Wellspring is hosting a Gas Buy Down this weekend. Check out the commercial running on the local ABC affiliate.
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Kill The Spider Graphics
5 years ago
This is a video that a pastor here in South Carolina who is suffering with cancer made for the student ministry at his church. Watch it, allow it to give you perspective, and put God's truths from the video into practice.
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This is a post from our Wellspring Partners Blog that my wife wrote. I thought I would share it with you and give you an opportunity to make an impact in Myrtle Beach.
Monday, July 20, 2009
We're Expecting!!!
We are opening our doors and launching on September 13th! There are a LOT of things that we will need before the BIG DAY and we need items for our nursery and childrens' ministry! So we thought we would register and that it would be a great way to get the word out and let everyone know of our needs.
We know times are hard for everyone financially so if you have not been able to donate to Wellspring maybe this would be a way that you can. Even if you want to get 4 of your friends to go in together to buy a gift that would be great! Anything you can give will help us provide a fun place to minister to the children that attend Wellspring Church!
Also, please don't feel like you are limited to these lists. If you find something at a discount store or a yard sale that is in good shape please know that would be wonderful too! If you live out of state and need to mail the items, email Beth at bethgoff@ymail.com for the shipping address.
We desire to have a very child friendly, home-like feel to our childrens' area and want it to the a place babies, toddler, and kids will want to come back to week after week... YOU can make that happen!!
I really hope that you will take a look at our Target or Babies R Us registry and choose and item or two that you can donate to Wellspring Church! Gift cards to Target and Babies R Us would be wonderful too if you don't want to pay for shipping of an item.
**When searching the LAST NAME and FIRST NAME are "Wellspring".**
Also, TELL YOUR FRIENDS!!
Tell those close to you about our church and what we are doing and see if they might want to donate as well! I cannot tell you how many times we have received support from people we don't even know BUT someone told them about us and God led them to give. So PLEASE tell those you know!!! You could send them a link to this blog by email, on twitter, post it on Facebook or do a blog post on YOUR BLOG.
We hope to have all items gathered by August 28th if possible.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support!
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Monday, July 20, 2009
We're Expecting!!!
We are opening our doors and launching on September 13th! There are a LOT of things that we will need before the BIG DAY and we need items for our nursery and childrens' ministry! So we thought we would register and that it would be a great way to get the word out and let everyone know of our needs.
We know times are hard for everyone financially so if you have not been able to donate to Wellspring maybe this would be a way that you can. Even if you want to get 4 of your friends to go in together to buy a gift that would be great! Anything you can give will help us provide a fun place to minister to the children that attend Wellspring Church!
Also, please don't feel like you are limited to these lists. If you find something at a discount store or a yard sale that is in good shape please know that would be wonderful too! If you live out of state and need to mail the items, email Beth at bethgoff@ymail.com for the shipping address.
We desire to have a very child friendly, home-like feel to our childrens' area and want it to the a place babies, toddler, and kids will want to come back to week after week... YOU can make that happen!!
I really hope that you will take a look at our Target or Babies R Us registry and choose and item or two that you can donate to Wellspring Church! Gift cards to Target and Babies R Us would be wonderful too if you don't want to pay for shipping of an item.
**When searching the LAST NAME and FIRST NAME are "Wellspring".**
Also, TELL YOUR FRIENDS!!
Tell those close to you about our church and what we are doing and see if they might want to donate as well! I cannot tell you how many times we have received support from people we don't even know BUT someone told them about us and God led them to give. So PLEASE tell those you know!!! You could send them a link to this blog by email, on twitter, post it on Facebook or do a blog post on YOUR BLOG.
We hope to have all items gathered by August 28th if possible.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support!
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So yesterday Beth, the kids, and I went to the beach in the morning. After that we went to the pool to rinse the salt off. We got home in the afternoon and my grass was seriously in need of mowing. So, I put on my shoes and mowed the grass. I had been swimming all day and I didn't want to get another shirt dirty so I just mowed in the old swim trunks. The whole time I was thinking though, can a pastor mow the grass with his shirt off?
First of all, I would like to apologize for the mental picture of me mowing the grass without a shirt on. Secondly, I would like to state that I am not typically a shirt off mower and I am vehemently opposed to the old fat guys in my neighborhood with their shirts off and their pants in need of a draw-string or belt. However, I am a utilitarian type and I don't want to add to my wife's (or occasionally my) laundry load.
So, can a pastor mow the grass with his shirt off? I don't know why I felt weird doing this. I was at the beach with my shirt off and even ran into some people from church and I didn't feel weird. I go to the pool 3 or 4 times a week and see people from church and don't feel weird. But when mowing my grass...
I think I get a bit of a pass most of the time for things I do. Why? Because a lot of time people don't think of me as a pastor (which I'm okay with). I've never been Pastor Goff or Pastor TJ. While other younger and even less experienced people I have worked with have been Pastor (fill in the blank) I've always just been TJ or Earring Boy. I've been the Music Guy not the Worship Pastor. You get the picture.
The overarching question of this post is how human can your pastor be? Do you want to see them in real life? Really? Do you want to know that they argue with their wives and cuss at people while driving? Or, do you prefer that they maintain a "Holy Distance." Some pastors work very hard to project themselves as having it all together. Others may be a little too open. My filter works this way. I'm a regular dude. If you want to be my friend you get to know a lot; if you want to hang out, a little less; if you don't know me well...
I will never pretend to have it all together. I struggle as a husband, a father, a son, a "Pastor," a man, just like everyone else. Any pastor who says he doesn't struggles with lying. So, I will probably continue to parade around topless when the mood hits me so be warned. I usually mow the grass on Friday afternoons.
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First of all, I would like to apologize for the mental picture of me mowing the grass without a shirt on. Secondly, I would like to state that I am not typically a shirt off mower and I am vehemently opposed to the old fat guys in my neighborhood with their shirts off and their pants in need of a draw-string or belt. However, I am a utilitarian type and I don't want to add to my wife's (or occasionally my) laundry load.
So, can a pastor mow the grass with his shirt off? I don't know why I felt weird doing this. I was at the beach with my shirt off and even ran into some people from church and I didn't feel weird. I go to the pool 3 or 4 times a week and see people from church and don't feel weird. But when mowing my grass...
I think I get a bit of a pass most of the time for things I do. Why? Because a lot of time people don't think of me as a pastor (which I'm okay with). I've never been Pastor Goff or Pastor TJ. While other younger and even less experienced people I have worked with have been Pastor (fill in the blank) I've always just been TJ or Earring Boy. I've been the Music Guy not the Worship Pastor. You get the picture.
The overarching question of this post is how human can your pastor be? Do you want to see them in real life? Really? Do you want to know that they argue with their wives and cuss at people while driving? Or, do you prefer that they maintain a "Holy Distance." Some pastors work very hard to project themselves as having it all together. Others may be a little too open. My filter works this way. I'm a regular dude. If you want to be my friend you get to know a lot; if you want to hang out, a little less; if you don't know me well...
I will never pretend to have it all together. I struggle as a husband, a father, a son, a "Pastor," a man, just like everyone else. Any pastor who says he doesn't struggles with lying. So, I will probably continue to parade around topless when the mood hits me so be warned. I usually mow the grass on Friday afternoons.
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Good morning everyone. We are only a couple of months away from launching Wellspring Church here in Myrtle Beach. We want to let you know that you can be a part of what God is doing here. We have seen 19 people make decisions to follow Christ since January with a launch team of about 25 and meeting mostly in homes. Imagine what God will do when we open our doors to the public! Here's a video we showed our launch team yesterday and want to share with you as well. Pray about what God wants you to do as we all work to make Him known on the Grand Strand.
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One of the best things I learned while I was on staff at Bay Hills Community Church was also probably the most embarrassing things I had to endure when Dave and I would go to conferences, meetings, restaurants, etc. He would always ask for something free.
Dave is probably one of the cheapest people in the world. That's not a exaggeration. He will admit it and I think he actually takes pride in it. Don't get me wrong, when it came to being able to get what we needed to reach people in the Bay Area, he would spare no expense (at least for me), but personally he's super cheap. I was always embarrassed when he would say "can I get it for free" but always happy if he got me something for free.
I've learned in the past few years that it never hurts to ask. I've always thought that I would look like a freak if I walked up to someone and asked them for something. It took a while for me to realize that the worst thing that could have happened would be that they said "no" and you'd be in the same boat you were before. You have to forget about appearing to be cool.
The night before I got married, my groomsmen and I were staying at the Grand Hyatt in Buckhead (a nice hotel in Atlanta). When we were walking back from the ESPN Zone where we spent my "Bachelor Party" we saw P-Diddy, or whatever we're calling him now, outside of the hotel probably getting ready to go out as we got ready to sleep. My instinct was to play it cool and act like we didn't care he was there. That's what we did and guess what, I don't get to tell the story about how I met and partied with P-Diddy the night before my wedding.
You never know what will happen when you ask a question. You always know what will happen if you don't: nothing. Don't waste great opportunities to meet people, get free stuff, or have experiences you never thought possible. Just ask.
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In case you were wondering, we had our first God On Tap meeting this past Sunday and it was great. For those of you who don't know, God on Tap is our new gathering for those with questions about God, the Church, Life, or anything else. We meet in a local bar every other Sunday evening. Basically the format is, people ask questions and Trey answers them. Sometimes there is follow up discussion, sometimes there isn't. For more info check out our God On Tap webpage.
Our biggest fear was that no one would ask any questions. Man were we wrong. We talked about science, Moses, and why Jesus is the only way. Before we knew it, time was up. Everyone seemed to enjoy the discussion and as far as I know, no one was uncomfortable. We hope that people feel like they can come to Wellspring and know that they don't have to fit a certain mold, or believe certain things to be there. We are here for those who are seeking God. We know that as long as we follow His leadership, the Holy Spirit will work in the lives of those her in Myrtle Beach. I can't wait until the next God On Tap.
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I got a little bored today so I got Beth to shoot some video of me. Check it out.
Okay so that wasn't me but it was awesome. He really looked like me when his shirt was off though.
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Okay so that wasn't me but it was awesome. He really looked like me when his shirt was off though.
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Well, I'm back. If you must know I've pretty much been cutting grass for the last month or so and because of the ridiculous hours I was working (at Myrtle Beach National Golf Club) I just haven't had the "want to" to blog. But thank Jesus that short season is over. After figuring out that I wasn't able to do what I came to Myrtle Beach to do and really was only being compensated in free golf and a nominal paycheck, Beth and I (along with her mom who basically became a full-time babysitter) decided to re-prioritize. So, no more cutting grass for now.
Anyway, on to the reason I am posting today. Leadership has pretty much been on my mind for all of 2009. Not sure why but it has. This morning I read a really insightful post on Big Is The New Small Blog. Its entitled Why leaders Fail. Check it out, this is for everyone, not just churchies.
4 Reasons Leaders FAIL
Posted by Scott Williams on June 8th 2009
To read more CLICK HERE.
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Anyway, on to the reason I am posting today. Leadership has pretty much been on my mind for all of 2009. Not sure why but it has. This morning I read a really insightful post on Big Is The New Small Blog. Its entitled Why leaders Fail. Check it out, this is for everyone, not just churchies.
4 Reasons Leaders FAIL
Posted by Scott Williams on June 8th 2009
There are many reasons that leaders fail; however I thought I would condense the list to 4 memorable reasons in the acronym FAIL. Here are the 4 Reasons Leaders FAIL:
1. Fake- A leader who try’s to be someone they are not instead of simply being themselves has a difficult time succeeding, at some point it just catches up to them. This also applies to the leader that has a different face, different persona, different tone, different everything… when certain people are around. In other-words when the big boss comes around they put their fake-face on. Not to say a leader might not make some adjustments when company comes around; however the super-fake-face comes from insecurity of how they act normally. Remember: Don’t be fake, be yourself… “Do You! It’s A Statement… Not A Question!” Fake Leaders Fail!
To read more CLICK HERE.
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If you don't think music is very important maybe you should watch this video. Its amazing how much music does to set the tone to the things we see. This is the opener to Diff'rent Strokes without the peppy music (written, I believe by one multi-talented Alan Thicke). Turns out, Alan Thicke is much more important than we thought.
Don't get in that limo Gary! Protect your brother Todd!
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Don't get in that limo Gary! Protect your brother Todd!
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We finally got the video of Trey on the news. We actually made it on the 4, 5, and 6 o'clock news today. Pretty cool. I like the handsome guy with the earrings the best. He's hawt. I don't know about everyone else who was there but it wasn't my first brush with the law if you know what I'm saying. Just the first time I didn't run when the law got there.
Next stop, Oprah.
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Next stop, Oprah.
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Wow, what a week. We have had a lot going on here in Myrtle Beach in the last couple of days. As many of you know, our band was shut down on Sunday morning by the police and we had to do an acoustic worship set for Easter. It turned out to be great although I really wanted to play with the awesome band that had been assembled. The police were nice and didn't want to shut us down but they had jobs to do. Well, today Trey did an interview with a reporter from WMBF News (our local NBC affiliate) about Sunday. Its going to air tonight at 4pm and possibly later depending on how slow the news day is. When I can, I hope to post a video of the interview. I'll keep you posted.
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This morning I read an incredible article in the latest issue of Newsweek by John Meacham entitled The Decline and Fall of Christian America. Click Here to read the entire article. In it, he outlines the decreasing number of Americans who claim religious affiliation and namely Christianity. While, two thirds of Americans still claim to be "born again" (a number the cynic in me considers dubious), we have definitely been witness to an increasingly secular culture in the past decade. Christianity isn't disappearing but its political influence is. Meacham proposes that "the Christian God isn't dead. But he's less of a force in U.S. politics and culture than at any other time in recent memory." Now we know that God has as much influence on politics as he wants. Contrary to what a lot of Christians think, if God had wanted John McCain or Mike Huckabee to win, he would have made it so. He's ALL POWERFUL! (This also means if he wanted any or all countries to have Christian governments, they would). But what Meacham means is that the influence of those who follow God is less in politics than any other time. To me, this may not be such a bad thing.
I have always been very suspicious of those who focus their religious fervor toward legislating their beliefs. You see, I believe that its not our job to remove all temptation and to force people into obedience. True belief comes from a change of heart not a change of circumstances. I actually read about this last night in a completely unrelated booklet by Mark Driscol called Porn Again Christian about resisting the temptation of sexual sins. When speaking of whether or not to discontinue you Internet, cable TV, etc., he says,
the problem is in your heart and not in your Internet provider. Paul is clear in Colossians 2:20–23 that legalistic man-made rules may sound helpful but in the end are worthless in restraining sin because they only address outward behaviors while neglecting inward causes. It may be wise for some men to not have cable television or an unfiltered Internet provider, but unless their heart changes, they will simply rearrange the flesh and stop one sin to begin another, such as being proud of their morality once they have stopped looking at porno. Whatever you do, begin with your heart.
I believe the same thing applies to making religious principles into law. We've not addressed the real problem. The real problem is that we live among people who have no clue what a relationship with Jesus looks like and so they live in perpetual sin. Trying to go the political route is LAZY. People who do this and similar things are too afraid to have a real conversation about Jesus Christ with a person, so they try to force it on them through legislation. This is similar to people who hand you a tract and walk away. Where does the tract go? In the trash. Being a Christ-follower is about loving people enough to have face to face conversations about how Jesus changed your life, not about trying to "rebuild" a "Christian Nation" that in all honesty never existed in the first place.
My hope is that eventually all of this change in our political and cultural landscape will lead to Christians getting back to the basics. Love God, Love others. Jesus repeatedly refused to use the systems of this world to spread the Good News, but many believers devote their lives to it. If Christian means little Christ, what the heck are they thinking?
In all honesty, the "Christian Right Political Activists" make my job harder. They may have great intentions but they are turning more people off to the message of Jesus than the churches with their priorities straight can turn to Jesus. They are unknowingly stifling the efforts of those who wish to see those around them have a real relationship with Jesus Christ.
I believe that the less political Christianity becomes, the more people will turn to Jesus. Just look at what happened when religious dissenters left the oppressive European monarchies that forced religion on their people. Evangelical Christianity flourished where it was separated from the state. We will never be able to separate our Christian beliefs from our politics because true faith in Christ reaches into every aspect of our lives, but we should fight to keep it separate from state because state instituted religion is a two way street and if it becomes a one way street it goes the way of the government (See China). What do you think?
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Well I've spent the last few weeks trying to pull together some great musicians for our first sneak preview services at Wellspring this Easter. I'm really excited about it. We will be having church outside under a tent. We will also have a full band of super-talented musicians. I also spent some time putting together our Easter iMix on iTunes so that our launch team can download the songs we'll be singing on Easter, listen to them, and then sing their hearts out on Easter. Click Here to download the Experience Easter iMix on iTunes. Even if you aren't here in Myrtle Beach, you can play the first three songs, then listen to the podcast, and then play the last two songs. It will be just like you were at our Easter Gathering. We're also going to do a really cool special but I kinda want to keep that to myself for now.
All of this Got me thinking, what is the best thing you ever did or saw done in an Easter Service? What made it great? Let's have a little discussion here.
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I've been thinking a lot about the purpose of my blog lately and I have come up with some ideas about what I want to do with it. Yesterday I installed a new feature called "Intense Debate." This allows those who comment to track other comments and even reply to other people's comments (Ya down with O.P.C., yeah you know me.) Sorry.
My hope is that on this site we can start having more conversations about different topics and create a community. Because of the diversity of readership on this blog and my inclination to make hasty, generalized, and controversial statements, we could really have some good discussion. The blog posts won't change much, I might sometimes write a one sentence question to spark discussion, but I hope you'll participate.
So so come on, I don't expect this to be the RagamuffinSoul Blog but let's have a little interaction.
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In the past few months God has really been teaching me a lot about how to be a good Worship Pastor, Church Planter, Employee, Husband, and Friend. I think when you boil it all down, there is one quality that will ensure you will be successful in a relationship no matter what it is. LOYALTY.
In the end what's really important in a friend, employee, husband, etc. is this: do they have your back? If they do, keep them as close as you can, if not lose them (unless you're married to them in which case GO TO COUNSELING). Loyalty is probably the most important quality you will ever find in a person aside from their relationship with Jesus Christ, and I personally believe that those things go hand in hand.
Allow me to explain what I mean by loyalty. No matter what, if you want to be a good husband, friend, whatever, you have to be loyal. That person has to know that you will do anything for them short of sin to protect them, help them, save them... It is my job to make sure that I do whatever I can to protect my wife from people who may not have her best interest at heart, from those who want to hurt her, from situations that are not safe or will not benefit her in any way. That is what God called us to do as husbands and wives and what most of us promised to do in our vows. As an employee I have a similar charge. God calls us to honor those in positions of authority over us (whether we like it or not). It is my job to protect Trey from the same type of stuff I protect my wife from. Think of David's "Mighty Men" risking their lives, literally, to get him a drink. When you serve under someone in a position of influence, especially when they're a pastor, people are going to attack them and try to bring them down. As an employee, its your job to make sure that doesn't happen. If you have a boss (or a wife for that matter) that you don't necessarily get along with, the quickest way to mend that relationship is to let them know that you have their back.
This brings me to my final example. When I was at my last church I would occasionally get complaints on our commitment cards: the music was too loud, too many guitars, you don't do this song enough. This is pretty much standard for all worship pastors and I'm sure I'll get more in the future. One of the best things I decided to do when these really started to get me down was to have our office manager censor them. She would look through them, check who was saying it (anonymous always went in the trash), and if it was a common complaint or just a random one. Then she would decide what I should see and not see. She had my back. She made sure that I wasn't being overloaded with negative comments unless they were real problems. In your relationships, THIS IS YOUR JOB. If you hear negative things about your friend/boss that you know to be unfounded and/or untrue, you stop it right there. You correct whoever is being negative and you end it. You don't tell your friend/boss "I heard this" or "Joe Blow is saying that." You protect them from the heartache that comes from knowing people are talking behind their back. If its a true problem that you also feel they could work on, you bring it to them but don't put it on others. Take responsibility and say "I've noticed this may be a problem and maybe its something you should think about..." Don't hide behind the fact that others might think the same thing. Real friends can be honest with one another and if its a problem, honesty will always be appreciated.
So, I challenge you to be loyal in all of your relationships. Protect your friends, family, and co-workers. And also take time to evaluate who has your back. Once you figure that out you may have fewer "friends" but you'll have real friends and not be disappointed with those who aren't real friends when they are disloyal.
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If you aren't Twittering, you probably won't after watching this video. Its very funny and is a little bit true. I saw it on many other blogs I read but want to make sure everyone sees it. Check it out.
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This video is long and the graphics kinda stink but its pretty amazing to think about what it says. Check it out and then we all better get to work.
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Disclaimer: The beginning of this is about NCAA basketball but I promise if you push through you'll get to the good part.
I have to admit, I was a little disappointed last night when the Auburn men's' basketball team didn't make it into the NCAA Tournament. I felt like Auburn was one of the hottest teams in the country and that winning 11 or their last 14 games should have been rewarded. Other teams that got in (Arizona and Michigan to name two) had good early seasons but tanked at the end of the year. I was bolstered by the fact that Bobby Knight agreed with me as did the NIT selection committee who made Auburn a #1 Seed in their tournament.
However, I also will not complain about Auburn's lot. The fact is that they lost games against Xavier, Dayton, Kentucky and Florida that they should have one and had some bad losses (Mercer?! Come ON!). I also am pretty sure had they made it to the tournament, they wouldn't have won the whole thing. In my opinion, if you aren't good enough to win it all, you don't have a reason to complain.
But now its Auburn's job to prove that they belong. If you lose in the NIT, you lose all credibility. You need to prove that you belonged with the big boys by beating all of the little boys.
I try not to do this much but this applies to life also. I get sick of people complaining about where they are in a job, in a relationship, physically, or in life when they are not doing their best in their current situation. Here is a personal example. I really want to be in good shape. I live at the beach and people will be looking at me whether they want to or not. I don't want them to say "that guy needs to hit the gym" but right now, that's what they'll say. My excuse: I don't have time to work out. The reality: I watch a lot of TV, don't wake up particularly early, and don't manage my time as well as I could. I don't have an excuse for not being in shape other than its not that important to me. Auburn doesn't have an excuse for not making it to the tournament other than not doing as well as they can every season. So, no matter where you're at in life, do your best there. God will honor that and eventually move you on to bigger and better things. I promise.
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Go To Unleash and Take Notes.
This week Trey and I headed over to Anderson (where?), South Carolina and attended the Unleash Conference. I gotta say of the conferences I've been to that are put on by churches, this was probably the best. I'm pretty sure that Catalyst is the best conference I've ever been to but Catalyst is its own entity with its own staff and offices so they better be good.
Unleash is put on by Newspring Church. Many times conferences put on by churches aren't done as well because they are also running a church at the same time. Unleash didn't seem that way at all. I hope church doesn't stink at Newspring this week...I'm sure it won't. The conference was only one day but recharged me like a 3 day conference should.
The best part of Unleash was the large group meetings. Perry Noble did a great job and really challenged us to do what God has put us in Myrtle Beach to do and not play games. The music was also incredible. They did a great job of leading us into the presence of God and not killing the moment with announcements, promotions, or other fluff that generally throw a wet cloth on the whole thing.
For pastors, in my opinion, the most important thing a conference can do is allow them to reconnect with God by being able to engage in worship. We don't get the full effect of our own gatherings very often because of the burden of providing a great "God Experience" for others. We need a conference to allow us to experience Him like our congregations do every week.
So, thanks to the guys and girls at Newspring for providing a great experience for all of the attendees at Unleash. I will be back again next year.
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Some people say that Christian music isn't always top quality. I disagree and here is my proof. Enjoy this video.
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I am excited to announce that today Wellspring Church officially has a website. You can check it out here at wellspringchurch.tv. It has been a while coming but I think you will be pleased with the cool stuff you find there. One of my favorite things on our site is the Media page. If you click on the sermon it will load in one of the coolest players you have ever seen. While you listen to the message, you can take notes right there in the player and then print them or even email them to yourself. I think that will be a great tool for those of you who are supporters and out of towners who want to know what's going on at each of our Launch Team meetings. We also have a place for those who want to join what we're doing to get involved, for those who want to help support Wellspring to sign up for Online Giving, and for you to send out Evites to your friends to invite them to join us at Wellspring Church. So, check it out and let us know what you think. Enjoy.
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Today I was reminded of another reason I love Twitter. People who are much more important than I am will take time to talk with me on Twitter. This morning I messaged a guy who is in charge of what is, in my opinion, the best Leadership Conference in the country, to find some information for a friend of mine. Needless to say, this guy is way beyond me in importance and stature. However, despite the disparity he responded to me immediately over Twitter.
I feel like Twitter tends to be an equalizer. If I'm on Twitter people who I may never get a phone conversation much less a face to face with will take a couple of minutes out of their day to talk with me. The reason is because it is so convenient. In the same way, I will generally respond over Twitter much faster than phone, texting, or email.
So, if you aren't on Twitter, I would definitely look into it. Maybe you don't want everyone to know what you are doing at all times but you can be as discriminating as you want to be. If you decide to sign up, be sure to follow me HERE.
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I am really excited about this weekend. It is going to be one to remember for sure. Two weeks ago Pastor Trey challenged everyone at Wellspring to invite at least one friend for this week's launch team gathering. From what we have heard, I hope they bring chairs with them because we will not be able to fit them all. We have been praying and believing like mad that God is going to change lives this weekend. After seeing 100 people make decisions on the last night of the C3 Conference, I am ready to see a movement like that again and soon. We are believing that God will do exactly that here. So, Get ready Myrtle Beach because God is moving in the hearts of His people and its going to spill out into the streets.
So if you are in the area this weekend, you should definitely stop by. If you are already a Wellspringer, don't forget to bring a friend. If not, bring a friend anyway and join in on what God is doing here in Myrtle Beach. I will see you there, I'm the one with the guitar.
For location and directions CLICK HERE.
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Well, its been a while. I need to figure out how many posts have started out with that sentiment. I tend to go through times of feast and famine with my blogging. I believe its because my dad told me to put something "deep" on my blog and I don't have a ton of "deep" stuff to say. Also, I've been out of town the last two weeks in Louisiana and Texas. I had a great time in both places experiencing God work in peoples' lives. I thought I'd share a little bit of what went on last week at the C3 conference.
Trey, Danielle and I headed to the Dallas/Fort Worth area to learn from those who have gone before us at the C3 Conference at Fellowship Church. If you don't know Fellowship I'll remind you..."7 Day Sex Challenge." We had a great time hanging out with old friends and making some new connections as well.
The week didn't start off so well though. For the last month or so I have been working on the Wellspring Prospectus. Basically this is a pamphlet we will be handing out to individuals and other churches for them to partner with us. I spent many late nights and review sessions working on the prospectus, getting it printed, reviewing it, etc. So about an hour and a half into the drive to the airport (we flew from Columbia) Trey turned to me and said jokingly, "did you remember the prospectus?" My heart dropped, I broke into a cold sweat and then proceeded to explain to Trey that "no, I'm not joking." So then I called Beth and had to have her overnight them. I still feel like an idiot a week later. So, the moral of the story, "DON'T FORGET THE PROSPECTUS, DUMMY!"
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If only there were some way to make money off of this I think it might catch on...Probably not.
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Its not often that you will hear a criticism from me about Apple. Today you will. Normally I will buy anything that has the Apple symbol on it. Seriously, slap the Apple on an old toilet and I will buy it or really, really want it. However, today I had another run in with the thing I dislike most about Apple.
When attempting to hook my brand new MacBook Pro into my TV I noticed that Apple has changed the type of connection that sends video out. OK, so new technology comes along every once in a while and Apple wants to stay on the cutting edge. The problem is, I have had 4 Macs (in 4 years) and all four of them have had different video outs.
You see, the problem with the guys and girls over at Apple is that they are deviously clever. In an attempt to maximize profits, they always throw in little variations to cause you to spend a little bit more money. My cables are a prime example. I've probably spent an extra $100 or so dollars on adapters in the last 4 years.
They do this with more costly things as well. For example, two months after I bought my MacBook, they released iLife '09. The brand new MacBooks were fitted with iLife '08 even though they were not available until November of '08. A couple of months after I got my first iPod, they released the iPod Video, then the 80G iPod Video. AHHH. Needless to say I got the 80G iPod video...then came the iPhone.
To be honest, this is just good business. If a company just gave you all of its good stuff at once you would have no need to go back to the website or store to see the new "cool thing." However, it is frustrating for the consumer, especially the ones named TJ.
All this being said, my Mac is still lighter, faster, more stable, and more versatile than you PC.
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In the future, when you look up the word "exposure" I believe you will find a picture of Pastor Ed Young of Fellowship Church. Over the past two and a half months he has been everywhere. I first saw his and his wife's appearance on CNN in November when an over-zealous Nancy Grace went a little far with the criticism of his "Seven Day Sex Challenge," that it would lead to people being forced to be intimate...come on Nancy. Since then I have seen both he and his wife all over the television and interweb.
Ed Young is definitely one of the most dynamic preachers and Christian leaders in America and I have really enjoyed the times I have been able attend his church and conferences. He showed the ability to laugh at himself and not be too haughty in last night's interview on "The Colbert Report." Enjoy this video.
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Ed Young is definitely one of the most dynamic preachers and Christian leaders in America and I have really enjoyed the times I have been able attend his church and conferences. He showed the ability to laugh at himself and not be too haughty in last night's interview on "The Colbert Report." Enjoy this video.
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Everyone has a few really good ideas floating around in their brains. Whether you are a CEO of a Fortune 500 company or a garbage man, you probably have ideas that could change the way you do things at your job, revolutionize your industry, or just make things run more smoothly. They question is what do you do with those ideas? Do you save them for just the right moment to really make yourself look good or do you use them immediately?
The reason I am writing about this is that today Trey and I were talking about this issue and I think we came to a good realization that will guide Wellspring and anything else we are ever involved in. We will NEVER save good ideas for later. The idea that "I might waste my good idea" should not enter into the thinking. I believe that any good ideas I have now will pale in comparison to the next good idea I have subsequent good ideas. God is always inspiring us in new ways with new things and the fact is that if I hold on to a good idea, it probably won't be that good in when I finally use it.
Do you ever run into this kind of dilemma at your job? What do you do? I challenge you to use every good idea immediately. If you don't you aren't following God's command to do whatever it is you do "whether in word or in deed, with your whole heart as if unto the Lord." Think about it. And DON'T HOLD BACK!
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Saw this really funny video on the Collide Blog.
Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo.
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Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo.
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The kids are asleep and I now have a little "me time." So here's what I do during "me time."
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So I was pretty sick of my old blog layout so I decided to get a new one. My original goal was to design my own but there just aren't enough hours in the day right now. I think this one really does fit with me. Thanks a lot EZwpthemes. By the way, I posted the picture because if your like me, your reading from a reader and have no clue what my layout looks like.
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I know a lot of people who did not vote for Barack Obama. In fact most people I know did not and would openly criticize someone who did. In my line of work, it isn't advisable that I make my political opinions public. So I won't. But, yesterday was historic. As I sat and watched the inauguration I was brought close to the point of tears...notice I said close. As a white kid who grew up in Alabama, I've seen racism up close and been guilty of standing idly by, of allowing people to tear others down based on the color of their skin. I know what its like to live in a place where people think that flying the Confederate flag is "honoring our heritage." I live in a state who's statehouse flew the flag until recently. To see a non-white man become president is amazing. I remember listening to 2Pac in high school and wondering why "we ain't ready to see a black president," after listening to a line in one of his cuts that made that statement.
We have turned a corner. Many of us have set aside the foolishness of bigotry for the much more attractive hope. We aren't home yet. Until we look past the color of peoples' skin we will not be where we need to be. I believe the greatest tragedy we face right now is the discrimination and hate directed at people of Middle Eastern descent. For some reason that's okay. Jesus calls us to be above that. To love others more than we love ourselves.
Racism is alive and well as long as we still tell the jokes and we still subscribe to the stereotypes. But we're getting a little better everyday. We can make a difference by standing up for what is right. By speaking out when anyone, and I mean anyone faces injustice. I hope even if you don't like the politics of Obama, you appreciate the significance of today.
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Just ran across this video. You may have already seen it but I hadn't so I thought I'd share. This is pretty incredible insight about the importance of Christians sharing their faith by someone who has absolutely no faith. Its a bit long but watch it and let it sink in.
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Well today I got to go with Karoline to school for Daddy and Donuts Day. It was fun to hang out just us two, to meet her teachers, and to put faces with all of the friends she's been talking about. We had donuts, drank orange juice, played with blocks and talked to other dads who were there with their children.
It is a general rule that I am always the different guy in a setting like this. Generally when I get together in these types of groups I stick out. In South Carolina I expected to stick out even more. But something happened at Daddy and Donuts. There was another guy with earrings and spiky hair. But that's not it. I was trying to look semi-respectable so I wore an argyle sweater with my jeans and Chuck Taylors. The funny thing is that the other guy with earrings and spiky hair wore and argyle sweater too. He said he almost wore Chucks but decided to "try and look more respectable."
What are the chances? We stood out together with the other dads wearing suits, except for one guy who must be from Canada because he had shorts on in the 40 degree weather. Well, just thought I'd share. I'm finding that I fit in in Myrtle Beach as well or better than I did in California. It is definitely and isolated part of South Carolina. I love it.
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If you didn't see this on Saturday Night Live, you missed one of the funniest things of the year. Okay its only been 13 days but its funny. NBC pulled it twice but here it is...from NBC's website.
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Since Beth is off to Realtor school, that has left me to be the star-at-home dad. This is a unique opportunity for me to step into her shoes and experience what she does on a daily basis (I will still be performing my other duties as Worship and Communications Pastor at Wellspring, I'll just do it at nap-time). Here's what I'm wondering though. Do I do a really good job, or just a good enough job.
Here's why I ask. When I was a kid my sister and I would rotate the chores. So one night, I would "wipe the surfaces" (that means the countertops) and the next night, she would. However, I would always do my best, no matter what, I can't help it its hard for me to mail something in, I'm a perfectionist. My sister on the other hand had no problem mailing it in. In fact, when she saw an opportunity to mail it in she took it. This was her sinister thought process. If she did a bad job but I did my normal good job, our parents would stop asking her to do things and start asking me. Well...it worked. "Wiping the surfaces" became my job along with many other things that I apparently had a talent for. My sister played me like Pac Man in a Pizza Hut.
So, you see my dilemma. If I do a really good job taking care of the kids this week, Beth may start to get ideas (especially if she talks to my sister). She might get too comfortable leaving the kids with me and decide to start going out with her friends more often. This would really put a cramp in my already busy social calendar (maybe its not so busy). I'm not sure I'm ready to take on this new responsibility of being a stay-at-home dad. Although, since I just blogged about it, my thought process is totally transparent. Darn this need to connect with others through social media.
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I love the honesty at Newspring Church. This is a promo video for Newspring Church in Anederson, Greenville, and Florence, South Carolina. These guys are doing a lot of great things, have a great pastor, Perry Noble and are really reaching a lot of people. Check out this video, Pretty hillarious.
Super Bowl Promo 2009 from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.
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Super Bowl Promo 2009 from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.
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At a time in our church's' life when pretty much everything is a big deal, we had a big deal yesterday. We sent our Wellsprings first enewsletter. I was really excited to send it out and hope you enjoyed it. If you didn't get it check it out here. If you want to subscribe, click on the subscribe button at the bottom. Let us know what you think.
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Today, Pastor Steven Furtick posted a video on his blog. But as you are watching this, my question to you is, what if every Christian leader did this? What if we gave everyone who worked for us 15 minutes a day to spend with God? Not just at churches but if you are the boss, what if you gave people 15 minutes a day to do a quiet time. Now, of course, everyone wouldn't participate because everyone at your office is not a believer, and for them, FREE TIME! They can track their fantasy teams or update their Facebook Status. But if you are a Christian and you're the boss (DAD!) I challenge you to do this. What will this tell people about what you believe and about how you care for their spiritual well-being. Let me know if you plan to do this or why you don't plan to do this. I hope we will do it at Wellspring, when we actually start working in an office, and working full time.
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