Blake Thompson daht NetI'm just saying….

Here is just some random stuff. Video isn’t too bad. But the audio is pretty horrible. The little mic in my camera didn’t like the DEEP bass of the speakers.

I wrote this while sitting in the airport Saturday morning. I had no wifi at the time. But here it is. Better late than ever [I still have to transcribe Beeson's final session too.]

So after Innovate 08 was over most of everyone I was with traveled to Chicago. They had an early Saturday morning flight out of O’Hare. I had a mid morning flight out of South Bend. They dropped me off at the Residence Inn about a mile south of Notre Dame University. After checking into a very surprisingly nice hotel and catching up on some email and news I decided to walk to ND.

It was an easy walk, but getting dark. I wondered if it was the best part of town to walk through late at night (for the return trip). But it turned into a really nice area as I walked north on Notre Dame Avenue. Some of the houses looked awesome.

As I entered campus I headed over to the restaurant Legends of Notre Dame. Ordered the mozzarella stick and walked around looking at the history of Notre Dame plastered all over the walls. I’m no fan of Notre Dame, but not a hater either. And you gotta admit, they have some serious tradition there. While walking around I noticed that there was to be a few comedians performing later that night at the place.

I talked to my waiter, asking if there was a cover charge or if it was for students only or what? He ended up getting me placed on the guest list to where I could go for free and w/o a student ID. I had no idea if I’d do it or not, but the two guys performing had been on Last Comic Standing apparently. So it could be good.

I left the restaurant expecting to head to the bookstore. I’d been the night before to get a shirt, but there was a really nice photography section I wanted to spend a little time in. But while outside I could hear a crowd cheering and a man talking over a PA system. During supper I’d read the student news paper some about the ND Soccer teams. The women were #1 in the country while the men were #3. So I ran over to the field and watched the ND men play the team from #5 St. John’s University. It was in the 2nd OT. It ended scoreless. But the guys were a triple combo of speed, power, and precision. It was impressive to see.

A quick trip to the bookstore. But as I was walking there I saw an animal walking across the sidewalk a head of me. Guess what it was? It was a skunk. Yes, a SKUNK. Completely white with the double white stripe down it’s back. Just walking through campus! Is that common around ND? I paused, let it pass, and then kept my eye on it.

I made it to the bookstore. They closed at 10pm and I had 20 minutes there to look at photography books and then children’s clothing. But my girls don’t know what Notre Dame is. SO I wasn’t spending $20 on a shirt for them.

Then back to Legends of Notre Dame for some comedy. It was some funny stuff. But ended up digressing into foul jokes with foul language. Some of the kind you laugh at and think, “I shouldn’t’ be laughing at that.” and others that you just shake your head at. So after a little while I head back to the hotel.

I took my id and my debit card out of my wallet in case someone “asked” for my wallet I could still get home after handing it over. So the mile walk back took me through the nice and not as nice areas. I never felt in danger. But was on guard. Even had a car slow down and say, “Hey, baby…need a ride?” I politely declined.

So I made it back unscathed. Stayed up late. Set my alarm for a possible walk back to campus for daylight photos. I loved my hotel room. Even the bed smelled good. So good and comfortable that I pressed snooze through my alarms and didn’t make it back to campus.

I got to the South Bend airport, check in, and sat down at my gate a good 70 minutes before takeoff. I guess better early than late, huh? Now’ I’ll save some laptop battery and read, rest, or think.

But South Bend… Notre Dame… Michiana… Perhaps we’ll meet again. I think I like you.

Peterson :: Media @ Granger

1. No matter your resources, use what you have well. Do your best w/ what you have. Mark Beeson’s personality is obvious all over the church. He’s an artist and photographer. He’s taught many of us his own skills. But the arts were very important to Mark so it is to the church.
2. Start simple and finish it.
3. Building a team. If you’re the only one doing it then you’re going to get burned out. Take the extra time to work with people. And you’ll end up being able to relax because of shared responsibilities.
4. Shorter is better. No one will appreciate and enjoy a video as much as the people who made it. Leave them wanting more, not praying for less. Our goal is 30-45 seconds.
5. Never ever put up unflattering or joking pictures. Our initial goal was for media to build community. We’ve had times where we canceled an entire project because we missed something [possibly inappropriate material]
6. Bad video is better than bad audio. You can call bad video style. But bad audio is irritating. Get the best audio. Get it off your camera.
7. Be prepared. Check all your equipment before going on your shoot. Maybe have a checklist.
8. I like to use storyboards.
9. Almost every single project takes longer than expected. Vols are important.
10. Always have ONE director.

At first I wasn’t sure how to receive Furtick. I mean, he’s an interesting guy. He’s got a style that’s all his own. And he is the pastor of a church that has exploded in members and attenders [meaning that the church is about two and a half years old..yet they had 4837 people attend their three location in ONE weekend last month! Holy-you-know-what!] And with that growth combined with his youth [and funky style] there are going to be haters. Right?

Let me just say that I was amazed. And I don’t say that much. And as I listened to him I was kicking myself for not going to his Breakout today on Vision. Here are my notes from him [that again might need to be cleaned up later.]

But as I listened you could hear his passion. I know that’s something that is said a lot. And I know I’ve said it on here before too. But you could almost tangibly feel his passion and commitment to the Gospel. It may sound lame of me, but he was causing the emotions to stir even.

Furtick -

He started out by saying he wasn’t a speaker. That a speaker is what you buy from Radio Shack. But that was going to preach from the word of God.

Had a vision from God as a 16 year old new Christian after reading Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire.
Sharing from a perspective of transparency because
1Sam 17:13 David was anointed king, but in the meantime he went back and forth between Saul’s court and tending sheep.
How many of you feel you’ve had a significant vision revealed from God but are stuck in the back.
Between the Promise and the Payoff there is a Process.
“We’re not going to be buried …”
Just trying to gently help them discover God’s will for their life.
So many of us forget the promise and forfeit the payoff because we faint at the process.
The promise is that you’re called by God.

David was the King elect and was asked to run cheese/bread to his brothers on the battlefield.
Maybe the reason you’re not getting what you need out of your workers is because you’re not challenging them.

If you want to reach lost people advertise it on the Xian radio station [not!] (said this after talking about advertising an egg drop they did for one Easter. They advertised on ‘secular’ radio. Had 2k show up)

Some of you have lost your audacious ability while looking at your budgets and staff and facility limitations and lost the audacity and are fainting at the process, but God’s promise is still true. Don’t forfeit the payoff of God’s vision by stopping. Keep taking the cheese pizza. Keep honoring God. Speak and pray and fast and don’t dare let go of the promise God has given you because the process is always painful.

It always starts small. Don’t despise the day of small beginnings. Boy’s lunch, little bit of oil, those were things that Jesus used. There’s no shortage of God’s supply in our ministry. There’s a shortage in our capacity.

The only reason David was there to fight Goliath is because he was being obedient to God in the mundane.

“even as stupid as I am I believe God likes me because I don’t tell him no”
Some of you have educated yourself so much that you don’t believe anything is possible with God anymore.”
DAVID’S SMACK TALK to Goliath

The whole time I was going back and forth [the whole time you were going through aimless meeting, or ministering to the 15 senior adults, those were training ground.] I was tearing up lions and bears. it was a Mr. Miagi moment.

The Process is the point. God is preparing you in the process.

I was running a Mr. Potato Head ministry. Taking eyes, ears, etc from different ministries. But that didn’t work. I had to be who God called me to be. No pretending.

Here are my raw notes from when Rob just finished speaking. I could listen to him for hours. Very energetic and passinate, but right on with his message.

ROB WEGNER: Where is the LOVE?

That’s what millions in the world are asking today. Where is the love of God? When so much bad stuff happens around the world.
1.5 million people don’t have health care. Not insurance, CARE. They might die today because of no vaccine and they’re asking, “Where is the love?”
What is God’s plan to show His love to the world? It is YOU. The local church. And it appears that there is’t another plan. You’re it. Jesus Christ gave local churches the invitation to make it believable that God is good.
So how do we release to the local community and global village that God is GOOD! how does that happen?
How do we create experiences and environment to share that. How do we penetrate society
Missional Moves.
God is up to something fresh in regards to global moves.

“What is the Gospel that Jesus preached? I’m confident that churches are filled w/ well meaning people who wouldn’t give the same answer that Jesus would give. There are tons of people who would say that the Gospel is getting out of trouble w/ God. We ask them, “where would you go if you died tonight” And they’re looking for minimal requirements to get into heaven. And Jesus never taught that.

Mark 1:14-15. Jesus came to bring the good news. The gospel. In one phrase what would did Jesus say the gospel was? It is The Kingdom Of God!
The Kingdom of God is where the power and presence of God breaks through into the world. Eternal life doesn’t start when I die, but right now. It’s not just eternal life, but it’s a way of life, a quality of life. Right now! Established on earth.

GCC has a mantra. The gospel is bring up there down here. What would it look like God really answered the request of “may your will be done on earth as in heaven”?
When we define the gospel as minimum requirements to get into heaven.
Missional Move: From Saved Souls to Saved Wholes
We are so for the verbal proclamation. But what about the other half? Bringing up there down here. Helping people in their life right where they are. I call it the demonstration proclamation. Combined w/ the verbal proclamation it becomes an unstoppable force that transforms lives and communities.
“Hold up Jesus, we’re just trying to get the verbal part right. We’ve got our hands full”  lame! If it’s only about the 4 spiritual laws, we can do that. But if it’s going into a community to transform it, you will HAVE to have the help of the Holy Spirit.

Missional Move: From “flashlight” to “laser focus.”
In a previous church was a huge map of the world with thumbtacks where missionaries were sent or support given.
I wonder if some churches are confusing the great commission with the great commotion. The reality is bigger isn’t better. But better is better.
Acts 1:8 Jesus gives 4 spheres of influence that churches need to focus on.
We sought to narrow our focus
We decided we’d rather be 30’ deep in 3 places than 3 inches deep in 30 places.

You gotta figure out who God uniquely determined you to be, and then pour yourself into it.
If you’re a follower of Jesus, the great commission is your life mission. No debate.
If you love kids well in a community it makes the parents happy. And your influence for the Kingdom grows.
Story of two ladies who went into the Southland Housing Project and met resistance at first because the other churches had contributed to the sense of abandonment to the kids. But the Kingdom revealed itself eventually.
Story of the food pantry at Monroe Circle.
Narrowing our focus dramatically increased our impact.
It also has dramatically increased shared ownership and motivation.
Missional Move: From professionals to full participation
A church can’t rely on staff only to do the mission. In’ Acts it was congregationally organized, and we need to mobilize people out of their seats and into God’s story.
The 2 barriers are fear and busyness.

Second Saturdays are not dead ends, but on ramps. They’re family friendly. It’s an onramp to see what’s it’s like to be on a team and get involved. Involved in bringing up there down here. To expand the Kingdom in our sphere of influence.

God hasn’t called the local church to sit inside the safety of our sanctuaries. But to go out and stand at the gates of hell. “LORD let Your Kingdom come and will be done. Lord, show us wher eyou want us to stand.” Our God reigns! Injustice will not have the final word.

I’ve heard Tim talk a few times before on two different podcasts and seen clips of his teaching online. But I enjoyed his teaching today. He used TONS of clips. Some from media. Some from examples of dramas, clips, and promos that GCC has used. He did a great job at communicating that we leverage the media and culture around us to communicate life changing truths of Jesus Christ. And as a result, those people can in turn love God by serving Him and the community around us.

Here are my notes, but they are a little more scattered.

Tim Stevens :: Pop Goes The Church.

I lead a really sheltered life early on in relation to pop culture. Grew up with the idea that going to a movie was a sin. First movie I went to was at age 26.
But he ended up experiencing God moving throuht some pop culture.
Eyes Wide Open
WHY LEVERAGE THE CULTURE
RECENT EXAMPLES
Clip(s) from Desperate Housewives
There are people all across our communities who are on a journey. They’re exploring God. But they’re not using the church.

Reality #1. Most churches aren’t impacting their communities. Most churches are not getting the job done.
Reality #2 – Spiritual interest in increasing in America.

UnChristian – Gabe Lyons.
Church :: UnChuched :: DeChurched. Everyone falls into one of these 3 groups. And the church isn’t doing well with the 2nd two groups. And they drive by our churches each day w/o much thought.
As church attendance is going down in our culture, spiritual interest is growing.
People don’t see the church as able to meet their needs.
Christ ‘became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood’ John 1:14 [msg]
Acts 17 Paul preached and got run out of town. Then he goes to Athens.
Paul saw that they were searching for answers, but looking in the wrong place.
Sometimes in churches we don’t ask questions.

FOUR WAYS TO LEVERAGE CULTURE FOR THE GOSPEL
Use pop culture to package a topic or series. We made an intentional decision a while back to limit series that are using pop culture to package it. Because there are still so many that are not into it.
Use it to get people thinking or laughing. Usually people are defensive or skeptical. Sometimes it can loosen them up a little to where they’re more likely to receive the msg.
Provide a new interpretation for a popular cultural element. Some people outside of GCC really reacted negatively to the Beatles Christmas series because of some of the quotes/stances/beliefs of the Beatles. But GCC provided a new interpretation on some of the songs.
To encourage those who serve.

The question all of this begs is WHY? Why the research and time and $$ spent to research, prepare, and present w/ Pop culture in mind? why drive so close to the line? wouldn’t just preaching a msg be easier. Isn’t there enough of God in the Bible w/o using culture? What’s so wrong w/ that?
Or do we just want to be labeled as hip and cool?

SO THAT…
…the man who is losing his family can keep his job
…the single mom can
…so the elderly woman who’s husband has died can find a reason to live and find purpose in serving others
…so that the sexually abused teen can be surrounded by men of God can help him
so the couple that is struggling in their marriage
so the woman who has never experienced intimacy out side of a 1 night stand
so the mane who has been steeped in legalism
the woman who has been to mass every day of her life can see that it’s so much more than duty

So that all these people can experience God and grow closer to HIm and begin to grow in their relationship w/ him and then begin to serve more pray more and value others more and give more.
In the church, but also in their work/schools/streets/prisons/communities

Breakout One :: Kathy Guy -

I wanted to make sure to go to this one since it is my primary area of responsibility at The Orchard.

• Groups come in every shape and size. and we get flipped out on what is “The Right Way” to do groups.
• But it seems that there isn’t one right answer. It’s messy. Relationships are messy.
• So Granger has pulled back and said that relationships are primary and all the other stuff is 2ndary.
• Of or With? GCC is a church with small groups. Not all their teaching tries to funnel people into groups.
• GCC has realized that not everyone that comes to church wants to be in a group.
• If you try to push people into a group, they’ll often times resist.
• “How bout if we give that up and just tell people that this is one way you can connect”
• Groups don’t change people. God changes people. People matter to God. It’s about them. And that’s who we focus on. That’s why GCC is a church WITH small groups.
• We try to channel people into relationships and it might be through groups. But it might be through serving, volunteering, or groups. Giving them opportunities to be in relationship. And the people might not realize it, but they’re forming a group
• Church is one of the few places that people show up and expect the church to find them a friend.
• Would people go into a bar, and tell the bartender that he should find them a friend there? Yet people expect that at churches.
• But we create the spaces, but help people create the opportunities and take ownership to create relationships in the spaces we provide
• We’re not trying to force you anywhere, but if you become a grown up and step up and initiate on your own, you can form relationships
• We want people to step in and discover love and discover that they’re cared for…it is huge.
• How do we do that?
• Starting Point: “I want to meet some people and start some relationships” We tell people “come to this meeting and you can find one there” What’s the reason people are coming?  Starting Point is for people looking for friendships [Not the Northpoint Model]
• Turning Point: “I want to change the not so helpful patterns in my life and meet some others who are in a similar place.” It’s a support group.
• Both of these are consistent:
• A recognizable brand
• Easy Entrance
• Easy Exit
• Safe Experience
• How do we provide acceptance vs. tolerance of one another?
• We are going to err on the side of Grace. And once people realize they matter to God…
• Starting point:
• Launching vehicle 8x a year
• 6 Meeting experience
• Focus on getting to know each other
• Easy entrance/easy exit

How do we find leaders?

• The hesitant but willing person is who we look for. The confident and cocky people don’t work out. Look for friendly people who are warm/welcoming. Committed member of the church. “Have you ever had any interest in helping people connect in community?”
• They need to be relationally intelligent
• A lead learner. taking steps themselves to grow in knowledge.
• Cares about people
• Don’t just take the warm body. You’ll be sorry.
• We have a very difficult time placing people w/ teaching gifts. People don’t want to be taught to, but cared for. “People don’t care how much you know, but want to know how much you care.” When people are cared for first, then they can much better learn.
• We use the word “facilitate” more than “lead”.
• At starting point, people get 4 rounds of random questions “where do you live, what do you like?” to help people group.
• Most people use the Granger Notes [notes from the sermon], but some choose book studies or Nooma or other stuff.
• GCC doesn’t have affinity ministries. No men’s, women’s, couples, etc. We group by marital status. Mixed groups sometimes work, but the drop-off is higher in those mixed groups. Esp singles.
• How do we measure a win? It’s not if the group stays together. It’s if someone shows up and formed relationship with 8 or so others. In a large church, it helps the larger church become smaller.
• Have a friend. Be a friend.
• Discipleship. Control or Trust? It takes way too much energy to approve every single group’s study material and manage the inner goings on in each group. You have to release trust to your groups.
• Not everyone is cut out to be a group facilitator. Model trust. Treat people like they’re trust worthy.
• Measuring the win. We use Fellowship One as our database. Approx 27% of our people are in groups. But about 50% have touched a group experience and experienced our relational culture.
• The soft measurement is the stories that come out of group experiences.
• It is up to each group to decide their own child care solution.
• We only offer childcare at our weekend experiences and our midweek experiences [at church]. So it’s in the culture already that child care isn’t offered unless it is a total church experience.

Here are my raw notes from Shawn Wood, Experience Pastor at Seacoast church. He was really good. Started funny. Nice, quick slides to go with his talk. Really engaging. Then turned the corner and brought the heat. I’ll have to clean these up tonight probably.

• We get lots of questions about how we do stuff
• stuff= how we tell the story through spoken or sung word or digital, web, print media etc.
• telling a fictional ‘but true’ story about Michael, a new pastor at SCC, Scranton Community Church. Telling how church gets so full of “STUFF” that it bogs the pastor down.
• Often times we let the stuff become the object of our attention. When the only reason the stuff is important is because it helps communicate Jesus.
• Stuff will never change a life. Stuff will, by itself, make a difference. We have brand schizophrenia. Our brand should be JESUS. Not the “stuff”
• Stuff can be good. It helps is communicate Jesus. But don’t worship the stuff.
• Don’t copy other churches and try to be who they are. Be who God created YOU to be.
• If we begin to manage our “brand” as a church, there’s a danger of forgetting that Jesus is our reason and goal.
• Not only do we manage brand but we perfect brand. We chase excellence and drives what we do. We pursue better art, and videos, and tech, and programs.
• If it’s just about the stuff, why not go work in the marketplace. Make lots of money. WHy would you waste your time w/ a hobby such as church. That’s a lame hobby. But if you are doing it for and because of Jesus, then your stuff has value.
• Brand no equals stuff. [new logo, slick look, etc] Brand is much more. A deep gut feeling of who we are.
• Brand = the aftertaste left by an emotional experience.
• That can be w/ an encounter with your website, your service, your greeters, a conversation w/ a member, etc.
• Having a new logo, or a slick look,or whatever isn’t the answer
• Find out who you are, and who God created you to be. And do good things in that.
• If God didn’t call you to be something, why would you do it? I would call that sin.
• “Don’t touch the poop.” So often I see all these thigns around me I want to do or take on, and God’s saying, “I didn’t’ create you for that” But we want to touch it. But if it’s not what He made us for….would you call that sin?
• What is the Seacoast Experience? Spirit Filled. Practical [not talk w/o doing. non spooky.] yet kind of mystical. experience in multiple locations. on the cheap.
• We measure everything through that.
• Know where you’re going as a church.
• The challenge is to not try to be someone else. Either as in individual or a church. Don’t chase after excellence just for the sake of excellence. Find out who you are as a church. And start doing something with it so that people can have an aftertaste that changes their lives.
• Eph 1:18 I ask God to make your eyes focused adn clear, so you can see exactly what it is God is calling you to do.
• We need to be laser focused on who God created us to be, instead of trying to be everything we think is cool.

A quick upload of Session 1 notes. I’ll clean them up later.

Mark Beeson: Session 1: Stop Talking

• Can we just be the Kingdom the next few days
• God has you here for a purpose.
• The church has not kept up w/ the population growth of America. But the church has talked and talked and talked. But maybe we should, as churches, stop talking and start doing.
• Some of us have been in the ‘church bubble’ for so long that we have truly disengaged from a world in desperate need. So many of us have not experienced real poverty. Poverty of the spirit, economics, soul, mind. We forget there is an urgency and desperate need. And the world is waiting on us to stop talking, and start DOING something to help w/ those needs.
• Sometimes we shift from acknowledging God for who He is and relying on His power to trying to tell God how things should be done.
• What if we could get clarity on Truth and stop talking about it and do something about it.
• “we know there are people and marriages zooming down the road towards disaster and we need to step in and do something instead of just talking about it.’
• WHo wants to be balanced
• You can’t move if you don’t lean. You have to lean to make progress. Lean into Christ, into the Word.
• If you lean in you might fall down. YEAH
• If you want safety, don’t lean into anything. You want success, you gotta lean into it.
• Staff salaries have been frozen for a year as they lean into getting a grip on their economic issues.
• There is a real danger out there. The church is on fire. The world is on fire. And the church is flapping its gums more than anything else. And marriages are going to be wounded, children hurt, lives crumble. And there is no one else lined up to do what God has called us to do.
• The Gospel of Mark has an immediacy to its message. That word, that idea is repeated over and over. Mark was writing to a Roman culture.
• Could our churches be an outpost of God to where they have impact on the natural order. In an immediate way.
• We need to bring up there down here. That God is shown to our communities through the presence of our church.
• The challenge is that we need to maybe boil the truth down  to where there is an immediacy to it. So people can digest and respond to the gospel.
• BottomLine: We must immediately diagnose reality. The world is headed for a crash. We need to define an alternate path that leads to life. Do it with image and story bring it to bear on the desperate bottom line of our people. We need to wrap it in image and story to impact

Since I was here already, I figured I’d like to check out the GCC experience apart from the Innovate Conference. Since I won’t be here during a weekend service I wanted to check out one of the midweek Bible Classes. The guy who was working the front desk when I checked in [his name was Kyle] told me I should try Dr. Bob‘s class. He said Bob was a prof at Bethel College and a great teacher.

After I got in there, looked at his name again, it dawned on me: I know this guy! I mean, not personally, but I heard him teach at a youth weekend after my sophomore year in high school down in Mississippi. Small world, huh? I liked him then and I liked him now.

He taught on The Radical Jesus. And about how Jesus had radical grace. And He always chose grace over law. Here are a few points that were really good:

• You love God exactly as much as you love the person you love the least. Meaning, who ever you love the least…that amount of love is how much you truly love God.
• Jesus always chose people over policies.
• We all exist in The Impossibility of Performance. Meaning we can never follow the rules well enough to always get it right. That’s why we need grace.
• “Beware the anger of a patient man”
• The Pharisees allowed the law to become their God.
• Why is it easier to live by the law instead of by grace? Because it’s the safer choice. You don’t have to think. And it gives you a type of power (because you can look down on people who don’t follow the law well)
• Gal 3:10 - “All who RELY on observing the law are under a curse.”