Marriage

Devotions for May 24, 2007

Proverbs 24
1 Corinthians 7

Scripture
"The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband." (1 Corinthians 7:3)

Observation
Paul makes a change of style in his letter at chapter 7. He now begins to answer questions that the church at Corinth obviously sent him. He begins with marriage. Paul would rather men and women did not get married. He would like them to spend the energy, passion, and devotion on Jesus than on their husband or wife. However, Paul admits that the sexual pull on us is very strong and would rather people get married than to live in sin. Not that sexual pressure is the right reason to get married, but it is better to marry the right person than to burn with passion.

Paul also addresses divorce. Paul strongly cautions against divorce. If two believers are married and living out the character of Jesus there is no reason why they would end their marriage. Paul goes so far as to tell husbands and wives that if their spouse is an unbeliever, it may be their witness that turns them to Jesus, so with that hope and prayer, stay married to them.

Application
The whole point of Paul's call not to get married is about a commitment to Jesus. He wants to remind his readers that the point of our existence on earth is to do life with Jesus. He knows the reality of marriage and how easy it is for our attention to be focused on our families first and then God.

The best scenario is to love our spouse with the love of Jesus so that in every aspect of our marriage God is present. When the point of our marriage is to please God then we will have the most incredible marriage possible. When we choose not to be self-centered, but Christ-centered both the husband and the wife win and God is honored.

I know that there are marriages at Charter Oak Church that are on the brink of disaster and there are marriages that are one with God. My hope and prayer is that every marriage will be centered in Jesus. I want my marriage to Kelli to be the absolute best that it possibly can be. I honor her by deepening my relationship with Jesus. I fall more and more in love with her and my intimacy with God is enriched. I am more in love with Kelli than I have ever been in our almost 16 years of marriage. Every moment, every day, every week, every year gets better - and it was pretty awesome before today. The reason it just keeps getting better and better is because I am more devoted and obedient to God than I have ever been. Every marriage finds its strength in Jesus.

Prayer
Thank you God for the gift of marriage. I pray that my focus in my own marriage will be centered on Jesus first and foremost. I pray that I will choose the character of Jesus for my life and that will overflow into my marriage with Kelli. I pray you will give me eyes that are only on you and her. She is your beautiful bride long before she was mine. I pray that I will always give myself to you fully that I may give myself to her out of that relationship.

I pray almighty God for the marriages of the couples at Charter Oak Church. I pray that you will encourage those who are going through difficult times. I pray that they will put on your grace and forgiveness so that reconciliation may occur.

I pray for those marriages that are strong in you. Continue to fan the flame of commitment to you and to each other in them.

I pray for those who are married to an unbeliever. I ask that you will soften the heart of that spouse who needs you. I pray that you will give them a glimpse of your love through their spouse. Please help that believing spouse to have the patience to wait for their spouse to turn to you and give their life to Jesus.

God I love you, I praise you, I glorify your holy name. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

It Ends Tonight

My favorite show ends tonight. Lost is by far my favorite. 24 is a close second, but Lost takes first place. It's too bad so many people stopped watching, but I have stayed faithful throughout the season.

One of the students at Charter Oak Church put together this video to say goodbye to the season. Check it out here. I think she is one of the most talented video producers I know.

When Problems Arise

Devotions for May 23, 2007

Proverbs 23
1 Corinthians 6

Scripture
"You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:11)

Observation
Paul jumps from disunity right into the belly of lawsuits among believers. Obviously there were a bunch of lawsuits being brought against fellow followers of Jesus. I love how Paul asks how believers can ask unbelievers in Jesus to make judgments about their disputes. How can followers of Jesus expect those outside the faith to have the same biblical worldview? He says we can't expect that, so don't take your disputes there. In fact, if you truly are a believer and you are arguing with another believer then the power of the Holy Spirit should allow you to reconcile your differences.

Paul gives us a list of immoral behaviors that are unacceptable. But he also reminds us that all sin is equal and this list of higher profile sins should not be called out with any more fervency than any other sin. We are all sinners. We have all come from the same beginning. But as followers of Jesus we have been washed in the blood of the sacrificial lamb of God who took away the sins of the world. We should live into that redemption.

However, just because Jesus died for our sins doesn't mean that you can do anything you want. The freedom that Jesus brought was to bring us to true life based on the character of Jesus not the character of sin. The sins that Paul listed are flesh oriented. So he reminds us that our bodies are not our own, they are the temple of God. I love the analogy of the end result of what is really happening when someone has sex with a prostitute. It's not just an act of the body, but of the soul as well. When we choose to live outside God's design with our actions, it also has ramifications on our souls. Jesus died to set us free from this kind of living.

Application
I know we want to categorize sin. We have our top ten list of the worst sins. And yet, we choose to turn a blind eye to other "lessor" sins like over-eating, greed, and self-centeredness. I don't know how that happened, but it has the same affect on the bride of Christ as a groom sleeping with a prostitute on his wedding night. It all breaks God's heart and it separates us from him.

I need to work on my interaction with fellow followers of Jesus who I disagree with. I need to man up and put on the love of Jesus and go to the person I am in disagreement with and have the character of Jesus as I interact with that person. I have a very strong anger streak that I hate. It often keeps me from doing what I need to do to be in community with others. However, I want to be a witness to this region that the love of Jesus compels me to be in unity with others, no matter how difficult that may be, so that we can be one together with Christ.

Prayer
O God, I confess that I fall very short of your desire for me to live into the character of Jesus. I categorize sin and often times don't even know it. I am a sinner in need of grace and forgiveness. Help me to look at every person I meet as a child of God who is no different than me.

I pray that when disputes happen in the relationship between people at Charter Oak Church that they will put on humility and grace. I pray that they will seek reconciliation as quickly as possible. I pray that our congregation will be known for their love for those outside our walls. I pray that we will be known for what we stand for than what we stand against. I pray we will remember that we have been justified and sanctified in the name of Jesus Christ by the Spirit of our God.

Book #9 - Spiritual Leadership

I just finished reading Spiritual Leadership: Moving People on to God's Agenda by Henry & Richard Blackaby. This was the third time I have read this book. I have read it once at each of my appointments to churches in Western PA. This time the book grabbed me in more powerful, convicting ways than before. I took tons of notes. I started blogging my journal of my Bible study. I am being more disciplined about my daily spiritual habits. God has used this book in incredible ways to challenge me to step up my commitment to be a true spiritual leader at Charter Oak Church.

I think this book also scared me a little bit, honestly, maybe a lot. As the Blackabys taught on leadership practices, they also gave the dark side of not practicing these principles. I don't want to go down that road. I don't want to be on the long list of pastors and spiritual leaders who have failed.

I want to be right in the middle of God's will and I want to partner with the people of Charter Oak Church to help them to get on to God's agenda for their lives. This book went a long way to helping me to zero in my focus with laser beam intensity.

Discipline Among Believers

Devotions for May 22, 2007

Proverbs 22
1 Corinthians 5

Scripture
"But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat." ( 1 Corinthians 5:11)

Observation
First Paul dealt with the problem of disunity that was occurring because of the divided following of different spiritual leaders. Now, Paul turns to an even more difficult teaching on how to bring discipline among believers. There obviously was a problem with incest and no one was willing to do anything about it. As a matter of fact, people were boasting about it. Paul says kick those people out of the church. No questions asked. No mercy talked about. Just kick them out.

The reason Paul gives for this hard line is that when unrepentant sin continues within a community of believers, it will grow in other areas. He writes that Jesus didn't go to the cross for this. He was sacrificed to bring us new life, not death through sin.

Finally, Paul writes that he is clearly teaching about believers. He is not condemning those outside of the faith. His finger is pointing at followers of Jesus who choose to continue to walk in sin. No matter what the sin is, if it is an ongoing, unrepentant sin, kick the person out.

Application
This is some really tough teaching from Paul. None of us are perfect. All of us sin. But here's the thing, I believe we are more interested in being liked by other believers than truly loving them. So we don't speak the truth in love. We see someone who is walking in an ongoing, unrepentant sin, but we don't say anything because we don't want to look like we are judging them or being closed mind. Paul says that it is our responsibility to judge that behavior and call each other on it.

If we don't step up our call and emphasis on personal holiness then that sin will begin to grow, it will spread into other areas. The point of our community of faith will no longer be obedience to God, but our own pleasure.

This is an incredibly difficult road to follow. But the reality is, this discipline among believers is all about love and obedience to God. This is a powerful teaching that we need to find a healthy way to embrace in the Church today.

Prayer
Holy and Everlasting God, I know you are perfect in every way. I realize that you cannot have sin near you because of your perfection and holiness. I admit that calling sin a sin in someone else's life is extremely difficult. Help me to see my own sin and repent of it. Help me to love the people of Charter Oak Church so much that I am willing to speak the truth in love to each one of them. Give all of us a teachable and humble heart that will allow us to hear what you want in our lives. I love you more than I love my bent for personal pleasure. I want to be obedient to you in all aspects of my life, down to the last detail. Send your Holy Spirit to guide and direct me according to your ways. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Observations from This Past Weekend

Saturday night before worship I was pacing around. I was nervous. I have been nervous for both of the messages in this series so far. The first week because I knew that what I was going to say would be very emotional and I knew that what I would be saying had been the culmination of weeks of prayer and study. The nervousness I felt the first week was more excitement for what I believed God would do through that message.

This week I was nervous because I was stepping into people's living rooms and asking them what influence the media that entered their homes was having on their children, on their marriage, on the way they do life with Jesus. Most people don't want you to mess with their TV.

I have to admit that I was blown away by the way that people responded. I expected to see arms crossed, people drawing on their worship folders, or just getting up and leaving. I couldn't believe it, but just about everyone was totally dialed in to what I was saying.

I didn't tell people to go throw away their TV sets, or to never go to the movies again, or to cancel their Internet subscription. Instead, I challenged the people of Charter Oak Church to start thinking theologically about what they were allowing in to their homes. What is it doing to the way that their daughters look at themselves? What is it doing to the way their sons will look at their dates? What is it doing to the depth of love between husbands and wives?

I hope and pray that the message this past weekend will lead to some great conversations between parents and kids about what they are watching and how it is influencing them.

Servants of Jesus

Devotions for May 21, 2007

Proverbs 21
1 Corinthians 4
Our God Reigns - Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall, David Crowder

Scripture
"Men ought to regard us as servants of Christ." (1 Corinthians 4:1)

Observation
Let's just put it all on the line here - Paul calls himself a servant. He calls Peter, Apollos, any one who is in spiritual leadership a servant of Jesus. When Paul makes this statement it removes all doubt about the whole argument that was going on in Corinth about those spiritual leaders that people were following and wanting to put on a pedestal. Paul makes it crystal clear that those leaders are to serve the people but to be obedient to God. The Corinthians no longer need to boast about which spiritual leader brought them to Jesus. The point is Jesus, not the spiritual leader.

I love the way Paul sets Timothy up here. He has spent the last few chapters telling the Corinthians where they have gone astray and it has brought division. Now Paul is sending Timothy, a young pastor, who will speak and teach on his behalf. He in essence says that when Timothy speaks, he speaks for me. This is a great way to introduce a new leader.

Application
Since there are three pastors at Charter Oak Church it can become very easy for us to fall into the same trap that the Corinthians did. Pastor Dave has been here for fourteen or fifteen years. I have been here for almost two years. Pastor Mark has been here for a year and a half. Each of us have brought people to Jesus. We each have our own style of leadership and pastoring.

Here's the thing, all three of us are called to be servants of Jesus. We love the people of Charter Oak Church. Our joy comes from seeing people "get it" and follow Jesus. I don't want any credit. I don't want people to tell me that they like me better than anyone else. I want us as the spiritual leaders of this church to help people to find their way back to God and love him with all of their heart, all of their mind, all of their soul, and all of their strength.

The main thing is pointing people to Jesus, not who gets the credit.

Prayer
My God and King, forgive me when I make it about me instead of you. I don't want any credit. I want to boast in Jesus and in him alone. I pray that the people of Charter Oak Church will see me as an obedient servant of Jesus and that will draw them into a deeper, more intimate relationship with you. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Growth

Devotions for May 20, 2007

Proverbs 20
1 Corinthians 3

Scripture
"Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men? "

Observation
Paul had no problem sharing his disappointment with the church in Corinth. His expectation was that the followers of Jesus there would have started the spiritual growth process of becoming more like Jesus. However, there is great division within the church. The people are more oriented to the human leaders than they are toward God. Paul reminds them that the human leaders are nothing compared to God. It is God that is the author of all.

Paul uses a great analogy about building - the use of poor building materials that creates an unstable temple. The wood, hay, and straw are metaphors for the immaturity and vulnerability to wrong doctrine that describe people of Corinth. The building is only as strong as its foundation. Jesus is the only foundation that will last for eternity.

Application
I often feel that we get distracted by all the wrong things. It is easy to argue over controversial issues. Followers of Jesus will get so caught up in these arguments that we miss out on what it is that we are supposed to be doing - making disciples of Jesus.

Our goal is maturity - to become more like Jesus in every aspect of our lives. We don't need division. We need unity. I don't want any credit for the growth at Charter Oak Church. I want God to receive all the praise and glory, for it is he who makes us grow. I am God's fellow worker. I want us to be mature, open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and sold out to the teaching of Jesus.

Prayer
Almighty God, you are the author of life. You are the one who sent Jesus to give us true life. We have traded true living for trivial arguments and inferior building materials. Help us to set the world's way aside and place you at the very center of everything we do and say. Forgive us when we long for milk instead of solid food.

I pray that the people of Charter Oak Church will mature in a healthy development of following after Jesus. Help us to keep the main thing the main thing. Help us to be a church that plays for an audience of one. Give us all servant hearts that it will never be about any of us, but always all about you, God. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

God's Secret Wisdom

Devotions for May 19, 2007

Proverbs 19
1 Corinthians 2

Scripture
"My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power." (1 Corinthians 2:4-5)

Observation
Paul continues the conversation that was started in chapter 1 about the distinct difference between what people bring to the table versus what God brings. The Corinthians obviously placed the wisdom and power of man as most important to them. It was all about power, self-reliance, and prestige, not so different from today. Paul stands in stark contrast and declares that it is only God who reveals true wisdom.

The wisdom of God is foolishness to the world. Those who are not of God cannot possibly understand the things that come from the Spirit of God. Paul calls us to put on the mind of Christ.

Application
How do we put on the mind of Christ? I think it is a dedication to practicing the spiritual disciplines. We cannot possibly know the things that come from the Spirit of God if we do not know the Holy Spirit. We must develop an intimate relationship with God through Jesus. We do that through studying the Bible, prayer, time alone with God - listening, and through worship.

I want to be disciplined to practice the presence of God. I want my drive for a relationship with God through Jesus to be stronger than any other pursuit in my life. I want to have the mind of Christ.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, I know that often times I value the standards of this world over the foolishness of the cross. Please forgive me. Help me to hunger and thirst for the wisdom that you seek to pour out into those who love you and follow hard after you. Help me to put on the mind of Christ.

Open the minds and the hearts of the people of Charter Oak Church so they too may see that the wisdom of this world is nothing compared to your great love through Jesus. I pray that each person will choose to be in your presence and learn from you each day. We want more of you. We want the fullness of your glory revealed in and through us. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

It's About Jesus

Devotions for May 18, 2007

Proverbs 18
1 Corinthians 1
Center by Charlie Hall

Scripture
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18)

Observation
I love the way Paul begins this letter to the church he founded. He knows that there are some problems going on in the church, especially with the leaders. He doesn't jump right into the confrontation, he begins with affirmation. Paul finds the good that God is doing in and through the people of Corinth. He shows his pastor's heart and love for these people, his brothers and sisters in Christ.

Paul then turns his attention to the division within the church. Some people are committed to Paul, others follow Peter, and some follow Apollos. I love Paul's statement - it's not about any of these men - it's all about Jesus. Paul didn't come to baptize, but to preach the gospel. He knows what it is that God has called and gifted him to do.

Then Paul turns to one of my favorite parts of all of his letters as he writes about the foolishness of the cross. I love verses 18-31. Every thing that Jesus did flies in the face of what was expected. Jesus didn't fit into any box that tradition created. Jesus came for sinners - to bring eternal life to those who would follow him - our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Let him who boasts boast in the Lord!

Application
We all need accountability. It is very easy to focus in on the confrontation first and miss the opportunity to bring affirmation. We need to celebrate the good things that are happening in our families, at work, at school, and at Charter Oak Church. We also have to speak the truth in love about the things that divide us and take our attention and devotion away from Jesus.

I want to be obedient to Jesus. I don't care if that looks foolish to those on the outside. I want to love Jesus with all of my heart, all of my mind, all of my soul, and all of my strength. More than anything else I want to boast in the Lord. It's all about Him.

Prayer
Father, I give you praise and honor. You choose a sinner like me, the weak and lowly of this world, to shame the world. I am in awe of you. I stand amazed at your glory. I pray that I will never make my work here about me. I ask that I will always have a humble heart and spirit. Help me to always make everything I do and say to be about Jesus. Please bring unity to Charter Oak Church. I love your bride. May I present her to you spotless and blameless for your glory, honor, and praise. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Thoughts from This Weekend

This past weekend was incredible for me. We launched a brand new series called Intimacy: A Look Beyond the Covers. I started by talking about Intimacy with God. I have spent a ton of time, energy, and passion putting this series together. I wrote a study guide to accompany the series. I have spent countless hours in prayer. The payoff was incredible - at least for me.

As I looked into the faces of each person from Charter Oak Church as I talked about loving God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength, I couldn't help but get emotional. I saw people whom I love and for whom I feel extremely honored to serve beside. As Mark sang Give Me Jesus, I closed my eyes and imagined what it would be like if our entire congregation lived out those words. I imagined what it would look like in our community if we decided we were really going to love Jesus with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength.

As I sit here today, I think about the impact we could have in this community and around the world if we lived out our love. I can only imagine what it would be like if the people of Charter Oak Church decided to love God and build a relationship with God through Jesus that permeated every aspect of your life.

Here's what I think will happen - the 31,000 people in a five mile radius of our church who are do not attend worship with any kind of regularity will see Jesus in us and will be drawn to him. That's my biggest prayer right now. The people of Charter Oak Church will live their love for Jesus so loud and so authentically that the people who don't know Jesus or who have stepped away from him will be compelled to seek him.

God has strategically placed us on this hill, in this location, at this time for a reason. God has placed a huge call upon the people of this congregation to reach these 31,000 people. I am pumped up about what I know God is doing in our people and what he is going to do in even greater measure in the future. The best is yet to come!

Summer at Charter Oak Church Just Got Better!!

Discussion Guide Available

As we prepare for the beginning of Intimacy: A Look Beyond the Covers, I want you to know that I have written a Study Guide to accompany the series. The Study Guide is a small bound booklet that has the sermon notes, scripture references, and discussion questions. It is written for small groups, couples, families, and/or individuals to work on throughout this four week series. You will be able to pick one up free of charge at the ipod this weekend. My hope and prayer is that the Study Guide will help you take your next step in your development as a follower of Jesus.

Intimacy Series Kick-Off

This weekend I launch a brand new series called Intimacy: A Look Beyond the Covers. I know a ton of pastors are talking about sex or have recently done a series on sex. Some of them have been incredibly successful.

I will be honest with you, I strongly considered doing a sex series too. After spending time in prayer, I began to sense from God that I needed to speak about intimacy with God. There are so many couples at Charter Oak Church and couples in our circles of influence that are struggling with their marriage right now. Most of them have decided in one shape or another to not have a Jesus centered marriage. There are other relationships in our lives that are in the same place.

The point of this series is to love God first - to love Him passionately. When we love God with that kind of intensity it will overflow into our other relationships. If you know someone in our community who needs to hear about how to have phenomenal relationships, invite them starting this weekend as we begin with Intimacy with God.

Who Would Be Your Mentor

I was asked earlier this week if I could meet a couple of times a year with someone as a mentor, who would it be? Wow! The names of so many people ran through my mind. Here are some names and why I would choose each one:

• Tim Stevens - He is the executive pastor at Granger Community Church. I read his blog daily. I learn so much from him. Dave and I get to spend a full day with him and Mark Waltz at the end of the month, just the four of us. I can't wait.
• Andy Stanley - He is the senior pastor at North Point Community Church. He is the best communicator I have ever heard.
• Perry Noble - He is the senior pastor at New Spring Community Church. This guy is not afraid to do what God is calling him to do. He is sold out to making disciples of Jesus.
• Dave Ferguson - He is the senior pastor at Community Christian Church. He is the leader in going to multiple sites as a church. He is the big idea guy.
• Aubrey Daniels - He is a leadership guru.
• Rob Bell - He is the pastor at Mars Hill. He is an author and creator of the Nooma series.
• Jim Collins - Author of Good to Great.

Who would you pick if you could be mentored by anyone in your field?

Thoughts on Expectations

I just posted the attendance for the month of April. We are four months into 2007. Our average attendance for April was 795 people up from 591 last year. That's 204 more people or a 26% increase. Our average attendance for the year is now 744, up from 576 last year. That is 168 more people or a 22.5% increase.

I am excited to see so many new people becoming followers of Jesus. The momentum is growing. Last night at our Leadership and Servant Training, I asked Andi Farrell to share some emails we have received from people who are new to Charter Oak Church. The stories were awesome! Lives changed. I may post some of those quotes Andi shared later this week.

I have shared with the Senior Management Team and the leadership of Charter Oak Church that I believe we have the potential to have 1,000 people in worship by the end of this year. I thought we would hit the 800 mark in September. We nearly hit it in April. I am blown away by what God is doing in the lives of the people He is bringing here. I am so thankful that I have the awesome privilege of being here.

I hope and pray that God will not stack the odds in our favor, but that we will have to rely on Him and only Him for our future. I pray that God will do immeasurably more than I can ask or imagine to build His Kingdom in this region.

Roll up your sleeves, put patches on the knees of your jeans, and get ready for what God is going to do this summer at Charter Oak Church.

April at a Glance

March 31/April 1 - Mark preached
792 in worship (34.5% increase from 2006)
313 in Sunday school (34.9% increase from 2006)

April 7/8 - Dave preached
1127 in worship (37.6% increase from 2006)
180 in Sunday school (12.5% increase from 2006)

April 14/15 - Dave preached
669 in worship (7.6% increase from 2006)
229 in Sunday school (9.9% decrease from 2006)

April 21/22 - Dave preached
717 in worship (20.6% decrease from 2006)
251 in Sunday school (88.7% increase from 2006)

April 28/29 - Dave preached
672 in worship (40% increase from 2006)
270 in Sunday school (16.4% increase from 2006)

Thoughts I Shared with Staff Yesterday

2 Samuel 23:20-21, “There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two of Moab’s mightiest warriors. Another time he chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it. Another time, armed only with a club, he killed a great Egyptian warrior who was armed with a spear. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with it.”

It’s easy to read verses like this in the comfortable confines of your home or office and totally miss the monumental acts of courage displayed by Benaiah. Have you ever heard of someone chasing a lion? Scripture doesn’t tell us what Benaiah was doing or where he was going when he encountered this lion. But Scripture does reveal his gut reaction. And it was gutsy. It ranks as one of the most improbable reactions recorded in Scripture. Normal people run away from lions. Benaiah chased the lion.

I am convinced that God is in the business of strategically placing us in the right place at the right time for the right reasons. But here’s the kicker – the right place often seems like the wrong place, and the right time often seems like the wrong time, and the right reason often seems like the wrong reason – at least to us.

2 Samuel 23:23, “David put Benaiah in charge of his bodyguard.” Benaiah wasn’t just chasing a lion; he was chasing the opportunity to be put into a position in King David’s administration. Here’s the point: God is always using past experiences to prepare us for future opportunities. But those God-given opportunities often come disguised as man-eating lions. And how we react when we encounter those lions will determine our destiny. We can cower in fear and run away from our greatest challenges. Or we can chase our God-ordained destiny by seizing the God-ordained opportunity.

As I look back on my own life, I recognize this simple truth: The greatest opportunities were the scariest lions. Part of me has wanted to play it safe, but I’ve learned that taking no risks is the greatest risk of all. When I was in college the safe option for me was to get a job in computers making very good money, instead I went to Duke. It was one of the most dangerous decisions I had made to that point in my life in following God’s will to go into ministry. In my first appointment out of seminary I challenged my churches to chase after the biggest lion they ever saw in their lives and they did for a while, but then they noticed the high walls in the pit, the snow falling all around them, and the size of the teeth of the lion – so they ran back to safety.

I think my biggest fear as a follower of Jesus is to seek safety. There is a hymn that says something like “safe and secure from all alarms.” I don’t want that. Yes, I want to be in the arms of Jesus, but desperately holding on because I can’t do it myself. I want my drive to be out where God does His best work to be stronger in me than my desire to please people and seek safety. It’s not my job to make people happy; it’s my job to be obedient and to get the people of Charter Oak Church on to God’s agenda for their lives – that will mean chasing after lions.

There is a pattern repeated throughout Scripture: Sometimes God won’t intervene until something is humanly impossible. God loves impossible odds. Let me tell you something – God wants and deserves full credit. Too often our prayers revolve around asking God to reduce the odds in our lives. We want everything in our favor. But maybe God wants to stack the odds against us so we can experience a miracle of divine proportions.

I don’t want us as a staff to go into the summer months and press cruise control. I don’t want my handicap on the golf course to get better. I don’t want to improve my tan. I want to be a part of something this summer that is humanly impossible. I want each of you to have the odds stacked against you so that you can experience a miracle of divine proportion. I want you to live and pray prayers that are outside of our comprehension.

2 Kings 6:4-7, Can you have the mindset that would believe an ax would float? Are you ready to pray this kind of prayer?

If you work like it depends on you and pray like it depends on God, there is no telling what God will do here, as the odds are stacked against us, as we are driven to our knees in desperation, and we get out into the open water where God does his best work. I want this to be a monumental summer at Charter Oak Church!

Book #9 - In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day

At the beginning of this year I challenged the people of Charter Oak Church to get out into the open water where God does His best work. It is the place where we are most uncomfortable. It is the place where we have the least amount of strength and ability. It's when God has to take over or we will fail. I forgot about that vision for a little while. In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson reminded me of where God really wants me.

I have been comfortable for too long. I have not done anything that for it to happen it would only be by the grace of God. If you are in need of a red-hot shot of faith pumping adrenaline, then read this book. If you worship and serve a comfortable, safe god then forget it.

She's Back

After a four day absence, Kelli is safely back home. All is right at the Whitehead household again. I tell you, single parents are the most incredible people that walk this earth! I knew that Kelli was coming home. I knew I only had to hold it together for four days. Single parents do this every day! If you are a single parent, let me just say this - "you are awesome!" I'm sure your kids under appreciate you. I'm sure your co-workers have no clue what it takes to do what you do at work and at home. I caught a little glimpse. You guys rock!

A New Appreciation

I haven't posted anything for the last two weeks because I was in North Carolina with 40 guys playing golf all last week. It was totally awesome. We played 36 holes each day. I have never played that much golf in one week in my entire life. I think I played more golf last week than I did all of last year.

So I returned this week and I have been trying to "catch up" after being gone all of the week before.

I am experiencing something that is very different for me this weekend. I am usually the one in my family that travels, whether it is for business or pleasure. My wife, Kelli, rarely goes any where for an extended period of time. However, she is on holiday with her college roommates at Lake Placid, New York for four days. Yikes!

She has been gone for 24 hours and I already have a new appreciation for what she does to make our family what it is. Let me just say, she rocks!

Here's something else that I have a new appreciation for - seekers. In the last 24 hours there has been a void in my life and in the lives of my two kids. There is obviously someone missing from our lives. I can feel it very clearly, and I know my kids can as well.

This has created in me a realization of how people who don't have a relationship with Jesus walk around every day of their lives. There is someone obviously missing. The way I have compensated for this person missing in our lives is to fill our time with busyness. We have a very full weekend planned. I think the same is true for people who don't know Jesus or who have, for whatever reason, walked away from a relationship with Jesus. They fill their time with so much busyness and so much other stuff that they don't have the time or the energy to realize that void in them is because Jesus isn't there.

When I sat down this morning with my kids before school to pray for the day and for Kelli, we had the time to think about the void in our lives because she isn't here. All three of us began to cry. It hurts to have that void. If we hurt because of the void left because Kelli isn't here, then the pain in people's lives because the void they have is because Jesus isn't there is huge.

There are 31,000 unchurched people around Charter Oak Church. 31,000 people who are going through their ordinary, everyday life with a void. We need to let people in this region know that they matter to God and can have a relationship with Jesus that will fill the void that they have right now.

Influence Lived Out

I have always read that leadership is about influence. When a leader is able to gain buy-in to the vision, to be sold out to the mission, and to live out the values, then that leader has influence.

Later today I am going to be a part of the funeral service of someone from our congregation that I have been close to for most of my life. I looked at her as my second mom. This is not going to be easy for me.

As I have been preparing, I have received emails from all over the world. Emails from Japan, Australia, Switzerland, Germany, South Africa, Israel, and Estonia. All of these emails talk about the influence this woman and her hasband had on their lives. Hundreds of people will be here for the service. All paying tribute for this precious life that touched so many people.

I don't know if anyone would have pointed out that Teddie was an leader in the sense that books and journals are written. However, if those same books and journals are correct that leadership is influence, then Teddie definitely was a leader in her own right.

I give thanks to God today because of the way Teddie influenced me. I hope that I can have a portion of the influence that she and her husband Dave have had on people around the world.

Buzz

Within the Christian blogging world there is a great deal being written about "Buzz." Churches want to create a buzz about what is going on there. I am one of those people who wants people in our region to know about Charter Oak Church and the God size things that are happening here. I want people to know about it, because I want them to become infected with the love of Jesus. I don't want buzz just for the sake of calling attention to our church. That happened when we were on the news twice in the last year. First, when we were still in the construction phase and we had some things stolen from the site. Second, when the pipe froze and broke, dumping hundreds of gallons of water in our chapel and in the classrooms below it. I can certainly do without that kind of buzz in the community.

The kind of buzz I want to see created around Charter Oak Church isn't actually about us. It's about what God is doing here - in and through our people. As I was doing my morning Bible study today I read this quote from Romans 1:8, "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world."

Now that is buzz. What would it look like for our faith to be spoken of throughout this region? What would it look like for our faith to be spoken of throughout Western PA? What would it look like for our faith to be spoken of throughout the world?

Here's the thing...if the point of our existence is to be spoken of, then it's pointless. It's never about the buzz. It's never about getting noticed. It's all about obedience to God. Let's keep it real. Let's keep the main thing, the main thing.

Easter Celebration

Yesterday was a glorious day for God! It has to please God to see so many join heart and voice together in praise and worship of the risen Savior. The Super Bowl has nothing on Easter!

It was a great day at Charter Oak Church. Yesterday was the first time I haven't preached on Easter Sunday since I started into the ministry 13 years ago. I didn't need to preach. It was awesome to be here and watch God at work. Here are some of my observations:

• Pastor Dave's message had something in it for everyone. It didn't matter if you have been a faithful follower of Jesus everyday of your life, if you are an occasional attendee, if you are a Christmas and Easter attendee, or if yesterday was your first time inside of a church - there was a message of truth, of love, and of salvation offered. Great job Dave!
• Emails are coming in from people who prayed one of the prayers of re-dedication or of salvation and I know will continue to come in this week.
• Our leadership rocks in so many ways.
• I asked our leadership to park off campus yesterday. I was hoping to free up 50 more parking places for our guests. Because of a late day Friday issue with the off campus parking lot we were going to use, I had to ask our leaders to park even further away. Our leaders responded beyond anything I expected!
• On Easter Sunday we had more people serving in the First Impression ministry than I have ever seen. They were here earlier and they stayed later than usual.
• Our Sunday school teachers hit it out of the park with the large group experience and then in the small group setting. Those kids won't forget Easter 2007.
• The band, the choir, the soloists - all of the music was stellar!
• There were people who gave up going to worship so that they could be in the nursery - two rooms full of our smallest guests!

I have never been a part of a church that lives beyond themselves like the people of Charter Oak Church. Right now as I type this, there are a dozen people pulling food off of a truck, at our back door, in order to distribute later this week to families in Westmoreland County. The church is officially "closed" but we never really close.

Here's what I believe we said this weekend to the people of this region.

1. You matter to God!
2. The way to spend eternity with God is a relationship with Jesus.
3. We will do whatever we can to make these first two as obvious as possible.

My wife had a conversation with a family after Sunday school that was a perfect representation of what we tried to do this weekend. They commented that there were parking places available and they couldn't believe it. Kelli shared with them that we asked the leadership to park off campus and they did so others could have a place to park. They were stunned.

Oh, by the way, the chair team set up every worship chair that we own so that everyone would have a seat.

Here's what we said to our guests, there is room here for you. There is a parking place, there is a seat, there are classrooms for your children, and caregivers for your babies. Our restrooms are very clean and smell great. There is absolutely no reason you shouldn't come back. We want to partner with you to help you find your way back to God and have a great relationship with him through Jesus. Over 1,100 people heard and saw that this weekend.

All praise and glory to God on high! He is risen, indeed!

Book #8 - [Re]Understanding Prayer

As I am preparing for a series I am doing on prayer this summer, I picked up Kyle Lake's book [Re]Understanding Prayer: A Fresh Approach to Conversation with God. I wasn't looking for a "how to" book or a "7 easy steps to prayer" kind of book. I wanted something that authentically speaks into what people are seeking to do as they pray. This book definitely fulfilled that search. The honesty Kyle brings to this book on his own prayer life made it easier for me to admit that my own prayer life isn't always what I know it should be. But at the same time, Kyle makes it very clear that prayer isn't everything that so many people want to put on it.

I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone who isn't a Pharisee.

March Worship at a Glance

March 3/4 - I preached
675 in worship (29.1% increase from 2006)
283 in Sunday school (8.4% increase from 2006)

March 10/11 - I preached
622 in worship (11.3% increase from 2006)
258 in Sunday school (0% increase from 2006)

March 17/18 - I preached
696 in worship (17.8% increase from 2006)
273 in Sunday school (15.7% increase from 2006)

March 24/25 - Pastor Dave preached & Youth Musical
997 in worship (70.7% increase from 2006)
275 in Sunday school (11.3% increase from 2006)

Incredible Quote

This weekend I started reading Kyle Lake's book [Re]Understanding Prayer. I just have to share with you what I just read...

Why would God make Himself known to us on a personal level? Would it not be to speak truthfully to us about ourselves and the world in which we live - for our good and the good of the world? That is, there is a transformative dimension to conversation with God and a missional one as well. A transformative dimension to prayer in which God affects change in us, and a missional dimension to prayer in which God affects change through us. No doubt, at times transformative prayer takes the shape of simple wordless enjoyment of the Divine, yet we still leave changed.

Two Perspectives

This weekend I heard two totally different perspectives about Charter Oak Church. One was from a relatively new member and one was from a pastor in our community.

One of our members was talking to me about the need for courageous leadership in the Church and in our denomination today. Because of some things that are happening in our annual conference right now, he is very distressed with the direction some of our leaders at the conference level appear to be taking us. He said that he wished that those leaders would have the courage to speak the truth of the gospel as it is spoken from the platform on weekends at Charter Oak Church. I was thankful that he recognized our desire to obediently teach the truth, whether it is popular or not.

Then later in the weekend I had a conversation that revealed that there is a pastor in our community that is telling people that anyone who attends Charter Oak Church is going to hell because we don't teach the Good News of Jesus Christ. This pastor has never been in our church. This pastor doesn't know Dave, Mark, or me. He just made a blanket statement about where we are theologically.

I am struck at the difference of these two perspectives. One from someone who is from within Charter Oak Church and one that is from outside. We had nearly 800 people in worship this past weekend who heard in a very clear and concise manner the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I also know what Pastor Dave is going to teach on Easter Sunday - it will be a clear presentation of the Gospel.

One person I talked to this weekend was praising God for His work at Charter Oak Church and another person is trashing the work of God at Charter Oak Church. Why can't we all work together for the building up of the Kingdom of God?

Quiet Time

My usual routine in the morning is to get into the office at least an hour to and hour and half before anyone else. This morning I was listening to Leeland while doing some leadership development work.

That quiet time for me is so valuable. As I was in that "zone" I felt a new appreciation for those times that are described in the Bible when Jesus would get away early in the morning for some quiet time with his Dad.

That quiet, alone time I have each morning gives me the passion and energy for the rest of the day. If you are a leader, I think you need to get this discipline into your schedule. Would you be willing to do something that would increase your productivity during the day by 50-100%? I'm telling you, that my quiet time adds that much more to my day.

Book #7 - Measure of a Leader

Last week I finished reading my seventh book of the year. I haven't read a book this slowly in a very long time. The author was recommended to be by my dad. He suggested another book by Aubrey Daniels, but Barnes and Noble only had this book by him. I am so glad that they did. I am already reading it a second time. There is so much good material for leadership development in this book. It's not a difficult read. There is just so much in it that carries over into the leadership of a growing church with a growing staff like at Charter Oak Church.

The quote I posted earlier has all kind of biblical applications. Think about all of the times Jesus said "you have heard it said...but I say to you..." Jesus was talking about the difference between leading with "don't do this" versus "this is the kind of lifestyle that people who are his follower live daily."

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is leading people and want to get a lot better at it.

It's All About Behavior

"The average organization's leadership emphasizes behavior that the organization doesn't want rather than those that the organization does want. Focusing on reducing errors is almost always inefficient because it takes the focus away from the behavior that is critical to the desired performance."
Measure of a Leader, Daniels & Daniels

Email & Website Down

If you are trying to get in contact with me or with anyone on staff at Charter Oak Church, you can't do it right now through email. We lost our domain name and we are trying to get it back. You will actually have to pick up the phone and give us a call if you want to get information to us or ask a question. Sorry about the inconvenience. Hopefully, we will be back on line tomorrow.

Prolific Writers

I am totally amazed by the ability of some pastors to continually publish books, articles, blogs, etc. and still lead their congregation. I have taken a 2 week break from blogging in order to be able to do some of the things asked of me around here. I had to stop writing in order to really concentrate on some very important work.

Now I am starting to write my first curriculum for an upcoming sermon series. My next series is called Intimacy: A Look Beyond the Covers. I am in the process of writing a study guide for small groups. We are going to publish it in-house and offer it to anyone in the congregation who would like to study the material along with the sermons each week.

As I am working on this project, it makes me all the more aware of what it takes to write a book. I am hoping that this small project will teach me the discipline I will need in the future to continue to write and maybe some day, I will become a prolific writer.

Accountability

I called my accountability partner yesterday to check in with him, he has a major deal that is happening in his life right now. I wanted to encourage him and let him know I am praying for him. Even though he lives in Texas, thanks to technology, we can stay close.

In just a few minutes of conversation I walked away feeling blessed and closer to God thanks to this very good friend of mine. If you don't have someone in your life that will tell you the last 10% of what is going on in your life, then you need to find one.

People are already running from the church because of the character issues of so many followers of Jesus. This is too important to put off. You are very vulnerable if you think that you could never have a failure occur in your life. That's just plain arrogant!

Find someone who truly loves Jesus and loves you so he/she will tell you what you need to hear, even when you don't want to hear it.

Thanks, Mark. You're the best!

Leadership and Servant Training - Last Night

Last night at our Leadership and Servnant Taining gathering, I shared "five fundamentals" to a vital church that will be released very soon by a United Methodist bishop as a book. We had some great discussion over these issues. I love the leaders of Charter Oak Church. They are willing to open up and tackle tough issues in a way that helps me and I believe our church to be the very best that God has to offer. Here are the five fundamentals:

1. Radical Hospitality
2. Passionate Worship
3. Intentional Faith Development
4. Risk-Taking Mission and Service
5. Extravagant Generosity

The adjectives that are used are very specific and led us to really root down to where we are here at Charter Oak Church and where it is that God is leading us into the future. It also exposed some pre-conceived ideas. It was an awesome night that added great value into my life. You guys rock!

Politics and the Pulpit

I was recently asked to sign a political petition. I had to think about what the implications were for me to put my signature on that piece of paper. I have really bad handwriting so no one would really know it was me, but I would know.

I quickly decided that I wasn't going to sign the petition. But since then I have thought a great deal about the role of a pastor in the life of the congregation when it comes to politics. I remember from my church history class in seminary of how the church pulpit was a very powerful platform for putting across a political view point. Politicians would join the "right" church so they could have the backing and influence of that church. I also remember reading about pastors who used the pulpit to put across their political agenda to their congregation. I realize that it isn't just church hisory, it still happens today.

In today's society, there is a very strong push to keep the separation of church and state far apart. However, it does seem that the African American church has a greater acceptance. Last week I saw a church pulpit used in a very powerful way by a presidential candidate.

I vote at every election - local and national. No matter how big or small, I'm there. I am just not about doing the political thing from my position of leadership in the church. I want to preach Christ crucified and his grace is enough for people like you and me. I want to help people get on to God's agenda for their lives and to live authentically into that. For me that also means that people make their own political decisions without me trying to manipulate them. Because that's what it comes down to for me - manipulation, when it comes from the pulpit.

What do you think?

Book #6 - The Deity Formerly Known as God

I just finished reading Jarrett Stevens new book The Deity Formerly Known as God. The book is a spin off of J.B Phillips book Your God Is Too Small. Stevens takes on the destructive images we place upon God in the first half of the book. Ideas like "Cop around the Corner," "Sweet Old Man," and my favorite "All-You-Can-Eat Buffet." The second half of the book is dedicated to bringing to light constructive images of God that should shape our view of God. Great topics like "Late-Night Neighbor," "Single-Minded Shepherd," and "Lord of the Boardroom."

I liked Stevens' style and the conversational tone of the book. He opens his life up to the reader and we get an inside look at the life of someone who used to be on staff at Willow Creek Community Church, but has recently moved to North Point Community Church just north of Atlanta, Georgia.

Counting and Discipline

There were two great comments left on my last post on counting people. I wrote that we count people because people matter to God. The first comment talked about measuring spiritual growth. The second comment was about keeping the counting motivation pure.

The first thing I would say is to read Jim Collins book Good to Great and the Social Sectors. What Collins writes is that non-profits, such as the church, cannot measure success the same way a business can. Businesses ultimately measure success based on how much money they make. For the church we still must measure. The measuring becomes much more difficult, so we must do it with greater discipline.

Here is where I believe most churches fail at measuring. It is easy to just count how many people are on a membership roll, how many show up for worship, and how much is given each week. All of these things are very easy to measure. Most churches stop here. They will pronounce their statistics and leave it at that. I posted the statistics for February. But I didn't do it until I posted about a woman who had the opportunity to share her faith at work. I shared in my weekly email to our leadership even more stories similar to this one.

So we count people, but we don't stop there. We have to be disciplined in how we determine success. I have growth indicators that I am tracking for our church that have numbers behind them, but even deeper than that I look behind those numbers at the people they represent. I seek to connect with those people to find out what their story is and where they are in their journey to do life with Jesus in a transformational way.

The way I try to keep counting motivation pure is to always connect the numbers with people. I can be very excited about growing by 23% in the last year, but if I'm not meeting those people and hearing their stories and the stories of the people who are inviting them, then it's just about the numbers. I don't ever want to just be about the numbers. I am all about the people behind the numbers. I want to celebrate people coming into the Kingdom. I want the people of Charter Oak Church to know that the risks they are taking on the people in their circle of influence is worth it.

The increased level of discipline then means that we aren't just counting, but ultimately looking for spiritual growth. Spiritual growth to me is people who are being obedient to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual maturity isn't just about praying, but it's about praying when the Spirit says pray. It's about sharing your faith when the Holy Spirit opens an opportunity for a spiritual conversation with someone in your circle of influence. If I just count people, then I won't know the stories behind those people. I love it when I receive an email or a phone call from someone who "just has to tell me what just happened" when they were faithful to what God was prompting them to do.

Worship and Sunday School Stats

After publishing the attendance statistics in my last post, I thought it would be good to share with you what the year to date figures are.

2007 worship - 709 YTD
2006 worship - 573 YTD

2007 Sunday school - 264 YTD
2006 Sunday school - 236 YTD

God is at work in this place. People are learning about the love and grace of Jesus Christ. Remember, we count people because people matter to God.

February Worship at a Glance

February 3/4 - Pastor Dave preached
661 in worship (11.8% increase from 2006)
248 in Sunday school (31.9% increase from 2006)

February 10/11 - I preached
607 in worship (17.4% increase from 2006)
279 in Sunday school (16.3% increase from 2006)

February 17/18 - I preached (Snow storm)
564 in worship (4.1% increase from 2006)
255 in Sunday school (1.2% decrease from 2006)

February 24/25 - I preached (Ice storm)
631 in worship (1.8% increase from 2006)
172 in Sunday school (8.6% decrease from 2006)

Telling Your Story

This past weekend I challenged the people of Charter Oak Church to tell their story about what God has done in them and through them to the people in their circle of influence who don't have a church home. I just received an incredible email from a woman who was immediately put into a position where she could do just that. I love it when God confirms in very real ways what He has spoken through me on the weekend.

How awesome it was for this woman to have heard on Sunday morning about the times that God will give to each of us to enter into a spiritual conversation with someone who doesn't know Jesus in a transformational way, and then for it to have actually happened! I give great thanks to God that when the Holy Spirit prompted her, this woman shared her story with her co-worker. I know that God will bless that conversation, even if it is in ways that we will not fully know this side of heaven. The point is being obedient to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Deep Thoughts

Do you remember the old Saturday Night Live segment called "Deep Thoughts" by Jack Handy? I used to love those.

For those of you you check this blog from time to time to see what I am thinking about, I am sorry that I have not posted anything for the last two weeks. I have been in such an incredibly focused thinking time. I am going through a very steep learning curve right now. It's an exciting time for me as I am trying to step up my ability to do what it is that God is calling me to do at Charter Oak Church. It's also very exciting as I am learning about some things that we are going to be doing here in the future. I can't say enough times how totally awesome it is to be at this church, to be working with this staff, and to be serving with the people of Charter Oak Church!

So while all of that is going on, I have also re-read The Big Idea by Dave Ferguson. I am also in the middle of a sermon series called "The Treasure Next Door." I am trying to help the people of Charter Oak Church to see the potential in people in their circle of influence through the eyes of Jesus. And then to find a way to naturally enfold those people into the love of Jesus. It's been a great series so far, three more weeks to go.

Finally, I think I have been able to set up a one day meeting with one of my heroes for the end of May. I will have the opportunity along with Pastor Dave to learn from two great leaders at a church that is doing the right things for the right reasons. Man, I can't wait!

Book #5 - The Big Idea

I finished my fifth book of the year - The Big Idea: Focus the Message, Multiply the Impact by Dave Ferguson, Jon Ferguson, and Eric Bramlett. This is a great book for those leaders who have a bigger vision for their church and what they understand their role to be in the region. As I am being challenged to find ways to add value into the lives of other pastors in this region, this book was a must read for me.

This is a book about how to bring the Good News in a way that will have the greatest impact while working in the context of a team to accomplish even more that you could ever do alone. Since I naturally gravitate toward teams of people this book was a great read. Many of the things that Dave and his team are doing are things that I have wanted to do and have done in some small way over the last five years. This book inspired me to take it to the next level.

It's Been a While

Yes, I know it's been a while since I last posted anything. I have been off the chart busy the last two weeks, but some pretty incredible stuff has happened over that time frame.

First, I started a brand new sermon series called The Treasure Next Door. The whole point of this series is to help people to build relationships with people within their circle of influence so that they can point people to a relationship with God through Jesus.

Second, the freezing of one of our pipes in the chapel and everything that gets associated with that mess.

Third, our senior management team went to Sandscrest Conference and Retreat Center for a three day retreat where we looked at the future of Charter Oak Church. We looked forward in three time increments - six months, one year, and three years. It was a great time for me to listen to the other members of our team talk about their hopes, dreams, and goals for the future.

I had an aha moment while we were away. Our senior management team still has great passion for the people of this region. No one wanted to talk about taking a break or slowing down after our move. Instead, the list of dreams and goals were long. The really awesome thing was many of them were geared toward taking a stronger leadership role in the future. As we get bigger and bigger the senior management team will be doing less and less and empowering others to do ministry more and more. I was pumped up as I saw our team catching that vision!

Fourth, the major snow storm that hit this region shut our church down for two days.

Finally, and the worst of all because it slowed me down (the snow didn't have much effect on me, I carry my lap top and I have everything I need) was the installation of Google Desktop to my laptop. My computer went from a lean, mean processing machine to almost going backwards. I had heard so many great things about Google Desktop so I installed it. I could definitely see the advantages of it, but I couldn't take the slow speed. If anyone out there knows why this happened please let me know. As soon as I un-installed it, my computer went back to its wonderful self. Who knew?

Back in the News

We were back in the news last night. WTAE sent a news crew over to the church twice yesterday. You can read their article and watch the clip here. I still cannot for the life of me understand how they can get the details wrong. I thought it was there job to get them right.

I left this morning before the newspaper arrived. The Tribune Review was here yesterday as well. I don't know if they ran the story, but they sure took a lot of pictures.

All of this media stuff that happens so quickly and without notice, reminds me of how important clarity in communication is. I believe God gives us opportunities like these to speak authentically about what we are called to be about at Charter Oak Church. I think Cindy did a great job yesterday as our marketing/communications guru.

If someone all of a sudden threw a camera and a microphone in your face, would you be ready?

January Worship at a Glance

January 6/7 - I preached
646 in worship (12.5% increase from 2006)
278 in Sunday school (11.6% increase from 2006)

January 13/14 - Dave preached
739 in worship (21.9% increase from 2006)
316 in Sunday school (33.9% increase from 2006)

January 20/21 - Dave preached
691 in worship (21.7% increase from 2006)
302 in Sunday school (15.7% increase from 2006)

January 27/28 - Dave preached
1134 in worship (31.1% increase from 2006)
241 in Sunday school (5.7% increase from 2006)

The Big Idea

I just purchased another one of the books on my list of must reads for 2007. The Big Idea: Focus the Message - Multiply the Impact by Dave Ferguson, Jon Ferguson & Eric Bramlett.

The funny thing was I tried a couple of places that I thought would have had it - Barnes & Noble and then Border's, but neither had it. I had to go to a little Christian book store to find it. Kelli said that's what I get for trying to buy a book in person instead of on-line like normal.

I want to make sure I read this book before our Senior Management Team goes on retreat starting next Sunday afternoon.

Book #2 - Velvet Elvis

I am jumping back to book number two because of the missing pages and my waiting for Zondervan to send me a new book with all of the pages included in the book.

I would highly recommend Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith by Rob Bell. This book will be added to my list of books that I read at least once a year. It challenged me. It inspired me. It taught me how to think differently.

Here's one of those great thought provoking moments as I read, "If the gospel isn't good news for everybody, then it isn't good news for anybody." Think about what that means in the context of your circle of influence. Yea, I know, that could really take some time.

What I'm telling you is - get the book!

Out of Luck

This morning I was doing a little bit of shopping at Macy's department store. I was going through the check out procedure with scanning my debit card when the store's associate said that they were having some computer problems. He tried to make the transition a couple of times and then he called someone.

He said he would try one more time and if it didn't work, "I would be out of luck." Interesting comment. What he said to me was that I was lucky to be purchasing something from that store. I didn't feel so lucky. There was no apology. There was no request if I wanted to pay cash.

Have we come to the point that companies believe that we are lucky to be giving them our money? Are we in danger within the church to have this kind of mentality? Do we believe that people are lucky to get to worship with us?

I think many churches live into this mentality with the way they use language that doesn't connect to people outside or even inside the church. They do it by choosing to be traditional instead of relational. They do it by preaching boring sermons.

I also shopped at Men's Wearhouse this morning. I purchased a pair of pants that they didn't even have in the store. However, every time I have been in this store it is a relational experience. They do not have the same mentality that Macy's has. They treat me like a privileged guest. It's all in the little things that they do that sets them apart. I may have to spend more money there, but it's worth it.

As I finished paying for my pants, it would have been very easy for the sales person to hand me my receipt across the counter and for her to tell me to have a nice day, like she had done a million times before. Instead, she walked out around the counter (which was pretty big to begin with) and she handed me my receipt. It's not a huge thing, but to me that's service.

Are we in the church willing to have "walk around the counter" service for the people who walk in our doors? Are we willing to put aside the "I've done this a million times" attitude and treat each person who walks in our doors as a treasure from God?

Book #4 - The Jesus of Suburbia

I just finished reading The Jesus of Suburbia: Have We Tamed the Son of God to Fit Our Lifestyle? by Mike Erre. This is a good book for people who are just entering into the post modern discussion. Mike even admits during the Acknowledgements that he doesn't really have an original thought. If you have read anything from Rob Bell, Len Sweet, or Erwin McManus you won't really read anything all that new. That being said, Mike does do a good job of presenting a very real conversation with a pastor who admits that he doesn't have all of the answers and he is more interested in engaging the questions than coming up with the perfect response.

Our Senior Management Team will be discussing this book while we are away on our retreat later this month.

New Velvet Elvis

As I told you before, I was reading Rob Bell's book Velvet Elvis and in the middle of the book, there was a whole section missing. I did the paper work for Zondervan and I have now received my new copy. I am very happy to write that all of the pages that were missing are included. What strikes me is that there was nothing that was included in the package containing the replacement book. There was no form letter. There was no, "sorry about that." Just the book.

When I mess up, I do my absolute best to apologize for my error. It just seems like the right thing to do. When a company fails at producing a promised product, I guess I expected them to have an even higher standard. It is an interesting learning moment for me when it comes to Charter Oak Church.

Book #3 - The E Myth Revisited

While I was on vacation I finished my third book for 2007 - The E Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber. I originally placed this book on my reading list because so many leaders that I follow highly recommended it. Now I know why. I read the book through the lens of the church. Where it talked about small business I inserted the church. Wow, why most churches don't work and what to do about it. Now that's something that all church leaders should be getting into.

I loved the section on the Business Development Process of innovation, quantification, and orchestration. That alone was worth the price of the book. Then he laid out a great explanation of the strategic objective. All too often the church just lives day by day.

There was just so much information found in this book. I would highly recommend the book for church leaders and for small business owners.

Going To Disney World

The Whitehead Family is going to Disney World in 3 days!

Changing Churches

One of the people I follow very closely is changing churches. Tony Morgan is the pastor of administrative services at Granger Community Church. This is the church that everyone on our staff and many of the key leaders in our congregation have visited for the Innovative Church Conference. This is the church we learn from more than any other. Tony is one of those leaders that I learn a great deal from on a weekly basis.

I was shocked when I received an email from the senior pastor at Granger, Mark Beeson, announcing Tony's move. Tony will be moving to New Spring Community Church in South Carolina. Perry Noble is the pastor there. This is a church on the move. 1 out of every 22 people in their county attend this church. There are counties in which this isn't true for all of the churches combined! The incredible thing is New Spring is only 7 years old.

I am going to watch this move very carefully because moves are going to start to be announced soon within the United Methodist Church system. Starting next week the bishop will meet with the rest of the cabinet and decide which pastors will be moving to new churches this year. This is very often a stressful time for pastors and churches. My previous church will be getting a new senior pastor. The current one has been there over 25 years and is retiring.

I will watch how Tony, Granger Community Church, and its senior management team go through this transition. I will keep you updated with my learnings.

Final 2006 Stats

The final statistics are in on 2006. I don't share these numbers to pat ourselves on the back, but to say "way to go God!" This has been an incredible year and I am so thankful that God has placed me at Charter Oak Church. Here's the info:

Attendance:
2006 Worship

• December average - 921
• Year average - 605

2005 Worship

• December average - 774
• Year average - 503

2006 Sunday school

• December average - 245
• Year average - 215

2005 Sunday school

• December average - 183
• Year average - 184

Finances (General Fund only)

• December 2006 - $105,477.60
• December 2005 - $59,341.98
• YTD 2006 - $787,932.16
• YTD 2005 - $646,290.62

Finances (Total Income)

• December 2006 - $210,891.79
• December 2005 - $187,414.71
• YTD 2006 - $1,422,788.99
• YTD 2005 - $1,178,141.78

Remember, the best is yet to come!

December Worship at a Glance

December 2/3 - I preached
605 in worship (24.5% increase from 2005)
280 in Sunday school (23.9% increase from 2005)

December 9/10 - Dave preached
1,102 in worship (28.3% increase from 2005)
267 in Sunday school (65.8% increase from 2005)

December 16/17 - Dave preached
679 in worship (34.2% increase from 2005)
280 in Sunday school (42.9% increase from 2005)

December 23/24 - Dave & I preached
1570 in worship (26.2% increase from 2005)
No Sunday school

December 30/31 - Mark preached
647 in worship (235.3% increase from 2005)
154 in Sunday school (No Sunday school in 2005)

Four More Books!

Last night I received a great gift - four more books! What an incredible surprise. Here are the books:

• The E Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber
• Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell
• First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman
• Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham & Donald O. Clifton

I am so excited about these books. I am starting E Myth Revisited while I wait for Zondervan to send me another copy of Velvet Elvis.

Thanks Tom, you're the best!

Tough Question - Dying Church

Tonight I was doing ministry by "walking around" after our Wednesday night children's ministry program called Mission Possible. I was introduced to one of the moms. She told me that her daughter loves Mission Possible and is learning so much. She said she and her husband were in a delimma. They currently attend another church. There is one child in the Sunday school program - their's. They were thinking about switching to Charter Oak Church because they want their daughter to learn about having a relationship with Jesus. She asked me what they should do.

I said a quick prayer and then answered her that we would never try to take a family from another church. I told her I would never say anything negative about another church. Then I told her that she and her husband have a responsibility to raise their children to love God with all of their heart, mind, soul, and strength. If they do not genuinely believe that is happening where they are now, then they need to find a place where that can happen.

I didn't get the feeling that this family is "church shopping" - trying us out because we are new. I really felt that this mom wants the best for her family and is willing to do whatever it takes to help her family to learn about Jesus. She told me that her family history at her current church goes back to her grandparents - they were married there. It was obvious that this was not going to be an easy decision.

As a pastor, this was a very tough question because I'm not sure of what my responsibility is to another church and helping people stay at their current church instead of attending ours. I'm not into sheep swapping, I would love it if all of the new people who attend Charter Oak Church didn't know Jesus - that would be awesome. But the truth of the matter is, there are churches dying and closing everyday and those people need a place to worship and grow.

Is it more important that a person or family stay at a dying church or to find a place where they can develop as a follower of Jesus? What would you have said to this mom?

Missing Pages

I was reading one of my new books for the year - Velvet Elvis, when I was in the middle of a great story that Rob Bell was telling and then I turned the page and 20 pages were missing right in the middle of the book! I couldn't believe it.

So I went on the the zondervan website to try to figure out what to do to get my missing pages. On the frequently asked questions page, it was number 7. This was the first time for me, but this is obviously something that happens often enough that it rates a 7 out of 194. I filled out the form and I just sent it out. Hopefully they will send me a new book. I'll keep you posted.

Vision Message Response

This past weekend I had the privilege of sharing the vision message for 2007. At the end of the message I challenged everyone to ask themselves two questions:

1. What's your next step in 2007?
2. Who will you walk along side of in 2007?

I also challenged our congregation to sign up for one of our Discovery classes that we offer four times a year. Finally, I asked each person to listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and to come forward to receive a copy of my previous post on taking it to the next level in '07.

The response was incredible. We had more people sign up for our classes than we have ever had before. We had so many more people come forward at the end of the service to receive the card than I ever thought possible. I would have been happy with five people coming forward, instead we had hundreds. I am totally in awe of what God is doing here!

Commitment from Vision Message

I’m Taking It to the Next Level in ’07!

Today I am stepping across the line. I’m tired of waffling and I’m finished with wavering, I’ve made my choice, the verdict is in, and my decision is irrevocable. I’m going God’s way. There’s no turning back now!

I will live the rest of my life serving God’s purposes with God’s people on God’s planet for God’s glory. I will use my life to celebrate his presence, cultivate his character, participate in his family, demonstrate his love, and communicate his Word.

Since my past has been forgiven, and I have a purpose for living, and a home awaiting in heaven, I refuse to waste any more time or energy on shallow living, petty thinking, trivial talking, thoughtless doing, useless regretting, hurtful resenting, or faithless worrying. Instead I will magnify God, grow to maturity, serve in ministry, and fulfill my mission in the membership of his family.

Because this life is preparation for the next, I will value worship over wealth, “we” over “me,” character over comfort, service over status, and people over possessions, position, and pleasures. I know what matters most, and I’ll give it all I’ve got. I’ll do the best I can with what I have for Jesus Christ today.

I won’t be captivated by culture, manipulated by critics, motivated by praise, frustrated by problems, debilitated by temptation, or intimidated by the devil. I’ll keep running my race with my eyes on the goal, not the sidelines or those running by me. When times get tough, and I get tired, I won’t back up, back off, back down, back out, or backslide. I’ll just keep moving forward by God’s grace. I’m Spirit-led, purpose driven, and mission-focused, so I cannot be bought, I will not be compromised, and I shall not quit until I finish the race.

I’m a trophy of God’s amazing grace, so I will be gracious to everyone, grateful for every day, and generous with everything God entrusts to me.To my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I say, "However, whenever, wherever, and whatever you ask me to do, my answer in advance is yes! Wherever you lead and whatever the cost I’m ready. Anytime. Anywhere. Anyway. Whatever it takes, Lord; whatever it takes! I want to be used by you in such a way, that on that final day I’ll hear you say, 'Well done, thou good and faithful one. Come on in, and let the eternal party begin!'"

Vision Message

This weekend I am sharing the Vision message for 2007 to the people of Charter Oak Church. I can't believe that I have this incredible responsibility. I certainly do not feel worthy of this. I just completed my final run through. It is going to be a long message. But I hope that it is a simple message that everyone can get their head around and can get their heart into.

On Friday as I just put the finishing touches on the message, I read this quote, "If a vision must be sold to others, it is not a compelling vision and is probably not from God. Spiritual leaders don't sell vision; they share what God has revealed to them and trust that the Holy Spirit will confirm that same vision in the hearts of their people."

Book #1 - Momentum for Life

Today is the first day of the year and I have already read my first book. With the whole New Year's Resolution thing in mind, I thought I would begin with a book about "sustaining personal health, integrity, and strategic focus as a leader."

He uses an aconym called DRIVE:
Devotion
Whatever I am devoted to is who I become.
S.O.N.
Scripture reading for the day
Observation from what I read
Naming practical applications for my life
Written prayer.
Begin each day with the practice of Bible study, meditation, journaling, and prayer.

Readiness
Spend at least an hour a day reading about the best practices of leadership culture today as
well as staying faithful to ancient truths of the past.
Life long learning: become a student of the culture, so you can continue to make a meaningful
contribution in God’s world.

Investing
Investing in key relationships, beginning with my family. I’m committed to putting my
family before my work and church.
Invest in other people who are strategic for the mission. All people are equally important to
God, but not all are equally strategic for the expenditure of your time for God’s purposes.

Visioning
Visioning for the future. If I have no future pictures, I’ll live in the past. It’s critical that
you have a picture, because you become your life picture.
You have a unique calling; you must become who God has created you to be.
Look forward through eyes of faith. Articulate with clarity God’s preferred future; make
daily strategic corrections to your life picture.

Eating & Exercising
Take care of my heart and health. Run regularly. Work out with weights. Watch fats, carbs,
& sugars
Take small steps and then bigger ones. Take a vigorous walk. Take care of your body for the
long haul as well as for today.

Think Psalm 120:2
Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips and a deceitful tongue. Save me from rationalization, procrastination, and a lack of visualizing your bigger picture for my life mission.

Cool Christmas Present

From now on all of my book links with be with Barnes & Noble instead of Amazon. Why, you ask? Because of Stan and Betsy. She gave me a really cool Christmas present - a membership to Barnes & Noble. Now every time I walk into the store to buy something and the sales person asks me if I have a membership I can say "YES!" I used to hate that question, now I can't wait until someone asks me.

Happy New Year!

Rock on! It's a New Year! Everyone gets to start over. That feeling of freshness, that feeling of maybe things can be better, it's one of the closest connections that I can come up with to explain the grace of God. With God's grace all things are new. No matter who you are, no matter what you have said or done in the past, when you genuinely ask God to forgive you, it's done. It's a brand new day, a brand new year!

Thank you God for reminding me, a sinner, on this New Year's Day, that your grace is sufficient, even for me.