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Daniel Floyd's church in Fredericksburg, Virginia, Lifepoint Church, is killing it. Just this past week, in the middle of snowpocalypse they reached over 1,000 people.
And they're only four years old.
But you need to know the back-story. Because there are conditions that make or break a new church before it starts.
Someone else planted a church in Fredericksburg in 2005... and then walked away. The resilient core of 50 people came after Daniel to lead them. But he said no. When they pressed, Daniel said, "On one condition" and proceeded to lay out a grueling plan for change (which is what Matt Chandler did at the Village Church by the way).
They said yes.
Lifepoint is growing rapidly off the I-95 corridor to Washington DC. In fact, they just raised $3 million for a new building, and Daniel is launching a church planting center.
It was a case of ROLLING ROCKS. There was a remnant. There was a core. There was momentum that got them over critical mass. And I say in the book over and over again that when God wants you to plant a church, people will practically be asking for it. Otherwise, you're a missionary.
This is a series of posts based on my book Church in the Making (B&H, April 1) which explains what makes or breaks a new church before it starts...
1. GOOD GROUND
2. ROLLING ROCKS
3. DEEP ROOTS
Yesterday, Carlos Whittaker announced free lunch with him at The Whiteboard Sessions on May 21 in Virginia Beach. There were 50 spots open when he announced it... about 10 left now. You can get it in on it [here].
My friend Chris Stephens has a HUGE heart for church leaders. He's led Faith Promise Church in Knoxville for 15 years and is now pouring his life into pastors at churches under 1,000.
His first big offering is the LIT Conference on April 29 in Knoxville. He's invited his friends:
1. I don't blog within categories. It would better catalog my site and focus my content. But I want the dog to wag the tail.
2. I don't post on weekends. It brings my traffic to a screeching halt each Friday, and I have to start all over on Mondays. But it gives me better rhythm to my life to stop for two days a week.
3. I don't accept paid advertisements. Maybe I'm losing out on a Honda Odyssey payment for my wife. But I want this to be an authentic place. Money changes things... for me.
4. I don't groom community very well. I'd like to do a better job at this. But once I write something, I nearly forget about it.
5. I don't switch from Typepad. Blog redesigns are getting really, really good... if you go with Wordpress. Take these two from Tim Stevens and Tony McCollum. But I like the distinction.
B&H is doing a great job launching Church in the Making. But an author would be foolish to think s/he can outsource all marketing. The author is vital to the promotional process.
My crack team is putting together these tongue-in-cheek hand-outs. They're fake "book corner protectors" from when you "throw it across the room." The book's got some controversial ideas. For example, I contend that you can't plant an effective church with just faith, courage and calling. There are sociological factors at work.
Anyway, these kits will go out to about 1,000 people. Foam corners included. There's more info about the book on back.
The packaging was created by the talented Aaron Skinner of Sidekick Creative. I highly recommend his work as a designer.
Saw this photo of film critic Roger Ebert in Esquire magazine and was shocked. Had no idea he lost his lower jaw and the ability to speak from cancer.
Makes me think about what I consider to be my identity and the ease at which I can lose it. God wants what I hold most dear, and if I don't put it on the altar, he'll put it there for me.
Don't forget that next Friday is the last day to register for Whiteboard and be simultaneously entered to win an iPad.
In Chicago today for a big STORY brainstorming meeting. This year's event will be different. Very different. Not at all what you'd expect. But ten times better. Hold your breath.
This is a small sampling of the books I get in the mail from publicists. This photo represents 360,000 words I'd have to read. And it doesn't even include the books I actually buy for myself.
The other day, I got this rock in the mail. A rock. Brilliant idea. I immediately went to the website. It's for Kary Oberbrunner's new book called Your Secret Name. My son won't let go of the rock.
Here's one of the campaigns we're doing for Church in the Making. We're not giving away the book, but a faux book with teasers inside and three capsules inside with chocolate chips, gumballs and gummy worms - representing Good Ground, Rolling Rocks, and Deep Roots - the three sections in the book.
Great meeting with a group of church leaders at an undisclosed Golden Corral in Richmond yesterday. Nearly 20 friends drove from all points in Virginia to pow-wow over mini corn dogs, meatloaf, seafood salad and pudding. Seriously, it was great.
In the spring of 2001, Jeff Murphy launched Big Sky Church near Cumming, Georgia. The church climbed to a reasonable number of people before taking a nosedive in attendance and momentum. Discouraged and bruised, Jeff shut down the church five years later.
In terms of what "makes or breaks" a new church, Big Sky was a "break" story. But you have to hear the rest of it. Because he launched his next church under entirely different conditions.
Jeff moved back to Columbus, Georgia where he had ministered for years as a popular youth pastor at a mega-church.
A year ago, he launched myChurch and drew 625 people the first Sunday. They had to go to two services on their second week of existence.
It was a case of DEEP ROOTS. Jeff moved back to a place where he had spiritual sons and daughters. Of course, his church exploded. He had invested in those people for years.
This is a series of posts based on my book Church in the Making (B&H, April 1) which explains what makes or breaks a new church before it starts...
1. GOOD GROUND
2. ROLLING ROCKS
3. DEEP ROOTS
Uberblogger Kent Schaeffer ~like I did~ married up.
His wife Evie is launching A Beautiful Idea to help artists around the globe create
art, sell it, and then donate 100% of the sales to charity.
HOW IT WORKS
Artists partner with A Beautiful Idea and create a product. They sell it and donate the money to our current charity in A Beautiful Idea’s donation center. It's that simple.
The creative duo from Chicago Bjorn Amundsen and Blaine Hogan have partnered to launch Herald Creative, which makes short films for churches. They're offering them on Worship House Media: [here]. Blaine and Bjorn are pioneers in the creative class, have worked extensively with Willow and played a huge role at STORY last year.
Stuart Hodges had a goal when he launched Waters Edge Church in Yorktown, Virginia in 2003 -- to make it appear on DAY ONE that the church was at least five years old. This meant they had to have the staff, resources and volunteers to launch large.
And they did. He launched with 300 people. Six years later, they have 2,000, and they just built their own $4.3 million facility.
But you need to know the back-story. Because there are conditions that make or break a new church before it starts.
Stu was a long-time youth pastor at a local, traditional mega-church. He didn't try to initiate the work of God by moving to a far-away place. He planted out of the overflow of it.
Not only had he spent years investing in young adults who are now grown with their own kids, but he also grew up in the area. He and his wife attended high school and college in the same area. He told me, "A community becomes small when you've been there a long time."
It was a case of DEEP ROOTS. Stuart's vision was birthed out a community with which he is extremely familiar.
Church planters often try to impose an outside vision onto a community. They plant the church in their heads, not the one the community needs. And it never works.
Planting a church is like doing an organ transplant. The vision has to have the right "blood type" to be accepted by the community.
This is a series of posts based on my book Church in the Making (B&H, April 1) which explains what makes or breaks a new church before it starts...
1. GOOD GROUND
2. ROLLING ROCKS
3. DEEP ROOTS
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