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The Day After

The Buzz Conference is such a huge undertaking that "the day after" is always a wierd feeling. I was running on adrenaline fumes by the last session. There is always a little emotional let down after an event like that because you're so wired. But I feel like God did exactly what God wanted to do. So I feel like the peace of God is guarding my heart and mind today!

I'm preaching this weekend so I need to gear up for my message tonight, but I'm uber-relaxed. Once Buzz ends it is almost like a new lease on life. I can get back into my weekly routine. It felt awfully good to take a little siesta and go back to the gym yesterday. I feel like I have my life back.

Conference CDs

If you want to get your hands on Buzz Conference CDs or DVDs you can email amanda@theaterchurch.com.

Buzz Reflections

Alright folks. Here are my raw reflections on Buzz.

First of all, I felt good about last year but not great. I didn't really feel like we hit on all eight cylinders last year. I have a totally different feeling this year. The atmosphere was totally different. Much more social and natural. It almost felt like a family reunion. One of the highlights for me was just hanging out during breaks.

We had one objective this year: just be ourselves. That's why we decided to limit attendance and stay at Union Station. That's us! I think we were trying to impress or trying to keep up with the conference jones last year.

The key conference measure to me was the question I asked at the beginning of the last session. I felt impressed by the Holy Spirit to ask the question. I asked how many people felt like Buzz was more than a conference--they felt like it was a divine appointment because of something that happened or something that was said. My rough guestimate is that more than 60% raised their hands. Something sacred happened today!

To be perfectly honest, we went into Buzz 07 leaning away from hosting a Buzz 08. We'll host lots of conversations over the next year. We'll do a few NCC Undercovers. I'm going to do a 48-hour experience for lead pastors. We're tag-teaming with Dave Ferguson and Community Christian Church to host a Big Idea practicum in DC. And I think we'll do a small group practicum at Ebenezers in the fall. So we'll host lots of conversations in 08. But Buzz 07 was so conversational and transformational that I'm rethinking things. Once the adrenaline wears off we'll pray about it, talk about it, and decide whether or not to do a Buzz 08.

A few final thanks.

I honestly think that Craig Groeschel's session today may have been the most powerful conference talk I've ever heard. I'll be digesting it for weeks and months! I feel like he kicked our butts then helped us back up! Craig is a pastor of pastors. So grateful for his friendship and leadership! What a down-to-earth visionary!

And huge props to Juliet Main, Chief Buzz Agent, and the entire crew of staff and volunteers! I kept thinking to myself: what a team effort.

That's a wrap!

Off the Chart

Hard to put today into words.

I was much less stressed going into our second Buzz Conference. But I didn't really know exactly what to expect. But it sure seemed like every session was off the chart.

Tim Stevens from Granger Community Church brought the heat talking about creating buzz. So inspired by Granger's creativity and Tim's authenticity! And Craig Groeschel is Craig Groeschel. I think part of the reason I enjoyed it so much is that Tim and Craig are friends. I love hanging out with them. And I love listening to them.

We topped things off with the Buzz Film Festival. We had 37 submissions and showed the top ten. I got my laugh quota for the day. There was some Hollywood caliber creativity!

One of the highlights of the day was just seeing old friends and meeting new friends! After Buzz I had a few friends over for dinner and called it day!

Case of Books

Just wanted to extend a buzz special to blog readers. We're selling cases of In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day at a huge discount during the conference. Email resources@theaterchurch.com if you'd like to get in on the deal.

Social Networking

Leadership Network and the Buzz Conference tag-teamed last year to release a study on theater churches. This year we tag-teamed again and Warren Bird presented a study on social networking at our NCC Undercover event. Great resource for churches trying to figure out how to redeem technology and use it for God's purposes!

You can download the study here.

The Spy Rules

We kick off our first session in about 45 minutes. Just thought I'd post the ten spy rules that I'm going to use as leadership tactics.

During the Cold War, the CIA developed some unwritten rules of engagement for their spies called The Moscow Rules. Moscow was the most dangerous and difficult destination for a spy so the spies had to have special training in clandestine operations. In his book, The Master of Disguise, agent Tony Mendez talks about the Moscow Rules.

Although no one had written them down, they were the precepts we all understood. By the time they got to Moscow, everyone knew these rules. They were dead simple and full of common sense.

What I want to do today and tomorrow is share a version of the Moscow rules. There is some variance because these rules were never written down. But I want to adapt ten of the rules. One of our themes this year is decoding culture and no one is better at decoding than the CIA. Seems like spiritual leaders could learn a thing or two from the espionage industry.

Some of these tactics are commonsensical. Others are counter-intuitive. I'll elaborate on them post conference.

#1 Know Your Mission
#2 Gather Intelligence
#3 Maintain a Natural Pace
#4 Vary Your Pattern
#5 Blend into the Crowd
#6 Be Aware of Your Environment At All Times
#7 Avoid defensiveness at all costs
#8 Assume You Are under Surveillance
#9 Never go against Your Gut
#10 Don't Look Back

Exhausted and Energized

This is one of those days where I'm exhausted and energized at the same time! I totally underestimated how intense NCC Undercover and the Theater Church Forum would be. Between them we just spent six hours talking shop! That's a long day. And you've gotta love Murphy's Law. It's the hottest day of the year in DC and our AC stops running. You've gotta be kidding me! But besides the temperatures, I was so proud of our team. They did a great job sharing the nuts and bolts that make NCC NCC!

Today

Thought I'd check in before I check out. It's going to be a full day.

Excited about our hosting our second theater church forum. We've got about 100 leaders signed-up for the lunch. Pretty exciting to see the way the theater church movement has taken off in the past few years. I'm still believing for a church in every theater in America! Looking forward to sharing and learning some best practices.

Then we've got NCC Undercover this afternoon. Really excited about our team sharing their best practices in the areas of outreach, disciplship, and media. So grateful for a place like Ebenezers where we can host these kinds of gatherings!

Then we're having the speaking crew over to dinner at our place. Looking forward to the fellowship. I've come to think of conferences as reuinions--an opportunity to see friends who I don't see very often because they are as busy as I am!

Buzz Feelings

Can't believe we're T-minus two days till Buzz 07!

Speaking at someone else's conference is one thing. Hosting your own is a totally different deal. It's a little nerve-wracking! I feel such a sense of responsibility because so many pastors are making the pilgrimage to DC. Really praying for paradigm shifts and takeaways!

We've got our final prep meeting today before our pre-conference event tomorrow. I think we're all a little stressed and it's a little crazy around here. But I also think we'd be bored if we weren't stretching ourselves!

Weekend Reflections

What a difference a few lights can make. We experienced a huge win this week. We've had such a good longstanding relationship with Union Station that the theater powers that be allowed us to install lights. It cuts down set up and tear down by about fifteen minutes which is huge when you're a portable church. And it's much closer to concert quality.

Pastor Joel kicked off our Hero series. Really excited about zooming in on five heroes over th next five weeks. I really think biographical series are huge because hearing other people's stories helps us figure out our story.

Nice to get a little breather this weekend and just go to church with my family!

A Tribute

Next weekend, Calvary Church in Naperville, Illinois celebrates its fortieth anniversary. My father-in-law, Bob Schmidgall, planted and pastored Calvary for 30+ years. The example he set is really my inspiration for ministry. Lord willing, I want to pastor one church for life because I saw the kind of impact you can have when your roots grow deep! Calvary isn't just impacting thousands of people every week. They have given tens of millions of dollars to missions.

Lora and I aren't able to make the pilgrimage back to celebrate because of the Buzz Conference, but most of our family is headed back to Naperville for the festivities. I wrote a tribute for the occasion that I thought I'd share via blog. I think all of us who are pastors hope that we touch somebody so that someday they could say something like this about us.

I still remember the first time I personally met Bob Schmidgall. I was in the Intensive Care Unit at Edwards Hospital. It must have been two or three o'clock in the morning. And I was in pretty bad shape, so my parents called and asked if he'd come over to the hospital and pray for me. In typical Bob Schmidgall fashion, he was there in a matter of minutes. No questions asked.

Ten years after that first meeting, I would ask his permission to marry his daughter. And my pastor became my father-in-law. So my reflections are both personal and pastoral.

Bob Schmidgall is a tough personality to pin down, but when I was in his presence I could somehow sense the presence of God. You knew that He knew God. And it made you want to know God better yourself.

In all my years of ministry, I've never met anyone that prayed with more intensity or consistency. He prayed with a rare confidence that put you at ease. Early Morning Prayer was part of the warp and woof of His life. I'm sure growing up on the farm helped him establish an early morning prayer routine, but it was his heart for God that kept him in the posture of prayer throughout his life. As a result, his prayers outlive him. They continue to be answered long after his death.

In some ways, it is ironic that Bob Schmidgall died from heart failure. He had as good a heart and as big a heart as anyone I've ever known. I've never met anyone more passionate about the cause of Christ. Missions was his heartbeat. And he truly was a missionary's best friend. The generosity of Calvary Church was a reflection of his sacrificial giving.

If I had to describe Bob Schmidgall in a single phrase, it might be visionary servant. He dreamed God-sized dreams. But even as Calvary Church grew larger, he never stopped putting a towel around His waist and washing feet. He loved to lead. But he also loved to serve. No dream was too big. No task was too small. And that unique combination of leadership and servanthood gifts made him who he was. Even as his responsibilities expanded, he remained the humble servant. He made people feel important because they were important to him. It was evidenced by the volumes of names he knew! How could one person know that many names?

Bob Schmidgall loved God with all of His strength. He pushed his physical limits for spiritual purposes. But he didn’t sacrifice his family on the altar of ministry. Family came first. He was always busy, but he always had time.

Most of my personal memories are remarkably mundane. I remember him doing crossword puzzles. I remember his infamous hook shot from the free throw line. I remember him laughing till his face turned red or hot chocolate came out his nostrils. I remember going to Bulls games during the Michael Jordan era. And I remember buckling my seat belt whenever I was a passenger in the car he was driving! And somehow, his presence, made those mundane memories meaningful simply because he was part of them.

He loved God. He loved life. He loved his family.

But one memory from his death epitomized his life. I'll never forget the procession from the church to the cemetery on the day of his funeral. The train of cars stretched more than five miles long. He left tens of thousands of people in his spiritual wake. And they represent the legacy he left. His life is a reminder of the difference one person can make who has devoted His life to the cause of Christ.

He fought the good fight. He finished the race. He kept the faith.

Manifesto

Had a blast at the men's retreat this weekend. I did a couple sessions on chasing lions. Also played volleyball and basketball till midnight. I love events where I'm not just speaking but hanging. As promised, here is the manifesto.

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshipping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze a new trail. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away.

Chase the lion.

Men's Retreat

I'm headed out this afternoon to do a men's retreat for a local church. I love talking to guys about chasing lions. And I love speaking engagements that are within driving distance! It's my last speaking engagement until August. I'm taking July off to focus on writing and relaxing. Especially relaxing! Can't wait for our annual trip to the beach!

Peace Out.

The Infleuntials

Just spent the last ninety minutes with Rick McKinley from Imago Dei in Portland. He was in town for meetings so we hooked up at Ebenezers. Both of us write for Multnomah so we talked about everything from publishing to pastoring. So inspired by the way Imago Dei is impacting the city of Portland. And I love their advent conspiracy initiative. I'll post more 411 once their website goes live.

Last week it was the Dream Center in LA. This week its Imago Dei in Portland. Gotta be honest. Part of me feels like we're doing Jack Squat in DC by comparison. But I really feel like God has given us a platform in this city and we need to dream bigger dreams for DC. I really do believe we can turn this city upside down.

I love the way Rick is challenging "the influentials" in his church to leverage their influence for the kingdom! Gave me an idea for a small group next semester. We've got so many influentials at NCC--political influence, journalistic influence, economic influence. But influentials want to and need to be challenged with God-sized dreams! It comes down to this: God gives us platforms not to platform us but to platform Himself and His message!

Influence is a stewardship issue!

FYI--The Influentials is a good read.

Bon Appetit

I just got a thank you card and cookies from the Dream Center. But these are no ordinary cookies. Yes, they are edible pictures. Gotta admit, it feels a little weird biting off your own head.

For what it's worth, my college roommate (Brad Rosenberg) told me that his church gave out bobble heads of Brad to celebrate his fifth anniversary at the church. That is one of the coolest and funniest things I've ever heard of. But cookies with your picture on it are a close second.

Bon Appetit!

Praying for Buzzers

Starting to get the adrenaline rush for our Buzz Conference. So excited about so many leaders making the pilgrimage to DC. Looks like we've got 27 states represented. Just wanted to give a shout out to blog readers that are coming. Really look forward to meeting in person. I'm thinking Tony Morgan's session on blogging would be a great place to put a face with a blog! He's doing the 8 AM session on Friday morning @ Ebenezers Coffeehouse. See you there!

Also wanted to let you know that we have a prayer team that is praying for you. And I prayed through the roster today as well. We're really praying that God uses the time in DC to shift some paradigms and fuel creativity.

T-Minus 7 days!

Official Entry

I've been training for my first sprint triathlon the last few weeks, but I finally passed the point of no return. I signed up for the Dewey Beach Triathlon in September. I chose that one because we vacation in Rehobeth Beach, right next to Dewey Beach, every year so I'm somewhat familiar with the terrain.

This particular sprint triathlon is pretty tame by triathlon standards. My goal is to train for twice the distance and hope that helps me on race day. I'm not planning on winning, but I've got this crazy competitive streak that definitely isn't satisfied finishing last! My goal is to be competitive with first timers and clydesdales (contestants over 200 lbs).

Really enjoying going after this particular life goal. I ran a half-marathon a few years ago, but it's been awhile since I've trained for anything. Definitely needed a physical challenge!

First T-Ball Game

Josiah had his first t-ball game tonight. He smacked the ball pretty hard on his first at bat and proceeded to run after it into right field instead of going to first base. It was a "moment." The funniest thing is watching the team in the field. Every ground ball turns into a huge pile on. It's basically a contest to see who can get the ball.

Good times!

Divine Appointments

Had one of those little divine appointments today that remind you of how big God is. I'm awed by the fact that nothing is too big for God. I'm comforted by the fact that nothing is too small for God.

I took Parker to the airport to spend some time with Grandpa and Grandma Batterson today. There was a huge line at US Air and I had to get a special boarding pass to get me through security which almost made us late. So we got to the front of the line and there was an elderly woman in a wheelchair being pushed by her middle-aged son right in front of us. When we got up to the person checking boarding passes, he told this man that he couldn't pass through security and they didn't have any staff available to push his mother's wheelchair. He knew she'd miss her flight if he went back to get a boarding pass and I really sensed that God put us right behind them in line to help out. So I carried her purse and wheeled her to her gate before putting Parker on the plane. As we were on the way to the gate, she looked up and said: "God was looking out for me."

What a thought: God is looking out for us!

I love those supernatural synchronicities where you know God put you in the right place at the right time. I envision an entire angelic division devoted to divine appointments. They are setting up big ones and little ones all the time! It was little to me, but it was big to this elderly woman!

Matthew 10:29-30 is a beautiful celebration of the sovereignty of God.

Not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, can fall to the the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid.

Doesn't that give you an incredible sense of destiny?

One of Those Days

Some days have a way of putting everything in perspective.

I was trying to pull everything together for Buzz 07 today when I got a call from our babysitter telling me she'd been in an accident with our minivan. Gratefully, no one was injured. Just a fender bender. And the kids actually enjoyed it. But I spent about an hour making the insurance claim. No fun!

Then I got the kind of news that makes everything else seem insignificant. A staff member found out their younger brother died. My head was spinning and my heart was hurting the rest of the day. Such a shock and so sad. It is tough to think about anything else when something like that happens! I felt so helpless. I felt a little like Job's friends who just sat with Job for seven days without saying anything when they saw his grief. Honestly, you don't really know what to say. All you can do is ask God for help. But even when nothing makes sense you have to remind yourself that God is still God. And He is good and gracious and sovereign.

I think these are the kinds of days where you're glad there is night. It allows you to go to sleep and start over again. Tomorrow. Such a hopeful and healing word.

What I'm Reading This Week

Just thought I'd share a couple of books I'm reading this week. I'm about finished with The Triathlete's Training Bible. I just read The Five Faces of Genius. Not a lot of new content, but a good read on different styles of creativity.

I'm also diving into Stop Acting like a Christian, Just be One by Christine Caine and Leveraging Your Leadership Style by John Jackson. Definitely worth checking out!

Film Festival

Last call for Buzz Film Festival entries! The deadline for sending them in is June 20. I'd love to see the kingdom become more open-source! We need to share our creativity with each other. Entries are NOT limited to Buzz Attendees. We just want to highlight some creativity from around the country! Here's the 411. Or you can email our Chief Buzz Agent, Juliet, if you have questions: juliet@theaterchurch.com.

Holy Cow

Never has the saying "holy cow" been more appropriately used than to describe my experience at Fogo De Chao. If you're never heard of it, they simply bring around fifteen different cuts of meat and you eat till you drop. I weighed myself before and after. The verdict? If the scale was telling the truth, I ate 5.5 pounds worth of meat! I think I got my yearly allowance of protein in one meal.

My first thought as they started bringing top sirloin and filet mignon and prime rib? I wonder if this is what the Marriage Supper of the Lamb will be like.

What a Father's Day gift!

Holy Cow.

Father's Day Reflections

Living large today! I love Dad's day!!!!

We're using a gift certificate someone gave us to go out to Fogo De Chao tonight. I've never been, but I heard it is a carnivore's paradise!

Really enjoyed sharing a message on parenting today. We don't talk about that much at NCC because we're 73% single twenty-somethings, but I felt like it was a great change of pace. My greatest desire is to be a great dad, but it is also my greatest challenge!

We ended some of our services with The Lord's Prayer. It was so meaningful to pray that prayer today! Really grateful for my earthly father and my Heavenly Father. Don't forget to wish God a Happy Father's Day!

For what it's worth, I ended my message by inviting people to enter into a relationship with their Heavenly Father. The adoption papers are already drawn up! I think we fail to appreciate what an incredible promise we have in John's Gospel: to as many as have received Him, to them he gave the power to become children of God. What an offer! Nothing like being part of God's family and calling Him Father!

Props to Dads!

A Challenge to Face

I just read the latest issue of Best Life. Loved one thought in one of the articles:

The only thing worse than not having the skills you need to meet your challenges is not having challenges big enough to summon all of your skills.

Man, I love that approach to life. We need big challenges! That is part of what makes life worth living! That is part of what is driving my goal-setting process. Part of the reason I'm training for a triathlon is because I need a challenge to face.

If you want to become a David you need a Goliath!

Case of Books

Just got 495 pounds of In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day delivered. If you need a discounted case (24 books) for a small group, sermon series or book club email resources@theaterchurch.com.

Chase the lion!

Sand and Surf

Had a blast "surfing" Friday morning.

We spent about two hours out there. I think I need one more surf session before I get the hang of it. Swallowed lots of salt water trying to catch waves but I really enjoyed hanging out with Joel Schmidgall, our Pastor of Outreach, and Joel and Chris from the Dream Center. They hooked us up and showed us the ropes! After "surfing" we downed burritos at a local Mexican dive called El Turasco then headed to the airport. Got home around midnight.

Home sweet home.

Surf's Up

Headed out to El Porto to try surfing for the first time. The hospitality of the Dream Center Team is off the charts. They got us some wetsuits and big boards. Now all we need is some waves and some balance.

Here goes nothing. Possibly literally.

LA Dream Center

Today has to rank as one of the most enjoyable and most inspiring days of my life. You've heard of sensory overload and information overload. Today was vision overload.

I've heard so many amazing things about the Dream Center in LA, but I had to see it for myself. For starters, it was one of the best preaching experiences of my life. I've never preached to a more receptive group. And it was very cool to see and preach at the historic Angelus Temple.

We got a little tour of LA this morning--walked the Santa Monica Pier and the Promenade. Then Pastor Tommy Barnett and Aaron Jayne gave us a 90 minute tour of the Dream Center. It felt like 15 minutes! Honestly, the volume of ministry happening at the Dream Center made me feel like we're doing Jack Squat. I don't know of another church that is doing holistic ministry like the Dream Center. But here is what is so cool. They said they really felt like God said: go after the people nobody wants and I'll give you the people everybody wants. They've gone after prostitutes and homeless and juvenile deliquents. And God has sent them people to finance the dream!

I love being around people who dream God-sized dreams. Dreamers are highly contagious! And few people are as contagious and Tommy and Matthew Barnett. I'm infected. Thoroughly enjoyed hanging out and sharing church stories! And I'm blown away by how kind, encouraging and hospitable they've been to us! Love seeing what God is doing in other places! Makes me dream bigger dreams for DC!

Off to LA

I'm flying to LA and speaking at the Dream Center on Thursday night. I've been anticipating this one for quite a while! Can't wait to see first-hand what God is doing there. Pretty incredible ministry.

I'll talk about chasing lions on Thursday night. And if our plans work out, I might be to try surfing on Friday morning before flying back.

The Reticular Activating System

I continue to update and revise my Life Goal list. I'll post them once I get a rough draft. I'm at about 65 goals and I really want to come up with 100. I thought I'd post some thoughts on why I think goal-setting is important. Basically, it all comes back to the reticular activating system.

The Reticular Activating System (RAS) is a cluster of nerve cells in the brainstem that regulate alertness and attention. We are bombarded by thousands of stimuli every second--different sights, sounds and sensations. It is the job of the RAS to regulate which stimuli you pay attention to and which stimuli you ignore. It is the gatekeeper or screening device. Or think of it as mental radar. The RAS determines what you notice and what goes unnoticed.

Here's how it works. When you purchase a cell phone or clothing or a car, it creates a category in your reticular activating system. You notice if someone's cell phone has the same ring tone don't you? Because you go to answer yours! You notice if someone is wearing your outfit at the same event. Can you say awkward? And the second you drive your new car out of the lot, it seems like everyone is driving your model car.

That is the function of the RAS. You didn't have a category for your clothing or ring tone or car before you bought it. But once you made the purchase or downloaded the ring tone or drove out of the dealership, you had a new cognitive category.

So what does that have to do with goals?

Goals create cognitive categories. And you begin to notice anything and everything that will help you achieve that goal.

I like the way Bodil Jonsson explains it. "Everybody has internal scouts. If you've just learned you're pregnant, you'll see women with big bellies and parents with baby buggies everywhere. If you've started thinking that the spot on your back might be malignant, you'll feel it rubbing against your shirt all day long. A person's perceptions are guided to a great extent by his scouts."

Goals are internal scouts.

Anyone who has children knows that kids lose interest in anything that is not immediately before their eyes--out of sight out of mind. According to psychologists, if an object is removed from a child's field of sight, that object ceases to exist. The have not yet developed the capacity known as object permanence. I would argue that we never really outgrow that. If you want to keep something in mind you better keep it in your sights. If you want vision permanence then you have to keep the vision front and center. And goals are a great way of doing that.

One footnote.

I love what John Richardson said: "When it comes to the future there are only three kind of people: those who let it happen, those who make it happen and those who wonder what happened."

Goals help make it happen.

Fifth Printing

Just got some good news from my publisher. Looks like In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy day is going to its fifth printing next month. Just want to say a huge thanks to blog readers. Honestly, without the blog effect, I'm not sure it would have gone to a second printing.

Travel Boundaries

I made a New Year's Resolution at the beginning of 2007 not to travel more than 30 nights this year. I'm actually going to stick with the same number for 2008. It's been awfully hard turning down speaking invitations. Lora and I have learned to laugh at me because I always say that every invitation is "an amazing opportunity." I have a hard time saying "no." And part of the reason is that I always feel so honored by each invite.

One of the lessons I'm learning this year is the importance of boundaries between family and ministry. You have to make conscientious pre-decisions or you'll make bad decisions! If I have to compromise, I want to compromise ministry instead of family! Our staff works really hard, but we also have a motto: family first. If there is ever a conflict between family and ministry it's a no brainer. My of my greatest desires is for my kids to grow up and be grateful they were PKs.

On that note, my 2007 calendar is booked. Actually, I have reserved two nights in case I get one of those crazy invitations I can't turn down. And 2008 is about half-booked. Just accepted an invitation to speak for Willow Creek Canada at their two national events next year. Excited about crossing the border. I might actually make a couple trips out of country to speak. I feel like it helps me keep things in perspective!

My game plan moving forward is to split speaking engagements for 2008 between leadership conferences and book tours. I'll do a few Chase the Lion events in the Winter/Spring. And then I'll transition into a Wild Goose Chase tour in the Summer/Fall of 08.

Summer of New Experiences

We kicked off our summer with a little getaway to the Shenandoah Valley. When you live in the city you need to get into the country every once in a while! We stayed at a small cabin with a cool loft. The kids were digging it.

For what it's worth, we have a theme every summer. A few years ago it was the summer of adventure. Last year was the summer of simple pleasures. This year we're going with the summer of new experiences. And we had lots of them on our little trip.

We hiked up a little creek that was right behind our cabin and caught a watersnake. A little scary, but really cool. Amazing to see it slither through the water. The only downside is that I had to carry Summer and Josiah on my back after we caught the snake! Good workout.

We visited the Luray Caverns on Monday--the largest caverns on the East Coast. We went to Shenandoah River State Park and swam across the river. That was a really cool adventure, but there are so many rocks in the river that I had about a dozen cuts and scratches on my hands and legs! We topped it off with dinner at Cracker Barrel and called it a trip!

Old Cemeteries

Don't know why, but I'm intrigued by old cemeteries.

There were six headstones near our cabin so we walked down there to inspect them. One of people buried there was born in 1778! But my favorite was one Isaac Bothgeb. He died on January 24, 1841. And the headstone recorded his dying words:

Jesus can make your dying bed as soft as downy pillows.

Rick Warren Podcast

The podcast interview with Rick Warren is live. Really enjoyed the conversation with Rick, Rick's Chief of Staff David Chrzan, and Rick McKinley from Imago Dei in Portland.

Here's a link to Rick's podcast blog. Or you can listen to the interview here.

Batterson Family Tradition

One of our Batterson Family traditions is kicking off the summer with a little camping trip. So we're headed out to the Shenandoah Valley right after church. I found a pretty cool cabin on stilts that is right by the Shenandoah river.

One of the reasons I love summertime is because my day off switches back to Mondays. It actually feels like I get a psuedo-weekend because I'm off from Sunday afternoon till Tuesday morning.

10 Thoughts on Vulnerability in Ministry

I did a podcast interview with Rick Warren on Friday. Thought I'd post some thoughts on the topic: "How Vulnerability can make your ministry more effective."

I'll post the link as soon as the interview goes live.

One of my all-time favorite movie scenes is in Tommy Boy where Chris Farley says: "Let me tell you why I suck." A good pastor has a little Chris Farley in them. Did I just say that? One of the things that I loved about Farley, besides the fact that he was ridiculously funny, is that he didn't take himself too seriously! In my experience, people who are more vulnerable are more lovable! I just think that spiritual leaders really struggle in this area. We feel like we have to have this holy persona that is beyond sin. What we really need is the courage to share our failures and foibles!

All of us love a good success story, but pastors need to share their failure stories too. But do it in a redemptive way. Success stories inspire us. But failure stories help us catch our psychological breath. When we hear how someone else has messed up, it helps us feel normal. When I speak at conferences, I often share about our failed church plant attempt before we came to DC. It is amazing how many people come up to me and thank for me sharing that story. When I share a "failure story" it is like people breath a sigh of relief.

Here are 10 Random Thoughts on Vulnerability:

#1 People will only be as vulnerable as their leader!

The leader sets the vulnerability standard. They will only be as open and honest as you are.

#2 Embrace your imperfections!

Part of us wants to hide what's wrong with us. But our imperfections are connection points! I'm always reminding NCCers that I'm a work in progress. And I have a little mantra I repeat as well: as soon as I'm omniscient I'll let you know. I don't have it all figured out. I don't have it all together. And I never will. We each have to deal with our thorns in the flesh!

#3 The happiest and healthiest people laugh at themselves the most!

It might have been Plato who said, "Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." That is so true. I think laughter is one of the purest forms of vulnerability.

#4 The greatest freedom is having nothing to prove!

#5 Cry in public.

Jesus wept. It's the shortest verse in the New Testament. But I think it speaks volumes about Jesus! Real men cry. Last week I shared a story about an NCCer who shared about her experience with human trafficking. I couldn't get through it without crying! And a guy came up to me afterwards and said, "You just gave every guy in this place permission to cry." Crying is a little embarrassing. But it is a form of emotional vulnerability.

#6 The best apologetic is authenticity!

It's not how much you know. It's how real you are!

#7 Quit trying to be a pastor and try to be yourself!

One of my most memorable conversations was with a pastor friend about a year ago. He decided to leave his church. His reason? "I just don't feel like I can be myself." Life is too short to pastor a church where you can't be yourself.

#8 Jesus was holy, but he wasn't holier-than-thou.

#9 Be open to correction!

How you handle criticism will determine how healthy your spirit is. You can't afford to listen to criticism that doesn't pass through the filter of Scripture. But you also can't afford to tune out godly correction. Don't become a self-validating closed-system. Allow people to speak into your life!

#10 Hang out at wells

Part of vulnerability is accessibility. Jesus didn't hang out at synagogues. He hung out at wells. Wells were natural gathering places in ancient culture. Coffeehouses are postmodern wells! That is why we built Ebenezers. It is so easy to get quarantined as a pastor. At the end of the day, vulnerability is all about incarnation!

T-Minus Three Weeks

We're less than three weeks away from Buzz 07.

A few updates:

1) Our prayer team is praying for absolutely everybody by name and church. We're hoping this is a ministry milestone for attendees!

2) We're accepting video submissions for the Buzz Film Festival up until June 15. We're looking for sermon illustrations, series trailers, and church events. Best of Show wins a Buzz iPod. Check out the submission guidelines.

3) The conference sold out a couple weeks ago, but we've got some spots left for NCC Undercover on Wednesday, June 27. This pre-conference event will be the most interactive part of the conference. Our staff will share best practices and answer questions.

Rick Warren

I did a podcast interview with Rick Warren this afternoon on the topic of vulnerability. I'll post the link once it goes live. Really enjoyed the conversation with Rick and Rick McKinley from Imago Dei.

Can I sidetrack for a second?

There are lots of Christian leaders that I DON'T want speaking for me to the media. You know what I'm saying? They either say stuff that isn't representative of what I believe. Or their tone is a poor reflection on the Church. But Rick Warren is "the man" in my estimation. Such an eloquent spokesperson for the church. He has a way of saying the right thing the right way and representing the body of Christ in a way that makes me proud. Not too many people like that. Love the way he represents!

I shared some thoughts during the podcast and I'll post them seperately. But I found myself taking notes on what Rick was saying during the interview. Priceless insight. Here are a few keepers:

Before truth there must be trust.

Don't make decisions based on your fears.

When you share your strengths it creates competition. When you share you weaknesses it creates community.

Vulnerability is walking with a limp like Jacob.

There are three levels of vulnerability:

1) Accepting your weaknesses
2) Glorying in your weaknesses
3) Sharing your weaknesses openly

Staff Get Together

I'm always fielding questions from pastors about how you build community with your staff. I think the ultimate goal is to not just do ministry together, but to really do life together. And the key is intentionality.

As a lead pastor, you need to invite your staff into your life. One way we do that at NCC is via staff get togethers. So last night we invited the entire staff over to house and I grilled burgers and brats. Then as a celebration of the last day of school for our kids, we went to see Shrek 3.

Good times!

Last Day of School

It's the last day of school for our kids. That brings back so many amazing memories. No greater feeling than the last day of school. Freedom!

Lora took the kids to McDonalds for a special "last day" breakfast!

Pulling the Plug on a Service

It's not uncommon for us to go to a summer service schedule and drop a service. Part of the reason is that we lose about two hundred college students in the summer! We get a ton of summer interns, but our attendance is usually down in the summer--like lots of churches. The congressional recess in August is pretty rough in DC! Plus we're stretched pretty thin in terms of volunteers during the summer months. So we scale back a little bit. But to be perfectly candid, those aren't the reasons we're pulling the plug on our 7:07 service @ Ebenezers.

Permission to speak frankly? Our 7:07 @ Ebenezers is the service I DON'T want first-time guests to attend. Our 5:05 & 7:07 used to be evenly balanced in attendance when both of them had a live message. But when we went to a video message in the 7:07, our attendance really dropped. That's been frustrating because I don't feel like I can go back to two live messages on Saturday. It just knocks the wind out of whoever is speaking for Sunday morning. But it seems like a video message just doesn't work as well in the coffeehouse as it does in the theater. Part of it may be the huge screen at the theater. Part of it may be that the video message doesn't fit the "intimate environment" of the coffeehouse.

One way or the other, I don't want to be the kind of leader that makes decisions by indecision. So we're pulling the plug and we'll try to reinvent the 7:07 in the fall. I'm not 100% sure how we do that. Maybe we make it more interactive with a Q & A. Maybe we have more worship or weekly communion to differentiate it. But I'm not satisfied with status quo. So we're scaling back so we can ramp up!

Few things are more difficult or more important than managing momentum. It just felt like the 7:07 has been losing momentum. And I don't believe in slow deaths! I'm hoping a reinvention and relaunch will help us create momentum in the fall.

By the way, I think the same goes for every ministry in our churches. Once it serves it's purpose, please kill it. Don't let it die one of those embarrassing deaths! Ministries have expiration dates. Once you pass the date, it can actually be hazardous to your health and become counter-productive. Certain committees can cause more harm than good if you let them exist forever! Alright, most committees! Just kidding. Sort of.

I believe in blogging

I don't think I have to tell anyone that I'm a big believer in blogging. It is part of the warp and woof of my life. I've always journaled as a spiritual discipline--keeping track of the things God is doing in my head and heart. So blogging was a natural next step.

I honestly blog for myself. But there is so much derivative value as a pastor and writer. My blog lets me interact with more and more people as NCC gets larger and larger. I feel like it keeps me accessible in some form or fashion. I know it's not a substitute for one-on-one. But it's a great supplement. It's a form of digital discipleship!

Anywho.

One of the lessons I learned writing my first book is that publishers want writers who have a network of influence. They come in all different sizes and shapes. But I think publishers are beginning to realize that blogs are amazing networks of influence. I love my publisher. And I give them credit for the first printing. But I think the blogosphere is responsible for the second, third, and fourth printings.

Enough blogging about blogging.

Just wanted to recommend a book by David Meerman Scott titled The New Rules of Marketing & PR. Great read. It isn't written for a "church audience" per se, but his insights apply across the board. And churches need to be redeeming technology and using it for God's purposes! For what it's worth, we're one of the case studies in the last chapter. You can can check out his post on evotional.com and theaterchurch.com here. Great insight!

Triathlon Training

I started my triathlon training yesterday. I promise not to bore you with the training details, but some of my blogs are like mileposts. This was sort of day one. I did a half-mile swim, seven mile bike, and three mile run. I know I can finish a sprint triathlon. The question is how long it will take me! Got a long ways to go.

Took Parker along for the run last night. The kid is a jack rabbit. I'm huffing and puffing and he's talking up a storm!

Gotta love running in DC. Most of my routes take me by the Capitol. So last night we ran right by the freshman senator from Virginia, Jim Webb. And Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Senator from Texas, gave us a big smile as we ran by. It was like a running class in politics. I kept telling Parker who these different people were!

Evan Almighty

Got invited to a screening of Evan Almighty. They are heavily promoting the movie with churches. I loved Bruce Almighty. In fact, we used it for our God @ the Box Office series a couple years ago.

Off to the movies!

Brian McLaren

So I'm driving across Capitol Hill; look out my driver's side window; and Brian McLaren is walking down the sidewalk. I haven't seen Brian since we had lunch about two years ago. I told him I felt called to write and he hooked me up with my agent. I owe Brian a huge debt of gratitude.

So cool to do a quick catch up. I actually gave him a lift to a meeting. That's what I'm here for. If you're ever in DC and looking for a minivan limo let me know!

I Forgot to Remove the XL Tag

Is it just me or do other people forget to remove the size tags from their shirts the first time they wear them? It's the story of my life. I just got a t-shirt from American Eagle--one of my new favorite stores. And I forgot to take the little XL tag off. It wasn't till the end of Summer's year-end class party that my fashion-conscious daughter had to politely ask me why I still had the tag on the shirt.

I'm not sure what is more embarrassing--parsley on your teeth or tag on your shirt.

Of course, then I ran into Brian McLaren right after eating a blue raspberry jolly rancher and my blue tongue looked like a toddler's tongue after a very succesful Halloween outing.

Evotional Update

I'm getting ready to send out the next evotional--an email version of my weekend message. I haven't been as consistent as I'd like to be because I've had so many time demands lately. But I'm still trying to convert as many messages into manuscripts as possible.

I write evotionals for two audiences: 1) NCCers who are out of town and missed a message or those who want a double dose of a message. 2) And pastors who are always looking for sermon fodder.

If you'd like to a free subscription, visit theaterchurch.com.

Father's Day Books

If you've still looking for a Father's Day Gift, love to hook you up with a discount on In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. You can email resources@theaterchurch.com for the 411. Because of the quantity of orders we've extended the order deadline to Friday, June 8.

Writing Reflections

Just sent the prologue to Wild Goose Chase to my editor. Feels so good closing a document and sending it off.

I hate using this analogy, but writing a book is like giving birth. Lots of labor followed by lots of joy! Books feel like babies. You have to get pregnant. A book starts when God conceives something in your spirit. And it has to go through a gestation period. While you're writing the book it feels like all of your nutrients are going to feed the book. You live, eat, and breath the book.

I have to admit: I have been feeling a ton of pressure with Wild Goose Chase because of the impact In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day has had. I've gotten hundreds of emails from readers about the way God has used the book to inspire them to chase lions. Each email is an answer to prayer! And I know God can do it again. But I think I've struggled with a little self-doubt. Can the sequel be better than the prequel? I've had to really come to terms with the fact that God has a unique plan for every book I write. He'll use different books in different ways. And all I can do is write like it depends on me and pray like it depends on God.

One of my life goals is to write 25 books. But I'm less concerned about quantity than quality. Each book has to pass what I call the excitement test. I never want to write a book that I'm not 100% excited about. Wild Goose Chase is passing the test with flying colors. I really think it can take the chase to the next level.

3rd Largest Offering in NCC History

This weekend we challenged every NCCer to give one day's pay toward the launch of our fourth location. The end result was the third largest offering in NCC history! So blesseed by the way NCCers responded to the challenge!

We handed out psuedo-checks that doubled as commitment cards. And asked NCCers to become shareholders in the vision! We try to treat each launch like an IPO--an initial public offering. Praying for a $100,000 miracle!

Life Goal List

About five years ago I came up with some life goals at an Inward Bound retreat. I've accomplished some of them, but by-and-large, I feel like they have gathered dust. But I'm in the process of dusting them off; updating them; and expanding the list.

By the time I'm done I'll have 100 Life Goals or 100 Lions to Chase. Just thought I'd share my goal setting process. I don't have a formula. But I hope it inspires everybody in the evosphere to set some goals.

My goals fall into five categories:

P Goals--Physical
F Goals--Family
E Goals--Experiential
T Goals--Travel
V Goals--Vocational

I don't have spiritual goals, because all of them are spiritual. More on that in a minute!

Part of my inspiration is the simple fact that I'm tired of using other people as examples of goal setting! I've always been inspired by Jon Goddard--adventurer extraordinaire. And I love the list Tedd Leonsis came up with. But they're them and I'm me. I need to inspired enough to set my own goals!

I know this for sure: you probably won't accomplish the goals you don't set. I'll expand on this in another post, but goal setting is being a good steward of our reticular activating system. When you set a goal, your mental radar begins to notice anything and everything related to that goal.

I feel like my mantra right now is: play offense. And setting goals is a great way of doing that. At some point, most of us stop creating the future and start repeating the past. We stop living out of right-brain imagination and we start living out of left-brain memory. We live goal-less lives that don't really require any faith!

Part of the reason I'm working on these goals during our ten-day Pentecost Fast is because I don't want these goals to be man-u-factured. I really want each one to be an expression of stewardship. I need physical goals because they challenge me to stay in shape. And it is one way I take care of God's temple. And I love traveling, but it is also a spiritual experience for me. I'm exploring God's creation. And each stamp in my passport is good stewardship!

One final thought: our goal lists ought to be as

Saturday, June 30, 2007

The Day After

Friday, June 29, 2007

Conference CDs

Buzz Reflections

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Off the Chart

Case of Books

Social Networking

The Spy Rules

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Exhausted and Energized

Today

Monday, June 25, 2007

Buzz Feelings

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Weekend Reflections

A Tribute

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Manifesto

Friday, June 22, 2007

Men's Retreat

The Infleuntials

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Bon Appetit

Praying for Buzzers

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Official Entry

First T-Ball Game

Divine Appointments

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

One of Those Days

What I'm Reading This Week

Film Festival

Monday, June 18, 2007

Holy Cow

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Father's Day Reflections

Saturday, June 16, 2007

A Challenge to Face

Case of Books

Sand and Surf

Friday, June 15, 2007

Surf's Up

LA Dream Center

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Off to LA

The Reticular Activating System

Fifth Printing

Travel Boundaries

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Summer of New Experiences

Old Cemeteries

Rick Warren Podcast

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Batterson Family Tradition

10 Thoughts on Vulnerability in Ministry

Saturday, June 09, 2007

T-Minus Three Weeks

Friday, June 08, 2007

Rick Warren

Staff Get Together

Last Day of School

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Pulling the Plug on a Service

I believe in blogging

Triathlon Training

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Evan Almighty

Brian McLaren

I Forgot to Remove the XL Tag

Evotional Update

Father's Day Books

Monday, June 04, 2007

Writing Reflections

3rd Largest Offering in NCC History

Life Goal List