Small Group Leaders as...Shepherds

There is a story told of two shepherds walking along the same trail while their sheep mingled together into one large flock. As they approached a fork in the road and were preparing to part ways, each shepherd began calling his own sheep. Immediately, the sheep separated into two distinct flocks and followed their personal shepherd down the appropriate path.

John 10:3b-4 "He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice."

Leading a small group is a lot like being a shepherd. You have a distinct voice that your small group leaders know and follow. Over time, they come to trust you and follow your leadership. They know that you will watch out for them, feed them, and guide them safely through the wilderness of life.

As the church grows larger, it is vital that we also grow smaller. As weekend attendance increases and more people become a part of the life of the church, we have to become a church built completely on small groups. Only then will we be able to expand our influence and care to more and more people. This is where the role of the small group leader becomes like a shepherd.

As a small group leader, you are the "pastor" of your flock. It is your responsibility to make sure they are growing in their faith and in relationship with God and each other. It is your responsibility to make sure they are actively participating in the life of the church. And if something happens in their life, it is your responsibility to make sure the entire small group comes around them for support, prayer, and encouragement.

We must grab hold of this role as shepherds for our small groups so that the church can continue to grow and maintain its health. The responsibility for shepherding the church cannot - and must not - fall completely on the shoulders of the pastors. We will fail as a church if we place that burden on the pastors alone. We must challenge and teach our people that when their small group comes around them to help them in their time of need and to help them grow spiritually, they have been shepherded by the church.

How's your flock doing? Do they hear your voice speaking into their lives? Do they feel protected and cared for as a result of your leadership?

The Golden Compass

There has been a great deal of talk in the Christian circles lately about The Golden Compass. This is the movie version of Philip Pullman's book, Northern Lights which is the first book in a trilogy called His Dark Materials.

With all of the controversy swirling around about the movie and the books, I quickly decided that I was going to make a determination on my own rather than relying upon the words and thoughts of people that I don't know. (This is something I challenge everyone to do - to approach what they read, hear, see with a critical eye in an effort to determine for themselves what is true or false.) So I decided to go to the movies last night...

First of all, let me tell you this movie definitely earns its PG-13 rating. IT IS NOT A MOVIE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN. There are several "dark" scenes where animals/people are treated cruelly, and there is one rather graphic scene during the polar bear fight that completely caught me by surprise with its ferocity.

Second, and I have to be honest here, I went into the movie looking for Pullman's attempt to "kill God" as one online article cited. Inasmuch, I cannot provide a completely unbiased perspective. What I mean by that is this - if I were not aware of the controversy surrounding the movie, would I have reacted as strongly about the movie as I did? Would I have made the connections that I did between his characters/storyline and the church? I honestly do not know.

With that said, the following are the connections that I observed between his characters and the church and/or Christianity.

Dual nature - The Bible teaches that we have an old self and a new self. In the movie, this is portrayed through animal counterparts for each human. These animal counterparts are called "demons" and can never be far from their human. In the movie, the demons are kind and friendly and the viewer quickly becomes emotionally attached to them - especially when they are tortured and killed. If either the human or their demon are injured, the other feels the pain.

Church - The church is called the Majesterium and its expressed goal is to eliminate "free will" by having everyone believe what they believe and not question their authority. As Nicole Kidman's character explains, "Not everyone knows what's best for them, so it is our job to tell them."

Sin - Sin is portrayed as "dust" which is channeled through an individual's demon and which allows the individual to discover new "worlds" (i.e. new perspectives, thoughts, philosophies, etc) which need to be explored. The Majesterium is attempting to eradicate all access to the dust - in fact, they cringe at the very mention of dust. Their method of accomplishing this is by kidnapping the children (the next generation of leaders and influencers), brainwashing them, and ridding them of their demon counterparts (since the dust is channeled through their demons, i.e. old self). This is done through a form of baptism...

Baptism - Baptism is illustrated through a process called "intercision" which is accomplished through a technologically-advanced torture device. The device severs the connection between the children and their demon which results in the death of the demon and the "freedom" of the child - although the technology is still flawed and many of the children die as a result of the procedure.

There are so many nuances and messages in this movie (the movie also touches - in a negative fashion - on the role of women in the church/leadership/society and the discipline of children). Obviously I was dialing in to catch them all, so, as I said before, I cannot honestly approach it unbiased. What I do know is that Pullman does a "masterful" job of twisting your perspective to view these things through a different lens. You will need to be prepared for this when you watch the movie or read the books.

As a pastor and an intellectual (that sounds conceited...) and as one who loves philosophy, I completely embrace becoming educated about viewpoints and perspectives that may not be in alignment with the Christian faith and beliefs. I have found that this awareness challenges me to know what I believe and why I believe it. The Golden Compass portrays the church as the exact opposite - having a narrow viewpoint and attempting to restrict all intellectual and philosophical pursuits.

I do not want to encourage or discourage you from watching this film or reading the books and making up your own mind about it. What I would say is that if you allow your children to watch the movie or read the books, do not be personally uneducated. Be intentional about watching/reading it with them. You will need to talk with them about it...

In the end, this movie and these books are simply an attempt to do what thousands of others have done throughout history. And yet Christ still remains standing when the dust settles. Are there problems within the religion of Christianity? Absolutely. Are there problems with Christ? No way.

Second Chance Christmas

I'm so bummed that I had to miss the second week of the Second Chance Christmas series yesterday. The freezing rain and treacherous road conditions kept me from making the journey down.

I heard the drama went very well and that everyone loved the children's worship team leading worship. I wish I could have seen the adults doing all the motions! I'm looking forward to downloading Bill's message from iTunes this week. You can get it yourself here...

Experiencing True Worship

If you've been following my blog, you know that my accountability partners and I have been reading through the entire Bible this past year. I am close to being finished. I read the entire New Testament in the last few weeks, but I still have to read the end of the Old Testament before I can say I'm done.

This morning I read the entire book of Revelation before I went to church. Want to redefine your worship experience before church next weekend? Read chapters 4 and 5 of Revelation before getting in the car. Within these two chapters, we see concentric circles of worship...

• the four living creatures (4:6-8)
  
• the twenty-four elders (4:4)
  
• thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand angels (5:11-12)
• every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea (5:13)

As I stood this morning and worshiped with a couple of hundred other people, my mind went to these passages that I had just read. In that moment, I became a lot smaller and God became a lot bigger!

Birthday Pics

I thought I would share some pictures from Ethan's recent birthday.


Remember the cheesy eggs that Karen made for him? What a Mom!

These are some of Ethan's Kindergarten classmates at the bowling alley where we had his birthday party.









Ethan got to go into a "money machine" where he had 30 seconds to grab as much cash as he could. He walked away with $6!

Strategic Alignment

"Achieving strategic alignment is a major undertaking for any organization, but it is worth the effort."
- Jim Bolt, founder, Executive Development Associates

This is a quote from a recent article in Fast Company. This is a great magazine for leaders to capture an overview of current best-practices in business & leadership, future trends, and rising leaders/companies to watch out for.

As a new employee at Great Oaks, I have been working hard to obtain a global perspective of the church by understanding each area of ministry, the relationship between various strategic components, and the vision for the future. I think this is vital before implementing new programs/efforts in the area of Adult Ministries.

I am looking forward to our upcoming Leadership Retreat on January 5th when the pastors and key volunteer leaders will spend several hours making sure we are all on the same page with our strategic plan, assimilation path, and vision for the future. It is a major undertaking, but it will be worth the effort!

What's Going On?!?

I had the pleasure of taking Ethan to school this morning. His love language is quality time, so I love to spend time with him like this - just the two of us with uninterrupted time to talk.

At his school, all of the kids play outside and then line up when the first bell rings. The school sent home a note recently to make sure that the kids are dressed to play in the snow - snowpants, boots, gloves, hat, etc. (Anytime I get the kids ready to play in the snow, I can't help thinking about the little kid in A Christmas Story!)

So we pull up to the school, and I see kids going in the front door of the school rather than around back to play on the playground. I begin to wonder if the kids are supposed to go straight inside because it is so cold. Since there aren't any teachers/administrators outside giving instructions, I decide to walk around back with Ethan to double-check. Sure enough...no kids on the playground, so I take him back around front and send him into the school. I even directed a few other kids back to the front because they were heading back to play.

Wouldn't it make sense to put somebody outside to greet parents & kids to let them know of the change in plans? What if I had just dropped Ethan off? He probably would have figured things out after a little while, but how long would that have taken?

It made me think about how first-time guests who come into our churches feel. Do we have adequate signage to explain where to go? Do we have enough volunteers waiting to greet guests and guide them where they need to go? Do our volunteers focus on new people or are they distracted talking to their friends and small group members?

I'm proud to say that at Great Oaks, we do a pretty good job of this. There will always be room for improvement; we just need to make sure we are constantly evaluating our First Impressions for new people. The longer we are involved in a church, the more we forget what it was like to be a first-time guest. Perhaps we should occasionally visit another local church to remember what it feels like...

Sexual Revolution

I just got done meeting with Bill this morning to plan the Big Ideas for each week of our February series on sex. I am really looking forward to this teaching series!

Churches have avoided this topic far too long. It has become almost taboo to talk about in church. As a result, people - even Christians - don't understand that God designed us as sexual beings and that there is so much more to sex than just a physical act; it is spiritual and emotional and physical all at the same time.

The culture has been the primary spokesperson about sex for too long now. Let's see what God has to say about it. It's time for a Sexual Revolution!

Ethan's Birthday

Today is Ethan's 6th birthday! Karen made him his favorite breakfast - cheesy eggs and chocolate milk. She even laid the eggs out in the shape of the number 6. She's an awesome Mom!

I cannot believe how quickly Ethan is growing up. It makes me think of how little time I have left to be the primary individual to speak beliefs and values into his life. God allows us to be "in charge" of these little miracles for 18-22 years before He asks us to place them back into His hands. I hope and pray that I can give Ethan & Morgan the foundation they need to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

Parenting is an awesome (translated - big, huge, ginormous) and wonderful responsibility. It is also challenging and exhausting and frustrating! There are days when I want to shirk my responsibility, but I know that would not honor God or prepare my children for the future.

I have to remind myself frequently that my primary responsibility as the spiritual leader of my family is to lead and shepherd them in the faith. As a pastor, my family comes before my church family. It is my primary small group in the church. What good is it for me to lead and shepherd other families at the expense of my own?

It seems like there are phases where I do better as the spiritual leader than others. The key, though, is to pursue continually the vision that God has for my family by searching out the next step that He has for us as a family and for each of us as individuals.

Just some thoughts that are going through my head this morning...

Weekend in Review :: 12-02-07

WORSHIP
I Am Free - Jon Egan
You Are My King - Passion Band
Holy Night - Default
No More Pretending - Scott Krippayne

MESSAGE
Series: Second Chance Christmas
Message: What's Your Secret?
Speaker: Bill White

Notable Quotes...
"Our secrets cause us to fear God and withdraw from Him. We do not need to fear God; He wants to extend mercy, grace, and forgiveness."

Java Girl

The following article by Blair Waltman, a sophomore at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, really got me thinking this morning...
**************************************

Java God
by Blair Waltman

I am a coffee kind of girl. Everyone has their little morning things, their routines. Little fingers play with Cheerios. A mother’s creased and floured hands make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches - with the crust removed, of course. A bachelor defrosts a breakfast burrito and watches ESPN highlight reels. Someone opens up shop for the day. And I have coffee.

I’m ritualistic about it; any dedicated drinker is. It’s taken a certain way - sugar and no cream, and dark. Flowing, steaming, ebony streams. I’ll curl up on the couch, wrap myself around a mug, and while away the morning hours. Time becomes unimportant.

So, as tradition dictates, every morning I wander into my tiny kitchen, dig blindly in the cabinet for the medium roast grounds. I measure off the teaspoons and heat a old chrome percolator, a castoff I inherited from my brother that, in my opinion, really tastes better than those plastic machines.

Like any creature of habit, I’m not a fan of my ritual being disturbed. Unless there is some demanding circumstance, say, for example, a fire in the apartment, I tend to get grouchy if I cannot get my morning coffee.

It’s not the caffeine charge that compels me - at this point I think I’m nearly immune. But I enjoy the flavor, the smell, the withdrawal from the rush of life in slow sips. If I miss it in the morning, the day feels a little off. Skewed. It bothers me for my first few hours of the day.

Earlier this week, as I began the 7:15 am tradition, my mind wandered. Most people, at this point in their day, are thinking about sleep. If they’re thinking yet at all. But my mind curled and swept through random venues, a leaf in a river. All the time my hands moved independent of me, not requiring the mind to directly dictate movement. They know what to do.

I thought, as my mindless hands opened up the coffee grounds, that I hadn’t read my Bible the night before. I’d been so tired. And as I poured heaped spoonfuls of medium blend into the percolator, I realized I hadn’t spent much real time with God that week at all. The week had been hectic, and I’d pressed Him somewhere in the dusty back corners, along with phone calls long needing a return and laundry. I realized, as I put the coffee pot on the lukewarm burner, that it was easy for me to do this - to put Him in the back of my mind. There was initial guilt, of course, but it didn’t effect my day. I could go on completely oblivious to it. I wouldn’t even notice.

As I poured out the kohl-colored liquid into a green mug, I had one more thought:

I would notice more if I didn’t get my coffee than if I didn’t spend time with God.

This isn’t limited to beans and drinks. I think maybe we all have our coffees - something that, if we went a day without, we wouldn’t function. We’d be upset. The day would not be a complete one. We’d be aggravated and moody without it. It could be a boyfriend or girlfriend; television; Internet; sports, whatever. Usually it isn’t God. Maybe we’ve got God in our heads as something we can pick up and put on the shelf when not in use, and we can use it when we will. But its absence isn’t a disaster.

None of these things, not coffee or boyfriends or video games are inherently bad. But does it seem a little off that we would be more upset about missing them for a day than God?

I poured my coffee down the sink. All of it. I had none that morning. And you know what?

I didn’t miss it.

Getting Ready for Christmas

According to Ethan, we have been waaaaay behind on getting our house decorated for Christmas. We decided that this weekend would be as good as any to get a tree, unpack all the boxes in the basement, and set out our myriad snowmen.

Last Christmas, I attempted to tie the Christmas tree to the top of the van. Since I didn't have a roof rack, I thought it would work to just run the twine through the interior of the van and close the doors. As we're driving back home, I hear Ethan in the back, "Hey Dad! The tree is falling off the roof!" Sure enough, the twine had come undone, and we almost lost the whole thing going 55 mph down the highway!

This year I just tossed the tree in the back of the van. It was a lot easier!

The kids had fun decorating the tree and setting out the rest of the decorations. I love going back through our ornaments and remembering the history of each one. My favorite is the moose that reads - Merry Chrismoose!

Cowboys vs Packers

Anybody else watching the Cowboys/Packers game? What a great game so far. I can't believe how well Aaron Rodgers is doing as backup QB for Brett Favre.

Personally, I am enjoying seeing TO mess up so often! I'm still rooting for Tony Romo, though, since we went to the same school. Go EIU!

New Small Group

I met with several members of my new small group this evening. We had dinner together and spent some time getting to know each other. Half of the couples have never been in a small group before while the other half has extensive experience. We are also varied in age and life-situation. It looks like it will be a great group to lead!

We are going to meet for one more meal in December and then begin in earnest in January. The plan is to meet the first three Sunday evenings of each month. The 1st & 3rd Sundays will be study nights without kids, and the 2nd Sunday will be a potluck meal with the entire family invited.

Weekend in Review :: 11-25-07

WORSHIP
Let the Praises Ring - Lincoln Brewster
Open the Eyes of My Heart - Paul Baloche
Arise - Paul Baloche
Like A Child - Jars of Clay
This Little Light of Mine - Luke MacDonald

MESSAGE
Series: n/a
Message: Grow Up and Act Like a Child
Speaker: Jason Rea, Pastor of Student Ministries

Notable Quotes...
"Spiritual maturity is believing that God's way is the right way."
"As a child of God, I can count on an available, patient, and passionate Father."
"God's patience is displayed in his continual forgiveness of our stupidity."

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• "Second Chance Christmas" - new teaching series begins next week. Be sure to invite your friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. Invitation postcards are available at the Welcome Center.
• College & Young Adult Retreat at Miracle Camp - Dec 29-Jan 1
• MS Retreat at Miracle Camp in January - registration and deposit are due next Sunday
  

What Makes You Feel Loved?

Over the years, Karen & I have had several conversations about the "love languages" that we each speak. If you are not familiar with this terminology, Gray Chapman wrote the book on it called The Five Love Languages. He states that there are five most common love languages that an individual will "speak": Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service & Physical Touch.

Oftentimes, a husband and wife will speak different love languages, and the challenge in marriage is to make sure you speak your spouse's love language not your own. For example, my love languages are Physical Touch and Words of Affirmation while Karen's are Quality Time and Acts of Service. I have to make sure I speak Karen's love language to her, and she has to speak mine to me. If we don't, there is potential to make the other person feel unloved.

Have you ever thought about the fact that your children possess unique love languages as well? I think it takes time for them to develop, but they are definitely there. I have discovered that Ethan's love languages are Quality Time and Physical Touch. He loves it when Karen & I spend time with him reading, playing games, etc. He also loves it when we snuggle with him while watching a movie and when I wrestle or box with him.

Here's a question you can use to discover your child's or spouse's love language...

"What is it that I do that makes you feel loved?"

Early Christmas Present!!!

I got an early Christmas present today from my mother-in-law. I had told Karen earlier that I was wanting to save up some money for a kayak. Mom called to let me know that various stores were having sales the day after Thanksgiving.

After extensive research on the various brands for sale, we picked this one up at Dick's Sporting Goods for 1/2 price. It is a Wilderness Systems Pamlico 100. According to the reviews I read online last night, it is a great brand for beginning kayakers...and for big guys since the cockpit is larger than most other models. It is designed for rivers and lakes and up to Class II rapids.

I can't wait to get it out on the water in the spring!!!

Letting Go...

I'm taking some time out this evening to just sit in a corner of The Blend to reflect on life and catch up on some reading. I'm still trying to get through the Bible-in-a-Year with my accountability partners - only 6 more weeks left!

Most of you that track my blog are aware that I recently resigned from Fox Valley Christian Church after being a member/employee for the last 11 years - most recently serving as the Executive & Teaching Pastor. I am now working for Great Oaks Community Church as the Pastor of Adult Ministries.

There are some unusual paradoxes I am experiencing...

• Surrounded by people all the time yet I still find myself intensely lonely sometimes (being an extreme extrovert this one is really foreign to me)
• Confident that I did the right thing yet occasionally doubting it
  
• Fully trusting God yet confused as to why He hasn't brought resolution to this transition
• Loving my new church yet wishing I never had to leave my old church (it's akin to turning your affections to a new girlfriend when you are still deeply in love with your old girlfriend)
  

The interesting thing about Great Oaks is that all five of the pastors have come from other churches within the last 5-6 years. As a result, we frequently find ourselves talking about the various dynamics involved in transitioning from one church to another.

I knew it would be tough to leave FVCC, but I didn't anticipate the struggle it would be to let her go once I was gone.

100 Things You Need to Know About Me (61-70)

If you know me very well, you know I couldn't talk about myself without talking about food! Here goes...

61-70 :: Food

61. I like food...a lot! It is one of my biggest vices.
62. Pizza is the perfect food...bread, fruits & vegetables, meats, dairy...it's got it all!
63. The best biscuits & gravy I've ever had were in Newton at a place called Chub & Sylva's. Chub was the owner and head cook...and his physical description fit his name! Unfortunately, the restaurant shut down when I was younger.
64. I've always wanted to enter an eating contest...pies, hot dogs, whatever. I've never done it, though.
65. I feel really out of place in fancy restaurants. I once ate at Emeril's in Atlanta, and I couldn't wait to get out of there.
66. I've started eating at only local places when I travel. Some of the greatest food is found in non-franchised places. The best pizza I've ever had was in Fayetteville, WV at a place called Pies & Pints. Of course, it could have been because I was with the "boys" getting ready for a whitewater rafting trip the next day!
67. I hate any food that requires work to eat it (i.e. peel-and-eat shrimp). The big guy wants his food easily accessible!
68. I know I shouldn't eat at them, but I love buffets...especially Chinese buffets!
69. Chili's is one of my favorite places to eat - great burgers, fajitas, salads, and all-you-can-eat chips & salsa (with queso!).
70. When I was in college, I didn't have enough money for hamburger, so I would just have Helper with tater-tots.

100 Things You Need to Know About Me (51-60)

Here comes a theme my cousin, Kari, came up with after I included the comment about owning a Dairy Queen. She asked me, "How many people know you owned a Dairy Queen?" Without further ado, here are some things you need to know about my employment history...

51-60 :: Employment History

51. I grew up in Central Illinois farm country, so my first few jobs were focused around agriculture. My first paid job was walking bean fields picking out weeds with a long-handled scythe-like knife. I was 12 years old.
52. My second paid job was baling hay. It was hot, hard work, but water never tasted so good.
53. I've never de-tassled corn, and I don't want to!
54. I worked one summer as a "tire buster" - changing, patching & rotating tires and doing oil changes.
55. I worked in three different factories during college summers - making wiring harnesses for Ford; working a collator in a printing factory; and assisting at a saw in a cabinet factory.
56. I worked at McDonald's in college for 1 week. Then I got a job at a local radio/television channel that I held for three years of college.
57. My wife & I were owner/operators of a Dairy Queen the year after graduating college. It was a great opportunity and a huge financial blessing early in life.
58. I worked for a company called Productivity Point International doing in-office computer training for major companies. I enjoyed the teaching aspect but hated having to wear a suit & tie everyday.
59. I worked for two years in a local high school as a teacher's aide in a self-contained special education classroom for students with behavior, learning, and emotional disorders. I taught the Math & Science portions, but I served mostly as a "bouncer" to keep the kids in line.
60. When I worked at Hardee's in high school, I had a fly get slathered onto a sandwich when I was adding the mayonnaise. It was a lunch rush, so I just picked the fly off and served the sandwich.

Prayer of Agur

In Proverbs 30, we find the sayings of Agur. To be honest, there is very little known about this man. We can infer from his opening comments that he has a healthy respect for God and, as we discover later in the chapter, a keen awareness of the world around him. Two attributes that we should all pursue...

The passage that I was drawn to this morning was his prayer in verses 7-9:

"Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD ?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God."

I think we would all benefit from praying this simple prayer. How different our lives would look if we constantly pursued honesty & integrity in all our relationships and actions, and if we became truly content with what we need rather than pursuing what we want. In fact, this prayer bears a remarkable resemblance to another prayer we all know...

"Give us this day our daily bread." (Matthew 6:9-13)

100 Things You Need to Know About Me (41-50)

Here's a theme that was inspired from one of the blogs I track...

41-50 :: Things I Don't Do Well

41. Fix or build anything...I just can't do it.
42. Sit still.
43. Drive in crazy, busy traffic...I tend to "talk" to the people around me!
44. Wait patiently for things I want.
45. Golf...but I really enjoy the game!
46. Play first-person shooter games (or any 3-dimensional games). Just give me two-dimensional Super Mario Brothers.
47. Have mercy/compassion for people who don't support the vision of the church.
48. Come up with things I'm not good at...just kidding!
49. Remember the birthdays of my extended family.
50. Draw or create anything artistic. (But I think Ethan is going to be awesome at this!)

100 Things You Need to Know About Me (31-40)

Alright, so I've taken some time off from the 100 Things You Need to Know About Me. I've been traveling...spending time with my family...attending conferences...getting things done at Great Oaks. I've been busy...give me a break!!!

I'm still looking for some input on themes for the remainder of the list. Let me know what you want to know about me.

31-40 :: Trips and Travels

31. One of my favorite vacations ever was a week-long cruise with Karen the year we owned the Dairy Queen. The only downside was when Karen was offered drugs in Jamaica.
32. My other favorite vacation was my honeymoon...enough said.
33. I have a wish-list of places I want to go including the Grand Canyon, Ireland, Machu Picchu (there is a great 3-day backpacking trail that leads to this amazing city), Europe, the Swiss Alps, Glacier National Park, Alaska, and the New England region of the United States (in the Fall).
34. I have to stop often for bathroom breaks when on road-trips. More often than Karen or the kids...
35. I used to make my peace with God before every flight.
36. On a flight with my son, a friend of mine who is an air-traffic controller was able to get the captain to personally say "Hi" to Ethan over the intercom.
37. I have always expected to run into somebody I know in an airport. It has never happened until leaving from O'Hare this past Sunday. Bill & I ran into a member of Great Oaks who was leaving for a trip to Brazil.
38. I don't fit in most airplane seats. As a result, I get really frustrated when someone in front of me leans their seat back. On really long flights, that doesn't make me a happy boy!
39. While in Boy Scouts I took a week-long canoe trip in Boundary Waters. It was one of the greatest wilderness trips I've ever done.
40. During a 2-week solo trip, I ended up in Washington D.C. and was threatened with arrest by a really angry police officer.

2008 at Great Oaks

After the conference was over yesterday afternoon, Bill and I sat down outside of a Starbucks for a couple of hours to reflect on the conference and to dream about the future of Great Oaks. We put our heads together on some upcoming teaching series and special events and walked away with some God-sized plans for Great Oaks in 2008.

We'll share in more detail in the coming weeks/months, but I'll give you a sneak peek on some things...

Teaching Series

• In January, we're talking about who we are and the vision of the church.
• In February, we're talking about sex!
• In March, the whole church is going to spend "21 Days with God".
  
• In June, we're going to the movies.
• In July, the whole family is going to worship together.
• In September & October, we're spending 40 days together.
• In November, we're going to learn how to become generous with our time, energy, and resources.

Upcoming Events

• Three MarriedLife Live events!
• Local, national, and international efforts (i.e. community service projects, mission trips, etc)
  
• Cross Training for kids
• Student conferences and retreats
• Men's & Women's Retreats
• Quarterly gathering of leaders & key influencers for vision-casting, leadership training, and fun
• Willow Creek Leadership Summit

Strategic Planning

• Intentional focus and programming built around "Foyer...Living Room...Kitchen" strategy
• Redeveloped leadership structure
• Consistent language and branding
• Greater emphasis on teaching people how to feed themselves
  

I hope you're as excited as I am!!!

Exponential Reflections: Misc

We had several speakers on the second day of the Exponential Conference including Rick Warren, Allen Hunt, John Ortberg, and several other pastors from various churches around the country. Here are some thoughts from their talks...

• "The purpose of influence is to speak up for those who have no influence." (Warren)
• "God may use me, but he doesn't need me." (Hunt)
• "Simplicity, contentment & generosity...these three traits should mark all of us." (Quote from John Stott)
• "Generosity is the new evangelism."
• "We all possess a kingdom - a sphere of personal power. Money is the primary way we expand our kingdom." (Ortberg)
  

Exponential Reflections: Joe Stowell

Joe Stowell is the former president of Moody Bible Institute and is currently teaching pastor at Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows. Here are some thoughts from his presentation...

• Generosity isn't just about money. It is a whole-life perspective.
• Your church never looks more like God than when it exudes generosity.
• The goal of being a generous church is to bring honor and glory to God.
• Glorifying God is making the invisible characteristics of God visible within the world.
• To glorify God is to be chips off of God's block.
• To glorify God is to make God evident in the world.
• The heartbeat of stewardship is trust.
  

Exponential Reflections: Chuck Bentley

Chuck Bentley is the new CEO of Crown Ministries. Here are some thoughts from his presentation...

• Generosity is the greatest cure for apathy.
• Too often, we practice "transactional generosity" - asking people to give more because of a specific need. God didn't call us to this practice; He calls us to a lifestyle of "transformational generosity" - sustained generous giving because our lives have been transformed.
  

Exponential Reflections: Rick Warren

Rick welcomed us to the conference and shared a few thoughts. He will be speaking at length during the first session tomorrow morning. Here are my thoughts from his opening comments...

• Give and Serve are the two words that best describe the Christian life. Jesus came to serve and to give. We are simply to model that lifestyle.
• You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.
• Every time I give, it breaks the stranglehold of materialism in my heart.
• You don't give to be blessed; you give to be a blessing.
  

Exponential Reflections

Bill & I have been enjoying the Exponential Conference at Saddleback. The speakers have been humorous, poignant, and challenging. The worship led by Lincoln Brewster has been amazing!

When we arrived, we walked into the auditorium to find hundreds of round tables set up throughout the multi-purpose auditorium. After walking among the tables for a little bit looking for someplace to sit, we sat down with two other pastors towards the back of the room. I introduced myself by my first name and asked them where they were from.

"Peoria" one of them replied.

"IL?" I said.

"Yeah...you know of it?" the other one replied.

"Yeah...we are at a church in Germantown Hills. Where are you guys?"

"Faith in Washington!" one of them said.

We travel all the way to California to sit down at a table with two pastors from a church just five miles away from ours...God has a sense of humor!

I'm going to post some thoughts from the various speakers in following posts...

Heading to SoCal

Bill & I are heading to Southern California today for the Exponential Conference at Saddleback Community Church. I am looking forward to finally seeing this church for myself. I'll keep you posted on take-aways from the conference...

Weekend in Review :: 11-11-07

WORSHIP
Lord Reign in Me
No One Like You - David Crowder
Unchanging - Chris Tomlin
He Is Exalted - Shane and Shane
I Will Boast - Paul Baloche

MESSAGE
Series: What's In Your Wallet?
Message: Living Within Your Means - Part 2
Speaker: Chris Genders

Notable Quotes...
"We need to build financial margin in our lives so that we are prepared for emergencies and for when God calls us to action."
"How we handle our finances is a spiritual issue."
"If we mishandle our finances, we rob God of the worship He deserves, and we rob ourselves of the blessings we deserve."
"We are to give our first and best to God. To give anything less is to dishonor and devalue God in our lives."
"If we wait to save money until we have eliminated our debt, most of us will never save any money for the future."
"We are the managers of God's resources, and He cares deeply how we spend all of our money. His concern doesn't stop at Giving and Saving."

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Celebration Sunday - November 18th - to be baptized, contact the church office at 383-4330
• Christmas Series - Second Chance Christmas - invitation postcards available soon
• MarriedLife Live - January 26th

100 Things You Need to Know About Me (21-30)

21-30 :: Being a Pastor

21. I never intended on being a pastor.
22. If I weren't a pastor, I would be a high school math teacher.
23. I get annoyed when I meet new people who find out I am a pastor and then change their behavior, language, conversation, etc. I want people to feel like they can be themselves around me.
24. I am sometimes not myself around church people. (Yes...I am aware of the irony/conflict between #23 and #24!)
25. There are a lot of Christians that I wish would never tell people they are Christians.
26. I think people are too dependent upon the church to "feed" them. The church needs to teach people how to feed themselves.
27. I wish we didn't have to refer to the Old Testament as "old"; it makes people think it is irrelevant. How about Part 1 and Part 2 instead?
28. Being a pastor is oftentimes lonely. This is why I highly value my relationships with other pastors.
29. I don't like doing weddings, funerals, and hospital calls. I know they are a part of the job; I simply don't feel like I know what to say or do.
30. I wish more Christians would tell people what God is for rather than what He is against.

The Blend - new website!

The Blend - my favorite local coffeeshop - has recently updated their website. Check it out here...be sure to look at the pictures.

Can't you just picture me settled into one of the booths with my laptop, Bible, and journal as I prepare an upcoming message? (I've also done quite a bit of blogging from these booths!)

Pumpkin Spice Latte

I was at The Blend this morning working on my sermon for this coming Sunday. While I was there, I ordered today's special - Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Imagine my surprise when I'm reading the blogs I track, and I find that Perry Noble, Pastor of NewSpring Church, recently shared some interesting perspectives on evangelism as a result of having this very drink at a Starbucks in Atlanta's airport. Check it out here...

100 Things You Need to Know About Me (11-20)

Continuing in a blogging tradition, here's the next grouping of 10 things you need to know...

11-20 :: Movies

11. I cry almost every time I watch the hospital scene in Remember the Titans.
12. One of the greatest lines in a movie is said by Kurt Russell in Tombstone after slapping Billy Bob Thornton - "You gonna do something or just stand there and bleed?"
13. I absolutely hate Hope Floats and Mrs. Doubtfire.
14. I can quote too many lines from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The ones I most often say are, "T'is but a scratch" and "I got better."
15. I think everybody should watch The Princess Bride at least once...okay, a dozen times!
16. I will watch any movie that stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson or Vin Diesel.
17. Make fun of me if you will...but any time The Princess Diaries is on, I stop to watch.
18. I saw the first showing of Transformers on opening night with a bunch of friends. The energy and enthusiasm of the crowd had everyone shouting and clapping out loud. It was awesome! We almost stayed to watch the next showing.
19. I didn't want any of the Lord of the Rings movies to end. I loved Tolkien as a kid, and I could not wait for each movie to come out.
20. I secretly wish I was Neo.

100 Things You Need to Know About Me (1-10)

I read on African Banter that a blogging tradition is that you have to write 100 things about yourself once you've made 100 posts. Since I am at a new church, this will be a great way to introduce the people of Great Oaks to some things they don't yet know about me.

Rather than listing out 100 things in one post, I thought I would post in short bursts of 10 (each with a theme). Here we go...

1-10 :: Historical

1. When I got married, I was 6'4" and weighed 215 pounds. I'm now 6'4" and weigh 275 pounds. (It's all muscle...)
2. I played flute from 4th grade through 8th grade.
3. I played the piccolo my 8th grade year.
4. I played on the girl's volleyball team my 6th grade year. (Sixth grade was a rough year...)
5. The house I grew up in was heated solely by a wood-burning stove. I'm really good at splitting wood!
6. The house I grew up in wasn't on a well or city water. We hauled water 2-3 times a week from town to fill a cistern.
7. I once went frog gigging with a 12-guage shotgun. There wasn't much left...
8. When I was in college, I climbed a TV tower at 3:00am with three other friends. Those red lights are really bright up close!
9. I used to pretend the be asleep in the car when we would get home from long car trips. I loved it when my Dad would carry me into the house.
10. My little sister used to be really afraid of the "monster under the bed". Right after she got over her fear, I hid under her bed and grabbed her leg when she came to bed. I got grounded for two weeks, but it was worth it!

Weekend in Review :: 11-04-07

WORSHIP
Jesus Paid It All - Kristian Stanfall
We Fall Down - Chris Tomlin
I Give You My Heart - Delirious
You Are Holy (Prince of Peace) - Michael W. Smith

MESSAGE
Series: What's In Your Wallet?
Message: Living Within Your Means - Part 1 (Debt)
Speaker: Bill White

Notable Quotes...
"It's not about knowledge; it's about application of knowledge."
"Even if you pay off your credit card at the end of each month, you will still spend about 23% more than if you just used cash."
"God is more concerned with your character than your comfort."
"Debt is a cancer."

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Operation Christmas Child - shoe boxes due November 11th
• Celebration Sunday - November 18th - to be baptized, contact the church office at 383-4330
• Christmas Series - Second Chance Christmas - invitation postcards available soon
  

Raking Leaves

I took Ethan to a follow-up doctor's appointment in Geneva this afternoon to make sure there weren't any lingering effects from the croup last week. He checked out just fine and was extremely glad when the doctor said he couldn't get a flu shot today because he just finished a round of scripted steroids.

After the doctor's appointment, Ethan and I went over to Karen's parents for a visit. The four of us ended up in the backyard raking leaves into a huge pile for Ethan to jump into. It was a great afternoon of relaxation and connection with my in-laws and my son. (I would post a picture, but I haven't figured out how to get them off of my cell phone!)

I love the Fall because of moments just like these. And, yes...I jumped in the leaves too!

Going All the Way

As many of you know, I love to network with and track other Christian leaders from around the country. You also know that I love to read. So when I came across a recent post from Craig Groeschel, Senior Pastor of Lifechurch.tv, offering a free copy of his recent book for people who blog about it, I couldn't resist!

The book is called Going All the Way: Preparing for a Marriage That Goes the Distance. I've read that some pastors are utilizing the book as their foundation for pre-marital counseling while others are using it for material during teaching series on marriage. I honestly don't know much more about the book than what I've read on other blogs, so I will let you know my thoughts after I receive my copy.

I have been learning from Craig for some time now, and I have been inspired and challenged by his teachings and writings. I've got two other books written by him, Chazown and Confessions of a Pastor. The first time I heard him speak was his presentation on the multi-site movement during the 2006 A2 Conference. I can honestly point to this talk as the turning point for me with regards to the multi-site movement. I also recently listened to his talks about "exponential innovation" and "practical atheism" from the 2007 Buzz Conference. Great talks that I highly recommend checking out.

Enough for now...I'll let you know if I get a free copy of the book...they only had 40 left...

Trick or Treat

Karen was talking with Morgan, my soon-to-be 3-year old, about trick-or-treating later tonight. To make sure she understood the "process" Karen asked, "What do you say when you ring the doorbell?"

Morgan quickly replied, "Ding Dong!"

Flight of the Wild Duck

Here's a great Chinese proverb on the importance of leading by example. I found it in a comment on lifechurch.tv's blog...

“Not the cry, but the flight of the wild duck, leads the flock to fly and follow.” - Chinese proverb

My Kids Are Sick!

So last week Ethan was in the hospital overnight with croup. This week Morgan is diagnosed with strep throat. Pray for the Genders' household!!!

I can't wait to say the famous movie line, "This house is clean." (Although I know it won't sound nearly as creepy as Zelda Rubinstein made it sound!)

Small Group Leader's Meeting

A big thanks goes out to all of you who were able to attend the leader's meeting yesterday. Personally, I think our first meeting went very well. There is a lot more we need to discuss, but I didn't want to overload my leaders with too much information at once. If you attended the meeting yesterday, post a comment below to let me know one or two take-aways from our conversations.

For those of you that weren't able to make it, here is a summary of what we discussed...

TEAM-BUILDING
We utilized our Jimmy John's boxed-lunches to build devices that would hold a raw egg and keep it from being broken when dropped from the balcony in the auditorium. The take-away was that we are to create small group environments where people are cared for and protected as they grow in their faith and knowledge.

WITH or OF...
I shared that we need to become a church OF small groups rather than a church WITH small groups. In the latter, small groups are simply one of many options for people to get involved in. In the former, small groups become the foundation for spiritual growth and connection within the church. The goal of the church is to move people from our weekend worship services (foyer) to medium-sized gatherings such as MarriedLife Live and Starting Point (living room) and eventually to small groups (kitchen).

However, small groups are not the end. They are simply a means to the desired end which is helping people become fully-devoted followers of Jesus Christ. This is critical to understand because we don't want our success to be defined by the number of people in small groups. We want our success to be defined by how much people are growing and how healthy the church is becoming because of doing life together in small groups. (Read Acts 2:42-47)

DUAL OBJECTIVES
We reviewed the two primary objectives of small groups - spiritual growth and authentic community. As leaders, we need to establish groups where people experience a high level of discipleship and caring. If we lean too far one direction or the other, we miss the mark. (Read Ephesians 4:1-6, 11-16)

PURPOSE DRIVEN
Another important part of our structure for small groups at Great Oaks is to balance the five purposes within the context of small group life. We discussed the idea of identifying individuals within each group who would champion one of the purposes. We also highlighted the fact that you will not experience all five purposes in a single gathering, but they should all be evident and balanced over the life-span of the group. (Read Matthew 22:37-40; 28:19-20)

Weekend in Review :: 10-28-07

WORSHIP
Because of Your Love - Paul Baloche
You're Worthy of My Praise - Charlie Hall
You Are My King - Passion Band (Bethany rocked on this song!)
Everlasting God - Todd Fields

MESSAGE
Series: What's In Your Wallet?
Message: Are You Trustworthy?
Key Scripture: Luke 16:1-13 (Parable of the Shrewd Manager)
Speaker: Bill White

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Community Service Project - Raking leaves at Metamora Town Square. Date TBA...
  
• Operation Christmas Child - fill a shoe box with gifts for a needy child in another country. Boxes are due November 11th.
• Baptisms will be held on Sunday, November 18th - register for Baptism class by contacting Stacey Anderson at 383-4330 or stacey@greatoakscc.org

Deadly Viper Character Assassins

Deadly Viper Character Assassins gives leaders a no-holds barred look at the topics of character and integrity. Jud Wilhite (Central Christian Church) and Mike Foster (co-founder of XXXchurch.com and the Creative Principal at PlainJoe Studios) unite to share their personal insights and experiences with some of the top character assassins that leaders will encounter...

• The Assassin of Character Creep
• The Assassin of Zi Qi Qi Ren (self-deception)
  
• The Assassin of Amped Emotions
• The Assassin of the Headless Sprinting Chicken (busy-ness)
  
• The Assassin of Boom Chicka Wa Wa (sexual temptation)
  
• The Bling Bling Assassin
• The High and Mighty Assassin (ego/pride)
  

I got this book in a gift bag given to all of the pastors who attended Central Uncensored. I had just recently heard about it through another blog, so I was jacked to see it in the bag. I ended up reading the whole book in a matter of hours during my time in Vegas. It is a must-read for all leaders as it makes you re-examine your life to discover if these character assassins are lurking in the shadows. I can't wait to get it in the hands of the staff at Great Oaks!

Find out more at deadlyviper.org...

Ethan in the ER

While I was at Loren & Deanna's last night, I got two voicemails from Karen letting me know that she was going to be taking Ethan to the emergency room because he couldn't breathe. When I called her back, she had E in the bathroom with the shower running so that the steam could help him breathe better.

At the hospital, the doctors had Ethan do two hour-long breathing treatments, gave him some sort of steroid (he's buff now!), took a chest x-ray, and did some blood work. The doctor came back to let Karen know that E had pneumonia. About fifteen minutes after she called to tell me this, the doctor returned to the room to let them know he had read the wrong x-ray!

It ended up that Ethan had the croup, but it was serious enough to keep him overnight for observation. They sent him home this morning with instructions to take it easy for three days, eat lots of ice cream, and try not to talk. I'm not sure how the not-talking thing is going to work...he is my son after all!

Obviously I felt frustrated being so far away from home and not being able to help Karen and comfort Ethan. I think I was more worried than she was during the whole incident. I've said it before, but I'll say it again...my wife is an awesome woman!

I can't wait to get home tonight to give her a break from taking care of the kids. She definitely needs and deserves it...

Vegas Reflections No. 3

Loren & I headed out to Zion National Park yesterday for a day of hiking and mentoring. There isn't anything better than some road-time and trail-time with a mentor and friend to draw out the conversation. And there isn't anything better than being in God's creation to draw out the inspiration and majesty of the Creator. If you have never been to Zion, I highly recommend it. I am planning on coming back some time to hike Angel's Landing Trail and The Narrows.

I met Chris Trethewey for lunch today to catch up and talk leadership. As always, it proved to be a great conversation. The more time I spend with Chris, the more I am impressed with his leadership knowledge and application. He and I have similar personalities and perspectives; we just have different contexts in which to practice our leadership. We usually end up bouncing ideas off of each other and gaining the other's insights into current dynamics and situations.

We talked at length about Central: Uncensored to discover what worked well and what needed to be adjusted for the future. Following this debriefing time, we talked about numerous other leadership issues. Here are some personal take-aways from that conversation...

• Alignment of staff is critical but difficult since most staff members come from churches where their ministries were "islands". They were not required or rewarded for collaborating across ministry areas.
• Always discover the irreducible minimum.
• Disney can reach a multi-generational audience with a single movie. How can the church use this strategy to communicate/teach to a diverse audience?
• If a leader does not possess discernment (about people, future, direction, etc), he is not a leader.
• A process of change is needed, but don't be afraid to toss a grenade every now and then to get things moving.
• Seek to understand all of the dynamics about a situation before passing judgment or jumping to conclusions.

Following my lunch with Chris, I met with Kyle Costello, Small Groups Pastor of Young Couples. This conversation proved to be intensely practical and strategic for leading small group leaders. Kyle joined the staff of Central about two and a half years ago after working as a financial analyst for Ford Motor Company. He will prove to be a great contact for the future. Here are some take-aways from my conversation with him...

• Utilize strong small group leaders as mentors for other leaders. This will spread your span-of-care and allow you to better utilize your time and energy.
• Try to establish inter-group conversation and encouragement among small group leaders.
  
• Whole-church campaigns provide strong growth and involvement in small groups; however, you can expect some natural attrition once the campaign is done. In the long run, though, campaigns are great for small group expansion.
• Be sure to provide multiple levels of training for hosts during a campaign. Don't rely on a single large-group training to adequately prepare hosts for campaign experience.
• Be sure to have post-campaign strategy for new groups to reinforce the purpose of the small group.
• Pay attention to the next-steps...have material available at all times (including on your person during weekend services) that directs people to their next step to getting involved in a small group.
• Living Room Events - Dinner & a Movie; Night at the Ballpark; Sacred Space (encouraging groups to adopt a specific area of the community and make it better through service projects)
• Leadership influence flows downhill.

I really appreciated all of the insights from Loren, Chris, and Kyle. I am looking forward to connecting with them more in the future.

Vegas Reflections No. 2

Today was spent talking exclusively about small groups. We had a great round-table discussion with small group pastors from Nevada, California, Colorado & Texas. Don't worry, I did Illinois proud!

The group was small - just 8 of us - so the conversation was deep and intimate as we talked with Jon Bodin (Executive Director of Ministry Development for Central) about the joys and struggles of small group ministry. Following the round-table, I had the privilege of taking Jon out for lunch for some one-on-one conversation. This proved extremely beneficial as it gave us extended time to talk specifically about Great Oaks.

After lunch I sat in the Small Groups office and connected with three other small groups pastors for about 30 minutes. On Wednesday, I will be connecting with Chris Trethewey, Executive Director of Family Ministries, and Kyle Costello, Small Groups Pastor for Young Couples. I am really looking forward to these two conversations. Chris has always proven to be a great counterpart in leadership discussions, and Kyle is a new networking contact for me.

Here are some thoughts from today...

• My family is my first small group.
  
• Small groups are a means to an end. The end is growing people to full devotion to Christ (i.e. discipleship).
• Open small groups that bring in new people will naturally birth new groups.
• Allow groups to grow to whatever capacity the leader's/host's house can hold. The key is subgrouping - no matter how large the group, subgroup to 4-5 individuals for in-depth conversations.
• Subgrouping will identify potential leaders for the future.
  
• Small groups are messy.
  

Vegas Reflections No. 1

My time in Vegas has been both relaxing and informational. Saturday was spent with my mentor and his family watching their granddaughter's soccer game, eating Mexican for dinner at the District in Henderson, NV, and having Dairy Queen for dessert. Loren and I finished the night watching Illinois lose to Michigan.

The conference began this morning with a tour of Central Christian Church. We were able to get an overview of the various ministry environments and talk with key leaders and volunteers in each area. Having been here once before, I had seen many of the areas, but there were some new things I got to see. We even got to be backstage while Jud Wilhite (Lead Pastor) was speaking on stage. (I thought about peeking my head out from behind the curtain...)

We attended the last service of the morning (they have two services on Saturday evening & three on Sunday morning at the Henderson campus and three services on Sunday morning at the Summerlin campus) where they were launching a new series called sex: the naked truth. It was one of the best sermons I have ever heard on sex...and it was in Vegas! Check out the video here; if you would prefer the podcast, you can find it through the same link.

After the worship service, we gathered together with a number of key staff members for lunch and a couple more presentations. Jud did a presentation on creating a culture of uncensored grace, and Mike Bodine (Executive Pastor) did a presentation on key strategies and structure.

Key Thoughts...

• For too long, churches have required people to Behave then Believe and only then can they Belong. We must create churches where people can Belong first then come to Believe and then Become what God intends them to be.
• Truth follows Trust
• The stories you tell create your culture.
• Process not programs
• We believe God has called us to facilitate a movement!
• Expectations without application leads to frustration; however, expectations with application leads to celebration.
• We must constantly think like a new church.
• More is not better...best is better.

I'm spending all day tomorrow with the Small Groups pastors, so I'll have some small group-specific thoughts to share later. That's it for tonight...time for eating more ice cream and watching more football!

Small Group Wins

I thought I would share some success stories (Wins) with you from some recent small group gatherings at GOCC. I have asked my small group leaders to submit a Win Sheet after each gathering. It will take some time to fully catch on, but it will become a valuable tool in monitoring the progress of our groups.

Win #1: I received a phone call a couple of weeks ago from a woman whose husband was concerned about getting involved in a small group. As a local business owner, he was apprehensive about opening his life to other people. Last week they decided to take the plunge and join a group, and they are now hosting the group each week at their house.

Win #2: At the first gathering of a Mommy & Me small group, young mothers were relieved to learn that they are not alone in their struggles with parenting pre-schoolers.

Win #3: A young couple are going through some rough times in their marriage. Their small group is coming alongside and encouraging them as they work through some tough issues.

Did you notice the theme? It is all about connecting with other individuals to help each other grow spiritually and relationally. We cannot do this Christian life on our own...we need others to walk alongside of us. This is why small groups are so important.

Life is better lived together.

YouVersion

Interested in a new on-line Bible study tool? Check out www.youversion.com.

It isn't fully-functional yet, but it looks like it will be a useful tool even as it gets developed. At this time, it allows you to search multiple versions (although not the NIV or TNIV), maintain a private journal, and collaborate with other people around the world on specific verses through text, image, and video posts.

Check it out for yourself, and let me know what you think.

Going Back to FVCC

After spending 11 years in one church, you form a lot of strong relationships with people. So with the recent visits from Steve, Jim & Jackie...I've been wondering when I will be able to visit FVCC to see some other friends and check in on the church. It will be good to see everybody again; however, I'm sure it will be strange to go as a visitor rather than a staff member.

I'm thinking about either Thanksgiving weekend or Christmas Eve services. I'll let you know...

Another FVCC Visit

I had the pleasure of having dinner with some great friends from FVCC last night. Jim (FVCC Student Minister) & Jackie Clark are both pursuing Master's degrees at Lincoln Christian Seminary, so after class yesterday they popped over to Peoria to hang out for a while and see my new church.

We grabbed some Geo's Pizza (great BBQ Chicken pizza!) and then toured the church building. Unfortunately, we had to keep the evening short as they had to head back home since Jackie was opening at Starbucks this morning in Geneva.

Jim joined the staff of FVCC just under three years ago, and we formed a quick friendship. (Of course, my wife says I can make friends with a lamp post!) When he & Jackie first arrived on scene at FVCC, Karen and I would invite them out every Thursday night for Survivor. It was a great time of connection, and the last three years contain a lot of other great memories with them. Jim...did you ever get a call to be on a season of Survivor?!?

Jim & Jackie - thanks for making the trip over. It really meant a lot to me! Looking forward to spending more time together in the near future...

New Arrival!!!

We have a new arrival to the Great Oaks family!

Jonas Tate Rea was born on Friday, October 12th to Jason & Heidi Rea. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 15 oz. and was 19.25 inches long.

Tate (they are going to call him by his middle name) and mom are doing great. I got to hold him and visit with the family yesterday afternoon; I'll post a picture soon.

Congrats, Jason & Heidi!

Viva Las Vegas!

I am heading to Vegas this Saturday for a behind-the-scenes look at the ministry structure and philosophy of Central Christian Church. I will be spending an entire day with their staff of small groups pastors as well as some one-on-one time with a couple of different leaders from the church. I will keep you posted on what I learn!

Can't wait to stay at the Trethewey Bed & Breakfast and spend extended time with some great mentors in both ministry and marriage!!!

Weekend in Review :: 10-14-07

WORSHIP
All to You - Lincoln Brewster
Friend of God - Israel Houghton
Come Thou Fount - David Crowder version
If I Had a Million Dollars - Bare Naked Ladies
The Solid Rock - Charlie Hall

MESSAGE
Series: What's In Your Wallet?
Message: Are You Rich? :: Bill White

Notable Quotes...

• "If you have more than you need, you are rich."
• "When I am blessed with more than I need, it is for the sake of someone in need."
  

Check out - www.globalrichlist.com to see where you rank in comparison with the rest of the world. (Hint: You are most likely in the top 1% of richest people in the world!)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Baptism class will be offered on Sunday, October 21st from 2:00-4:00pm. Baptisms will be held during services on Sunday, November 18th.
• Small Group Leader's Luncheon - Sunday, October 28th from 12:15-2:30pm. Lunch will be provided; childcare will not be provided. Please RSVP to Chris at 309.383.4330 or chris@greatoakscc.org

Light the Night

Here’s an idea for your small group to consider. Nate Westerfield and his small group have done this for the past couple of years, and they have found that it is a great time of service to the community and that it opens doors for conversations about the church. It is called “Light the Night”.

On Halloween (or whatever night your community does trick-or-treating) gather your group members together at one person’s home and set up some simple games in the yard (not in the house) for kids in the neighborhood to play. Keep the games fairly simple – bozo buckets, bean bag toss, ring toss, hula hoops, etc. Be creative but simple. You may want to consider having some hot chocolate or coffee available for parents while the kids are playing.

When the kids are done playing, give them a pre-packaged bag of candy with a brochure from the church or other information about the church. Be sure to set up some extra lighting for the yard so people can see better and so that the house stands out in the neighborhood. If your group members have young kids, they will still want to go trick-or-treating, so share the responsibility of supervising the games among group members while taking your own kids door-to-door.

Nate said that the kids come back two or three times during the evening to play the games and hang out. It is during those visits that parents will often ask who you are and why you are doing this. That is your opportunity to let them know you are a small group from Great Oaks and that you just wanted to give the kids something extra to do while trick-or-treating. There’s no need to get into deep theological conversations or try to convert someone to Christ on the front lawn. This is simply a method to connect with the people in your neighborhood.

Keep looking for ways to redeem the culture around us for the sake of Christ. A big thanks goes out to Nate & Kalee for this great idea!

A Great Friend

I had the pleasure of spending the last couple of days with one of my best friends and fellow pastors - Steve Osborne.

Steve is the Worship Minister at Fox Valley Christian Church where I served and attended for the last 11 years. During our 8 years of working together, we became hard and fast friends who stuck together through some great times and some really tough times.

I've got to be honest - friends like Steve don't come around every day. He is someone that I can talk to about anything, and, even more important, I can just sit with and not say a word if I don't feel like it. (And if you know me very well, you know that I feel compelled to fill silence with conversation!)

Steve - thanks for making the trip down to see me. Can't wait to see you again!

The Blend

I found my local coffeeshop! It's called "The Blend", and it just opened today in Washington.

They've got a great atmosphere - contemporary design and color; tables, booths, and couches; free wi-fi; and an assortment of books to peruse. And I love their tag-line: where coffee and community come together.

I can't wait to settle in for a couple of hours with the laptop and a good book!

Small Group Trend #2 – From a place to belong to a people to become

Small Group Leaders: The following is the second offering from Bill Donahue, Small Groups Pastor at Willow Creek Community Church.

The emphasis on “belonging” is critical to any group, team, or family. I remember in college running for elections in a club. We have “eating clubs” instead of frats and sororities but the idea was the same. It was a social gathering place where we ate meals, had parties, or just hung out and studied or played pool. There were about 100 guys and 5 leadership slots. I was nominated for all 5. Each time we counted votes, I had come in second place. Whether it was social chairman, athletic chairman or vice president, when the votes were cast I was left behind. Five of my closest friends were selected and they all went out to celebrate afterwards—without me. Even though I enjoyed them and the club, suddenly there was no room at the Inn for me. Belonging is key.

But we cannot stop there in group life. We are called to become something – a holy people, a redemptive community, an active expression of the hands and feet of Jesus. I think that is why I am so excited about the missional communities that are emerging—at Willow and around the world. This move from an institutional approach to incarnational is refreshing. Instead of “come to church and we will connect you to a group” the focus becomes “let’s become a group that serves some people then we can ultimately connect them to the church.” This “serve first” mentality fostered by Denise Van Eck and others at Mars Hill in Grand Rapids is an emerging trend. Jon Peacock and the Axis team at Willow have 10 missional communities where they have moved into apartments largely filled with singles. These groups are living among the homeless, the poor, the wealthy, minorities – up close and personal.

This is an expression of group life that we are looking to learn from as we move forward.

Anonymous Worship

I decided to attend Northwoods Community Church this evening for their mid-week service. Northwoods is a sister-church of Great Oaks and is located about 30 minutes away.

One of the struggles for pastors is to find times when they can simply worship God without the distraction of being "in charge". It is a delicate balance on most Sunday mornings to truly worship God without worrying about transitions, cues, etc. As such, it is always refreshing to go to another church where you can be anonymous and simply experience worship and listen to a fresh voice impart the Word of God into your life. This is also why conferences are so important for pastors.

I got to the church about 45 minutes early, so I just sat in the parking lot trying to catch up on my Bible-thru-the-year reading that my accountability partners and I have been doing. (I'm only four weeks behind now!!!)

When it was time for the service, I got out of the car and started walking towards the building. I noticed a woman getting out of her car directly in front of me, so I shifted my course slightly to walk around the other side of the car. As I did so, she looks at me and says, "Didn't I see you at Great Oaks on Sunday?" So much for anonymity!

It ends up that she had been to Great Oaks two or three times - one of which was this past Sunday when I introduced our guest speaker and then led the church in communion. I explained to her that I was a new staff member and decided to check out Northwoods for the evening. Her boyfriend soon walked up and she introduced me to him as well. Ends up he was at Great Oaks on Sunday, too.

They invited me to sit with them for the evening, and I graciously accepted. As we walked into the foyer, we saw the auditorium doors hadn't been opened yet, but that didn't deter her boyfriend. Turns out, he was going to be commissioned during the service for an upcoming missions trip to the Dominican Republic. He promptly leads us through a side door onto the floor directly in front of the stage, and proceeds to introduce me to two staff members and an elder of the church. So much for anonymity!

Despite not being able to just be a face in the crowd, it was a great night of worship and celebration as they baptized ten people and commissioned twelve people for the trip to the DR.

My true purpose in going - to worship God without distraction - was definitely realized. The fact that I got to meet two great people who may begin attending Great Oaks and, as it turns out, may be wanting a pastor to marry them soon, was simply confirmation that God is always at work...even when I think I'm not...

Saving Grace

I was just getting ready to turn the TV off last night when an episode of Saving Grace began. I had seen commercials for the show but had never seen an episode, so I decided to stay up and see what it was all about.

If you are not familiar with the show, click here for an overview. In a nutshell, Holly Hunter plays Grace Hanadarko, a cynical detective who lives hard and fast by drinking too much, sleeping with numerous men (most of them married), and defying authority. One night she cries out to God for help after hitting a man while driving drunk. Suddenly an angel appears and begins to spend time with Grace trying to help her straighten out her life.

Before I go any further...I am not endorsing this show. It is laced with profanity and sexual overtones, so if you choose to watch it, you have been warned.

I am, however, stating that it is an interesting collision of the secular and the sacred. My gut is telling me that most Christians would condemn the show; however, in doing so they are also unwittingly condemning Scripture. Let me explain...

Throughout the Bible, we encounter people just like Grace. Think of the woman at the well (John 4:1-42).

We read her story without truly grasping who she was. We sanitize the story to make ourselves feel better. We read that she had five husbands and was living with a man who wasn't even her husband, but we don't dwell on that fact because we prefer to fast-forward to who she was after she encountered Jesus.

That's the way we like our Christianity - clean, safe, and sanitary. Unfortunately, the people who really need to encounter Jesus live messy lives.

We watch shows like Saving Grace and are repulsed by Hunter's character, but we don't stop to think that these are the very people that God loves and wants to embrace the most. Remember Jesus words, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." (Matthew 9:12)

If we are to be a people and a church after God's own heart, then we had better get used to spending time with and getting to know people just like Grace. It will be messy at times, but it is what God desires the most.

Weekend in Review :: 9-30-07

Charlie Dean, Pastor of Young Adults at Northwoods Community Church, was our guest speaker this weekend. Bill gave him free reign to teach on any subject, so he talked about anger and forgiveness. Charlie is high-energy and did great with the topic; I think people really connected with what he had to say.

We did communion after the message, and it worked great to transition into a time of personal reflection as we participated in a practice that Jesus himself established for the church. Following the teaching found in Matthew 5:23-24, we challenged people to let the trays pass if there was a relationship in their life that needed to be reconciled.

Nate was gone this week at Innovate 2007 at Granger Community Church (check out his blog for his thoughts on the conference), so he had a volunteer lead worship. Dave did a great job leading the church into the presence of God. During communion he did a song by American Idol contestant and worship minister, Chris Sligh. It was just him and his guitar while we took communion. I loved it! Here's the set list...

* King of Majesty - United Live - Hillsong
* You Are Good - Lincoln Brewster
* Hallelujah (Your Love is Amazing) - Vineyard
* How Great is Our God - Chris Tomlin
* Communion Song - Chris Sligh (American Idol guy)
* Blessed Be Your Name - Matt Redman

We start a new six-week series this coming Sunday. The series is called "What's In Your Wallet?" and will be focusing on stewardship and generous giving. This weekend I will be setting the stage for the series and dealing with common misconceptions people have when it comes to the church and money. Can't wait!!!

Small Group Trend #1: Beyond Group Format to Group Process

Small Group Leaders :: Here is a great article by Bill Donahue from Willow Creek Community Church. It looks like he will have a series of these, so I will keep them coming for you...

"As I continue to observe communities in action there are a variety of components that make them thrive. But many groups get too focused on format while ignoring process. Think of process as the environment you create for growth, like ingredients for a growing a plant in a greenhouse. It needs water, oxygen, nutrients, and temperature control. All this takes place in a structure—a greenhouse—made of glass and pipe, with electrical wiring and ventilation systems. You the nutrients and the structure—but groups often focus too heavily on the structure.

If you look at it another way, format is the skeletal and muscular systems in a body. Process is the nervous and circulatory system. In groups that pay attention to process leaders observe relational connections, recurring themes and issues, follow the flow of the Spirit (not just the curriculum), and are attentive to communication patterns. What is the group climate like? Do people give and receive feedback well? Are all opinions welcome? Is it safe? Are we free to speak truth about God, self and others?

You need enough structure to facilitate and guard the process. That is why leaders (or guides or shepherds) are called for in the bible. They guide and facilitate process—they make sure all the ingredients are present for growth. And they make sure there is just enough structure to keep the process moving. It’s a tension leaders must navigate." - Bill Donahue

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?