Sunday Aftermath

Yesterday, we had our 3rd service at Lakepointe Church. I was a little nervous about how many we would have in attendance. We knew that we had about 12-15 people of our core group that couldn't be there due to travel. My prayers was that we would at least maintain the crowd that we have been running in the 80's-90's. When the service started at 10:30, the crowd was low, but thankfully, they showed up and we ended with 87 for the day! Needless to say, I was excited. Here are some highlights:

• Our band was amazing! Two friends from Pensacola, Robert Gilliard and James Jernigan, flew up here to play yesterday. Robert leads the SEVEN22 band (the Tuesday night ministry that I led for 7 years), and James is a part of that same band (James also leads the Hundredfold Band). We also had a drummer and a bass player from the area that both did a great job. Our worship leader, Ben, did a great job of bringing these guys together for the first time to play on Sunday.

• Our message yesterday was about the core value of generosity. We talked about worship and giving through the story of the Wise Men and their gifts.

• As a part of the message, I gave away "one of my favorite things" (Oprah Style) - a Snuggie. (Seriously, it's not really one of my favorites. I just like to make fun of it!)
  

• We are seeing our people excited about bringing their friends to church. We had about 15 new guests.

• Our children's environments had a record high day with 24 in attendance!

• Again, our volunteers were amazing. A huge thanks to each volunteer! We cannot do church without you. Love you guys!

• A few weeks ago, our launch team made 1,000 goody bags with an invitation to our next service (January 17). We handed them out yesterday to our church and encourage them to hand these out. A few hours after the service, my associate Mark Nipper, received an email from one of our Lakepointers that their family had already handed out 45 goody bags!

• God has continued to bless us with another great offering! We also raised about $750 in Walmart gift cards to give to two family in need at Iroquois Middle School (the location of Lakepointe Church). Mark and I are meeting the families today and to give them the cards for Christmas! So AWESOME!!!

Again, I want to thank you for your prayers! Our next big event is on Sunday night, January 10 at Norm and Pam Beauregard's house. We are having a "State of the Church" address and we are praying for a large group to be a part of this night. Then our next Sunday morning service is on January 17. Have a merry Christmas!

The Lakepointe Dream

Recently, I read this post by Perry Noble, pastor of New Spring Church in Anderson, SC. What a powerful vision and this is what I desire for Lakepointe Church! Thanks for the great post, Perry!

PerryNoble.com
December 9, 2009

Ephesians 3:20 keep running over and over again in my mind…and I keep dreaming of a church (and churches…)

• That the ministry goes beyond the walls of the building and actually IMPACTS the community in a radical way.
• Where the broken, hurting and lost are received with open arms…and the religious are challenged to repent of their “perfection.”
• Where generosity is embraced.
• Where the staff and volunteers give their best to God in every task that they take on! (I don’t believe the church should look to organization like Disney and Apple for inspiration…I believe they should be looking at the church!!! Yes, they have great thinkers…we have the HOLY SPIRIT of the LIVING GOD! There is no excuse for half hearted, watered down effort in the Kingdom!)
• Where JESUS is exalted…NOT a denomination or a political party.
• Where Scripture, not Robert’s Rules of Order, govern the Body.
• Where people in the church REFUSE to ignore injustice…and EMBRACE that God has called the church to do more about it than simply pray…but rather to DIVE IN and do all we can to help all we can.
• That refuses to accept that the way things are is the way they have to be.
• That champions the next generation instead of teaching them they are insignificant until they can get a job and begin to tithe.
• That excitement and passion surrounds the Sunday services…and also an expectation that God is going to do something huge!
• That throws the desire to compete with other churches out the window…and does all that they can to help the body.
• That embraces the fact that Jesus originally called “unschooled, ordinary men” to change the world…and He’s STILL doing the same thing today. (See Acts 4:13)

The church’s best days are yet to come…and I can’t wait to see what Jesus does next. He loves His church way more than we do!!!

35th Birthday Reflections

It's amazing how fast life flies by and here I am - 35 years old! God has bless me in so many ways:

• I have a wonderful family - my wife of almost 8 years, Karen; and my 2 1/2 year old son, Nathan.
• Blessed with great parents, grandparents, brothers and their wives, aunt, uncles, nieces, nephew, cousins. Also, my wife has great parents and family.
• For providing us financially. I have some great friends who are helping us financially for the past 6 months and for the next 6 months plus as we launch Lakepointe Church. Again, thank you!
• Couldn't launch Lakepointe without the planting team - the Nipper's, the Sabo's, and the one and only, Ben Ayers! They have sacrificed in so many ways to be a part of the dream and vision of Lakepointe Church.
• I'm thankful for my health. This is one area where I sometime take it for granted. Need to be more discipline in this area.
• Blessed to have made so many new friends since moving to Detroit. I really missed all of my friends in Pensacola and at Marcus Pointe Baptist Church. The people at MPBC are some of the finest anywhere. They are always on my mind and in my prayers. They are about to take some giant steps of faith in this next year and can't wait to hear how God will use them!
• Most of all, I'm thankful for God and his gift of grace and mercy in my life. On October 14, 1982, I gave my life to Jesus Christ and He has been so good and so faithful, despite my screw-ups!

My birthday wish for you is that you'll take the time to reflect on God's blessing in your life. Sometime, we get so caught up in the moment that we take what we have for granted. If you're a believer in Jesus Christ, remember this: we are always doing better than what we deserve! If you're not a follower of Jesus Christ: you're missing out!

It's 20 minutes into my birthday and I have a lot going on today. Need to get my birthday sleep! Good night!

BY THE WAY!

Will you consider making an end of the year donation to Lakepointe Church? We are a non-profit organization and all gifts can be deducted from your 2009 taxes.

You can make a direct donation right now by simply clicking on the "Chip In" button below. It will direct you to a secure paypal website.

If you would rather send a check by mail, simply write the check to "Lakepointe Church" and mail it to:

Blue Water Association of SBC
Attn: Lakepointe Church
PO Box 1147
Mt. Clemens, MI 48046

End of the Year Gift

Wow! I can't believe that we are in the final month of 2009! God has done so much in our lives this past year:

• Selling our home in Pensacola last December
  
• Moving from Pensacola to Detroit in July
• Two families joining us from Pensacola in August
  
• Starting monthly services in October

Lakepointe Church is off to a healthy start as we begin to find ways to reach people who are far from God. We had 84 in attendance for our first service and 94 in attendance in our second service. Our third service will take place on December 20 and we are excited to see what God is going to do next.

God has been so good to us and we have some amazing partners that has helped us expand the kingdom of God in the metro Detroit area. But we need more help, as we prepare for our public launch in March 2010. Our goal is to raise an additional $25,000 as we need to buy more equipment and to begin our marketing campaign in February (mass mailout, door hangers, newspaper ads, radio ads, etc.).

Will you consider making an end of the year donation to Lakepointe Church? We are a non-profit organization and all gifts can be deducted from your 2009 taxes.

You can make a direct donation right now by simply clicking on the "Chip In" button below. It will direct you to a secure paypal website.

If you would rather send a check by mail, simply write the check to "Lakepointe Church" and mail it to:

Blue Water Association of SBC
Attn: Lakepointe Church
PO Box 1147
Mt. Clemens, MI 48046

Again, thank you for your prayers and support! Have a great Christmas holiday!

Sunday Aftermath

Today, we held our second monthly service at Lakepointe Church. We had an awesome day with 94 in attendance! Here are the highlights:

• Despite the fact that it's opening day for deer season (firearms), we had still had a great day!
• The weather was awesome today! A nice "warm" November day.
  
• A great sign: there were 25-30 first time guests today!
• We had about 15-20 people that were planning on attending for the first time today, but didn't make it. Some have already contacted us to let us know that they were sick, etc. Very promising for next month!
• I spoke on the 2nd part of the series, Unstoppable Force. The message today was entitled "Dangerous Pursuit." Talked about the tactics that Satan uses to cause us to be "stoppable." He'll do whatever it takes to get us out of the "movement" of God.
  
• We also honored those who served in the military (past and present), as well as loved ones who represent those who have served or are serving. Afterward, I had some tell me that they had never been to a service where the church honored veterans and really thought that was an awesome element to our service.
• Another great sign: our offerings doubled from last month!!
  
• Again, our volunteers were outstanding! The setup this morning went a lot smoother than last month. The greeters, children's workers, hospitality team, worship team, etc. were great! Our volunteer team are pumped up and excited about our new church. So thankful for our team!
• We had the leadership team of a church plant in another part of Detroit visit with us today to learn what we do and how we do our services. They also had a connection with Panera Bread and was able to get us free bagels and pastries for the hospitality table. Plus, we utilized some of their worship team to play with us today. Thank you to our new friends, Mike Gorr and Mercy Road Church!
  
• One of the purposes of the monthly services is to "tweak out the bugs." Our leadership team saw some of those "bugs" today and look forward to addressing those issues so that we can be the best that we can be in the future to come!
  
• Over the weekend, we were given 200 tickets to the Piston basketball game for tonight. We surprised everyone this morning at the end of the service and handed them all out.
• There was a great turnout of people at the game tonight. Many of our Lakepointers invited friends to the game with them and it was a great opportunity for me and our team to meet new people.
• Final thanks to our awesome God who uses us to be a part of His "unstoppable" movement! Amazing!!

Overall, it was a fantastic day and can't wait for the next service on December 20th! If you can, visit with us!

Launch Team Meeting #1

Tonight, we are having our first Launch Team Meeting for Lakepointe Church. We have about 25 total that is planning to attend. The purpose for these meetings is for us to invest and develop new leaders of our young church. Tonight, we will share a very important principle of reaching people and want to thank Craig Groeschel of LifeChurch.tv for this amazing truth.

Lakepointe Church Launch Video

Mark Nipper made an awesome video to recap our first service!

Sunday Aftermath

Just a few quick thoughts about Lakepointe Church first service today:

• Never thought that this day would come! I'm glad that it finally came.
• Our volunteers were awesome this morning. We couldn't have done it without you guys!
• The set up team showed up at 8:30 this morning. The temperature was 32 degrees. It was freezing! I need to get an ice scraper for the car. Needed it this morning.
• By the time the service began, the weather warmed up to about 45-50 degrees. It was sunny and gorgeous! A perfect fall morning. God, thank you for the beautiful weather!
• The worship was great! The children's environment was awesome! The hospitality was first class! The first impression team was very welcoming! Again, thank you to everyone involved in making this day awesome!
• Had 84 in attendance today (from children to adults). God is good!
• We heard many great comments from just about everybody! People were blown away on how we transformed a school building to a place of worship. We strived for excellence and it showed up. AND the people noticed!
  
• Started our series, "Unstoppable Force." I shared today on an Unstoppable Vision and challenge people to find a fresh vision for their lives.
• Thanks to the wonderful movie, Forrest Gump! So many great illustrations to use. I specifically used the clip where Forrest Gump ran across the country over a 3 year period. If you remember in the movie, Gump didn't have a purpose in his run. He's just running without "a vision or purpose." I applied to our lives, how that many of us are just running, going through the motions without purpose. Many are "Forrest Gumping" their lives away! I showed the clip where he stopped in the middle of the desert and told his followers that he was done and was going home. If we live life without purpose and vision, eventually we will find ourselves in the middle of the desert and will say, "What's the point?"
  
• I loved that we made a fun video to do our announcements.
  
• Our team met tonight to celebrate, and we wrote Thank You notes to all of our guests today.
• Thank you specifically to our core team leaders: Mark and April Nipper, Jared and Beka Sabo, and Ben Ayers.
• Final thanks to my wonderful wife who has made the sacrifice of letting me do this full time! I love you, Karen! Thanks for your full support and for being an awesome cheerleader!
• Heading to Pensacola tomorrow until Wednesday. Going to attend the Unchained Conference. Ed Young is speaking tomorrow night, Ergun Caner on Tuesday night, and Ed Stetzer on Wednesday morning. I'm praying for the opportunity to meet more pastors that will support the vision of Lakepointe and to be a financial partner with us.
• Final thought: God, thank you for letting me a part of your big plan and for this opportunity to reach more people for you!

Check back later this week for a short video vignette of our first service!

Opening Kickoff Series

What does a church looks like when it it's running on all 8 cylinders? I believe that it can truly be an Unstoppable Force. When a church is living to its true potential, it becomes powerful entity. Join us at Lakepointe Church this Sunday for this amazing series as we learn how the church is a force to be reckoned with and what it means for our lives!

The Service Schedule for the Next 5 Months (3rd Sundays of each month):

• October 18 - "An Unstoppable Vision"
• November 15
• December 20
• January 17
• February 21
  

Weekly services will begin on March 21.

Kicking Off This Sunday

Consider yourself invited.

We want you to be our guest at Lakepointe Church for one of our Sunday services. We will meet each month on the third Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at Iroquois Middle School starting October 18. Come check it out, no strings attached. We'll change the way you think about church!

For more information, check out the our website at www.LakePointeChurch.tv.

A Funny Perspective of a Pastor's Life

I know, I know - this is somewhat corny but I was laughing when I saw this. Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did.

The Next Conference - Innovate 2009

Next week, I will be taking our Lakepointe Church team to Grainger Community Church in South Bend, Indiana, for an amazing conference. If you're planning on attending, please look us up!

New Worship Leader

Lakepointe Church's newest team member - Ben Ayers!

This past weekend, I had the chance to meet Ben at his church, Warren Woods Baptist, where his dad is the worship pastor. Yesterday afternoon, we met for several hours and he decided to take the plunge to be the Worship Leader of Lakepointe Church.

When you're around Ben, you can't help but laugh. At the same time, he can be very serious (as you can tell in his only decent picture that I could find on his facebook page).

We are excited to have Ben on the bandwagon. Welcome to the team, Ben!

This is Our God

A few weeks ago, I posted about our trip to NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC, which is pastored by Perry Noble. One of the most incredible sights I had ever seen was the opportunity to attend the Wednesday night worship service in which over 500 middle school students worshiped God. I was in awe as I watched these middle school honored God in their worship. One of the songs that they worshiped was the Hillsong United "This is our God." This song has never affected me as much as it did until I experienced it at NewSpring. Since then, the powerful words of this song has been stuck in my head and in my heart.

Freely You gave it all for us
Surrendered Your life upon that cross
Great is the love
Poured out for all
This is our God

Lifted on high from death to life
Forever our God is glorified
Servant and King
Rescued the world
This is our God

Atlanta Trip Recap

I know! It seems like I'm doing a lot of traveling lately! Honestly, it can be very exhausting at times. However, I love going to new places and seeing old friends as well as new friends. This past week was no exception. I was excited to take my family with me on the journey as well.

On Thursday, I met with my church planting network that I'm a part of at Avalon Church and Pastor Ritchie Miller. I believe that this church is about to EXPLODE! I'm humbled to be a part of this amazing group and I'm learning so much.

On Thursday night, my family and I met up with David Huey at Bahama Breeze. I was a virgin customer to Bahama Breeze, and I can see myself as an addict to Bahama Breeze! It was delicious. David Huey is one of my top supporters and believers of the Lakepointe Church dream. Thanks, David, for your faith and belief in us. It means more than you realize!

On Friday and Saturday, we decided to have some family time. In the midst of the all the chaos and transition this year, we needed a little bit of a vacation. We explored the Atlanta Aquarium - we were in awe, including Nate. I think Nate named every fish "Nemo" (he loves Nemo and watches that movie everyday - seriously). It was a great time for me and Karen to watch Nate interacts with the world around him. (BTW, he's 29 months old).

We also spend some time with my uncle and his faithful girlfriend, along with my cousin, Johnna (she's a mess). We hung out at the Mall of Georgia in Buford. On Saturday night, we enjoyed a relaxing evening at Stone Mountain for the Laser Show.

On Sunday, I spoke at my good friend's church at Gracepointe Church. Andy Anderson is the pastor and used to work with me at Marcus Pointe in Pensacola, FL. This church honored me and my family and gave a generous love offering for Lakepointe Church. We are excited about the partnership that we have with this young church.

For the next two weeks, I will be staying around Detroit until we head back to Gulf Shores, AL (30 miles from Pensacola). Please continue to pray for us!

What will Happen to Your Pets when the Rapture Happens?

When Christ returns, have you wondered about your pets? Obviously, they're not going with you. Who will take care of them? Well, fear no more! Eternal Earth-Bound Pets is a service that will take care of them for you. Keep in mind that if the rapture happens and you don't go, you can't get your money back. So, make sure you're going before you spend the $110.

Click here to see their website.

Chattanooga and Sevierville Trip Recap

The past two weeks, I have been busy traveling and meeting with several pastors and organizations to share the vision of Lakepointe Church.

Two weeks ago, I flew to Chattanooga to meet with the board members of SCORE International and they plan to partner with us by donating $10,000 to Lakepointe!! They will also be providing short term mission trips to our area. This is HUGE!

Last week, me and Jared Sabo (family pastor) traveled to Sevierville, TN to meet with David May of The Lord's Child organization (a charity organization of The Gathering Church). This great organization plans to be a part of the Lakepointe's vision and will be donating $2,500 for the next year with the potential of more in the future. Also, they would like to partner with us to help clothe underprivileged children in our area. What a great opportunity!!

We also spend some time with one of my good friends, Billy and Selena Hodges. Billy used to be on staff at Marcus Pointe and is currently singing with the Kingdom Heirs Quartet. They are the "artist residence" for Dollywood.

After our visit in Sevierville, we continue our rode trip to Chattanooga (again) to visit with a wonderful pastor, Ken Duggan of Dallas Bay Baptist Church. We are so appreciative of the time that he spend with us to listen to our vision. We are excited about the possibilities to develop a continuing relationship with this great church.

The final leg of our trip was in Anderson, SC, to attend the One Conversation (not a conference) at NewSpring Church. We attended the Wednesday middle school service and the conference was on Thursday. We listened to pastor Perry Noble and the staff of the children and student ministries. If you ever passing through Anderson, SC, make sure you stop by and see this amazing facility. It's only 5 minutes off the I-85 between Atlanta and Charlotte. Look for my next post as I share what we learned at this conference.

August Fundraising and Travel Agenda

Despite the economy, God has been providing finances for Lakepointe Church. In God's economy, He is not struggling. He owns the "cattles on a thousand hills" and He will provide all of our needs to plant Lakepointe.

So far, God has given us great opportunities to share our vision with many pastors and church leaders. The month of August will be one of my most aggressive months where I will be meeting with several different church leaders and pastors all over the country to share the vision of Lakepointe Church and to raise fundings for the initial start. Currently, I'm in Chattanooga, TN with the board members of SCORE International to share with them Lakepointe's vision and strategy.

Throughout the month, I will be in Sevierville, TN; Chattanooga (again); Anderson, SC; Ringgold, GA; McDonough, GA; Buford, GA. I will also be speaking in 3 different churches in the Macomb county area of Detroit. I also have some other potential meetings that are in the works. Would you take a few minute to pray for safe travel and clarity in sharing Lakepointe's vision as God opens doors?

SEVEN22 Farewell Service

I know that this post is long past due, but I want to take a minute to rehash a special evening before we left Pensacola, FL. On Tuesday, June 16, our SEVEN22 ministry at Marcus Pointe had a night in which they honored me and Karen. We had no clue what was about to transpire but it was an awesome night, and it's one that we will never forget.

• It began with great worship from my favorite band - our very own SEVEN22 Band (BTW, you can listen and download to their music on myspace).
• Live and video testimonies from various people throughout our 10 years in ministry. Sometimes, you forget the stories of life-change that happens throughout your ministry. It was great to rehash those great memories.
• Special letters were read by both of our parents.
• At the end of service, they blindfolded me and Karen, and walk us outside to give us a much needed vehicle, a Ford Explorer! We were both shocked and thankful for so many that sacrifice what they had to give us this wonderful gift.

I hope that I'm not missing anything else, but I want to thank SEVEN22 and Marcus Pointe Baptist Church for 10 great years of ministry. My time on staff was priceless and the memories will forever remain in our hearts. We have made so many friends and are thankful for each and everyone of you. We love you all very much. (By the way, we have to stop saying "you all" in Michigan - we get some strange looks!)

Hello from Detroit!

Man, it has been awhile since I've last posted! Life has been crazy since last month. June was pretty hectic as I finished my last few weeks at Marcus Pointe and then packing our home to move on the 4th of July weekend to get ready to launch Lakepointe Church this October.

Since we have arrived in Detroit, we have been getting established in our community in Eastpointe, MI. We are staying at a home that the local association owns at no cost! At the same time, I have been able to set up an office at Lakeside Community Church - again, at no cost! I have also been looking for possible sites to begin Lakepointe Church in the Clinton Township area. So far, I have scouted about a dozen sites and we have narrowed to list to about 3 different places. Within the next two weeks, I will be meeting with key people for each possible sites to find out about availability and funding. Please pray that God will open the right doors for us.

In August, I will be traveling to meet with pastors and churches for more financial support for the church. At the same time, I'm still raising financial support from "friends and families" to help supplement our monthly income. So far, we have raised about 40% of our goal from families/friends. I will post soon about how you can be involved.

I have more that I want to share with you and about all that God has been doing in our lives, especially in the past 2 months. Stay tuned to what's God is doing in the next chapter of our lives!

Commissioning Service Recap

This past Sunday, our church family honored Karen, Nate and I for 10 years of ministry at Marcus Pointe. At the same time, our church took the time to pray for our church plant Lakepointe Church and the church planting team. This was a very powerful service.

• The service began with the choir singing "Revelation Song", one of my favorite worship song.

• Our very own SEVEN22 Band led the worship. It was an amazing time of worship. We sang for 45 minutes.

• Pastor Godfrey shared a few minutes about my 10 years of ministry. Great memories and lots of fun. I'm honored to have shared with him over the years.

• I took about 10-15 minutes to share my vision and strategy plan for the church launch.

• Ron Bishop of SCORE International took about 5-10 minutes to give us a charge about vision. He spoke from Nehemiah and the building of the wall. Best 5-10 minute talk about vision that I've ever heard. Thank you, Ron, for being a part of this special evening.

• Pastor gave a final charge to the Lakepointe Church team which last about 10-15 minutes. Four great thoughts from him: 1. Prioritize your life in the beginning, 2. Preach the Word, 3. Keep the Main thing the Main thing, 4. Keep on Dreaming.

• A beautiful Bible was presented from the church.

• $25,000 is committed from Marcus Pointe to Lakepointe over the next 2 years.

• A prayer of blessing and commission over the Lakepointe Church team.

• A cake reception was held after the service.

We were so excited to see a number of friends that we haven't seen in years. Thank you for everyone's prayer and support as we are about to move to Detroit.

To hear the audio of this service, click here.

Commissioning Service - June 14

Make plans to join us at Marcus Pointe Baptist Church on Sunday night, June 14 at 6:00 PM. As the sending church for Lakepointe Church, Marcus Pointe will be honoring and praying for the Lakepointe team on this special evening. If you have any questions, feel free to let me know. I hope you can attend this special evening!

HOPE Church Planters Coaching

This past Thursday, I was back in McDonough, GA, just south of Atlanta for my monthly coaching with Ritchie Miller, pastor of Avalon Church. This is the 5th months of meeting and Ritchie and his staff have been doing a fantastic job. I also enjoy the fellowship with other pastors and each month, we are bonding more and more. Through the tools of Facebook and Twitter, we are able to keep up with each other on a regular basis. It's just awesome to see how God is working in each of their lives.

I also brought Jared Sabo, one of the newest members of the Lakepointe Team. I know that his mind was challenged. It's always good to leave a conference or a coaching network to have the "wheels" in your head turning.

I want to close with this thought. Some have asked what's the value of having personal coaching. Statistics have shown that church planters that have coaching, their churches have a higher growth rate, as opposed to church planters who doesn't.

Again, thank you, Avalon Church and staff for taking the time each month to engage, mentor, and challenge everyone of us.

If Jesus Twittered

A Dangerous Disciple

Last night at SEVEN22, I spoke on a Dangerous Disciple. There are three qualities of a fully devoted disciple of Jesus Christ.

Pain

• Where you are and where God wants you to be depends on the pain that you are willing to endure!

• Hebrews 12:2 (The Message) - "Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it! Because he never lost sight of where he was headed - that exhilarating finish in and with God - he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside of God."

• If your goal is to be safe and pain-free - then you are following a false god! Jesus Christ did not die on a cross so that you can be safe!

• If you are persecuted, rejected, betrayed, or an outcast then EMBRACE it!! Worry if you're not!
  

Risk

• This is "living by faith." We will not always have 100% certainty. Logic will not make sense!

• It didn't make sense for Peter to get out of the boat and walk on water. Before we rip him apart, think about the others in the boat! Peter took a risk and although it failed, he showed more faith than those who didn't try at all.

• Too many of us don't want to get out of the boat in our lives! I much rather try and fail, than to do nothing and be safe!

• Risk, Fail, Learn, and Adjust - the constant cycle of a dangerous disciple who is willing not to live by sight but by faith!

Loss

• Matthew 10:39 (NIV) - "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." - To gain, you must first lose!
  

• Sacrifice - to give up something you love for something that you love a whole lot more!

• Jesus told the fishermen to drop net to follow him. They gave up something that they love (catching fish) for something that they loved a whole more (catching men).

• Thankful for the Nipper's and the Sabo's who are moving to Detroit to start Lakepointe Church with me and Karen. They are sacrificing jobs, families, all-year around sunny weather, and a great church home to reach people in a hard area of our country.

My Prayer for Lakepointe Church - "With Everything"

Lately, I have been singing this song in my head and can't get it off of my mind. This is my prayer for Lakepointe Church and Detroit. Pay close attention to the words of this prayer, and make this your prayer for us as we reach the city of Detroit so that they can see His glory.

To see the things that make Your heart cry
To be the church that You would desire
Your light to be seen

Break down our pride
And all the walls we’ve built up inside
Our earthly crowns and all our desires
We lay at Your feet

Let hope rise
And darkness tremble
In Your holy light
That every eye will see
Jesus our God
Great and mighty to be praised

God of all days
Glorious in all of Your ways
Oh the majesty the wonder and grace
In the light of Your Name

With everything
With everything
We will shout for Your glory
With everything
With everything
We will shout forth Your praise

New Team Members - The Sabo's

We are excited to have Jared and Beka Sabo joining with the Lakepointe Church team! We are very excited about their move to Detroit and will be moving at the end of July. Currently, Jared works at the church as a maintenance/lawn personnel and his wife is a registered nurse at Sacred Hearts Hospital. They are involved at Marcus Pointe in the children's ministry, and they both have a heart to minister to children/youth and their family. I have asked them to carry that passion with them to Lakepointe and to minister to our next generation of children and youth.

Jared and Beka are now the third family moving to Detroit (the Blanchard's and the Nipper's). By the way, Mark and April Nipper have finally sold their house (closing is next week) and will be moving at the end of the summer. Along with the Sabo's on the team, we feel that we are moving forward to achieve a big vision that God has put on our hearts. I read this quote today:

"Big vision comes from a big view of God... His plans are always larger than ours! He doesn't have small, insignificant plans for His church!"

We are excited to have a team that wants to accomplish big things for God in Detroit. Pray for the Sabo's as they make plans during this time of transition and continue to pray for us as we continue to seek the right people to be a part of the Lakepointe team.

The Cost of Your Calling

This is the last segment of the notes from Thr3e in Charlotte, NC at Elevation Church by Pastor Steven Furtick.

• The difference of where you are at and where God wants you to be is the price/pain you are willing to endure.
• There is a level of uncertainty in every certain thing from God.
• Gethsemane - "Olive Press" Before Jesus died, he went through the "olive press."
• Your greatest oil/anointing of your life is AFTER you are presses/broken. The only way for the oil to pour from our lives is to be pressed.

Every church leader/planter will go through 3 types of "press."

Emotional Press

• Revelation brings isolation. When you hear from God, you and only you may hear it. You may be the only one who hear a fresh vision from God.

Physical Press

• Figure out what you need to do to stay healthy and not burnout. The church needs you to be healthy. It needs you in the game!
• Find balance in your day-to-day ministry.
  

Relational Press

• Your destiny is not tied to anyone that needs you.
• Have the gift of "goodbye." Don't be afraid to cut those who are not on board with your vision.
• Some people will walk away from you. TD Jakes says: "Let 'em walk!"

Three Applications:
1. Receive God's Activity - Jesus received the "cup" in the garden.
2. Remember what God has done for you and how He supplied for you.
3. Respond to God's new direction in your life.

Interview with Craig Groeschel

Funny stuff as Tripp Crosby and Tyler Stanton interviews Craig Groeschel. Hope you enjoy!

Thr3e Session 2 - Momentum and Team Development

Again, more notes from Thr3e conference in at Elevation Church (Charlotte, NC) with Pastor Steven Furtick. The second half of session 2 was devoted to two topics: Momentum and Team Development.

Momentum

• God creates momentum. All we can do is ride it.
• Every church has 5 possible stages: Birth, Growth, Plateau, Decline, Death
• Most churches are too late to initiate new momentum (they do it during the "decline" stage of the church). Reinitiate and look for new ways to keep growth and momentum going before the "plateau" stage (in the growth stage). Example: Don't wait to max out before you add more chairs, space, (or in Elevation's case, multi-site).
• Often, when you see it, it's too late to change it!

Team Creation and Development

• Staff development is not an activity; it's a culture.
• Leadership is about empowerment.
• The greatest compliment is to demand more from someone.
• Who do you hire next? Ask yourself, "What do I stink at?"
• We should have 3 things in hiring and keeping staff: Faith ("I believe God has great plan and potential in your life"), Trust (based on character - "I trust you and your integrity/honesty"), and Confidence (based on performance - "I have confidence that you will get the job done").
• If you don't have confidence in a person's job performance, then it's time to cut him loose.

Thr3e Session 2 - Systems and Strategies

These are more notes from the Thr3e Conference at Elevation Church with Steven Furtick from a few weeks ago. (I have two other previous posts.) I have a few more posts that I'm going to put out this week to conclude the notes from this amazing day in Charlotte. Some of this may or may not make sense to you, but they do to me. Enjoy!

Best Practice #1

We're Ruth's Chris, not Golden Corral

• We are not a buffet, but we offer the best steak "experience" out there.
• Less is better. Do a few ministries and do it with excellent.
  

Best Practice #2

Dress for the wedding, not the gas station

• Structure for where you want to go, not where you are.
• Plan your volunteers for twice your average. Example: If you have 25 in nursery, plan for your number of volunteers for 50 in nursery.
  

Best practice #3
Stress Participation, Not Membership

• Get people involved!
• They must buy-in before they sell out.
• Don't be afraid to ask for commitments.

Best practice #4
Eat the fish, leave the bones

• Learn from anybody - from T.D. Jakes to John Piper.
• Don't swallow the whole fish at a conference and apply it to your unique situation. Not everything will apply to your church.
• "The thing that makes you unique makes you powerful."
  

Best Practice #5
Create a culture of intensity

• Work the volunteers like staff. Pastor Furtick treated his staff members like paid staff members, even before he paid them a dime.
• Don't lack the courage to demand your people to live up to their potential.
  

Best Practice #6
Church is all about the numbers

• Numbers represent lives being changed. Study and understand your numbers and trends.
  

Best Practice #7
Think INSIDE the box (rather than OUTSIDE)

• Work with what you have.
• When you think "outside the box", it usually leads to frustration. When you think "inside the box", it will lead to innovation.
• "Inside the box" thinking will cause the box to expand and get bigger.
• Biggest limitations in our ministry have created our greatest innovations.

Top Tweets of April

These are some of the top tweets from those that I follow in April.

@perrynoble: When we focus on what is wrong with other churches and leaders it is usually so we won't have to deal with what is wrong with our own lives!

@ChurchSolutions: Don't blame yourself for the declines or you may be tempted to take credit for the increases. -Craig Groeschel

@johncmaxwell: Clarity of vision creates clarity of priorities.

@willmancini: Notes from Francis Chan at Exponential 2009 - http://bit.ly/xXaPM - A beautiful message about the Holy Spirit.

@ExponentialConf: You will not be allowed to do it on your own. Because then you'd receive the glory. -Derek Duncan

@jonathanfalwell: God will never do anything great through someone who is partially committed.

@ExponentialConf: Some of you got into ministry because you wanted to see the world made different. Don't you ever give up on that dream. -Derek Duncan

@ExponentialConf: The only numbers we should care about are the numbers of people we have NOT yet reached. - Craig Groeschel

@MaxLucado: San Antonio Spurs star Bruce Bowen helped with our river baptisms. That's keith Kennington with us. http://twitpic.com/3mxzg

@perrynoble: Refusing to address a problem and "praying" it will go away is not leadership!

@ChurchSolutions: Pastor Sits on Toilet for 24 Hours to Fight Cancer: http://tinyurl.com/ctllbn

@timastevens: Everything drifts toward losing the "why" for what we do. If we don't continually talk about Jesus, people will drift.

@ChurchSolutions: Why don't your guests come back? 15 reasons: http://tinyurl.com/cezod4

@perrynoble: People who loved religion and were addicted to their personal preferences were actually the ones who resisted (and killed) Jesus!

@perrynoble: People who say "that can't be done" are usually just looking for an excuse to remain lazy!!!

@MaxLucado: Overheard today in our church hallway. Mom asks three year old what he learned in class. Answer: "Jesus got out of a hole." (So did we.)

@jonathanfalwell: Found a quote in one of my old Bibles from a sermon Jerry Vines preached in 1989, "a defeat that makes you humble is far better than a victory that causes pride."

@willmancini: For vision to be viral it must be compelling enough to make people want to say it again.

@willmancini: For vision to be viral it must be clear enough for a unchurched, junior high kid to understand it.

Thr3e Session 1

I posted last week about our experience in Charlotte, NC with the Elevation Church staff and volunteer team. Each session was led by Pastor Steven Furtick and I want to give some of the highlights from each session (there were only 3).

Session 1
Casting Vision, Creating Culture

Each church plant needs to establish 3 important cultures in the DNA of your church:

The Culture of Audacity

• Audacity is a spirit, not a set of actions.
• You have to have a level of insanity to start something from nothing.
• Where there is no vision people cast off restraint.
• God doesn't step in till you step out.
• An audacious leader - See it, speak it, and stand on it until it happens.
• A leader's job is to cast an audacious vision - to see things first before anyone else - and stay with it till it becomes reality.
• An audacious vision is not "cut out and paste" from other ministries. It comes from within you.
• The thing that make you unique is the thing that makes you powerful.

The Culture of Honor

• Respect must be earned but honor is given from the heart.
• You can only receive people at the level you perceive people.
• If your people don't perceive you as a leader then people won't receive you as a leader.
• If you're support staff you should go home & ask "How can we help take weight off our Pastor?"

The Culture of Generosity

• Don't be afraid to preach on giving!
• Pastor Steven Furtick preach (or make applications) on giving 3 of every 4 sermons preached.
• Pastors must give sacrificially. No one can go where the leader hasn't gone. ... If you want the people to bleed, you must hemorrhage.
• Part of generosity DNA at Elevation Church: They partner with outreach programs, not create them. Elevation Church supports 18 local organizations.

Creation Minute - Episode 2

Again, this is another video made by Eric Hovind and is crew. Check it out!



CREATION MINUTE WEBSITE

SEVEN22 Series - Dangerous

Tonight, we are starting a brand new series called "Dangerous." I can't wait to share God's word and how he has been speaking to me these past 2-3 weeks. We have been taught that the church should be a "safe" place [which I agree] so that we can teach a "safe" message [which I disagree]. Too many churches don't want to be "offensive", and when churches have this mentality then Hell gets more crowded.

Make it a priority to be here tonight at SEVEN22 and invite someone to be your guest!

Thr3e Event Recap

One way to get excited in some of our country churches is to holler out:

"Let the wild hogs eat!"

And Mark Nipper and I ate it up this past Tuesday in Charlotte, NC! For 8 hours, we received valuable information and soul-stirring inspirations, but most importantly, we received a holy impartation as we learned from Pastor Steven Furtick and his staff of Elevation Church. I'm not sure where to begin but it was awesome!

The day consists of three 90 minute sessions, mainly led by Pastor Steven. The last 30 minutes of each session, the staff shared "nuts and bolts" of the ministry. Each participant received a jump drive of every document that they have used for the past 3 years (they have only been in existence for 3 years). God's hand is truly on this young church and its leadership. They averaged about 5000 in attendance and have seen several thousands decisions for Christ.

In the upcoming posts, I will highlight each sessions. Here's the overview of each session:

Session 1
Casting Vision, Creating Culture

Session 2
Systems and Strategy

Session 3
The Cost of the Calling

Stay tuned! I can't wait to share with you our experiences!

Creation Minute Episode #1

My good friend, Eric Hovind, has been working on an awesome project for the past 6-8 months. I have been able to get the "behind the scene" look at this project and I'm so excited that it has finally been completed and available for the public to see! Check out the website below!



CREATION MINUTE WEBSITE

"Jewels" of the Exponential Conference

I told you to stay tuned for some more highlights from the Exponential Conference in Orlando. These were some of the "jewels" of wisdom that I received last week. They may or may not mean anything to you, but they do to me. Here they are and feel free to comment any thoughts.

Craig Groeschel

• "What you believe about church is how you will do church."
• "The church needs to be dangerous again! The message of Christ is a dangerous message!"
• "If you plant a church without humility, you will turn alot of people away."
• "Don't push people to your vision, but God's vision."
• "People don't want to know how many people you bring in or how much money you raise. They want to hear a vision on how many people you send out and how much money you can give away."
• "Don't blame yourself for the attendance decline or you'll be tempted to take credit for the increase."
• "We [Life Church] are not a mega church! We're a small church with a mega vision."
• "The only numbers we should care about are the the numbers of people we have NOT yet reached."

Ed Stetzer - "Building an Indigenous Church"

• "Often we attend a conference and we plant a church in our head and not in our community."
• "Find God's unique vision for your church."
• "Adjust that vision as you learn the context [culture]. Don't fall in love with an "era" or you'll lose the mission!

Derek Duncan

• "Church planting is a difficult experience, but God is faithful and you're not alone."
• "You will not be allowed to do it on your own because you would receive the glory."

Francis Chan

• "How can we be so educated and yet so afraid?"
• "ACTS CHURCH equals uneducated and bold. TODAY'S CHURCH equals over-educated and not bold."
• "Where are the modern day Elijahs? Could the Holy Spirit simply be too worn to engage with us? Elijah boldly stood down all 450 profits of Baal. What has happened to us and the church? James 5:17 teaches that, “Elijah was a man just like us.” And we’d all agree that the Holy Spirit is still the Holy Spirit."

Exponential Conference 2009 Highlights

This past week, Karen and I enjoyed a great conference in Orlando, FL. Approximately 3000 church planters and leaders were in attendance. The conference kicked off with Erwin McManus and closed with Francis Chan. In between, we heard from other pastors around the country and around the world. There were also some breakout sessions that we attended that range from a variety of topics from a church planter's viewpoint.

This is one of the best conferences that a church planter can and should attend. Great music and great comedy was also a part of each main session. One of the funniest moments was the introduction of Francis Chan.



I plan to post some of the "insights" from the different sessions. Stay tuned!

This Past Week Reflections

We had a pretty busy week! Here's the highlights:

• Three Easter services on Saturday and Sunday. 2,775 in attendance and between 40-50 decisions for Christ. Glory to God!
  

• Tuesday night, Eric Hovind and I preached our final message in our series "Decisions, Decisions" at SEVEN22. We talked about the value of accountability and getting the right advice from the right kind of people (usually, we get the wrong advice from the wrong people).

• On Wednesday, I kicked off a 7 weeks seminar on "Discovering and Working Your Strength" with the staff at Creation Science Evangelism.

• Thursday morning, I flew to Atlanta to spend a day at Avalon Church with my monthly coaching network with about 12 others pastors. Discuss Easter, developing a team, and small groups mechanics. I was able to fly back home that evening.

• On Friday, I spend my day getting prepared for the message that I'm bringing to my church on Sunday morning. Pastor Godfrey is in a series "Conversations with God" and I'm bringing in the 4th lesson entitled "God and Doubting Thomas Talk." I can't wait to deliver this message.

On Monday, Karen and I will be traveling to Orlando, FL for the Exponential Conference. This is THE conference to attend for church planters. I will be limited in my blogging next week, but will keep you posted through twitter. Click here to follow me. Have a great weekend!

Upcoming Conferences

The next three weeks, I will be attending 3 different conferences that I'm excited about:

H.O.P.E. Pastor Coaching Network - Thursday, April 16

This is the monthly coaching with about 12 other pastors that meet at Avalon Church in McDonough, GA with Pastor Ritchie Miller.

Exponential '09 - Tuesday-Thursday, April 21-23

My wife and I will be traveling to Orlando, FL to attend this amazing conference that is specifically designed to the different stages in church planting. We will be attending the "pre-launch" track at this conference. The lineups for this conference is amazing. Here are a few of the main speakers: Craig Groeschel, Francis Chan, Erwin McManus, Ed Stetzer, Mark Batterson, Matt Chandler, Ron Sylvia, and the list goes on and on.

Thr3e Conference - Tuesday, April 28

This is a one day conference in Charlotte, NC and is hosted by Elevation Church. This church has only been in existence for only 3 years and was rated by Outreach Magazine as the 2nd fastest growing church in America. Last I've heard, they were averaging about 5,000 in attendance. Steven Furtick is the pastor and just turned 29 years old. I heard him speak in Dallas at Fellowship Church C3 Conference. God is doing some amazing stuff in Charlotte. The conference is full at only 150 people and I'm attending with Mark Nipper (have you been to his blog?). We will gain insight into the logistics of the launch of Elevation as well as the past 3 years.

I will be sure to blog about each one of these experiences. Pray for safety on the road for the next 3 weeks!

(Be a prayer partner! Sign up at Lakepointe Church website.)

The Value of Teamwork

It's always easier to go on a faith journey with others. I'm thankful for my wife, Karen, who has been 100% supportive of this venture. She is making the ultimate sacrifice by leaving her family behind in Pensacola to Detroit. She will make an awesome pastor's wife!

I'm also thankful for Mark and April Nipper and their kids. April is also making a huge sacrifice by leaving her family as well. They are both giving up good jobs and an established future in Pensacola to help start Lakepointe Church. These are awesome people who understands the vision of Lakepointe Church and they are "super-pumped up" about it! Again, this makes the faith journey easier when you have others who are supportive and are willing to sacrifice and follow as well.

If you are interested in being a part of a church planting team, let me know. I promise you that there is nothing like going all out for God to make kingdom impact for Him. Check out the following hilarious video to see what happens when teamwork happens!


Teamwork from Igniter Media on Vimeo.

March "Top 10" Quotes from Perry Noble

Recently, I've joined the Twitter movement and is pretty interesting stuff. One of my favorite tweets is Perry Noble, pastor of New Spring Church in Anderson, South Carolina. These are my top 10 favorite tweets from him in March.

10.
Fear of failure is one of the quickest ways to remove God's blessing from a church!

9.
One of the mistakes I've made as a leader is always expecting God to show me the EASY way instead of asking Him for the right way! (People often look for the road to "least resistance.")

8.
Positive change can never take place until a person (or organization) is willing to admit the truth and then do something about it!

7.
If you don't learn to handle insecurity then it will handle you! (Currently learning this lesson!!!)

6.
Church services SHOULD be WAY more exciting than March Madness! If Jesus isn't boring then His people and His house shouldn't be either!

5.
Many people say they desire change...few people actually possess the passion & courage to make it happen...and they are the difference makers!

4.
How long should we invest in something that is not making progress? Wait! Denominations have been doing that for years!!!

3.
Getting obsessed with routine and ritual is one of the quickest way to become irrelevant. (Currently learning this!)

2.
If the Great Commission is taken seriously...a church cannot stop growth. If it isn't then a church defends its "right" to "stay small!"

1.
You can tell what kind of ministry you have by who your church is attracting...and also who your church is ticking off!

Share a comment on your favorite quote from above and why!

Faith Against All Odds

With less than three months before we move to Michigan, you can almost feel the pressure! Against all odds, I'm praying that I will be completely dependent on God and for Him to "increase my faith!" It makes great sermons and it's easy to talk about it to other people, but when it comes time to take "giant steps of faith" on your own - whoa!! This makes me both excited and nervous at the same time.

• Excited because I know that God has great things in store for us for His glory!

• Nervous because of the unknown - I don't know how God is going to accomplish His plan through us!

This is how God works - He wants us to depend on Him on a regular basis so that we are not dependent on ourselves. He doesn't tell us in advance how it's going to work out; but rather, it's a day by day journey. Matthew 6:34 (NIV) says, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Please pray for us this month that we will continue to develop new partnership with us. Several pastors have called and expressed interests but cannot help financially because of hard times in their own churches. However, we have some great leads as well. Pray that God will give me wisdom to think outside of the box to find ways to support the mission. Finally, pray for me not to worry about the future (I have tendency to be worrisome!) but to completely trust in God - one day at a time!

If you are interested in supporting Lakepointe Church, please contact me at scott@lakepointechurch.tv.

Does Your Church Have "It" Going On???

As a church planting team, my wife and I regularly meet with Mark and April Nipper for prayer and fellowship. Tonight, we started a 9 session video entitled It by Craig Groeschel. We have all seen churches who have it and some churches who don't have it. It is our desire that Lakepointe Church will be a church that will always have it and will make huge impact in the lives of many in the north Detroit metro area and around the world because of it! If you don't understand what I'm talking about, then see the following short promo for the series. Hopefully, you'll get the point of it!

What will Lakepointe Church look like?

This past week, I read an awesome blog post by Perry Noble, pastor of New Spring Church in Anderson, SC. He shared how churches are so consumed with terminology and labels that they are missing the point of what they should be!

Read the following post by Perry Noble: Terminology or Transformation?

My desire for Lakepointe Church is to be a New Testament church who is:

• Traditional in teaching God's Word in relevant ways. The message stays the same, but methodology changes.
  

• Seeker-friendly in our approach to reaching people who are far away from God. We want them to visit a church where they don't feel like they are out of place and to receive a message that they can understand.

• Missional in which we are to always be adaptive to the changing culture that we're trying to reach. A church in Detroit is going to look different than a church in Jay, Florida.
  

• Attractional so that people will want to come back to church each week. Everything should be done with excellence! I know "time machines" aren't real, but they are real in many churches because it feels like you're in the 1950's when you walk in!

• Purpose-driven because I believe that a church without a purpose will eventually die or become useless! Our purpose is to see lives transformed. I pray that Lakepointe Church will never become a "country club with a steeple on top that gives our community the middle finger and tells them to go to hell because reaching them would make us uncomfortable!" [Perry Noble]

Happy Birthday, Nate!

Nate turns TWO today! He is growing like a weed and loves to say "no" to everything! This will be a big year of change for him with the moving and a new church plant.

This morning, we ate at Waffle House (he loves the waffles - too bad that they don't have WH in Detroit) and got a haircut. In a few minutes, we are going to party at the beach! We love you, Nate!