History in the Making

I Heart Mark Dever

One of my favorite thinkers and speakers, Mark Dever, and my much-missed friend Mike McKinley from northern Virginia discuss church planting at the 9Marks website. Listening to 9Marks folks discuss church planting is like listening to John McCain discuss the Republicans. Even though he is one, he doesn't like them very much. Church planting conversations don't come around very often for the 9Marks team, so enjoy.

Dessert with the Crossroads Crew

Catalyst Crew Hanging at Mariners

Catalyst Creative Meeting

Shared Calendaring

Over the Catalyst event, several people shared their Google calendars with me so that I could see their goings-on. Well, now I'm hooked! I've been following shared calendaring like it's the new social networking app.

Creative Meeting

Part of our team is flying out to California this evening to host a creative meeting for Catalyst west coast. Starting in November, LV will be taking the Catalyst roadtrip up and down the west coast for 6 months - so we're hoping to connect with many more pastors. But until then... this is such an incredible group of minds coming together for a brainstorm.

1. Eric Bryant - Mosaic navigator
2. Sueann Cho - Mosaic events
3. Goodie Goodloe - Mosaic campus pastor
4. David Arcos - Mosaic creative arts
5. Chad Becker - Mosaic production
6. Brian Cole - Catalyst production director
7. Ben Arment - Catalyst west director
8. Brad Lomenick - Catalyst executive director
9. Kym Andrews - Mariners special services
10. Kyle Zimmerman - Mariners worship pastor
11. Charles Lee - Pastor, New Hope South Bay
12. Mike Foster - Ethur, Deadly Viper author
13. Andy Crouch - Author, Culture Making
14. Jud Wilhite - Central Christian Church pastor
15. Brian Kim - Newsong NOC pastor
16. Tim Timmons - Mariners worship leader
17. Danielle Bennett - USC student, Catalyst intern
18. Todd Otte - Mariners staging & tech arts
19. Tony Wood - Crossroads young adult pastor
20. Tim Roberts - Crossroads creative arts
21. LV Hanson - Catalyst roadtrip ambassador
22. Justin Mayo - Red Eye Inc
23. Justin Jackson - Central Christian creative arts
24. Hank Fortener - fashion photographer
25. Newsong's creative pastor - Irvine
26. Newsong creative pastor - NOC
27. Shannon Black - Mosaic live production

Catalyst Open Source

Catalyst web guru Chris Ediger just opened the Catalyst bag of tricks. He's posting the secrets behind CatalystBackstage.com - how he did it, what tools he used. Now you can copy it. The only thing he didn't mention was the use of a professional designer to create the interface. Oh... and the use of an amazing blogger to drive it. But I'm sure you've got a few of those around... =)

Tribes for 95 Cents on iTunes

Seth Godin's new book Tribes is available on iTunes for .95 cents. Thanks Chris for the head's up.

Everyone's a Volunteer

Even the people on your payroll...

They might owe you the value of their paycheck. They might be the beneficiary of your promotion or opportunity. And they might even be getting more out of the arrangement than you are.

But they're volunteering to be there.

And we should never forget it.

The Dream Team is Coming Together

I couldn't have pulled off Whiteboard last May without the amazing team of friends who came around me to help... (including Ainsley below). Well, I just heard from Boyd Bettis - who was our amazing stage director at WiBo saying that he's on board for helping at Catalyst west. Not only that, but one of my favorite people from Reston who attends USC, Danielle B, is our new Catalyst west intern for the next 6 months. I'm getting excited... the dream team is coming together... =)

The Problem with Free Stuff

I respect the intention of authors and experts who make their offerings available for free. But I think it's a big mistake. Free communicates a perceived lack of value that undermines the content. I can't tell you how much really good, free stuff I've thrown away. I assume that if it's free, it must be bad. In fact, I don't think people like free stuff at all. I think they like getting stuff that costs other people money... for free.

Catalyst Production

Catalyst producer Brian Pirkle has posted diagrams of this year's truss & staging system. Brian's currently in Hong Kong to spy out the Passion world tour, but he's flying into Orange County in a few weeks to spec out Mariners for Catalyst west. Prepare to have your mind blown on April 22-24.

Upping My "E-Game"

I took a few days off with the fam to visit our new little niece in Va Beach... but stopped over at UNC Chapel Hill to attend a conference for theater directors. I'm a bit out of my element. The word "earthy" comes to mind. But one of my favorite parts about Catalyst is the experiential side. Don't get me wrong, I love the content. But we're moving away from calling Catalyst a conference; it's an experience. Besides, I'm an NT temperament. We go through life putting seemingly irrelevant tidbits into our "bag of knowledge."

Step - Away - From - The - Photoshop

Believe it or not, it's better to start things we don't actually know how to do because it forces us to seek help from those who do. What did John Maxwell say about not wanting to be a part of anything that didn't require a team?

If you're a church planter who is doing A) graphic design, B) the website, C) leading worship, D) uploading the podcast, and E) preaching... here's a word of advice:

Sabotage your church.

Stop doing everything. Let some things suffer and see if anyone takes notice. Because here's a little secret: If people know that you'll do their job on top of yours... they'll go right ahead and let you.

West Coast Catalyst

Getting ready to send a few Super 8mm film cams out to some creative friends in cities like Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake, & Las Vegas to gather footage for the first-ever Catalyst west coast. Our theme is You Are Here, which speaks to so many different church leadership issues. Andy Stanley has a book coming out in April called The Principle of the Path, and Brian Houston has written For This You Were Born. It's amazing how it's all coming together...

We're also sending LV Hanson and the Catalyst vanagon out to the west coast for 6 months, starting in November. I'm sure he'd love some good Christian hospitality up and down the coast - a place to lay his lay his head, wash his clothes, enjoy a home-cooked meal every once in a while... =)

We're having a creative planning meeting on the west coast next week with about 25 of the most innovative minds in ministry. Cannot wait to bring this experience to life...

Definitely Brunette

For eight years, I've been married to a blonde... and then on Saturday, Ainsley walks into the house as a brunette. She adamantly disagreed with my color analysis, but I think this photo is counter-proof.

The Death Trap of Having a Gatekeeper

To all of you leaders with a gatekeeper... this is a word of caution. To not let your busyness or popularity stop your inquisitiveness. Because when a leader becomes popular enough to warrant a gatekeeper, he tends to stop asking questions of others. The posture of humility becomes harder and harder to take. He waits for inquisitors to come to him, to ask him for favors, to make requests of him... and ends up operating only out of his own resources.

Your gatekeeper may protect you from the crowd, from the unimportant, from the undignifying moments... but I swear you're worse off for it.

Are You Kidding Me??!!

Catalyst west is selling FAST! A church in CA just called in to purchase 50 tickets for their team. Aaron, our west concierge, was PUMPED. At this rate, we'll be sold out by Christmas. That's 50 leaders impacted forever... 50 leaders who will get to see one of only two US appearances by Hillsong United in 2009... 50 kittens that will have milk to drink tonight... er.... =)

10,000 is the new 2,000

I remember when the NBA seriously considered raising the rim. Players had grown so tall over the years that dunking was no longer a feat, and three-pointers became like foul-shouts. I'm glad they didn't do it because the game is more exciting for me when the goal is within reach. =)

But I think it's time to raise the standard of a mega-church. 10,000 has become the new 2,000, and more and more churches are hitting it with greater ease. Leadership principles have fertilized the church, and for bad or for good, Christians are finding a new form of church-going that lends itself to larger and larger audiences.

The Burden of a Leader, Part 2

Deciding how much of your burden to share is a big issue.  My guess is that the better the leader you are, the less you talk about it. Sharing your burden with the church... or the organization... puts a cloud over the people you lead.

There's only one thing worse than leading people who don't share your burden. And that is trying to convince them to share it.

It lets them know you're weak, that you can't handle the burden, and that the vision isn't worth the cost.

Believe me, people know you've got the burden. They don't want it. They've got their own burdens. Now, they respect you for having it. But not if you complain about it. Instead, find yourself a small group of confidants above you or beside you to share the pain of the burden.