Archive for February, 2008
Sunday Night Reflections February 24, 2008
It’s been an incredible week…here are some thoughts…
- THANK YOU to everyone who prayed for me this past week while I was at C3 at Fellowship Church. I had an awesome time and feel like the talk the Lord gave me went well.
- However, my favorite “audience” to talk to is the one at NewSpring. Seriously–there’s no place on earth I would rather be!
- Today’s message seemed to hit a nerve…a good one. It’s crazy the number of people that seem to think that Jesus wants us to do more and more…when in actuality He often wants us to do less – please see Matthew 11:28-30
- I thought the worship time in the 4th service tonight was completely off the hook…especially, “Lead Me To The Cross!”
- Have you made your “to not do” list yet? God doesn’t want us to be STUCK by fulfilling the expectations of everyone else, thus IGNORING His INCREDIBLE plan for our lives.
- Next week we will finally answer the question, “How can I really KNOW God’s purpose?”
- Remember, satan doesn’t want us to necessarily be “bad,” in fact, I believe his most effective tool is actually to focus us on being “busy!”
- Yes, I did talk about sex in the sermon today. Yes, God did invent sex. Yes, sex should be talked about in church. Yes, God’s Word is THE authority on sex. Yes, Song of Solomon is about sex. Yes, sex should only be between a married man and woman. Yes, that is all I am going to say about sex right now! :-)
- I mentioned my favorite bands from the 80′s today…they were Ratt, Poison, Tesla, Def Leppard, Guns & Roses and Cinderella…those were the days!
- We just went over 1,700 registrations for Unleash–ONLY 300 spots left–we had to cap it at 2,000. If you are planning on coming then I would register ASAP.
AND…just a couple more things…
- Chris’ post about Pete MESSED ME UP! Seriously–I just about LOST IT! There is NOTHING LIKE seeing people far from God meet Christ!!!
- Craig Groeschel had two incredible posts dealing with what senior pastors wished the people in their churches knew in regards to becoming friends with their pastor–it’s seriously one of the most incredible things I’ve ever read–here is part one and part two.
Lee February 22, 2008
On Friday, March 7th our church will host the CD release party for our worship leader, Lee McDerment…and I can’t wait! AND YES, YOU DO NEED TO BE HERE! Tickets are $15…but you get a CD in return. AND…I would get my tickets ASAP…they’re going to go FAST! Here is the link with all of the info!!!
Lee was the first full time staff member I hired. He was fresh out of graduating from Anderson University and had actually be offered a job at a church that he was considering…UNTIL…I approached him and asked him to be the worship leader at NewSpring.
NOW…let me say that I wasn’t sure he would take it or not–the offer from the other church included something we were unable to give him at the time–MONEY! Seriously, I told him he could have the job but that we would not be able to pay him.
Well–that was around eight years ago…he accepted the job (afterwards we decided that if this was God’s will then it was God’s bill…and we paid him a full time salary…NOT MUCH…but he didn’t have to work another job.)
Lee is the best worship leader on the planet. I am serious when I say that I would not trade that dude away for anyone else in the music industry. What makes him that way?
#1 – He loves Jesus! If a musician/singer has talent without a love for Jesus…it eventually shows.
#2 – He loves the church! Too many worship leaders are full of themselves and merely want to cut an album and make it big–USING the church to reach “their dreams.” Lee is DEVOTED to the church…He wants to see the name of Jesus made famous and knows that God’s plan is to use the local church to do that.
#3 – He’s real! Seriously, what you see is what you get!
Lee, I love you bro and can’t wait for this night…it will be a pleasure to introduce you that evening and then to sit back and enjoy the songs that God placed in your heart. We’ve seen Jesus do a lot here over the past eight years…just imagine what the next eight are going to look like!!!
A Conversation In The Gym… February 21, 2008
Last Saturday I was about three seconds away from a heart attack in the gym (for those who do not know–I am an absolute freak when it comes to working out!)
While I was resting between sets a lady came up to me and introduced herself and her family and said they just wanted to say hey and that they were members of NewSpring.
I asked them, “How did you begin attending NewSpring Church?’ Their answer was incredible…I’ve heard it a thousand times before…and I rejoice every time I hear it.
They told me that their neighbors invited them…and not just once, but consistently. After a while they decided that they would finally try it out…and haven’t hardly missed a Sunday since.
We talked for a few minutes and then they walked away when it hit me…there is hardly anything more powerful when it comes to reaching the lost and unchurched population as someone being willing to step out of their comfort zone and invite someone to attend church with them.
We take this VERY seriously at NewSpring Church. We know that hundreds and thousands of people in our community do not attend church anywhere…we know that the people who attend every week know who the majority of these people are…and the deal we make with our congregation is this…if you will do your best & go all out to get people here–we will make sure they hear about Jesus in a way that is relevant to their lives.
Conversation after conversation it’s always the same, “So and so invited me to NewSpring and…”
Sure, we do billboards, direct mail, newspaper ads…all of that; however, NOTHING can substitute for the power of personal invitation…nothing at all.
I said all of that to say this–hey NewSpringer’s–who is it that you need to invite THIS SUNDAY? Seriously, you’ve said something to them in the past–they hinted that they “might” come, but you haven’t seen them here yet? I personally believe that THIS SUNDAY would be a great one to do all that you can to get them here.
AND…when inviting them…don’t play games. Tell them you will come pick them up…and actually BRING them with you. Tell them you will buy them lunch afterwards. Do all that you can to get them here…because, I honestly believe that we serve a God that has never given up on us–therefore we should never give up on others.
Over and over I see it–someone invites someone & they meet Jesus…and LIFECHANGE happens. It’s one of the most awesome things I’ve ever seen…and I know there are more and more people to be reached. YOUR family members. YOUR neighbors. YOUR friends. THIS weekend is YOUR opportunity–don’t give up!!!
A Couple Of Things…Or MAYBE More… February 20, 2008
I’m getting ready to head out to C3…and I’m so excited I can’t stand it. :-) BUT…before I go I wanted to hit a couple of things…
#1 – The more I pray and study for the message this coming Sunday…the more EXCITED I get. Last week we discovered where we are…this week we will discover how to get OUT of the drained zone. Guess what–it’s easier than you think…well…maybe…
#2 – Yesterday we spent an hour in our creative meeting developing message and concepts for our Easter series beginning on March 23 (that would be Easter!) It’s entitled, Sex, Money and Power – The Man Series! I will talk more about the specific messages in a later post…but I truly believe this series will be both challenging and inspiring as we look at some very common misconceptions about manhood.
Ladies…trust me, you will want to be here. AND…please don’t worry…we will be doing a women’s series in the fall!
Four Qualities Of An Awesome Team Member February 20, 2008
I did a post on who and who I did not listen to here…and in it I said that I would address the type of person that I feel that a leader needs to surround themselves with. So…here we go…and sorry it took so long!
#1 – An Awesome Team Member ALWAYS Tells The Truth.
I have a rule with the leadership team that I serve with. (Who are they–another post, another time…but for now they are Jason, Jason, Tony, Paul, Shane, Trish and LB.) Here’s the rule…
When we sit in our staff meetings I want nothing but the raw, honest, painful truth about ANYTHING that we happen to be discussing/working through.
I am not one of those guys who allows only certain things to be said to me on certain days…I want honesty from those closest to me.
Let me say this…as a leader YOU must make sure to do all that you can to create this type of environment. You MUST invite conflict. For example, I’ve seen people give looks of disapproval when people make a comment but not speak up…and so I will say, “Hey Jason, it seems you didn’t agree with what Tony just said–what are you thinking?”
YES…it does create tension…but this is how the best decisions are made.
The same is true in our creative team…if I share an idea and it is not good–I want to know! AND…if I perceive that someone isn’t being truthful with me…I want them off of the team! Life is too short to surround myself with people who blow smoke up my rear end…I want the truth!
(By the way…this was not my idea…it comes from every successful leader I’ve ever seen.)
#2 – An Awesome Team Member ALWAYS Respects Everyone Else On The Team.
I am HUGE when it comes to respect. I am convinced that THE only reason that I am where I am in life is because of the favor and blessing of God, NEITHER of which I deserve…and so when it comes to our environment I do not want it to be a “respect Perry only” place…but EVERYONE respects EVERYONE.
Let me be VERY clear here…I respect EVERYONE on the team I serve with…and if I didn’t respect them then they would not be in the room leading with me. I LOVE these people…and when they speak…I LISTEN. God has used them to fire me up, inspire me, teach me AND humble me…and ANYONE of them can come to me at any time and share with me what is on their hearts because I respect them.
BUT…they also share that same respect with one another–which is ESSENTIAL for a successful team. If there is disrespect among the team members then you team will always drift towards dysfunction.
#3 – An Awesome Staff Member Is Always Loyal.
One of the things our team knows and understands is this–we all have each other’s backs!
Now let me be VERY clear…we would NEVER conceal any type of sin and disguise it as “being loyal.” That, to me, is overriding a Biblical mandate with a desire for comfort.
BUT…when someone else comes up to one of us and tries to talk smack about someone else on the team–we don’t put up with that–EVER.
Trust is ESSENTIAL for a team to achieve its maximum potential. You can’t sit around a table with people who you believe are going to go out of the room and bash you to their friends and co-workers. If I didn’t perceive that someone on the team was loyal to the entire team…they would be gone.
Behind closed doors anyone is free to say anything to anyone…but when we walk out of that room we do so with one vision…and we won’t allow people to take our eyes off of it.
#4 -An Awesome Team Member Never Seeks To Do The Minimum.
If you have someone on the team who is constantly trying to get out of work (OR who wants a divine marching band to play for him/her every time they seemingly go above and beyond)–WATCH OUT!
One of the incredible things about the team I serve with is that I KNOW that NO ONE that sits around the table has EVERY thought, “How can I do as little as possible and still seem to be getting my job done?’
I serve with people who have a pit bull type of intensity. When we come up with a project and assign it to whoever…they don’t halfway do it and then throw out excuses…they MAKE things happen…and are committed to doing whatever it takes to make sure that God’s work is done with EXCELLENCE.
Jesus Christ did not change the world with half-hearted, lazy, self seeking people whose biggest desire was to be solitaire on their computer! He turned the world upside down with men and women who were willing to go wherever and do whatever He asked of them…and He’s still seeking the same type of people today.
Hope that helps…
Unleash–I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS February 19, 2008
OK, I know I sound like a broken record when it comes to this…and I can hear the bloggers typing away now, “I’m not going to read Perry’s blog anymore…all he’s talking about is UNLEASH.”
I can’t help it guys…so…bear with me for just a little while longer. :-)
Last January (2007) our leadership team decided to try to host our first conference. We wanted to make it affordable and limit it to one day. We began making preparations in hopes that we would have at least 100 people.
Well…as some of you remember last year we had right around 900 people…and it was one of the most exciting things I’ve ever had the privilege of being a part of.
SO…this year we wanted to do it again.
I asked Tony how many he thought we could have this year…and he (along with the rest of us) said that we would be thrilled if we had around 1,000. (You can read his thoughts here!)
Uh…oh us of little faith!
Last week the registrations went over 1,500 with just a little less than a month to go. SO…we’ve had to do something I never thought we would ever have to do–we had to make the decision to limit the number of registrations to 2,000 people–which means there are less than 500 spaces still available.
(NEXT year will be a different story–we will have a lot more space!!!)
SO…if you are thinking about coming but haven’t yet gotten your team signed up–DO IT NOW!
And keep in mind that the reason we put this conference together was not because we think we’ve got it all together as a church…but to share our victories AS WELL as our defeats. We don’t think we are the perfect church…OR even the BEST church…but we desperately want to serve other church leaders the best way that we can…and we feel that this conference allows us to accomplish that.
AND…if you are a senior pastor, DON’T JUST BRING OTHER STAFF MEMBERS…but bring volunteers as well! Trust me…it could revolutionize the way they think about church and ministry.
For those who are registered–THANK YOU for putting this conference on your list. We are praying for you and look forward to serving you and learning from you. March 13th can’t get here soon enough!!!
What I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me (Part Seven) February 19, 2008
We are coming to the conclusion of this series regarding the question most church planters ask me, “Perry, what do you wish you would have known before starting this ministry.” It’s been fun…
#7 – Be True To Who God Designed You To Be
Pastors/church leaders (OR ANYONE for that matter) – please read this next sentence very carefully – you will never, I mean EVER, do life and/or ministry in such a way that wins the approval of everyone–so STOP TRYING. (Please see Galatians 1:10)
(I wrote an entire post on this back in April of last year entitled, “Playing for an audience of one,” if you want to read more about that!)
Early on in ministry I actually fell into the trap that it was actually my calling to make sure that everyone liked me–and that successful ministry was equal to being popular among everyone who darkened the doors of NewSpring Church.
Like it or not–EVERYONE wants to be liked by EVERYONE…seriously, I hate the fact that, at times, I disappoint people…and at one time I allowed pleasing people to consume me…and in doing so I was FAILING in two ways because, #1 – No one can ever please everyone and… #2 – In trying to please people I was greatly displeasing God.
God wired me in a unique way. I use comedy. I laugh a lot. I am A-D-D. I am not “deep.” I love Clemson. I hate cats (yes, even yours!) I wear blue jeans. I make fun of religious idiots. I am “abrasive” at times. I get emotional about the church and what I perceive to be God’s passion for it.
Bottom line…I am who God made me, and when I try to deviate from His shaping of my life to try to be what others expect I always make everyone around me miserable…and I dishonor God.
I’ve had people tell me before that I should never say I hate cats (I do–even yours) and that I should NEVER declare what football team is my favorite (GO TIGERS!) I could go on…but pastors, I promise you that you will say or do something each and every week that will offend the personal preferences of someone in your church.
First of all…I think that we should never purposefully try to offend another individual from the stage…but if you are being true to who God has called you to be and are, with all your heart trying to honor Jesus Christ…then let people get offended.
The apostle Paul did…
Jesus did…
And if it is our goal to be more like Him then we need to have our eyes locked on God and become exactly who He designed us to be! I cannot help who does and does not like me…but I can help whether or not I am becoming who I feel that Jesus has created me to be. I am not perfect…but I am striving to do what Paul talked about in Philippians 3:12-14…and if THIS is my goal and NOT pleasing others…somehow I think that is what God wants.
Who has God called you to be? Are you being true to His calling?