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Best of '06 part 2

On with the list...

Top 6 Personal Growth Books:

1. I am not, but I know I AM by Louie Giglio
God brought this book into my life at the right time. At the beginning of the year, I felt so inadequate to be "lead pastor" of a North Point affiliated church. Moses didn't feel adequate either. The concept of a "little leader" has stuck with me all year.

2. The One Thing You Need to Know by Marcus Buckingham
The "one thing" is actually three things, but they're all helpful. As a manager, my job is to discover what is unique about each person I manage and help them capitalize on it. As a leader, my job is to provide a clear vision of the future. For personal success, I need to discover what I don't like doing and don't do well and stop doing it.

3. (TIE) Confessions of a Reformission Rev by Mark Driscoll & Confessions of a Pastor by Craig Groeschel
I absolutely loved both of these books. I laughed out loud during both, especially Driscoll's. More importantly, I found encouragement from two guys who shared their stories with honesty and transparency. Driscoll and Groeschel are two leaders worth following...their books show why.

4. It Came from Within by Andy Stanley
I learned so much about the true condition of my heart by reading this book. The things Andy talks about - guilt, anger, greed, jealousy - really are monsters that lurk within and can destroy every other part of our lives. Andy writes as well as he speaks, so reading his stuff is always enjoyable. Be careful if you read this one...you will feel led to do some tough things like forgive, confess, give, and celebrate others successes.

5. In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson
This book fired me up! Mark's writing style is so creative and fresh...it's as if you're sitting down at Ebeneezer's talking with him. I think of myself as a risk taker, yet I realize there are so many opportunities day after day that I miss - lions that I should chase that instead, I hide from. This book says..."Chase the Lion!" Great stuff - I'd give it to anyone I know. Again, be careful. Reading this book will lead to risk-taking!

6. About My Father's Business by Regi Campbell
Over the last year, I have gotten to know Regi pretty well. This guy is fired up about influencing people around him. Using a tool he calls the IMAP, Regi gives you a great plan for thinking intentionally about all of your relationships. I keep my IMAP on my desk as a way of reminding me of the most basic part of "my Father's business" - intentionally investing in people around me.

My goal was to read 26 books for the year. All total, I read 32. Which is odd...I used to HATE reading. I mean, seriously hate it. I don't think I read any books in high school, but I almost owned stock in Cliffs Notes. Now, there's hardly a day that goes by that I don't spend at least an hour reading. I really buy into the adage that "leaders are learners," and I do think developing the discipline of reading is essential to developing as a leader.

Out of each book, I try to find 3-5 key points to apply immediately, take a step towards applying, or to think on some more. I generally read under three headings: organizational growth/leadership, personal leadership growth, and personal spiritual growth.

So, there you have it - my Top 11 books of the year. Already looking forward to my 2007 list!

Best of '06

It's December 31...time to say goodbye to 2006, wipe the slate clean, and start with fresh enthusiasm for 2007. We cannot close out a year without a "Best of '06" list. But, since Lara Beth and I don't watch much TV or many movies (my ADD won't let it happen), my "Best of..." list is confined to books I've read this year. So, without any further ado...

Top 5 Organizational Leadership Books:
1. The Experience Economy by Joseph Pine and James Gilmore
A great work to help us view what we do as creating experiences that illicit transformation. People are no longer drawn to goods and services, they are drawn to experiences that bring about change in their lives. Pretty sad that business guys had to write this...we should have figured this out years ago.

2. Good to Great and the Social Sectors: Why Business Thinking is Not the Answer by Jim Collins
This little monograph addition to the original Good to Great helps non-profits like churches better apply the principles of greatness. It's short, but packed with great insight and practical tools. I keep it close by my desk because I seem to need it weekly.

3. Purple Cow by Seth Godin
"The boring slot is already filled." This book is a MUST for any church planter. In order to stand out in the crowd, you need to design a remarkable product. Again, an easy read that is loaded with great ideas. This is close to my desk, too.

4. Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars by Patrick Lencioni
Any organization will naturally drift towards everyone looking out for himself and his department, sometimes at the expense of overall goals and mission. Great, practical advice for preventing silos and for destroying silos once they are built.

5. The Ten Faces of Innovation by Tom Kelley
It's a long one, but well worth it. Our team read this together. Great insight on how to leverage qualities and skills of team members to build an innovation culture into your organization.

Personal Growth Top 5 coming later...

Watch Out Lowe's Motor Speedway

Every year, my in-laws have a "cool" present for the guys. Last year, a Steve Spurrier autographed football. This year...they upped the bar.

My father in-law, both brother in-laws, and I will descend upon Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC sometime after January 1 to experience life behind the wheel at 160 mph! Yep, I'll ride shotgun with a professional driver 3 times around the Lowe's...with a firesuit and all...at 160 mph. Wow!

The experience will only be complete if I get a bottle of Gatorade and Pepsi when I climb out of the car, have someone change my webbed hat 6 times in 5 minutes, get to thank my 43 sponsors, and get to say, "We run good" in my post-race interview. Oh..and, hopefully, I won't pee in my pants! :-)

NASCAR...here I come!

21

There are some days in portable church world when the 3 hours before a service can literally make you question whether or not you heard God correctly. Christmas Eve was one such Sunday at Catalyst. Yikes!

BUT, as with the Christmas story itself, all I can say now is, "Glory to God in the Highest!"

Here's what happened...people invited their friends...the Holy Spirit led our creative meetings...God ordered a few last minute adjustments...and the result...21 people are in the family of God tonight who were not 48 hours ago!

I cannot put into words what a rush it is to see people publicly declare their newfound faith in Jesus as Savior. Our worship set was after the sermon and response time, and it was hard for me to walk off the stage and let our band lead! I was that jacked up!

Somebody said it best..."if that doesn't put wind in your sails for '07 at Catalyst, I don't know what will." Right on. CC'ers...this is what happens when we partner with God to create irresistible environments and invite our unchurched friends into them.

I love what I've heard and read from others. Check out my blogroll to see some other cool stories of God at work on Christmas Eve. And...congrats to Perry and Lucretia! It's about time...:-)

Some have asked for our setlist from Sunday:

Pre-sermon:
Better Days (Goo Goo Dolls)
Come and Listen (Crowder)

Worship set:
Salvation is Here (Hillsong)
Joy to the World (public; Third Day-esque arrangement)
Here is Our King (Crowder)

21...can't get over that!

No Excuses

Just read a report on a study done by Ed Stetzer, author and missiologist. Two big numbers jump out at me:

"42% of those who said they were not born again would come to a Christian worship service during the Christmas season if invited."

"42% of those who are not born again were very or somewhat likely to make a New Year's resolution to attend religious services more frequently in 2007."

How much more evidence do we need to know that by investing in relationships with non-Christians and inviting them to an appropriate environment, we are participating in the Great Commission? This study says that 2 out of 5 people who say they are not Christians would attend a Christmas service at a Christian church IF they were invited.

So...what are you waiting on? Do it! Invite them! What are they going to do...say, "no"...maybe. But, what if they think about it and say, "Okay. I'll do it." You won't know unless you ask.

And who knows, you may be able to lay your head on your pillow Christmas Eve knowing that you had a part in God totally re-directing someone's life...and YOU invited them into the environment where it happened!

CC'ers...we set up the theatre for Christmas Eve yesterday and I got REALLY pumped for Sunday. I've been listening all week to the music we're going to use Sunday...everytime, I get more pumped for Sunday. Here's what I know...people WILL cross the line of faith Sunday at Catalyst. The question is...who will it be?

Your friend? Your dad? Your sister? Your boss? Your business partner? Your dentist? Your neighbor? Your spouse?

You won't know unless you invite them in...there are no excuses! Go ahead, do it now!

Props to Catalyst "North"

No...we don't have another campus. But, my blogging friend Jonathan Herron and I thought Catalyst was a great name for a church. His is in Kent, OH in the most unchurched county in Ohio. They launched a couple of months ago and are already seeing God do some big things in their environments.

But, check out this cool thing they did for the city of Kent. Jonathan, props to you for your humility and for paying attention to the Spirit! Way to go Catalyst! Great example of the local church being the most influential organization in town.

Being or Doing?

"I didn't sign up for this." How many times have I said that...too many to count. How many times have I heard another leader say it...too many to count. How many times have you said it?

If we're all honest with ourselves, most would say we did not appropriately measure the cost of spiritual leadership before we jumped in. It's fair to admit it because how in the world can you count the cost for something you have never done? I have never started a church. I have never pastored a church. I have never raised money. You're the same way. Chances are, you had never done what you are doing now before you started doing it.

So, if you're like me, you analyze what other leaders are doing and sort of think, "Hey, I can do that." And then you get excited. And maybe, God shows up in all of it and gives you a vision for what could be and should be in your life, the lives of others, the city where you live, etc. In that moment, the clarity of the vision and the passion you have for "getting there" can combine to form a dangerous thought. If it was like mine, it went like this..."I can't wait to be a lead pastor."

I pushed away the whole idea of being a "lead" pastor, or "senior" pastor, or whatever you call it, for a long time. But, a few years ago, I sort of started to like the idea. Dare I say, I began to sense that is what God wanted me to do. But, in the spirit of full disclosure, I was more enthralled with "being" lead pastor, than "doing" lead pastor. And there is a difference...a big one!

"Being" lead pastor is the good stuff - preaching to the masses on Sunday mornings, casting big vision, having an assistant that keeps your calendar, writing books...you know the cool stuff that guys like Andy Stanley, Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, and Ed Young get to do.

"Doing" lead pastor...it's the gut check kind of stuff. It's the stuff no one signs up for when they sign on to being a point leader for anything. It seems especially hairy in church/lead pastor world. But it's the "doing" lead pastor that makes or breaks leaders and organizations.

In the past few weeks, I have had to learn the hard way what it means to "do" lead pastor. The hard way = by experience. "Doing" lead pastor has meant making an incredibly painful personnel decision, giving up communicating in our worship environment for the forseeable future, making a public reversal of a very public decision, apologizing to people I did not lead well previously and asking for a "do over," and taking very difficult baby steps toward better managing weaknesses. In a word..."I didn't sign up for this."

Don't for a second misunderstand me...I LOVE what I do and the people I do it with. The fact that I get to do it in partnership with these guys is still unbelievable to me. But do hear me say this...our church will be stronger now and in the future and I will be a better leader for learning this very important lesson - I can't "be" lead pastor without "doing" lead pastor. Neither can Andy, Bill, Rick or Ed. Neither can you.

The good news...God will bless and people will follow a guy more concerned with doing than being. Don't believe me...He said so:

"...This is the one whom I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word." Isaiah 66:2b

Low-Hanging Fruit

Molly, my 2-year old, loves Dora the Explorer. What 2-year old girl doesn't? She...We...has/have read the books and watched the DVD's so many times that she has them memorized. When we go on long trips, forget listening to music...we're going to listen to a squeeky-voiced girl who can't decide if she wants to speak in Spanish or English and who's best friend is a monkey. I'm not bitter, I promise. :-)

On one of Dora's adventures, she and Boots the Monkey (her best friend) are in search of ingredients to make a Mother's Day cake for Dora's mom. The last ingredient is a piece of chocolate, which they find hanging on a chocolate tree. Rather than going for the pieces way up at the top of the tree, they go for the one hanging the lowest. The one that's right there in front of them. The one that is the easiest to get.

Everytime we watch it...remember, we have it memorized, so we watch it a lot...I think about evangelism and specifically, the invest and invite strategy. Who in your life would be considered "low-hanging fruit"? Chances are high there is someone.

If recent studies are true, and I believe from experience that they are, most people who do not go to church are very open to an invitation to church. In fact, one study said that almost 80% of people who do not go to church would at least strongly consider it if invited by a Christian friend. Thom Rainer has recently suggested that people are most open to an invitation to church at Christmas. So, this is a prime season to take advantage of "low-hanging fruit". Some questions I am asking myself and now I will ask you:

1. Within your web of relationships, who is disconnected from church? If you don't have anyone, that's a bigger problem. Of the ones that are disconnected from church, with whom do you have the best friendship and the most trust? The higher the trust, the better the opportunity.

2. Of the unchurched people with whom you have the most trust, who is dealing with grief, wrestling with questions about life/direction, or at least seems to be inquisitive about church, Jesus, the Bible, etc.?

Christmas can drum up all kinds of emotions in people, especially if they have been dealt some big blows over the last year. Pay attention.

The end of the calendar year will cause some to consider if where they are is where they are supposed to be. Maybe a co-worker just got railed in a performance review. Maybe a friend was laid off because of budget cuts. Maybe a friend's marriage is really hitting the skids. Pay attention.

Driving past nativity scenes, watching the Christmas specials, receiving church advertisements in the mail, and any number of things can cause people who ordinarily don't care about spiritual things to at least ask some questions. Who has asked you a question recently? Pay attention.

3. What environment has the best chance to connect with your friend? We've designed our Christmas Eve service in such a way that it will connect to people who do not go to church - relevant music, an encouraging message, a powerful video, and smiling people all over the place. Yes...we prayed and listened to the Holy Spirit. Other churches are doing the same thing. For a Christian to say there is not an environment to invite an unchurched friend is a cop out. Invite them...what do you have to lose?

My bet is at some point during your day, you will engage someone who would be considered "low-hanging fruit". The question for you and me is, "What are you doing to get in on what God is already doing to harvest that fruit?"

Do you believe God is a BIG God? Do you believe His heart is for people who are far from Him? Do you believe that Heaven parties like it's 1999 everytime ONE person crosses the line of faith? If so, then get to picking! And don't climb up to the top of the tree and make it harder than it has to be...start with the "low-hanging fruit".

They're right in front of you.

More Traffic

January will be a big month at Catalyst Church. We're going to put on our big boy pants, crawl out of the sandbox, and start having church every Sunday. No more trying to remember if it's the first or third Sunday or the second or fourth. Come January, if your calendar says it's Sunday, we're having church!

And all the CC'ers rejoiced and were glad. :-)

We made another decision that will take effect in January that could have as big an impact as moving to every week. Since we started our second Sunday morning service in October, our service times have been 9:00 am and 11:00 am. At first, we needed nearly every minute of the hour in between services to re-load, make changes, transition volunteers, and be ready for the second service. Because God has brought so many incredible people to CC, the time needed has been cut down to about 15 minutes, tops.

Because our people are so good, we created what should be avoided like the plague on Sunday mornings...dead time. There's a little 10-15 minute window when there's not much happening in the lobby of the theatre. Everyone who attended the first service is pretty much gone and all of our volunteers are in place ready for the 11:00 crowd. Someone said, "Wouldn't it be cool if people coming out of the first service were bumping into people coming in for the second service?" Novel idea. I call it...buzz.

So, in order to eliminate that nasty little window of dead time and to increase the buzz factor in-between services, we changed our first service time to 9:30. The second service will remain at 11:00.

And the CC production & set-up team rejoiced - 30 more minutes of sleep and we might see the sun a little when we get to church!

We'll see how it goes. There's a lot of me that's nervous about only having 30 minutes in between services. But, our key volunteers and staff all say it will work, so I am choosing to trust.

The one thing I want to see come January 7 is someone walk out of the 9:30 service and say to someone coming in to the 11:00 service, "Oh man, you're not going to believe this!" Can't wait!

Guys Rule!

We had our staff Christmas party Saturday night over at our house. Lara Beth and I (mostly LB) cooked dinner for everyone and their spouses. It's been cool to watch this group grow over the past year and a half or so.

We had a blast! As everyone was arriving, I was on the back deck grilling the meat. I loved looking in and seeing everyone laughing and enjoying each other. Like Mark, I'm a big believer that you have to enjoy doing life with the people you do ministry with. I think we have a team that meets that criteria. The whole night was filled with laughter, eating, and sharing life. And, we have three pregnant ladies either on staff or who's husbands are on staff, so there's that much more to be excited about!

BTW...If you don't have Sarah McLachlan's new album, Wintersong, or James Taylor's Christmas album, James Taylor at Christmas, you better got get them now. No Christmas party this year is complete without them!

We started a new tradition - a Guys vs. Girls game of knock-down, dragout Catch Phrase. Round 1 was back and forth, but the Guys went on a run at the end to close them out. Round 2...well, that was a different story. It was a no-holds-barred BLOWOUT! So, Ladies, brush up for next year.

I love our team!