North Point Online
July 28, 2009
The church I look to for a great source of creative ideas is starting an online worship experience on Aug. 16. Check them out at http://www.northpointonline.tv!
North Point Online – Promo 2 from North Point Media on Vimeo.
Drive 09
May 27, 2009
I just got back from a conference in Atlanta for church leaders called “Drive.” It’s hosted by North Point Community Church and Senior Pastor Andy Stanley. Over the course of three main sessions, five breakout sessions and two ministry showcases, I learned a whole lot.
Perhaps more importantly, I had the chance to interact with some very creative and encouraging church leaders. Taking some time off from the daily grind to be inspired and encouraged goes a long way.
Here are a few of the lessons I learned:
- Vision never changes; plans change all the time — don’t confuse the two
- Your vision should be simple, memorable and portable (e.g., “Make Poverty History”)
- Sometimes you have to redirect volunteers to another area of service that is more appropriate to their skill set and level of commitment
- Healthy staff relations allow people’s good ideas to be used, no matter what their level of seniority, etc.
- Church staffs should have fun because what happens behind the scenes translates on stage
These are just a few of the many ideas I brought back with me… as well as a bunch of cool pictures. Check them out on my Flickr page! You’ll see a blacklight show by Breaksk8 (from MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew”), the DJ that opened each session, great speakers and Andy Stanley looking absolutely thrilled to see me! Check out the full-screen slideshow!
Charlie Hall’s new song, Mystery, is one of my favorites. I love its connection with church with the chorus. The album version is phenomenal, but so is this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A69Hj3ISMSo&fmt=18
This song leads me to worship and inspires me to be creative.
What inspires you?
U2′s Best Song Ever
March 10, 2009
Although U2′s latest album isn’t as great as some of their past works, I do think it might contain their best song ever, “Magnificent.” I love just about everything about this song! Enjoying the artistry of lyric and melody in this track inspires me to create good music of my own.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEGOb48gIe4&fmt=22
UPDATE – Now in HD, so watch it full screen! (Allow it to buffer if you have to.)
Amazing iPhone Pictures
March 1, 2009
You’ve gotta be kidding me! I’ve never taken pictures like these with my iPhone:
http://photocritic.org/amazing-iphone-photos/
This Week’s Inspiration – Stop Motion
February 27, 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_HXUhShhmY&fmt=18
Cool and Calm…
February 18, 2009
I can’t begin to say how impressed I am with Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and his crew from US Airways Flight 1549. I just watched them describe their “Miracle on the Hudson” on Larry King, and hearing how they kept cool and calm under the most stressful of situations is inspiring.
You’ve probably heard the cockpit recordings… a very even-tempered pilot calmly saying that they won’t be able to land on a runway and that they’ll be in the Hudson. He didn’t lose his head, and luckily the guys on the other end of the radio at air traffic control demonstrated the same kind of steadiness under pressure.
Even the co-pilot described calmly going through procedural lists… trying to restart engines, evacuating the plane properly. If the people in charge had lost their cool, I wonder how differently this story would have ended. Luckily, we’ll never have to know because of the the crew’s bravery, focus and determination under fire.
That’s the kind of leader I aspire to be. That’s what I aim for, at least. And yet, how easily my boat is rocked! I wonder how much better all our lives would be if we would calmly do what’s most beneficial without letting our emotions take control.
God, help us to be self-controlled, even-tempered people! Help us keep our heads on straight, as we put our faith in you!
Prov. 29:11 (NIV): “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.”
Prov. 17:27 (NIV): “A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.”
Success
February 16, 2009
Michael Jordan once said: “I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot . . . and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why . . . I succeed.”
Here’s to everyone who just won’t give up!
Light Graffiti
February 7, 2009
Check this out:
http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2009/01/08/20-beautiful-examples-of-light-graffiti/
Wow, I’ve got to try that!
The King of Motion Graphics
February 2, 2009
This guy must be the king of motion graphics design:
David Womack’s Motion Graphics Reel from David Womack on Vimeo.
When a Retriever Retrieves…
September 17, 2008
We just got our Golden Retriever, Marley, a new toy. The plastic chew toy looks like a newspaper, and he’s just adorable when he carries it around the house.
His face lit up like a Christmas tree when he saw his new gift for the first time. Now, when he comes in the house, it’s the first thing he goes for. And every time he has it in his mouth, his smile takes over his whole face.
It’s a great picture for me of one important aspects of dog training. You have to fulfill the animal’s needs, the dog’s needs and the breed’s needs to have a happy, balanced companion. One of the biggest needs of a Golden Retriever is to… well… retrieve. When he’s carrying something in his mouth, he’s the happiest dog on the planet. It’s what he was made to do.
How about us humans? What were we made to do? What makes your face light up? I think the Bible offers a good answer.
When Jesus was asked for the Cliff’s Notes version of the law, he said, “Love God and love your neighbor” (Luke 10:27). “That pretty much sums it up,” Jesus would say. “Do these two simple things, and you’ve got everything God requires covered.” And if you give it a try, you’ll see he’s right.
Lashing out in rage at someone who cut you off in traffic feels good for a moment, but it’s not what you were created for. Harboring animosity toward a conniving coworker seems justifiable, but it’s not what you were created for. Talking down to others so you can feel better about yourself, well we’ve all done that at times, but it’s not what we were created for. “Love,” Jesus would say. ”Love God, and love other people in your life. And then your face will light up like Billy’s Golden retriever.”
This Week’s Inspiration
August 19, 2008
I’m always looking for examples of music and worship done well. I know that if I don’t, it’ll be easy to slip into the status quo of doing whatever “works” and leaving good enough alone.
I had the priviledge of watching David Crowder* Band’s new Remedy Club Tour movie last night. I can’t post a link for you to watch a full song, but I can post the trailer (see below), which will give you an idea of what it’s all about. Now, I’ve been a fan of DC*B since before they were famous. A friend of mine dragged me to one of their concerts upstate, and I checked them out to discover they were really cool dudes… and really creative people too.
Since then, they’ve soared in their creativity. They’re latest concert features keytars, Guitar Hero guitars, megaphones, record scratching, overdriven violin, tons of computer effects, and one guitar player walking around with a mysterious box over his shoulder that makes wicked cool sounds. I don’t know how to describe it, but check it out, and be inspired to be creative this week.
As Psalm 150 says:
1 Praise the Lord. 2 Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. 3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, 4 praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, 5 praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. 6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. (TNIV)
In other words, “Praise the Lord with everything you can get your hands on!”
If you want to see more of the movie, come over to my house, and I’ll show you!!!
Inspiration for This Week
August 8, 2008
I’ve posted a sign on my door so that anytime someone enters my office, they’re confronted with this quote:
To reach people no one else is reaching, we must do things no one else is doing. -Craig Groeschel
In other words, you can’t do the same thing and expect different results. To get different results, you have to try doing something different, something new. It’s common sense. And yet, how many times do we refuse to change and still expect different results?
In the “church world,” far too many congregations are content doing the same old things, all while expecting better results. These congregations are literally dying away, while they stubbornly stick to the past. They may give lip service to the value of attracting new people, but they’re unwilling to even try to evolve with the times.
Innovation at work -- When humans first discovered fire or invented the wheel, I wonder how many people complained about "change" back then...
I want to make sure my ministry never ends in a ditch like that. That’s why everyday I remind myself of the need to innovate… the need to press ahead to better things… the need to strive for excellence and relevance. That sign on my door is as much for me as it is for everyone else!
I don’t want to lead a worship service like every other church in town does. If you want the status quo, look up any other church in the yellow pages, and go there. I want to reach people no one else is reaching. And to do that, I’m going to have to do things no one else is doing. Some people won’t understand that or like that.
Changing things is hard. And nowhere is change harder than the church. I remember when we first introduced electric guitar parts into songs years ago. People complained then, but now they would think songs sound so empty without them. It’s been the same story with the transition to intelligent lighting, immersive video, real drums and a “worship band” instead of a “worship team,” etc.
For the most part, church people hate change, but my agenda is not driven by the timid people who want to keep the status quo. No, my mission is driven by the person who won’t set foot in a church… his wants… his needs… his assumptions… his preferences.
To reach that person no one else is reaching, we will have to do things no other church is doing. As Andy Stanley said,
Become pre-occupied with those you haven’t reached as opposed to the ones you are trying to keep. -Andy Stanley
I hope these quotes inspire you as much as they inspire me! I’ll be speaking more on them during Vision Sunday and during our worship band retreat. Catch you then!
Inspiration for This Week
July 29, 2008
Check out this video of New Spring Church performing “God Of This City.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHN34hlBR4I&fmt=18
Wow! What a great replication of the original (except for the beginning)! And check out that localized video they used of their city in the background! I’m working on one for our congregation now too…
We’ve tried this song before but not quite hit the mark. I’m never content with “good enough” because God deserves our best. And we should work to be skillful musicians so we can lead others to worship more effectively. (To be continued in my next post!)
Inspiration for This Week
July 25, 2008
For this week’s inspiration I want to pass along a quote instead of a video. If you watch John Mayer live, you know that he’s a virtuoso in so many different styles. How did he get there? He sounds like a natural. But he says it was dedication, hard work and pushing himself beyond what he thought he could do that got him where he is:
This record is nothing but a collection of discovery moments where I went, “I had no idea I could do that,” and did it. Here’s the thing: You think you have such a good idea of what you are capable of, and a lot of times you do have a good idea of what you are capable of. But what makes music so exciting is that, at any moment, if you try hard enough or if you commit yourself to the spirit of it, you can actually become more than you originally thought you were.
Stuck in a rut? Don’t think you can master a different style? Press yourself! You may be surprised by what you’re able to do!
One of the main ways I do that is by simply playing along with CD’s. I’ve found that the easiest way to play like the best is to play with the best… even if it’s just you and iTunes in your basement! And there’s no substitute for practice to master your instrument.
