Go Big!

A few months ago, I was given a book, "Go Big!". This isn't really my type of book, as I'm not one of those pastors consumed with the idea of church growth at ridiculous exponential rates. But there were a couple of portions that really stood out to me; I shall relate them to you:


The Small-Church Comfort Factor
Pastoral Leadership Style
"With less than 200 people, the church grows by a relational connection to the pastor. Everyone is connected to the pastor and spouse. People come to the church because they love the pastor. That's a nice thing and it makes you feel good and important. But it also causes a problem. You will fall victim to feeling as if you should try to be everything to everyone - that is the beginning of the end."

"To break this barrier, the pastor has to focus on reaching out, spending more time outside the church with the unchurched than inside the church with the members."

"No one grows a church by sitting in his or her office."

"In a church with less than 200 people, the pastor can single-handedly bring in enough people to grow it past the 200 barrier."

"The pastor should focus on making phone calls to visitors every week, meeting with them, and building relationships with non-Christians."

"With less than 200 people, most of the growth is the result of the pastor's effort."

"What matters most is that you spend time doing whatever it takes to bring people to worship. The pastor needs to be constantly bringing people to church."

Emerging Church Motivational Posters

this site by Team Pyro has a collection of "Emerging Church Motivational Posters" that are too funny, and sometimes too true also. It is a good illustration of making sure that you don't go to any extreme during your walk of faith. Here's a sample of the 20 posters that are shown on the site.

"Rock & Roll Jesus"

As a sign of my age, I'm not procuring albums at the high rate that I used to. Now, as a 30-something, I've narrowed my selections down to those that I can trust to put forth a good effort every time. (This same reasoning goes for concert attendance as well, as Kid Rock, Clutch, and Toby Mac have accounted for 9 of the last 12 concerts I've been to in the last few years.)

So I've been anticipating the new album from Kid Rock for some time now. He has titled it, "Rock & Roll Jesus". I don't even want to know. Seriously, I don't want to know. In my book, Kid Rock can do no wrong, so I'm ready.

Oh, and I also can't wait to see him again, he gets better every time.

Harbour Church

Church Field Trip #8

Harbour Church is a little more complicated to describe than the past churches we've visited, here's why: Three Sundays each month they meet in various home fellowships spread out over the tri-county area. The first Sunday of each month, these fellowships gather at their location in Pompano Beach for a worship service (maybe 150 people?). Every Friday night, they also have a worship service (This is the service that we attended. We're going to attend the Plantation home fellowship one of these coming Sundays.) Some would call this a cell-church, or a house-church network. They also have common ground groups that meet at a variety of times for a variety of reasons.

When we arrived, we received two standard greetings, and then we proceeded to stand around for 20 minutes, during which not a single person spoke to us. The service began 15 minutes late (which wouldn't have mattered until we discovered that the service actually lasted more than two hours. The worship lasted more than an hour, as did the sermon.) I would describe the congregation as mostly white, in their 20's, 30's, and 40's.

The worship was awesome! I feel like I should have paid a cover charge for the experience. The band wrote their own songs, improv-jammed for almost an hour, and even spit lyrics on the fly right out of the Bible. Their sound could be described as U2, with a Dave Matthews flare for improv, and a female singer who could belt it out like Amy Lee of Evanescence. Seriously, this girl was talented. And her energy level was something I haven't seen in church before, I thought she was going to start a mosh pit at one point.

The pastor, Darren Davis, was, by far, the most enthusiastic worshipper of the bunch, even exclaiming, "I feel like I'm going to explode during worship." Darren started off by recommending the book, "Red Moon Rising". The book illustrates the idea of having a 24-7 prayer room available to Christians, and expecting those Christians to actually use it. Of course, Harbour has a prayer room. Darren is also the founder and director of Light International.

The title of Darren's sermon was "End Times Survival Techniques". He talked about the Spirit of Rebellion (think complaining church-goers), referencing Exodus 17 (NKJV); the Spirit of Religion - which keeps the kingdom from advancing because of pride (think ego-driven pastors), referencing Joshua 7:1-13 (NKJV); and the Spirit of Jezebel -"making money off perversion" (think porno, strip clubs, etc.), referencing Acts 16:17-26, where Paul and Barnabas were punished for having an adverse effect on the local economy by their preaching.

Some notable excerpts:

"during times of trouble, are we praying and singing, or are we grumbling and complaining?"
"Satan is out to destroy pioneering callings from God"
"you can never be good enough"
"you have to tear your heart open and let Jesus in"
"though we're a mess, Jesus still chooses us"
"Jesus is the source of Truth"

I'll give Darren credit for telling us that "we can never be good enough" and "you have to tear your heart open and let Jesus in", but considering that the Friday night service is their seeker service (by his own admission), I'd have hoped to hear the Gospel a little more clearly. Darren was so fired up in his preaching, that I kept waiting for Vince McMahon, Ric Flair, and the Hulkster to bust into the room. I kept waiting to hear, "What are you gonna do, brother, when Harbour church comes down on you!?" (I hope you see the humor in this, as I grew up on WWF)

One member of our posse said it best this way, "I can appreciate that they're fired up for the Lord, I had fun, but if I invited my parents to this church, it would scare the crap out of them."

Darren is a bit out there with his penchant for "prophesying", but we were definitely drawn to their "out of the box" approach to church as a whole, as well as a time of worship that could be described as nothing less than powerful and authentic. After the service, they had a time of fellowship in their upstairs lounge (plush couches, popcorn, gourmet coffee, etc.), and we got a chance to talk to Darren for about 15 minutes about his vision for the church and south Florida. As I said, we are definitely going to check out the Plantation home fellowship, as Darren told us that the home fellowships had excellent child care, awesome worship, and food.

Solera Church

Church Field Trip Report #7

A friend of ours found the website for Solera church and was struck by it's apparent diversity. We decided to check it out, especially since it is very close geographically (apparently they've been here for 20 years, but have only recently changed their name to Solera).

First off, they definitely lived up to the hype - easily the most diverse church I've seen (age, race, and class), they were very friendly (introductions by name/conversational), and also lively. Upon entry, we were greeted numerous times and given a gift - "In His Steps", a book by Charles Sheldon. Interestingly, they've taken two buildings in an office/warehouse area and transformed them into a church. Without the signage, you could drive by it and never know it was there.

Their statement of faith leans towards Pentecostalism but in practice, they seemed more charismatic (i.e. there was no outward evidence of "speaking in tongues"). Though non-denominational, they are a part of a networking/covenant group called "7000 more".

The Senior Pastor, Jimmy Mas was leading by example during worship (he has been the pastor for more than 20 years). His wife, Pastor Terrie, spoke with us briefly before and after the service (she is the executive pastor as well as the chief financial officer). The worship was energetic and contemporary, and the most refreshing aspect was the level of audience participation - this was a congregation who were there to worship. Also, it was loud, and I happen to like loud. During worship, Pastor Jimmy spoke to us about worshipping with passion and liberty - comparing our heavenly adoption to U.S. citizenship, "realize your freedom and the price that was paid for it."

His sermon, titled "Getting your ear to the ground" was based on Matthew 24. All of his scripture references were given in the New Living Translation, a "more modern version" as he described it. He walked us through the chapter, telling us , as Jesus did, to recognize the "signs of the times." He complained that too many Christians "don't read their Bible, don't worship effectively, don't fast, don't pray, and don't even get together regularly." Adding, "If you haven't been here in over a month, I'm not your pastor, I'm just your friend.

During the sermon, which lasted well over an hour (I'm not complaining, mind you) he also referenced Matt. 16:1-4, Ephes. 5:15-17, I Cor. 15:58, and Acts 20:24. I have to tell you right now that this guy was not just humorous, he was uproariously funny, and also sarcastic.

He spoke of the hope that we Christians live for - the return of Jesus. He spoke of false prophets, particularly those who get the media's attention. (He specifically referenced Carlton Pearson. Last year, I listened to a great podcast story about Pearson's heresy and downfall.)

Some notable excerpts from his sermon:

• famine and AIDS in Africa kill over 11 million people every day


• Mas leans toward a doctrine of "eternal security", but he's not convinced, saying, "people are dumb, if they want to walk away from God, I believe that they are able."


• He spoke of those who have the audacity to "Grade the Pastor" ("good sermon today, pastor" or "I don't like what you said today, pastor"), and he said that he always has the same response, "I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK." (I can appreciate that, duly noted.)


• called us a Malachi generation and told us to read Malachi


• "don't live with your head in the clouds, just be alert"


• "repent, because everyone will face judgement before Jesus"


• "I believe in full, full, full freedom"


• "when this church first began, a salvation message was preached every Sunday, but we didn't get fed" - (I guess you know what this means, right? No-show on the Gospel once again. I give up. I guess I just have evangelist leanings and I'll leave it at that.)

At the close of service we were led by Pastor Jimmy in a time (10 minutes or so) of "Open Worship" - I'm not sure how to describe it, really. The best word I can think of would be "chaotic", though more serene and meaningful than the pentecostal version we experienced a few weeks ago. He prayed, sang/spoke "on the fly" and he encouraged the entire congregation to do the same (pray out loud, sing out loud - no particular song). Whenever it would start to get quiet, he would encourage/goad the congregation to "shout/sing" to the Lord a new song from their heart. (This is the part where I was surprised to hear no tongues.) It was a little weird, a bit awkward, but hey, to each his own, and whatever floats their boat. I've claimed to be down with the charisma after all, so I might as well get used to it. Ironically, Jimmy make a crack on Baptists by saying that if they could have it their way, "sex with your wife would consist of nothing more than a handshake."

We'll probably go back to Solera next month to check out their "Rock Wednesdays" - a time of "Open Ended Worship". (Wait, you mean more open ended than what I already experienced - I'm there.)

Follow-up: We were having such a good time at this church, that we forgot to fill out a visitor card, so there'll be no follow-up of course.

Save Me From Myself

My wife and I have been fans of Korn for 13 years now, since 1994's first album blew our minds. We've enjoyed every album since, and my wife and I have seen them live at least a dozen times - first in 1994, and most recently last year. (I'm hoping to catch them again next week, as their live show has only improved with the years.)

As can be expected, I was intrigued when Brian "Head" Welch became a christian and left Korn to pursue a new life and purpose. I've been waiting patiently for his new album, "It's Time for Religion to Die", and I wasted no time getting my hands on his new book, "Save Me from Myself."

This book was an excellent read, and it only took me 3 hours to tear through it. Brian gives an excellent testimony of his conversion to Christianity, as well as a myriad of details concerning the genesis, history, and backstage debauchery of Korn. He also tells of his life since his conversion and the ways that God has used him to reach others for Jesus. I would recommend this book to anyone, whether a fan of Korn or not. It was fast-paced, entertaining, there was plenty that I could identify with, and it even left me in tears once or twice. (yes, I know that'll cost me a man-card.)

Authentic Community #3

The third community that we are a part of is our church family. Now this concept of a "church family" becomes all the more interesting considering that we left our "church" over two months ago. Our current "church family" consists of individuals who participate in a handful of various "churches" and some who currently aren't taking part in the "institutional church" at all. For a great illustration/discussion of how this works, read this book. This community gets together informally every two weeks on a Friday night for a social gathering (bars, pool halls, bowling, darts, clubs, restaurants, our own homes, the beach, etc.) They also spread out and participate in a handful of various Bible studies held in various people's homes, praying for each other, and sometimes even worshipping in song. (Like the Dinner & Discussion that we host every two weeks. Have I mentioned that you're invited? Of course, you're also invited to any of the social gatherings as well.)

I would describe this group as "tightly knit", despite the fact that they probably don't see each other as often as they'd like to. Regular communication takes place via phone, email, myspace, etc.

When my wife and I went to Michigan last month for my father's funeral, we returned to find that this group had gotten together and collected money to give to us - they presented us with a great sympathy card with messages from everyone and an envelope stuffed with almost a thousand dollars in cash. Unbelievable.

Our common denominator: Our love for Jesus and our dedication to be on mission with Him in the community in which He has placed us.

Authentic Community # 2

Community #2

The second community that we are a part of is the Markham Park Dog Park Crew.

We got Memphis, our Bluetick Coonhound, a little over two years ago. We almost immediately began taking her to the dog park at least once a week. For six months, we were taking her into the "small dog park", until she graduated in size to the "big dog" park - separated by a fence.

From day one, we noticed something unusual about this park. People talked to each other. Having lived in South Florida for 7 years, this was unheard of for us. South Floridians are, for the most part, very anti-social. They keep to themselves, don't say hello/wave hello/honk hello/etc. They hide in their homes, and rarely speak to anyone, including their own immediate neighbors. For the first time, we found ourselves in constant conversation with complete strangers. There was only one problem: most of the conversation was dominated by talk of dogs. As a matter of fact, it seemed that everyone knew each other by their dog's name rather than the person's name. Example, "That's Memphis' mom and dad." Now obviously, there are exceptions to this rule, but at first glance, we definitely thought that it was the rule of thumb at the dog park: It is a Dog's World.
As we've spent time there, we've discovered that there are some people who actually go to the dog park almost every day. These are the people that eventually broke down our stereotype of the typical dog park encounter. They are a tight-knit community consisting of about a dozen people (about the same size as both of our two other communities). They spend plenty of time together outside of the park also, going out to eat, traveling together, going to the beach, movies, each other's homes, etc. This group is surprisingly dependant upon each other for relational support. It's interesting how someone can live directly across from a dog park and not realize the treasure trove of relational activity taking place within.

Let me tell you why this group is dear to us - because my wife and I only go to the dog park once or twice a week, but this group treats us as if we were there every day. If you're looking to meet some really great people, just go to Markham Park and look for the congregation of 2 great danes, 2 Rhodesian ridge backs, and 3 irish setters (you can't miss them).

Our common denominator is our love of dogs and our knowledge of a great place to meet other people in an authentic community, namely the dog park itself.

Authentic Community

Many people are searching for authentic community whether they know it or not. Many people are also a part of an authentic community, when they may not even realize it is so. I am going to relate three different communities that I am a part of, and I will let you decide whether or not you deem them as authentic. I will also let you judge for yourself their unique advantages and disadvantages.

Community #1
The Michigan Crew


These are mainly childhood friends that I've grown up with over the past 25 years. Though we haven't actually lived there among them in almost 15 years, it always seems as though we've never parted. Each time we get together, we jump right back in where we left off in our relational development. We maintain contact by phone and email and usually see each other once a year. We can count on them for just about anything. When my father passed away last month, they came through like champion friends, there to console, but more importantly, just there to hang out, reminisce, make fun of each other, and basically remind each other of why we are all still friends after all these years.


I often find myself jealous of the lifestyle that they live up in Michigan (despite the weather). They "drop in" at each others' houses, play softball together, belong to the local Moose Lodge, sit around bonfires together, boat/fish/hunt together, vacation together (Florida, Mexico, Carri bean, and the U.P.), and each of their respective families considers them family. There are times when they see more and less of each other, but then again, in the winter, its easy for everyone to go into hibernation mode.


Whenever we go up to Michigan and spend time with them, life just seems simpler. Their lifestyle just doesn't seem to be so fast-paced and chaotic. (Though, admittedly, this could simply be a case of "greener grass".)


Our common denominator is life experience, dating all the way back to childhood.

Would Jesus be allowed to be a Southern Baptist pastor?

Would Jesus be allowed to be a Southern Baptist pastor?
by Dan Kimball



Could Jesus be a Southern Baptist pastor? Part II
by Dan Kimball