Youtube Friday: Why I Love Hillsong.

I love Hillsong because they love the local church they love those far from God and they are innovative. They push the limits we wrongly put on church and reap huge rewards. I also think their mantra of loyalty to the past commitment to the future is brilliant. Hillsong inspires me to love God more and love others more and do it in an innovative way.

I am always blown away by what Hillsong does with their kids ministry. Every year when they release their new kids worship DVD they always take it to a level that children’s ministry rarely sees. Thank you Dave and the team at Hillsong, thank you for challenging each of us do extraordinary things for our extraordinary King.

Here is the opening to their 2007 Conference. I LOVE IT.

PART 1

PART 2

Perspective.

Yesterday I was doing some yard work. My son was playing outside. I was pulling up by the root every dandelion in our yard. My son ran over to me visibly shaken. Saying “Dad stop! Stop killing all of the flowers.” “They are beautiful and I love them.”

So often the childlike faith that Jesus refers to in the gospels eludes me at times. I need to see plants, people and circumstances as flowers and not weeds. There is a very thin line between a flower and a weed and much of that lies in our faith-filled perspective.

Is there anything in your life or ministry that is a flower yet you treat it like a weed?

Before and After Jonathan Martin Creative.

They say a picture is worth a thousand. I can only think of four.

Yeah God and Yeah Team

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

Jonathan Martin Creative Rocks!

What can I say. It has been about a year and a half in the making and it has been a huge pleasure at every turn. We have been so blessed to work with an organization that shares our passion for creating lifechanging environments for kids.

From Rachel in the office to Bill the head artist and Kristin (Super nice, super artistic, super humble. My kind of people) Crazy Mike and his construction crew kept us hopping and ducking from paint tape balls. Shannon and Curt with their helpful painting pointers. And everyone else I am forgetting. Thank you.

Jonathan Martin Creative is a well oiled machine. I am so amazed that a creative person like Jonathan Martin can run such a tight ship and yet give his people the freedom to make on the site decisions to make the project better. I never got to meet Jonathan, but I know who he is because of the quality of the people who serve him.

Lastly I want to thank the volunteers from our church who are to numerous to name. People who gave time and money to the point of leaving me speechless. Thank you for your faith, thank you for your passion for kids. Thank you, thank you.

I do want to thank a couple of people who when above and beyond. Dave Myers and Dan Buck. Thank you so much. I literally could not have done this with out you.

Progress finally progress!

Wow it is really starting to come together!

It is such a surreal thing walking around in halls that are beginning to look like the drawings and the concepts that have been in the works for months. I am blown away by the stuff Jonathan Martin Creative are doing. Bill and his team are a smooth running machine. I respect their artistic talent, but what I appreciate most is their attitude they really care about the local church and seeing life transformation take place in the lives of kids.

Many of the people on the team have spent years in children’s ministry it is great to know that we are all on the same team.

I can not wait for May 4th those kids are going to be blown away! I think the whole Uptown team will be as well.

Boy #2 turns #1.

We had a combo dedication/birthday party for my youngest son Sunday. It was a lot of work and a lot of fun. It is always nice to spend time with family and friends celebrating a happy occasion.

I love my family. I love my boys so much. It never ceases to amaze me how two kids can grow up in the exact same environment and be so different. My youngest is so outgoing he smiles at everyone all the time. His laugh is so infectious.

After we had our first son I didn’t think I could love another child as much as I love my oldest. But I think parenting is one of those many things that help us understand God’s nature on a small level. I have found that my love for my kids is not divided by multiplied and spread evenly. If you were to ask me which one is my favorite I could honestly tell you neither. They are so unique I could talk to you for hours about aspects about each of my boys that I love. I think on a small simplistic scale that is how God sees us.

(BTW my lovely, talented wife made the giraffe cake pictured above and her BFF made the rice crispies)

Jonathan Martin Creative arrives in full force!

The team from JMC arrived today they are building, unpacking and painting. This is going to happen quick!

It’s my first Birthday!

It is my blogging birthday. One year can’t believe it.

I am so glad I joined the blogging community when I did. I have learned a lot about myself and from all of you out there.

What I have learned in my first year in blogosphere.

1. If you want lots of hits go negative (I call those blogs “Bla-Bla’s”. My goal has never been to have lots of hits my goal to network with other leaders to learn and grow. To help our kids be transformed into Christ’s image and reach more kids with the power of the gospel.

2. You learn a lot about your self through the discipline of putting your thoughts out there.

3. You make friends you never would any other way.

4. blogosphere is a sounding board for ideas and thought as well as gaining knowledge from the success and failure of others.

5. I have also found blogging to be a great way to communicate with my own leaders. I have experimented with video, and direct posts to certain volunteer groups. I am looking to do much more in the area of training, equipping and vision/mission reinforcement in the coming year.

Huge thanks to all of you who read my blog I really appreciate it. I am excited about the things that God has in store for the church in general this year.

Disney, Bible Man and Jonathan Martin Creative

Well last few weeks have been fun, crazy and busy.

The last four weeks we have been getting our church ready for Jonathan Martin Creative. They showed up yesterday and started sketching on our walls. The buildings they are drawing are huge.

Our indoor playground is fully functional and has received my sons seal of approval.

Read 3 new books. Inside The Magic Kingdom, Be our Guest, and The Starbucks Experience. Currently reading Creating ever-cool.

Spent 2 days in Disney.

Took my son to see bible man. You haven’t lived until you have been in a room with 600+ kids under the age of 10 chanting Bi-ble Man. I received a tour of Grace Fellowship Church’s Children’s ministry. So great to see what God is doing in other churches in our region.

Where am I?

I haven’t been blogging so much I have been Pastor General Contractor this week. Lots of meetings not a lot of free time.

I tell you what all you general contractors out there I know I have a large audience of you guys. I tip my hard hat to you. I could not do what you do day in and day out.

I know all of this will be worth it one fine day. Until then……Mt. Zion “Can we build it?”….”Yes we can!”