I want my son to see his life as an adventure. He just turned 3 the other day, and has never been camping. My wife was gone the other night and wasn't going to be home until later on, so after we put Ana down to sleep, Noah and I got some blankets and went and laid out under the stars. We looked at the moon, we looked at airplanes, we looked at the stars, we looked at venus. It was awesome. I told him we were going to do it early on in the day, so he was talking about it all day.
I just love how excited he gets about things. I don't want him to see his life as I go to school, come home, watch tv, do homework, go to bed. I want him to beg each day for discovery.
I'm trying to live my life that way too. It's tough, and it takes commitment, but imagine how much richer your experience will be. JM
4.30.2007
Matthew 16:13-20
What has God shown you? I love looking at the Bible and expecting God to speak to me. It's awesome how truly alive of a book it is. Yesterday God used a passage to inspire me. What's funny is, I shouldn't have even been reading it.
But God shows us wonderful things when we dive into his word. JM
But God shows us wonderful things when we dive into his word. JM
4.29.2007
Transition
I'm trying to convert this blog over to its own URL of www.ghostofmediocrity.com, but it seems to be taking a while. Sorry for any problems you've been having. I'm hoping that by Tuesday all of the kinks will be worked out and everything will be back to normal again. JM
Matthew 15:21-28
The power of faith is incredible. Jesus loves to compliment people who have great faith. I love this story because the woman is desperate. She is passionate about pursuing Jesus because she has a personal need. She wants to see her daughter be happy again. She wants to be able to interact with her daughter like she used to. She misses her daughter.
But Jesus doesn't want to help her. Probably because it would make everybody freak out. Whatever the reason, he only does it because of her persistence. She is passionately pursuing Jesus because she knows that he is the only one that can make her world right again. I think this is the passage that I'll use for mother's day. I'll have to try to develop this tomorrow. I'm excited about speaking, though. JM
But Jesus doesn't want to help her. Probably because it would make everybody freak out. Whatever the reason, he only does it because of her persistence. She is passionately pursuing Jesus because she knows that he is the only one that can make her world right again. I think this is the passage that I'll use for mother's day. I'll have to try to develop this tomorrow. I'm excited about speaking, though. JM
4.28.2007
Matthew 16:5-12
I need to go to seminary. I really want to be able to critically think about what the Bible teaches on a more academic level. I've studied a lot on my own about church structure, church growth, youth ministry, post-modern ministry, and things like that, but theology seems really daunting to me. At some point my children will grow a little bit older and I might have some time that I could devote to studying, but right now it just seems so impossible.
JM
JM
4.27.2007
Resolutions Update
So I've actually achieved one of my New Year's Resolutions already. I wanted to be able to rep 135 pounds on the bench press, and today I did it. I'm trying to train for endurance so I only do 2 sets, but today I did a set of 10 reps and then a set of 7 reps.
My other resolutions are not doing as well.
I've only run 18 miles and I want to run 1,000 this year.
I've read 6 books and I want to read 18 this year.
I've come up with the main ideas for my book, but haven't started writing it yet.
I haven't learned any of the 4 U2 songs.
And I still need to learn InDesign and Premiere.
There's still tons of time, though. JM
My other resolutions are not doing as well.
I've only run 18 miles and I want to run 1,000 this year.
I've read 6 books and I want to read 18 this year.
I've come up with the main ideas for my book, but haven't started writing it yet.
I haven't learned any of the 4 U2 songs.
And I still need to learn InDesign and Premiere.
There's still tons of time, though. JM
Granger Communications Workshop
Here's a summary of my notes from Kem Meyer's communication workshop. It was awesome and inspiring. I learned so much it's incredible, and she has a great relational way of presenting tons of information so you don't feel as though you're overloaded. Anyway, here's my notes:
Granger Communications Workshop - Kem Meyer
Session 1 - Are People Letting You In Or Shutting You Out?
Worldview - bias that affects the story we tell ourselves to make it easier to live in a complicated world.
Frame - the words, images and interactions that reinforce (or speak respectively to) a bias someone is already feeling. In other words, how you wrap your message so that it communicates to a bias.
Story - how you live out your promise. If you’re authentic the details will line up and the contradictions disappear.
Good communicators do not try to change worldviews, they simply identify the worldview and then frame a story around it.
5 Marketing Myths
Myth #1 - You are in control
Average people are good at ignoring you. They have too much to look at. They have a different P.O.V. than you do.
Your content does not create interest. Worldview and first impressions create interest.
Seth Godin says that there are 3 types of listeners:
Visual - Decide if they are interested based off of the logo and feel of the media.
Readers - Decide if they are interested based off of the text.
Financial - Decide if they are interested based off of the cost.
Myth #2 - The more choices the better.
USA Today: Too many choices has negative consequences, regardless of the generation.
- Boomers get overwhelmed and shut down.
- GenXers labor over whether or not they’re making right decisions.
- GenYers just ignore you and move on.
Less is not more. More is less.
- The more elements on a page, the less important each element becomes.
- The more announcements from the platform, the less important each announcement becomes.
- The more brochures in a church, the less important each brochure becomes.
When you are overwhelmed, you don’t know how to move. When you simplify things, you make the next step obvious.
Copy expenses at Granger went from $12,000 in 2004, to $8,000 in 2005, to $4,800 in the first 9 months of 2006. During this time attendance continued to increase.
Granger Home Page Rules
- Can’t Scroll
- No more than 5 boxes/opportunities
Myth #3 - Advertising creates interest and reinforces the brand.
Advertising creates awareness. Awareness is not necessarily positive. People are aware of cancer, but they’re not lining up to get it.
Great experiences don’t contradict themselves, neither do great brands. Invest your energy in creating great experiences at every point of contact someone can have with your church.
Granger makes sure that all elements are consistent: series promotions, service experience, electronic media, print media, other media. They must all be consistent or each ministry/event will develop its own brand, or people will feel cheated and lied to.
Myth #4 - It worked before, so it will work again
Marketing Receptivity Study
- 70% of consumers are interested in products that enable them to block out advertising.
- 56% avoid buying products that overwhelm them with advertising.
- 33% are interested in choosing the marketing when it’s convenient for them.
People are struggling to figure out what will make the most difference. Why would they spend their time and attention on you?
Myth #5 - People care about what you have to say
People need inspiration, not information. What are you saying to inspire people?
We remember 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see, 40% of what we do, and 100 % of what we feel. Emotion is the on/off switch.
Find a way to speak respectfully to where people are and communicate to inspire them.
Granger did a series called “The 5 Most Irritating Things About Christians.” It worked because it met people where they were.
Session 2 - Best Practices
Know your audience. What is your focus audience? You need to know demographic and psychographic information. Know about them, but also know what they do, what they read, where they hang out.
- Call local TV & Radio stations.
- What’s popular in your community.
- Claritas.com - Free resources by zip code showing demographic and psychographic information
- Give them a place to speak candidly and anonymously.
- What is relevant to their life?
- Where is their comfort zone?
- Where do they spend their time?
- What do they hate?
- Go to where they are. Go to websites, concerts, read magazines.
Remove barriers to entry - identify distractions and either remove them or address them. Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself. Look at your environment, signage, flow, registration. Don’t make people read tons of pages. Give them one option. What is your audience doing 5 minutes before they encounter your media?
Language - Don’t use church words:
- No Yes
- Intimacy Connections
- Fellowship Community
- Visitor Guest
- Ministry Team
- Recruit Invite
- Spiritual Maturity Growth
- Program Experience
- Need Opportunity
- Go Deeper Next Step
- Announcement Next Step or opportunity
Communications motto: Our goal is to simplify everything your audience sees or touches to make their life easier or more rewarding.
Session 3 - Building A Cohesive Strategy
It’s communications job to harness a message, clear the path, and give the message life.
Before you do something, ask questions.
- Is this a tool or is it just cool?
- What current problem is it solving?
- What is the return on ministry?
Get rid of individual ministry logos.
Delete clip art to maximize impact of what you say.
Is it appealing (context), engaging (presentation), and helpful (content).
Granger - All communications are run through the communications department to be proofed in a 24-hour turnaround. This ensures consistency.
If you have to say it, then you’re not. (We’re cool! We’re fun!) Just do it, and then let others talk about it.
Granger - Worship bulletin is their first impression piece. They give info on church in membership class.
Granger - Bulletin on Sunday and weekly e-newsletter. All communication drives people to the website.
How do you know if you’re getting through?
- What stories do you hear?
- What is attendance like?
Granger Communications Workshop - Kem Meyer
Session 1 - Are People Letting You In Or Shutting You Out?
Worldview - bias that affects the story we tell ourselves to make it easier to live in a complicated world.
Frame - the words, images and interactions that reinforce (or speak respectively to) a bias someone is already feeling. In other words, how you wrap your message so that it communicates to a bias.
Story - how you live out your promise. If you’re authentic the details will line up and the contradictions disappear.
Good communicators do not try to change worldviews, they simply identify the worldview and then frame a story around it.
5 Marketing Myths
Myth #1 - You are in control
Average people are good at ignoring you. They have too much to look at. They have a different P.O.V. than you do.
Your content does not create interest. Worldview and first impressions create interest.
Seth Godin says that there are 3 types of listeners:
Visual - Decide if they are interested based off of the logo and feel of the media.
Readers - Decide if they are interested based off of the text.
Financial - Decide if they are interested based off of the cost.
Myth #2 - The more choices the better.
USA Today: Too many choices has negative consequences, regardless of the generation.
- Boomers get overwhelmed and shut down.
- GenXers labor over whether or not they’re making right decisions.
- GenYers just ignore you and move on.
Less is not more. More is less.
- The more elements on a page, the less important each element becomes.
- The more announcements from the platform, the less important each announcement becomes.
- The more brochures in a church, the less important each brochure becomes.
When you are overwhelmed, you don’t know how to move. When you simplify things, you make the next step obvious.
Copy expenses at Granger went from $12,000 in 2004, to $8,000 in 2005, to $4,800 in the first 9 months of 2006. During this time attendance continued to increase.
Granger Home Page Rules
- Can’t Scroll
- No more than 5 boxes/opportunities
Myth #3 - Advertising creates interest and reinforces the brand.
Advertising creates awareness. Awareness is not necessarily positive. People are aware of cancer, but they’re not lining up to get it.
Great experiences don’t contradict themselves, neither do great brands. Invest your energy in creating great experiences at every point of contact someone can have with your church.
Granger makes sure that all elements are consistent: series promotions, service experience, electronic media, print media, other media. They must all be consistent or each ministry/event will develop its own brand, or people will feel cheated and lied to.
Myth #4 - It worked before, so it will work again
Marketing Receptivity Study
- 70% of consumers are interested in products that enable them to block out advertising.
- 56% avoid buying products that overwhelm them with advertising.
- 33% are interested in choosing the marketing when it’s convenient for them.
People are struggling to figure out what will make the most difference. Why would they spend their time and attention on you?
Myth #5 - People care about what you have to say
People need inspiration, not information. What are you saying to inspire people?
We remember 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see, 40% of what we do, and 100 % of what we feel. Emotion is the on/off switch.
Find a way to speak respectfully to where people are and communicate to inspire them.
Granger did a series called “The 5 Most Irritating Things About Christians.” It worked because it met people where they were.
Session 2 - Best Practices
Know your audience. What is your focus audience? You need to know demographic and psychographic information. Know about them, but also know what they do, what they read, where they hang out.
- Call local TV & Radio stations.
- What’s popular in your community.
- Claritas.com - Free resources by zip code showing demographic and psychographic information
- Give them a place to speak candidly and anonymously.
- What is relevant to their life?
- Where is their comfort zone?
- Where do they spend their time?
- What do they hate?
- Go to where they are. Go to websites, concerts, read magazines.
Remove barriers to entry - identify distractions and either remove them or address them. Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself. Look at your environment, signage, flow, registration. Don’t make people read tons of pages. Give them one option. What is your audience doing 5 minutes before they encounter your media?
Language - Don’t use church words:
- No Yes
- Intimacy Connections
- Fellowship Community
- Visitor Guest
- Ministry Team
- Recruit Invite
- Spiritual Maturity Growth
- Program Experience
- Need Opportunity
- Go Deeper Next Step
- Announcement Next Step or opportunity
Communications motto: Our goal is to simplify everything your audience sees or touches to make their life easier or more rewarding.
Session 3 - Building A Cohesive Strategy
It’s communications job to harness a message, clear the path, and give the message life.
Before you do something, ask questions.
- Is this a tool or is it just cool?
- What current problem is it solving?
- What is the return on ministry?
Get rid of individual ministry logos.
Delete clip art to maximize impact of what you say.
Is it appealing (context), engaging (presentation), and helpful (content).
Granger - All communications are run through the communications department to be proofed in a 24-hour turnaround. This ensures consistency.
If you have to say it, then you’re not. (We’re cool! We’re fun!) Just do it, and then let others talk about it.
Granger - Worship bulletin is their first impression piece. They give info on church in membership class.
Granger - Bulletin on Sunday and weekly e-newsletter. All communication drives people to the website.
How do you know if you’re getting through?
- What stories do you hear?
- What is attendance like?
4.26.2007
Crucible Improvements
The only thing I know that I want to change for next year's Crucible is to divide up the debrief of each characteristic between the other leaders. I normally say something and then invite the other leaders to share, but I think it would be better if we divided them up beforehand and had them prepare something short (like 5 minutes or something). JM
Crucible Recap
Man, Crucible was awesome again this year. Crucible is our 8th grade guys rite of passage event. We spend 7 weeks covering what we say are the 7 attributes of manhood: faith, responsibility, integrity, faithfulness, courage, self-control, and care and protection for the weak and unlovely. They are basically just modified versions of Rick Bundschuh's characteristics that he gives in Passed Thru Fire.
So we have a week of devotions for each characteristic, then a lesson on it, then they memorize a verse from the story and they memorize the definition of the characteristic. We also make them read a book. This year it was In A Pit. We test them every week and track their progress.
They don't have to have any percentage done to go on the weekend retreat, but in order to participate in the Saturday night initiation ceremony, they must have it all completed.
The weekend was awesome. I was worried that I wouldn't connect as well with these guys as I have in year's past, but this event really provides plenty of opportunities to do that. It's got a camping, military, prison feel to it. Basically it's all high stress, high expectation situations. We have an activity for each characteristic where the students are challenged to demonstrate their understanding of the characteristic. We don't tip our hand on the front end, but rahter put them through the activity, observe their behavior, and then debrief it afterwards.
The coolest part is on Saturday night we have an initiation ceremony. The students dad's come out, and we all eat dinner together. Then we have a prayer service where the student explains the characteristics to his dad, prays for himself, and then his dad prays for him. At the end, our senior pastor prays with each of the students.
Then we go outside and we give the dads the opportunity to symbolically recognize their son as a man. It's an awesome, emotional, spiritual time.
I love it, and the students respons so well to it. JM
So we have a week of devotions for each characteristic, then a lesson on it, then they memorize a verse from the story and they memorize the definition of the characteristic. We also make them read a book. This year it was In A Pit. We test them every week and track their progress.
They don't have to have any percentage done to go on the weekend retreat, but in order to participate in the Saturday night initiation ceremony, they must have it all completed.
The weekend was awesome. I was worried that I wouldn't connect as well with these guys as I have in year's past, but this event really provides plenty of opportunities to do that. It's got a camping, military, prison feel to it. Basically it's all high stress, high expectation situations. We have an activity for each characteristic where the students are challenged to demonstrate their understanding of the characteristic. We don't tip our hand on the front end, but rahter put them through the activity, observe their behavior, and then debrief it afterwards.
The coolest part is on Saturday night we have an initiation ceremony. The students dad's come out, and we all eat dinner together. Then we have a prayer service where the student explains the characteristics to his dad, prays for himself, and then his dad prays for him. At the end, our senior pastor prays with each of the students.
Then we go outside and we give the dads the opportunity to symbolically recognize their son as a man. It's an awesome, emotional, spiritual time.
I love it, and the students respons so well to it. JM
Changing Children
I'm always amazed at how quickly my kids change. I didn't see them for 8 days. Ana came back with about twice the amount of hair that she left with, and Noah looked like he had matured by about 6 months. I just hate being away from my family, but it really makes me appreciate them when I get back around them again. JM
Changing Brakes
Man, I'm like really becoming a mechanic. I changed my brakes the other day all by myself. It seemed to go pretty quickly too. I'm normally really bad at that kind of stuff, but I didn't really have any problems.
I love when my hands get all greasy and dirty because I've been working on my car. It validates my manhood, or something like that. JM
I love when my hands get all greasy and dirty because I've been working on my car. It validates my manhood, or something like that. JM
Too Many Opinions
One of the things that I found frustrating at our staff retreat was that everybody was giving their opinion about everything. Then someone would say that we need to come to a decision, and everybody would continue giving their input.
I think input is great, but at some point the senior executive staff must make the decisions. I love being able to give my input, and we are certainly welcome to go with it at anytime, but I'm not the one that is able to say here is what we are going to do.
It just seemed like a waste of time for all of us to continually debate every issue that our church is facing. JM
I think input is great, but at some point the senior executive staff must make the decisions. I love being able to give my input, and we are certainly welcome to go with it at anytime, but I'm not the one that is able to say here is what we are going to do.
It just seemed like a waste of time for all of us to continually debate every issue that our church is facing. JM
The Wiggles
The wiggles are lame. I'm glad Noah doesn't like them all that much. I love watching the extra people that dance and junk. JM
The Joys Of Debate
I love that my senior pastor loves to debate. At staff retreat we were debating a point. I started saying something rather passionately, and then he started to talk over me. But I didn't stop. I just got louder. It was fun. Everybody joked that I was going to be fired, but he loves that kind of stuff. I think it actually made him like me more. I love that he doesn't just want us all to fall in line with whatever he says, but that he wants us to contribute and to be passionate about it. It's great leadership. JM
Staff Retreat
I love being able to get away with the rest of our church staff to debate vision, direction, and the overall future of the church. Right now we are struggling through the Simple Church idea by trying to figure out what our core programs would be and ways to eliminate other ones. It's a challenging process for us, especially since we are modeled around the traditional SBC church programming.
We were up in this cabin way up in the North Georgia mountains. It was an awesome view. I got to climb up to the top of our little mountain and look around.
I love being up in the mountains. I can't wait until I get to go camping with my family.
I just hate being away from my family, though. I'd rather see us just do it locally during the day from like 9 - 5 or something like that. That way we get to work through this stuff, hang out a little bit, and we get to spend the night with our families. Less stress on staff with young children. JM
We were up in this cabin way up in the North Georgia mountains. It was an awesome view. I got to climb up to the top of our little mountain and look around.
I love being up in the mountains. I can't wait until I get to go camping with my family.
I just hate being away from my family, though. I'd rather see us just do it locally during the day from like 9 - 5 or something like that. That way we get to work through this stuff, hang out a little bit, and we get to spend the night with our families. Less stress on staff with young children. JM
4.25.2007
Matthew 16:1-4
I think sometimes Jesus really wanted to make people mad. I mean it seems like he never really gave the pharisees and sadducess a chance. Not that they deserved a miracle or anything, but so much of how he interacted with them was inflammatory. I think it was because of their attitudes. Jesus knew that even if he did do a miracle, they would just hate him more. Your attitude is one of the most powerful filters in your life. If you have a negative attitude, then generally no matter how amazing something is, you will still find a way to criticize it. The opposite is true as well. I'm glad that I'm a positive person. This weekend during Crucible I complimented one of the boys for his positive attitude and told him to maintain that as that will serve him well in life. I think positive people are more successful. Who likes negativity? Especially when compared with something uplifting. JM
4.24.2007
Granger Regional Workshop - Communications
I got the chance to go the Communications workshop put on by Granger at Westridge church. It was awesome. I have to type up a summary for work, so I'll post that here later. There was also an interesting discussion hosted by the Westridge student ministry team. I'll post about that tomorrow morning, too, but it was interesting to see how God is blessing their ministry as they try to simplify their approach. JM
Matthew 15:32-39
So Jesus is with these people for three days. He's done though. He's ready for them to leave and evidently they are ready to leave as well. I've definitely been there. Ready for the retreat to be over. Ready for the meeting to be finished.
But Jesus realizes that the people are hungry. I could probably do that too. Sometimes I get to the end of something and realize that maybe something more needs to be done.
Jesus then sits everyone down and feeds them. He meets their felt need before he sends them off on their way. How different is that from how the church typically functions? We like to take care of people spiritually and then shove them off, even though we realize that they might need something more than just spiritual care. I wonder how many people leave our churches on Sunday mornings and go home to a house with no food while the majority of us go out to waste our money on food at a restaraunt.
I know that's kind of a rambling thought on this passage. JM
But Jesus realizes that the people are hungry. I could probably do that too. Sometimes I get to the end of something and realize that maybe something more needs to be done.
Jesus then sits everyone down and feeds them. He meets their felt need before he sends them off on their way. How different is that from how the church typically functions? We like to take care of people spiritually and then shove them off, even though we realize that they might need something more than just spiritual care. I wonder how many people leave our churches on Sunday mornings and go home to a house with no food while the majority of us go out to waste our money on food at a restaraunt.
I know that's kind of a rambling thought on this passage. JM
4.23.2007
Silent No More
So I just finished my marathon week. Stuff to share:
Staff Retreat recap
The joys of debate
Too many opinions
Changing brakes
Crucible recap
Crucible ideas for next year
Changing children
JM
Staff Retreat recap
The joys of debate
Too many opinions
Changing brakes
Crucible recap
Crucible ideas for next year
Changing children
JM
4.14.2007
My Wife Left Me
My wife left me this morning. She took the kids. It's all my fault.
Well, really she did leave this morning to go back to St. Louis for the week. I have staff retreat Sunday through Wednesday and then our Crucible retreat Friday through Sunday. So instead of just being by herself all week, she flew home.
It was sad to watch her leave. I watched her go through security and then make her way down the terminal.
I saw Noah as he walked alongside her. As they passed the first gate in the terminal, he looked excitedly out the window and pointed a plane out to mommy. It was really cute to see.
I miss them already. At least I'll be really busy. JM
Well, really she did leave this morning to go back to St. Louis for the week. I have staff retreat Sunday through Wednesday and then our Crucible retreat Friday through Sunday. So instead of just being by herself all week, she flew home.
It was sad to watch her leave. I watched her go through security and then make her way down the terminal.
I saw Noah as he walked alongside her. As they passed the first gate in the terminal, he looked excitedly out the window and pointed a plane out to mommy. It was really cute to see.
I miss them already. At least I'll be really busy. JM
4.12.2007
Mother's Day Idea
Song - That I Would Be Good - Alanis Morissette
Okay, so what if the main goal of the message was to talk about how women want to be seen as successful and perfect and they try to hide all of their flaws.
Some stuff to use could be the opening of Desperate Housewives where the lady talks about how perfect her life seemed and then she kills herself.
People desire to be seen as having no imperfections. Women especially. Botox, makeup, hair dye.
The point is that it's not these things that make us good. We can have the seemingly perfect life and be unsuccesful, and we can have the seemingly worst life and be successful. It all matters what we do with Jesus.
I'd love to use that Alanis song. I might have to change a few words, but nobody would ever know. I just wouldn't want to cheese it up, or anything. The problem would be getting it played well and finding someone that could sing it with the right amount of passion, rawness and being able to get that high. JM
Okay, so what if the main goal of the message was to talk about how women want to be seen as successful and perfect and they try to hide all of their flaws.
Some stuff to use could be the opening of Desperate Housewives where the lady talks about how perfect her life seemed and then she kills herself.
People desire to be seen as having no imperfections. Women especially. Botox, makeup, hair dye.
The point is that it's not these things that make us good. We can have the seemingly perfect life and be unsuccesful, and we can have the seemingly worst life and be successful. It all matters what we do with Jesus.
I'd love to use that Alanis song. I might have to change a few words, but nobody would ever know. I just wouldn't want to cheese it up, or anything. The problem would be getting it played well and finding someone that could sing it with the right amount of passion, rawness and being able to get that high. JM
Alanis Morissette
I love Alanis Morissette. If she can make My Humps an enjoyable song for me, then I must like her a little too much. I saw Alanis in concert at Kiel Center on the Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie tour. I would put it as my favorite concert that I've ever been too. I just really like her voice, her music, her lyrics, and the production of her songs. JM
Spiritual Accountability And Intimacy
I think one of the biggest mistakes I've made so far in my marriage is not pushing for more spiritual accountability between me and my wife. It almost makes it hard for us to discuss spiritual matters. I'm working on fixing it, but I wish that we would have started our marriage doing it. JM
Mother's Day Message
I'm supposed to speak at both of our worship services on Sunday, May 13. I love being able to speak. I always have tons of good ideas.
But not this time. It's mother's day, and I'm basically relegated to doing something heart-warming about mother's. I'm just completely coming up blank on what to talk about. I'm really praying about it that God would give me a creative idea. JM
But not this time. It's mother's day, and I'm basically relegated to doing something heart-warming about mother's. I'm just completely coming up blank on what to talk about. I'm really praying about it that God would give me a creative idea. JM
Crucible Preparations
I'm getting so pumped about our Crucible weekend. We're 8 days away now.
Crucible is our 8th grade guys rite of passage event, and it is amazing. I would stack it up against any manhood program that I've ever seen.
I just looked at one called Men Of Issachar andwhile it is definitely more complete (it takes 7 years) I hated it, especially compared to the Crucible. I hate military/battle references in Christianity, and MOI is loaded with them. Plus, the whole thing just had this dorky D&D feel to it.
Crucible is awesome. I'll post some more about it this week. JM
Crucible is our 8th grade guys rite of passage event, and it is amazing. I would stack it up against any manhood program that I've ever seen.
I just looked at one called Men Of Issachar and
Crucible is awesome. I'll post some more about it this week. JM
Noah's Amazing Ability To Stay Awake
I believe my son could stay awake all night if we would let him. We'll be out at somebody's house, drive home at like 10:30 pm, get home, and my son will still be awake and want to play for "just a few minutes".
Tonight, I put him to bed at 9:30 pm. Finally at 10:45 pm he had calmed down enough to wear he was just laying there in bed, playing with his book, while he waited to go to sleep.
I don't know how he does it. Most kids are out like rocks on bedtime car rides, but he's able to stay awake. God has uniquely gifted him.
He does get an awesome amount of sleep, though. He'll sleep 10.5 hours at night and takes a 1.5 hour nap. So that's 13 hours. Pretty good. JM
Tonight, I put him to bed at 9:30 pm. Finally at 10:45 pm he had calmed down enough to wear he was just laying there in bed, playing with his book, while he waited to go to sleep.
I don't know how he does it. Most kids are out like rocks on bedtime car rides, but he's able to stay awake. God has uniquely gifted him.
He does get an awesome amount of sleep, though. He'll sleep 10.5 hours at night and takes a 1.5 hour nap. So that's 13 hours. Pretty good. JM
My Easter Sunday
After church on Sunday we stopped to pick up some food at Dairy Queen. We were going to have a big meal with some friends that evening, so we just needed something to fill us up for a little while. Around 3:00 we called over to confirm our plans and found out that the lady of the house was sick, so the Easter party had been aborted. So for dinner we had Steak 'n Shake.
It was just a sad Easter because you want your kids to have all these great memories of holidays and parties, and for Easter we had fast food twice. Plus it was too cold to go to a park or do anything outside, so we just stayed inside. It was actually pretty frustrating. Oh well. Lesson learned. JM
It was just a sad Easter because you want your kids to have all these great memories of holidays and parties, and for Easter we had fast food twice. Plus it was too cold to go to a park or do anything outside, so we just stayed inside. It was actually pretty frustrating. Oh well. Lesson learned. JM
Easter Worship At FBCPTC
Easter morning at our church, we had 3 services (we usually have 2). We had a 7:15 am sunrise service outside at a nearby city park that overlooks a lake, and then our regular 9:00 am traditional and 10:45 contemporary services.
The sunrise service was extremely cold (34 degrees), so there were only about 90 people at that one. The other two services were slammed, though. We had over 1200 people between the two (our church typically runs about 750 in worship between the two).
We had 3 families from our neighborhood show up. It was awesome to see the routine of inviting them finally pay off. All 3 enjoyed it.
The message was really unique as it was kind of a drama and kind of a message. Basically woven throughout our pastor's message were interviews with the 8 people mentioned at the cross of Christ. Pastor would interview them and then draw analogies between where that person was with Jesus, and where people today are with Jesus. It was extremely creative and interesting.
After talking to a neighbor, the only real complaint was about the music. They did traditional music in both hours. I had mentioned to my neighbors before that the second worship hour is contemporary and they were disappointed that it wasn't that way when they were there.
As I mentioned in a post a couple of days ago, we discussed why we didn't put more effort into the music in the second hour, and the reason given was because of the sunrise service. So next year, I'm going to do my best to make sure that we have no sunrise service.
One of the main reasons that I'll push for it is because it really is just there to give Christians something special to do. I think it's awesome to create special experiences like that for believers, and is certainly something that should be done. But why does it have to be done on Easter when all of the resources are already being tapped out. Why not do it on some other time?
We'll see how that discussion goes once Easter 2008 rolls around. JM
The sunrise service was extremely cold (34 degrees), so there were only about 90 people at that one. The other two services were slammed, though. We had over 1200 people between the two (our church typically runs about 750 in worship between the two).
We had 3 families from our neighborhood show up. It was awesome to see the routine of inviting them finally pay off. All 3 enjoyed it.
The message was really unique as it was kind of a drama and kind of a message. Basically woven throughout our pastor's message were interviews with the 8 people mentioned at the cross of Christ. Pastor would interview them and then draw analogies between where that person was with Jesus, and where people today are with Jesus. It was extremely creative and interesting.
After talking to a neighbor, the only real complaint was about the music. They did traditional music in both hours. I had mentioned to my neighbors before that the second worship hour is contemporary and they were disappointed that it wasn't that way when they were there.
As I mentioned in a post a couple of days ago, we discussed why we didn't put more effort into the music in the second hour, and the reason given was because of the sunrise service. So next year, I'm going to do my best to make sure that we have no sunrise service.
One of the main reasons that I'll push for it is because it really is just there to give Christians something special to do. I think it's awesome to create special experiences like that for believers, and is certainly something that should be done. But why does it have to be done on Easter when all of the resources are already being tapped out. Why not do it on some other time?
We'll see how that discussion goes once Easter 2008 rolls around. JM
4.10.2007
Jott
This is cool. Jott is a website that lets you call a number, record a voicemail and it emails you (or other people you select) a transcription of what you said. And it's all free. You're limited to 30 seconds of audio, but that's actually pretty long. I tried it out, and it's really easy. All you do is set up your account. It saves your phone number and email address. Then when you call the toll-free Jott number from your phone, it emails you your transcription. This is great for when you need to get an idea down in print before you lose it, but you don't have the time/tools to do it. Love it. JM
Matthew 15:29-31
Now this is incredible. Jesus is hanging out healing people. Verse 31 says "The crowd was amazed...and they praised the God of Israel for this."
Did you catch that? They praised the God of Israel. Not Jesus. They praised God because of what Jesus did. How amazing is that. Jesus, who is God in the flesh, wanted to make sure that God got all the glory for the miracles that he performed.
Then there's me. I like to try to take the credit for anything that I do. If somebody appreciates or compliments my work or effort, I'm right there with a thank you and an explanation of how I did it. Why don't I just say thank you and let them know that it's God who gave me the gifts. Or that I love being able to worship God by doing it.
Jesus is amazing. JM
Did you catch that? They praised the God of Israel. Not Jesus. They praised God because of what Jesus did. How amazing is that. Jesus, who is God in the flesh, wanted to make sure that God got all the glory for the miracles that he performed.
Then there's me. I like to try to take the credit for anything that I do. If somebody appreciates or compliments my work or effort, I'm right there with a thank you and an explanation of how I did it. Why don't I just say thank you and let them know that it's God who gave me the gifts. Or that I love being able to worship God by doing it.
Jesus is amazing. JM
4.09.2007
Matthew 15:21-28
Have you ever really begged Jesus for something? I know I have. I think God desperately wants us to bless us with the things that we desire. But he refuses to give us things that will hurt us. It's like C.S. Lewis says: one day we'll be more thankful for the prayers that weren't answered because many of our prayers are misguided. I'm still trying to get a handle on my prayer life.
I think I'm going to start praying to God for some big stuff. We'll see what happens. JM
I think I'm going to start praying to God for some big stuff. We'll see what happens. JM
Support Groups
Our church has a ministry called Grace Life that is basically support/recovery groups for various addictions and troubling life experiences. It's a great ministry, but few people use it. Today, the minister in charge was talking about his frustration in getting our church aware and accepting of it. He mentioned that he had advertised in the paper and various other outlets, and received little to no response.
His desire was to see "Grace Life" mentioned from the pulpit. He mentioned that after informally mentioning Grace Life to several people, they had no idea what it was. I wanted to interject that it was probably because the name of the ministry was changed within the last 6 months from Celebrate Recovery. When CR was first introduced to our church, it received tons of publicity and was the focus of a 6-week sermon series. But there was not much publicity over the name change or focus change.
So with this desire to see Grace Life mentioned more, they hoped to create more word-of-mouth advertising. This can be extremely effective, but only if people can put a face to what the ministry does. If you just give people words, then they can't visualize anything. But if you show them a changed life and attach that to the words Grace Life, then people will remember it, be able to talk about it, and recommend it to people who might be struggling with the same issues. JM
His desire was to see "Grace Life" mentioned from the pulpit. He mentioned that after informally mentioning Grace Life to several people, they had no idea what it was. I wanted to interject that it was probably because the name of the ministry was changed within the last 6 months from Celebrate Recovery. When CR was first introduced to our church, it received tons of publicity and was the focus of a 6-week sermon series. But there was not much publicity over the name change or focus change.
So with this desire to see Grace Life mentioned more, they hoped to create more word-of-mouth advertising. This can be extremely effective, but only if people can put a face to what the ministry does. If you just give people words, then they can't visualize anything. But if you show them a changed life and attach that to the words Grace Life, then people will remember it, be able to talk about it, and recommend it to people who might be struggling with the same issues. JM
Thoughts Down
I need to just download some thoughts before I lose them. I'll expand on them later.
1. Easter Worship
2. My Easter Sunday
3. Noah's Amazing Ability To Stay Awake
4. Crucible
5. Mother's Day Message
6. Spiritual Accountability And Intimacy
7. Crossroads Easter Worship
More on these later. JM
1. Easter Worship
2. My Easter Sunday
3. Noah's Amazing Ability To Stay Awake
4. Crucible
5. Mother's Day Message
6. Spiritual Accountability And Intimacy
7. Crossroads Easter Worship
More on these later. JM
4.07.2007
Half Full
You can look at things positively or negatively. Perry Noble is the pastor of an incredible church in Anderson, SC. Sometimes I wonder about his sensitivity, though. They wrote about his church in the local paper the day before Easter. Everything in it seems positive. But he casts a negative spin on it. Pretty odd. Especially since he calls the journalists lazy and spreading half-truths. JM
4.04.2007
Diet
Well for the first time in my life, I'm going to try to go on a diet. I'd like to lose like 8 pounds, but mainly I just want to eat and live healthier. I should do fairly well because I'm a big discipline and rules person, I just need to establish some rules. JM
Matthew 15:1-9
Wow. This passage is rather timely. Last year at the SBC, they passed a non-binding resolution opposing the manufacture and consumption of alcohol. Since then, the SBC has been quietly pursuing consumers of alcohol within the SBC. I think it's sad that we stand so staunchly against alcohol when it's not an evil in and of itself. Baptists are known for not drinking. I guess that's good. But, I take great issue with the idea that alcohol somehow makes a person a lesser candidate for SBC scholarships or funds from state conventions to subsidize loans.
I personally cannot stand the taste of alcohol. My wife used to drink some on occasion, but she no longer does so. Nevertheless, if it comes down to me having to sign something saying that I will never consume alchol because it is evil, then I won't do it.
Instead of focusing so much attention on saying alcohol is bad, what if we spent that time figuring out better ways to reach our communities. They don't care what we self-righteously say about alcohol. They care about their daily lives. When all we do is debate things that don't relate to that, we become less and less relevant and relegate ourselves to being an artifact of antiquity. JM
I personally cannot stand the taste of alcohol. My wife used to drink some on occasion, but she no longer does so. Nevertheless, if it comes down to me having to sign something saying that I will never consume alchol because it is evil, then I won't do it.
Instead of focusing so much attention on saying alcohol is bad, what if we spent that time figuring out better ways to reach our communities. They don't care what we self-righteously say about alcohol. They care about their daily lives. When all we do is debate things that don't relate to that, we become less and less relevant and relegate ourselves to being an artifact of antiquity. JM
Funerals
I'm about to run sound for a funeral. I've thought a lot about planning out my funeral, but that seems awfully morbid. I just don't want to have a lame funeral. JM
4.02.2007
Our Dying Days
My dad is having surgery tomorrow. He was diagnosed with parkinson's disease 14 years ago and will be having the first of two surgeries as part of a sub-thalamic deep brain stimulation procedure. It's not really a risky surgery or anything, but it is brain surgery and he will be in there for about 5 hours or so.
I talked to my dad tonight on the phone and he told me something that I can only remember him telling me 2 other times: "I love you." I know my father loves me, but most of his life his shyness and inability to embrace his emotions has prevented him from telling me. The first time that I can really remember him saying it is when I was a junior in college.
I'm not sure if it's because of that, but I tell my wife and my kids that I love them at least 10 times a day. I want them to know it, and for them to remember me saying it.
JM
I talked to my dad tonight on the phone and he told me something that I can only remember him telling me 2 other times: "I love you." I know my father loves me, but most of his life his shyness and inability to embrace his emotions has prevented him from telling me. The first time that I can really remember him saying it is when I was a junior in college.
I'm not sure if it's because of that, but I tell my wife and my kids that I love them at least 10 times a day. I want them to know it, and for them to remember me saying it.
JM
Take What They Give You
So many churches and organizations are looking for publicity and marketing ideas, but they don't know where to find it. I just ran across one for my community (south metro Atlanta). The local paper now lets you upload user submitted videos to their site. I'm going to video our Easter egg hunt coming up this week and see if I can upload it. It should be fairly easy to edit.
Cool idea by the local paper to use youtube to host the videos. JM
Cool idea by the local paper to use youtube to host the videos. JM
Matthew 14:34-36
What are you known for? When you show up, what do people think of you?
When Jesus showed up, everybody knew that people were going to get healed. Jesus had the power/ability to heal, and the compassion to heal.
I wonder what I'm known for. I mean, I know people think that I'm funny, and that I think a lot, but I'm not sure what people would think when I showed up. Hopefully, they could feel open to share things with me and feel that I would be able to help them. JM
When Jesus showed up, everybody knew that people were going to get healed. Jesus had the power/ability to heal, and the compassion to heal.
I wonder what I'm known for. I mean, I know people think that I'm funny, and that I think a lot, but I'm not sure what people would think when I showed up. Hopefully, they could feel open to share things with me and feel that I would be able to help them. JM
4.01.2007
Matthew 14:24-33
I love that Jesus cares about us even when we get ourselves into trouble. A lot of times we bring our own demise on ourselves through poor choices, hasty decisions, or just lack of foresight. But Jesus still cares. We might still get a good talking too, and we'll probably still have to deal with the consequences, but Jesus cares enough to reach out his hand and save us. It would be easier to watch us drown, and we brought it on ourselves, but he cares so much that he wants to help us. JM
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