Thursday, August 07, 2008

What does that look like?

Posted by Andrea

At the end of June, some friends of ours from Nashville (the McCaskills) visited us here in Georgia for a few hours one afternoon on their way back home from vacation. They brought along their spaniel, Barney. Fast forward to today...

Emerie and I are in Kohl's and I'm looking for a new purse. She's bringing me different ones to try. I'm looking at one that is a gorgeous color called paprika (more like a burnt orange) but feeling if-fy about whether it will really go with everything or not. I ask Emerie, "Sis - what do you think about this color?" "I like it," she replies, "but it looks like the color of Barney's dog poop, you know." I grinned and asked: "So you are telling me this purse is the color of dog poop?" At this point a stranger nearby hears us and bursts out laughing, "That's the funniest thing I've heard all day - no - all week! They just tell it like they see it, don't they?" She adds, "How old is she anyway?" as she walks away. A few minutes later I decide on the same style of purse, but in a chocolate brown shade instead. Me: "What do you think about this one, Sis?" Emerie: "I like it! Now THAT one looks more the color of Mercy's poop." Give them an audience and they'll take it a mile, huh? But I have to admit while attempting to re-tell this story to Chris tonight, I laughed so hard I was brought to tears. As I ended my story to him I asked him, "So, do you wanna see my purse that looks like dog poop?" I don't know if I'll ever get that image out of my mind. Gotta love it.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

What I Blog About, p2

Posted by Chris

So, I posted a cool image/link at ChrisEdiger.com to a service called Wordle that will look through your blog/site and paint a cool image of that most used words. Because I only carried over mostly non-family related posts to the new blog, I thought it would be fun to do it on here as well.

We have close to 750 posts here that span five years. Here's a glimpse at some of the most blogged about words.

Not sure where 'biscuits' comes from :-) I don't think the site works exactly right. But still interesting...

TheEdigers Wordle
Click the image for a larger version

Monday, July 28, 2008

A Little Like the Little Mermaid

Posted by Andrea

After Bible story, I often sing a song or two (or five) with Emerie. Tonight I asked, "What song do you want to sing tonight?" Emerie replied, "Sing me one I haven't heard before - a long one." I thought a moment and then sang two verses of "Because He Lives" When I finished Emerie commented, "That was good, Mom. You know - you sound a little like Ariel." (The Little Mermaid)

Saturday, July 12, 2008

These Biscuits Are So Good!

Posted by Chris

Andrea made some store-bought biscuits as part of a "breakfast for lunch." The kids were discussing at the table how much they loved them.

Emerie said, "If I sold biscuits, I'd sell these for free so everyone could eat them!"

Micah said, "If I sold biscuits, I'd sell them for a dollar because they're so good! If you sold them for free then everyone would be running in & grabbing all of them."

Josiah said, "If I had two stores where I sold biscuits, one in the U.S. & one in Canada, I'd sell them for $1 at the one in the U.S. & for $2 at the one in Canada - because everything always costs more there."

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

ChrisEdiger.com is Live!

Posted by Chris

Well, after a couple of months of want-to, and a couple of weeks of hard work, the new blog is now live! I’ve spend the greater part of the past week tweaking the design and importing over quite a few of my previous blog posts from our family site. Didn’t realize what five years of blogging looked like until I tried sifting through 700+ entries to find those that fit the new blog!

Still not completely where I’d like it. For example, the side navigation on the individual post pages (the one that says “Such and such” is the previous post, and “Such and such” is the next post) isn’t working correctly. You can still reach any post via the archive links in the main nav, or in the side bar of the individual post pages, or via the search box. Hopefully I’ll get the last little bugs fixed next week.

For now, it’s good enough, and with the fam getting set to head out to Nashville for a mini-vacation I wanted to go ahead & get it up and running.

FYI - you can now reach me at ChrisEdiger.com or InTheThinPlaces.com. Family stuff will likely end up more so right here at TheEdigers.com, although some will bleed over to the new blog as well.

More on the “Thin Places” in later posts on the new blog. For now, hop on over & take a look, then let me know what you think. I’d love any feedback!

Friday, June 27, 2008

“Healer” - Incredible Video from Hillsong

Posted by Chris

Just finished watching this from Hillsong's website. It's a clip showing & talking about their latest live album "This Is My God" being released in July. Needed this awakening today - good stuff...

When Even Bill Gates Hates Microsoft

Posted by Chris

So, Bill Gates is finally gone from the day-to-dayness of Microsoft. In a series covering the leaving, Seattle based blogger Todd Bishop drew from the archives and pulled out an internal email rant from Bill to his team after unsuccessfully trying to download & install Windows Moviemaker from the Microsoft website. It is absolutely hilarious!

You can read the text of the email on Todd's blog here: "An Epic Bill Gates E-mail Rant"

Or you can listen to a dramatic reading of the email by Dave Ross of KIRO-AM/710 in Seattle below:

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Enjoying Old Friends

Posted by Chris

Today was a good day. Started off kind of crazy with juggling between a dentist & haircut appointment for myself, the last day of swim lessons for the kids, their own haircuts, and a last-minute doctor's appointment for Josiah who began complaining about his throat hurting last night. It ending well, though, as we had some good friends from Nashville stop by on their way back from vacation in Florida.

The McCaskills were a part of the homeschool co-op we were in, and quickly became good friends during the three years we were in Nashville. Tonight was such a good night as we talked together, laughed together, ate together, etc.

Makes me even more excited about our trip to Nashville next week! We're heading there Wednesday morning to spend about 5 days. Our good friends Chad & Jessica have asked me to officiate their wedding at Gladeville on Saturday, so we'll be doing wedding misc for part of the trip. Spending considerable time with our friends Craig & Barbara (yes, they're 'good friends' too, just thought I was being a bit repetitive :-) ).

Here's a couple of pics of the gang before they headed out tonight...

The Kids

The Kids

Working on the New Blog

Posted by Chris

I've begun working on the design for the new blog (which will reside at both chrisediger.com & inthethinplaces.com). I'm hoping to have something launched around the first of the month. Posts here may be sporadic until that happens.

I'll send out an invite once it is up!

Finished Clusters: Creative Mid-Sized Missional Communities

Posted by Chris

Clusters by Hopkins and BreenFinished reading Clusters: Creative Mid-Sized Missional Communities this morning. This book was co-authored by Bob Hopkins and Mike Breen and birthed out of the journey of a number of churches seeking to reach people in a post-Christendom UK.

I picked this up because I got a chance to meet Mike about a month ago and because Bridgeway, the church Andrea and I were a part of in Oklahoma, is one of the churches who have been adopting the principles of mid-sized community (MSC) that this book addresses.

The hardest part, for me, was that this book comes off very textbookish. Not sure if it is because of the writing style of Hopkins, who, I believe, writes most (discussing principles Breen developed), or because it is meant to be a manual of sorts for churches seeking to move toward MSC. In either case, it took some determination to push through some of the heavier text. If someone were to pick up the book outside of a true desire to understand and implement the principles within it, they would have difficulty, in my opinion, getting through it.

That being said, this book has done more for me in helping me understand how a church like Bridgeway is structured and operates - a church that I feel very much akin to.

I won't go into the full details (I did take a lot of notes in my Moleskine, which speaks well to the content), except to encourage anyone looking to find a new model of doing church to check it out. So much more in that our country is beginning to slip into the same post-Christendom challenges that have been found in the UK in the last couple of decades.

You can grab the book from the 3DM website, and even download a digital copy for around $10.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Having Company Feels More Like Home

Posted by Andrea

With summer comes one of my favorite times of year - company.

Having people here makes me feel loved, sought after, valued. Having company back-to-back-to-back makes me feel the need for a little solitude. But having company every few weeks is a good thing. Something to look forward to.

Since leaving Kansas we've had company on a somewhat regular basis - especially in summer. And now that we are in Georgia and company has been coming to our new home here, it somehow makes me feel more at home in a place that has been a smooth, positive, but feels-longer-than-usual transition. I think I may have lost my patience for 'getting through the first year'. So - company is good and helpful. In case I didn't tell you already, thanks for coming.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Phonebook Free

Posted by Chris

Just threw out all of our phonebooks for the first time in my life. Yeah, I know, it's about time. Actually, our new phonebooks arrived the other day (note Steve Martin The Jerk memory now) which prompted the whole thing. I walked out to get into the van & noticed a plastic bag bundle on the front lawn. The kids, of course, thought it was some kind of present. My thought, "who in the world uses a phone book anymore?"

We've always kept one, typically stored somewhere in the top of a closet or in the back of a kitchen cabinet, "just in case." Now that I can pull a phone out of my pocket and look up anything I need, that 'in case' will never happen.

How about you? How many phone books do you still have laying around your house? When was the last time you used one?

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Important Deadline for Catalyst Would-Be’s

Posted by Chris

Just wanted to let you know that we're approaching an important Catalyst cutoff date. Next Friday, June 26th, is the final day to register before the rates jump up as much as another $40. I know I've spoken to many of you and there are several people who have expressed interest in coming to Atlanta in October to hang out with us & attend the conference. The rates are $249 for individuals (going up to $289), and $139 for full-time students (going up to $159). If you're registering more than one person, there are discounted rates. You can see all the rates on the Catalyst 08 Conference site.

We're looking to hopefully have a houseful for the week. Hope you can come!

Here's a fun reminder from the Catalyst crew...


Catalyst / Geico Spoof from Catalyst on Vimeo.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Announcing - GiANT Perspectives

Posted by Chris

Since my life is so intertwined in web design and development, I thought it would be nice to post new sites and launches that we have so some of you can see what we're working on.

We just launched "GiANT Perspectives" a new GiANT blog authored mainly by Jeremie right now, although I think we'll probably see multiple authors in the future. I'm really excited about this one as I think it going to be different than most business blogs out there.

For starters, it just looks cool. Seen any business blogs lately? Trust me. Jeremie is also looking to offer free tools and resources that will go along with many of the posts. So instead of the typical "listen to what I have to say," I think GiANT Perspectives is going to come off as much more of a "let's start this conversation, and download this free tool that will help you put into practice the things that we're talking about" feel. Third, the video elements work great with my iPhone. This isn't much of a draw for regular sites, but for a blog that is really geared at business professionals, especially CEOs and business leaders, I think the iPhone integration is going to be really nice. I've set it up so that we can even roll out a completely iPhone version of the site in the near future.

Some other recent adds/updates you might like to check out:
  • Catalyst Conference - Nice flash site rolled out; didn't have anything to do with this one as they were working on it before I arrived.
  • Catalyst Space - Same thing here - new updated design that I didn't have a hand in; we just moved it into our internal system, though, so I've added some new features to take advantage of our new ability for site membership.
  • GiANT Impact - Minimalist company site; this one will go through several revisions.
  • JohnMaxwell.com - Site for everything John Maxwell.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Birthday Presents & On My List

Posted by Chris

I had a great birthday weekend. Got a round of "Happy Birthday" from the Catalyst and GiANT Impact guys along with an ice cream cake. Had PF Changs Friday night with the fam. Scavenger hunt in my house for birthday clothing that the kids had hid everywhere (including one shirt inside the hide-a-bed). Lazy Saturday morning, including breakfast in bed from my beautiful bride and Beverly Hills Cop (which I probably hadn't seen since the late 80s). After mowing the lawn, relaxed for a bit before our new friends Ben and Ainsley Arment came over with their two boys for dinner.

Sunday watched highlights from the U.S. Open Saturday with the boys before heading to 12Stone for church. Watched the NCAA Championship DVD I got for Father's Day, again with the kids (Emerie cheerfully ran to tell mom when "The Jayhawks won!"), then had the Kubiceks over for an evening of food and cards.

In addition to some new clothes and the Championship DVD, bought myself some new tunes (James Hunter and Duffy), got a GREAT CD from Jeremie (The Weepies), and a two month subscription to Gamefly (think Netflix for Video Games) from my good friend Craig.

Still on the list? I think I've decided to pass on the 3G iPhone as I don't really need the GPS and the Edge speeds don't really bug me that much. Instead, I'm probably going to use my birthday cash and my $100 apple store credit (thanks to Steve Jobs) to by an AppleTV. Been eyeing it for awhile.

UPDATE: Bit the bullet and bought the AppleTV last night. Loving it so far! Picture & user interface are incredible. Still need to get a cord to get the digital sound to my receiver - had to borrow the DVD cable last night.

Most Incredible Golf Ever

Posted by Chris

Okay, leaving behind any semblance of spirituality (although I guess for some of you I can make the stretch that golf is a divine gift), I just have to say that this weekend's U.S. Open was simply incredible! I recorded the whole thing in HD each day, beginning on Saturday. Had friends over Saturday and Sunday evening, so didn't sit down until later in the evening both nights to 'quick view' (thanks to the DVR) the rounds.

I honestly can't remember a tournament that I've watched that was so suspenseful as this past weekend! Every single time it seemed like Tiger was beginning to fade away, he would pull some incredible shot that only he could make out of thin air. Today was no exception as he pulled off an 18th playoff hole birdie to force sudden death, and then pull off yet another Major victory.

Amazing stuff!

Friday, June 13, 2008

Catalyst Filter Call: Erwin McManus

Posted by Chris

Erwin McManus"We don't want anyone to imitate what we're doing; but we'd love people to imitate why we're doing what we're doing."
~Erwin McManus

Just got off a Catalyst Filter conference call with Erwin McManus, lead pastor of Mosaic in Los Angeles. Great stuff. Erwin's probably one of those guys that I really look to who are stretching the boundaries of what the Church is about in the Kingdom.

One of the true marks of Mosaic is that it is known for its creativity. They have a strong arts community that many churches look at and envy. Not that Erwin or Mosaic think anything of the envy - in fact, he continually tells people not to necessarily copy their methods, but the heart behind them (hence the opening quote - from the call today).

One of the guys who called in asked a question along the lines of, "If you were going to plant a church today knowing what you know now, how would you go about finding creative people for your worship services." Erwin's answer: "I wouldn't." Instead, he encouraged the guy to not limit their expression of worship to a Sunday morning time, nor to look to find artists to enhance what they are doing. Instead, he encouraged him to reach out and find artists to build relationships with and give them a place to contribute within the greater work of what they are doing.

I like the Kingdom concept that "Everybody plays." I like it even more when it isn't equated to mean "you can help park cars, or help run nursery, or help pass offering plates."

Clusters, my current read, is all about releasing leaders within our churches with low control and high accountability - and accountability, not from a control standpoint, but from a resourcing and liberating one. Erwin hit on the control issue in the American church some and I think this is probably an accurate portrait in many ways.

From this morning's read...
"Whether we subscribe to the "top down" structure of leadership (Anglican, Catholic, Lutheran, etc.) or the "bottom up" structure (Baptist, free church, etc.), we need to recognise that both are based on control... either the vicar/bishop/PCC keeping the laity in check - or the laity keeping the minister/area minister in check. The primary function of both structures is to make sure that all is in control (finances, programmes, use of time, teaching, pastoral care, etc.) and that everything passes through formal channels. So whenever any of these areas are tested, the default position of both systems is to maintain the status quo. This will hardly bring the freedom for genuine and significant change in the way we do church! What is needed is a change of culture based on release, where the attitude of the church is more "why not?" rather than "why?"

Not Necessarily the Thoughts of…

Posted by Chris

I did it again. I ran across yet another blog of a church leader who felt it necessary to post a disclaimer on their blog . It went something like this... "This blog reflects my own thoughts/opinions and may not necessarily reflect those of INSERT CHURCH NAME HERE."

Something about this just doesn't sit right to me. I completely understand why church leaders see the need to do this - especially if the blog is a part of their actual church website, or at least linked from within the church site. I guess part of me feels that there is a little disconnect when the words of the leader don't necessarily reflect the thoughts/direction of the church they are leading out in.

The thing is that I just don't see this reflection in any other blog that I read out there. I've been knee deep in finishing up an official "GiANT blog" (not called that) that we will hopefully be launching very soon. Jeremie, my friend & the CEO of GiANT Impact will be the primary writer on the blog. I think I can pretty accurately say that the words he shares on the blog will very much so reflect the thoughts of the company. His heart as the leader of this organization is painted all over the things that we do, the ways that we do them, and the people who carry them out.

Don't know where to land. Part of my heart hurts that there are leaders that God is using to shape the form & future of His Church that feel the need to either neuter the passions of their heart (reflected in the words they speak & write) or to offer a disclaimer of some sort.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Emerie’s New Ride

Posted by Chris from his iPhone

I'm sitting outside watching Emerie ride her new Princess scooter that she bought today with some of her birthday money. I still think she is the cutest thing ever!

Tomorrow I turn 35. Honestly, I don't feel old until I look at my kids and how fast they're growing.

Cuteness

Posted by Chris from his iPhone

I’m Rededicating My Life to Golf

Posted by Chris

Read a great recent post from a Christian satire site I like to read. Here's an excerpt - worth the click-through & full read:

Today I'm rededicating my life to Golf.

Why?

Well, I feel that I need to rededicate my life to Golf because I’ve never really done anything with my original commitment.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m truly a golfer at heart. I know for certain that if I were to die today, I would be remembered as a golfer. There is a certificate that says so hanging over there on the wall.

I made my commitment to golf as a young boy at golf-camp. I signed that certificate and my instructor signed it and wrote the date, July 18 1979. I knew deep down in my heart at that time that I was totally committed to golf.

After that childhood golf-camp, I wandered away from the desire to play golf. I’m almost ashamed to admit it, but since that camp when I was 9 years old, I’ve never actually seemed to be able to find the time to play a game of golf. But today, at age 38, I know my rededication will be real.

Read the full post...

GiANT Partners Built on ‘Godly Principles’

Posted by Chris

Great article in The Journal Record on Matthew Myers & GiANT Partners, the sister company to GiANT Impact. Matthew & Jeremie founded GiANT Partners in 2002.

Sometimes it seems appropriate to share a Bible verse with a client. Sometimes not. Giant Partners founder Matthew Myers just follows his heart and best judgment.

“People hire us first and foremost because we can help them grow their business. Because if we can’t do that first, they don’t care what we have to say,” Myers said recently. “As we do that, if they have other issues on their mind, then we’ll certainly use biblical wisdom we might find in the scripture to help counsel them.”

Oklahoma City-based Giant Partners works with its Atlanta sister company, Giant Impact, to provide strategic planning and leadership advisory services designed to “impact the heads and hearts of chief executive officers, their management teams and their companies,” the company’s promotional material says.

Myers said his professional background lies in starting and developing entrepreneurial companies. In 2002, he and Jeremie Kubicek decided to offer their experience and skills to help others do the same by founding Giant. It just so happens that some of that insight grows out of the tenets of Christianity, Myers said.

Read the full article...

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

The Missing Dechurched

Posted by Chris

UK Population in Relation to ChurchContinuing to read through Clusters: Creative Mid-Sized Missional Communities. Among other things, it's a fascinating look into the state of the UK church (since the authors are writing out of ministering in that context). In the chapter I read this morning they brought forward a concept that, honestly, I can't remember hearing a lot of focus on in my own church experience: that of the dechurched.

The concept is taken from some research done in the late 90's in the UK by Richter and Francis. The pie chart to the right (click for a larger version) represents some of the findings of that study.

Out of those surveyed, the study found that only 10% were actively involved in a church (at least monthly). Another 10% of the population would be considered on the fringe (less than monthly involvement). Not surprisingly, the largest portion of the population (40%) are unchurched - with no connection to a church, and little to no knowledge of the gospel.

The surprising part, to me, is that another 40% of the population can be considered de-churched. That is, they once had ties to the church but no longer due. 20% of these are 'open' - they have had neutral factors like growing out of a children's/youth group, getting a job, getting married, etc. that have resulted in the disconnection. The other 20%, however, are 'closed' - with strong negative attitudes to the church probably have the hardest process of being reintroduced to the church.

I think this rings in my heart, in many ways, because I see many, young adults especially, who have made this disconnection. Although I would have to say that even most in my experience are not violently opposed to the church. The UK, however, has already reached an era of post-Christendom. We're not there yet, but I believe we're moving more rapidly in that direction than ever before.

How do you react to this? I don't have the highest hopes for church as we have known it, but I have a deep abiding passion for the Church, nonetheless. I do believe that there is hope and that we are going to see a reformation, of sorts, take place over the course of the next decade or two.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Andy’s Coming!

Posted by Chris

Andy BlaggWe just found out that our friend Andy is moving within 2 hours of us in another week or so! Andy was one of our former students who has been experiencing some amazing things in his young adult-hood thus far. Let's see...
  • Tour all over the world running production for such acts as Pillar, Overflow, Daughtry, Switchfoot, etc.
  • Being responsible for a cool new worship/music venue in Tulsa, OK called "Venue68"
  • And now responsible for audio/lighting/production for a new campus of NewSpring Church, a megachurch in Greenville, SC!

You can check out the official write up about Andy's hire on Greenville Campus Blog of NewSpring.

We're excited because he'll only be two hours away! And, by virtue of association, his lovely counterpart, Blaire, will be as well soon enough :-)

Congrats, Andy! Can't wait to hear how God is going to use you in this latest adventure!

Monday, June 09, 2008

Phil Wickham Is Freaking Awesome

Posted by Chris

Probably one of my newest favorite songs. This song is incredible. I only wish my voice was a little higher - alas, I'll never be able to lead this one...

Phil Wickham - "True Love"


LYRICS:
Come close listen to the story
About a love more faithful than the morning
The Father gave his only son just to save us

The earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt the Father's broken heart
Tears were filling heaven's eyes
The day that true love died, the day that true love died
When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn't move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that true love died, the day that true love died

Search your heart, you know you can't deny it
Come on, lose your life just so you can find it
The Father gave his only son just to save us

The earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt the father's broken heart
Tears were filling heaven's eyes
The day that true love died, the day that true love died
When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn't move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that true love died, the day that true love died

Now Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
oh He is alive
He rose again

When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn't move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that true love died, the day that true love died

Come close listen to the story

The Most Un-Wonderful Time of the Year

Posted by Chris

I've been biting my tongue on this one, but woke up this morning feeling like if it is on my mind so much that I probably need to blog about it, so here goes.

I was reminded of something this past weekend. Opened up the local paper (not even the big Atlanta one - the Gwinnett County one) to find a headline that talked about a local pastor being nominated for President of the Southern Baptist Convention. I immediately had two thoughts: 1) It feels good to be in a life situation where the advent of the SBC annual meeting doesn't garner much thought in my life, let alone news enough that I even realize it is upon us; and 2) I would hate to be that guy. I'm not sure there are many jobs/roles that I could see as being as un-motivating to be a part of right now.

A brief history... I was born into the Southern Baptist (SB) tradition. Grew up going to church there. Dad was a deacon. Mom was a Sunday School teacher. I can't remember being a part of anything but a SB faith setting for most of my life. I went to a SB university (Southwest Baptist University), a SB seminary (Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary), and served in both SB collegiate ministries (Springfield BSU Ministries) and church (First Southern Baptist Church) contexts.

Oklahoma City and Bridgeway changed that briefly, but then we moved to Tennessee and were thrown right back into the bowels (LifeWay, which happens to be located right next to the SBC building, and Gladeville).

Honestly, I have great memories from all of these times and places. Alongside those, though, I have had a large part of me who felt like a rebel because I just didn't agree with a big portion of where I saw the denomination headed. Even though God was all over our move to LifeWay, I felt like part of me was selling out, 'working for the man.' Threads and up/rooted, the ministry to 20- and 30-somethings we were a part of starting at Gladeville, were saving graces to me in a lot of ways.

Now I find myself completely free of SBC direct ties, sitting on the precipice of the annual meeting that would anger me year after year. And I'm glad.

  • I'm glad I haven't been reminded of the looming meeting due to my work or church setting.
  • I'm glad I have no idea what the annual 'mud in your face' issue is that the SBC has deemed worthy to debate this year.
  • I'm glad that this week will come and go and I'll be no worse for wear, apart from my heart going out to my brothers and sisters who have misplaced priorities in an aging denomation.
This past Sunday our family took part in OnePrayer, the unity cry coming out of LifeChurch.tv out of Edmond, OK, and extending to over a thousand churches worldwide. In my opinion, the cry couldn't come at a better time. I pray that the Church breaks free of the partisan bickerings that have marked it for too long and moves forward with One purpose, One heart against One enemy.

Saturday, June 07, 2008

Spending Time With Lisa; Found a Domain

Posted by Chris

My sis is in town with her family for a few days, on their way out to Myrtle Beach, SC. It's been good getting to see them. We saw them briefly last Thanksgiving in a whirlwind trip to Branson & back. Until they get back on the road my blog posts are going to be little to none.

I did want to update on a couple of previous posts (here and here) that I've had on my quest for a blog theme/domain name. I finally found a variation of one of the previous ones that I liked: inthethinplaces.com. Registered it a few days ago. Not sure when I'll have time to create the blog between life in general & the fact that we're building a GiANT blog that will launch soon. But at least I've secured it.

Thursday, June 05, 2008

New Read: Clusters: Creative Mid-Sized Missional Communities

Posted by Chris

Clusters by Hopkins and BreenStarted a new read this week. Clusters: Creative Mid-Sized Missional Communities (Paperback: $23.60, PDF: $10.00) is written by Bob Hopkins, who was on staff with co-author Mike Breen at St. Thomas' in Sheffield, UK. The book is basically the thoughts, in large part, of Breen, written down and recorded by Hopkins. I'm nearly 100 pages into it and I can already tell this is part of a problem. Breen's thoughts are great, very meaty - but Hopkins writing style is very proper/textbook-ish. The content is worth the wading through the words. This is definitely one of those books that would do well to have a rewrite, or at least a good editor to sit down and shape the text more.

That aside, the premise of the book is to explain what the authors believe is the missing middle element in a lot of the Church today: the mid-sized community. We see the small and large represented (although, not necessarily as true to Scripture as they could be) in both the traditional model of Sunday School/small groups and congregational worship, to the more modern cell-based/house church groups and celebration gatherings. It is in the "extended family," that gathering and connection of a collection of the 'small' into groups of anywhere from 15-75 people. It is in this place that the building up of a community identity, a place of belonging, and a place where all can participate/develop gifts occurs. It is the "synagogue" or "72" that we see reflected in the life of Jesus and the early church. It is the "social space" described by Joseph Myers in "The Search to Belong" (a must read if you haven't picked it up yet).

I'm sure I'll blog about my impressions as I journey through the text. For now I'm enjoying gathering a greater insight into some of the thoughts behind the church structures and practices of places like Bridgeway that Andrea and I have been a part of.

One quick insight that I want to pass along that I really liked (that is too wordy to hand write into my Moleskine) is the discussion in the book on how to tie together the small groups/cluster sized groups to ensure the health and orthodoxy are maintained in the church overall. I think this is a concern that surfaces anytime any real value is placed upon growing small and mid. When house churches, for example, are given weight in the body of the church, and clusters are grown to a place of importance, how is the overall vision of the church protected and communicated, and how is orthodoxy protected? This is how Hopkins and Breen address it (remember, it's wordy - but push through the words as the thoughts are good):

[The authors have just been talking about how control is often a shaping principle of traditional church systems - whether the control be up-down, as in the Catholic/Anglican/Luthern models, or down-up, as in the free-church models (including Southern Baptist in my own heritage). They argue that breaking away from such controlling-shaped structures is a radical shift to take on.]

But if we move away from control as a shaping principle of the system and structure, the immediate question arises... how can we guarantee the health and orthodoxy of the multiplying communities of faith? In such a dispersed model of church, how can you protect from deviation? There is a right concern that things don't "get out of control"!

The first and most important answer, is that we can't! When a desire to protect orthodoxy and achieve risk minimisation are the dominant concerns, then mission and movement are discouraged or even stifled (emphasis mine). The disciples desired to control others who ministered in Jesus' name... but Jesus' response was that "those who are not against us are for us, do not seek to prevent them" (Mark 9:40). Paul's model of mission seems to have been similar. He planted the seeds of the Gospel, called forth new disciples and encouraged them to remain true as he went on his way trusting others who did the watering (1 Cor 3:6) and God who gave the increase. He then later returned to appoint leaders and to encourage them further. Still later he had to write letters in part to address the problems that his risk-taking mission had allowed. On one level, we could say that we only have much of the New Testament because the missionary movement initiated by Jesus and continued after Pentecost, was so releasing and permissive of initiative with dispersed responsibility, that letters of adjustment, correction and explanation had to be written (emphasis mine).

However, having affirmed the inevitable risk involved in a releasing approach to developing leaders, this system is not irresponsible. There is every bit as high concern to avoid anything destructive and to protect healthy growth. But the difference is that the mechanism is through an emphasis on accountability rather than control. It is crucial to understand that an effective mission movement based on healthy clusters (biblical congregations), depends on overall leaders developing an environment that is high on accountability and low on control. This I believe is the only way to deliver appropriate levels of protection without restricting the release of creative mission energy.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Finished Lousy T-Shirt

Posted by Chris

Just finished reading Vince Antonucci's I Became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt. It was a good read, for the most part - having a flight to Phoenix in the middle of reading it certainly helped as it gave me some extended time to get through it. Vince is the pastor of Forefront, a church he and his wife planted in Virginia Beach 10 years ago.

The things that struck me while reading Lousy T-Shirt were:
  • Some authors try too hard - to make a point, to seem funny, etc. While the humor in the book was enjoyable a portion of the time, there were as many times when it felt like he was trying too hard. Kind of like sitting through the last Indiana Jones movie and literally looking at the guy I went to see it with and laughing because of the cheesiness factor at times.
  • I'm tired of 'sermon' books. Seems like there are too many of these in the market these days. Not sure why. I seldom hear a sermon series or talk to others who's lives have been dramatically impacted by them. Not to say that they weren't challenging - just that when you look back several years later most of us can only remember a handful of things a pastor preached that sunk into the deep level of our hearts. I don't know much about Forefront, but I'm willing to bet it is one of those "planted knowing nobody 10 years ago and now is insanely big" churches because it seems like that tends to be much of the qualifications these days to write these kinds of books.
  • Not every pastor should write 'sermon' books. If this were a sermon series, I would have left mildly impressed at the message and the deliverer. Craig Groeschel can write a sermon book. Andy Stanley can write a sermon book. Vince Antonucci should concentrate on preaching the sermons and not write another book.
  • There are diamonds in the rough in most books. Putting my negative impressions aside, I'm glad I read Lousy T-Shirt for the simple reason that God almost always speaks to me even in the midst of a bad book (or bad sermon, for that matter) because He is not dependent on the deliverer. There were several things that weighed in heavily and left God's imprint on me through the book. Unfortunately, though, those diamonds were too few. I use a small Moleskine to write my thoughts and impressions while reading books. With my last read, The Passionate Church, I have 33 pages of notes. This one? 2.
Now, it's not as bad as I've probably painted it to be. I think I'm just a little disappointed because it felt too surface-level for most of the book and there are too many other good books out there worth investing my limited time reading. Actually, it's too bad that they don't make Cliff Notes versions of books like this (hmmm... possible business idea?) - where you could gleam the nuggets without investing too much of your time - as that would allow you to gain the highlights without going through the rest.

Monday, June 02, 2008

Failed Domains So Far

Posted by Chris

Still thinking about what I brand the new blog as. Here are a couple of thoughts & failed domain attempts I've had so far...

Thin Places - thinplaces.com [already registered]
Continuing thoughts from the "My Thin Place" post from this past weekend. I like the idea of having a blog that talks about those places in our lives where the natural & supernatural come so close that we can see a glimpse of God & experience Him because He feels so close. Unfortunately any decent variant of the domain is registered already - except for thethinplace.com, which according to Andrea sounds like a Jenny Craig site :-)

Book of Stories - bookofstories.com [already registered]
I love the thought of this one and am considering writing more on the topic. It's the thought that God's continuing tale is carried forth through the stories of our life and in the stories in the lives of people around us. There are parts of God that we will not know apart from the shared lives we live with others. Unfortunately, the domain is gone - at least until November

Still taking suggestions if anyone has a thought. Thanks to those of you who have shared your ideas already.

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Getting Fit Doing Nothing

Posted by Chris

Checked my email today and got my monthly YMCA rewards email. The one that tells you how many points you've earned from working out at the Y (and then allowing you to spend those points on various items). Nevermind the fact that I haven't lived in Tennessee in 4 months, and haven't even been a Y member since last fall. One of those "man I really need to cut off some of this junk I keep getting" kind of email moments for me.

So, I open it up, intending on clicking the "Unsubscribe Me" link (which I have this strange deja vu moment that I've already done this once or twice already) and find the following...

Earning 160 points doing nothing

Somehow I've managed to earn points without doing anything. That's incredible! I mean, here I was thinking that I was simply being lazy, beating myself up for not getting back into my workout routine. What a relief! Now I can sit back, do what I've been doing, and in another 5 months or so I'll be able to order that Decemberists CD I've been eyeing. Woohoo!

Saturday, May 31, 2008

The Speed of Love

Posted by Chris

Good thought from Kosuke Koyama from Three Mile an Hour God via I Became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt ...

God walks 'slowly' because He is love. If He is not love He would have gone faster. Love has its speed. It is an inner speed. It is a spiritual seed. It is a different kind of speed from the technological speed to which we are accustomed... It goes on in the depth of our life, whether we notice or not, whether we are currently hit by storm or not, at three miles an hour. It is the speed we walk and therefore it is the speed the love of God walks.

From Vince...

This is what's holding me back from living the Jesus life. I'm going 150, but God moves at 3 miles per hour. So I need to slow down and walk at God's speed. I need to move at the speed of love.

More Thoughts from ‘Lousy T-Shirt’

Posted by Chris

Good quote on abiding today from I Became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt:

The monks have a theological idea they call perichoresis. They believe that God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit exist together in a sort of choreographed dance of love. Since the beginning of time they've been tangoing, moving together in a beautiful embrace. And we are invited into that dance. We get to spend our days dancing with God. In fact, we were created in God's image, and so if God is always dancing, we were designed to dance too. Our lives were meant to be a dance with God - and a dance is passionate, interactive, fun at times, romantic at others.

Abiding looks like a dance with God. Now when you dance with someone it's typically awkward at first. You're very aware of what you're doing, of what the other person is doing, of the correct steps you're supposed to be taking. But when people continue dancing together, eventually it becomes totally comfortable. You stop having to think about what you or the other person is doing or the correct steps to follow. It all becomes very natural. In fact, if you watch people who can really dance, it's sometimes almost hard to tell where one person ends and the other begins.

And that's what God is after with us. That's what abiding looks like. It's a moment-by-moment sharing of life with him that may be awkward at first. In the beginning it may take great conscious effort. And there may be embarrassing trips and falls and stepping on toes. But slowly it becomes more and more instinctive, effortless, and enjoyable. Eventually, we might even come to a place where it's not that I have to practice the presence of God and remember to focus on and spend my time with him. It will be like we're one person, connected and "lost" in each other.

Friday, May 30, 2008

My Thin Place

Posted by Chris

I woke up early this morning. Well, early by Phoenix standards. We flew out here yesterday to spend some time with Mike Breen & his team from 3DM Ministries. Amazing people! The time difference is making a difference in my day, though. You know it's bad when you fly out of Atlanta at 8:45am, take a nearly four hour flight and arrive in Phoenix at 9:30am. The time difference hit me last night before I got a second wind from dinner (more of that in a minute). Went to sleep at 10:15pm (1:15pm Atlanta time) and woke up at 5:20am this morning (8:20am Atlanta time).

So, got some good, quiet moments this morning over breakfast and coffee. Been pouring over my 'book of the moment' - I Became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt by Vince Antonucci. Good thoughts in a humorous book. A little over the top at times, but good nonetheless. Read this quote & it struck me this morning...

The ancient Celtics believed in what they called "thin places." These are places where the natural and supernatural worlds come together at their narrowest, with only a thin veil between them. When you're in a thin place you're able to catch a glimpse of God, and it becomes easier to sense his presence.

I read that and thought, "That's what I experienced last night!" We had all gone out to eat with our new friends to P.F. Chang's (one of my fave places to eat). We sat around a big, round table, with a big lazy-susan type platter where they proceeded to bring out a sampling of appetizers, then a sampling of entries, and then a couple of desserts. We ate a little and laughed a lot, just enjoying the shared heart we have in Christ. Honestly, it was like one of those movie scenes when a group of friends are sitting around a table at a restaurant thoroughly enjoying their meal and time together - you know, the scenes where you think, "Real life just isn't like that." Last night it was.

To me it was a thin moment - a place where God's presence hovered and washed over our meal; where His love permeated every laugh and every conversation.

Have you experienced a 'thin place' before in your life? Share your story below...

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Volleyball Fever

Posted by Chris

'Back in the day' I used to hit the pseudo-sand volleyball court that our church built on a daily basis. Early college years I'd get up late, head over to get my work done quickly & then head out to the courts to play. I'd record AVP volleyball tournaments that were broadcast each weekend and watch them religiously. That was back when Karch Kiraly & Sinjin Smith were virtually undefeatable.

So, why I am reminiscing about 'the good ole days' all of a sudden? Because my good friend LV Hanson (aka the Catalyst Road Trip Vanagon Vagabond) got to practice with the AVP team of Jake Gibb & Sean Rosenthal - currently #3 on the tour this year! Not only did he get to scrimmage against them, he & his partner actually put up a great fight - losing 21-18 (although they were leading 17-15 at one point). Gibb & Rosenthal are in town because the AVP is in Atlanta this weekend!

So, I'm surfing & watching old AVP highlight reels and checking on ticket prices for the weekend. I think we're going to try & hit the tournament for the championship match on Sunday afternoon!

Monday, May 26, 2008

How About You? What Are Your Movie Picks?

Posted by Chris

Now that I've laid out my mega-movies weekend, what about you? What movie(s) would you rent if you had a free day and wanted to relax in front of tube?

Movies Weekend - Going on #10

Posted by Chris

So, what to do when you're by yourself for the weekend? How about a movie marathon? Andrea & the kids are away, so I thought I'd take some time to watch some movies I hadn't seen before (and some that I knew Andrea wouldn't want to watch). Getting ready to sit down for #8, #9 & #10. Here's a quick breakdown of the first seven:

Thursday:
#1 - Cloverfield (3 out of 5)
Great format, loved the concept, not scary enough to be a real monster flick.

Friday:
#2 - I Am Legend (4 out of 5)
Great movie, thrilling, slow at times, but that helped build into the plot, I believe. Only wish I had was wanting them to go into the back story in more detail.

#3 - Ocean's Thirteen (2 out of 5)
Comparatively bad; the plot wasn't near as good as the first two; no storyline outside of the heist.

Saturday:
#4 - Sweeney Todd (4 out of 5)
Lots of violence, blood, & singing - that about wraps it up! If you can stomach the throat slitting (and there is lots of it to stomach), it is a really entertaining movie. Great music, as well!

Sunday:
#5 - Die Hard (4 out of 5)
Great classic from the 80s. Bruce Willis at his finest. Loved seeing it again even thought I've seen it several times.

#6 - Ironman (4 out of 5)
Really good - lived up to the hype; can't wait for the sequel

#7 - Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2 out of 5)
Didn't live up to the hype; shouldn't even be put in the same discussion as the first three; worse than Temple of Doom.

Today's Flicks:
#8 - 2001: A Space Odyssey - The quintessential Kubrick classic. I know I've seen this one, but it's been a long time. Seems like I've started it several times since then, but never watched the entire thing, so that's my goal today.

#9 - Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome - Classic Mel Gibson in a classic Sci-Fi flick.

#10 - Pan's Labyrinth - Critically acclaimed & nominated Spanish fantasy film from a few years ago. Heard good things about this one. I actually rented this one because Guillermo Del Toro, the Director, is slated to direct the forthcoming prequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy - The Hobbit.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Last Quotes from “The Passionate Church”

Posted by Chris

Now that I've finished reading the book, I thought I'd share a few more quotes that stuck out at me from the last several chapters:

God has buckets full of grace to pour out on us - but we have to be standing where the downpour is occurring. And that place is where He has designed for us to fit.

[On the fivefold ministries in Ephesians 4] We are not all called to be pastors, but we are all called to care. We are not all called to be teachers, but we are all called to hold out the Truth. We are all responsible for learning how to listen to God's voice, something that comes more naturally for the prophet. We are all called to share the Good News with others, but this takes all those who are not called to be evangelists out of their comfort zones. And we are not all apostolic, but we must learn to walk into what God calls us to do.

Many churches split, not because of theology, but because they don't understand the interplay between pioneers and settlers. In some churches, the pioneers are driven away by settlers who do not want to explore anything new. In others there is pain caused by pioneers who are not patient enough to wait for settlers to catch up with them. There needs to be a mutual respect and acceptance, for without both pioneers and settlers the Kingdom will not grow.

One of the Kingdom tasks assigned to God's people is to rebuild human community wherever we can.

Christ didn't run after the Rich Young Ruler because he knew the young man's heart wasn't ready. Jesus knew and let him walk. Jesus never ran after anyone. Instead, he made himself available to those willing to wholeheartedly seek the Way to God, the Truth about God, and the Life found in God. ~ Michael Simpson, Permission Evangelism

A Person of Peace is one who is prepared to hear the message of the Kingdom and the King. He is ready to receive what God will give you to say at that moment. This should be our prayer as we venture forth each day. "Lord, bring into my path today a Person of Peace, and give me the grace to speak your words to this person."

No amount of coercion on our part can make someone become a Person of Peace. This is the job of the Holy Spirit; He alone can prepare a heart to hear the Gospel. ... Our main job is to walk through life with our eyes open and our ears listening to the Spirit as He reveals to us the Person of Peace He has prepared.

This really is exciting news. Even in the most important task we have been given, the assignment to go and make disciples, God does most of the work.

Our outward relationships are not just to be occasional outreach projects or evangelism programs. We are to live a lifestyle of mission, evangelism, & service.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Finished The Passionate Church

Posted by Chris

The Passionate ChurchTook advantage of some down time today to finish reading The Passionate Church by Mike Breen and Walt Kallestad. Took me 2-3 weeks to read through it (trying to get into the practice of reading at least one chapter of a book a day, preferably two).

I'd have to say that I have mixed emotions around this book. I absolutely love the way that Breen has taken concepts of what it means to be a disciple of Christ and processed them into a visual format. The LifeShapes found throughout the book are easily understood, for the most part, and equally easy to communicate to others. I think this is probably the best method of discipleship that I have seen in my life, and something that would be a great tool for churches and Christians to use in going out and making disciples.

Some chapters were simply incredible. I went back through when I had finished and evaluated the LifeShapes according to the impact that they had on me and how powerfully they were communicated. The book started strong for me, and ended strong for me, with a few chapters in the mix that just didn't deliver.

The one thing that I will have to say is that the book felt neutered to me. Some of the concepts, and the overall nature of the book, feels like it is more provocative and revolutionary in its approach than it comes across as. Knowing a little behind the people and situation surrounding the book, my suspicion is that the publisher had a hand in watering it down to make it more palpable for a greater market.

That being said, Breen and Kallestad do a great job of communicating within the parameters that they are given and there are truly shining moments and concepts that I believe will alter how I step forward from this day forward as a Disciple of Christ and a Disciple Maker.

I'd recommend this book as a good steady read for someone looking for 'something more' from what they perceive the Church should be.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Your Feedback Wanted: Looking to Branch Out

Posted by Chris

As I've written many times, this blog has seen quite a life and has changed focus several times over it's 5 year history. It began as Emerie's blog when she was born. It changed to a family site when we moved to Oklahoma and then to Nashville. I used to keep a separate blog for my own thoughts, then blogged with other staff through Gladeville Blogs for awhile, and lastly every once in awhile via the Threads Connect blog. I got tired of segmenting my thoughts through several different channels, so at some point I consolidated & TheEdigers.com became a place for family news and Chris' thinking.

It's worked well, but I think I'm ready to branch out again with a separate thought blog, and I need your help!

What should I call my new blog? I'm calling on those of you who know me well to offer your thoughts in coming up with a name/theme that relates well to who I am. Please take a few minutes & offer your two cents as a comment - thanks!

Article Republished on Threads

Posted by Chris

One of my articles is being republished on the Threads website this week. It's called "How to Integrate Story Into Your Young Adult Ministry." Here's an excerpt:

And the story continues…

Each week I get to live my childhood over again - climbing in the van, driving home from church with three young children, and listening to them recount the stories they learned from the Bible that morning. I remember the time in my life when I still found wonder and excitement in the stories of Moses & the plagues, David & Goliath, or Jesus walking on water. Nowadays? I barely flinch reading these passages (many probably for the hundredth, or event thousandth time or more), and I’d probably feel cheated in a way if our pastor decided to teach on such common narratives.

I was raised, in many ways, to see beyond the stories of Scripture. I know them all by heart, but I’ve also been taught the underlying truths and hidden lessons in each of them. Sure it was cool that Jesus fed the 5000, but what He was really trying to teach you and I was that we need to depend on Him in our lives. Walking on water? Don’t take your eyes of Jesus or you’ll begin to ‘sink’ away from Him in your life.

MORE THAN A MANUAL While each of these ‘lessons’ I’m sure are accurate and are things that we would do well to follow, the problem is that by de-storifying (yeah, I made that up) God’s Word we have taken what has been given to us as a Grand Storybook and reduced it to a step-by-step ‘Owners Manual for Life.’ Why’s that a problem? Because we lose a great truth - and one which resonates in the lives of young adults - in the process.
.:: Read the full article here...

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Why I Don’t Blog at Times

Posted by Chris

I'm feeling guilty. I was on a pretty good tear the last couple of weeks of getting back into the discipline of blogging more regularly. Then the past week hit & I dropped off once more. I've thought of blogging the last few days, but, honestly, didn't feel that I could. Made me reflect a little on the reasons why I go through blogging hiatus at times...
  • Better Priorities - There are times in my life that blogging simply doesn't rank up there as one of the top priorities in my life. It might be that my mind is tapped from projects at work, or that I need/want extra time with Andrea or the kids - whatever the reason I sometimes take a break (even unknowingly) because my outlet here simple doesn't fit into the greater picture at that given time. I'm sure my writing, at least in some way, will assume a greater priority at some point in my life, but until my kids get bigger it's probably going to stay where it is.
  • More to Say than I Can Write - I go through seasons, both short & long, where there are things of importance happening in my life that I am not at a point to share here. I'm a fairly transparent person, but sometimes there are things going on in my life that I'm not ready to share for one reason or another. When those times come I don't feel like typing about what seem like shallow, 'lesser' things when there are greater things in the background. Eventually most of these come to the light at the appropriate time. A good example was at the end of last year when we knew we were going to moving, but it wasn't public knowledge yet.
  • Nothing to Say - It might be that I've tapped my creative juices elsewhere, or I'm simply brain-tired from having to give focus into other things. At times I'm absent because I don't have much to share - doesn't happen often, but it does from time to time :-)

Friday, May 16, 2008

Fresh Air, Golf & New Friends

Posted by Chris

Got an unexpected treat today. This morning Brad Lomenick, the Catalyst director, invited me to come out to the AT&T Classic PGA tournament being held about 5 minutes from the offices at TPC Sugarloaf. Met up with Gabe Lyons, Catalyst friend & founder of The Fermi Project (among many other things). Had a great time, even if we didn't get to see very many big names (limited to Zach Johnson, Greg Norman, & Kenny Perry). It was good getting to know Gabe a little, take in some golf on a beautiful day, and take in some free hospitality food & drink from the Gwinnett Chamber (who gave Catalyst the tickets).

Among the many things that Gabe is/has been a part of, he is co-author of unChristian that came out last year. Great book & resource if you haven't checked it out yet. Here is a clip about the book from Gabe/CNN last year:

Today’s Quotes from “The Passionate Church”

Posted by Chris

More from The Passionate Church:

Prayer was as fundamental an element in the life of Jesus as breathing. He inhaled his Father's presence so he could exhale his Father's will.

Today's unchurched are not so much rejecting Christ as they are suspicious of Christians. Churches that practice the presence of God have great appeal to a generation that is hungrier than ever to know and be known by a God worthy of reverence.

Many faith communities have become little more than gatherings of isolated individuals.

The affirming message of the Gospel is that God wants to aid and guide us in the struggle to be human and invites us into a relationship with Him. The Bible also teaches us that we find ourselves and true fulfillment not in isolation, not even as we engage with one another, but rather when we relate to God through one another.

One of the most obvious areas of seismic cultural change is in outreach. In the past nonbelievers clearly identified the church as the place to go for answers to spiritual questions. Many of our current models of evangelism are still based on that premise. Unfortunately, many of these methods are still navigating by landmarks that are no longer there: a shared moral code, childhood exposure to church, a common spiritual language. We continue to offer answers to questions that most unchurched people are no longer asking.

The idea of evangelism frightens many Christians. They rarely see outreach modeled in a way that they feel capable of doing. That is why their evangelistic efforts are usually confined to bringing a friend or colleague to church in hopes that you will share the Gospel with them.

A true leader looks like a sheep from the front and a shepherd from behind.

Finished: Rules of the Red Rubber Ball

Posted by Chris

Rules of the Red Rubber BallKevin Carroll, former athletic trainer for the Philadelphia 76ers and Nike executive, was one of the speakers at a recent simulcast event that GiANT put on. I grabbed his book, The Rules of the Red Rubber Ball, while at the event & spent a couple of days this week reading through it. It's a very unique book in how it is presented and reminds you of, as Newsweek calls it, "...an adult's version of Dr. Seuss's Oh, the Places You'll Go! - a pocket-size guide to finding your way in life."

"Take what you love to do and find a way to make money at it." This is one of those modern-day staples of career wisdom that I have even found myself doling out to those behind me, just getting ready to start out in their careers. Kevin Carroll takes this wisdom a step further by outlining several 'rules' that will help you do just that.

There's nothing really profound in this little book (it's literally about 6"x4") - at least nothing that isn't either something we've all heard before or is common sense. But, as with all good writers, Carroll presents it in a way that brings freshness (and fun) and encourages you in a way that you feel you could step right into the suggestions he makes.

The "Red Rubber Ball," according to Carroll is the life work that brings you joy, enthralls you, inspires you, that you dream about, etc. It's our 'sweet spot' in life.

Here's the seven "rules of the red rubber ball" in quick format:
  1. Commit To It - Following your Red Rubber Ball requires us to give all of ourselves to the pursuit
  2. Seek Out Encouragers - Sustaining your life work cannot be done alone
  3. Work Out Your Creative Muscles - The paths on your pursuit aren't always obvious or easy; creativity is required
  4. Prepare to Shine - Each day is an opportunity live out your life's work; look for the defining moments
  5. Speak Up - Never accept the boundaries imposed on you; sometimes you must alter the course when necessary
  6. Expect the Unexpected - Be aware of & embrace the things that, no matter how unlikely, reinforce the pursuit you are on
  7. Maximize the Day - Pursuit must become your daily routine

Rules of the Red Rubber Ball is one of those books that is good to keep on your desk, or your nightstand, or in a place that you will see it each day as a reminder of what you are pursuing in life. It is fun (probably the most unique looking book I have read since I was a kid), and a good, short read - it took me two nights to read before falling asleep in bed; it will likely take you about 30-45 minutes to get through.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Our Little Graduate

Posted by Chris

Our baby girl is growing up! This week she officially graduated from preschool and will be attending the same school as the boys in the fall. Hard to believe she is getting this old :-(

I've uploaded photos from her big day onto our Flickr space ("Emerie's Preschool Graduation") and put together a video from the ceremony as well:


Emerie - Preschool Graduation from Chris Ediger on Vimeo.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Today’s Quotes from “The Passionate Church”

Posted by Chris

More from The Passionate Church:

We are to work from our rest, not rest from our work.

Growth is not the same thing as bearing fruit... Growth must happen before fruit is produced. And growth comes from knowing how to abide. (John 15)

Pruning is not the fun part of life. We seldom see churches displaying banners advertising "40 Days of Pruning," or small groups practicing "Pruning Yourself to a Better Life." But if a grapevine is not pruned regularly, the branches grow spindly and weak. There is no abiding time when they gain their strength for the growing season.

We need to have times of pruning in our churches, times when most, if not all, activity ceases. Times of rest and abiding.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Finished The Shack

Posted by Chris

I can't remember the last time I consumed a book the way I have The Shack. I can't remember what day I began it - I know it was late last week. Now here I sit, less than a week later, having finished the last page tonight. I can sum up my feelings in one word: amazing.

The book is simply unlike most other books out there. It isn't simply a good story. Neither is it a book of theology. It is experience woven throughout an allegory that helps paint God in colors that most of us haven't taken the time to view Him. It is something that my first time through I flew through the pages, and which the next time I read it will likely crawl through its words.

The format and nature of the book reminded me a lot of Brian McClaren's A New Kind of Christian. That book came out in 2001 and I encountered it at a time in my life that was in a state of change. It helped open my eyes to a greater view of Who God is beyond the box that I had placed Him in my life up until that point. It had the same allegorical vibe as The Shack and left me having a hard time putting it down just like this one.

I don't feel like I can go into much detail, or maybe I just don't want to because I simply don't want to spoil the experience for anyone else wanting to read it for themselves. I will draw from one thing that the writer, William P. Young (or Paul Young) said a little over a month ago. Our Catalyst Vanagon (check it out at catalystroadtrip.com) made a stop to see the author when he was in Atlanta for a book signing. Young will be one of the main platform speakers at Catalyst this coming October, so they took a few minutes to ask the author some questions. You can watch one of the videos below. Go here to view both of them on the Road Trip blog.

Here is my favorite quote from the video that really hits where I am at at this moment in my life and reflects some of what God is speaking into my heart these days...

"My process and my Shack took me 11 years, and I moved it down to just a weekend for Mackenzie. I squeezed that process down. And I'm just trying to communicate to my kids... that it took me 50 years to come to love this God, and it was such a process of struggle with me because I had to unlearn so many things. And I want to save them 40 years - my kids are so far down the road from where I was, and I'm so grateful for that. But I wanted them to have a big picture so that they can understand where to put all the pieces, where to put the different pieces, of the puzzle pieces, that people give them - truth puzzle pieces. But now they have some place they can put it and they can be in love with this God that I'm in love with, Who pursues us the way He does."


Ernie Johnson & Paul Young from Catalyst on Vimeo.

Great Video from LifeWay Student Ministry

Posted by Chris

Viewed this great video that LifeWay Student Ministry (the guys I first worked with when we moved to Nashville), posted via the new Student Ministry Internet Producer (my first post at LifeWay) on Facebook. Good stuff:

Today’s Quotes from “The Passionate Church”

Posted by Chris

Good stuff from reading The Passionate Church today:

"'The Kingdom of God is near' literally means that if you reach in the right direction, your hand will disappear through the curtain of this world and reappear in the reality of the next world. There is a portal in time that we can't see, and the in-breaking of God's presence is about to take place."

"Repenting will not by itself bring about change. Repentance is only the first part of the circle. Stopping after we repent only invites the experience to return and makes it harder to repent the next time."

"'My faith is personal' is a favorite. But that is a self-contradicting statement. Faith is always acted out, never kept bottled up within."

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Crossroads Creativity

Posted by Chris

Sitting here watching my Sunday ritual HD concert/music shows, current view: Crossroads on CMT. Been a fan of this series for awhile. Basically they take a rock artist & a country artist, get them together, and they cover/duet on each other's songs.

The show itself really isn't much of a surprise. There are enough 'crossover' artists (funny how that term used to be used for Christian artists who crossed to the 'other side', aka 'secular world' - different discussion for a different day) out there - both country artists who find success in the pop/rock arena (Taylor Swift), and pop/rock artists who do so vice versa (Jewel).

What is amazing, however, is how well they match up artists. I have yet to watch a Crossroads that I didn't love, with artists that don't go well together. Today's installment is Maroon 5 & Sara Evans - isn't disappointing. That's the key to this thing working - being good at matching people up who work well, & compliment each other. Seems a good concept that carries across other areas of life, huh?