Why I Blog

So here I am...sitting in my overstuffed chair with my feet up on the ottoman. Karen and the kids are all taking a nap, so the house is finally quiet for a few moments. I'm taking the opportunity to catch up on my blogs that I track. I love learning from other leaders and catching up on stories from friends. It got me thinking about why we blog. Here's what I came up with...

1. Connection - Inherent in all of mankind is the need to be connected with other individuals. Blogs and other social networking sites allow us to maintain some level of connection with people all over the world. No matter where our friends are or where other leaders live, we can feel like we are a part of their lives. Yes...I would love to sit down face-to-face with the authors of the blogs I track, but it probably won't happen any time soon. Until that day does occur, I will continue to connect from a distance.
   
   
2. Transparency - As a pastor, one of the core values I feel I need to bring to those I lead is transparency. They need to know who I am...especially since most people in the church probably won't have a chance to sit down for a cup of coffee with me. They need to know my likes and my dislikes, my joys and my struggles, my coherent thoughts and my random thoughts. They need to know that I am a real person who deals with the same issues they deal with whether they be parenting, marriage, finances, or spiritual struggles.
   
   
3. Discipleship - As the church grows larger, there is a greater need to disciple people. Blogging can provide pastors with an expansive network of discipleship partners. As we teach and lead through the blogosphere, people throughout the church and around the world can enter into conversation and debate. We can provide these "on-line disciples" with resources and additional insight into Scriptural interpretation and application. For teaching pastors, especially, we can take what we talked about on Sunday morning and explore it a little bit deeper on Monday morning. This way, the conversation can keep happening throughout the week as people ruminate upon the truths we presented during the weekend services.
   
   
4. Stewardship - Blogging is wise stewardship of time and energy. Imagine the time it would take to sit down with every person in the church over a cup of coffee so that they could get to know me on a more personal level. Imagine the time it would take to personally disciple every member of the church. Even if I did all of this in small groups of people, it would occupy entirely too much time. It would take me away from my other responsibilities in the church, and, more importantly, it would take me away from my family far too often. Yes...blogging takes time, but it is a much wiser use of my time than trying to be all things to all people.

So those are the reasons why I blog. How about you?

How Do You Handle Childcare for Adult Small Groups?

Childcare is one of the biggest hurdles that adult small groups will face. Another major hurdle is birthing new groups, but we'll talk about that one later.

Here are some ideas (taken from multiple sources and personal experience) that you may want to consider. There are a few other ideas out there, but they do not match up with our culture/philosophy at Great Oaks (e.g. Starting Point is the only small group allowed to meet on Sunday morning during Children's Ministry programming).

• Parents are responsible for finding their own childcare.*
• Parents pitch in to pay for childcare services that are provided in the host home.
• Parents pitch in to pay for childcare services that are provided in a nearby home.*
• Parents take turns with childcare duties in the host home or a nearby home.
• Parents in different small groups that meet at different times cover each others' childcare needs.
• A small group consists of two subgroups. One provides childcare while the other meets, and then they switch places.
• Small groups have some nights where childcare is provided and other nights where it is not.
  
• Small groups are designed for the entire family to participate.
• Retirees in the church provide childcare services for small groups as their ministry.
• The church pays for a babysitter if the parents cannot afford one.

Let me know if you have any other ideas that you have tried. They can be ones that have succeeded or failed. Who knows? An idea that didn't work for you could work great for another group.

*Preferred option if at all possible...

Great Quote

"We cannot settle for anything less than Jesus' dream of community." Building a Church of Small Groups by Bill Donahue & Russ Robsinon

What is Jesus' dream of community? Read John 17...

Growing Pains

Children and churches both experience natural and predictable growing pains.

For some reason, people expect growing pains in their children but not in their churches. As the church moves through the various stages of growth, numerous dynamics are experienced.

As the church grows and more people come through the doors, there is a sense of loss at the family feel the church possessed when it first started. One day, the core group looks around and says, "Who are all of these people?"

As the church grows and more people who were previously unchurched join the family, the teaching begins to be focused on helping them grow in their faith and their knowledge of Scripture. This can leave the mature Christians who started the church wondering where the "meat" is that they are wanting to eat.

As the church grows and more worship services are added, there can be an acute sense of disconnect from other people in the church. First service people don't know third service people, and the Saturday night crowd never sees the light of day on Sunday morning. The worship services themselves begin to take on a more "professional" feel.

As the church grows and more leaders emerge, there are greater expectations placed upon past leaders to become specialists. They are expected to change where they spend their time and with whom they spend their time.

As the church grows and more volunteers are needed, volunteers come face-to-face with job descriptions and higher levels of excellence being placed upon them. Musicians and vocalists must audition. Potential leaders must be interviewed. Some volunteer roles are reserved for a few highly gifted people.

All of these changes and more can create a sense of frustration and loss in people. Most church members will tell you they want the church to grow and reach more people for Christ. But here's the rub...they don't want the church to change how it does things.

Let me ask some simple questions...as a child grows, do parents change how they relate to that child? Do they change how they dress that child or feed that child or spend time with that child? Of course! And the same goes for the church.

Encounter with a Soldier

I was doing some reading at Panera today and met a young man on crutches. I struck up a conversation with him by asking what happened. Turns out it was a motorcycle accident that happened in June. Somebody pulled out in front of him, and he flew over their hood about 20 feet...broke his pelvis and fractured his leg in a couple of places.

He went on to tell me he was home on leave after a second tour in Iraq with the Marines. Get this...he said it was a blessing in disguise! He is getting some extended time home with his family that many soldiers don't get.

Do me a favor? I don't care what your political leanings are towards the war in Iraq...just send up a prayer right now for our soldiers. I've got some guys I grew up with back home in Newton that are over there, and I know they, as well as all the others, would appreciate your prayers. Thanks!

Random Thoughts

* I am teaching the college group tomorrow night. They are watching Rob Bell's Nooma videos and then discussing. Should be good...

* I just had an Oscar Mayer Fast Frank microwaveable hot dog in a bun. It was surprisingly good! The packaging is designed to lightly toast the bun, too.

* I love sitting around and dreaming about the future with other leaders. Just had a jam session with Jason & Dan sitting on bean bags in the Student Room talking about how to integrate Children, Student & Adult Ministries. We are reviewing the "Think Orange" movement from Reggie Joiner and will be reading The Big Idea by Dave Ferguson next.

* Got a call from a small group leader who had too many people sign up for her group. Great problem to have! We discussed options, and I set her loose to decide the best course.

* I'm currently reading Building a Church of Small Groups by Bill Donahue & Russ Robinson.

* Can't wait for Vegas to connect with some great leaders and long-time friends!

* I missed my workout session this morning. I'll do it tonight after dinner sometime. We talked in staff meeting this morning about the need to stay active and in good physical condition. (I am balancing the hot dog referenced earlier with some yogurt and whole grain Wheat Thins.)

* We are launching a new series in two weeks called "What's In Your Wallet?" I am teaching the first and last Sundays of the series. Watch out for David Spade and those barbarians!!!

* I watched some interesting videos on YouTube yesterday at somebody's house. The people who make these have way too much time on their hands.

* Barq's rootbeer is the best!

Weekend in Review :: 09-23-07

We had a great morning as we wrapped up the 2-week mini-series on authentic community.

Bill talked for a few minutes on needing to have people in our lives who have "refrigerator rights". These are people who have earned the right to open up our lives (our refrigerators) and see what's inside. Sometimes they will even need to tell us that something stinks and needs to be taken care of. (We borrowed this metaphor from Craig Groeschel.) The church responded well to the metaphor. He emphasized that small groups are the optimal environment for accountability, care, and Biblical study.

Nate and the band did a great job leading us in worship. It was an amazing experience to stand in the front row and hear all of the people singing when the band stopped playing for a couple of minutes. I wish I could have seen the audience from the stage at that moment. Here's the set list...

* Let the Praises Ring :: Lincoln Brewster
* I Will Boast :: Paul Baloche
* Beautiful One :: Tim Hughes
* Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble :: Delirious

I concluded the service with a few minutes talking about the picture of the early church painted in Acts 2:42-47 with an emphasis on the fact that they met in both large and small group environments. I then invited three couples on stage for a 20-minute panel discussion on what actually happens in the life of a small group. The goal was to alleviate the fear of the unknown by "pulling back the curtain" on small groups (think Wizard of Oz).

I heard from several people that they really appreciated the format we used this morning with the panel discussion. In my opinion, it is good to hear things every now and again from the mouths of "non-professional Christians" (i.e. pastors)!

We had a number of new people sign up for small groups through the Kick-Off. I will post actual numbers in a week or so after I get the rosters back from small group leaders. Early indicators tell me the Small Group Kick-Off was a great success!

Leaders are Learners

I've got some great learning opportunities coming up in the next couple of months. I have always been an avid reader, so I am constantly learning "from a distance". However, it is always a joy to sit in an audience or across the table from some great leaders and digest their knowledge and experiences first-hand.

In October, I am heading to Las Vegas to attend Central Uncensored a two-day behind-the-scenes look at how Central Christian Church does ministry. The second day will be spent entirely in a break-out session with Jon Bodin, Executive Director of Ministry Development, as he downloads his experiences with small groups and "five purpose" ministries. I'm going to have the privilege of sitting down with him for some one-on-one time as well.

During my stay in Vegas, I will also be connecting with other leaders at Central as well as some extended time with my long-time mentor and friend, Loren Trethewey. I've already requested some of Deanna's homemade cookies!!!

In November, Bill (Lead Pastor) and I are heading out to Saddleback Community Church to attend the Exponential Conference. This two-day conference is geared towards helping pastors lead their churches to become generous givers. As the tag-line for the conferences says, "Is your congregation tipping God or is it experiencing the joy of giving?"

One of the big hurdles for churches to continue growing beyond the 500-700 barrier is financially supporting the ministry efforts that are needed to take the church to the next level. Our hope is that we will be able to bring this knowledge back to the leaders and people of Great Oaks to continue the amazing growth the church has seen in the last 12 months (39+% since moving into the new building last July).

While I am in Southern California, I will be tacking on a few days to go see my grandmother in San Diego and my family in Los Angeles. Should be a great time!

New Books!!!

I just got in two shipments of books that I am looking forward to reading. Thought I would share them with you...

In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson
Red Letters: Living a Faith that Bleeds by Tom Davis
Confessions of a Pastor by Craig Groeschel
The Big Idea by Dave Ferguson
Made to Stick by Chip Heath & Dan Heath
Connecting by Larry Crabb
Walking the Small Group Tightrope by Bill Donahue & Russ Robinson
Coaching Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue & Greg Bowman
Leading Life-Changing Small Groups by Bill Donahue
Building a Church of Small Groups by Bill Donahue & Russ Robinson
How People Grow by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend
Community 101 by Gilbert Bilzekian
Making Small Groups Work by Cloud & Townsend
The Seven Deadly Sins of Small Group Ministry by Bill Donahue & Russ Robinson

Kick-Off Success

My first Sunday at Great Oaks Community Church went very well!

We had our first Sunday of a two-Sunday kick-off for small groups. We had the leaders of our groups waiting at tables in the foyer to interact with new people and get them signed up for a group. Bill taught about how we all need to be connected with other people if we are to grow in our faith; we can't rely on our commitment and convictions alone.

Almost every group had new people join them for this next season of group life. We have several groups that need to move into the birthing process to launch new groups. One group has enough people to birth three new groups! I know the birthing process is always painful (ask any mother), but it is also rewarding as more children are brought into the family.

One more Sunday to go! I'll report back next week to let you know stats on small groups at GOCC and whether or not the kick-off was a success or failure. Bill & I are team-teaching this Sunday. I will be conducting an interview of three couples for my portion. Our goal is to "pull back the curtain" (think Wizard of Oz) on what life in a small group is like. Should be good!

Bushwhacker

I found my local outdoor store! Bushwhacker in the Metro Center in Peoria.

I spent some time there yesterday talking with the staff about local places to hike, bike & kayak. They had a brochure created in-house that featured some locations around the greater-Peoria area and the rest of Illinois, and even Wisconsin & Indiana. I knew about many of them already, but it was still good to have. They also had a list of local outdoor clubs.

First Sunday at Great Oaks

Tomorrow is my first Sunday morning as an official staff member of Great Oaks Community Church. It seems like it has been much longer than just one week since I was at FVCC.

We are hosting a Small Group Kick-Off tomorrow and next Sunday in an effort to get more adults involved in small groups. This is my primary role at Great Oaks...to develop and implement a strong small group program that will assimilate new people into the life of the church.

I still have yet to meet all of my small group leaders, so the Kick-Off tomorrow will provide me with a great opportunity to connect with them.

Looking forward to it!

S'mores & Senior Citizens

I just got back to the house after an evening at Maple Lawn Nursing Home in Eureka, IL.

We spent a couple of hours with the residents sitting around a campfire on hay bales, singing songs, and making S'mores. It was a relaxed time of encouragement for the residents and connection for church members. As a new pastor on staff, it was a great way to meet people in the church.

This is one of the ten community service projects the church is doing in 2007-08 to mark their 10th anniversary.

Cross Country

So I'm sitting in my new office at Great Oaks yesterday afternoon and, out of the corner of my eye, I see somebody running across the church parking lot. I look up from unpacking my boxes and notice 15-20 middle schoolers training for an upcoming cross country race. As part of the church's strategy to have "influence with outsiders" they have opened up their 42-acre campus to the neighboring middle school to use for their cross country course.

This afternoon, I returned to the church campus after running a few errands and discovered an actual cross country meet taking place! There were 30-40 middle schoolers running the course that meandered around the campus, and their parents were all waiting for them at the finish line at the back of the building.

What a great opportunity to reach out to people who may never come to church on Sunday morning!

Death by Committee

How many committees are really necessary? (And I'm not talking about a church...)

Karen & I were reading through the materials sent home with Ethan from his Kindergarten teacher. Included in the mountain of paperwork was a list of the PTA Committees. There are 34 different committees that parents could get involved with!

My personal favorite was the Standing Committee Chair Committee. This is the description provided...

"The Standing Committee Chair Committee helps to make sure that all of the committees have chairs and committee members." Seriously?!?

New Setting

I have begun working at Great Oaks Community Church. It is somewhat surreal to actually be here after all of the weeks of interviewing and waiting. I don't think it has really sunk in yet!

My last Sunday at Fox Valley Christian Church was both encouraging and heartbreaking. The people at FVCC have played such a large and important part of my life for the past 11 years; it was difficult to leave them. We didn't say, "Goodbye" though...we agreed to say, "See 'ya later!"

I am looking forward to returning to FVCC in the future when we visit our family in Geneva/Elgin for holidays. It will be great to see all of the old faces. For now, though, I have a lot of new faces to get to know!

I spent most of today unpacking my office and getting to know where things are situated in the church. I still have some organizing to do, but it is coming together. I already have a preaching date (October 7) and some classroom teaching dates set. I have to become familiar with their core class curriculum this week and next for those classroom teaching dates.

I am partnering with existing staff members to host a two-Sunday small group kickoff these next two Sundays. I will also be meeting with my small group leaders in the coming days and weeks so that I can become familiar with them and their groups.

Things will be pretty busy for a while as I assimilate into the life of Great Oaks...keep checking back for regular updates!

On the Market

I've been out of the blogosphere for a while as we have been working hard to get our house on the market. We were finally able to call in the realtor a couple of days ago to have it listed in time for the Labor Day weekend. Keep us in your prayers as we all know the market isn't all the great. Thanks!