Long Overdue....

Amazing to think that exactly three months ago today was the last time i wrote in my blog. There have been a lot of things that have happened in those three months....

• Ruthie and i spent a night out in Ottawa, IL at "The River Loft"... just the two of us... it was very cool (thanks Mary)!
• Spent some time in Savannah, GA at an event for XP's at Savannah Christian Church... the event was worth it if only because i had dinner at "The Lady & Sons" (it is so NOT over rated)!
• Had an opportunity to travel to Louisville, KY for a convention, made a bunch of new connections and an invitation to submit a chapter for a book on diversity in the local church!
• Performed a wedding for a young man that i have known for almost twenty years... (Zach was really little when we first met and i was much younger)
• Watched my oldest son pack-up his room in anticipation of leaving for college, who for the first time in 15 years will not be "bunking" with his younger brother...
• Spoke with small group leaders about how to become great storytellers...
• Celebrated the birthday of the hottest woman i know just this week (this, of course, is the same person i spent some time with out in Ottawa, IL)....
• Ate Aurelio's Pizza at 1959 prices (their 50th anniversary).... a "Fiesta" size pepperoni & cheese pizza....$6.95!!!
  

With summer coming to an end there is a tinge of sadness but still, i am excited about the fall! There are so many new opportunities and challenges to look forward to in the next few months...

Yep, this was overdue and it's time to get back into the swing of things... i can hardly wait!

Going To The Next Level....

Ever been to Savannah?
That's where i was last week and didn't get a chance to post to my blog...

Savannah is a nice town and this is a great time of year to visit... the weather was great and so was the event that i got to be a part of... The Next Level Leadership Conference was hosted by Savannah Christian Church. The main speakers were Sr. Pastor Cam Huxford and Gene Appel from Willow Creek Community Church.

Savannah Christian is a fantastic story... the staff and volunteers were absolutely incredible! The church has been around for quite a few years but in the last several years the church has experienced significant growth. They are located in a growing area of Savannah with tremendous potential for even further growth.

Having attended several events like this in the past it's quite easy to have fairly low expectations but the team of speakers, workshop leaders and host did a incredible job with this event. From the moment you arrived on the church campus, their gracious hospitality made all the difference!

There were three events that really impacted me in a significant manner...

First, Gene Appel took time to unpack the issue of leading a church through significant change without doing what so often happens in those instances... killing it! For me among the most significant topic Gene addressed in this regard was the topic of The 4 C's of the Channel of Change, 1) Conflict 2) Confusion 3) Comparison and finally 4) Crisis.

Secondly, i had an opportunity to sit and talk a bit with Savannah's Executive Pastor Harvey Bream, his responsibilities include but are not limited to oversight of all the staff, finances and strategic planning for the church.
1) His advice to me was to be aware that in transitioning to a position similar to his, it might be easy for people to view me differently... to become known as the "No" man.
2) He also said it is important to know that the person you as Executive Pastor answer to (the Senior Pastor) is "emotionally strong".
3) Finally Harvey recommended that the it is critical to create an atmosphere where it is truly safe to hold everyone accountable.

The last session i sat in on was on Determining Your Church's Future. In this session Harvey Bream walked everyone through the 5 year strategic plan that the leadership, staff and congregation had put together that they believe will guide them through 2012. He spoke of and explained it's simplicity. The church has chosen to focus on three strategic areas:
1) Our People (the congregation)
2) Our Community(which as i mentioned earlier is thriving)
3) Our World (the church has a heart for world wide missions)

It was truly encouraging and if i make everyone around here crazy enough perhaps next year it will be an event that several of us can travel to as a team....

Ahhh i can see it now.... we're all at the Crab Shack see and...