A Statement About Me

No matter what I may believe doctrinally…

I’d rather be known as a follower of Christ…

than a follower of John Calvin…

than a follower of Emergent…

than a follower of the Southern Baptist Convention…

than a follower of culture….

I only wear three labels…Christian, husband and shepherd.

Label me with anything else…at your own peril.

I Posted To Relevant Christian

This afternoon I posted to Relevant Christian the first part in a series I’m writing entitled "True Relevance".  In less than an hour I had already irked someone off. 

Random Thoughts & Links

The following are just random thoughts on a low-key Wednesday:

1. I was planning on writing a post this week about church planters that gripe about…well…church planting.  Leave it to Gary Lamb to do it for me with this post and this follow-up post.  Good stuff!!!  Too many people are getting into church planting just because they got fired from a church, can’t take direction from senior pastors or are just too difficult to get along with other staff members of established churches.  If that’s the case…go flip burgers…you’ve got no business in ministry anyway.  Like Gary, I’m tired of lead-pastor-wannabes planting churches because they thought it’d be a cool gig and then complaining because they actually have to work at.  Shut up already!!!

2. Why is that the Christian press is always two years too late to the dance.  I love Louie and I love the Passion stuff, but…in all honesty…that’s pretty much yesterday’s news. Passion is still around and doing great things…but they were the "hot, in-thing" almost three years ago…yet, Christianity Today is acting like it’s just something that the world has discovered. 

3. What the hell was that on Sanjaya’s head last night???  This year it’s definitely "American Idiot" instead of "American Idol".  I know I should be pulling for the Christians…but they all suck this year.  God doesn’t get the glory when you suck! 

4. I have no clue what they have in the water out in California…but Dan Kimball’s "expert" take on the young 20 and 30-somethings doesn’t really reflect what Compass Point is discovering around here.  I think it is also dangerous to lump any "facts or figures" into such a large spectrum of age groups.  We are finding that the 25 and below crowd thinks completely different than the 26 and above group.

5. I’m not a huge Starbucks fan as I’m not crazy about coffee (it tastes like liquid cigarettes).  I do, however…love their marketing strategy.  Never mind that, I was reading this article about a Starbuck’ conversation and I was reminded of a Gary Lamb comment he made at the ChurchPlanters.com conference in Atlanta.  He said…and I paraphrase…don’t hang out at Starbucks if you want to reach disconnected people.  The only people that hang out at Starbucks are church planters and Christian college students.  That is so true in Lakeland!!!  When you go into a Starbucks in this town it’s filled with Southeastern University students talking about what they are going to do for the Kingdom of God…when they graduate.  It’s pathetic!!!

6. Yeah, I’m in a grumpy mood today.  I’m just sick of little people…with little vision and little work ethic that spend all day talking about what they are going to do if they get the right breaks.  How did the Kingdom of God end up with all of these wussies???  It’s a battle for people’s souls against Satan and his forces.  Armor up, grow a pair, forget about time off and take a shot…or shut up!!!

Random Thoughts & Links

The following are just random thoughts on a low-key Wednesday:

1. I was planning on writing a post this week about church planters that gripe about…well…church planting.  Leave it to Gary Lamb to do it for me with this post and this follow-up post.  Good stuff!!!  Too many people are getting into church planting just because they got fired from a church, can’t take direction from senior pastors or are just too difficult to get along with other staff members of established churches.  If that’s the case…go flip burgers…you’ve got no business in ministry anyway.  Like Gary, I’m tired of lead-pastor-wannabes planting churches because they thought it’d be a cool gig and then complaining because they actually have to work at.  Shut up already!!!

2. Why is that the Christian press is always two years too late to the dance.  I love Louie and I love the Passion stuff, but…in all honesty…that’s pretty much yesterday’s news. Passion is still around and doing great things…but they were the "hot, in-thing" almost three years ago…yet, Christianity Today is acting like it’s just something that the world has discovered. 

3. What the hell was that on Sanjaya’s head last night???  This year it’s definitely "American Idiot" instead of "American Idol".  I know I should be pulling for the Christians…but they all suck this year.  God doesn’t get the glory when you suck! 

4. I have no clue what they have in the water out in California…but Dan Kimball’s "expert" take on the young 20 and 30-somethings doesn’t really reflect what Compass Point is discovering around here.  I think it is also dangerous to lump any "facts or figures" into such a large spectrum of age groups.  We are finding that the 25 and below crowd thinks completely different than the 26 and above group.

5. I’m not a huge Starbucks fan as I’m not crazy about coffee (it tastes like liquid cigarettes).  I do, however…love their marketing strategy.  Never mind that, I was reading this article about a Starbuck’ conversation and I was reminded of a Gary Lamb comment he made at the ChurchPlanters.com conference in Atlanta.  He said…and I paraphrase…don’t hang out at Starbucks if you want to reach disconnected people.  The only people that hang out at Starbucks are church planters and Christian college students.  That is so true in Lakeland!!!  When you go into a Starbucks in this town it’s filled with Southeastern University students talking about what they are going to do for the Kingdom of God…when they graduate.  It’s pathetic!!!

6. Yeah, I’m in a grumpy mood today.  I’m just sick of little people…with little vision and little work ethic that spend all day talking about what they are going to do if they get the right breaks.  How did the Kingdom of God end up with all of these wussies???  It’s a battle for people’s souls against Satan and his forces.  Armor up, grow a pair, forget about time off and take a shot…or shut up!!!

Addiction

Okay, I’ve finally come to the point of admitting my addiction to Discovery Channel’s "Deadliest Catch".  They say admitting your addiction is the first step in recovery.  I’m just not sure I want to recover from watching "Deadliest Catch". 

I’ve Added A New Blogger

I added a new blogger to my links section on the righ.  His name is Tony Wheeler and the title of his blog is "The Misadventures Of A Beautiful Letdown"…one of the coolest names on the blogosphere.  He and I have been corresponding by email over the last few months I never miss dropping by his blog on a daily basis.  Go check it out when you have a chance and leave a few comments when you get there!!!

A Teenage Headbanger Question That Plagues Me

I’m still in a pretty jovial mood after yesterday, so my attitude is pretty laid-back and flippant.  If you’re expecting something deep, thoughtful and challenging…stop reading now!

Denise and I are "dog-sitting" for my parents this week (don’t get me started…the dog gets the inheritance…I’m just trying to get in good with the canine so she’ll give me some).  Anyway, they have extended cable out here with VH1 Classic…all the old videos from the 80s.  They have this one show called "Metal Mania" which plays the old hair metal stuff and today Warrant’s Cherry Pie" video comes on.

When I was a teenager that was the hottest video (barring the Whitesnake/Tawny Kitaen ones) on television.  I used to think Bobby Brown…the blond in the video…was the hottest thing.  I used to watch MTV all day just to see the "Cherry Pie" video come on.  Needless to say I spent a lot of time on my knees in repentance for the things I used to to think about that video. 

So here the question that plagues me…from the mind of a former teenage headbanger.  I wonder what Bobby Brown looks like today?

Kickin’ It Old School

Just chillin’ tonight, reveling in the fact I get to drive a classic car around and digging on the privilege I get by being a church planter.  God just rocked my world in a good way today!!!

I decided to dig waaaayyyy back in my compact disc collection and pulled out some old school Christian rock…Servant’s "Rockin’ Revival".  It’s totally early 80’s Christian rock cheese…but at the time it was like gold.  I still get this weird…"going back to Bethel" feeling when I hear stuff like Servant, Rick Cua, Resurrection Band, Leslie Phillips, Steve Taylor and old pre-Schlitt Petra.  In all honesty…if it wasn’t for those CCM artists…and a praying mama…I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today.  I’d probably be strung out in a gutter somewhere.

Someone Donated A Classic Car

Today was a weird day at Compass Point.  Attendance was way down because the public schools were out for Spring Break.  Last week’s attendance was down because the colleges were out for Spring Break.  I’m ready for all of these days off for school and time changes to be over with.  I can’t wait for Easter to get here and us get back into the normal swing of things.

Even with low attendance we still had a bunch of guests…and a bunch of elementary school children.  Not many of our regulars…just a bunch of new kids.  It was pretty cool and it really pumped up our children’s volunteers.  They are getting a new children’s program in place for Sundays which we will launch on Easter Sunday.  Today was a really good boost for them as we heard nothing but rave reviews from the parents and children.

The most bizarre…and coolest thing that happened today was that one of our Elders donated a freakin’ classic car.  No joke.  It is a 1960 Studebaker Lark.  The outiside needs a little work, but the inside is immaculate and the engine runs like a dream.  Above is a photo of a bunch of us taking it around the YMCA parking lot for a spin.  I have no real clue what we are going to do with.  We may put one of those wraps around it to do some advertising…at the very least we’ll take it around town to some of the classic car shows. All in all, it could be a pretty cool discussion starter at public places in order to build relationships. I’m pretty excited about it.  I mean how many church plants out there has ever had a Studebaker donated??? Compass Point is just…well…unique!

By the way, we also have a guy at our church that owns 3…yes, 3…Dodge Vipers.  Two that are street legal and one for racing.  Now if I could just get him to make a donation… 

We’re In This Together

I seem to confuse people.  At times I blog about my friends that lead modern churches and at other times I ask questions online that are almost…well…Emergent.  I seem to be all over the map…and pull ideas from everywhere.  I keep getting emails asking me to clarify which one I am…modern…or post-modern.  The answer is…I am neither…yet…I am both. 

At the ripe old age of 41, I’ve learned never to negate things just because it’s not your idea…movement…church style…community…calling…denomination…etc.  As the leader and shepherd of a church I cannot afford to ignore any thing which God is using for His glory in other churches.  It doesn’t mean that I go out and copy them…or try to apply something to Compass Point which does not fit our situation.  However, it does mean that I check it out, be amazed by it, apply it when I can and be happy…and celebrate…that God is allowing another church to use it to reach people.

Gary Lamb’s church is a polar opposite of what God is doing at Compass Point.  Yet, I have spent almost as much time on my knees praising God for what He is doing through Ridgestone as I do for Compass Point.  Travis Johnson’s church attracts a multi-ethnic audience, where as Compass Point attracts young, white, artsy 20-somethings.  Yet, he and I throughly enjoy trading ideas back and forth.  Tadd Grandstaff has not even launched his church yet and Compass Point has been going about three years.  However I am constantly inspired by his blog.

The point is…we are all in this together…no matter what style of church we are called to be.  The guys I mentioned above pastor churches that are not even remotely like Compass Point…yet, the folks of Compass Point have enjoyed some of the ideas we have used from those other churches (the ideas have been tweaked..of course…to fit into the "Compass Point way").

This leadership thing is an ongoing process.  Something…that I pray…I never stop growing in…learning in…and furthering my knowledge in.  Creativity and innovation is hard enough to accomplish without limiting ourselves by only accepting ideas from within our comfort zone…or small circle of like-minded "friends".  Shepherding people in their walk with the Father is hard enough without ignoring the suggestions…and successes…of other pastors just because they don’t identify with my little identity group.

To try an answer the original question again…I am both modern…and post-modern.  I am both conservative…and charismatic.  I am both simple…and complex.  The only thing I am willing to leave unchanged is the fact that God’s Word is without error and that it is the ultimate authority in my life…and the life of Compass Point.  Other than that…I am open to trying anything!!!  I am willing to hear…and apply…any idea…from any source…that can help me reach more disconnected people in Lakeland, Florida for Jesus Christ.