Into the Rabbit Hole

This weekend, I had the amazing opportunity to attend the Seeds Conference, at Church on the Move, in Tulsa. To say that COTM has it going on would be a tremendous understatement. Amazing things are happening here. The conference was no different. Amazing is pretty much the first word that comes to mind when I think about the past three days. In the following few paragraphs, I will try to digest what I learned and received at Seeds 2012. 

*Warning, this could be a very long blog.

Day One:

I arrived at Seeds to find the parking lot full of volunteers welcoming me in. You know, it doesn’t matter how anti-social I can want to be at these types of events, this type of action is infectious. Churches could learn a whole lot from sending volunteers out to welcome people in. Just try it, and see if any of your church goers complain…

Anyway, the investment in creativity at COTM is evident by all that is done in this conference. Daily announcements were placed on a big chalkboard in the commons area. They also had a board that was updated with various tweets by conference goers. These were amazing works of art…I’m not gonna lie…I am a little jealous of these artists.

The opening session speaker was Stephen Furtick, from Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. Elevation is considered one of the fastest growing churches in the U.S. and I was very interested to hear what he would have to say. Furtick really focused on leadership principals, and these are some of the thoughts I came away with:

- Elisha told the kings to dig ditches during a drought. 

- God would send the water, they needed to dig the ditches. 

- It’s ok to dig ditches of vision and faith, God will honor those.

It’s safe to say the opening session did not disappoint. The COTM worship team brought it. They sound so good, but the best thing is, you can tell they are just worshipping. 

Day Two: 

The second session of the conference started Thursday morning, with the host pastor, Willie George…AKA Gospel Bill. In all honesty, this session was probably my second favorite of the entire conference. Pastor George brought so many leadership principals to the table, I was having trouble keeping up. He talked about his church, and “what we changed, why we changed, and how it changed the people around us.” Here are just a few of the ideas presented:

- “The more success a ministry has in one generation, the harder it is for them to reach the next generation” (This was the first idea Pastor presented…he hit us hard and often).

- Resources are not the problem…it’s the willing heart. (Convicting thought).

-  You have to change, because your people are going to change.

- A minor operational change is useless without a major shift in philosophical ideas.

- Your church is the answer for people. (Big-time).

After Pastor George’s session, Lee Cockerell, the former VP of Operation at Walt Disney World. This man knows how to lead. His whole session was a series of leadership bullet points. To be honest, there were way too many to put here. I’ll give you a random smattering:

- Hire (and promote) the right people.

     * It’s not hard finding great people…it just takes longer.

- Have clarity in your expectation of ministry.

     * Everyone should know what is expected.

- Training

     * Don’t practice on your guests. (Train and test)

- Be a role model

     * Don’t underestimate the influence you have on people in all walks of life.

The workshops after lunch were very informative. Whitney George led one on Making Art, Not Gimmicks. Here are a few thoughts on it…

1. Have a clear goal.

     - “The absence of limitations is the enemy of art.” - Orson Wells

     - Let the image come from the story, not the other way around.

2. Originality is overrated - Authenticity is what really matters.

     - Make things you like.

     - It’s not about where you take things from, it’s where you take them to.

3. Focus on details - and ruthlessly evaluate.

     - Someone needs to be the producer!

     - Seek evaluation, not praise.

4. Avoid the “oh crap” moment - start to prototype.

     - Present your idea as often as you can, and fix it as you go.

     - Your best ideas are not as good as you think they are.

5, There is no magic behind the magic.

     - The simple things can create the greatest magic…it just takes hard work.

Ed Young, from Fellowship Church in Texas, was the evening session speaker. Pastor Young has long been known for his atypical style of preaching, and the one-liners he seems to coin every second. He set up the night with an omage to Gospel Bill, and presented us with his, “Eighteen Shots of Leadership at Gospel Bill’s Non-Alcoholic Saloon.”

1. Draft impact players.

 2. Develop double vision.

   - whatever you’re leading, lead like its double the size.

 3. Throw a change-up.

    - If it ain’t broke, break it…change it…

    - small tweaks lead to big peaks 

 4. Build a big shallow end in your church.

     - develop a place to plug in new Christ followers.

 5. Put on your shades.

      - the vision should be so bright, you gotta wear shades.

      - talk about the vision constantly.

 6. Las Vegas.

      - they have nothing to say but know how to say it…we have everything to say but

         don’t  know how to say it. 

 7. Consult other leaders before you consult a consultant. 

 8. Pay now and pay later.

       - pay people well.

 9. Have a good hatitude.

       - what leadership hats do you wear?

       - have to be able to do what a leader does.

 10. Deal rapidly with staff infection.

 11. Watch the leaves.

        - people will leave….it’s ok.

 12. Be childish.

         - Place your best volunteers in the kids ministry.

         - It is the most important ministry in the church.

 13. Pick up special deliveries.

         - pyramid your church with special days.

         - it must have a meaning!

 14. Tweak Out.

          - start to critique one another.

 15. Investigate what you delegate.

           - inspect what you give up.

 16. To go out, you gotta get under.

          - honor, respect the authority over you.

          - honor one another.

 17. The Message is the main thing.

          - there is no compromise.

          - focus on the Message, and everything else will fall into place.

 18. Become a rescuer.

           - we do all of this because people need the Lord, Jesus Christ!!!!!! 

After two days of Seeds, my brain was on information overload. Needless to say, i did not sleep well.

Day Three:

Willie George once again opened the days festivities. Here are the main ideas from his message:

- Growth is God’s responsibility - not Adam’s!

     - So what is my responsibility?

     - Gen. 2:15 - to dress and keep the garden. (To enhance it)

     - How do we do this? WE PLANTS SEEDS

- God allows us to join alongside him in growth.

     - God has given us dominion. 

          *He allows us to handle certain situations. 

          *We are supposed to guard the garden from snakes.

- 2 Kings 4 - What have you in the house? 

     - God wants you to use something that is in your hand. 

     - Something you are familiar with.

“Man is looking for a move of God, God is looking for a move of man!”

God likes to blend the natural with the supernatural.

     - Since the beginning, God created this union with man…we each have a part.

     - The oil was the natural…the amount was the supernatural.

- Like a checker game…we say, “God, what are you going to do?” God says, “It’s your turn, I’m waiting on you.” (This blew my mind!)

“There are so many things we leave unfinished, and yet we want God to move.”

Once again, the day was full of wonderful workshops. My mind was full to the brim with production ideas and techniques. But, as with all good things…it must come to an end.

The closing session was full of absolutely outstanding worship. There is something so amazing about a gathering of Believers and listening to them worship our Creator. It is impossible to put that feeling into words…

The closing speaker was Judah Smith, from Seattle. I am a huge Judah Smith fan, but I have never heard him speak in person. I was not disappointed. Judah was used by God in the closing session. He encouraged, educated, and edified. Judah listened to God. That’s all we could ask for. 

Here are his thoughts:

First Place:

I serve a God who is second in nothing!

He is preeminent…first and foremost.

He is the first-born!

The implications of His firstness:

 1. If He is pre-existent…that means He is more!

    - more is who He is!

    - Eph. 3 - the love that passed knowledge

    - He is more than anything we could ever understand.

    - Rom. 5 - the abundance of Jesus! (grace)

    - v. 20 - Jesus abounded much more than sin!

    - Pentecost is the celebration of the first fruits…His firstness! (Acts 2)

    - Jesus said He was more than a feast!!!!!

    - a good coach knows how to play to their strengths…we have one strength…Jesus!  

    “since when is Jesus not enough?”

        - his grace is sufficient.

2. His firstness means…He is before.

    - you cannot out-run the already of God!

    - He was before that moment.

    - He was before that pain.

    - wherever you’re going, Jesus is already there!!!!!

    - He is saying…”son, my grace is sufficient for you!”

Whatever you do…keep moving! …I’m already there! - God 

Seeds was an absolutely amazing three days. I left feeling ready to tackle the hard work that is before me. Most importantly, I left encouraged by our maker. Thank you Lord.

If you would like to attend Seeds: 2013, check it out here: www.seedsconference.com

Well, it’s been a while since I posted, and it feels like a good Saturday to make one.

I’m sitting here in my apartment, watching the Woody Allen movie, “Midnight in Paris,” for the third time in a little over a week. Without a doubt, I have to say this movie was the best in 2011. 

Woody Allen has long been known for his interesting, sometimes quirky methods of story-telling. In many ways, he can be a polarizing filmmaker, you either love him or hate him. So, I do realize that although I throughly loved this movie, for some, it may not be their cup of tea.

“Midnight in Paris,” is an ode to the “golden ages” of life. If we are all going to be honest with ourselves, we all have a time in history we think we would love to experience. In this film, Gil Pender (Owen Wilson), is given the opportunity to visit his “golden age.” Gil finds many things in his times with the literary and artistic greats he had only read about before (Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Picasso, Dali, etc), but in the end, Gil learns that the only true “golden age” is the one you make for yourself. 

This is a very whimsical, fantastic movie, full of fine acting, believable emotion, wonderful music, and just enough of that “something” to just make you like it. 

Without a doubt, I consider “Midnight in Paris” to be the best film of the last year. If you haven’t watched it yet, I suggest doing so. Just…don’t take it too seriously. 

Enjoy!

Some stuff I’ve been able to work on the past few months…

Do you ever play the “What-if” game? I’m not gonna lie, I sometimes do. In fact, sometimes I like to play that game…

What if I would have said no?

What if I would have taken that job?

What if I would have bought that car?

What if I never would have said it?

I mean, I could play the “What-if” game with the best of them. But here’s the thing…what’s the point? I mean, will I ever know the answers to those questions? No. Even if I went ahead and answered them differently the next time, a new outcome would have appeared. I guess the point I am trying to make is this: If you want to look back and ask, “what-if,” that’s fine…if you want to look back and wish, “what-if,” then…well…it’s time to quit wishing and start looking forward to what’s next.

I had the awesome opportunity to work at a men’s conference last weekend…The Main Event:2011. I really enjoy live production…here are just a few highlights…

Just a random thought to bring the night to a close…

In this social media-driven world, it is very easy to become self-indulgent, self-righteous, and if we’re not careful…self-reliant…

It’s important we remember where we came from, and where we are going…

Stay humble…

Just working on a video for our Men’s Conference this week…I don’t think you’ll want to miss it…

Some stills from our day of shooting for Convergence:2011

Have you ever felt like you were in a rut? Sometimes, being spontaneous can be a very good thing…not always…but sometimes. Next time you feel like you have been doing the same thing over and over, do something new. Find a new “Hole in the Wall” to eat dinner, go to the park on your way home…whatever it is…just find something new to do.

Convergence 2011 is a little over a week away…there are a lot more notes to be made…