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.
Like I was 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.
Peterson :: Media @ Granger
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.
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.
Wow. That’s a fair recap. Wow.
I was able to meet a few people today. People I’ve talked with online through email or facebook or blogs or twitter. I was able to talk with Kem, Rob, and Lindsay. All were quite nice.
The day started with a quick tour of the facilities. The children’s areas were impressive. Nearly all of them you enter by way of a slide from upstairs. Nice! I know my kids would love that. And I would give it a try to if I could.
We didn’t have worship last night w/ the Bible study…because it was Bible study. But we’ve worshiped a few times today. We said close and on the side. And it was loud. I wondered if their weekend services are as loud. Dunno. I’d like it, but not sure everyone would.
I actually grabbed a few video clips from worship, but I didn’t pack my cord to post them, so that will have to be post conference unless I find one tomorrow.
Mark Beeson is a very energetic guy. But it didn’t come across as cheesy, which is good.
Shawn Wood impressed more than I expected. Not that I didn’t expect him to be good. I want to buy his book. But I have a lot of other books I need to start/finish before I buy another. And Tim Steven’s book Pop Goes The Church was some nice swag too.
The snack tent had lots of goodies, plus video games set up. They were played at first, but then not so much. But I did eat/snack a lot. And they had Famous Amos cookies. I mean, how awesome is that?
The Granger Film Fest was great.
Breakfast at the hotel, lunch at Moe’s, supper at Hullihans, and then a late night stop by the Notre Dame bookstore for a new ND shirt. I had too. Just like the Georgetown one I got last year while in DC from the Georgetown bookstore.
My big takeaways from today. There was lots to learn and process so this is the barebones of it:
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.
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.
How do we find leaders?
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.
Here are a few ways to keep up with everyone who it twittering at Innovate 08. I’ve been keeping up even during the session and it was going nuts.
There is a little overlap in some of them. But if you’re wanting an almost live feed, it’s about as close as you can get.
A quick upload of Session 1 notes. I’ll clean them up later.
Mark Beeson: Session 1: Stop Talking
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