Two Reasons I Like Halloween This Year

Going Bi...Vocational (part two)

Over the next few days, we'll be discussing the pros and cons to bi-vocational ministry.

I really am a pretty positive guy, yet I want to begin by looking at one of the negatives of bi-vocational ministry. Perhaps the most important resource that we have at our disposal is T...I...M....E. Time, the one truly unreplenishable natural resource. Once the hours are spent they can never be recovered (unless you happened to fly back across the international date line, in which case: live it up...not really, just jiving).

The truth is that we are each given a finite amount of time and we must choose how we spend those 24 hours, the 1440 minutes that we have at our disposal each day. A bi-vocational minister will find themselves pressed for time. The "real" job will always cry out for more time and energy. The church also desperately needs attention. How do you strike this balance? How do you find the time for both jobs when both are really important?

The practical response: A bi-vocational minister needs an outstanding tool that allows them to keep track of their busy lives. For me, the Palm Centro that Bob's provided me has helped me keep track of all those important details. For the ADD, bi-vocational guy that I am, this is perfect. Whatever the specific tool is, the bi-vocational minister will need to be meticulous in the allotment of their time.

What tools are you using to help you with time management?

Talk about a Scary

What could be scarier? Perhaps Jacko and Madonna?

Going Bi...Vocational (part one)

As we started dreaming about Discovery Church nearly 20 months ago, we had several strong assumptions. First, Discovery would be a church for those who don't like to go to church. Second, we were planting a church that would plant churches. Third, in order to allow us to do more ministry, I would have to be willing to be bi-vocational.

I assumed this last step would be pretty easy. I would blow the dust off the resume, update it a bit and send it to a few places. I knew that the job offers would poor in. After telling Mr. Gates and Mr. Jobs, "Thanks but no thanks," I would take a job managing Mr. Warren Buffet's money...or something like that. That is definitely not what happened.

Over the next few days, I'm going to lay out my experience and the insights that I have gained in the process. Furthermore, if you have been down this path, I would love to hear about your experience and feedback as well.

Big Announcement (part three)

The Discovery Church Board of Directors recently approved partnering with two new church plants. Over the next two days we will be revealing online who those two church plants are. For more information on why we're doing this, check out Sunday's blog.

The second church plant that we are partnering with has until just recently been called the Vegas Project. Vince Antonucci will be leaving Forefront Church that he helped plant in Virginia Beach, Virginia to go west (young man, go west). He and his family will be moving to Sin City (Las Vegas) in order to help people love God, love people, and turn the world upside down.

I've been reading Vince's blog for a little over a year. He has an incredible sense of humor and a passion for people that is infectious. Vince is the author of I Became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt. Not only is this an awesome book (in fact, I gave it to my each of my parents for their birthdays last year), but it had to win an award for longest title in non-Christian fiction that you would actually want to read.


Personally, I am thankful for Vince because when I was searching for help in planting Discovery, he was willing to offer advice through email. A huge blessing that I never thought would actually happen. The two or three emails that we corresponded back and forth were a tremendous aid to me as I struggled to find a coach (more on that this week too).

Big Announcement (part two)

The Discovery Church Board of Directors recently approved partnering with two new church plants. Over the next two days we will be revealing online who those two church plants are. For more information on why we're doing this, check out Sunday's blog.

The first church that we are partnering with is Ridge Church. Ridge Church is being planted by our best friends from seminary, Kevin & Emily Layne, in Knoxville, Tennessee. As a huge University of Florida Gator fan, my only concern is what can God do in such a reprobate place as Knoxville (home of the University of Tennessee). Yet at the same time, maybe the brokeness of being whipped the last two years by my beloved Gators has them seeking true purpose.

Kevin and Emily are expecting their first child any day...in fact they may have already had her and not had the time to call. Ridge Church has been hosting informational meetings and service projects. To keep track of Ridge Church or to learn how you can partner with them as well, check out their blog.

We Got a Home!!!

Today, we close on our new home. For our daughter's opinion of the new house, check out the video below.

Big Announcement (part one)

The Board of Directors for Discovery Church met last week and made a huge decisions. We decided on two new church plants that we will be supporting in the coming year. Over the next couple of days we will be sharing with you more details of these two new churches. However, I first want to make some observations about the reason behind supporting these new churches.

When we first started communicating the vision for Discovery Church, we told people that we were not just planting a church. We were planting a church that would plant churches. We didn't know what this would look like, but we knew that it was essential to our DNA. We believe that every good and healthy thing must reproduce.

In order to make that vision a reality, we committed to tithing to church planting. We have made the commitment from the very beginning to set apart 10% of our tithes and offerings that we receive to support other church plants. From the surface, it makes you wonder what we're smoking. I mean, we're clearly a new church plant that could use the money. However, we believe in giving that we are blessed. We believe in giving that we grow. We also believe that there is no time like the present to trust God and give sacrificially to support His kingdom work.

Super Hero Saturday

A couple of weeks ago one of our launch team members put together 200 packets of popcorn (be careful that your "o" key does not stick when typing popcorn) with invitations to Discovery Church. We gathered at the West Side Nut Club's Fall Festival to pass them out. In a half hour we had them all distributed, largely due to the effort of one person, today's super hero...

Seriously, could you say no to that. My daughter, Alyssa, was amazing in giving to others. At first, she was a bit apprehensive but soon got into it. By the third time she handed one out, she was keeping score. Before long, she was consoling her mother and I when we would be refused.

When we got ready to leave the staff at our previous church, Kitten and I were really concerned about how Alyssa would handle the transition. She had grown up and been loved by that community. She had friends there. She knew the building like the back of her hand. Were we asking too much of her?

Now, I have no question that she has fallen in love with serving at Discovery. Each Saturday night we ask her if she wants to go help set up and she enthusiastically says yes (perhaps it has something to do with the Donut Bank donuts that we get on the way). She'll grab signs and flooring and drag them to the appropriate spot. She works hard...and then eats lots of donuts. Everyday, I think she is a super hero. Today, however, she is Discovery Church's Super Hero of the Week.

I've Been Lazy

Yeah...I know. I've been lazy. I could give a list of a dozen valid excuses on why I haven't been keeping up on my blog, but that would just be excuses. The end result is: I've been lazy. I had time to play on Facebook and manage my pathetic Fantasy Football teams (my ESPN team looks more like an ER ward than a football team). But starting today, I'm committing to a solid week (and perhaps more) of blogging. You can count on it. The nap is over. I'm back.