The Purpose of a Launch Team

Over the next few days, I will be sharing the purpose of launch team members. As Discovery Church begins, these individuals will be playing a crucial part in shaping and creating the environment that allows the unchurched/dechurched to feel welcome and invited.

1. It is your church plant...invite others.
Launch team members must know that they are planting a church. It is not Trey's church plant, but rather it is yours. You have the ability/responsibility to invite others into the journey. In fact, the expectation is that you will be inviting people to the preview and launch services. Ed Stetzer recently posted a blog about how the unchurched feel about talking with others about spiritual matters. Guess what...they like it! As a launch team member, you become the biggest advocates for Discovery Church in the Evansville community. It's your church plant...invite others to join the adventure.

Being Chosen

I remember high school dances. They frightened me. Especially the winter dance, Santa Switch, because it was there that the girls chose the guys. On other occasions, I could always blame my lack of guts as a reason I did not have a date to the dance. But with Santa Switch, it became an issue of the finer, gentler sex not wanting to ask me. Ouch...I hated not being chosen.

I was afraid that I was setting myself up for another Santa Switch moment. Tim Stevens recently asked for 10 leaders to read his upcoming book, Pop Goes the Church, and to offer him feedback to make it a better book. Tim would send the selected individuals an electronic copy of the book prior to it being sent to the publisher. I quickly responded that I was excited about the opportunity and that I would love to be selected. Tim was overwhelmed and found over 100 people who wanted to read the book. Who would he pick? The waiting had begun...

I was chosen. Tim picked me! I received an e-mail yesterday from Tim's assistant, Theresa, notifying me that I had been selected to read the book. Now I sit in expectant anticipation for the book to arrive in my inbox. I might not have had a date to Santa Switch, but Tim Stevens chose me.

Launch Team Meeting Tonight

The Launch Team for Discovery Church is meeting tonight. I am really excited about the growth that is happening. We have gone from a team of 10 a month ago to nearly 25 now. Wow! God is doing an incredible work and lives are going to change. Check back tomorrow for a recap of the night's events.

Blown Away and Honored

For the past eight years (and two other years before that), I have been involved in coaching debate at Evansville North High School. We have been blessed to have some very talented students come through our program during that time. This past weekend, our students traveled to the Ben Davis meet in Indianapolis. This large tournament kicks off the second (and most competitive) half of the season. At the awards ceremony, I was recognized as the "Indiana High School Forensics Association Coach of Month."

Wow...I was blown away and deeply honored. I recognize that so many men and women give so much of their time to help students learn to think analytically and critically about significant issues. To be recognized by my peers was overwhelming. I can think of several individuals who are more deserving, but the recognition is much appreciated.

Goals for 2008 (part two)

GOAL #3: Make my girls laugh on a daily basis. I love my girls. They are by far the most amazing creations in the world. I find myself standing near their rooms watching them sleeping and completely and totally in awe. What amazing gifts from God. In Psalms 100, it talks of bringing a gift of laughter to God. My hope is to bring such joy to my little girls lives that they will laugh, bringing joy to their daddy and to their Father.

GOAL #4: Read & read some more. I love reading. I have read some really incredible books lately including: In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, The Dip, The Starbucks Experience, and am currently reading Built to Last. I am really looking forward to reading some other books, including: Made to Stick, I Became a Christian and all I Got was this Lousy Shirt, and Pop Goes the Church (yet to be announced release date). The point is that readers are learners and learners are readers. I want to learn, to stretch, to grow beyond where I am right now. If you have suggestions, I would love hearing them.

Goals for 2008 (part one)

I'm not big on resolutions. They seem so over-played. No body really sticks to them, and by saying it was "just a resolution" it seems okay to dismiss the fact that you did not reach your objective. I say all that to say that I prefer goals. Definite, achievable goals.

Over the next few days, I want to share some of my goals for '08. I must confess, I'm pretty excited about this year. It will be one of the busiest, most stress-filled years of my life, but I am expecting God to do some pretty amazing stuff in the midst of it. So without further ado...

GOAL #1: Take the time each evening to have a serious conversation with my wife. Relationships are important and need to be cultivated. They do not grow through proximity, but rather through conversation and living life together. Furthermore, my wife's love-language is quality time.

GOAL #2: Read through the Bible. I read alot. I should read the Bible more. This year, I'm reading through the Bible in "The Message" translation. I figure I'll shake things up a bit by not reading a translation I am overly familiar with (particularly in the Old Testament). By the way, if you want to check a cool online resource to help you read through the Bible in a year, check out: youversion.com. It's really neat how they have put it together.