jayhardwick.com

The Word is Out

Just did an interview with The Greenville News. Glad to get some free local pub! I'll certainly link to the article when it is printed.

CC'ers...the word is getting out about what God is doing at Catalyst! And, in a few days/weeks, you'll have the perfect chance to tell a friend about Catalyst. Get ready!

Good Music: Steve Fee

Go get this album RIGHT NOW! Steve Fee is one of the primary worship leaders in the North Point organization and just put out his new album. I downloaded it last night and have not stopped listening to it since! CC'ers...look for a couple of these tunes to show up on Sundays at CC very soon. Maybe Steve will come, too....:-)

Thinking Steps

I spent all morning with Jake, our groups director, adjusting our assimilation process. When Catalyst cranked up, we had plans and ideas and most all of them have changed in the 8 months that we have existed! Which is why you have to hold everything loosely, especially in church planting world.

So, we took the lessons we have learned, the current reality we find ourselves in, and the preferred future for groups and mapped out new systems. It was a great meeting. A long meeting, but a great meeting.

My favorite part of the meeting was a question that we both asked numerous times. As we filled up the white board with arrows and boxes and phrases, we continually would ask, "Is it a step?" A lot of those boxes, arrows, and phrases had to be erased when we couldn't answer that question affirmatively.

Even more, if it wasn't an easy step, we erased it. If it wasn't an obvious step, we erased it. If it wasn't a strategic step, we erased it. It wasn't enough just to come up with a good idea...it had to fit. It had to lead people towards a community group. Why? Because we believe the optimal environment for life change is within the context of a community group. Everything we do must be a step towards community.

Now, I compare my meeting with Jake this morning with a church newsletter I just read and my brain hurts. Here's the summary of what I read: "we're busy!" Good grief, I have never seen anything like it. Page after page with event after event after event. Where is it all leading? Does anybody know? The likely answer is, "No."

I love the North Point model for lots of reasons, the paramount reason being that I have seen God use it powerfully and I believe God is using it in Greenville. But, the practical reason why I love it is that it is simple. As people are ready to take the next step in their involvement, there is an easy, obvious, and strategic answer as to where they go next. Everything is a step and if it's not a step, it doesn't happen.

I don't explain this nearly as well as the guys who came up with it. To hear what they have to say about "thinking steps not programs," check out this podcast.

Catalyst Heroes: Mike Ross

In a fairly recent sermon series, Andy gave a great definition of a hero: a hero "has the clarity to see what needs to be done and the courage to act upon it." We have lots of heroes at Catalyst. People who see what needs to be done and aren't afraid to do it. And it's time for you to know about them.

This week's hero is Mike Ross. A few months ago, Mike was not very keen on the idea of going to church. Like most people, he endured it at best. Then Mike hooked up with Catalyst and things began to change.

First, he started serving on our parking team and now he serves in UpStreet, our elementary-aged kids environment. The kids love him and it's obvious Mike loves them.

But here's the biggie...at the volunteer appreciation event we held a week or so ago, Mike wrote down the name of a friend he wanted to invest in, pray for, and invite to Catalyst. I challenged everyone to do that over three months...Mike did it in a weekend!

The next day, Mike worked with his friend who's name he had written down the night before. As part of their conversation, Mike invited his friend and his friend's wife to come to Catalyst with him the next day. To Mike's surprise, his friend agreed to come!

Mike felt what I wish everyone could feel at least once in their life...the feeling you get when you turn into the parking lot with a friend that you invited in the car with you. Here's what Mike said about it...

"...the weird thing is, i was nervous as crap on the ride there and the walk to the building, but once we walked in, it was cool."

Clearly, no one told Mike that "crap" is not an acceptable word on jayhardwick.com! :-)

Here's the best part...his friends LOVED their experience at Catalyst. They loved the music, the people, and even loved the weird video sermon. Both of them said they want Mike to bring them back to Catalyst!

Mike, props to you for taking advantage of the opportunity that was in front of you to invite your friends to church. Thank you for trusting what God does at Catalyst enough to bring your friends into it. You are a hero...at Catalyst and in the Kingdom! Oh...and in our city...Mike's a firefighter, an emergency responder, and our resident Anthrax specialist! :-)

Way to go, Mike!

Athens Church

Visited Athens Church this morning with some of our production team. Athens just started a THIRD morning service and is reaching 1200/week. They were the second North Point Strategic Partner and launched in January 2005.

The growth is most evident at the 11:00 service...they had about 100 people in the lobby participating in the service via plasma tv. Watching their host team respond to the challenge was impressive.

AC has a sweet set-up at Cedar Shoals High School's Fine Arts Center...too bad it's too small now! Their first set-up crew arrives at 5:00 am...gotta love portable church world!

Props to Lead Pastor Sean Seay and his team. If you're in or around Athens, check out what's happening at Athens Church. Just get there early! :-)

From Mavericks at Work

“If your company went out of business tomorrow, who would really miss you and why...

...because it’s providing a product or service so unique it can’t be provided nearly as well by any other company. Because it’s created a workplace so dynamic that most employees would be hard-pressed to find a similar environment somewhere else. Because it has forged a uniquely emotional connection with customers that other companies can’t replicate.”

Challenging application for Catalyst Church. If we evaporated, who in Greenville would miss us?

CC'ers...every Sunday matters...everything about Sunday matters...every small group matters...every service project matters...every conversation you have at work today matters...every volunteer team matters...all of it combines to determine our impact.

Environment for Newcomers

Does anyone know of a portable church that's knocking it out of the park on an environment for newcomers (hear about the vision/mission/strategy of the church and have their questions answered)?

If so, would you please email me with the church's website and any info you have on how often they do the environment, when it is, where it is, and any key elements?

If you are a part of a church that is getting it done with this kind of environment, email me and let's talk!

Gracias!

Jim & Lea Ann Wright

Several months ago, we announced our partnership with Beza International and Beza International Church in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. While we are still in the planning and strategy development stages, two of our CC'ers are there right now getting a first hand look at what God is doing!

Jim and Lea Ann Wright took off last Thursday and arrived safely in Addis on Friday night. They've had a great experience so far and have already seen what is possible in that city and surrounding area. CC'ers...follow their journey through their blog and make sure you pray for them as you do.

The Wright's took a big step to go to Addis - they had to raise a bunch of money, Jim had to leave his work in the middle of a transition phase, they left their kids (with other people, not by themselves :-)), and stay on an airplane for a really long time. But the vision they will have for what God is doing and how BIG He is will be worth it for them and us.

Jim and Lea Ann...thanks for blazing the trail to Addis! Can't wait to get over there myself!

A-mazing

Just finished our annual report that will go out with our giving statements for 2006. Wow...what an exciting year! Lots of peaks and valleys, but the year definitely ended on an escalating peak that has continued into 07.

I realized one thing we need to do a better job of in 2007. We need to commemorate "wins" more often and more publicly. People want to know they are a part of a winning team. It's easy to forget the wins of yesterday when you're in the middle of the challenges of today.

A few little known statistics for you from 06...

Since October 1 and the launch of our second service, average adult attendance has grown by 75%.

55% of our non-college-aged adults are in community groups. Add in students and children, and over 70% of CC'ers are in groups!

31 people publicly indicated they had begun a relationship with Jesus in one of our worship services.

A few comments from people...

“If I had a church like this when I was growing up, I would have been a different person.”

“I love Catalyst...I’m going to come all the time...I have been telling everyone about it. I’m sorry that I didn’t come earlier!”

“Thanks for letting me be a part of this awesome community. I know God is going to grow this minis- try and use it to impact the kingdom because it's definitely impacting my life.”

“I really do like coming to your church...I know I am new to all this church stuff, but I think everyone seems really cool.”

"Man, I am still riding the wave of emotion from yesterday and I don’t see it fading anytime soon.”

CC'ers...I keep telling you...GOD IS AT WORK! He has His hand on this city and this church and it's an absolute honor to be your pastor. 2007 is off to a great start and the BEST IS STILL YET TO COME! Be encouraged!

Good Music: Michael Olson

Our worship leader this past week was Michael Olson. Loved hanging out with him...great heart, great character, big vision for the Kingdom! Let me tell you...the guy can flat out sing!

So, today, we noticed that he is one of the featured FREE downloads on iTunes! His new record releases February 13, but you can download his first single NOW. So...go do it and tell your friends.