Advance the Kingdom

The Letter about Our Transition

2012-01-16T12:29:00.000-08:00

Our story from yesterday's service at The Brook. More information coming about how you can be a part of this new transition in our lives.

There are about 200 million non-churched people in America, making America one of the four largest “unchurched” nations in the world.
Each year about 3,500 churches close their doors permanently. We either have to plant more churches or revitalize them or we will lose an entire generation.

Church planting is one of the most effective ways to reach people with the Gospel.

Many of you might not know how I actually came to The Brook. In October of 2003, I was enrolled in a church planting class in seminary. Part of the course work was that I attend a church plant and interview the pastor. Because I was on staff at a church it made it very tough to find a place to go, as my responsibilities were great at my current church. But through a long time friend of Michelle’s, she shared with us about her church holding a Saturday night service. This made it much easier to be able to attend. So one Saturday night in late October 2003, I attended a service at The Brook. The first person who greeted me that night was David Smith and he shared with me a little about the church. As a part of the class I was required to interview the planting pastor. At the end of the service I found the planting pastor and in the most non creepish way I ask if I could interview him for the class. About a week later I met with Steve Lacy the founding pastor of The Brook to ask him questions about The Brook and how they started. The interview went really well and I left with all my information and wrote the paper. However, the interesting part is three or four weeks later I receive a call from Steve Lacy. He shared with me that actually during my interview of him he was actually in turn interviewing me. He shared how the current youth pastor was stepping down. He asked if I would submit my resume and the process began. On April 15, 2004, I started my first day of work as the Youth Pastor at The Brook.

It is hard to believe that Michelle and I were 26 and 24 years old with no kids. Oh how things have changed. My plan was always to be a youth pastor, forever. I often joked with fellow youth pastors and student ministry interns about why would I ever want to become a pastor and take “the step down.” God does has a sense of humor. Over the last several years God began to stir my heart in many ways. One of these areas has been church planting. At first, I honestly resisted God. I would often argue with Him about how I had been called to youth ministry for life and he had the wrong guy.

However after much fighting with God and conversation after conversation it became very evident that God was calling us to this area of church planting. It is our desire to always follow God no matter what or where. I am not certain about what every detail is to come but I know that God has called my family and I to step out in faith and plant a church.

I am so thankful for each of you in this room. We had our children here. We have grown in so many ways over the last almost 8 years here at The Brook. From a young punk to well still a punk at times.

Our desire has always been to give so much of our lives to you, but you all have done so much more then we could ever give back to you. You have been so caring and loving to my family. Your presence and encouragement has been incredible through so many great times and tough times. Your love for our boys. You have supported me to finish my Masters and in the ministry that we have sought to lead with passion.

We want to thank all the students and parents who have been a part of making the student ministry a huge success over the last 8 years.
We are grateful to an amazing adult leadership team both past and present who supported us and encouraged us even through all my crazy ideas. Their service and love is second to none.
We are grateful to our staff and management team and now elders who have supported us in so many different ways and have been behind us a hundred percent. They are each all stars.
We want to thank Brian. He has been a constant support and encouragement through conversations, emails, and phone calls. He has cheered us on and offered more support then we could have ever asked.

This is the unique part about this transition. The Brook will actually be a part of launching this new work. You guys will have an opportunity to have an active role in helping us plant.

I know many of you will have questions about what this all will look like over the next several weeks and months. We have narrowed down the target area to the Zierdt Road area. We know many of you will have questions about what the process will look like and we want to answer all those questions and more.

We hope you all know that you can email, call, or drop by anytime. We will be on staff at The Brook through the end of February and our hope and desire is that you will continue to be a very tangible part of our lives even after that.
We will have more information coming over the next several weeks about how things will progress over the next month.
We want to invite all of you to come and be a part of a special Vision Gathering held right here at The Brook on February 10th at 7:00pm. We will serve dessert and drinks. We are working on child care. This will be a time for you to hear the entire story and how you can partner with us in planting this new church. Our desire is that every one of you will be at the Vision Gathering just to learn, know, and understand more about planting and what we will be doing.

We hope each of you know how much we love and care about you. You are all so special to us. We are excited about what the future holds for this new church plant but we are just as excited about what God holds in store for The Brook. This kingdom of God is on the move and this is just one reminder to Satan that his time is drawing near. I want to leave you with one of my favorite passages of scripture. Never forget these words of Jesus to Peter.

Matthew 16:18
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Lecrae In Huntsville.

2011-12-22T22:19:00.000-08:00

RWRS Spring 2012 Promo from The Roadshow on Vimeo.

You better believe we are going to this. I can't wait to see Lecrae and it is only $10.

Teens & Texting

2011-11-16T10:33:00.001-08:00

Looks like teenagers would rather text then talk.

How will this effect the workforce and the church in the future.

How can we help parents and students engage?

Any surprises for you?

Teens & Texting

2011-11-16T10:28:00.001-08:00

Looks like they would rather text then talk.

What do you think of all this data?

Any surprises for you?

Do You Want the Power?

2011-11-14T14:38:00.001-08:00

If you want to see God do powerful things through your life, you must first live with God honoring obedience in your life.

Keep it Same Sex

2011-11-10T09:26:00.000-08:00

Over the last week allegations have been thrown around, women have stepped forward, and stories have been changed. Herman Cain has been accused of making various sexual advances on several women. The claims vary in magnitude and their are questions of legitimacy. In many organizations it is a common practice to meet one-on-one for a meeting over lunch, in the office, or ride in the car alone. This issue brings up something that every leader, organization, pastor, staff member, etc. need to consider. This might not seem like a big deal but it could lead to a slippery slope and . It is just a bad idea to meet alone with a someone of the opposite sex that is not your wife or a family member, without being in the view of others.

Reasons to Keep it Same Sex
1. The meeting or car ride could be innocent but it could cause others to question what is really going on. (1 Thessalonians 5:22) If people can't see you they will question you. It doesn't mean we can't meet with someone of the opposite sex it just means we should make sure to keep the door cracked, blinds open, or better yet have a window on your door.
2. Emotions or feelings toward the other person could be innocent but the repetition of meeting could start to lead to mental, emotional, or physical attachment. Someone who you would never be interested in all of the sudden becomes attractive because you have opened yourself to them.
3. People might want to take advantage of you by saying things happened in private, even if they did not. If you never meet alone with a person of the opposite sex or at least in eyesight of others this will protect you from ever being accused of doing something wrong.
4. Be careful not to get caught in the trap of a person trying to manipulate you. Many people desire success at all cost. This is an issue for both men and woman. Solomon reminds us there are people who want to seduce us (Ecclesiastes 7:26). We must guard ourselves.

How do you protect yourself or guard against temptation or accusation? Do you have rules/policies in place to keep it same sex and protect you and your team from assumptions and temptations?

Remember our character and integrity matter more then our convenience. Let's make ever effort to guard ourselves against accusations or assumption.

Don't Live in Silence

2011-11-07T12:18:00.000-08:00

I have to admit these findings about Coach Jerry Sandusky (Former Penn State Defensive Coordinator) of sexual abuse of young boys through his charity is very sad. (Here is an article.) Seeing people of power take advantage of people especially of children is tragic. Jesus called us to care for kids not molest them. This situation brings up several issues for the church and leaders to think about.

Questions to Consider
1. Is there a plan in place for how to handle abuse, both abused and abuser?
2. Who is responsible to oversee the carrying out of the plan?
3. Who are the necessary people that need to know about the incident?
4. Do we know who to contact first beyond the local authorities?
5. Do we have a prevention plan in place?

In situations like this silence is never an option. The proper authorities must be notified and action must be taken immediately. Incidents like this cannot go unreported. As this story unfolds it will be interesting to see if any others will lose their jobs besides the Athletic Director and Administrator. Organizations must make it a top priority to proactively protect children.

What things/plan are in place in your organization to prevent and report an incident like this?

Mentoring Strategy from youthministry.com

2011-11-02T20:28:00.000-07:00

Thought these were great insights. I need to keep working on all these areas. Let's lead well.

Look Forward – Who Is Leading You?
It is imperative that you find someone who is a little further down the path than you; somebody a little older, and a little wiser. Many youth workers are pioneers, but the benefits of a seasoned mentor shouldn't be overlooked. Being mentored from a distance is possible, but having someone in real-life is a better option. Being mentored through blogs and books is also a possibility, but without access to discussion the dialogue is decidedly one way. Because things slow down a bit over the holidays, it's a great time to connect, reconnect or start a relationship with a youth ministry mentor.

Look Around – Who Are You Leading With?
There is nothing better than sharing in ministry with a close friend. They might be an incredible intern, a parent who jumped in to help or a volunteer who is so like-minded people think someone cloned your brain. In addition to the mentor who is leading you, make sure you are "doing life" with another youth worker and are journeying together.

Look Back – Who are You Leading?
God is going to do something special with several of the students in your ministry. His Kingdom is going to be built because of these young men and women. Why not pick one or two of them to pour a little extra into? Sure, you can lead the whole group from "up front", through your programs, but what could it look like if you hand-picked one or two and gave them some customized mentoring? If you take a second to think about your own experiences growing up, no doubt there were several people along the way that distinctively shaped you toward becoming God's man or God's woman. Pass that experience on!

Article from youthministry.com email by Kurt Johnson (juniorhighministry.com) and Josh Griffin (morethendodgeball.com). Dated 11/2/2011

What I Need from Others

2011-11-01T14:30:00.000-07:00

1. People who are proactive for me - These people see a problem, situation, or issue brewing and take care of it. I don't have to go to them and say, "hey can you talk to that disruptive student", they just do it. They hear gossip and shut it down. They see the student who hasn't had their medicine all weekend and go sit next to them because they know distraction is on the horizon.

2. People who protect me - I want people around me that I can trust. These people will have my back. They will fight for me if someone throws out something that is not true. They will keep me from putting myself in a bad situation.

3. People who are honest with me - These people care about me enough to tell me the truth about things. They will let me know if my talk wasn't so great but in the most compassionate way. They will be honest if the event was one of the best events we have ever put on. They have a spirit of authenticity.

4. People who care about me - These people know what I am all about. They know my heart. They know about my family and what is going on in my family. They spend time talking and really listening without being critical. They just love me for me.

What do you need from others?

Leadership Development

2011-05-25T13:48:00.001-07:00

A Simple Pattern for Leadership Development
I Do, You Watch
I Do, You Help
You Do, I Help
You Do, I Watch
You Do, Someone Else Watches You

Who are you developing?

Be a Man!

2010-11-10T11:35:00.000-08:00

“Most young single guys spend their time playing video games, watching porn, drinking tons of cheap beer, and going to the Taco Bell drive-thru after midnight. Pastors—quit being wusses, and tell your young men that it’s time to grow up, quit living for themselves, and follow Christ.” -The Resurgence

Bowlin'

2010-10-11T07:26:00.001-07:00

I remember when bowl cuts were the coolest. I might just have see if I can dig out some old pictures. Sophomore and Junior Year were pretty awesome for the bowl cut. Check this video out from Tripp & Tyler show at the Catalyst conference. Good stuff!

For the Youth Pastors

2010-10-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't seen this yet. We can't all be this cool. Just be you!

Join the Movement

2010-03-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

A student approached me after church with an idea of how we can share the message of Christ during the easter week. This is what she decided to do.

I want everybody to join me THIS friday, good friday, to draw black circles on your hands (like nail marks) to represent how when you decided give your life to Christ you died with Christ of your sins and follow him. This will give everybody an opportunity to share the true meaning of good friday with everyone :) wear them all day friday 4/2/10 and tell all your friends!

Share this with your friends and repost it to your blogs, twitter, facebook, etc. Lets start a movement!

Quality Links

2010-03-18T09:03:00.000-07:00

I haven't done this in a while so I thought I would share a few entries that really impacted me over the last few weeks.

My friend and fellow blogger Jan Owen posted some bone chilling facts about Rwanda on her blog. What will we do to meet the needs? She is there right now. Pray for her as she as the opportunity to minister globally and especially for the people of Rwanda.
Clayton King posted a powerful letter on his blog from a pastor. I think we have all felt this way at some point. Are we protecting our pastors and leaders?
John Piper posted a powerful message about giving. How generous are we? I pray my heart is always generous no matter my circumstances.
The Swerve had a great series of video posts. This one specifically impacted me. It is some great stuff from Joel A'Bell about releasing leaders. Quality stuff!

Let us all constantly be learning because if we aren't learning we aren't leading.

5 Ways to Make Your Student Indifferent to God

2010-03-09T12:04:00.000-08:00

5 Ways to Make Your Student Indifferent to God by Mark Cox

In youth ministry, one of the hardest things I’ve had to experience is leading students into a growing relationship with Jesus, while their parents are doing the opposite. In a lot of cases, the parent wants the best for his/her teenager. It’s just that their definition of “best” might not match up with mine. There are some hard-and-fast rules to engage if you don’t want your teenager to care about God. The following are just a few.

1. Make sure their extra-curricular activities are priority over church. You should always make sure that their scholarships are intact, and that they don’t get kicked off the team. That’s definitely more important than their relationship with Christ and eternity, for that matter.

2. When your teenager screws up, ground them from church. Of course! If they don’t care that you take away their TV, cell phone, or friend time, hit them where it hurts. Take away church. Yeah – that oughta do it.

3. Don’t call them out when they need guidance. Always let them make their own mistakes. And if they’re about to do something super-destructive, it’s probably best that they learn on their own. Because learning it the hard way is always the necessary path, right?

4. Talk negatively about your church staff around your teenager. If your pastor messes up, make sure that you call a family meeting to roast him. You should definitely let your teenager know that people can’t be trusted, especially incompetent church leaders. Your teenager needs to know that trusting church leaders isn’t smart! If they don’t trust church leaders, there’s a small chance they’ll ever accept God’s direction in their life. And that’s the safer way to live.

5. Don’t model real faith. At the end of the day, the last thing you want to do, if you want your teenager to ignore God’s voice, is to follow it yourself.

Please know my heart on this issue. We parents need to be leading our families to Jesus every chance we get. Maybe it’s time to take inventory of who or what we’re actually leading our families to.

After all, actions speak louder than words.

Mark Cox is the Student Pastor at Indian Springs Baptist Church. Stalk him at his blog www.thinknextnow.com or on Twitter @markhcox.

Do you just work here?

2009-07-31T13:19:00.000-07:00

Great post to check out from Seth Godin's blog. Worth the Read.

Click Here to Read

What do you think?

Where Have I Been?

2009-07-23T10:49:00.001-07:00

This summer has been crazy! God has been doing so many things.

We found out Michelle is pregnant with our 4th child, which is due February 2nd. Reality...it will probably be a few weeks before that. We are getting ready excited.
I spent 12 days in Guatemala doing missions with our students and adults. It was truly an amazing trip. God challenged me to think about all I had and how I would be a better steward of what my family has.
MX09 Guatemala - recap from Josh Britt on Vimeo.
Spent a weekend in July speaking and leading worship for FBC Decatur in Panama City Beach, Florida. It was a blast getting to hangout with those students. A plus to this event was my family being able to come with me.
After Speaking and leading worship we had the opportunity as a family to vacation a little long in Panama City. We had a great time at the beach and at the "kitty cat" pool.
Spent a week at Super Summer Alabama leading worship and teaching in one of the schools. It was a great week with several 100 students growing in their depth and knowledge of God. It was an amazing camp experience. It impacted the students that went. We hope to take several more students next year.

Wow!!! Summer isn't even over yet. You can follow the craziness in our lives at twitter and through our s tudent ministry blog.

Kids are Amazing

2009-05-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

My kids continue to amaze me everyday and they are only 2 and 1/2 and 11 months. The questions they ask are so funny sometimes. Check this video out for some fun.

Whine Flu

2009-05-04T07:59:00.001-07:00

Everyone where we leave is pretty worried about the Swine Flu...sorry what I meant to say was N1H1 to be politically correct. There have been several possible cases. Since several kids in a local elementary school got the flu it shut down for several days. Madison city elementary schools are closed until the May 14th. It's pretty crazy. I thought this clip was great from Ed Young about the flu. I hope you enjoy. Will you cough on anyone today?

New Series Starting This Wednesday

2009-05-02T08:51:00.000-07:00

DTR: Defining the Relationship is our new series starting this wednesday night. These words can be exciting and devastating for people depending on how the relationship is defined. Everyone spends time defining their relationship whether it is with the opposite sex or defining whether someone is their best friend or not. In this series we will talk about defining the greatest relationship of all. This series will give you answers on how and why you should define the relationship. Come and bring a friend!

May 6th: Defining the Terms (Show your team or school spirit by wearing your favorite team or school get up.)
May 13th: Having the Talk (free food at 6pm)

Location: The Brook; Bottom Floor of Two Story Building
Time: Doors open at 6pm, Everything Starts at 6:30pm and ends at 8:15pm
Who: For students in grades 7th-12th

Future Musician

2009-03-04T10:31:00.000-08:00

Kids are crazy. They pick things up so quickly. My kids seem to be pretty musically gifted. I thought it would be fun for you to see what our future drummer is working on.

He can keep rhythm with the best. It is crazy!

Like Father Like Son

2009-02-21T14:10:00.001-08:00

I am blessed to have some of the greatest kids in the world. Check this pic out.

He's one good looking kid.

If you could ask God one question?

2009-02-19T13:35:00.001-08:00

If you could ask God one question, what would it be?

Leave your comments if you don't mind.

We have broken the silence!

2009-02-17T12:44:00.000-08:00

The church has stayed silent for the most part when it comes to sex. Over the last several weeks within our student ministry we have been talking about sex and sexuality. We are seeking to break the mold and talk about real issues when it comes to sex. There have been a few uncomfortable moments as I have made a few word blunders. I believe this could be one of the best series we have ever done.

How do you feel about sex and the church?

Talent or Art?

2009-02-08T07:18:00.000-08:00

Some kids just have talent or a great video editor. Looking for someone to teach me how to do this.

Cadbury Eyebrows from Nils-Petter Lovgren on Vimeo.

Some People Make Me Sick

2009-01-14T10:30:00.000-08:00

Awesome Prank

2008-12-19T23:13:00.000-08:00

I friend of mine pulled off an amazing prank on his pastor last week. (don't get any ideas) This was hilarious. I thought you all needed to see this.

What is the best prank you pulled off?

Who are you?

2008-12-15T13:12:00.000-08:00

Tim Stevens had some great thoughts about artist and leaders. Click Here to Read. It is interesting how we both think through things that we work on together. Tension can be a good thing between artist and leader. This can help sharp each other.

Who are you? Are you predominantly an artist or leader?

Are You Second?

2008-12-04T07:49:00.000-08:00

Great stories. Check it out

I Am Second

Just for Fun

2008-11-26T09:05:00.000-08:00

Todd Rhodes at Monday Morning Insight had a funny post about church bumper stickers. You should check it out. Let me know if you add any bumper stickers to the pile.

Link to the Post

My Bumper Stickers were:
Church Gossip!
I park in Guest Parking
I leave during the Invitation

New Creation

2008-10-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

New Creation from FC Post on Vimeo.

I thought this video was a little crazy the first time I saw it, but it is rocking my world. I weep every time I see it because I am reminded how many of us have been made new by Christ. So many more await. Will we do what it takes to reach others for Christ? I want to see thousands of new creations!

Wow...this is a quote!

2008-10-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

Here is a great statement made at catalyst last weekend. We should all really think through this both in the church and the business world.

Jim Collins had this to say about going from Good To Great:

A great organization is more likely to die of indigestion of too many opportunities rather than starvation of not enough opportunities. #1 sign of over-reaching and the start of decline: When you grow beyond your ability to have the right people in the right seats on the bus.

Who are in the seats of your bus at the organization?

Do you have indigestion?

Do you have people in the wrong seats?

What do you really mean?

2008-10-09T07:17:00.000-07:00

Being in ministry can always be fun and frustrating. People will tell you things in the name of love and the reality is they are being hurtful. People will say things like, "well I need to tell you something........don't get mad at me." Truth is they have been gossiping about it to their three close friends for about a month and they don't want to admit it. I want to punch them in the throat and tell them to shut their mouth. Most of the time it would be more encouraging to know that people are supporting the cause for Christ then killing it. Perry Noble had a great post this week about statements people make and the reality of what they "really" mean. You should really check this out here.

Have you ever had someone say any of these things to you before? If yes, which ones?

I think I have heard them all at some point.

Post & Article Worth Reading-Second Part

2008-10-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

Here is the second part of the article by Tommy Hilliker wrote a great article called God’s P.A.T.H. for parenting: part two. You can access it through our student ministry blog. It's worth the read. Have a great week!

2 Years Ago

2008-10-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

Two years ago yesterday I was blessed to become the father of Jonathon & Nate. It has been a great two years, and it has gone by way to fast. I would call yesterday the day of fun and sugar.

Here is what the boys woke up to.

Enjoying the lute or however you spell that.

The destruction!

We went after that and enjoyed donuts, a haircut, chick-fil-a, and chuck E. cheese after the nap. What a day.

I love my boys.

10 Commandments

2008-10-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

Bloggers and commenters are very interesting people. People who would never speak in public will write volumes about randomness. People seem to post or comment things they would never say to someone face to face. The cowards will post anonymously so they can bash someone. This ticks me off! There was a recent article written about what bloggers should not do. I thought it had some great insights for us all to keep in mind as we blog and comment.

Ten commandments for bloggers:
1 You shall not put your blog before your integrity
2 You shall not make an idol of your blog
3 You shall not misuse your screen name by using your anonymity to sin
4 Remember the Sabbath day by taking one day off a week from your blog
5 Honour your fellow-bloggers above yourselves and do not give undue significance to their mistakes
6 You shall not murder someone else's honour, reputation or feelings
7 You shall not use the web to commit or permit adultery in your mind
8 You shall not steal another person's content
9 You shall not give false testimony against your fellow-blogger
10 You shall not covet your neighbour's blog ranking. Be content with your own content

You can read the complete article here!

What is your biggest pet peeve about bloggers or commenters as a blogger or blog reader?

Focus?

2008-10-01T11:20:00.001-07:00

Have you ever been so focused on things that you missed out of the immediate need at hand? We can sometimes get so focused on the agenda or project that we look over the problem that needs our attention currently. I have set in meetings before where it feels like we are only focused on the small things and not the big issues that need to be dealt with. Maybe you have been in a meeting that goes something like this?

Thanks Granger Community Church and Innovate Conference.

What is the craziest topic you have ever discussed in a meeting?

Post & Article Worth Reading

2008-09-26T13:08:00.000-07:00

If you are a parent or hope to be a parent someday, Tommy Hilliker wrote a great article called God’s P.A.T.H. for parenting: part one. Part two will be posted later this week. You can access it through our student ministry blog. It's worth the ready. Have a great weekend!

I'm an Uncle Again!

2008-09-25T12:28:00.000-07:00

I'm a proud uncle! My sister-in-law had a baby boy today. I don't know details yet, but I will pass them along as i get them. He is a good looking boy. David Scott.

Moving Video

2008-09-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday The Brook celebrated 10 years of ministry. Thanks to everyone for all the hard work. It was an awesome day! God really moved in many cool ways. One of the most powerful moments of the morning was the cardboard testimonies. I hope it will touch each of you as it has touch each one of us.

Cardboard Testimonies from Jan Owen on Vimeo.
God is all about transforming lives! This is what church is all about.

How has God changed your life?

Every Leader Should Listen

2008-09-19T22:25:00.000-07:00

Last week I was surfing either through website or iTunes and ran across a new podcast by Andy Stanley. It is highlightly various leadership principles and ideas. The first episode was very challenging as he talked about "assumptions." I believer every leader both in the church and outside of it should take a listen. Man...it has really made me think about things. It lays our the groundwork of how they changed kidstuf and ended 722, two very successful ministries at North Point. Great stuff! All in about 20 minutes. Thanks Andy. Check it out!

Here is the link!

10 Years of Ministry

2008-09-17T14:12:00.000-07:00

This Sunday The Brook will celebrate 10 years of ministry. It is amazing that 10 years ago God begin an incredible work. God has truly blessed The Brook! I am so thankful that I have been a part of this congregation for 4 and 1/2 years. It has been an exciting ride so far. I look forward with great expectations to what God will do over the next 10 years.

You don't want to miss the celebration this Sunday at 10am at The Brook, 8573 Highway 72 West, Madison, AL 35758. There will be powerful worship, moving messages, and even a few surprises. You will want to be their early for the service, park far away and sit close to the front. We will need every square inch possible. I would encourage you to set your alarm at least 15 minutes earlier then normal.I believe the service will be one of the best ever. You should invite a friend to be a part of this day. There will be a picnic following the service. You will want to bring a lawn chair. Also, if you have a pop up tent bring it with you as well. The food will be provided so just come on.

I hope to see you at The Brook this weekend.

Love and Hate

2008-09-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

Experts tell us that about 90% of communication is nonverbal.

So what's the big deal?

Well there is a huge love hate relationship going around. It is really important to us and something that most of us would die without (That could be a little extreme). Maybe just freak and be unable to work. We have become so dependant on email. Email is a great thing in most instances, but there are great dangers in this type of communication. If so much of our communication is nonverbal we need to be very careful what and how we communicate through email.

We should never email about conflict.
We should never email negative critiques of others.
We should never email about negative situations.
We should never email confidential information that we don’t want anyone else to see.
We should never email when we are upset or angry.

Many of us need to learn to hit the delete key or at least read the email out loud before it is sent. It is amazing how so many people with just type things that they would never say to someone out loud or to their face.

I see so many people who have ignore these statements and it has landed them in some pretty warm water. Next time before you email ask yourself should this be communicated in another way? What could be misinterpreted or misunderstood?

I would challenge you to really think before you email it could save everybody some heartache.

what some worship leaders will do

2008-09-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

I have great respect and admiration for worship leaders, but some never cease to amaze me! I believe this is one of the craziest things I've seen done in worship. I'm so glad our worship leader has never done anything like this. I imagine this would be one stinky service. This has to rank up their with snake handling. I'm glad I missed this time of worship.

Wednesday Night Recap

2008-09-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

Last night was awesome!

Worship was amazing as Wendel S., Ryan J., Nathan S., Phillip K., and Corey B. lead us in worship.
The Setlist:
Mighty to Save by Hillsong
From the Inside Out by Hillsong United
Hosanna by Hillsong United

It was awesome seeing so many students connect with God in worship. I believe God's heart was blessed.

The big idea during the message was:
Excuses hinders God's work, but excellence honors God and inspires people. -thanks Mr. Hybels for the last part of this statement.

We have some amazing leaders that really care about students. I am so blessed to work with them.

Every parent should read Do Hard Things by Brett & Alex Harris. It will be well worth the time and it could be a great way to create a discussion with your student.

I want to encourage each student to think about someone to invite next week. It will change their life!

One for the History Books

2008-09-11T08:37:00.000-07:00

This one is classic. Barack Obama is really more impressive then I thought.

glumbert - A Moment For The History Books

I hope this brightened your day!

How can I help people in LA

2008-09-08T13:26:00.001-07:00

We are not talking about Los Angeles. We are talking Louisiana. You might be asking yourself how can I help people who have been devastated by a hurricane. Well this is a great way to help those in need. Check this video out!

Hurricane Torn Baton Rouge Needs Our Help!!! from Catalyst on Vimeo.

Send them a tarp or two.

Buy one or more blue tarps at TarpsPlus.com. What size? I figure any size will work. My family is going to by several.

Send the tarp(s) to the following address...
Healing Place Church
19202 Highland Roadd
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
225.753.2273

Let me know if you buy some!

A Good Laugh!!

2008-09-05T12:00:00.001-07:00

I guess we should all learn to spell.

glumbert - A Warthog Emergency

Have a great Friday!

Link-O-Rama

2008-08-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

I don't think of have done this before, but I plan on doing it from time to time. Below are a few links that i thought were well worth the read. I hope to meet all these people at some point during my life time. hopefully sooner then later. I would love to pick their brain. I believe each of these people God is using in a huge way. I know God has used them to challenge me.

First Time Guest-Nelson Searcy-a great article on how we treat first time guest at our churches. I know I have done this before.

Communication takes a Giver and Receiver-Kem Meyer-a great post about how we make people feel when we communicate with them. Great stuff to think about. I love the honesty in the letter. I have felt like writing a couple of those letters before.

Bob-Perry Noble-challenging entry about reaching out to others. God is really challenging me to seek out more Bob's to get to know. Do you have a Bob?

Are You Comfortable with being Uncomfortable-Tony Morgan-incredible post about how we create our services. It can be easy to get lulled into comfort. I hope we always stay on the edge of the next generation and not on the passing one.

I hope these are helpful and inspiring.

National Anthem

2008-08-24T20:53:00.000-07:00

Here is a dude from our church. He is a great guitar player. Maybe we should call him Jimmy now. He didn't even show off any playing the National Anthem.

Dude.... I wish I would have known. I would have been their. Great job!

Breaking Boundaries

2008-08-20T15:55:00.000-07:00

simple yet amazing! will you be bound or boundless?

Church Attendance and your GPA

2008-08-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

Did you know that kids who attend church have a higher GPA?

This is a real reason to get your kids to church other then it can really be a great influence on your child's life. Check this article out! It is really worth the read. Very interesting stuff.

Free!

2008-08-12T04:01:00.000-07:00

I am really enjoying Phil Wickham's music. I've known about his music for quite sometime, but just didn't really start listening until about 6 months ago. I would encourage you to check out his stuff. You can actually get a live album right now for free! (thanks Jan for the tip) You give them your email address and they will send you a link to download it. It is worth it. Let me know what you think.

Generous

2008-07-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

This entry challenged me to the core. I wonder how many of us would be willing to give like this teenager. This read is well worth it and it's pretty short.

Generous Teenager by Perry Noble

It's been a blessing to see various students over the years give like this student did!

Sunday Night Thoughts

2008-07-28T09:24:00.000-07:00

OnePray has been amazing!
Steven Furtick blew the doors off the building. That guy can bring it! (i'm going to try and find my white jacket this week. i think i could rock it.) What pomegranate are you sitting under? I'm about to get out from under mine.

It was my privilage to lead worship yesterday for our morning services. The place was rockin'. Other then I broke a string in the first service for like the seven thousanth time. Thanks to Bobby's guitar worship went on.

Worship Set
Majestic by Lincoln Brewster
Your Grace Is Enough by Matt Maher
Holy is the Lord by Chris Tomlin
Amazed by Jared Anderson
God of this City by Bluetree (performed by Chris Tomlin on the album Passion: God of this City)

RPM was incredible last night!!!!
We prayed over our new facility that God would move in the lives of students that would come. We prayed for construction to start quickly, that all the hurdles would be knocked down and mountains made flat. After the time of prayer we had a great time just talking about our ministry as a whole. The discussion was great. The students had some great insights and observations. I think we might do this kind of think every 8 to 10 weeks. It was very refreshing. The guests even participated in the discussion. We had like 7 guests last night. It was awesome.

2008-07-23T08:57:00.001-07:00

Today there was a great blog by a guy named Tim Stevens. He is the executive pastor at Granger community church. I believe he had some great insight for parents raising teens. He has a few of his own so think speaks from some experience.

Here is just a highlight:

The environments parents place their students in just before the teen years will often dictate the student's environments they pick.

As they start middle school, don't give them the option to stay home from the youth program.

Get them in situations where they are hanging with young adults who are following God.

Let them participate in events where there is a good chance they might take a step spiritually, like summer camp, missions trips, or weekend retreats.

You can click here to read the blog in its entirety.

Another New Life

2008-07-18T14:42:00.000-07:00

I believed we are to blessed for our own good. We have had 2 babies in 3 weeks. My sister Paula and brother-in-law David had their first son today at 2:13pm. We are all so pumped!!!! I'm ready to hold that little boy soon.

Micah is 7 lbs. & 15 oz. and 21 inches long.

I'll post more pics soon!

My Favorite Music and Maybe one of my Favorite Songs

2008-07-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

In case you don’t know this my favorite genre of music is Hip Hop and Rap. This video is incredible. This should be our motto. Send Me. I’ll Go! I hope you enjoy it, even if Rap is not your favorite. The lyrics are on the screen so you can follow.

'Send Me' - Live at MHC Ballard from Mars Hill Church on Vimeo.

I think we should incorporate a little rap or hip hop in worship every once in a while.

Finally Back Online & Slingbox

2008-07-07T12:30:00.001-07:00

I am finally back online. Our internet was down until late last week. Caleb is doing very well and the boys seem to be adjusting as well. I am looking forword to blogging again. Thanks to knology.

Does anyone know about or have a slingbox? I am trying to see if it is really all that the company says they are. They look cool. I can think of a few things that they could be used for that could really help churches. Comment me and let me know.

Day 3 Update and Misc. Fun

2008-06-29T06:33:00.000-07:00

Michelle had a little more pain today, but is doing very well. Caleb is doing great! He's the best looking boy in the nusery.

Today was a great day for Dad because I got to spend some time with Nate and Jonathon. We went to the local airshow. We had a great time watching planes and enjoyed the people. The jet van was my personal favorite and boys liked everything especially the fly throughs.

I have uploaded some new pics from day 3, the airshow, and a few misc. fun ones.
Click Here to View Pictures.

The Good Doctor & More Pictures

2008-06-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

A great Doctor with Caleb. Dr. Cimino delivered Caleb.

Here are a few more links to pictures:

A Great Day-Day 3 Update

2008-06-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day! Jonathon and Nate got to meet their brother today. Nate seems really syked about it. Jonathon just wants to sit with mom. After about 20 minutes we realized these rooms were not quite big enough for the boys, so i took them to the playground. we had a great time playing and running around. After playing hard they headed home to our house with grandma ann and aunty paula. Tomorrow the boys, papaw, and me will head to the airshow which should be a ton of fun considering the boys point and stare at every plane that flies over our house. Did I mention they love noise too.

It was great having friends and family stop by today. It was great help in broking up the day. Looking forward to tomorrow for a ton of fun.

Day 2 Update & Pictures from Day 1

2008-06-27T05:20:00.000-07:00

we (mommy, daddy, and caleb) got some much needed rest last night. Michelle has gotten some good rest since the nurses stopped probing her. (the nurses have been awesome!!!) Caleb has been in and out with us throughout the night. He is sleeping like crazy, which I know will probably be short lived. He is looking forward to see his big brothers (Jonathon & Nate) later today! Below is a link to pictures from day 1. Thanks again for all the prayers and love. You are each welcome to visit.

Pictures-Day 1

He is Here

2008-06-26T18:14:00.000-07:00

That is one good looking dude and one hot looking mommy!

Caleb Matthew Britt has arrived!!!!! He made it at 5:32pm on Thursday, June 26th, 2008. He is 8 lbs. 9 oz. and 20". He is a big dude! We don't mind visitors but we ask that you call before you come. We want to make sure Caleb is available to see you if you get a chance to make it by. Thanks so much for all your prayers and support!

Update-5pm-heading in for the arrival

2008-06-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

we are getting ready to head in for a c-section. Baby Caleb should be here just after 5pm. this will be the last update until he is here.

Update-1:46pm

2008-06-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

We are still in Labor and Delivery room 1. We just saw the doctor. He says there is little progress with the natural labor so it looks like we will have a c-section later this afternoon. The Doc. will come in one last time at 4pm and see how things are, then we will make a final decision. I think at this point we are cool either way. Michelle is keeping us busy with all of her weather knowledge. You can post a great joke or a hospital activited so we can stay busy. Thanks so much for your continued prayers.

Noon Update

2008-06-26T10:04:00.000-07:00

we are currently still waiting! We are hoping to see Dr. Cimino soon. We hear he is on the floor, but getting ready to do a c-section on another patient before he comes to see us. Michelle is very hungry but doing well. We will continue to keep you posted.

Arrived at the Hospital

2008-06-26T05:04:00.000-07:00

we are at the hospital preparing for the birth of our 3rd son. No Caleb yet! Michelle is just settling in. We are not sure about a timeline or when Caleb will arrive. We are going to try induce labor but if it doesn't happen we will do a c-section at some point. I will try to update my blog from time-to-time with updates. Thanks so much for your prayers! We look forward to seeing and hearing from you all.

Sweet Links

2008-06-23T09:45:00.000-07:00

Here are links to some of my favorite blogs and sites.

Life in Student Ministry-Student ministry site that has some great stuff. Tim has great insights.
Monday Morning Insight-Good site about things going on in church life. A lot of the things make me laugh.
Church Relevance-Great stuff about design, leadership, and forward thinking. It has some great research stuff but putting it into short form. Very Good.
The Swerve-great post on picking people today. Good Stuff!
Perrry Noble-Very challenging and encouraging. I've been following Perry Noble for about 2 years now. Great leader. Unleash was amazing.
Tony Morgan-Very good blog on innovation. He is an incredible forward thinker. Tons of great thoughts

I hope you enjoy them.

Worship Set

2008-06-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

It was fun to play with Nathan, Dean, Robert and Alex. They really rocked it!!! It was a blast.

Playlist:
Awesome is the Lord Most High-Tomlin
Friend of God-Gungor
Blessed Be Your Name-Redman
You Never Let Go-Redman
Yellow-Coldplay

Personality Test

2008-06-21T20:59:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what your personality is? Here is your chance.

click on this link to take a short personality quiz:
Personality Test

The Animal Equivelant is:
Lion=Choleric
Otter=Sanguine
Turtle=Phlegmatic
Camel=Melancholy

Leave a comment and let us know what your personality is.

Here is mine.
Personality: Choleric Melancholy
Melancholy-18%
Phlegmatic-15%
Sanguine-10%
Choleric-57%

Kid's Music

2008-06-16T14:02:00.001-07:00

this video made me laugh. There is nothing spiritual about it, but it is funny. Especially if you have kids.

It would definatly make children's music more interesting.

What do you think?

Reflections

2008-06-15T21:03:00.000-07:00

Thoughts about today:

Music was sick! the student band killed it! Their set list was:
Sing to the King
Mighty to Save
From the Inside Out
Here is our King

All I have to say is:
You've Got It Now Use It!!!!!!!
spirit fingers, toe-touch, hercky (sp?)

Spiritual Gifts

2008-06-14T20:34:00.000-07:00

You might be wondering how to find your spiritual gifting. These assesments can help point you in the right direction. Remember your these gifts are not exhaustive. God is Huge!

Check out these websites to take an online assesment:
Gifted2Serve
Spiritual Gift Test
Ministry Tools

Leave a comment to let me know what your top 2 gifts are!

Facebook and other stuff

2008-06-04T21:31:00.000-07:00

I’ve been a little busy lately so I haven’t had a chance to blog recently. I’m hoping to do it more even though we are approaching the birth of our son. His name will be Caleb Matthew just in case you wanted to know. I know he is already going to be one of the best looking guys along with Jonathon and Nate. We will get a chance to see the doctor next week and probably find out just how close we are to this incredible life.

I finally gave in today! To facebook that is. I have purposely rebelled against it until now. Every one has raved about it, so we’ll see. I love tech stuff! I’d love to hear what you think is best about facebook besides all those people popping on screen for possible friend request that I have no idea who they are.

New Things

2008-05-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

I am always trying to find new ways to get faster at what I do. Efficiency is very important to me. It seems as though there are never enough hours in the day. (like no one else is feeling the same pressure). Over the past week I came across an awesome resource called Jott. It allows you to email, send text messages, update calendars, blogs, etc all through voice recognition. It was been amazing to work with. I am still finding new things everyday. Group text messaging is something I am working on. People are so mobile and it is often easier to text them then email to get a response. You should try it out. It’s well worth the look. Jott

Favorite Quotes

2008-05-05T14:10:00.000-07:00

two inspiring quotes that are on my desk that I think are worth sharing.

Erwin McManus shared on a Catalyst Podcast an African Businessman in Tanzania told him:
We've been doing so much with so little for so long; we can now do anything with nothing.

Howard Hendricks said, If it is a mist in the pulpit, it is a fog in the pew.

These have been very inpiring to me. Just thought I would share. I hope they encourage and inspire you.

Something a little different

2008-05-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

This summer we are going to try something a little different during our sunday night gathering for students. We are toying with the idea of doing several mission/service opportunities. This is very different then our typical sunday night environment that includes music, media, speaking, etc. Our hope is to help our students get out of the box. We live in a world where people want to serve but don't always now how. We are finishing up a series called, Where do I fit?. We are hoping that students will begin to understand how they take part in God's plan to redeem the world.

Do you do things different during the summer?
What are some of the things you have done?
What is your favorite thing about the summer?
What do you dread when it comes to the summer?

Sunday Night Thoughts

2008-04-27T21:42:00.000-07:00

Today was amazing and challenging all at the same time.

The message today in the morning service was one of the hardest I have preached since I have been at The Brook. It was challenging to hear so many stories of brokeness.
The worship was amazing today! Everytime I sing the line, It was nailed to the cross and i bare it no more, i get choked up thinking about the Savior's love.
Tonight was a ton of fun as we talk about personality.
Brian delivered one of the best messages on people's personalities and how it allows them to do great things for God.
Wendel filled in tonight for Justin and all I can say is WOW!!!! It was a great time of worship.
It was fun to get to check out everybodies personality results. We have some really awesome students.

Make sure to submit a youth room name idea at 72students.net and registar for The Verge and Move08.

Up, Up, and Away

2008-04-27T21:37:00.000-07:00

Well...i am officially a part of the blogworld. We will see if I have anything worth listening too. Check back often for updates.