tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12366201.post111939440814999014..comments2024-03-14T19:54:13.383-07:00Comments on aka pastor guy: Duck & Cover Drill (It's SBC Week)Mark (aka pastor guy)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12920114022832644455noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12366201.post-1120675031224278622005-07-06T11:37:00.000-07:002005-07-06T11:37:00.000-07:00Been there, done that. Lived through a church dyin...Been there, done that. Lived through a church dying. Lived through being in a "cool concept" church that bit the dust when our pastor's foibles boiled over. Been there, done that.<BR/><BR/>Also have been there career wise. Used to be "important", whatever that was. Had an office, lots of staff, wore makeup every day. Now I drive a kid that isn't mine to school for thousands upon thousands of miles in that great old car of yours (I put that civic through a workout!!!).<BR/><BR/>It's a hard, hard climb. Or, since someone mentioned Willow, it would remind one of<BR/> ole' Hybels' book entitled "Descending into Greatness".<BR/><BR/>It's hard to be what feels like "small" in the world's economy. It's even harder, I think, to feel "small" in the American church economy. I went to one of the early Willow Leadership Conferences (before they put 'em on satellite all over the place) and they said "okay, we're having a lunch for churches with at least XXX average Sunday attendance that have been in existence less than five years. Well, that brands teh rest of us guys as losers, I guess. I remember the way the attitudes seemed to go in the casual conversations between sessions. It was mostly focused on what Jim Cymbala calls "ABC": What's your ATTENDANCE? Are you doing a BUILDING progam? How much CASH is in your budget? Didn't seem much different than the posturing one sees at the many, many secular trade shows I have attended over the years.<BR/><BR/>But in God's economy things are upside down. Makes for some significant discomfort here on earth, but later on I have faith that either things will even out, or that I won't care any more. Either way will be good!<BR/><BR/>But I bet you smell really good from God's perspective...<BR/>14But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 15For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. "<BR/>"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12366201.post-1119588390570472902005-06-23T21:46:00.000-07:002005-06-23T21:46:00.000-07:00Mark, thank you for your invigorating and inspirin...Mark, thank you for your invigorating and inspiring enthusiasm! I'm a "Creeker" and it has always meant so much to me that I've been able to be part of a church that has grown with me. I was pretty much born and raised at Willow, through Promiseland, Sonlihgt Express (now Elevate), Student Impact, Axis, and now "big church" (as we've always called it in our house!) and the one thing that has kept me there to this day is the "coolness factor!" I can worship my heart out to music that literally rocks, know that my kids are having "the best hour of the thier week" (part of the Promiseland mission statement), and listen to pastors that feel completely free to reach me in this day and age, with real stories of hope, humor, honesty, and humility (and he can do it in jeans, no less! Yay Mike Breaux!) I have been so blessed to be a part of a church that is willing to meet me where I am, where we ALL are, and I pray for folks just like you, folks that would catch the vision of the Church today, and run like mad towards it. Keep rockin', Mark. We're praying for you, for your family, and for your gift of leadership to be used to the absolute max that God intended it to be! <BR/>Always,<BR/>Katie (and Tommy, Denver, Maya, and Isaiah!)Bigger than Mehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15054320305691005320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12366201.post-1119498343793523542005-06-22T20:45:00.000-07:002005-06-22T20:45:00.000-07:00congratulations! The SBC has lifted their ban on D...congratulations! The SBC has lifted their ban on Disney World. You can now attend without shame. ;-)<BR/><BR/>-ZRAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12366201.post-1119407258425550892005-06-21T19:27:00.000-07:002005-06-21T19:27:00.000-07:00Chris Seay spoke at Ecclesia (CrossRoads) this pas...Chris Seay spoke at Ecclesia (CrossRoads) this past Sunday. It was great.<BR/><BR/>-ZR<BR/><BR/>http://mywebpages.comcast.net/zionred/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com