Way behind . . .

I sat down 2 hours ago to get caught up on blogs, Auburn Football, news, and other stuff.  Yes, 2 hours ago.  I really didn’t think I would be sitting at my computer at 12:30am tonight . . . but here I am.

I have been very busy this week.  Projects at work that have been mulling along for 2 years are buzzing a little bit . . . there’s new work . . . there’s just a lot going on . . .

I actually got an email from Baltimore . . . they have hired somebody to help things start moving . . . They told me to wait until he gets on board, and he’ll contact me soon.  Incidentally, I heard the same news from the state convention on the same day.  I guess that means it must be true.

In the mean-time . . . In the midst of the busyness at work, I was wondering if the vision would get lost in the shuffle.  I spent a good bit of time praying last week that God would reconfirm the vision by giving me some new ideas, insights, and other encouragements to keep moving forward. Be careful what you pray for.

In addition to the contacts I mentioned above . . . God gave me some really neat “marketing” ideas that will help establish trust and recognition in the community.  He also gave me an idea for an opening message series, and some thoughts about how that series might fit in to a first-year teaching goal.  I’m not usually much of a long-range planner . . . so to say I am planning a year of messages over a year before the first one gets delivered is a pretty big confirmation.

I’m really itching to Transform Baltimore.

It’s reflecting in my work here at Journey, too.  I am so excited to see Emily investing in so many people right now.  I am blessed to have a “helpmeet” like her by my side.  She’s just as excited about the future as I am, and equally equipped to play her role as a part of it.  I am praying for more and more opportunities to touch the lives of disconnected people.  That’s why Journey Church exists, and that’s why God is giving us this vision to go beyond Auburn.  The ALL IN series we are doing right now is awesome.  It’s all about getting folks to lay it all on the line to help reach disconnected people.  Not so we can grow a bigger church or notch salvations on our belt . . . but because we have the greatest message ever — a message of hope — a message of joy — a message that can save you out of whatever pit you’re in and deliver an abundant life — the message of salvation through the death of Jesus Christ for the salvation of sins.

Awesome!  It’s almost 1am, and I’m pumped.  Maybe I’ll sleep . . . someday.

Deep . . .

Just a great reminder, Perry slapped out a good one on those that want to be deep:

“You’re not deep enough”

My 2 cents:

Being and Doing what you Know is far more important than Knowing more.  Knowing more needs to result in Being and Doing Bigger and Better.

Principles, Architecture and the Church

Yesterday I went with a client and one of my bosses to Atlanta to visit a house that was built in the 1920’s.  The house was designed with a VERY classical style.  Not my style.

My boss told me that I would like it better in person.  He was wrong.  He then asked me, “Don’t you appreciate classical architecture?”  My response was, “Yes, I do, very much.”  I then went on a rant . . .

Classical architecture is beautiful.  It was wonderfully proportioned and was carefully crafted to the utmost quatility using the best available materials for the time.  This house was not built in classical Rome.  It was built in Atlanta in the 1920’s. There is so little about the house that tells you of its context that it makes me sick.  It could be in Boston, London, Rome, or anywhere else and speak exactly the same.  I hate that.  I can’t say much about the landscape, since it was rainy.

There are tremendous principles we can learn from classical architecture as we design buildings for today.  However, I do not believe we are wise to copy the details.  Our materials, methods, schedules, and other factors inherently create a totally different architectural language.  We can implement the principles into our current context and design masterful architectural pieces with the same beauty, but a dramatically different look.

The church struggles with the same issue.

The church has a wonderful heritage.  Each season in the church’s life has a lot to speak to current generations.  However, instead of looking at the principles that church history teaches us, we try to copy the methods.  Often, we copy the method without even knowing the principle exists.  So, what we end up with is cold, stale churches trying to do the same thing the same way year after year.  We even do it today with current methods.  How many “Purpose-Driven Churches” are out there that aren’t really “Purpose-Driven,” but instead are Rick Warren copy-cats?

We need to be principle-driven people.

When we see something that works, we should never try to copy it.  We should dig deep for the principles that make it work.  When you find the principles, lay them out in your particular context.  When you implement the principles, they may look totally different than the original, but you will be much more likely to get the desired results.

Can’t trust that day . . .

It’s Monday . . .

As usual, I have a terrible headache, I’ve been hungry all day, and I’m frantic to get outta the office to go home and inhale some food before Journey staff meeting . . . And I’m doing my “homework” at the last minute.  Surprise, surprise.

We had a great weekend.  A down day at Journey, mainly because so many folks went to the LSU game . . . good game to watch, not a happy ending.  If you want more info on our weekend, see Emily’s blog.

Anyway, I’m a little discouraged.  I was glad to get a glimmer of hope from Emily in the middle of the day today.  Hopefully that will be the beginning of a better week than I’ve had today.

So far, so good . . .

It’s 10:12pm.

I have the Travel Guide online.

Auburn is winning in the third quarter, 17-10, and just made an interception . . . Let’s see if we can hold on to this one . .  a little too close in Tiger Stadium . . .

Off to play catch-up on the DVR.

Auburn vs LSU, and I’m in my office

I love my DVR and the internet.  I just sat down to work on the Leader’s Guide for Growth Groups . . . and the Auburn/LSU game is underway.  I have gamecast in the background keeping me up-to-date on the score (Auburn is already up by 7,) and the DVR is recording the game so I can see the excitement later and FF through commercials.

I’m even more pumped about tomorrow as we continue the Lord of the Rings series at Journey by talking about roles and goals in relationships and marriage.

I think this series has been a win for the church and I am looking forward to seeing how some lives are transformed by what we have learned.

God is good!

Crazy Stuff

I just finished the questions for Growth Groups this week . . . Off to Eric for review and comments before I put together the Travel Guide this weekend . . .

I also got some very valuable information today.  As I’ve said before, I’ve had a hard time getting in contact with folks in Maryland and the Baltimore area.  I’m glad the Embrace Baltimore web site is finally online.  Hopefully this means things will move forward and I will hear more from the area soon.

In the mean-time, my hats off to Bryan Nowak and the Research Services folks at the Georgia Baptist Convention.  I got Bryan’s contact information from a friend, and I sent him an email requesting some basic demographic info on the Baltimore area so Emily and I can start praying through and getting a feel for how we need to narrow the scope on such a big area.  Within a few hours, I got back two documents of 55 pages each, showing two different comparisons on the area.  Additionally, they told me they can provide me more detailed information on given communities when I get things narrowed down a little farther.  I’m a bit of a technology junkie, so the thought of a database able to provide this kind of information nationally in such a short period of time is simply awesome.  It’s a ton of data.  I’m glad it’s available.  Their Mosaics Group and Segment Descriptions document is an awesome resource, as well. I feel like I’m going to bed tonight with something tangible in my head to help me seek God’s face on where we are headed.

Embracing Baltimore . . . online!

I just discovered that the Embrace Baltimore website is finally online . . . haven’t had much time to look at it yet, but it’s up and running!

http://www.embracebaltimore.com

In honor of the occassion, I added some Baltimore look to my blog.

Professional Baseball, TV, and other rants

I am NOT a baseball fan.  I am DEFINITELY NOT a professional sports fan.  Put those together and you realize that I am ABSOLUTELY NOT a Major League Baseball fan.  BUT, it’s October . . . and FOX has become the go-to network for big sporting events.

No House.  No Bones . . .

What am I to do?

Not a fun night.  We shoulda gotten out early and rented Transformers.  We missed it in the theater, so I’m sure we’ll rent it within the week.

Oh, well, after we watched everything left on our DVR, I spent the night looking up contact info for church planting.  Church planting folks are really not good about getting back with people.  So, I’m gonna have to become a bit of a squeeky wheel until I start hearing stuff.

Tomorrow is Church Planter’s round table at Journey Church in Millbrook.  I’m looking forward to the time with the other guys, seeing how things are going in their churches.  It should be a good encouragement to me.

Anyway . . . back to sulking about fat middle-aged men who never grew up, who chew, spit, and adjust themselves on national TV . . . while I miss my cool shows that I look forward to each week.

Saturday update

Just a quick note before I go help Emily cook dinner . . .

I actually got the Travel Guide done and online before it got dark tonight!  Woo hoo!  It helps that Eric and I have been coordinating better earlier in the week to get the questions together for the Worship Guide . . . I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s message on “Porn, Promiscuity, and Pain.”  It’s not a typical church topic, but God has a lot to say about it, so this is going to be really awesome and potentially life-changing for a lot of folks.

Emily is gonna get ragged at church tomorrow.  Her precious Texas A&M is getting beat by Texas Tech, and we have some Tech alumni . . . I hope Auburn does better against Arkansas.

I’ve been doing some more reading on church planting, and it has helped me refine the vision a little bit more.  I am really close to putting some more information on the Church Planting page on this site.  I’m fired up.  I just wish the people in Baltimore would respond to me.  I guess I need to start picking up the phone instead of trying to rely on emails.

Anyway, time for more time with my precious EmmyDoll!