Sorry

I can't believe it is Thursday....the week has totally gotten away from me! Here are a couple of thoughts from the week so far:

• The "Chaplain for the day" for the State Senate was a blast! I spoke for 5 minutes but it was cool to be in front of so many great leaders who are trying to make a difference in our great state!
• Thanks to Sen. John Wiles (who attends NStar) who had me down there!!
• Got to see Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, I have met him now on a couple of occasions and I have enjoyed my time with him each time!! He seems to be the real deal!
• I got down there early and was walking around the Senate and saw a guys name on a desk and it was Ronnie Chance, an old friend of mine from growing up in Fayetteville! Ronnie is a big player now and it was so cool to get caught up with him!
• I feel like we are on the verge of a tidal wave here at NStar and I just don't want to miss what God has in store!!
• Jamie & I met yesterday with Brian Dodd, a great friend, who was HUGE in helping us think thru some big decisions we have coming in regards to future capital campaigns here at NStar.....thanks Brian!
• My buddy David Eeles & his wife Angie flew in from Phoenix last night and Dave is interviewing at a couple of high schools. I pray it works out for them to move here - they are great friends from college, Dave & I played baseball together at Liberty and Anne & Angie cheered together there!! Great to get caught up!!
• It has been a week and we have so much good coming down the pike - I can't wait!!!
  

Monday

Found out today that we had $100,000+ come in during our giving yesterday.....that is huge!! It comes within a couple of thousand of covering our "lost" week & hitting our budget this week!! The great thing was, we did not even mention it to our people - that rocks!! NStar people - you are the best!!

Tomorrow, I will be in downtown Atlanta at the State Capitol as the Chaplain of the Day in the State Senate! I have 5 minutes to share with all of our State Senators....as you know, I am usually half-way through my opener in 5 minutes.....I better get up there & get to it! I am really pumped about what God has laid on my heart to share, I am hoping that it clicks with the audience!! I'll let you know how it goes!! I will turn in my NStar attire (jeans & sandals) and break out the suit for the day.......I guess I'll throw on some socks as well!!!

Rearview Mirror

• Today was electric......crazy crowded and you could feel the energy when you walked in the room!!
• MM rode in with me early today and we made her Sunday AM Starbucks stop.....she loves that stuff - I am a diet coke man so it takes true love to get me through there but if she loves it - oh well!!! I am a push-over!!
  

• I pray that we at NStar - always deliver!!!
  
• Our crowds have shifted - there are now more at 11am in the Compass Centre & in True North than at 9:30am in either venue.....total flip-flop from October/November....Go figure!
• Today I lost my voice and started hacking at 11am - it was brutal!! Thank God for Andy Mac at front of house who hit "mute" to save our people from being totally grossed out!!
• My wife Annie today hit both venues...it was her first time in the video venue of True North - and she loved it - cool to get her feedback!
• We dedicated triplets at our 11am service - it was pretty cool and the parents were pretty laid back....maybe they are still in shock!! Their three little one's were precious!
• My son left NStar with 12 brochures for Thrive "Disciple Now" weekend and we invited our entire baseball team today.....Man, I am praying big time that those guys fill up a house and have their lives changed forever (feb. 8-10)!! Some of my greatest experiences with God happened when I was growing up at DNow!! Pray for my Titans if you think about it!!
• We got to practice outside today from 2-4pm - it was so relaxing to be on the diamond after a crazy morning!
• Tonight was "Thrive Overdrive" for students at NStar - Casey loved it and he & a buddy from a our team had a blast!!! (We went to dinner at a great Italian place "Rosario's")
  
• BTW.....my kids love NStar and can't wait to go every Sunday!! Thanks to everybody who makes their Sunday's so awesome - you will never know what that means to me!
• Just read J.R.'s blog and they had 225 at Freedom this AM!! Awesome!!
• Tomorrow Roach and I will wrap up writing "How may I serve you?" for our last week of Takeout! We always have a blast working through the topics each week - I could not do it without him - he is the man and the greatest mind I know of taking God's word and making it easy to get & remember! I get the credit from people because I am on stage - but Roach is the man behind the scenes helping me!! Thanks bro - we have been best friends since 2nd grade - it is fun to do life with one of your best friend's in the world!!
• Speaking Tuesday to a pretty exciting group - can't wait to fill you in tomorrow!!
• That's all for now!!
  

Praying for Freedom!

Tomorrow is a huge day for everyone as we kick back into gear after a nasty Sunday last week! We will continue our "Take-Out" series tomorrow with, "Do you deliver?" It is going to be a blast and we are anticipating HUGE crowds!! If you are a reader (all 2 of you) and attend NStar....if you could try out the True North venue that would be awesome!! Most guest make their way to the Compass Centre first and this would help open up seats for them! I can't wait!!

Tomorrow is also a big day for our buddies at Freedom Church, they crank up their first service at North Metro Tech! I have no doubt that J.R., Todd & Blake and their team are going to knock it out of the park! What I appreciate most about these guys is that they have jumped in and even before their first Sunday have become part of the fabric of the community. I have lived in this area since 1991 (17 years in July) and have seen a lot of "good ideas & good guys" come & go.......these guys get it and are going to do great!!

Freedom, we are praying for you and NorthStar so glad to have you guys here to partner with!!!

Influence

Today I was reading my blog lines and I came across the post from Craig Groeschel.

He was talking about the transition that he has been through in his ministry at Life Church in Oklahoma. He closed by saying something that I have always felt but never been able to put into words......Here you go......

Integrity + Longevity = Great Influence!

If you look at the great churches and leaders, they are always led by those men that say.......this is where I am called, this is where I love to live, this is where I want to raise my family and I am going to do my very best to see the vision through! When I think of great leaders/Pastors such as; Rick Warren, Andy Stanley, Bill Hybels, Johnny Hunt, the late Jerry Falwell and many others..........these men lived out that quote so well!!

I pray that I grow old at NorthStar and I pray that one day when the integrity I have lived life with and the longevity I have in this community will result in great influence to be used to tell MORE the story of how God loves them and wants to change their lives!!

Thanks Craig for a great post today!

State of the City

I just left the Acworth Business Association luncheon where Mayor Tommy Allegood delivered the annual "State of the City" address. Gathered in our Compass Centre at NorthStar were over 250 community leaders who partner together to make this area a great place to live & raise a family! The Mayor did an outstanding job of not only taking a good look back at 2007 and the accomplishments, but also of pointing everyone ahead and ending with a reminder that it is about kids & people! I am honored to serve alongside great leaders like Mayor Allegood and it is awesome to see what God can do when His church and a community to join hands to love & serve people!! Way to go Mayor Allegood!!!

Vision

I absolutely love reading books by great leaders....I love to find great motivational quotes in movies.......(Troy, Braveheart, The Patriot, Remember the Titans, etc.) I love finding anything someone says about vision! We are always trying to cast vision and bring people along to the dreams that God has called us to!! I am teaching the executive bible study that I lead through Andy Stanley's book (Visioneering) about the life of Nehemiah - it is incredible!! I read it a few years ago but re-reading now and taking a group of HUGE business leaders through it, I have learned so many awesome things!! It is LOADED with tons of great stuff......Here are some of my favorite lines from Andy that I used in my lesson today. (If you haven't read it then get it - devour it and start putting the principles to work in your life) These excerpts are taken from Chapter 2..........

o Nehemiah never prayed for God to rebuild the wall. What he prays is for an opportunity to rebuild it himself. That is the difference between a dreamer & a visionary.

o Dreamers dream about things being different. Visionaries envision themselves making a difference.

o Dreamers think about how nice it would be for something to be done. Visionaries look for an opportunity to do something.

Push back....

We will push back our week 2 message for "Take-Out" to this coming Sunday January 27th! I hate missing a week, and there have been plenty of bloggers with lots of opinions about those that canceled their services, but we will be back strong this week!! I know that our NStar people will step up to the plate and help us make up any gap left from last Sunday. In fact, I got an e-mail yesterday from a new gentleman who has begun attending that is blessing us with a substantial sum of money from the sale of his business!! God is so good and He always shows up right in time!! Can't wait to see you on Sunday!

No NorthStar services on Sunday

We decided to hold off on our NStar AM services for January 20 due to the chance for icy conditions. Having been through this a few times in our 11 years - it is fun to applaud yourself for being "the only real church to meet" but then you show up and realize the audience we strive for each & every weekend (unchurched) is not braving the conditions to come.....the people that are there are our core people and all of them took a risk of some sort to make it. We deemed it not worth the chance and I hope everyone who is open all goes well and their people are safe!

It is never easy to make calls like this but........you do the best with the info you have! I talked my buddy, Brian Bloye, from West Ridge late this afternoon and he was struggling as well but ended up making the same call. My prayer now is we bounce back in a huge way on the 27th and this becomes another great NStar memory!!

Let's go Packers!!

Snow??

Can you believe they are forecasting round 2 of snow?? This weekend I am praying that it does not snow......that's pretty bad huh??

If you are a NStar attender - check the website and local tv stations to find out if we are meeting! We will be on unless the roads are covered in ice......it's been a while since we have been through this!!

My buddy from NStar at the Weather Channel said it could be interesting - a little more than the local guys are saying so?????we will will just wait & see!!!

Do you deliver?

This weekend we will be in week 2 of our "Take-Out" series......One of our passions at NStar and what I believe separates us so much from other churches, is that we firmly believe that we do on Sunday on the campus is HUGE but what "we" do Monday - Saturday is HUGE as well! I believe that we live in a world that is waiting to be served & loved like Jesus came to serve & love!! The great thing is, people are really looking for something and when you engage them in their culture they are so open and their defenses are down!! I can't wait for Sunday!!

Do we deliver???? Absolutely!

Prayer

I believe in prayer.....we have taught our children to pray since they were tiny......they are both putting it in to practice as they are on their knees "praying" for school to be canceled tomorrow!!

The snow is falling and the prayers are going up!!!

New

After a great Creative team brainstorming time this AM for our Brave-heart series that is coming in February.....I got to spend some great time at lunch with our worship team......these guys rock and it was a blast to hang out with them and just say thank you!!

This afternoon I got to meet with the new football coach for Allatoona High School, I am going to help them next year with being their football chaplain. The Coach, Gary Varner, is assembling a first-class team of coaches and I have no doubt they are going to build a great program there! I can't wait to be involved and help out any way that I can! It reminds me so much of the early days of NStar, when everything is just a dream, and you are putting together the leaders that will take you into the future!!

We are so blessed to be so involved in the schools near us....and I so pumped about Allatoona coming on board! The principal, Scott Bursmith and the Athletic Director Benji Morrell are laying a great foundation for the future and we are stoked about helping out on the ground level! Go Bucs........!!

Sunday download

• Unreal start to our "Take-Out" series.....this is the HEART of who we are!
• The services were SLAMMED and the energy was totally amazing in the service!
• I closed my message by having Marlon, our community pastor, share about his "Holy Discontent" and how he & a group are building a field for special needs kids......there was not a dry eye in the house, including mine! His passion was contagious and I left feeling energized to do SOMETHING....WOW!!!
• There were tons of people leaving with ideas of what they could do to help make a difference and be a "Take-Out" person with their faith & their life!!
• Tomorrow when our creative team meets we will begin putting the feet on our "Braveheart" series that is coming in February!!
• I spent the afternoon on the baseball field with the Titans, my 14u travel team......it was awesome!! Nice weather, good friends and learning baseball and unwinding from the morning! I had 2 good friends come work with our squad yesterday.....Kevin Burrell, a scout for the Chicago White Sox, and former #1 pick of the Boston Red Sox and David Boyd, a former GT player, and now one of the coaches for the East Cobb Yankees!! These guys are not only great baseball men but great men....it was a blast having them!!
• We had Newcomers last night and have a huge crowd there.....it was great to hear the stories of all the new people that are coming to NorthStar and to hear their passion!! My favorite line of the night was said by a gentleman who just showed up back in December to see his grandson on stage sing and he talked about how NStar was exactly what he had been missing and God was touching his life each weekend!! His line was, "I'm 63 years old and I am fired up about church!!!" That was sweet to hear!!!
• I am totally spent from the LONG day yesterday but fired up about all that is ahead!
• Steve Roach & I will be meeting in a few minutes at my house to write the next two weeks and to study through the rest of "Take-Out'!! I could not do it without Roach - he is the man and taking the complex and making it simple!!!
• On another note - can't believe that the Giants & Chargers both won yesterday....WOW!!
• Got some commitments about our staff trainings that are coming up in the next few months....it is unreal who we have coming!!! I love sharpening ourselves by being around great leaders once a month - God has blessed us with some great friends that have helped us out!!!
• My prayer today is that our NStar people truly do "Take-out" their faith and finds needs around them and help meet them today!!!
  

Fan Fest

Had a blast today!! We met Daniel & Bonnie Hoover, from our NStar team, and went to the Atlanta Braves "Fan Fest" today at the Georgia World Congress Center! We had a blast at the Fan Fest and had an even bigger blast with Daniel & Bonnie!! It was PACKED down there but well worth the trip....The only autograph we got today was the new Brave, Josh Anderson, who they just acquired from Houston.

Man....thinking about the Braves got me ready for spring!!! I am ready for some Braves baseball to occupy our evenings!!

Thanks Daniel & Bonnie for the call today - we had so much fun!!!

Take Out

I cannot remember the last time that I was excited about a Sunday as I am about this coming one! We begin our "Take-Out" series and it really is the heartbeat of what we do and who we are! My ultimate prayer is that our people "get it" and then "live it"!!! I can't wait.......

Spelling Bee

This AM before our staff meeting, my little girl (Mary-Michal) was representing her class in the school spelling bee. She told Anne last night she did not want to win, when Anne asked why she said, "I don't want to have to keep studying these words"....spoken like her two scholarly parents!!!!

She did GREAT and made it to the next to last round (8th round).......I was SO proud of her!!! There is nothing like how proud you can be for your kids......way to GO Mary-Michal!!!

It's Wednesday??

I can't believe how quick this week is slipping by!! After the holidays, there is a lot to be done getting back into the groove at the office!! We have had a quite an eventful week around NStar & home and some great things to challenge us as we start the year!

Yesterday in our creative team meeting, I challenged our team as to "why" we do Sunday's? I think we all know why, but I think sometimes in the busyness of programming week to week we forget what it is all about! We forget that there a ton of people at NStar that are bringing friends that week, that are counting us to be on our "A" game....

We then spent over an hour "grappling" with the True North Service (our video venue) and what it is going to take to see that service go the next level! There were strong thoughts and opinions but at the end of it all - there was a room full of people who want the BEST for NorthStar and all who want to see this church be ALL it can be!! I love the passion that I heard....we did not solve it, but we sure got some good conversation going!!

Today, we had our kick-off all staff meeting for the year and it was awesome! I do not even know how to describe what I felt in that room today with so many great leaders & friends and how excited I am about the year ahead!! I reviewed our core values, why we do things the way that we do them and offered some key thoughts for 08......Here they are:

Key thoughts for 2008:

1. Love what you do and serve out of your passion

2. Pray big and Ask big

3. Invest and invite in people outside the church

4. Believe that everyone is for you and not against you

5. Work with excellence…….at all times

This coming Sunday, there will be people who have been praying about inviting a family member or a neighbor and this week that friend is coming with them…..THEY are counting on us to bring our best so He can do His best!!

We are in the life-changing business…….we work for the King of an eternal Kingdom……..Do it with passion and excellence……people really do associate us with Him…….Let’s make 2008 our best yet!

We spent a lot of time developing what those things look like....it is not rocket science, but it is like any great team - we have to do the "small" things RIGHT and if we do, we will distance ourselves from the pack!!

I know NStar is not the most well-known church in the world (which is totally fine by me) and in fact I do not care if people outside here know who we are but I PRAY that anyone who lives in NW Cobb knows exactly who we are and that they have been touched by the ministry of this church!!! That means we have hundreds of thousands of people still to reach....Better to get work!!!

Sunday recap

• Today was my last day not speaking - I am SO ready to go next week
• I heard Marlon knocked it out at NStar - it is so good to be away and know that with the guys we have speaking, you never miss a beat!
• Anne went to the service and said the worship was AMAZING!!!
• NStar was 11 years old today - we will celebrate our anniversary next weekend
• I visited Oak Leaf today and Michael and his team did a super job! The worship with Will Goodwin, a great friend from way-back, was great and Michael did a great job kicking off their new series! God is using these guys in big ways and they have some super days ahead! Saw a bunch of buddies at Oak Leaf as well!
  
• My Titan baseball team practiced outside this afternoon (60+ degrees) and it was awesome - Gotta love a pretty day and playing baseball - doesn't get any better!

I have been out two weeks from speaking and I am done with being out - I am ready to go!! We start our new series "Take-Out" next week - I am so pumped! This the heartbeat of who we are - I can't wait!!

Great teams

One of my favorite things about this time of year is not only watching football, both college & pro, but also watching the coaching carousel that goes on. Finding the Head Coach is a big deal but the part that usually goes in smaller print is the putting together of the team that makes it happen! This "coaching team" will make or break" a program!

Going on 11 years at NorthStar, I can vouch for this! Though there are times, due to what I do, I may be the most recognized face of NStar, but I am certainly not always the most valuable! When the right team is in place it is a beautiful thing! When the wrong team around you is in place......it is brutal!!!

As a leader, our job is not only to lead & cast vision but it is also to be on the look-out for future teammates. One of my favorite things we have been able to do so much is hire from within our church - I love this because these folks have already bought our culture & vision and I have had the chance to see them in action before dollar signs were attached!

Are you good at building a team....do you mind sharing the spotlight.....does it make you nervous when some of your team begin to get attention and are loved by people....?????

Your answer to these questions will be a huge player in the success of the team that you lead and in the enjoyment of the team leading with you!!!!

I can't believe it!!!

Just for those of you who do not know, I live with a WV Mountaineer and it has been a dark month with her team losing to Pitt (and missing the National Championship) and then losing their coach! I have to admit, my hopes were not high for her team tonight against OU, but man.....did they ever show up!!! It was the picture of everything that is right with college athletics....Heart! These guys played with passion, resilience, urgency and most of all pride!! No one thought they had a chance but them and boy did they believe!!!

I am a die-hard Tech fan, but tonight I couldn't help but pull for the 'eers.....! Congrats to Pat White, Noel Devine, Owen Schmitt and the "interim" Coach Bill Stewart.......who is going to make it really hard to not name him the new head coach!! What more can you want - the players love him and he loves them and seems to inspire them!!

Way to go WVU - maybe Tech can pull off a big one like this next year!! Of course, no one else will belong in the Dawg universe going into next year!