Momentum

I remember hearing Ike Reighard say, "You are never as good as you look when you have momentum and you are never as bad as you look when you lose momentum". In our 10 years of existence as a church we have had many years of great momentum and then there have been years that were not as strong! When you catch the wave of momentum, you have to be so wise about how to handle and what to do.

We are in one of those phases right now of EXTREME momentum and we are looking at some pretty cool things that I could take us to a new level! We are going to begin to announce the ideas this weekend and I am so pumped....I know that there will be a lot of challenges but I think the benefits will be awesome!

No one can teach you or tell you when to do what as a leader.....you just have to trust in the team around you and in your walk with the Lord!! You make the call then......you wait & see!!

Rearview Mirror

• Great finish to our "5th grader" series with "What every parent needs to teach their kids about Sex"
• We were packed out and the traffic was nuts but FUN problems!!
  
• Awesome "Parent FUSE" last night with Wes Cantrell talking to parents about how to talk to their kids in super practical ways (remember how Sunday night church felt...ouch!)
  
• We had 70+ from our worship/creative arts ministry at our house on Saturday....hope no one got sick off one my hamburgers....if you did, it must have come off Daniel's grill!
• Got to attend a lunch yesterday for a young man who turned 16 and his dad invited key men in his life to pray over him....pretty cool & it was at Maggiano's!!! I will do this with my son one day!
• My baseball team (14U Kennesaw Titans) cranked up the fall baseball season with a 5-0 win over the Cherokee Pride! Great start to the season!
• Got to start studying today for our "COIN" series that is coming in September.....this is going to be cool!!
• Met my wife for lunch today.....that was awesome!! I love being with her!!
  
• Tomorrow - I meet with our management team and get to discuss some exciting ideas for the fall!
• I talked to my old college baseball coach (Bobby Richardson...former NY Yankee great) - I remember now why he meant so much in life - he is the real deal! A man who has it all but cares nothing about it - he just loves people!
  

Looking ahead!!

I am sitting here early on Saturday going through my notes one more time for tomorrow. We will bc continuing our series "Smarter than a 5th grader" and talking about what every parent needs to teach their child about sex! Tomorrow is a huge day for a lot of parents who just avoid this topic but it is huge in the lives of their kids and their students especially face it every day! Tomorrow night we are having "Parent FUSE"....while their middle & high school students are down in the Compass Centre in a huge student blowout - we will be in the new True North building with a good friend & speaker named Wes Cantrell who is going to spend over an hour talking to parents about practical things to do in regards to discussing sex with their students. Wes speaks to public schools all over Cobb County about this and he is an awesome communicator!! Tomorrow should be a blast!!!

Today - we have over 60 people coming to our house for a worship ministry cookout & pool party! It will be a great day as long as I do not kicked out of the neighborhood for all of the traffic! Mary-Michal also starts cheering today for the Due West Hoya football season - it is hard to get pumped about football when it is 100 degrees...but I will be sipping a cold diet coke I can assure you and staying as cool as possible!! Oh yea....we start fall baseball tomorrow!! Get ready for a lot of baseball smack to be flowing this fall!

Reminder

Today I had the chance to sit with a good friend for over an hour and talk about where he is spiritually and hear his story of how this God we speak about every week is "pursuing" him. I know that I believe all we talked about but to hear the pure passion he spoke with about where he is and what he is experiencing....it renewed my faith a little as well!! Sharing the greatest story ever never gets old and it is more amazing every time I think about!! Pray for my buddy - would ya?

Thought

We are so blessed to be in a community where there a ton of GREAT churches! If someone gets up on a Sunday morning, they can turn out of the driveway and within minutes be at some awesome places!! How great that it is!!

It makes us at NStar even more passionate about connecting with people who are disconnected from God & Church. These are the people that when they wake up on Sunday they are not considering, "Which church will I go to...but rather will I: golf, play tennis, go swimming or go to the lake...." To these folks - our church can be invisible. However, we want them above all others to know who we are and how we feel about them!

I read the other day a great quote by Seth Godin that said, "If you are not remarkable, you are INVISIBLE".....that is strong stuff!! We can be good at lots of things, but we are great at? We know what that is for us and it is what separates us from so many other great churches.....It is community - we pour tons of time, effort & energy into being where "disconnected" people are. More to come - this next year we are going to be hosting a conference on this passion..."NorthStar To Go"...it is going to be awesome and it will be a great place to get like-minded people connected about to reach those who do not know they are looking for something!

Teams that work

I am a sports junkie and I love nothing more than seeing a team function and hit on all cylinders! Everyone is pulling their weight and doing their part to make the whole group function! During our 10+ years at NStar, we have had some all-stars and some great team-mates....but I do not know if we have ever had a time where everyone was working together more than they are right now!! The NStar team is amazing and I cannot wait to see all that is ahead!

This past week, I have been thinking through some new ideas that were from some of our staff....Sometimes the person most reluctant to change course is not some person at NStar who has been hiding out on the back row and waiting to derail things but rather.....it is me! When things are going good - you just hate to do anything to rock the boat or to cause a lack of momentum. I was at a point I needed some wisdom from someone who has faced the same issues we do and has come out on the other side.....This guy was more than willing to help and help me think through all of the options.....I felt so much better when I got off the phone!! This guy is so busy and leads one of the greatest churches in America but he was so kind to take the time to help me.....I pray I am always that willing to help those that are coming behind me!!

What a weekend!

Life has hit all time highs of busyness lately and I have been everywhere but in front of the computer screen!! On Friday night I went to Nashville, TN with my girl (Anne) and I had the privilege of doing the wedding ceremony for one of my former students and his lovely "new bride"! It is so great to look back to when I met him when he was in the 6th grade coming to our youth group and to see the incredible young man that he has grown in to! He was a tremendous baseball player at Harrison High, then at Vanderbilt University and then he just finished up playing in the minors with the Chicago Cubs organization....the great thing - he is still the same guy now!!

Tonight has been a trip - we drove back in today to attend my 20 year high school class reunion in Peachtree City. First, I cannot believe that it is has been that long and second, my biggest fear was that I would not remember anyone!! After just getting home and thinking back on the evening....all the old cliques went right back together tonight! I sat with the same crowd (+spouses) that I sat with and hung out with in high school! It was great to see everyone but you realize that life really has moved on and that high school was just a blip on the radar screen!!

All I could think about as I left was, "Why did I ever care what anyone thought of me?" I had a great 4 years at FCHS and there are a handful of friends that I have kept up with through the years but I found myself all night just looking forward to getting in the car with my wife and laughing about the whole experience!! One of my best friends, Steve Roach, whom I sat with tonight - I get to see at NStar everyday now, that is just too weird!!

What do you after 20 years - get together at the 50th reunion.....dude, that just scares me!!!

Tomorrow is a HUGE day at NStar....better get some rest!!

Passion

This morning our entire staff team gathered for a time of worship and challenge as we dive into a new school year! We met in our new True North auditorium and it was so cool just being in there and getting a feel of what the new video venue service will be like. It is hard to believe that just a year ago the building was only coming out of the ground and now we are sitting in there and meeting....so cool!!

We talked about Nehemiah and some thoughts for our staff team about lessons we can pick up from him.....here are a few out of Nehemiah 6:

• Never lose site of the big picture

• Keep pressing ahead even you when you feel you are making no progress

• Do not be deterred from the dream that God has given you

• Surround yourself with others that are building not tearing down walls & works

• Never forget God given visions always are worth completing!!

It is really easy to leave our "Wall" and engage in things that really do not matter or count!! Our challenge is once we get on the wall and this "burden/vision" God has given us - we cannot come down!

What was so cool was meeting with two of our sharpest business leaders this afternoon and hearing these guys who are the top of their careers have burdens that God has laid on their heart and the passion for their "wall" was oozing off every word their shared!! I can't wait to see what God is going to do with them!

What is it?

What is it about school that throws life into the fast-lane?? We are 2 days in the new year and the kids are slammed with homework and baseball & cheerleading have cranked up - so the nights are back to their craziness!!

I struggle like you I am sure to find balance and for us to spend that time we need each day together.....it is easy to just not try and to just let life happen, the problem with that is we are left in the dust!

We are working on some pretty exciting stuff that is coming up this fall at NStar.....crazy good....scary but good!!

Off to the ball-field to meet my new team!!! Can't wait!!

Are you Smarter?

Today at NStar we began our new series, "Are you smarter than a 5th grader"....what every parent needs to teach their children about God. Talk about diving in to the deep end of the pool, where do you start with this? It is fun to work with a message that not only you pray helps other people but also helps you as a parent.....I love it!! Every time I walk on that campus the energy of what God is doing is amazing and gets me so excited!

Here is what we taught today: every child needs to know...

• God is great
• God is real
• God is personal

If we could get those things down we would be off to an awesome start wouldn't we? However, I have never met a parent who was trying that didn't do a pretty good job - the problem is sometimes we do not do anything and let the God thing just happen!

I cannot wait to see what God is going to do this series....should be fun!!!

Tomorrow is school...yuck!!

Saturday thoughts

Here you go:

• I cannot wait for Sunday and our new series "Are you smarter than a 5th grader"....Tomorrow we will talk about what EVERY parent needs to teach their child about God!! It is totally good stuff!!
• Last night we had tryouts for my 14U travel baseball team. There were 25 kids out and we will only carry 12......I am excited about the 12 and sad for the other 13.....Hate those phone calls!
• I am finishing up the pre-release of Max Lucado's new book.....it will come out on 9/11 and I think it is his best one yet! We will do a series for Easter off it next spring!! Good stuff!
• Monday is the first day of school and every year I take a vacation day and spend the day with my best friend/totally good-looking wife........I feel a Houston's (favorite dining place in ATL) run coming!!
• Found out this week that my little girl (5th grade) will have the same teacher as my son did in 5th grade and she (Ms. Sikes) is amazing!!! We were all so excited!
• My sons (8th grade) last year of middle school - I am getting so old!!
• Next Saturday is my 20 year class (high school - class of 87) reunion...that is definite confirmation that I am as Casey calls me.....Old Man Rivers
  
• Another hot day but it sure beats the cold of winter
• Have a wedding tonight in downtown Atlanta....always worry that I am going to get stuck in traffic and be late - oh well, have to worry about something
• Got a note this week from a college student who had been attending NStar since last spring and she just moved to Athens. She wanted to know a rocking church there that was similar to NStar and I recommended Athens Church (North Point partner church)....she wrote back that she visited and LOVED it!! Hard not to like Andy's teaching!
• I love that I serve a church that I can't wait to attend tomorrow!!
  

Say hey Willie!!

Willie Harris....you are my hero!!! If you have not seen the game saving catch in NY today - it was a thing of beauty! I was at Atlanta Fulton County Stadium the night Otis Nixon made the catch against the Pirates....in fact I had just left the stadium to go visit a buddy of mine that pitched for the Pirates at the time and we heard it on the radio!! I remember waiting at the Peachtree Plaza for the Pittsburgh Pirates to get in and they were devastated by "the catch" that swung the momentum versus the Bravos!! Maybe just maybe, "the catch" by Willie today will propel the Braves to a great finish in 07!! Way to go Willie!! Gotta love Braves baseball!!

Doing Better

I find myself getting comfortable sometimes and not staying sharp....do you ever do that? Not that you really let up but the "attention to detail" may not always be there and you can slip into the comfortable mode and really...become like everyone else!

Today we did a review meeting on the True North Building that we just moved in to on our campus. Our architect on the project (Croft & Associates) called this final meeting between the church, contractors (Capital Construction) and NorthStar to ask and see looking back on the project what we could have done better! How cool....something we in church work sometimes do not do a good job at is going back and seeing how we could have made something better or more crisp!! What a great meeting!!

Just a kudos to both Croft & Capital for the amazing job they did getting us into the True North building and helping our dreams become reality! If any of you church guys out there are designing and building - please consider these guys - they were awesome all the way through!!

Third Day

Last night I went with some good friends on our staff to the premiere of the Third Day documentary about their years together as a band! I do not personally know any of the guys but I know tons of people who do and I have always heard the same thing about them, "They are just great guys"......Last night after the live interview time with them before the show and watching the documentary....they seem like great guys! Most of them are locals and and I remember hearing about them cranking up in Powder Springs when I was a youth pastor over in Kennesaw but of course in my great wisdom I never had them in! Oh well, guess that is why I am not in youth ministry any more!

Lesson last night.....there is staying power in your walk with Christ when you never change who you are no matter how big you get or small you stay! Way to Go Third Day.....you are an inspiration to all of us and your music is unreal!!

One week away

I can't believe that summer is almost over.....we love having our two children out of school - they are a blast to hang out with!! I remember growing up and absolutely hating school starting...my stomach would start hurting and I would worry myself sick over the upcoming year! It sure is good to be grown and done with school and now tell my kids, "It's no big deal, just tough it out!!"

What lies ahead for our kids at school is a little scary and it is a really big deal that we have them ready for what they will face. Going to church with them on the weekends is great but living out a real faith in front of them daily is even a bigger deal! I want them to know that our faith is by choice not because of my job! If they see it real hopefully they can "catch" it and live out a real faith on their campuses every day! I am sure praying for them like crazy!!!!

Our new NStar series......Are you smarter than a 5th grader....will hopefully prepare our people for what their kids really need!!! Can't wait for Sunday...oh yeah - better not wish the last week away!!

Newcomers

Great day today at NStar as we wrapped up the Summer of Love tour!! At the end of the service Daniel & the team nailed Nickelback's "If anyone cared" and the video running behind showing our volunteers and the 125 baptisms last weekend gave me chills!! Thanks to our amazing team for making this AM happen!!

Tonight I get the opportunity to hang out with about 30 new people to NStar at our Newcomers gathering! We do this once a month and I always love hanging out and getting to know the new people who are coming and sharing with them who we are as a church and where we are heading in the future!! I always leave "Newcomers" pumped up about all God is doing! One of our great families host the night and we have another couple share their journey and then they follow up with all of the newcomers and help them connected to life at NStar.....just a great night all around!! Many of our staff will also be there to hang out and meet all the many of the new folks from the last month!!

Tomorrow we will get it all together to begin our "A your smarter than a 5th grader series"....next week!!! SOL has been awesome but I have a strange feeling we have an awesome fall in store!!!

Always

Don't you love not having to wonder who will be on your side no matter what. Usually people are with you when times are good but when things go side ways, sometimes it is easy to lose those relationships! When Paul said in I Corinthians 13.....love always trusts, always hopes & always perseveres, love never fails.....I love "always" people...This weekend we had our family over for a get together and they are some of those always people! We had so much fun and it was great to laugh and just enjoy people that I don't have to impress.....I think they just like me for me!!

Tomorrow at NorthStar we will be making our last stop on the "Summer of love" tour in Always, Arkansas. Hopefully we will be "always" people for others and be what God needs us to be for them!

Great team!

Yesterday we had an incredible staff team meeting! I love sports and I love team-work, in great team-work chemistry is huge!! I have never been more excited about "who" I serve with than right now....I have no doubts that they are the team to take us to the places that God has designed for NStar. I threw out some big dreams and when you do that you never know what the response will be....theirs..."Let's GO"!!! As a leader - that just gets your fired up!

I remember reading in Jim Collins book "Good to Great" that really the issue in leadership is not where the bus is going in an organization but rather "who is on the bus". There was never a more true statement written than that one. Those on the bus will make you or break you and when it works and it works right......it is a beautiful thing!!

I love these guys and I love serving with them! I have always taken hiring seriously but I wish I would have understood 10 years ago what I know now and that is.....I am only as strong as those around me! The people of NStar will only follow me as far as the team is willing to follow! The people of NStar will catch the temperature of the staff team they are closest to!!

It is so great to love what you do but it sure is fun to love WHO you get to do it with!!