Leadership Summit 08 Thoughts

This past Thursday and Friday I attended the Leadership Summit, hosted by Willow Creek Community Church (Chicago area) and broadcast via satellite to over 140 cities across North America. I spent those two days soaking up leadership insights from great church, non-profit, and business leaders. I look forward to this event every year (as this was my fourth time to go) and I can’t wait to share the experience with the rest of the staff next August!

I took a ton of notes and brought back a stack of resources, but I wanted to share just a few quick insights from the two-day event with you.

Bill Hybels, Senior Pastor of Willow Creek, on “The High Drama of Decision Making”
• Leadership’s highest usage is to advance the kingdom of God
• Get the right people around the table

Gary Haugen, President and CEO of International Justice Mission, on “Just Courage: Charging the Darkness”
• If you want your leadership to matter then lead in the things that matter to God

Wendy Kopp, CEO and Founder of Teach for America, on “Stand Up and Lead”
• Be willing to take risks to follow your passions

John Burke, Lead Pastor of Gateway Community Church (Austin, TX), on “Leading in New Cultural Realities”
• Are we truly doing the work of Christ if we are not getting messy with the lives of those who are messy?

Craig Groeschel, Senior Pastor of Lifechurch.tv (OKC), on “IT: How Leaders Can Get IT and Keep IT”
• Ask yourself (or your church):
o What are you doing that you need to stop doing?
o What is God trying to show you through your greatest limitation?
o What has God called you to do that you are afraid to do?

Catherine Rohr, Founder and CEO of Prison Entrepreneurship Program, on “Risk Taking, Barrier Breaking, Bold Leadership”
• Pray, “God, bring it on!”

Bill Hybels, Senior Pastor of Willow Creek, on “Relentless”
• If you were God for a day, would you pick you for more influence in the kingdom?
• Do we believe in a God that taps on the shoulders of regular people and asks them to step up?

If you went to the Summit, what are your thoughts? What was your favorite talk/interview?

Michael Phelps and Co. Win Gold

In case you missed it live, the US Men's 4x100m Freestyle relay team won the GOLD medal by .08 seconds over France - giving Michael Phelps his 2nd GOLD medal in Beijing (and his 8th overall).

The race was phenomenal, and the last 50 meters was the most intense length of the pool I have ever watched. Jason Lezak chased down France's Alain Bernard to take the top spot. Ironically enough, Bernard had touted France's dominance earlier in the evening by saying that they would crush the Americans in this event, but the tables were turned as Lezak turned on the afterburners in the last 25 meters to close the gap, win the race, and shatter the previous World Record by four seconds!

It was a great race to watch - NBC posted the video here. Here is the story's write up on nbcolympics.com

Sunday Night Reflections

I just wanted to fire off some quick thoughts about today that I need to get out of my head before I head off to sleep.

• Preaching on the older son this morning really challenged me to think more carefully about my attitude toward Christians who came to faith later in life - even at the end of their life.
• The LOST series was a great time of reflection on the whole concept of grace - I think I understand more about what God is doing in my life now that I have preached these messages
• I am crazy excited that we are podcasting our sermons - I talked with at least five people today who were pumped about being able to hit up the website to hear the sermons - praise God!
• I am truly excited about this fall - we are going to launch something in September that has never been done before at University and I can't wait to see it take off!
• I talked about Christmas Eve worship this morning and this afternoon (mostly about how I want to see the Sanctuary full that night), but I know it will be an evening that God moves dramatically in our church - start praying now about who you can bring that night
• Next weekend I will be talking about Jesus living in our neighborhood (John 1) and the music will be provided by the Gathering Storm praise band - I am pumped about hearing them for the first time
• I have been listening and reading stuff from Perry again, and I think I need to start working on my weight again, please pray that I can take the small steps needed to start living healthier
• I love Deb - she is so passionate about making our new house truly ours and I just hope that I can keep up with her plans for redecorating / remodeling!
• I love Caitlyn - she is so full of life and energy - it's a wonder she sleeps at all! (I will definitely record her praying "Dear God, help them at daddy's church..." and post it here soon!)
• I love Jesus - he is the one who has brought me this far and I know that none of what I am doing now would be possible without his grace

I will post some thoughts from the Leadership Summit tomorrow, I'm tired - time for bed.

The Big 3-0!

I have officially entered my fourth decade of existence! I celebrated the ending of my 20s and the beginning of my 30s yesterday with a delicious steak from Texas Roadhouse and a piece of four-layer chocolate/chocolate cake from Margie's.

Thank you to all of you who sent cards and/or gifts. I thank you for not stocking our cupboards with Geritol or Fibercon as well.

I pray that my 30s bring me closer to my family, closer to my Lord, and further along in my ministry in the name of Jesus Christ.

Peace!

Prayer Request

Please pray for Custer Road UMC in Plano. There was a terrible car accident on Sunday involving a family that was greatly connected to the ministry of that church.

Please pray for the clergy and staff as they handle many calls, visits, and questions about processing the grief that the congregation will undoubtedly express over the next few weeks - and even months.

Please pray for Rev. Ron Henderson, senior pastor at CRUMC, as he leads the congregation through this time of trial.

Please pray for my friend, Rev. Leslie Herrscher, associate pastor at CRUMC, as the day of this accident was her first Sunday at Custer Road.

Please pray for the friends and family of the Hart family.

Please pray for the driver of the car who hit the Hart family and survived the wreck.

Please pray.

Good Stuff From a "Noble" Man

I think I just found inspiration for my first few staff meetings here and here. Read them both - you won't regret it! And be sure to read the scripture he references too!

Thanks Perry!

Three Simple Rules, Part 3

And the last General Rule is "stay in love with God" or as Wesley originally put it, "attend upon all the ordinances of God..."

This is the rule that holds everything together. This is the rule that needs to be maintained most diligently if rule one and rule two are to have any chance of making a difference in your life. This is the rule that challenges us to use spiritual disciplines on a daily, weekly, monthly, AND yearly basis.

Wesley taught that the "ordinances of God" were: public worship of God, the Lord's Supper, private and family prayer, searching the Scriptures, Bible study, and fasting. The list doesn't seem that long or difficult, but how many times have you intentionally fasted in the past year? I know I can only think of one time that I have fasted in the past 12 months.

Public worship of God - I'll admit that this in my lifeblood. I love to worship. I love being in worship. I love singing. I love preaching. I love watching God move in the congregation. And I am sad when churches have worship services that are listless and boring, because I want God to be honored by his children, not bored.

Lord's Supper (Communion) - At Trietsch I had the opportunity to take Communion once a week during the early service and once a month at the other services. I also gained new insight into this sacrament after teaching the Communion Class that Trietsch put together.

Private and Family Prayer - This is a staple in our house. We pray before every meal and snack and before Caitlyn goes to bed. I pray for Debbie each day and she returns the favor. Our prayer times are special and sacred moments for us as a family.

Searching the Scriptures - My morning routine usually includes readings from both the Old and New Testaments, with a Psalm or Proverb mixed in. I use a reading program that will guide me twice thru the NT and once thru the OT every year.

Bible Study - I love to teach Bible studies, so this is something I am very passionate about. I wish I could spend more time teaching the Bible, but now that I am a Senior Pastor, I will need to allow others that high privilege.

Fasting - I am not very good at fasting (I think it has something to do with my love for food, but who knows!). It takes intentional effort on my part to fast. I need to incorporate this discipline into my yearly routine on a larger scale.

I hope you have enjoyed this quick journey through Three Simple Rules!

What spiritual disciplines give you the most energy? What disciplines take the most effort for you to keep?

Three Simple Rules, Part 2

Yesterday I talked about the first General Rule of the United Methodist Church, so today I want to reflect on the second - "do good."



More completely, the second General Rule says, "...by doing good; by being in every kind merciful after their power; as they have opportunity; doing good of every possible sort, and, as far as possible, to all...." (Book of Discipline, para. 103)



It seems to me that this second rule would be even harder to keep than the first. It is one thing to consciously avoid harming someone, it is quite another to continuously be on the lookout for ways to do good for others.



For me, the most surprising thing about this second rule is that the "good" that Wesley is talking about doing is not necessarily a good thing for me individually. Luke 6:27-28 comes to mind when I think about pursuing what is good for others above what may be good for me. How many times (a day) are we told by the world that we have to look out for ourselves? How many times (a day) do we take that advice to the detriment of the ones we love? or the ones we'll never meet?

The words of Jesus and of Wesley suggest that doing good is a universal command.
This is, doing good is not limited to those like me or those who like me. Doing
good is directed at everyone, even those who do not fit my category of "worthy"
to receive any good that I or others can direct their way. This command is also
universal in that no one is exempt from it. (37)

Again, Job calls doing good "proactive living" in the face of a reactive culture and world. Doing good is more than responding to the cries of the world - it is actively seeking out opportunities to be in service to the world.



What about self? What about doing good for yourself? Job calls it "healthy self-denial," but I'll let you read the book to find out more about that! Tomorrow: the third General Rule!

Three Simple Rules

Today I will finish Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living by Ruben P. Job and I have to highly recommend this book to anyone who is of the "Wesleyan persuasion" in their thinking or theology.

Job does a great job of unpacking each of Wesley's General Rules (Book of Discipline para. 103) and helping a new audience understand the impact that living to 1) do no harm, 2) do good, and 3) stay in love with God, can have on the world.

The first General Rule says, "...by doing no harm, by avoiding evil of every kind, especially that which is most generally practiced." What would our world look like if we all took the time to consider the possible harmful impact our actions might have on others before we acted? How much pain, misery and suffering might we avoid by choosing to think of others before ourselves? How much more like Christ would we be?

"Doing no harm" does not just involve intentional harm that we inflict on each other, but the unintentional harm as well - the careless word choice, the unprovoked outburst, or the thoughtless non-verbal dismissal.

What would it mean if we took this first simple rule seriously? First of all, it would mean an examination of the way we live and practice our faith....To do no harm is a proactive response to all that is evil - all that is damaging and destructive to humankind and God's good creation, and therefore, ultimately destructive to us. (30)

Obviously there are tons of applications wrapped up in these three words - "do no harm," but if we sought to live under this rule, would it truly draw us closer to Christ? What implications are put on our life if we choose to embrace this rule?

Saying Goodbye

Today the full-time pastoral and program staff headed to Lake Texoma for Day One of the Staff Retreat. And I didn't go with them. I have cleared out my office, said my goodbyes, and set my eyes upon the ministry of University UMC in Wichita Falls.

I am sad not to be with my friends on the Trietsch staff, but I knew this day was coming. Still, that doesn't make it any easier to not be with my friends right now.

As I reflect on my time as a member of the Trietsch family, I am brought to tears thinking about all the great things the church is doing in the name of Christ. I can hardly wait to read about the VBS team welcoming 1,000 kids to this year's sessions or the 7,000+ meals that will be distributed this summer by Kids Eat Free. I am proud to have my name associated with such a great church and I will truly miss worshiping, serving, and being part of the action there.

Godspeed to all of you! I will be praying for you!

Little Red Riding Hood

A colleague of mine sent me this picture of Caitlyn today (it's from our Trunk or Treat back in October) because she just got it off her camera. Caitlyn's classic pose is still my favorite!

Saying Thank You

Yesterday was an emotional day. I preached my final sermon at Trietsch on Colossians 1:3-12 as a way of expressing my thanks for their support and encouragement over the last three years. It was a great day for Debbie and I - we truly felt loved.

After each service there was a cake and punch reception where I shook hands with a whole bunch of people. I must say that there were plenty of people I didn't recognize, but there were plenty that I shared ministry with over the past few years. Only a few people came through the line with teary eyes, but I pretty much knew that they would do that beforehand. (They know who they are...they don't need to be named here.) Surprisingly, there were a few people who came up to me that I didn't remember having a ministry connection with, but they told me how I had ministered to them in some way (usually a small and automatic (for me) way) - that was truly affirming of my time at Trietsch.

Heading into the day, I thought that the more I watched the video for my sermon, the more I would be numb to the emotion inherent in the story. HAH! That was the most naive thing I have thought in quite a while. The exact opposite was true! I got more emotional each time I watched the video because I knew that I would have to turn around and speak to the body of Christ who has loved me and my family about how much I loved them.

If you were there to hear my sermon live, I appreciate your support. If you were not able to hear the sermon live, click here to listen. If you are looking forward to hearing me here, don't worry...I'll be there in just 4 short weeks!

Touching Them All

I read about this story on Saturday afternoon and it brought me to tears. When people do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do, I truly believe that brings a smile to God's face. When we commit ourselves to living for the things of God, we are truly able to live.


HT: Tony Morgan

Off to SA

Debbie, Caitlyn and I are off to San Antonio for a few days, so I won't be posting over the weekend. I'll put up some pictures of our adventures at Sea World when I return.

Praise God that General Conference was successful once again!

Ugh, we talked with our agent last night and it looks like the sellers can't move out until 5 weeks after we need to be moved in, so we are trying to figure out if we want to counter or walk away. Please pray!

Message From an Addict

Each time I read Flowerdust.net I am inspired to be a better person and a better leader. Today was no exception...even if she didn't write the post! If you like what Pete has to say, check out more of his thoughts here.

What are you addicted to? What's keeping you trapped in that addiction?

Speaking of closings...Deb and I just submitted an offer on a house in Wichita Falls! Let's all pray that the sellers are willing to accept our offer.

Just Finished PGTC

I finished Pop Goes the Church this morning and I can't wait to share the insights from the book with my new church. I pray that we can work together to leverage pop culture in order to bring more people into a relationship with Christ thru UUMC.

I know that the transition and integration may be difficult, but I truly feel that the move toward a more culturally relevant approach to ministry will pay off dividends long into the future. I have seen this approach to ministry work very well at Trietsch and I can only imagine what life transformations could be on the horizons for University as we move forward in this endeavor.

Thanks Tim, for your book, your love for people who are loved by God, and your passion for sharing the successes of GCC! May we all have the opportunity to help everyone in our community to know that they matter to God and they matter to us.

Closings & Openings

Sorry for my absence over the past two weeks. Things are getting crazy at work. Between closing up shop at Trietsch and setting up shop at University, I am trying to minister to two congregations at the same time because both of them need me to be present for them over the next six weeks or so.

As I reflect on my three years at Trietsch, I can see that they have done the hard work it takes to be culturally relevant in a day and age when most churches major in navel-gazing. I am grateful that the church takes its role in raising up leaders for the next generation seriously - because I would not be moving on to my new position without the benefit of serving at Trietsch.

As I dream about the future at University, I can see that they are ready to do new things and become a force for God in the Wichita Falls community. I am thankful that they are willing to take direction from an up-and-comer like me, but I also know that we have plenty of hard work and long nights ahead of us.

And in the midst of all of that reflecting and dreaming, Deb and I are looking to buy a house, so we now have that additional stress added into our lives. It has been fun to look online at the homes, but we both know that those pictures only go so far and we need to see the homes in person. If only it didn't require a two hour drive to get to those homes. Oh well, such is life!

BTW - General Conference 2008 is underway. You can check out the daily happenings here. I'll try to comment on the events a few days at a time over the next two weeks. To hold you over, check out Matt Lockett's section of the Young Peoples Address to the whole assembly.

Are we willing to wait for the future of the church or are we compelled to do something now to make the future of the church even better?

Blogging Pastors = Good!

I found some compelling reasons to make sure that I continue to blog. Not only for my own sanity, but for the good of my church.

UPDATE: Read the first comment here to validate this article.

Plowing Ahead

This morning I worked for about 3 hours at Starbucks so that I would not have to worry about ringing phones or hallway conversations distracting me from some much needed thinking. This is my usual Friday morning routine, but some weeks I am more faithful to it than others. This morning was one of the faithful weeks.

I was able to:

• Reflect on 2 Cor 11.1 and how I want to be foolish for Christ
• Begin reading Tim Stevens' new book
• Begin reading Bishop Schnase's new book
• Put together a list of topics and questions to discuss with the staff at University
• Prepare the next list of questions for MMT re: Deepening Your Effectiveness
• Look back thru my Moleskine for tasks that might need attention
• Brainstorm ideas of thank you gifts for my Lay Ministry Committee
• Enjoy two cups of the new Pike Place roast

Looking at that list I feel pretty productive...I guess I should get to some emails now!

Talking with 2 Year Olds

Yesterday one of my fellow staffers here at Trietsch shared with me an experience that she had on Sunday with my daughter, Caitlyn. She told me that Caitlyn was hanging out around the door of her Sunday School classroom in order to see what was happening in the hallway outside her room. Chris went over to Caitlyn and asked her about her dress. Chris told me that Caitlyn began to go on and on about her "polka dots" (read: polka dotted pink dress) and how much she loved them.

Chris was so amazed that she could have a conversation with Caitlyn. I guess I am somewhat less amazed by it because I talk to Caitlyn everyday. I wonder how Caitlyn feels about that? How many times do we underestimate how much we (as adults) are able to talk with / hold a conversation with children under the age of 5? How many times do we underestimate how much we (as younger adults) are able to talk with / hold a conversation with adults over the age of 65?

I talk with Caitlyn everyday, so I am not surprised when she responds to what I am saying to her. I talk with God everyday, yet I am sometimes surprised when God responds to what I am saying to him. Why is that?

What makes us think that we are unworthy of a response from our Creator?
Why are we surprised when God shows up?

Thoughts?

PrimeTimers

In the past few months I have begun working with the Senior Adult population here at Trietsch and I must say that they are a fun bunch of folks. They are very energetic and they love to get together for trips to the theater, lunches as a large group, and overnight trips to some famous Texas locales.

I enjoy putting together the monthly luncheons that we have in the Ministry Center, but I am really looking forward to tomorrow's lunch. Tomorrow we are hosting Rabbi Geoff Dennis from Congregation Kol Ami. He will be sharing with us about the Jewish festival of Passover - the history, significance, and the traditions associated with this high holy day. It is one of the most festive days on the Jewish calendar!

I know that Rabbi Dennis is an engaging speaker and a brilliant thinker. He does tons of interfaith work in the Flower Mound community and he will bring insight and wisdom to our group of folks gathered for lunch tomorrow.

Email me if you want to come to his presentation and catch a cheap lunch!

June Sermon Series Ideas

I am putting together my first sermon series for University right now and I am really looking forward to preaching it the last three weeks in June. I need some help though.

I am preaching on "Hope in the Midst of Change" and I would love to share some stories from the real world...not just my stories, but your stories as well. I will spend the first week talking about Jesus as the "hope of your life". I will talk about leadership as the "hope of the church" during week 2. And I will finish by declaring the local church...when it is working right as the "hope of the world (HT: Brad Powell).

What stories do you have about:
1) Christ giving you hope to your life?
2) Leadership infusing hope into your church?
and/or
3) The local church working right to inspire hope in the world?

Caitlyn Update

Caitlyn came thru the surgery just fine this morning. She was tired most of today and she has boughts of irritability between longer periods of happiness. Thank you for your prayers! We should be in church on Sunday and no one will probably know she was in the hospital - at least visually.

Prayers for Caitlyn

Tomorrow morning (around 9:15am) Caitlyn will be undergoing surgery at Children's Medical Center in order to replace her tubes and remove her adenoids. Please be in prayer for her and her parents.


Here she is enjoying the chips at On The Border for Easter lunch.

Kay the Brave

Before I preached last night I had the honor of spending some time in the home of a member of one of my previous churches. She has terminal cancer and the doctors are giving her a generous six months to live. She had made the decision to donate her body to science so that doctors and medical researchers can find out more about her cancer ... and perhaps help the next person who receives the same diagnosis she did. Even in death she is thinking of other people.

As I sat on her couch, listening to stories of trips she had taken and memories of times with her family, I knew that she has lived her life well and she is ready to meet Jesus on the other side of life. She is not coming to the end of her life with regret. She is coming to the end of her life knowing that she loved Jesus more and more everyday ... she loved her family more and more everyday ... and she is not afraid.

I listened as her husband and one of her daughters shared story after story about her life and to see the life in a woman riddled with disease was just amazing. In spite of the terrible diagnosis and her short time left to be with her family, she was laughing, remembering, and enjoying every moment.

Kay, if you ever read this, I want you to know that it was a privilege to sit with you and your family yesterday. It is clear how much you love God and love the people around you and how much they love you. I know that you will be missed when you are gone, but I believe that your memory will live on for a long time - even in the heart of this young preacher kid! I pray for your comfort as you treasure each moment with Michael and the kids. You are truly a special person! God bless.

Maundy Thursday Reflections

I enjoyed preaching about John 13 last night at our Maundy Thursday service, but what really got me going was washing feet at one of our experiential stations. I probably washed 12-15 people's feet last night, but when my mom came and sat down in the chair I looked up and saw that she was misty-eyed and I had to quickly look away before I lost it.

It was humbling and gratifying to kneel down and wash the feet of various members of Trietsch. It was truly an experience I will never forget. To look into the eyes of a child and challenge them to live as Christ has called them to live was incredible. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

DV Giveaway

The guys over at Deadly Viper are giving away the audiobook of Deadly Viper Character Assassins for FREE! Get your copy here before they come to their senses and pull the file!

New Visitors to CTM

I started tracking the stats on my site at the end of February (mostly because I didn't know how before) thanks to Google Analytics. Since then I have noticed that I am fairly popular in North Texas (big surprise!), but I have also had visitors from as far away as Malaysia and South Africa.

Also, my first Canadian visitor (since I started tracking) came by on Sunday! Woo hoo, eh!

Important News

OK, now that it is official news, I can blog about it...

I have received a new appointment effective June 2008. I will be the new Pastor at University UMC in Wichita Falls, TX. Debbie and I are very excited about this opportunity (as is the church) and I hope to lead this congregation to new and vital ministry within the WF community.

Please pray for Debbie and I as we begin the moving process. Please pray specifically for:

• Dean - seeking the heart of God to cast vision for a new congregation
• Dean - avoiding "unplugging" from Trietsch between now and June 1
• Dean - preparing my heart and schedule for weekly preaching
• Debbie - decisions about future employment (continue working or stay home)
• Debbie - planning/organizing the move
• Debbie & Dean - possibly maintaining two households over the summer
• Debbie & Dean - possibilities for daycare/MDO for Caitlyn in WF
• Debbie & Dean - communication about all things related to this new appointment
• Debbie & Dean - seeking the heart of God for our shared ministry at University

I will post more about this over the next few weeks, but for now, your prayers are the most precious things for us.

Snow Business

Last week was a crazy weather week here in north Texas, but we survived no worse for the wear. One of those days (Monday) our house had about 3 inches of snow covering the ground so we decided to spend a few minutes playing before bathtime. Caitlyn really enjoyed it...I tried not to teach her how to eat snow, but it just happened...

Yes, those are Target bags on her feet...don't ask!

Friday Brain Dump - 3/7

Again, lots of things on my mind that don't have much to do with each other, but I need to vent them anyway.

• Snow...and lots of it! Texas has some of the craziest weather I have ever experienced. I am just waiting for the day when we can decide what season we want to be in for more that 36 hours. It snowed Monday night, was 70+ on Wednesday and now we have more snow on the ground. Yikes!
• Mark Beeson's thoughts on waiting were very inspiring...perhaps I won't feel so bad next time I am on time for a meeting and others make me wait.
• Seth Godin's comments on focus in business (church leaders read: the church) challenged me to think long and hard about what "extras" we offer at Trietsch
• This is just FUNNY!!

Here's to a good weekend!

Polar Opposite Thoughts

I saw this video yesterday and it reminded me why I got out of youth ministry. I think you will agree that I made the right decision.



I just read this article on leading discussion in Bible studies and it reminded me that I need to be a student of the Word just as much (if not more) as I need to be a student of world. Plus, his one-liner to stop a conversation-hogger is kinda funny.

A bishop that reads the Bible??

I am always inspired when a UMC Bishop is willing to share about his/her spiritual journey. Bishop Max Whitfield is one of those bishops. He shared his thoughts in his conference newspaper and Everyday Theology reprinted here for consideration in the blogosphere. Take a look and see what you think.

HT: sheyduck

Missionaries We Love

Debbie and I have actively supported Benjamin and Amanda for a number of years, but they have just recently been able to complete their fundraising and make the journey across the ocean to begin their ministry in France.


Please take a moment to read about them on their blog and pray about financially supporting them as they serve Jesus outside of Paris. (Email me and I'll let you know the secret to getting into their site.)

Prayers Please

Please pray for me this afternoon. I am not sure when you will read this post, but I am going to a very important meeting this evening and I need mucho prayers for discernment and wisdom.

Death to Musicians (sort of)

On Saturday the girls and I went to have lunch at Potbelly Sandwiches. While we were enjoying the delicious eats, a young carrot-topped guitar player stepped up to the microphone and started jamming on his axe. I wouldn't have paid much attention to the guy, but Caitlyn wanted to watch him play his guitar (complete with her making guitar strumming motions). For the first song, she had Deb hold her as she stared at him making music for the crowd eating their weekend lunch. For the second and third song, she wanted me to hold her as she made "goo-goo eyes" at the red-haired musician.

I must say that this dad had some bad thoughts about his daughter running away from home with some guitar-toting, dirt-poor musician breaking the heart of her father and crushing his dreams for his daughter...

I didn't cry, but I made sure that we exited the restaurant quickly...bad thoughts abounded as I placed Caitlyn in her car seat...I had to apologize to her later...

Friday Brain Dump - 2/29

Here are some random things running thru my head or across my computer screen that don't really fit neatly into categories. Or, they are just things I need to get out of my head so they don't cramp my style all weekend. Six of one, half-dozen of another....

• Mark Batterson's thoughts about meetings
• WIRED Magazine's list of Best Sidekicks - all I have to say is "Where's Al Borland?"
• I am really bummed that I have to miss Bible study next week for a mandatory seminar on anti-racism...I mean, come on...I'm not a racist, nor do I plan on becoming one...so why do I have to go to a two-night seminar on it?
• Dear Lord, I pray that someone wants to send me to this workshop. Amen.
• This magazine continues to make me think about how much overlap there is between the world and the church...especially when I read this.
• I am so confused about how the process works...mostly because getting my hopes up equals getting my family's hopes up...and if the process breaks down, then my family suffers. And I don't like that at all!
• I am excited about preaching on Maundy Thursday, but I wish I had some more time to prepare...I guess I'll talk about the Last Supper since time is running short.
• It's Leap Day...happy birthday to all you "Leap Babies" out there! Enjoy your special day - it only comes once every four years!

That's enough for today!

The Hard Work of Thinking Theologically

I went to LIFE Journal Bible Study this afternoon for the first time in quite a while and I was immediately reminded about why I need to make the time to be with that group of people every week.

I knew going in that I had not done any of the readings for this week, but they gladly accepted me back and welcomed my presence in the group. I was encouraged to write down my prayer requests for the week and have one of the other members of the group pick my card at random to pray for me this week. My comments about the texts were welcomed and my theological training as a pastor was tested during one portion of the discussion.

At one point the group began talking about Jesus' baptism in Mark 1 and the question of Jesus' need for baptism arose from the group. I must admit that this puzzles me too sometimes, but I didn't say much at the beginning of the discussion - I wanted to see where they would go with it. When the asked about the specific UMC teachings on baptism in general, I chimed in then.

As the discussion was winding down, someone made a comment that this passage can give rise to thoughts of not wanting to spend time thinking hard about the God and the Bible because there was not always resolution to the problem being addressed. I asked, "If we did fully understand, what would that say about God?"

That question has been rolling around in my head for a while and I wanted to see what you think about it...

If we did fully understand, what would that say about God?

Extra Quotable for today: "Holiness is giving God your full attention." -Sherry Trojanowski (I'm so proud of my admin!)

Stewardship is a "God Thing"

I recently finished reading Andy Stanley's book, Fields of Gold in preparation for the capital campaign that Trietsch is about to embark upon. I wanted to share some of my thoughts about the book here and see what your thoughts about financial stewardship might be.

Throughout the book, Andy uses the "harvest" metaphor to help people imagine the possibilities surrounding generous giving. I found this incredibly helpful in picturing how a small amount of seed (read: money) can turn into a huge harvest (read: blessing from God) when we are faithful to put that seed out into the ground and let God take care of it.

Andy dealt with the fears that many people have associated with giving and highlighted that many of those fears are irrational. How often are we swayed into irrationality because of our fears? How often are our fears themselves irrational?

The Four P's of Giving:

• Priority - give to God first when income shows up in your household; this avoids giving God the "leftovers" when you finish paying bills
• Percentage - pick one (10% is a good starting point) and keep that target in mind
• Progressive - adjust your giving higher throughout your lifetime as an exercise of faith
• Prompted - "random" giving in response to unique needs; these are not part of your regular planned giving

Fields of Gold largely deals in theory with points of application, but made tons of sense and jived with what other programs/authors have said and written.

The lack of "plan specificity" makes this book applicable across many situation (capital campaign, yearly stewardship, small group learning) and focuses on our response to God's involvement in our finances.

HD DVDs are History

Not that I own an HDTV or anything, but I thought that this news was interesting. I guess HD DVDs are this generations Betamax! I think I'll go do some research on Blu-Ray.

Grace&Peace

Leadership Journal - Winter 2008

I haven't finished reading the latest issue of Leadership Journal, but I have pulled out some interesting quotes for your consideration. Take a read and let me know what you think.

Tim Keel (scroll down to Tim's picture), pastor of Jacob's Well in Kansas City, MO
"Has our articulation, and more importantly, or embodiment of the gospel invited people to be come a part of an alternative reality, a community of salvation for this world and the world that is to come?" (21)

"I began to realize that every articulation of the gospel I had heard focused exclusively on Jesus Christ and his role as redeemer. It is obviously true and good news that Jesus and his life and work function redemptively. But when we reduce Jesus to redeemer only, we miss another essential element of our faith: that Jesus is also creator." (22)

"A reduced version of the gospel will have little to say to such questions [about creation]. No wonder so many have determined that the church and 'the gospel' have very little to contribute to the world." (22)

Leighton Ford
"The gospel is the core, with an invitational edge. So we preach the gospel never knowing what listeners have been drawn by the Holy Spirit. We also preach knowing that those who are already Christ-followers need to be constantly re-evangelized, reminded that our faith journeys continue as they began, by grace." (27, emphasis mine)

"In our postmodern world, many see the gospel as neither good nor news. Perhaps this is because we have simplified it and 'codified' it too carelessly. 'Accept Jesus and you'll go to heaven. Don't and you won't.' True, but not meant to be a truism." (27)

Tullian Tchividjian, pastor of and grandson of Billy Graham
"[P]reachers need to be careful that people leave a sermon not so much with grand impressions of human personality, but with grand impressions of divine personality." (33, responding to the question: What part does the preacher's personality play?)
This is one I struggle with because I want to come off as polished and professional but I also want to leave the people with a profound sense of the divine. My personality is important because it is part of who I am, but I must re-present Christ in sermons - I must incarnate my sermons, they need to reflect me and Jesus.

Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback and author of The Purpose Driven Life
"I don't doubt the Word of God, but I have doubted my ability to live it and convey it." (35, responding to the question: Is there any room for doubt or uncertainty in the preacher?)
Doubt is honesty. Everybody doubts and we preachers need to be honest with ourselves and our congregations to let them know hat we don't have everything figured out just yet.

John Ortberg, pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church
"Some 65 million copies of the Bible are bought or distributed in the US every year - nothing is a close second. The average house has at least 3. People cheer the Bible, buy the Bible, give the Bible, own the Bible - they just don't actually read the Bible." (38)
This is just funny...and true!

"Congregations shaped by the Scriptures have preachers shaped by the Scriptures." (38)
I wonder if this corollary is true: "Congregations shaped by pop psychology have preachers shaped by pop psychology."?

Grace&Peace

Youth Ask Good Questions

I wrote this on Valentine's Day, but have had a chance to post it until now...

Last night [2/13] the youth asked me to talk about what the UMC says/believes about homosexuality as part of their journey thru the Good Sex curriculum this semester.

I prepared my Discipline research and my own heart for talking about this subject, but I never really felt ready to teach the lesson. The Holy Spirit helped me to understand that all I needed to to was present te truth and then let them wrestle with their questions.

They asked thoughtful questions about the UMC stance (there are other places where the BOD references homosexuality - this is just one of them) and their confusion about the seemingly contradictory nature of our stance. I told them it confused me at times too. We talked thru their concerns and they appreciated my willingness to address the issue head-on.

After the study ended, three of them came up to me to ask deeper questions that related to someone they know who is gay. I realized once again that theoretical issues might be able to be resolved on paper, but putting flesh and a face on those issues raises the stakes. Raises the importance of handling our feelings with care. Raises the necessity for admitting our shortfalls and realizing our need for grace.

Where have you offered a simple answer to a complex question? What was the outcome?

Grace&Peace

Mornings at B&N

Caitlyn and I found ourselves at Barnes & Noble this morning sitting in the Cafe. I was drinking a red eye and she was enjoying some apple juice. As she sang and laughed and smiled I was reminded how much I enjoy spending time with her - just the two of us.

And then I had a "light bulb moment" ... God loves spending time with us too. Whether that's alone on a sunny Saturday morning sipping coffee or gathered together with our friends to lift our voices in song.

How do you spend time with God? What's your favorite hang out spot with God? Where do you go to laugh and smile with your Father?

Secondhand Sermons

In November I preached at our daughter church when their pastor was filling our pulpit during the transition between Jim and John. When Deb, Caitlyn and I went to my parent's house for Thanksgiving later that month, I downloaded the audio of the sermon for them to listen to sometime later.

I didn't think much about it until my parents came to our house for Christmas and they told me that they used my sermon podcast as a lesson for the Sunday School class earlier in December. I thought - "wow, that's cool...hope they liked it." They told me that several people took notes the whole time and several others had no idea that a church needed to grow smaller in order to grow bigger.

Earlier this week, I received a letter in the mail from one of those people. She told me that my sermon impacted her so much that she realized that she needed to seek out a member of the church and ask for forgiveness for her behavior earlier in the year. I was blown away! I stood in the kitchen dumbfounded at the power of the Holy Spirit to change the heart of someone I have never met because of the words I spoke in the name of Jesus.

It's moments like this that keep me doing what I'm doing!

Grace&Peace

Post #200b: Radical Hospitality

I have talked about this before, but it is worth repeating and remembering.

Hospitality is not just for hotels and restaurants. The Church needs to learn the fine art of tailoring a guest's experience on Sunday morning (and throughout the week if possible) so that the guest knows from moment #1 that they are loved by God and loved by the church.

Here are a few things I have learned in my quest to improve the guest experience here at Trietsch:

1. Practice reaching out to every new face you see at church. If they are an unfamiliar face to you it doesn’t matter how long they have been here – one day or ten years – they deserve to enjoy worship and perhaps make a new friend or two. The larger your church is, the more important this practice becomes.


2. Greet guests and members with the same friendliness and warmth. When the people who come through our doors know that everyone gets treated the same, no matter where they are on their faith journey, then they will tell their friends.


3. Park as far away from the building as you can. You know how to get around the building, so taking the shuttle will not slow you down from getting to your destination. A guest will need the extra time that a close parking spot affords them. And if they need to drop off kids or locate the Sanctuary, they can do so without having to first locate our satellite parking lot down the street.


4. Stop pointing. If someone asks you for directions to a particular location within the church, don’t just point over their head and say “walk down that hall, go around the corner, look for the fish wall, and turn right.” That is not helpful! At all!! If you are able, take them where they need to go. Talk with the person along the way. Get to know them a little. They will thank you for the attention and they will get to where they are going much faster than if they were to go it alone.

Look for God in our “guest experience” and find ways to show that people matter to us and to God.

Grace&Peace

PS - Tune into Mark Waltz's blog for more on this topic.

Post #200a: Church Leadership

We recently had a lay leadership training event here at Trietsch called Super Saturday and as I reflected on the mornings events several thoughts ran thru my head like a freight train.

• How often do we have to repeat a message before people begin to understand its importance?


• How many times do we tell people to fill out forms and follow procedures before they actually fill out forms and follow procedures?


• What is happening between our delivering the message and the acting on the message?

At Super Saturday last year, the Communications Team (CT) spent 35-40 minutes explaining the forms and procedures to people we elected as leaders in the congregation (chairs of committees, board members, etc.). However, throughout 2007 the CT continued to express frustration that no one filled out forms (correctly or at all), but the CT continued to produce communication pieces for them (and us as staff) anyway.

Then another question came to my mind:

• What are we teaching / rewarding our congregation to do?

We are teaching our people that processes don't matter and that we will think for them. We are teaching our people to break the rules and rewarding them for doing so...then getting mad at them for doing the very thing we are rewarding them for!

We need to stop the madness! We have a systems issue that needs fixing.

At Catalyst in October, Andy Stanley said: "Systems create behaviors" and "The systems you inherit, adopt, or create will eventually impact what staff and volunteers do" (emphasis mine). As I was listening to that talk again this week, I was hit in the face with the fact that we have (unintentionally) taught the people of Trietsch to skip the process and proceed directly to the person on staff who can get what you need. We have rewarded them for not following the process by not holding fast to deadlines, timelines, and/or availabilities.

It's not their fault...it's ours!

We (as a staff) need to learn the processes, follow the processes, teach the processes, and stick to the processes in order for the congregation to ahere to the processes. If we don't set the example, then we can't complain when they do exactly the same thing we do.

Thoughts? Objections?

Grace&Peace

Memorable Quotes from GATW

I promised you a list of some memorable quotes that I found in Going All the Way a week ago, please forgive me for my tardiness. Here they are:

To go all the way, you must be united in partnership under Christ. (32)

Most of the time the advice [re: sex] coming from the Christian community is muddled, watered down, and out of touch....Then when the church marries a couple, the message instantly changes....And the well-intentioned young couple does their best to unlearn all of the church's negative, uninformed impressions about sex in one night. Good luck. (54)

When you're married, I'm sure you want to be faithful to your Two. But to succeed in that faithfulness, you must first learn to be faithful to the One. (59)

If you want a marriage that goes the distance in every way - the marriage that God fully desires for you - being involved isn't enough. You need to be committed. (83)

If you want to raise an insecure child, put her first, neglect your marriage, fight with her other parent, and let her worry that you might divorce. The receipe for a secure child? Honor God at all times. Love your spouse - and let the child see your affection. Pray together. Communicate. Date. And your child will rest well knowing that Mom and Dad's marriage is strong. (118-9)

Wherever sin lives, intimacy dies. And where intimacy lives, sin dies. (139)

Grace&Peace

Going All the Way: Book Review

I finished reading Going All The Way this morning and I must admit that I was challenged and inspired by reading it - both for my own marriage and for applying it to any couple that walks thru my doors to get married. Here are some thoughts on it for the folks over at LifeChurch.tv:

"Habits of the Heart" was the most useful material in the whole book. That chapter contained good, concise challenges for pre-marital and married couples alike.

The 'Husbands/Wives' chapters (12 & 13):

• challenged me to re-evaluate my goals and responsibilities as a husband
• gave me insight into the peculiarities of my wife that will help me better relate to her thinking/feeling/needs
• basis in Eph 5.22-23 grounded the demands of God for healthy, holy ("oddly godly") marriage deeply in Scripture

The whole section on "Gearing Up for Your Two" was great, easy to understand and apply to my conversations with singles and pre-marital couples. They may find it hard to implement - depending on what has already happened, but it gives clear guidelines for keeping the One in focus while finding their Two.

Chapter 6 on "Playing House" gave me many things to equip couples who are doing just that. The "vows" Craig wrote for his frat buddy and his "live-in" were pointed and eye-opening. I have always felt that living together was a bad idea, but now I have some more meat to put into my argument for moving toward God's best for each person in a relationship.

Tomorrow I will post some of my favorite quotes from the book....

Grace&Peace

An Apology & Some Excitement About the Bible

First of all, I am sorry for the recent lack of posting...things are CRAZY here at Trietsch and we are all wondering when we might be able to come up for air.

In other news, I am very excited about my new study starting tonight. The book of Exodus is a foundational text for both Christianity and Judaism; therefore, it deserves special attention and thorough study. The theological questions and themes raised in the second book of the Torah resonate in the rest of scripture and echo even today. Good stuff!

Grace&Peace

Goals for 2008

Each January I take a step back from the busyness of life & ministry and look at what I would like to accomplish in the coming year. (I would like to adopt a habit of looking back at the previous year in December, but I am not there yet!) I don't like to make resolutions because most of them are in a ditch by Valentine's Day, so...

Here are some goals I have identified for 2008:

#1 - To study these 5 books
Good to Great by Jim Collins
Go Put Your Strengths to Work by Marcus Buckingham
The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive by Pat Lencioni
Change Your Church for Good by Brad Powell
Intuitive Leadership by Tim Keel

I usually read about 20 books a year, but I want to take extra time during 2008 to read these books carefully and prayerfully.

#2 - To be home for dinner and Caitlyn’s bedtime routine at least 4 nights a week

Being home when my girls are awake is crucial to maintaining a healthy family system in my life. Plus I need to learn that stuff can happen at the church without me being at every meeting!

#3 - To recapture my inner 'hopeless romantic' toward my wife

The busyness of life can get in the way of making time for each other, but when thought, planning, and a good dose of spontaneity get mixed together...who knows what can happen!

#4 - To help launch the Adult Discipleship Plan at Trietsch during Fall 2008

This ADP will go a long way toward growing our church into fully devoted followers of Christ...and that's where we need to be headed. And I want to lead the charge!

#5 - To complete my ordination paperwork by July 31

My Lay Ministry Committee will need time to read, process, and digest my writings before being able to offer constructive feedback on it, so they need the time to get that done and I want to give it to them. It's only fair and it will give me the opportunity to turn in all my paperwork early!

There are others, but these give me plenty to work on for now! Let's see what 2008 has in store!

Grace&Peace

Whew!

Sure am glad to know that Perkins taught me well!

Grace&Peace

Hat tip: Jay Voorhees

What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists. Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 71% Neo orthodox 61% Emergent/Postmodern 57% Roman Catholic 57% Modern Liberal 29% Reformed Evangelical 29% Classical Liberal 29% Charismatic/Pentecostal 29% Fundamentalist 7%

12 Ways to Look for God in 2008

As promised, here are all 12 ways that I would have loved to had the time to address in worship this morning.

Grace&Peace

1. Read the Bible like a Novel
Bible has all the necessary pieces of great literature: plot, character development, drama, song, love, violence, a savior, redemption, etc. Read the Bible as ONE story this year – not as a bunch of stories put together into one volume. See the thread of God’s love woven throughout the whole narrative

2. Hit up Blockbuster
Pay attention to themes like forgiveness, redemption, atonement, the search for love, the call for justice, or the protection of the innocent. Biblical themes are present in movies even if the writers did not intend to put them there. So go ahead and look a the movies you watch through God’s lens and see if you see something new in an old favorite.

3. Tune in…
Turn your radio dials away from KLTY and you’ll be surprised at what you find. Surprised in a good way! There are plenty of artists in the mainstream arena who are using their music to express their longing for the Divine.

God can be found in all kinds of music we listen to. Listen for themes of God’s grace, for an artist’s searching questions of faith.

4. Say, “Cheers!”
Cheers was a show that brought together people from various backgrounds in a place that we call a “third space” – not a home and not a workplace, but a third place where life happens.

This year, take the time to get to know someone whose lifestyle, values or beliefs are different than yours. That is, be intentional about building a relationship with someone you’d likely never be drawn to naturally. Look for God in their story and be surprised by the potential crossing of your story lines.

5. Listen to Your Wife
How many times have you been in the middle of a conversation with your spouse and tuned out because they said something that you didn’t agree with? What if what they just said was exactly what you needed to hear, and you missed it because you were too proud to hear them out? This year, take the time to dial in for the whole conversation. What they have to say to you may be the very thing God has for you to learn in that moment about whatever is bothering you.

The next time you’re tempted to become defensive as you listen to your spouse, a friend, a peer, a child or your boss… stop. Ask: is God speaking to me through this person?

6. Meet Joe, the Mechanic
How many strangers do we encounter on a daily basis? How many of them have a story that they would love to tell, if we would take the time to listen and get to know them? Probably all of them. This year, be intentional about getting to know the people with whom you come in contact with on a regular basis – the barista at Starbucks, the auto mechanic whom you trust to take care of your vehicle, or the grocery store checker who rings up your groceries.

There are people we encounter every day who seem to be fine people, but are they really merely a means to get through our day? We have an agenda – they help us or they frustrate us. But what if we paused long enough to take genuine interest in them – even for a moment? Jesus says when we do, it’s the same as honoring him.

7. Make a Run for Borders
Read the Bible for sure – start there, but don’t end there. Look for God’s truth in everything you read. Read the stories of others’ search for God, read their encounters with God. Read their discoveries, their findings, their questions. Discover where your life can benefit from what they have learned. Find out where their learnings can impact your life and faith. Ask some of the same questions and see what answers you come up with.

8. Break out!
Take some time this year to see the possibilities of taking new routes in life – perhaps they will provide the catalyst for the change you have been longing for in your life. What if you stopped seeing the same scenery each day and started seeing the subtle signs of God’s work and presence in your life? Try a new road to work. Try shopping at a new store. Try a new drink at Starbucks. Try listening to a new radio station. Just do something new to break out of your routine. And see where God is along the way!

9. Find a Catch 22
This year, find a question in life that does not have an easy answer (or any answer at all) and really wrestle with it. Mull it over. Think it through. Take it to its different logical conclusions and see how each one affects your faith, theology, and/or life.

Live in the tension of not knowing an answer. Live in the tension of not being able to put all your questions into neat and tidy little boxes that fit on the shelves in your closet. Grapple with the messiness of life. Struggle with the inconsistencies of humanity. And learn to trust God more along the way, because he’s the only one with the answers. Allow the questions to lead you past the answer to God himself.

10. Forget the Umbrella
The next time you have to make a choice between playing it safe and walking in the danger zone…forget the umbrella. Take a risk. Chance it. Step out. Stand in a fountain, sing on the street, order something different next time you eat out. Start that new business. Volunteer for the first time.

You never know what might happen when you are willing to risk it all. You never know what God will bless in your life until you are willing to give up control over it and hand it to him. He has your life in the palm of his hand and he wants you to experience a life that is full, not flat.

Follow Jesus into the wild. He was the king of the rebels. He never did anything that people expected. He was always breaking the rules and seeing how little the people around him were willing to risk for God’s kingdom.

11. Carpe Diem
Every day we are on this earth is a blessing from God. Take the time this year to seize each of those blessings. There are things that God has uniquely gifted you to do on this earth and every moment wasted is an opportunity lost. Embrace every opportunity.

Look for God in every person, every circumstance, every scene. Look for God in the people you know well. Look for God in the stranger. Look for God when a new situation arises. Look for God when the familiarities of life overtake you. Look for God everywhere. Seize the day. Every day.

12. Radical Hospitality
Practice reaching out to every new face you see at church. If they are an unfamiliar face to you it doesn’t matter how long they have been here – one day or ten years – they deserve to enjoy worship and perhaps make a new friend or two.

Greet guests and members with the same friendliness and warmth. When the people who come through our doors know that everyone gets treated the same, no matter where they are on their faith journey, then they will tell their friends.

Park at Marcus. A guest will need the extra time that a close parking spot affords them.

Stop pointing. If someone asks you for directions to a particular location within the church, don’t just point and say “walk down that hall, go around the corner, look for the fish wall, and turn right.” That is not helpful! At all!! Take them where they need to go. Talk with the person along the way. Get to know them a little. They will thank you for the attention and they will get to where they are going much faster than if they were to go it alone.

Look for God in our “guest experience” and find ways to show that people matter to us and to God.

EDIT: For 200th Post

I was reading an article in Fast Company about thinking inside the box (as opposed to outside the box) when trying to be creative and I wondered if my earlier post was too outside the box without the necessary limits. So I am going to offer some limits to what I will post about in the famous Post #200.

Here are your choices:

1. Body Piercing/Tattoos
2. Secular Music in Worship
3. Church Leadership in the 21st Century
4. Radical Hospitality

Just vote for the one you would like me to blog about...if you're good I might do a multi-part series on that topic.

Tuesday Night Reflections

Yesterday was just an amazing time of worship and celebration! Of our 4 services, I attended two (4 and 9pm) and preached one (11pm). I must say that our worship team went out of their way to make sure that everything went off without a hitch. Although we had a few hiccups along the way, I do believe that all 3700+ people who attended were presented with the gospel.


Dina did a great job with the Children's service. There was the steady hum of children throughout the whole service, but things moved quickly and Madilyn and Grant did a great job with the drama.

At 9pm, the choir, orchestra, bells, and Shiloh Quartet performed magnificently. Joe preached a great message. (FYI - I thought he stole my notes because some of the things he said sounded eerily familiar to what I was going to say at 11pm.)

The Rockin' Christmas Eve service lived up to its name because the band was HOT and the preacher didn't do half bad either. I thought that the all the flipping elements we put into the service carried the theme well. I must say that watching and listening to Reign play "Christmas Eve Sarajevo" just took my breath away. My feet were pounding to the rhythm and the whole group was spot on the whole time. And to watch people pull out their cell phones at the end as we sang the last verse of Silent Night was AWESOME! (We recorded this part and we hope to post it to YouTube soon...I'll add the link when it becomes available.)

Overall, kudos to the whole worship team for making Trietsch's celebration of Jesus' birthday one for the record books.

Grace&Peace

Merry Christmas 2007

Many times throughout 2007 I have fallen into the trap of being married to the office rather than my wife. And since I work in a church it makes that even worse in my mind...because I should know better, right?

Therefore, I wrote this letter to Deb and gave it to her as her "big present" for Christmas this year. I really wanted to make sure that she understood that I want to be a husband and father that makes her proud. That I want to be the man that God has called me to be. That I don't want to squander the gift of her presence in my life. She is the mother of our sweet Caitlyn and I don't want to lose either one of them to my own thoughtlessness.

Merry Christmas! Enjoy this time with your family and friends and let them know how much you care about them because you never know how much time you have with them. Right Perry?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Debbie,
I thought long and hard about what to get you for Christmas this year. I wanted to get you something that would best express my devotion and love for you. As I wandered the malls and gazed at the glittering window displays, I realized that the best gift that I could give you would not be found at the mall. I realized that I couldn’t buy it anywhere. The best gift that I could give you has no monetary value attached to it, but it is costly.

This Christmas, I want to give you priority in my life. I want you to be first person to have dibs on my calendar. I want you and Caitlyn to never wonder where my heart longs to be. This year, I want to give you my time.

I want to do this in very specific and tangible ways. You are a planner. You like to look ahead and to see what is coming around the corner before it’s so close the only thing we can do is emotionally react to the oncoming event. I want to honor that wonderful part about you by giving you the opportunity to plan 12 Saturdays for us in 2008 that will be unbreakable commitments. No church stuff. No last minute plan changes. Just you, me and Caitlyn spending time together as a family. If you wish to use one of these Saturdays to have some alone time or some mother/daughter bonding time, then that is great. Again, these Saturdays are unbreakable commitments on my part – nothing will come up to ruin them.

I would also like to give you 4 weekends (Friday through Sunday) during 2008 that will be unbreakable commitments to you and Caitlyn as well. These weekends can be used for trips to San Antonio as a family, a visit to the Arboretum, or whatever else you may want to do. As with the Saturdays above, you may use these weekends to get away with your girlfriends or your Mom – they are totally of your choosing and unbreakable commitments on my end.

Just so you know, these Saturdays and weekends through out 2008 are on top of any vacation(s) we may take during the year. These are special times where you have the right to set the agenda as far in advance as needed and I will say ‘no’ to any conflicting appointments.

As I said before, this gift is about time. It’s about priority. It’s about putting my family first in everything that happens in my life, because you and Caitlyn really are my life. This gift did not cost me a dime, but I have a feeling that seeing this gift brought to fruition will be the best investment I could ever make in you, in Caitlyn, and in our family.

With all my love,
Dean
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Grace&Peace

Blogging Suggestions

I am only a few posts away from post #200 and I wanted to see what my reader(s) wanted that milestone post to be about. If you have suggestions, go ahead and post a comment here and I'll see what I can do to accommodate your thoughts.

Grace&Peace

Rehearsal Reflections

Rehearsal for worship tonight went pretty well last night. There were a few hiccups, but nothing that we couldn't overcome with a few moments of strategic thought. I am ready to preach the gospel, the band is ready to rock the house, and the dramatic pieces of the service will greatly enhance the meaning of the message. I am very glad we had rehearsal yesterday and I hope that it is a practice that we can add to our weekly routine once John comes on board in January.

As I was running through the transitions in my message so that the band would know when to come in with the songs we have planned, I found myself not wanting to give away pieces of the message for fear that they would lose impact tonight...I didn't want to spoil it for them...we'll see if that comes true or not.

See you tonight at 11pm!

Grace&Peace

Tomorrow's the "Big Day"

It's hard to believe that Christmas Eve is only a few hours away...it's even harder to believe that the calendar will turn from 2007 to 2008 in less than 8 days.

I am really pumped about preaching at 11pm tomorrow and I hope that you can come out to see us flip Christmas on its head. I was able to get passed my mind block and finish my sermon, so now all that's left is to work on memorizing it so that I don't have any notes to worry about.

See you on the "Big Day"!

Grace&Peace

Mind Block

I never thought it would be so hard to come up with a sermon to preach on Christmas Eve, but the combined factors of "everyone knows the story" and "there are people who are only here twice a year" seems to be jamming my creativity.

I know what I want to say and I know how I am going to illustrate it, but getting that out of my head and on to the paper is proving much more challenging than I had originally anticipated. Your prayers are appreciated!

I will get this message finished and ready to preach, so if you are available, come out to Trietsch for the 11:00pm "Rockin' Christmas Eve" service on Monday!

Grace&Peace

Top Quotes of 2007

"Don't Tase Me, Bro!" was voted the most memorable quote of 2007. I don't even remember hearing this quote when it first happened, but since then it has come up in numerous conversations and radio broadcasts...pretty funny!

Here is the article from Yahoo! News about the whole list (including that incredibly lucid response from Miss Teen S. Carolina). Enjoy!

Grace&Peace

Funny Imprints

If I ever wanted proof that kids are sponges, then Caitlyn's most recent "acquisition" seals the deal...

She has begun to lick her fingers before turning the pages in her books or before getting a new flash card or even before moving to a different page in her coloring books! It is hilarious...and the best part is that Deb and I don't even do that! She learned it from the teachers at her daycare! She is watching them close enough to see them turn pages in books or sort through the daily report sheets that they complete for each of the kids in her class.

I'll try to get a picture of it and post it here because it will make you smile (and possibly laugh out loud). It is so funny to watch her slather her finger with spit just to turn the page in a board book. She did it again this morning with her flash cards and Deb and I about fell over laughing.

Gotta love kids!

Grace&Peace

Quick (8 Minute) History Lesson

Once again, Betty sent me a great link on YouTube. I wanted to share it here because I saw Wintley Phipps at Catalyst in October and he did a great job enlightening 11,000 Christian leaders about the origins of one of the greatest spiritual songs in the world. Watch and be blessed!

Let's hope that a better understanding of where we came from will help us not to make the same mistakes our forefathers (and mothers) made!

Grace&Peace

Experiment Over

After 3 nights of falling out of the bed, getting out of her room, and generally not getting much sleep because there ended up being a 2 year old in between us, I put the front crib rail back on Caitlyn's bed last night. She still ended up spending a couple hours with us last night, but at least it wasn't because she fell out of her bed and woke up screaming...she just woke up from a bad dream.

I think we are headed to BabiesRUs to look at toddler beds this weekend. Pray for us!

Grace&Peace

Experimentation

An experiment took place in our house last night...and it didn't go very well. Now that Caitlyn is 2, we decided to go ahead and take the front panel of her crib off so that it can function as a pseudo-daybed (aka "big girl bed"). She spent the majority of her usual wind-down time hopping around her room, on and off the bed, and singing whatever song came to her. It was funny, but not very relaxing.

Once she fell asleep, I placed her in the bed and prayed that she would stay there the rest of the night. Thirty minutes later, she rolled out of bed and began an attempt to open her door - she was crying.

Debbie went into Caitlyn's room to calm her down and put her back to sleep. I started some work on the computer. When I finished what I was doing I went to check on them, but they were not in Caitlyn's room, they were in our room sound asleep. I took Caitlyn to her room and again lifted a prayer that she would stay in bed the rest of the night. At 4am I woke up to the sound of our bedroom door opening and Caitlyn strolling in - this time she was laughing and smiling, very proud of what she just accomplished.

Bottom line: This experiment failed. We'll see what tonight holds for us!

Grace&Peace

Merry Truckin' Christmas

Last night when I was driving home from Bible study, I saw this truck that was all decked out for Christmas! He had colored lights outlining the bed of the truck with light-up candy canes sticking out of the bed. There was even a net of lights across the back window of the cab! It was hilarious...I only wish that I could have snapped a picture of it to post here. Oh well!

Merry Christmas!

Grace&Peace

Talking with the New Pastor

This afternoon I met with John Allen, the newly appointed Sr. Pastor here at Trietsch, and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation. He asked about what I was currently doing, what I would be doing if I could write my ultimate job description, and even gave me a bit of homework to complete.

As we sat in McAlister's Deli eating muffaletas and drinking iced tea, we talked about the current state of adult education at Trietsch. I explained to him about all the different kinds of groups that exist at Trietsch and who held responsibility for them. We talked about how the church could move ahead in starting/developing new small groups with some increased intentional efforts. Overall, I had a great time getting to know him a little bit better, and spending that time with him put to rest some of the reservations that had been in the back of my head recently.

Thanks for your time John!

Grace&Peace