Technology Two

So everything in my new phone finally kicked in this morning at around 10:00am.  By everything…I mean everything…voicemail, text messaging, email, ringtones, GPS, etc.  I tried to turn it off and got this 2001: A Space Odyssey voice going, “What are you doing, Chris?”

I still can’t text directly to my Twitter account…can only email to it or do it off my Macbook.  I shot an email to tech support..they emailed back they were working on the problem…that was two weeks ago.  Further emails to them have not been responded to.  I suppose it’s because they are way too busy looking at the inside of their colons. 

I dropped my Facebook account…it’s just one really annoying program.  I’m actually thinking about dropping my Twitter.  After the stalker thing last summer…it kind of freaks me out that people I don’t know are tracking my moves through Twitter.  Not sure if I’m going to keep MySpace.  I’m not going “Howard Hughes” on the world…but I am finding the not being so connected actually is helping me in some areas of leadership…not to mention having more time to devote to fellowshipping with God.

I’m Hating Technology Right Now!!!

Three weeks ago the DSL service at our house slowed to a crawl.  After replacing the modem and wi-fi…still no speed.  Verizon told me they were having trouble with a line in the area and things should be back to normal in a few days.  That was  over two weeks ago.  Verizon tech support keeps telling me they have no record of problems and it must be with my hardware.  I have refused to pay them…or give them back their modem…it’s all still unresolved.  I have guns stashed around the house…good luck to them in getting their equipment back. 

My Sirius radio system fritzes out when it rains..something about the wiring.  Guess what?  It’s the rainy season down here in Central Florida.  I freakin’ hate regular free radio…shock jocks, shock jock wannabes and endless commercials.

Over a month ago my I lost text messaging on my Nokia E62 for no reason.  Gary hipped me to it when I wasn’t getting his messages.  AT&T’s been working on it for several weeks…finally worked it out last Friday.  Got text capabilities back…lost my Blackberry service and email.  AT&T’s been working on it over the last four days.  They finally  just dropped the service today so they could add it back on with a new account.  Dropped the Blackberry service…couldn’t get it back on my phone.   The local sales rep calls the main tech support only to be told that Blackberry is no longer available on the E62’s…I have to get a new phone…for $200 because I didn’t qualify for an upgrade.  After explaining to AT&T that they had violated their own contract by discontinuing a service they had promised in writing…and that I was no longer obligated to pay them (I’ve been an AT&T Wireless customer since 1992)…they played around an essentially got me a new Blackberry 8310 Curve for free.

Got the new phone home…only to find that it’s not Mac capable.  Had to download third-party software in order to sync up with iCal, address book, tasks, etc.  Found out I could no longer sync by Bluetooth like my old E62…have to use a USB cable every time I want to sync.  Synced up…then lost all ability to text, handle email or even get on MediaNet.  Called tech support…they are closed…as is the local store until tomorrow morning.  I’m not that patient.  Oh yeah, I can’t pair up my Bluetooth headset because I have to be able to send the phone a numeric passkey code.  Silly me forgot to get a Bluetooth headset with a keyboard built into it. 

I’m hating technology right now in a BIG WAY.  Life is not easier with technology…just more stressful.  At this moment I don’t feel relaxed because technology has made my life more simple…I’m feeling like Denise needs to hide the guns I have stashed around the house. 

Props to Angela at the local AT&T store…she really worked hard to get the phone thing worked out today.  I’m sure she’ll get all the bi=ugs worked out with my new phone tomorrow…and I’ll be back to loving technology again. 

We Could Have Been Bigger By Now - Part 2

The is the second part (you can part 1 here) of a two-part series on why Compass Point could have been bigger by now.  My hope is that people will learn from my…our…mistakes…and successes.

Leadership is not a state of mind.  As I have stated before, me being the Senior Pastor of Compass Point is not a state of mind…it is reality.  The crazy thing…it’s taken me a while to come to grips with the fact that I am the leader.  Sounds weird I know…but that’s the truth.  I was so busy being everyone’s friend and trying to break down the barrier between shepherd and flock…that most people never saw me as more than Chris the goofy, fat guy that can make people laugh and is fun to be around.  The problem…that is how I saw myself also.   I wanted everyone to feel comfortable and happy…I didn’t want to rock the boat.  What I discovered…people pleasers can’t be leaders.  The church takes on the personality of the leader…when the leader belittles his position…that is how the congregation also treats the position. I spent almost three years being everybody’s buddy…now we are taking steps to help the congregation see me as their pastor…and the staff as their boss.  Most importantly, I’m taking personal steps to help me see myself as the leader of Compass Point.

You can’t serve two masters.  When Compass Point first started as a small group Bible study I was still working on occasion with Prison Fellowship.  Due to some unforeseen circumstances the money that was promised for us to officially launch took months to materialize.  As a result I started touring pretty much full time with Prison Fellowship the first two years of Compass Point’s life.  What I discovered was…you can’t serve two masters.  There were months where I was out of the pulpit two out of four Sundays.  I missed our first two Easter’s…which is a no-no in church planting.  Even on weekends I was in town I had just flown in on Saturday night…and was too whipped to really put my all into preaching.  The worst thing…there was no one around Monday through Friday to conduct ministry, handle administration or cast vision.  Two years ago I came to the conclusion that if Compass Point was going to have a chance I had to put all of my eggs into it’s basket.  It meant financial sacrifice for Denise and I…and the letting go of another ministry I dearly loved.  I miss my “prison friends” (Duane, Leslie, Justin, Don, Ron and the various other “lambs”)…but it was the best decision to date concerning the future of Compass Point

Fast to hire and slow to fire.   I plugged holes.  I hired from outside the church.  I didn’t properly interview people.  I didn’t pray or seeks God’s will in making staffing or leadership decisions.  I just wanted to shift as much stuff off my plate as I could in the quickest amount of time.  Therefore I hired anyone that had a pulse…and would take forever to cut them loose when they turned out to suck as leaders.  In hindsight I can’t believe some of the crap I allowed to go on within the staff and leadership at Compass Point.  I was an idiot…that let other idiots…help sink the ship.   These days I’m a little slower and cautious in bringing people on staff…and a little quicker to cut them out of the body if they become cancer.  In essence…slow to hire…fast to fire.