritual” person. But how are you suppose to figure out whatʼs real, whatʼs true, what actual spirituality looks like? Even if you are connected to a church, who do you ask? Even if you decide to read the Bible, where do you start? I mean itʼs a big book! Itʼs almost like we are suffering from information overload. It would be nice if someone who really knew what they were talking about could boil it down and just give us something
to work with. Enter Jesus, who did just that. 

“Love God. Love your neighbor.”This little ditty is something author and New Testament scholar Scot McKnight calls “The Jesus Creed.” Join us as we take a closer look at the center of Jesus Spirituality.

• January 14 & 16     Everything Life in a Line
• January 21 & 23     OneThe Lord is One…and that Changes Stuff!
• January 28 & 30     WhoThe Great and Very Wrong Question: Who is my Neighbor?
• February 4 & 6       Unlikely A Connection with God Where You Least Expect It
• February 11 &13   Scot McKnight Author of the best seller, The Jesus Creed
• February 18 & 20    Love Itʼs Not What You Think

No Bible Reading Plan in Place ... No Problem

So we are heading toward the half way mark of January and if you don't have some type of Bible reading plan in place?  No worries, but I would prod you to do something. 

In most years I have had something in place before the New Year has begun.  In the past of I have read through The One Year Bible (which we offer in different formats in our bookstore), The Chronilogical Bible in a Year, or a specific series of devotionals.  However, this year I find myself stuck, with no plan in a place.

Yet, there is a need to do something. We need a steady of diet of God's Word getting through us regularly. So in the mean time here is what I am doing and this is something you can dive in today if you find yourself stuck.  Because January is a 31 day month, read one chapter of Proverbs every day and read one Psalm each day corresponding to the date on the calendar.  I have found my first days of this year filled with great reminders of God's faithfulness and recementing of some foundational truths.

Now here are some places you can check out with potential plans:

• Our Daily Journey ministries has some great resources stop by their counter after services.
• The You Version provides over 50 different plans.
• The Discipleship Journal has some solid options.
• New Hope Christian Fellowship has some great plans.
• A customized reading plan for you via MONVEE

If you plan in place that is serving you well, I would love to hear about it.

"My Top 5 Movies of 2010" (God at the Movies 8 candidates?)

God at the Movies has been a series our church has done for 7 years running.  It has proven to be a series that stirs up great conversation and presents an incredible opportunity to bring spiritually seeking friends.  Now whether we present an 8th installment of this series this summer has yet to be decided.  However, as it is the beginning of the year and many are making lists of what their favorites and best of's the past year. 

Here are my top five movies of 2010 all of which, in my opinion, would be great candidates for God at the Movies 8 should we decide to do it.

1. The Social Network (for those of you missed it in theates, it comes out on Blu-Ray and DVD on January 11.  Aaron Sorkin proves again what an incredible writer he is.)
2. Inception (This is really more like 1b and a film you will need to see more than once)
3. Toy Story 3  (The best of the three. Whereas sequels never deliver like original, this one does!)
4. True Grit (Go see it now.  Who doesn't think Hailee Steinfield playing Mattie Ross gives a stellar performance!)
5. How to Train Your Dragon ( Very poignant learning moments for me as a parent and leader)

I hope you will be prodded to go and see some of these films. 

What were your favorites from last year?

Do any of these make your list?

"My First 11 in 2011" -- Reading List

Like a lot of people I am setting goals for this new year.  One of the most fundamental ones to me is putting together a reading list to help me in my self-leading efforts.  Listed below is the first 11 books that I will be reading in 2011 and a brief commentary on why I am choosing to read them.  I have downloaded most of them to my Kindle 2.  Links to respective books are in the column on the right.

I would love to hear about what you reading.  Please tell me what you are reading by commenting.

1. Think Twice: Harnessing the Power of Counterintuition by Michael J. Mauboussin (A book that caught my attention as a result of my Monday Morning Routine.)
2. Buy-In: Saving Your Good Idea from Getting Shot Down by John Kotter (One of the most insightful thinkers on change.)
3. Chief Culture Officer: How to Create a Living, Breathing Corporation by Grant McCracken (Another book that caught my attention as a resutl of my Monday Morning Routine.)
   
4. Open Leadership: How Social Technology Can Transform the Way You Lead by Charlene Li (Social Networking is not going away, the more we are up on it the better we can leverage it in our leading.)
5. Talk Less, Say More: Three Habits to Influence Others and Make Things Happen by Connie Dieken (A skill set that I can always use some learning in.)
6. Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God by John Piper  (His key thought that reading is thinking really resonates with me.)
7. Generous Justice: How God's Grace Makes Us Just by Timothy Keller (Keller is one of my favorite author, I simply read whateve he writes.)
8. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Just curious about this book series that seems to be gaining popularity.)
9. Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction by Eugene H. Peterson (Our worship pastor Jason Denison referenced this book in our leaders meeting and got my attention)
10. Winning on Purpose: How To Organize Congregations to Succeed in Their Mission by William Easum (This is a work related read for a project I am currently working on.)
11. Well Being by Tom Rath (Rath's work through the Gallup Organization I find very insightful.)
12. The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living As If He Doesn't Exist by Craig Groeschel (I know that I said 11, but there are just too many good books so I added one more.  One of the best innovative leaders in the church and I read everything he writes.)

I will also revisiting these two books that I have previously read:

In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson (I have given to this too most of my leaders to read)

Blue Parakeet by Scot McKnight (Our leadership team is reading it)

Dog Days Are Over -- The Importance of Having a Solid Bridge Element

After our four Christmas Services (Dec. 23 & 24) I commented to our lead pastor Ed Noble that the crowd seemed much more engaged than usual and hence he seemed a lot more comfortable from the outset of his message. Now the reason I am bringing this up is because on a high outreach weekend like Christmas or Easter the ratio of regulars to guests are much different than a regular weekend -- meaning there are a lot more guests.  As a result it takes a little longer for the crowd to become comfortable with who you are as a communicator.  It also effects what you say and how you say it.  Nuances that are normal for the regular attendees seem to go over the guests head and it is often met with a deafening silence.

Yet on this occassion this was not the case.  The primary reason I believe, and I know there were other subtle variables played a part, was the song that preceeded the message.  What I observed deepened my conviction of how important it is to have a meaningful, solid bridge element in our servivces to communicate to our spiritually seeking guests that we understand the world they live in; and that here is something that you may have already have connection to that we want to help draw spiritual meaning from.

The music team performed a cover of English Indie Rock artist Florence and the Machine's  Dog Days Are Over.  This song not only served the theme and content of the message, but it is a song that is current and was recently performed during the hit tv show Glee.  The lead on the song Minnie King nailed it. After the service when I played the song for my wife by Florence and the Machine she thought it was Minnie.  In additon it was the type of song that brought lot of energy that I believe really looseed people up. I think we forget what it is like to attend church as a guest. Many guest sit with folded or crossed arms as a indirect way of putting their guards up.  Yet with this song it could not help but relax them.

Pray Who They Can Become

In a previous post I shared the first of two practices that I want to encourage us to engage in this coming year that will help keep God as the "one thing" in our lives.  This practice is one I have developed more recently and so I am gradually trying to make it a habit.  I hope you will be prodded to do the same.

PRAY WHO THEY CAN BECOME:

At the heart of this practice is simply lifting up a short silent prayer on behalf each person you come in contact with in the course of your day.  We don't need to know where they are at in their spiritual journey all we need to pray is that they would become all that God created them to me.  Ephesians 2:10 is a great verse that speaks to this notion,  "For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life."

Now if we know the person, we may offer a specific request on their behalf, yet with the same spirit praying that they would become of who God intends for them to be.  Jesus gave us a great example in how he saw Peter when He said in Matthew 16:18  "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it."  When Jesus made this declaration hardly anyone could imagine Peter in this light, yet Jesus did not only see Peter as he was, but who he could become.

 

Basketball's holy land -- Cameron Indoor Stadium

In honor of Coach Mike Krzyzewski's (Coach K)  880th victory last night putting him number two all-time on the men's basketball win list, here are some, or should I say a lot of pics from my recent visit (Dec. 8, 2010) to basketball's holy land --  Cameron Indoor Stadium on the Duke University Campus in Durham North Carolina. 

Whether you are a Blue Devil fan or not, every serious college basketball fan should make a visit to Cameron for game at some point.  I am hoping to make this an annual pilgrimage.

I am fan of not only of Duke's basketball program, but Coach K has been an indirect leadership mentor to me.  I am sitting in a place of greatness.

I have been a long time Duke fan since 1978 when I followed them make a run to the final four eventually losing the championship game to Kentucky 94-88.   The purpose of this visit was belated milestone birthday gift to my mom, who is also long time Duke fan.

The game we attended Duke defeated Bradley 81-48.  It was a historic evening as Coach K chalked up win 877 moving him into third in all-time wins.

That night sophomore great Andre Dawkins had a career night scoring 31 points including 8 three-pointers.

Now what makes Cameron Indoor Stadium the number one home court advantage in all of sports is the "Cameron Crazies!"

Our seats gave a great view of seeing an incredible leader in action.

We spent the whole day walking the campus and taking in the mystique of this place and you never know who you might run into.  Here I am with all-american, player of the year nominee Nolan Smith.

Later that day we ran into sophomore sensation Ryan Kelly the starting 6 -10 forward.

Then after the game freshman phenom Kyrie Irving who was on his way to being a first-team All-American and no doubt freshman of the year. 

This was my second trip to Cameron this year.  Earlier this year I attended a game with my son,  and when we there there were only three of these now there are four.

 

 

PRAY WHERE YOU ARE

I am always looking for fresh ways of engaging with God.  With my tendency to drift I need practices that help keep God in focus as the main thing in my life.  Here is a practice that I have come up with over the past year or so.  I do not do it well and fall short of its objectives often, however I keep at it because when I do engage in it I really sense God's hand at work.

This was to be shared in the message SHIFT that I gave on Sunday Dec. 26 as one of two ways to keep God in focus. 

The two key areas where I will need to do the most shifting is in respect to places that I inhabit and the people I interact with.  The first practice is ...

PRAY WHERE YOU ARE:  In its simplest form this practice involves praying  every time I enter a new environment. 

So here is how it might be lived out on an average day: first praying when I get into my car, my next stop would be the Starbucks where I get my morning coffee and praying there, then praying at my son's school when I drop him off, then praying as soon as I get into the office.  Then throughout the day when I run an errand or go to an appointment praying as soon as I get there, then later going to the gym and then back home praying as soon as I enter into all these environments.

Now what I pray will vary.  The main point is to acknowledge God's presence in all of these environments.  When I am faithful in this practice it has an incredibly shaping influence in my experience in these places. Instead of getting through the routine of what these places facilitate,  I find myself seeing things with more redemptive eyes and more intuned to the people around me.

Two key verses that have informed this practice are below.

Genesis 28:16,17
Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!’ And he was afraid, and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

Matthew 28:20b
… I am with you always, to the end of the age.

I hope this will prod you PRAY WHERE YOU ARE  in 2011.

The second practice will be in a future post.

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Adding "Angst" to Any Christmas Gathering

Now that  Christmas is becoming a memory  and in a few days we will be putting away the Christmas tree and packing away all the decorations, here is something I want to prod you to put in the vault for next Christmas.

Most of us attend several Christmas party/gatherings during the course of the season.  Some are highly anticipated, some are more of a commitment or obligatin, some you wish you could put more energy toward -- these are some of the ways we approach them.  Now with these gatherings there is not only a commitment of our time, but also, in a lot of instances, we are responsible to bring a dish (if it is potluck style) and some of you might have some type of gift to bring for a gift exchange.  So seemingly simple tasks are exaggerated because there are so many of them.  So in the midst of an already full schedule and season here is how you can angst to any of these Christmas Gatherings.

You can do so by adding this gesture.  Ask each person that attends to bring a gift for Jesus.  It is His birthday afterall that we are celebrating right?  And when I am invited to a friend's birthday party, I believe the understood norm is that you bring a wrapped gift.  So why would it not be any different for Jesus the King of King and Lord of Lords. 

Trust me when I say this will be met with angst.  Now why would I want to add angst to an already somewhat stressfull season?  I will explain in a moment. 

Up to the day of the party they are usually in a quandry as to what to bring..  When I have done this in the past, people usually have these type of responses:  "What?"  "I don't understand?"  "A gift for Jesus???"  "Do I get Him clothes, I don't get it?" 

And my answer to these questions is always the same, "It's a birthday party, have you not bought a birthday gift before?"  This usually does nothing for them, but add to their frustration.  So again why do this?

Because it can lead to one of the most meaningful Christmas gatherings you may have.  I speak from experience. 

20 years ago when I began following Christ.  I was invited to a Christmas party and when I asked what I should bring thinking it would be a food item, I was told simply bring a gift for Jesus.  And I went through all of the angst and frustration that people I have posed this question to.  I called others I knew who were attending the party, the host -- all who offered no help.

Yet, it proved to be the most meaningful Christmas.  When we sat in a circle to share our gifts I was incredibly moved to see the thought, creativity and heart that was put into each gift. 

This past Christmas that we just celebrated we did a birthday for Jesus in one of the gatherings  attended , and no fail it had a similar effect of adding angst but more important meaning.  The gift I brought for Jesus is in the picture above. You might think I that is an odd gift, but there is explanantion to the significance and the meaning.

Until next Christmas ..

When I Begin to Drift ... SHIFT (Self Examination Questions)

Yesterday, I had the privilge of sharing the final message of 2010 at Journey Community Church.  In my message (titled SHIFT) I shared that at times we will drift from keeping the "one thing" in focus, and when we do we need to SHIFT. 

I shared some self examination questions that I have found helpful in shifting God back into focus as the "one thing.

Here they are in case you missed them:

• Is there any area of sin that I am struggling with?
• Am I genuinely engaging in the lives of people whom Christ desires for us to reach?
• Am I living life of conscientious dependence on Him?
• “I am living life with a grateful spirit?”

 

 

"MERRY CHRISTMAS from the Kaya's"

MERRY CHRISTMAS

To all of you who enrich our lives through our on-line community.  Thank you for all the times  you made the effort to comment on our wall on Facebook or replied back to us on Twitter. And thank you for sharing your life aswell through these means.   Your friendship is a gift.

Wherever you may find yourself this Christmas may you celebrate well the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.

 

There is Still Time! "What Your Need to Know Regarding the Journey Christmas Services!"

Here is what you need to know regarding our Christmas Eve Services at Journey Community Church. 

 

Service times are Thursday Dec. 23 at 7pm & Friday Dec. 24 at 2,4, & 6pm. Please note that doors will be open 20 minutes prior to each service.  And if you don't take off right away stick around for complimentary holiday goodies.

There is childrens ministry class for kids 5 younger on the 23rd and for infant to care to 5th grade on the 24th.  Middle School and High School students are to attend the main services.

And for those of you last minute shoppers our bookstore will be open 6:30-8:30p on Dec. 23 & 1:30-8:00pm on Dec. 24.

On Sunday December 26 join us for one service at 10am as we celebrate one last time in 2010.  We will be partaking in communion in that service.

Journey Community Church. 8363 Center Drive La Mesa CA 91942. 619.464.4544 www.journeycommunitychurch.org.

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"Why?" The Greatest Question

A quick thought ...

Last night while flipping through the channels I landed on watching a few minutes of Larry King's final show of Larry King Live. A show that started on CNN in 1985, that he was now calling it quits after 25 years.  The segment I caught had Saturday Night Live (SNL) cast member Fred Armisen playing Larry King interviewing Larry King.

It was fun exchange of questions and one that was posed to the real Larry King that really piqued my interest was,  "What is the greatest question?" 

To which King replied "Why?"  He explained that asking this question (Why?) does two things: 1. it can not be answered in a single word and 2. it gets people to think.

 

 

What a Difference a Year Makes!

On November 9 at the Journey-Up Rally I had the privilege of interviewing four people whose lives have been linked by and radically changed by a series of promptings and invitiations.

One of the persons whom I interviewed was Marie Foster.  One year ago to the date of the rally Marie was confronted by the most devasting news of her entire life.  And now a year later she was sharing about how she had come to know Jesus in a personal way, was baptized and is being healed of past wounds.

What a difference a year makes! 

However, this interview was a bit of teaser.  There was much left in her journey we wish we could have heard and was left wanting.  That was by intention.  This weekend (Dec. 3 & 5) as we kick off a brand new series A LITTLE MORE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT we will get to hear her journey in its entirety.  The purpose of Marie and others on the panel sharing their journeys  during this series is to convey how critical a simple invite to a weekend service might change someone's life for eternity.

And what a great opportunity is in front of us as this series leads up to four Christmas services we will be having on Dec. 23 & 24.  For a complete break down of the series and info on our Christmas series click here.

Be sure to pick up invitiation pieces at Guest Services.

 

 

The Journey Holiday

This past weekend during our worship experiences and in a previous post -- I shared why it is important to go to church and with the holiday season going into full swing beginning with Thanksgiving I want to layout what the next six weeks will look like so you can set your calendars accordingly. 

So Here is the Holiday Schedule at Journey:

Friday Nov. 26         No Service in view of Thanksgiving Holiday

Sunday Nov. 28       Vintage Us part 11 (Communion Service) 9 & 11 am.

A Little More Christmas Spirit
'Tis the season...and it's going to be over before you know it. If you're over the age of 10, Christmas sneaks up on you too fast, and is gone before you have the chance to really enjoy it. Instead, let's imbibe deeply in what we've come to call "the Christmas Spirit." How about a little more this year? The following three weekends will be meeting at our regular times of Fri. 7pm and Sun. 9 & 11am.

Dec.  3 & 5     A Little More Sharing

Dec. 10 & 12  A Little More Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Dec. 17 & 19  A Little More Celebration

Christmas Services: A Little More Cheer
Thursday Dec. 23 (7pm)  & Friday 24 (2,4 & 6pm)

Sunday Dec. 26 one service only at 10am.

Friday Dec. 31 No Service in view New Year's Day holiday

Sunday Jan. 2, 2011 regular service times 9 & 11am.

Jan. 7 & 9, 2011 regular service schedule resumes

Journey Community Church meets at 8363 Center Drive La Mesa CA 91942.  619.464.4544

The Bible Going Through You

John Ortberg, author of The Me I Want to Be, shared in a previous work, "More important than going through the Bible, is the Bible going through you."

Along this same train of thought Dallas Willard when asked what spiritual practices were most helpful in communing with God?  He shared along with solitude, the memorizing of chunks of Scripture is most important,  suggesting a great place to start would be Colossians 3.

I have also found that immersing myself with certain chapters of the Bible to the point that I become so familair with it that interacting with it becomes like a second nature also has the same effect of getting the Bible through me.  When I say familiarizing myself with the text I am referring to being able to quote certain parts of the chapter, summarize the chapter's main points and simply retelling the overall story or lesson with your own words.

One such chapter that I have found important for me to familiarize myself with is Acts 10.  After reading and reading this chapter over and over again, here is a helpful outline to get grasp on this 48-verse chapter.  This is the chapter that I will speaking on this weekend.  Here is a basic summary of the book. Obviously this is not all to tell about this chapter, and at the same time if someone were to ask what is Acts 10 about you can answer with this basic over.

1:        God Speaks to Cornelius  (10:1-8)
2:        God Speaks to Peter  (10:9-20)
3:        Cornelius and Peter Speak to Each Other (10:21-33)
4:        Peter Speaks to the Gentiles (10:34-43-48)
5:        We Speak to the World

 

"5 Reasons Why You Should Make Going to Church a Priority"

Earlier this year at a small gathering of Global Leadership Summit (GLS) site pastors Pastor Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Community Church lead a mentoring session where we could share recent learnings in the leading of our respective churches.  Through the course of dialogue Bill brought up the importance of reminding our  congregations why it is important to go to church.  What he shared gripped me and I have often referred back to my notes.

As we head into the holiday seasons and our schedules get a little fuller and a little less routine with various gatherings to attend and travel.  It can be real easy to de-prioritize church attendance.  So now is as good a time as any to remind ourselves why we need make going to church a priority.

So here my notes from that gathering.  The content below I will be presenting in my message this weekend.

1. Jesus modeled it for us. He made it a practice of His.  Luke 4:16 When he came to Nazareth, where he hadbeen brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom.

2. You are not in it alone -- you are not crazy.

3. Important for our children.  Your kids are depending on you, they cannot drive themselves.

4. The Power of the Manifest Presence of God.  Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."
   
5. Out of Discipline and Obedience. Hebrews 10:24, 25 "And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

"Why Thanksgiving Always Comes Early for Me"

Next week around this time most of us will be experiencing a food coma to varied degrees as our Thanksgiving festivites start winding down.

However, since 2003 Thanksgiving has always come about a week early for me.  In 2003 on Nov. 17th my son survived open heart surgery to work on a heart defect  Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF).  He had the surgery when he was exactly five months old. The months leading up to the operation were often an emotional roller coaster which involved numerous doctors appointments.  Yet through it all we (my wife Tara and I) were able to see the thread of God's faithfulness.

No one can prepare for that kind of journey.  Through my vocational experiences as a pastor of nearly 20 years I have had a front row seat to the depth of human tragedy.  Through the years I have watched many go through these trials courageously holding onto their faith and trusting in God during these seasons.  I would often say to myself "I do not know how they do it."  The second thing I would say to myself is "I could never bear what they are going through."  Yet I have learned when you are in it, God gets you through it.

One of the ways he got us through it was the thousands of prayers lifted up for our family from our friends, church and others whom we do not even know.  Yesterday marked 7 years since the operation.  Rhett is not completely out of the woods yet.  We have an annual echo-cardiogram that tracks the development of his heart valve.  So far every year we have been given a good report.

So as Thanksgiving will be celebrated as a nation next week I want to express my heart felt thanks to all of you who have prayed and continue to pray on my son's behalf.  Now you can understand why Thanksgiving always comes early for me.

The pictures were taken last Saturday at the Phoenix International Speedway as we took in our first NASCAR race together.

Learning from TOMS

Since its inception  as a footware company a friend and work colleague had been challenging me to take a look at TOMS Shoes.

After hearing Chief Shoe Giver Blake Mycoskie share the story of TOMS at The Global Leadership Summit (GLS) this past August I was definitely inspired by the TOMS story and was prodded to learn more about this company that is not only making a quality product, but having a global impact through it business model (One for One) that for every pair of shoes purchased gives away one pair of shoes to a child in need.

I love finding out what makes organization tick. So when I was given an opportunity to come visit their main offices in Santa Monica, I could not pass it up.  So yesterday I met with their Community Outreach Manager, Allie Tsavdarides,  and left encouraged by company's vision and story, but I also left encouraged with some great leadership learnings as well.

First -- the product. On the right is an example of a TOMS shoe you would purchase.  The shoe on the left is the one a child would receive.

In the United States, TOMS are worn primarily as casual wear.  However, in the countries that TOMS gives its shoes away, this is often a child's only pair.  Hence the color black because it matches most school uniforms.  Shoes are of the essence because these schools require a full uniform that includes shoes.  In addition because they are made for mutlifacated, daily use and they are often customized for that specific countries needs.

Again the shoe on the right is the one you would purchase, the one on the left is the one given.

Now my leadership take aways were invaluable! 

The first being the importance of keeping the mission of an organization clear, focussed and in front of the people.  The word "GIVE" (in reference to their innovative business model of giving a pair away for every pair purchased)  is displayed at various places throughout the warehouse and in some very creative ways. 

The other key leadership learning I took away was the importance of an organization's culture and having the right people on the team that contribute to the team's cultural DNA.  At TOMS skill, character and experience are give-ins in any employee.  What is also critical, is the expression of creativity whether you are in the finance, sales, design or any facet of the company.  And walking around the place, it oozes with creativity.

I hope you will be prodded to make a difference by buying a pair.

 

Halloween Was a Real Treat!

In a post released earlier today, I answered a question that was posed at one of our town hall meetings this past week -- "Will we be bringing back the Family Fall Festival?

In that post I answered the question with the practical and stategic reasons why we wont do the event. At the same time there was strong spiritual conviction that was developing within me on why we should not do the event and this conviction was deepend after what I experienced last Halloween.  Not to sound to corny but Halloween was a real "treat" for me.

To read about it click here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope this post will prod you in some way in how you approach the events of the evening and I hope you will share a similar experience this Halloween.

Why We Don't Do the Family Fall Festival

Over the past two weeks our church leadership held a series of town hall meetings with our lead pastor Ed Noble fielding questions primarily about the completion of our stewardship campaign, yet it was also opened for any questions about our church life in general.  One of the questions that was raised is the subject of this post.

"Will we be bringing back the Family Fall Festival?"

As the one of moderating the questions and one who had led the event for several years, I decided to answer the question.

The simple answer was "no." 

Here is a re-edited post that I did last year addressing that very question. 

Beginning in year one of our church’s 17 year history we had put on an annual Halloween event called the Family Fall Festival (FFF) that over the years had grown to be quite an undertaking involving hundreds of volunteers, thousands of pounds of candy and thousands of people in attendance. And for all-intention purposes was a pretty successful event in the life of our church.

However, in recent years we have not had this event and it is a good thing. I will explain shortly, however let me first explain what I have deemed as some positives of the event in years past.

1. It served as a great way to introduce ourselves to the community. In 1997 we relocated our church t and with a name change to our church in 1998 we were new and relatively unfamiliar. This event served as great way to introduce ourselves by providing a “give” community event completely free to all participants. I liken the FFF to a better, more strategic open house. I have been a part of a church open house in the past where over 50,000 direct mail pieces were sent to neighbors to come and check out the newly built church in their area. In an eight-hour span -- I believe 50 people showed up -- with the majority of the people being attendees of the church who wanted to get an early look at the property.
2. It served as a great invite opportunity for our church. Whereas inviting people to a weekend service may have been a little more risky -- inviting friends to a free event for their kids where they were sure to get tons of candy and participate in a whole slew of games and rides was a no brainer. It also gave to our guests a positive first impression of Journey or maybe church all together.
3. It mobilized people into action. For many their serving at the FFF on a one time basis was the first step to committing to an on-going serving role. 

Now there were many other positives, but these were the main ones that stood out. Now like most things -- terms lose meaning over time and practices lose its effectiveness over time. Such as the case I believe with the FFF.

Now here are some of the main reasons why I feel not having this event anymore is a good thing.

1. After about 5th year we did this event in the La Mesa community we were pretty well established as a presence in the area. So if the purpose was to introduce ourselves to the community this was no longer necessary.
2. The crowd that we were drawing changed. More and more this became a Christian community event versus an outreach event. It was not uncommon to see another church bus show up to drop of its members. In fact one church pastor (of a huge church in the area) said that they actually copied our flier and put in their church program to encourage his members to attend our event. Now I am all for events that unite the big C church and I am all for serving other churches -- yet this was not the purpose and focus of the event.
3. Volunteer involvement continually decreased. Now this is no reason to stop an event yet some of the reasoning for is valid. Often people chose to do an event in their own neighborhood (expect a follow-up post on this)
4. Overall effectiveness was in question. Though some have acknowledged that the FFF was the initial introduction to our church, over the years these stories have become less frequent. In addition I also believe seekers are changing as well and these methods do not necessarily address where they may be.

7/11 Vintage Us

This weekend Oct. 29 & 31 we will be presenting the 7th out of the 11 messages scheduled for the series Vintage Us.  Now that we are just past the half way point it gives me opportunity to try reinvision us for the rest of the series. Often times in a longer series (6 weeks or more) we can hit a lull in our inviting as well as our attending efforts.

So I hope these thoughts will stir some thought in you.

First, we have 5 great weekends left a list of those specific messages are below.  And if you are new t the series click here for a series description.

October 29 & 31:  Full Disclosure — Suffering and Persecution (Acts 5b, 7 & 8)
November 5 & 7:  Leaders-R-Us — God Invites You to Lead (Acts 6)
November 12 & 14:  The End of Exclusion, Part One — Godʼs Inclusive Vision (Acts 15)
November 19 & 21: The End of Exclusion, Part Two — Godʼs Expansive Community (Acts 15)
November 28:  The End of Exclusion, Part Three — The Core that Pulls Us In (Acts 15)

Second, I know that the programming team are prayerfully bringing their best efforts to craft services, that are fresh, Biblically relevant, creative and mindful of our spiritually seeking friends -- all this to say that services will be well done and you can be confident in your inviting efforts.

Third, we want to continue be mindful that lost people matter to God and that those around us need him more than ever.

All this to say hope to see you this weekend and be sure to bring someone with you!

The "Little" & "Extra" Things Matter

The little and extra things matter -- especially in planning events.  I was reminded of this, this past Friday when I had lunch with a friend.  He is someone who has been coming to our church and due to exstensive travel that his work requires is still looking for a way to get more involved.

Every time we meet he brings with him a puzzle piece that was given out in one of our services a couple of years ago.  He says he keeps it on his dresser to remind him that he is has piece to play in the life of our church -- which was the intent of giving out those to every attendee that weekend.

 
Lest, you think these gestures, atleast in the church world, is for new people or people young in their faith journey.  Keep this in mind ...  this is someone who has been to his share of church services over his life time and is very familiary with churches.  You possibly have one his father's books in your home or you atleast know someone who does.  Yet for this seasoned believer a little thing like a puzzle piece is being used in a very meaningful way.

So as you plan an event or service, keep in mind that those, seemingly, simple extras do make a difference!

Vintage Us -- the New Series Starting at JCC

This weekend we will be starting a new series which will be our most comprehensive series to date taking us through Thanksgiving weekend.  As this series will be taught out of the book of Acts here is a suggestion to help make your weekend experience more complete.  This something I am doing right now -- which is to read a chapter of the book of Acts each day during the duration of the series.  If you were to do this, you would have read through this 28 chapter book about two-and-a-half times.  

Me I Want to Be author John Ortberg has said, "the goal is not to get through the Bible, but to get the Bible through you." 

Vintage Us Rediscovering the Original ChurchItʼs almost a cliché: “Iʼm into Jesus, just not real crazy about this Christianity thing.” Recently, world famousauthor Anne Rice announced she was “quitting Christianity.” Not Jesus, Christianity. “Him? Yes.  Us? No, thanks.” But Jesus meant for the “Us” to be something other than the weird, institutional, religious organization that has somehow morphed into and slid under the moniker “Church.”

So, we go back — we always go back— to the source, the ancient documents. We go back to re-engage our true self, our destiny; and rediscover the vintage us.Weʼll look at the story of the unprocessed and undiluted church — as told by Luke (a man on the scene to see it firsthand, but with the chops of a skilled historian) in the book we now call Acts.

September 17 & 19: Jesus — Here and Now, There and Here (Acts 1)
September 24 & 26: Organic, Unprocessed Spirituality (Acts 2a)
October 1 & 3: Now This is Church (Acts 2b)
October 8 & 10:  God Heals (Acts 3)
October 15 & 17: “God, Give Me Guts!” (Acts 4)
October 22 & 24:  Messing with God is Not Smart (Acts 5)
October 29 & 31:  Full Disclosure — Suffering and Persecution (Acts 5b, 7 & 8)
November 5 & 7:  Leaders-R-Us — God Invites You to Lead (Acts 6)
November 12 & 14:  The End of Exclusion, Part One — Godʼs Inclusive Vision (Acts 15)
November 19 & 21: The End of Exclusion, Part Two — Godʼs Expansive Community (Acts 15)
November 28:  The End of Exclusion, Part Three — The Core that Pulls Us In (Acts 15)

Prayer Inducing Scriptures

Yesterday in our staff leadership team meeting before taking about an hour or so to pray on behalf of our church, lead pastor Ed Noble asked for us to share any Scripture verses that we have found helpful in our own lives in shaping and framing our times of prayer.  I shared two Scripture passages that have been helpful to me and I hope will be encouragement to you as you seek the Lord in prayer.

The first is Ephesians 3:20,21 (ESV) Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Now this passage has helpful in my prayer life in this way.  Often it feels as if my prayer times is a long list of requests which is not necessarily a bad thing, yet at times I believe I know when I have  crossed the line of looking  at God as the Almighty One, who can do all things versus Him being Santa Claus or a genie to fulfill my  every desire.  Yet what these verses challenge me to do is to ask even more and to ask more boldly.  Often times the opposite is true of how we pray.  The problem is not that we are asking too much, it is that we are not asking enough.  To further clarify my thoughts here what the Ephesians passage shows me is that what I often ask God for falls vastly short of what He desires for me.  Often I settle and pray for temporal means or desires, when in reality He desires for us to ask things of HIm that will render eternal, lasting and more meaningful & significant outcomes.

To put it simply ... We think we are asking God for some amazing things, we don't the half of it.

The second is Psalm 91:14-16 (NSRV)  Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name.  When theycall to me, I will answer them; I will be wiht them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them.  With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation.

As we read this passage it is full of so many promises and this has been so important and helpful as I have prayed for myself and for others -- the reason being is that these verses remind me that the God I am praying to is for me.  This notion that God is for me or us is often overlooked and it so critical that we don't.  Because I believe we have all prayed prayers not having them answered the way we desired; or even sensed how God was leading us to pray.  Yet if we can remember that God is for us, we can be at greater peace regarding the outcomes that He lays out for us.

Just Can't Be True of Me

On many occasions when friends make a Starbucks run, they graciously text or call me to see if I want anything.

And I am a cheap date -- no $5 barista-intensive drinks for me.  It is either drip coffee in the morning or ice coffee in the afternoon.

Yet people get a kick when I give these specifics regarding my order.  I usually say,  "I will have a grande coffee in a venti cup with enough half and half to the color of a tan M&M."  If an iced coffee I say, "Venti, unsweetened with enough half and half to the color of a tan M&M.  I thought my specificity was being helpful.

Now it has been brought to my attention how stressful this request is.  I guess they struggle trying figure out what color a tan M&M is?  

Recently when a friend picked up a cup of coffee for me, the following was written on the cup and it wasn't my name.  She swears she did not write it.  This just can't be true!

Journey "Community"

Today I began my 15th year on staff at Journey Community Church with an all-staff community outreach at San Miguel Elementary School in Lemon Grove.  We gave our time normally dedicated to our staff devotions and weekend programming meeting to clean out and organize a teachers resource center that has been needing some attention for 10 years.  Do to budget cuts, staff reductions and limited funding what we may consider normal operational tasks are now luxuries. 

This is a first of what will be many opportunities to serve our neighboring communities.  Specifically we are building a long-term relationship with this school under the great leadership Principal Heidi Bergerner (pictured below in the center) that you will be hearing more about in the near future.

 

And what is true in almost every instance where we live beyond ourselves and for others, that those serving not necessarily the recipients are the ones who benefit the most and are grateful for the experience.

Our team did an incredible job! And our team was incredibly energized, already asking when the next team outing will be.

San Miguel Elementary is considered at Title 1 school with a good portion of children coming from families of under-resourced means.

Thank You GLS 044 Team -- Better Late Than Never

After going AWOL on my blog for the months of July and August and arguably most of the year -- I have started to re-engage in September.  What I missed most about blogging is having that outlet to express what was going on in my life -- even if for only the benefit of myself being able to process my thoughts.

Exactly one month ago today our church hosted a two-day world class leadership training event The Global Leadership Summit (GLS).  We are one of over 200 sights across North America that hosted this event with over 60,000 in total attendance.  We have been serving as the host site for the past seven years and I am incredibly grateful to be able to be apart of the team that puts the event on -- which is  primarily by volunteers who take vacation time for three days (this includes an event prep day) to serve local church participants in the area.

Under the leadership of our on-site event mananger (OEM) Alex Layson to say our team does an unbelievable job hosting event would be an understatement.  We never do any recruiting of team members, most recommit for the next year at the end of the current year's GLS.  And we have also managed to decrease the actual amount of volunteers needed to pull off the event so more of them experience the GLS as participants and at the same time not compromise our excellence in serving.

So I know this is a month late, I hope the notion better late than never applies here, so as the lead pastor for the GLS Site 044 I owe you a heart-felt thank you -- I truly do hold you in the highest regards! 

I Thessalonians 5:12, 13 "We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work."