When to Panic?

I am reading this little book called, The Big Moo by Seth Godin (Brian you would really enjoy this!). I like to have a little something to read along with my devotions in the morning. Seth Godin may or may not be a believer, but a lot of what he talks about in terms of leadership can be put well when it comes to leading a church.

I know that there are a lot of people out there who believe that the church is not a business and should not be ran like one. I agree in part to that. There are times when we do things that the business world would scream that the move was suicide. We are following a higher calling. There are other times though that I believe it is in the best interest of the church to be ran similar to a business.

I was reading on pages 30-31 this morning about the appropriate times to panic. I love this picture that was painted. We should not panic when there is nothing we can do about the problem. We should panic months and years prior to the emergency when there is something we can do about it.

I am a firm believer that our church is primed and ready for significant growth. I believe we should right now be in the works to begin a building project. We need a sanctuary that is big enough to house 500 people. We live in a town where there is constant new construction happening. Is our current facility that holds 300 filled to the rim? Absolutely not. We average about 200 on Sunday mornings. The thought I'm thinking this morning after reading Godin's book is that we should be panicking today for where to put those extra people instead of waiting until they are standing in our foyer trying to find an open chair!

We are growing in the right direction. Everything points to the growth to continue. Our Elders are on the move with some new and exciting plans. I believe that God is sending the right waves (thanks Rick Warren for the illustration). What are your thoughts???

baseball Season

Well the teams have started the Spring routine. Baseball season is soon upon us. I love sports! Baseball is by far my favorite. I get a lot of grief about the Bears, but I think that is because there are so many Vikings fans in Minnesota!

A couple of years ago I was able to go to Arizona for Spring Training while I was attending a conference. It was one of the funnest weeks of my life!

I had several conversations with ball players like Todd Helton, Andres Galarraga, and my all-time favorite Ryne Sandberg. I always dreamed of playing for the Chicago Cubs.

I'm pulling for the Cubs to win it all this year. Who is your pick? Let's talk baseball!

Josh!

This is my youngest son, Josh with his Aunt Debbie. Josh is such a fun and lovable boy. I am so proud of him.

There is no doubt in my mind that Josh will go to a Christian school, and be involved in ministry in one way or the other. He loves the Lord, and he is very active in church and youth group.

Today he will assist me in a funeral for a woman that he has never met. He knows her grandson, and he wants to be involved. He will run the sound and the powerpoint.

God has blessed me with two very different boys. They both are quite unique, and I love them for their uniqueness! It is neat to see them coming closer as friends as they get older. A few years ago we had our doubts, but they have really come around!

Josh LOVES football. He is also active in track and weightlifting. His grades are not what they should be, but he is making good progress to bring them up. Keep Josh in your prayers as he continues to work hard to be a good example and follow the Lord.

Zach

This is my oldeast son, Zachary. He turned 17 in January. He is so much like his old man it is scary. He wants to be liked. He is very outgoing and does not embarrass easily.

This is a picture that was taken at Wrigley Field this past summer (By the way I did buy the rights to the pic). He and I spent a few days away this past summer with just the two of us. I have done this with both of my boys during their lives.

It is hard as they get older. I want to continue to make decisions for them. I know though that it is important for them to start making mature decisions on their own. Zach has made some pretty bad decisions in the past year or so. His walk with the Lord is not what it should be. I know that it is not up to me to make him straighten up. It is up to me to set a good example, and to continue to share wisdom at every point that I get the chance. I must remember that he is a good boy and that he does a whole lot more good than he does bad. I need to celebrate the good a whole lot more than I come down on the bad!

Today he is going to the doctor with what looks to be a appendix surgery in the near future. If you think about him, please pray!

Cold Today!!!

I saw this picture on a website last week and thought it was pretty cute! It is terribly cold out this morning. I trudged (is that a word?) into work early this morning (my day off) for some marital counselling. My thermometer on my Suburban read 23 below zero! Pretty stinkin' cold!

We had an awesome elders meeting last night. My church has four very gifted men who serve as elders. I am amazed at their level of understanding and willingness to submit to the Lord. It is great!

We approved a couple of ministry changes last night. First we approved our MOPS ministry to begin a once a month evening meeting for ladies who work during the day and cannot make the morning event. We started this ministry in September at Hawley Alliance and it has really taken off. This new facet should help it to continue to grow!

The second ministry move that we approved was the formation of small ministry, caring groups. The function of these groups will be so that no one is lost in the crowd. Everyone will be placed in a group and have a ministry leader couple that oversees them. They will co-ordinate a few functions a year. If someone falls ill, or needs help on a more personal level, these groups will be in place to rally around them. We are praying that genuine small groups form from these groups.

Both of these ministries were dreamed, formed, and being put together outside of leadership. I love it. Leaders, we must be willing to step out of the way and let the Spirit work in and through our people. Everything does not have to begin and end with us. Not sure if I'm making sense or not, but I'm excited at the direction that Hawley Alliance is moving!

For you readers from Hawley Alliance, keep praying! God is on the move!

Friends in ministry...

A lot of pastors believe that it is impossible to have "true" friends in your congregation. That it is best for pastors to stay at a distance so not to get too close. I think that is hog-wash!

My friend Mikey is on the right (That is me in the Bears sweatshirt). Notice his shirt. He has a picture of me on the front of his shirt!

Mike is a good friend. He stops in the church two or three times a week to sip coffee and check in. Last week, we went to Lake of the Woods with another fella from church for some ice fishing.

Mike is always available. He listens to my frustrations, and he keeps good secrets. He is not in leadership in the church, but he is well liked and respected in the congregation and the community.

Pastors, do you have friends? Tell me about it. I'm interested!

Valentine's Day

Seeing that today is supposed to be about your sweetheart, I thought I'd blog today about mine. I am going to take Cindy to lunch today in Fargo, then to the mall. She is interested in purchasing a couple of pair of pants. We will get to spend the afternoon together that way.

I feel blessed to be married to such a godly wife. She is in my opinion the perfect definition of help-mate. We are a great compliment to each other.

Cindy is not the type of person who likes to draw attention to herself. She has even been described as "stuck-up" because she is so quiet in a crowd. She is the polar opposite of "stuck-up." She is a faithful friend, a loving mother, a devoted wife, and a devout Christian. I praise the Lord for giving me such a wonderful gift.

Sosa

Two posts in one day? I saw Sosa in today's news and could not resist. I WAS such a huge Sosa fan. I love the Cubbies. I have my entire life. There have been some pretty disappointing seasons. I won't even get into 1984 and the San Diego Padres, and no lights in Wrigley fiasco.

I have always been a strong supporter for the Cubs though. Sosa was my favorite Cub once Sandberg retired. His race with Big Mac for the home run record was awesome. He was a guy that loved to play in Wrigley and us fans loved having him play in Wrigley.

What happened? The corked bat was the beginning of the end. Sammy is a cheater. He cheated with the bat, and I'd bet my last dollar (if I were a gambler) that he cheated with steroids. Now no one wants this (was-to-be) future hall of famer on their roster. He reportedly only had one modest offer from the Washington Nationals, and that was basically as an insurance policy in case of Springtime injuries!

I tell my teenagers all the time, "Your sin will find you out!" So long, Sammy. The ride was fun while it lasted!

Studying for new series...

I have been working the last several weeks on this new series I'm going to take the church through in March. It is called, "Living Beyond Myself." This is a resource from Willowcreek. I'm so thankful that people like Hybels and Warren make their material available for the smaller churches.

The gist of this series is the importance of getting everyone involved in ministry using their own unique gifts and talents. Helping them to understand that they are a vital part of the body and that it cannot function to it's best potential without them and their gifts.

I pastor a growing church in northern Minnesota. It is a great place to do ministry. Unfortunately that old saying of 20% of the people do 80% of the work is absolutely on target with my congregation. Our leadership is diligently praying and planning the best strategies for assimilation.

I'd be interested to hear your churches plans for assimilation...

Our House

We have now lived in our own home for almost a year now. After 18 years of marriage we have finally purchased a home. Being a pastor it makes it kind of tough to put down roots when you have been in six churches in 12 years.

It is so nice now to be able to decorate and do whatever you wish to your own home. I'm not crazy about the mortgage payment, but it is nice to know that we are building equity.

It is also nice to know that if something happened to me that Cindy and the boys would not have to move. Our church is EXTREMELY loving, but how long could they wait to call the next pastor? This ensures that they would have some security if and when the Lord takes me (Hopefully not for a while yet though!).

Super Bowl XL

To be honest, I was not really into the Super Bowl this year. As I wear my ragged Chicago Bears jersey I just imagine what could have been... I was pulling for the Seahawks as they have never won a title.

It was disturbing to see that touchdown called back in the first quarter on a bad pushing off call, but it was even worse to see the QB touchdown by Pittsburgh not get overturned. He was clearly not across the line.

The worst part to me though was Holmgren's play calling at the end of the first half, and especially at the end of the game. They should have kicked the field goal with 34 seconds and go for the onside kick. It was terrible coaching. This is one coaching job that will be criticized for years to come!

They had a 1000 to 1 chance to pull it off with 34 seconds (especially seeing their kicker had already missed to FG's), but they did have the chance and their coach mismanaged his play calls.

Congrats to Pittsburgh.

*** Weight ***

I was in a Christian bookstore about a week ago and I ran into a pastor friend of mine. He asked, "Have you lost some weight? Because it looks like you have." I thanked him for the compliment, but honestly have done nothing in the form of dieting or exercise since my walking during golf season last October.

It made me curious though so I went and stepped on a scale the next day. Uff da! I have not lost, I have gained! I am serious when I say I do not want to be heavy. I want to be fit. So I derived a plan. A workable plan! Here it is... I am not going to cut out all foods because if I do that I will be unsuccessful. I want to succeed. So I am eating three meals a day. In fact, similar to how I have eaten previously. I am though completely cutting out soda and kool-aid. I am also not eating junk between meals, only good stuff like fruit and yogurt.

Also I am exercising! I haven't done this in many, many years. I used to be able to pump out 200 sit-ups like they were nothing. Now I have a large barrier between my elbows and my knees when I do sit-ups. 10 on the first day was a chore. Now I can do 20 pretty easily! I am also doing some minor stuff with barbells, like butterfly curls, military press, and tricep stretches.

Nothing too dramatic going on, but I have stepped on the scale again and I have lost 16 pounds in one week! I feel great! In fact, I look forward to the exercises. I am going to wait another week before I add to my routine. Keep me in your prayers. I really appreciate it!