Unleash at NewSpring.....

Today was AWESOME! I witnessed so much today that blessed my heart and continued to build my passion for Jesus and the local church. here are a couple of my thoughts from today:

• Perry rocked in out in both main sessions.
  
• Tony Morgan has posted all of the points from both sessions, so check out his detailed notes over at his blog on Session 1 and Session 2. **You will get a kick out of some of the comments rolling around over there.**
  
• It was great to be able to speak to so many student pastors from all over the country and see the passion they had to reach the students in their community. They asked some great questions during the breakout that Brad Cooper and I led.
  
• I look forward to hanging out with some Student pastors from NorthPoint Community Church, Elevation Church, Brookwood Church, Ridgestone Church, Crossroads Community Church, and many others to continue to network and learn from each other!
  
• NewSpring Volunteers ROCK! Our volunteers rocked the house today. One frequent conference attender told me that our volunteers showed more excitement, willingness to serve, and professionalism than he has ever seen at any other conference! GO NEWSPRING VOLUNTEERS!!
• I love the staff I work with! the NewSpring Staff is AWESOME!! Everyone worked hard this week to make it happen. "Teamwork makes the dreamwork!"
• Lastly, I look forward to hear some of the things that God is going to do in the lives of some of the churches that attended Unleash. It is going to be amazing!
  
  

Matrix Pics...

Andrew & the Band ROCKIN it out!

One of the plasmas that is running Matrix Code!

Crazy Middle School Pastor teaching on truth!

Shot of the band, be sure to check out that we had a projector running the code on the ceiling as well! AWESOME!

Thanks to Sean Gaffney and Lloyd Gibson for the great pictures!

IGNITE | 3.11.07: MATRIX

Topic: "MATRIX: TRUTH"

Student Attendance: Below Average
Volunteer Attendance: Below Average
Observer Attendance: Average
Message Length: 20 Minutes
Music: Above Average

We started a new series called MATRIX. In this three week series, we are going to be exploring TRUTH, FREEDOM, and REVOLUTION. I am really excited about this series and what we are going to be talking about.

Last night we discussed TRUTH. Here are the points from last night:

“Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

1. Truth is Unchanging

· It doesn’t change from day to day…week to week…month to month…year to year…decade to decade…century to century.

2. Truth is Universal

· Truth applies to all of us.

3. God’s Word is Truth – Psalm 119:160 “All your words are true…”

· What is says…HAPPENED (ex. Donkey Talking, Giant Killed with a Stone & Slingshot, Elijah and Fire falling down)

4. Does God’s truth apply to my life?

· Can God’s Word help me keep me out of trouble?

a) YES! -- Psalm 119:9-11

· Can God’s Word give me peace?

a) YES! -- Philippians 4:6-7

· Can God’s Word fix my relationships?

a) YES! -- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

· Can God’s Word make me smarter?

a) YES! -- James 1:5

I will be posting some pics from last night later today! Be sure to check back for those to catch a glimpse of the stage design!

First Wednesday at NewSpring.....

Last night was First Wednesday at NewSpring and it was awesome. Perry brought it! Here are the notes from the night:

Four Things That I Can Make Jesus More Famous In:

"But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Exodus 9:16

1. My Focus
• Matthew 6:33, "Seek FIRST His Kingdom..."
• Jeremiah 29:13
  
2. My Family
• Ephesians 5:22
• Ephesians 5:25
• Ephesians 6:1
  
3. My Finances
• 2 Corinthians 8:7
  
4. My Final Destination
• Luke 5:27-32
  

Are you serious?!?!?!

What in the world?

Check out this story on the internet: School District: Sixth Graders had SEX in School.

I personally think that it is the Middle School Pastor's fault in that community! J/K. Nah, but on a serious note: this story broke my heart and lights a passion in my heart to make sure that the students our ministry comes in contact with know the truth.

PHENOMENAL AWARDS MARCH 2007.....

On the First Sunday of each month we present the Phenomenal Awards. These are given to leaders who do something PHENOMENAL during the previous month, some are serious and some are not so serious.

This has become something that the staff and leaders look forward to each month to see who we are going to pick. And now...presenting the Phenomenal Awards for March of 2007:

• Matt Broderick: Phenomenal Phantom Award - Matt is our phantom leader. If you did not know Matt you would know that he was there. He is so stinking quiet. He leads a group of our 6th Grade guys, which he is awesome at doing. Matt leads by example, not a HUGE vocal leader, but one that you can ALWAYS count on and is SOLID to the core. Matt, you ROCK!!! Thank you for all you do!!
  

• Deanna Ellis: Phenomenal Servanthood without Prompting Award - This person is absolutely AMAZING!! Deanna got this award for always being willing to serve without being asked. She is consistently looking for areas that needs assistance and then gives her help. Not to mention is she is an awesome worker, but she is even more of an AMAZING wife. I love her so much and each day, I fall more in love with her each and every day. Deanna has been so supportive of the ministry that God has placed us in. She is such a great pastor's wife; she is bold when she needs to smack me down, full of compassion and mercy, full of Jesus, and willing to serve. Needless to say, SHE IS AMAZING!!!
  

• Kelley Amick: Phenomenal Fastest Check-In - Each week Kelley takes our front check-in station and just gets our students check in so fast. Her line is always moving at a great speed. A part of the reason that she gets students checked in so fast is that she knows the students names and information. When she does not know the student's, she always has another student beside that does. This is important because if it takes too long to get students checked in the become disengaged.
  

• Gil Karkins: Phenomenal Slumber/Ability to Sleep Through an Ignite Service - This one was hilarious. A couple of weeks ago, Gil showed up to IGNITE very tired. Well...in an effort to lead his small group with a lot of energy, he decided to sleep in the service. It had to be one of the funniest things that has happened with our leaders. Gil has been a champ about it, through all the picking, teasing, laughing that has come from that wonderful time.
  

I always look forward to this time, because we laugh so much and celebrate our leaders; as they pour so much into our students!

Volunteer Leaders in Action....

We just finished a series at IGNITE called MADE. Our volunteers wanted to do a video series for the intro of the sessions, so we gave them the FREEDOM and let them run with it. It is a claymation. Most Awesome. It is amazing and this is volunteers using thier gifts for the kingdom!!

Do yourself a favor and check them out! Yes, this was done by our volunteer leaders!!!!

Week 1: Iggy's New Heelys


Week 2: Iggy's Suprise


Week 3: Iggy's Friend from Space


Ryan, Matt, Caleb...You Rock My FACE OFF!!!

Ridgestone Church & Unleashed....

I just got back from eating lunch with Preston Porter and his wife, along with Pudge. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to talk with him, ask him questions, he ask me questions. I love being asked questions about why we do what we do , because it always helps me continue to evaluate in my mind those same questions.

By the way, speaking of questions. That will be format for the Unleash Conference here at NewSpring Church. We have over 700 people signed up! It is going to be awesome. The breakout sessions will be in Question and Answer format. You ask questions, we will do our best to answer...by the way...by no means do we have all the answers, but we do know what God has done here at NewSpring and would love to share it with you. So, sign up...today...now! See you there!

Baptism at NewSpring....

We had baptism here at NewSpring on Feb. 24^th and the FINAL count is 219.

Oh by the way from 2/25/06 to 2/24/07 we baptized 972 people.

That is CRAZY AWESOMENESS!!! Thank you Jesus!!!

O'HARE Airport....

Well, we are delayed in Chicago. We have been delayed for 2.5 hours!!! Not fun, not exciting. We finished up the SHIFT Conference, which was amazing. I will post the rest of the notes as soon as I can find an outlet to plug into. Please be praying for us as we travel and try to make it back tonight! Peace!

Random Things from SHIFT Conference....

Here are some cool things from SHIFT Conference:

• Got to see Wes Wilson, Program Director for Elevate, Jr. High Ministry at Willow Creek. I met Wes at NYWC in Charlotte this past December. Awesome Guy. Look forward to hanging out with him tomorrow.
  
• Got to meet Jason Raitz, Groups Life Pastor for Elevate, Jr. High Ministry at Willow Creek. Jason and I meet in BLOGWORLD. He is very down to earth. It was great to meet him face to face after reading his blog, post on forums, and emailing back and forth. I look forward to hanging out with him and others tomorrow night for dinner.
• Got to hear Dr. Henry Cloud, author of Integrity, teach at Willow's New Community Service.
• SHOUT OUT: Willow's Association has done an AWESOME job putting together this conference. They have paid attention to the details!
  

Time to go to bed...although it has been an awesome day of learning...I am tired. Conferences tend to drain you...well, at least I get drained! PEACE!

SHIFT Session #3: Bo Boshears

Bo Boshears, Executive Director of Student Ministries for Willow Creek Association, led Session # 3: "A Student Leader's Guide to Preparing for the Long Haul"

Here are some notes:

Psalm 71:17-19: "Since my youth, o God, you have taught me, and to this dayI declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your ower to the next generation, your might to all who are to come."

3 Common Warning Signs for Youth Leaders:

1. Your Heart is Becoming to Proud:

• Youth Ministry has become so professional and so competitive.
• Focusing on this will steal your joy.
• When this happens you focus on YOURSELF and NOT God.
• Lead with humility and protect your heart.

2. You are No Longer Teachable:

• We need to stay sharp: learn, grow, increase your ministry skills.
• Ask good questions, learn from others.
• How are you doing by modeling God's Word to others?
  
• Are you modeling a checklist or a deep passion for Jesus?
• You must slow down and hear God's voice!
• Who are you allowing to mentor you?
• Philippians 4:9: How can students put into practice what they have not seen up close?(This messed me up and challenge me in who I should be mentoring within our ministry.)
  

3. Are You Losing Home Field Advantage?:

• Our ministry can't distract us from the ones we love so much.
• We should be at home a MINIMUM of 4 nights a week.
• Learn to say, "NO ONE CAN PRESSURE ME WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!"
• Being present is not just being there in physical form, but bring there in mind, body, heart, and spirit.
  

SHIFT Session #2: Donald Miller

Donald Miller led Session #2: "How to Share the Gospel Without Weirding People Out":

Here are some notes:

• Christianity is easy when it is just us, but when others come into the conversation-its something else. Why? Is it because I am ashamed?
  
• When a culture is only influenced by itself, when they do not communicate, share ideas with the outside it becomes goofier. It gets to the point where they cannot communicate.
  
• Jesus never took the time to explain the story/give the point. It was done in the story, by the story, through the story.
  
• The human heart desires a story.
• Erosion of values has caused the story to decline.
• Never underestimate your role in the story.
• Evangelism in a nutshell is: inviting people into a better story.
• "Write every day, line by line, page by page, hour by hour. Do this despite fear. For above all else, beyond imagination and skill, what the world asks of you is courage, courage to risk rejection, ridicule and failure. As you follow the quest for stories told with meaning and beauty, study thoughtfully but write boldly. Then, like the hero of the fable, your dance will dazzle the world.” - Robert McKee

SHIFT Session #1: Darren Whitehead

Darren Whitehead kicked off the SHIFT Conference. He is the Director of Student Impact, the High School Ministry at Willow Creek Community Church.

Here are some thoughts from his talk titled, "Where It Is, Where It's Going, and What We Can Do About It":

Churches are now irrelevant to mainstream culture, similar to the cultural phenomena called cultural freeze.

Gospel is timeless but our methods and strategies are time-sensitive.

Not just youth culture but the entire world has changed. We live in World 2.0 and we can't do Youth Ministry in World 1.0, church for kids grown up in a church environment.

Here are some specific SHIFTS that they have implemented at Willow Creek:

1. Less Leader Generated Content to More User Generated Content.

• They are looking for less professional and more PERSONAL.
• They want to interact and participate.
• Teenagers are the experts on teen culture.
  

2. Less Travel Agent to More Tour Guide.

• Don't tell them where to go, but go WITH them. Walk with them in life.

3. Less Imitation to More Imagination

• We've created a co-dependent spoon fed culture that is spiritually malnourished, starving themselves, but getting fed once a week.
• We have to stop limiting what following/serving Jesus looks like. We must free them in their personality to be themselves and who God called them to be.
  

SHIFT CONFERENCE DAY 1....

Willow Creek is amazing. I am sitting in the auditorium right now and it looks great! Darren Whitehead and Donald Miller hit it hard. I will not post my thoughts until tonight, but feel free to read what they are talking about over at the SHIFT ONLINE EXPERIENCE. This is a great addition to the conference, especially for those who want to check out from afar! PEACE!!

Jet Plane.....

I am sitting in the Knoxville, TN Airport waiting to board a plane to take us to Chicago, IL for the SHIFT Conference put on by Willow Creek. I am looking forward to hanging out with the rest of the Student Ministry Team while we are in Chicago, learning from so many other people. Continue to pray for us as we travel, also pray that we learn a lot and have the time to continue to dream while we are here.

Anyway, it is quite boring in airports! Long lines of seats, long lines of people waiting to board the plane, people laying on the floor sleeping, people reading magazines, people acting like they are praying, but actually sleeping, etc. Sort of boring! Here is what I mean:

SHIFT CONFERENCE TEASER.....

Busy.....

It has been some time since I posted on this blog. Lately, I have been really busy with some many things pulling me in many different directions. In that busyness, I have also been reading a small, but powerful book. The title of the book is, "What Matters Most...When No is Better than Yes."

Needless to say, I have been giving so much of myself to MANY tasks and all of them not getting the best. I decided that it would be best to say NO to this blog. I took the time and tried to finish up some things, refocus on the things that have to have my attention, and give away what does not.

Here is a description of the book from SimplyYouthMinistry.com:

Every youth worker should read this book!

If you can't remember the last time you said no to the senior pastor, the custodian, the church secretary, or the parents of that annoying kid, you're on the road to... well... to nowhere. Actually, you're on the road to death--the death of your passion, your ministry, you joy, your family, your long-term ministry effectiveness, and maybe even your faith.

It may sound dramatic, but the truth is, ministry often makes us feel like we have to say yes to everything for the sake of Jesus. We're asked to sacrifice our time, our energy, our personal resources, and often our families. And we usually make these sacrifices for others who believe they know what really matters for us. But if it's all in t he name of Jesus, do you think Jesus would really ask us to do it all?

Probably not, because Jesus said no on a regular basis. He said no to important people and significant opportunities. He took time to focus on what mattered most. He said no when he needed to refuel or refocus. In fact, Jesus was effective in his ministry because he occasionally said no. Can you imagine what your ministry could be if you took the opportunities to refuel and refocus from time to time?

This is your chance. Doug Fields, author of What Matters Most and a youth ministry survivor for more than 25 years, is giving you permission--no, he's telling you--to learn to say no and say it often so you can say yes to what's most important. If you want to do more than just survive, if you want to thrive in youth ministry, this may be the most important lesson you'll learn.

This book will provide you with encouragement to stay the course, reignite you passion for ministry, and most importantly, nurture your passion for Jesus. After all, isn't that what matters most?

Do yourself a favor buy the book, spend hour reading, and say NO!! You can do it and if you do it will change you and free you!

TONY DUNGY.....

Congratulations to TONY DUNGY and the Indianapolis Colts! Sunday was a great night. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Colts beat the Bears in the Super Bowl. I have stated before that I am a HUGE fan of Tony Dungy. That level of fan'ness', fan'hood', whatever you would like to call it - grew even more from his statements after the Super Bowl while accepting the trophy. If you missed them...read them now!

"I'm proud to the first African-American coach to win this, but again, more than anything, Lovie Smith and I are not only African-American but also Christian coaches, showing you can do it the Lord's way. We're more proud of that." Tony Dungy

How can you not love this guy! Not only did he display his Christian faith, but also showed humility and gratefulness to his friend, Chicago Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith.

Tony, Thank you for being a man of God, displaying your faith without shame, and being a humble-servant leader! You are awesome!

Also, thank you to James Irsay, Owner and CEO and Bill Polian, President of the Indianapolis Colts for your willingness to display your faith and the truth of the gospel through your organization that impacts millions and millions of people!

PHENOMENAL AWARDS.....

By the way, sorry for the break in posting. Been busy traveling checking out a potential resort for our summer youth camp!

Tonight, we started a tradition where we are going to give away awards to our volunteer leaders at the beginning of each month. It was WELL received!

Allow me to share with you how the name for the award originated. At the end of each IGNITE; we gather the leaders together for a meeting to share any important information, training, etc. Well, I typically always take that opportunity to encourage and cast vision. (Side Note: Ministry leaders, anytime you get the opportunity to have the ear of all your leaders: CAST VISION! When you finish…CAST VISION some more.) Most of the time while encouraging the leaders, I would typically use the word PHENOMENAL. The leaders caught on to it and basically HARASSED me when I would use the word. It became a HUGE inside joke between me and our leaders.

So, I told my staff that I wanted to recognize our leaders once a month. I asked how we could do that and this is what we decided to do each month.

The IGNITE Staff is on the front row and the reciepents are on the second row (left to right): Scott Murray, Shelley Dixon, Brandon Long, Matt Feiling.

Tonight, we gave away 4 awards! Here are the recipients and the reason for their award:

• Scott Murray for Phenomenal Attitude. A couple of weeks ago, we started a time for our Team leaders to spend intentional time with their small group leaders. At the end, Scott was so excited about that time. His expression was something close to, “WOW! That was awesome. That was a great time to connect with my leaders. Thank you so much!”

• Shelley Dixon for Phenomenal Leadership. Shelley has done an AWESOME job at a Team Leader. Each week she makes an intentional effort to lead by example for her leaders, she also makes the effort to contact her leaders each week to pray for them and with them. Shelly is a mother of one of our students, by the way, her son LOVES is that his mom is involved.
  

• Brandon Long for Phenomenal Service. Brandon has made the intentional effort to put up chairs for the past couple of weeks at the end of our service. Not only did he put up the chairs, but he also took upon himself without being asked to MOP the floors. That is HUGE!!!
  

• Matt Feiling (first from right on second row) for Phenomenal Ability. Where do I begin? This dude it the man! Anyone ever heard of DDR (Dance, Dance, Revolution)? Well, this guy can tear it up! Some of you would say that is not that big of a deal, but this guy is 6’7” with a size 17 shoe! This is one of the coolest things I have ever seen. I am amazed each time that I see him do DDR. I am hoping that this will be a video soon for IGNITE. Also he plays a great GIANT in our videos we shot for IGNITE.
  

To each of you: THANK YOU for loving Jesus and loving middle school students! You rock and are PHENOMENAL Leaders!

If you don’t already do something like this, take the time to brainstorm what would be the best thing for you to do and DO IT! Take the time to honor your leaders for all that they pour into the ministry! They deserve it!