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2007 Memories

One reason I blog is because it helps me remember what I should not forget. So every year I go back and re-read my blog as a way of reflecting on the past year. It is amazing how many priceless memories would have been forgotten if I had not blogged them. Lots of memorable moments in 2007. In no particular order, here is a gratitude list.

Sledding in a snow storm at Rocky Gap
Launching our fourth location at Georgetown
A new member of the family--Ellie Schmidgall
An Anniversary trip to Italy
Learning to snowboard with Parker
5 Printings of In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day
A family canoe ride on Smith Mountain Lake
Taking Summer to her first Broadway play
Watching Josiah catch his first fish
Finishing my first Triathlon
Ebenezers named the #2 coffeehouse in the metro DC area
Camping Trip with Parker and Josiah
All you can eat at Fago De Chao
First attempt at Surfing
Catching a water snake
Swimming across the Shenandoah River
Chase the Lion book tour
Buzz 07
Discovering the game of corn hole
Walking around the Colosseum in Rome at night
Seeing the Blue Grotto on the Island of Capri
Long dinners at sidewalk cafes in Italy
30,000 Steps for $30,000
Family Road Trip to Chicago
Taking the kids to the Indiana State Fair
Picking up our dog Mickey at Mickey D's
A week long vacation at the beach
Watching Princess Bride with my kids at a Screen on the Green
Riding on a bike cab in NYC with Summer
Taking Parker to a Redskins Game
Sister-in-Law Amanda's wedding festivities
Our first family ski trip to Whitetail

Creating Memories

I feel like one of my primary responsibilities as a dad is creating memories and we definitely created one last night. Our entire family went skiing for the first time. And we did it in the freezing rain. All of us were absolutely soaked by the end of the night. Fortunately, the hotel we stayed at had a hot tub. Nothing like a hot tub after skiing in the freezing rain!

Parker and I learned to snowboard last winter, but it was cool to get back on the board. And it was so much fun to see Summer and Josiah learn how to ski. Amazed at how quickly they picked it up.

Good times. Good memories.

PS. For locals, we went to Whitetail which is about 1.5 hours from DC. It's not the cheapest lift ticket or the biggest mountain, but it is awfully convenient.

Gold, Frankenstein, and Myrrh

This week Josiah informed us that the wise men brought three gifts: gold, Frankenstein, and myrrh. Out of the mouths of babes! Gotta love the slight mispronunciation! Or maybe Josiah really does think that the wise men brought Jesus a monster.

Nothing makes me laugh like my kids!

Christmas Recap

We've had a relaxing couple of days! So much fun just hanging with the family. We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day with the Schmidgall side of our family. They live in Gainesville, Virginia which is incredibly convenient! We didn't do a Christmas Eve service this year because of its proximity to the weekend (fell on a Monday) and our mass exodus every year. So we went to a Christmas Eve service at their church. I love our theaters and coffeehouse, but its nice being in an actual church building once a year!

My parents came into town yesterday so we celebrated a second Christmas. Gotta love opening gifts twice!

Let the good times roll.

Checking Out

I'm going to check out of the blogosphere for a few days. Hope everyone has a very merry Christmas! We're very fortunate to have extended family that lives here so we're staying in the area. Plus my parents are coming into town so we'll actually celebrate two Christmases.

Peace out.

Ghost Town

Had good services this weekend, but DC definitely turns into a ghost town over the holidays. Especially when your church is 70% single twenty-somethings. Hardly anybody is from here so everyone heads home for the holidays. For what it's worth, our attendance on a holiday weekend is about 33% of our normal attendance! How crazy is that. Of course, the upside is that I can always find a parking spot right in front of our house.

Sophmore Rock Album

I had a phone conference with my editors today.

Man, writing books is hard. I love it. I feel called to do it. But it is hard to describe how difficult it is. Especially when you're a perfectionist. Honestly, I think the second book is harder to write than the first book. There were zero expecations with the first book. But because In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day has exceeded expectations, it creates some added pressure.

Wild Goose Chase is a sequel of sorts. It's sort of like a sophomore rock album. You want the same sound. But you also want new songs. I'm trying to find the right balance! And it's not easy. I feel like I'm in the middle of the writing forest and it's tough to find my way back out.

Just processing out loud. Sure would appreciate a prayer!

Christmas Program

Is there anything cuter than a school Christmas program? Had a blast watching our three kids sing last night. Notice that I didn't say "listening." Not that the kids sounded bad, but it definitely wasn't the Mormon Tabernacle Choir! Pretty funny listening to the 6-8th graders who are all going through puberty and experiencing voice changes! Lots of octave changes!

Good times.

Open Source

NCC has limited staff and limited resources, but our goal is to open-source some of our sermon series so other churches can take some of our ideas and adapt them to their context. We did that with our Chase the Lion series. And I'm guessing 100+ churches did a church-wide Chase the Lion series last year.

We're adding another open-source series called The Elephant in the Church . We really felt like the Elephant series hit a nerve. We talked about some obvious truths that we tend to ignore. I think we'll actually do a sequel next year. It'd be cool for some churches to add some elephants to the ones we've addressed.

Check it out at www.TheElephantInTheChurch.com.

Everything is free! And props to our digital pastor, David Russell, for pulling this site together!

Micro Conferences

We need your help. Our team is brainstorming our conference strategy for 2008. We're not locked into anything, but one idea we're toying with is doing a variety of micro conferences instead of one Buzz Conference.

We really feel called to be a teaching church. But we don't want to just do a conference to do a conference. And I feel like we're still trying to find our niche.

By "micro conference" we mean a gathering for fewer people and less time. They would be highly targeted and very interactive. For example, I'd like to do a 36-hour gathering for lead pastors only. We would probably limit attendance to 25 so it could be highly relational. We'd probably do a half-day seminar on small groups and media. And we might think about doing a gathering for theater churches or multi-site churches.

I'm really not sure which way we'll go. Love to get some feedback.

Chase the Lion

If you're looking for a small group curriculum for 2008, I would recommend that you check out the resources at Threads. So grateful for the partnership with Threads in producing the Chase the Lion study. And I think Chase the Lion would be a great way to kick off 2008.

Threads has small group studies designed for young adults, but I think they are great studies for a larger demographic.

New Christmas Tradition

I honestly debated whether or not to share this, but I decided to blog it because I hope it inspires some others to follow suit. Our family is starting a new Christmas tradition this year. We feel so blessed and we don't want to keep the blessing to ourselves so we're going to bless someone this Christmas in a way that they can't figure out who gave them the gift. We've been talking about it with our kids and really praying that God would guide us. We've finally figured out who we're going to bless and how we're going to bless them. And I can't even explain how exciting and joyful it is.

This new tradition had added a new dimension to Christmas!

Ben's Chili Bowl

Parker and I had our weekly FSM (Father/Son Meeting) last night. I took him to the infamous Ben's Chili Bowl for a chili half-smoke. It was one small step, one giant leap toward manhood. Love that place. It is the quintessential greasy spoon.

Good eats!

Chicago Style Pizza

I got a special delivery in the mail yesterday. Joe Dascenzo and the crew at Change Design sent me a Lou Malnati's pizza! No combination of the twenty-six letters of the English alphabet would be able to explain how much I love their pizza!

At this very moment, a sausage and pepperoni pizza are cooking in our oven! I'm going to quit blogging and start eating!

Peace Out.

2008 Budget

I spent most of yesterday working with our CFO on our 2008 budget. It's always a little overwhelming trying to crunch the numbers! But I really believe that faith and finances are so inter-related. Our budgets have a way of revealing our true priorities and passions. So I think budgeting is a healthy exercise for all of us.

I'm so grateful for an amazing stewardship team that provides financial oversight and accountability for NCC! I'm part of the conversation. And our staff presents the budgets. But it our Stewardship Team that approves our annual budget.

As I think about 2008, two of my BHAGs would be:

1) giving $500,000 to missions.

I think missions giving is the financial engine that drives NCC. I believe God has blessed us because He knows we aren't going to keep the blessing to ourselves. The day will come that we're giving millions of dollars to missions every year. But we've got to take it one year at a time. I think we can hit the half-a-million mark next year if we give sacrificially.

2) opening a second coffeehouse

I'm not sure where and I'm not sure when. But I've always believed that Ebenezers could become a chain of coffeehouses. I'd love to get a second location in 2008. I don't know if we buy it or rent it. But I'd love to open a second Ebenezers somewhere in the city. A coffeehouse on Wisconsin Avenue or M Street in Georgetown would be a-mazing!

On the Hunt

We did a little reconnaissance today looking for our next location. I'm not sure if we'll launch our fifth location in 2008, but I think we're at a place where we can launch one location per year. The key is recruiting and training campus pastors.

Man, I love multi-site. It is the best of both worlds. I want to pastor one church for life, but I also get bored if we aren't doing something new. Multi-site scratches that entrepreneurial itch! We're always on the look out for the next location.

Three for Free

Two weeks till Christmas! Not that I'm counting down days or anything!

If you're still looking for Christmas gifts, this is the last chance for our Christmas special on In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. You can get individual copies at amazon.com. But we're offering a special deal on cases of 24 or a six-pack. Buy three and we'll throw in three for free.

To order, email resources@theaterchurch.com.

The Whiteboard Sessions

My friend, Ben Arment, is pulling together a very cool conference called The Whiteboard Sessions. The date is May 22. And it's local. I love it.

For a list of speakers, check out Ben's blog.

How Series

About a month ago I read Reveal, the study released by Willowcreek after extensive research on what makes people grow spiritually. As many of you have noticed, that study is shaking things up. I think anything that makes us rethink WHY we do what we do and HOW we do what we do is healthy!

The major finding of the study was this: church does not drive long-term spiritual growth. That certainly doesn't mean church isn't important. And on one level, the primary finding isn't shocking at all: personal spiritual disciplines drive long-term spiritual growth. But the study had some fascinating insights. Maybe the most important thing we can do as pastors is function like spiritual coaches and help people develop a spiritual growth plan.

That study is inspiring our first sermon series of 2008. We're titling it How. And we want to get painfully practical and talk about how to develop spiritual habits. This would be what I call a back to basics series. Here are a few of the potential topics. If you have any ideas, add to the list.

How to Study the Bible
How to Pray
How to Set Goals
How to Fast
How to Worship
How to Share Your Faith

Corn Hole is Good for the Soul

My new favorite "sport" is corn hole! I got my own corn hole set a few months ago. The best $100 investment I've ever made. We'll play for hours when our extended family gets together. Basically, I'm a corn hole fanatic!

For those of you who don't know what corn hole is. And for those of you who don't care. You owe it to yourself to watch this video.

The Corn Hole Song.

Joy

This weekend we kick off a series titled Joy. We're looking at the Christmas story and focusing in on the wise men. It says they were "overjoyed" when they found Jesus. Actually, I like the KJV on this one: "they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."

It is so easy to lose the joy. We lose the joy of marriage. We lose the joy of parenting. We lose the joy of our job. And we lose the joy of our salvation. I'm hoping this series helps restore the joy.

We're talking about three dimensions of joy: the joy of wonder, the joy of giving, and the joy of worship! This is what I would call a back to basic series. I think you can get too creative sometimes. In my experience, holidays are a great time to go back to basics.

Multi-Site Ideas

Almost every weekend we have a few church planters or pastors visiting NCC. Some of them are theater churches. Others are church plants or multi-site churches. And it's an absolute joy to be able to share what we're doing, but I always feel a little funny because we certainly don't have it figured out and there are so many churches that are doing it so much better than us! And trust me, that is not false humility. I wish it was!

Really enjoyed hanging out with a couple pastors from Saddleback this weekend. They are making the multi-site move in a pretty aggressive way. Their vision is 10 sites by 2010. Man, I love people who dream God-sized dreams! And I love the fact that Saddleback is still experimenting and growing and stretching!

Really cool to hear some of their ideas. Here is one of the ideas we might steal. Occasionally, Rick Warren will have a campus pastor share one of the points in the message. I thought that was a really cool way to connect locations and empower campus pastors.

One of the experiments we're going to try in 2008 is a hybrid model. We'll still have one teacher across all locations live and video most weekends. But we'll mix in some weekends where all of our campus pastors will preach live on the same weekend.

Live Nativity

This is for locals. We've got our annual live nativity at Lincoln Park on Saturday, December 8 from 4-7 PM. It's amazing the way this event brings our Capitol Hill community together! People love the live animals, angel choir, and hot chocolate. It is one small way we try to remind people of why we celebrate Christmas. Over the years, we've had quite a few people discover NCC via the Nativity and become part of our church family.

Audio Book

Just got off the phone with Christian Audio, the company that is going to produce the audio book for In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. Looks like I'm going to record it myself instead of outsourcing it. Really excited about the challenge and I just feel like I can read the words in the spirit with which they were written. Looks like I'll record the book in the next month and the turn around usually takes a few months for production.

What a Blast

We had so much fun at the Redskins game yesterday! Of course, it helps that they won! Especially since Parker and I were outnumbered by Bears fans. Sweet win that keeps playoff hopes barely alive.

Spent about seven hours in the freezing cold. Fortunately we had a fire pit. We cooked some brats and I brought some filet mignon wrapped in bacon--four them for $12.99! That is tailgating in style! And we had lots of hot cider!

The first half of the game was boring as it gets, but we were surrounded by lots of loud drunk people that kept things interesting! Few things are as scary or crazy as drunk football fans! You just hope someone else is driving them home! And I have a football stadium theory: the farther up you are the cursing and drinking there is! Let's just say we were up there.

Got home around 12:30 AM. I hope Parker didn't have any pop quizzes today!

Thursday Night Football

I'm headed to FedEx Field for the Redskins vs. Bears game tonight. Fun Stuff. It's definitely going to be a cold one by DC standards. We're going to do a little tailgating before the game. Play some corn hole. Toss a football. And eat some brats!

Catalyst Filter

Just wanted to put a unique mentoring opportunity on the radar. The Catalyst crew has just launched Catalyst Filter. I'm a huge Catalyst fan. I love the conference. I love the resources. And Catalyst Filter is the newest addition. Great opportunity to get some leadership coaching.

Year of Discipleship

Just thought I'd share an update on my year of discipleship with my son, Parker. Here are some early observations. I'm convinced that the consistent time we spend together every week in our Father/Son Meetings (FSM) is even more important than what we talk about. I definitely have a plan. And we're talking about great stuff--God, life, and growing up. But even if Parker doesn't remember everything we talked about, he'll remember that we hung out every week. That is huge for Parker because I think quality time is one of his love languages. By the way, if you haven't read The Five Love Languages of Children by Dr. Gary Chapman I'd recommend it.

So much of parenting comes back to two simple principles: spending quality time together and really listening to their hearts.

As part of the spiritual challenge, we're reading through the New Testament together. We read II Timothy this week. I basically have him underline verses as he reads and then we talk about them. I basically ask him: why did you underline that verse? And that simple approach is a catalyst for some amazing conversations! I'm continually amazed at the things he says and thinks! The word education means "to draw out." Instead of me just "teaching" him or trying to "cram things in," I want to hear what he's thinking.

Gotta say I love the Bible. It seems like every week we're reading stuff that touches on all the issues we need to discuss!

Staff Reminders

Just thought I'd share a few reminders I shared with our staff. These are very basic principles, but as our team grows larger I've learned that you cannot make any assumptions! You have to constantly coach. Here are a few rules.

1) Don't Internalize. Verbalize.
2) Make mistakes. Just Don't make the same mistakes over and over.
3) Don't just point out problems. Be the solution.
4) Just Say Hi.
5) Over Communicate. When in Doubt CC.
6) Your Attitude is Your Responsibility.
7) Who You Are is More Important Than What You Do

Along with these principles, I also tried to reiterate a few office rules. For example, we have a 24 Hour rule. We expect staff to respond to emails within 24 hours. As an email culture, we cannot afford to have staff that doesn't play by that rule because it will bottleneck communication!

Retreat Reflections

The last 48 hours was pretty intense. Lots of strategizing! We spent most of Monday meeting by departments or ministry teams. Honestly, our planning retreat can be pretty overwhelming because we try to put everything we do on the table. But it is a healthy exercise!

We also managed to get a little play time in at the ESPN Zone. Pretty wild night to be in Baltimore because the Patriots were playing the Ravens on Monday Night Football. In fact, the ESPN crew stayed at our hotel. One of the guys on our team rode the elevator with Ron Jaworski, aka Jaws.

We spent most of the today in an all-staff meeting sharing 2007 wins, casting some vision for 2008, going through our survey results, and doing some staff building. I'm excited about 2008. I think we'll launch our 5th location. I'm hoping we open our 2nd coffeehouse in Georgetown. And I think we can give $500,000 to missions.

Annual Planning Retreat

Our team heads up to Baltimore's Inner Harbor today for two days of strategic planning. It's always a little overwhelming because we try to put everything we do on the table. The goal is to rethink and reprioritize what we do. I also want our different staff and different departments to set goals and establish strategies.

The goal is to walk away with a sermon strategy, staffing strategy, assimilation strategy, discipleship strategy, outreach strategy, and launch strategy to name a few. We're obviously building off of previous years, but strategy needs to be tweaked and upgraded all the time.

Staff Christmas Party

Capped off a great weekend with our staff Christmas party. Man, I love our team! Fun to bring in the holiday season by having everyone over to our home. We ate Outback, played a few games, and handed out year-end bonuses.

Monday, December 31, 2007

2007 Memories

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Creating Memories

Friday, December 28, 2007

Gold, Frankenstein, and Myrrh

Christmas Recap

Monday, December 24, 2007

Checking Out

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Ghost Town

Friday, December 21, 2007

Sophmore Rock Album

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Christmas Program

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Open Source

Monday, December 17, 2007

Micro Conferences

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Chase the Lion

New Christmas Tradition

Ben's Chili Bowl

Friday, December 14, 2007

Chicago Style Pizza

2008 Budget

Thursday, December 13, 2007

On the Hunt

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Three for Free

The Whiteboard Sessions

How Series

Monday, December 10, 2007

Corn Hole is Good for the Soul

Saturday, December 08, 2007

Joy

Multi-Site Ideas

Friday, December 07, 2007

Live Nativity

Audio Book

What a Blast

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Thursday Night Football

Catalyst Filter

Year of Discipleship

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Staff Reminders

Retreat Reflections

Monday, December 03, 2007

Annual Planning Retreat

Sunday, December 02, 2007

Staff Christmas Party

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