I've Moved

I finally made the move from blogger to wordpress.
And, I am back with a decent design, since mine bombed with blogger.

With that, I'm am making a couple of changes.
I won't be posting on multiple sites either, (sorry Myspace & Xanga fans) but it was too big of a pain to post to. I'm done with copy and paste and copy and paste. I've done that for almost 3 years.

Myspace blog hits.
I don't want to lose you guys, look below for ways to stay connected.

Here are a couple of ways for you to stay in touch with my blog.

1. Subscribe to my RSS feed. What is an RSS feed? Basically it means you don't come to my blog, my blog comes to you. If you are already subscribed to my RSS feed, I tried to use the same feed, so you wouldn't be lost in the conversion, but I'm not positive. So to be safe make sure that you are subscribing to this feed.


2. Subscribe via email. Have me in your inbox. Each time I post, it goes straight to your email.


3. Get the full experience, by going to evancourtney.com

Also to those who have bookmarked, linked or stalked me, evancourtney.com used to forward to blogspot, but now it stays with evancourtney.com so be sure to update:)

I'm really pumped with the new setup.
It means more blogs and more content:)

IF YOU ARE READING THIS GO TO EVANCOURTNEY.COM
I WILL NO LONGER BE POSTING HERE.

Win a free copy of Wild Goose Chase

Mark Batterson's book Wild Goose Chase just came out.
I have not read it yet, but I will be starting it in a week or two.



Or go to My Mundane Musing to win a free copy

*Update*
Steven Cole is giving one away too.

Wal-Mart is rolling back prices

My friend Mitchell took this pic, while he was looking for a tv.



Digg it

Nooma She - Premiere

NOOMA 021 | She will be streaming on the NOOMA Facebook Group page from Monday, August 18th at 12 noon EDT to Wednesday, August 20th at 12 noon EDT.

In case you missed it

I kicked off our new series called "Roots" yesterday at First Assembly.

Here is the message in words.

Barack Rolling

Ok.
Ok.
I know this isn't an actually Barackrolling.
But, the dude that did this had a ton of time on his hands.


embedded video

What is Rickrolling?

Rickrolling is an Internet meme involving the music video for the 1987 Rick Astley song "Never Gonna Give You Up". The meme is a bait and switch: a person provides a Web link they claim is relevant to the topic at hand, but the link actually takes the user to the Astley video.

Roots

For the next four weeks First Assembly is doing a teaching series on four roots of the christian faith.

teaching schedule
8.17 - Salvation - Evan
8.24 - Healing - Pastor
8.31 - Baptism of the Holy Spirit - Travis
9.7 - End Times - Pastor

questions
Last sunday we announced our new series and provide each person with a card, where they could ask any questions on the four topics, and the pastors would try an answer as many as possible on the specific sunday.

We also developed an online survey for them to ask questions. Survey.


how we came up with the artwork.
inspiration


first try


what i decided on


part of the creative chaos

My Days Off

I took a day of vacation last week.
And then yesterday was my day off for the week.
I love to fish of my days off.



I thought this was a great picture.
At Lake Sangchris they have huge power towers running thru the lake.
You can actually hear the electricity when you are under the cables.

Weird Al - Straight Outta Lynwood

Saturday I went to my second Weird Al concert in 11 months.
Arrived two hours before the gate opened, to get second in line.
I was front and center.









Weird Al proves his time has not past. - concert review

Who is the must see band?

This Saturday I'm going to see Weird Al.
He puts on a great concert.
Got me thinking about the bands that I've seen that've put on a great show.

Weird Al


Mute Math


Mewithoutyou
Hootie and the Blowfish
Warrant
Quiet Riot

Who is the must see band?

The Pipeline Olympics

For the month of August, we have divided The Pipeline into three teams.
Each team is competing for points.
The team with the most points after the five weeks, wins a "Party at the Lake".

Each night at The Pipeline we do games, and then we talk about Olympics Moments in history.
Last night we talked about the 1972 Munich Olympic basketball game between USA vs USSR, and then we talked about the Olympic moment in the bible with Noah.

Here is the shot put with a melon.

ht travis

Our goal by the end of the month is for more students to know God, and to pubicly display knowing him, thru water baptism.
We signed up two people for baptism so far last night

Call + Response

Supposedly there are more slaves today than at any other time in human history. And it preys on women and children - generating more money than Google, Nike, and Starbucks combined!

Call + Response



ht brody harper

Week 2 of Camp in Photos

more photos

Pooh.

Pooh was a youth leader when I started going to Pawnee Assembly.
Pooh passed away the other day.



PAWNEE - Loretta Lynn (Wiebke) Eldredge, 38, of Pawnee, died Thursday, July 24, 2008, at Hillsboro Healthcare Center.

Loretta was born June 11, 1970, in Springfield, the daughter of Bill and Alice Tedford Eldredge. She married Bill Wiebke on Oct.16, 1999. Her father preceded her in death in 2002.

Loretta graduated from Pawnee High School in 1988 and was a member of Pawnee Assembly of God Church, where she had been involved. Loretta was formerly employed by the Hope Institute as a CNA for seven years. She loved pets, wrestling and Winnie the Pooh. Loretta was in failing health for more than 15 years but remained strong in her faith.

Survivors include her mother, Alice Eldredge (companion, Don Springer) of Pawnee; a sister, Jackie (husband, Eric) Hughes of Springfield; a niece, Lillian Barnes; and many cousins.

The family will meet friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 27, 2008, at Pawnee Assembly of God Church. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Monday, July 28, 2008, at Pawnee Assembly of God Church with the Rev. A.B. Bennett officiating. Burial will be in Horse Creek Cemetery in Pawnee.

Curry Funeral Home in Pawnee is serving the Eldredge family.

My Bad Idea

Tonight I had a bad idea.
To put the trampoline on the basketball court.

We Who Hope

embedded video

We who hope.

Dave.

This is Dave.
Dave is a super senior at camp this year.
Basically he just really loves camp.
And camp loves him.

Victoria and Kristy

This is Victoria and Kristy.
They both have given up a week of their summer to help serve at camp.

Other scenes from the first day of camp.

Jared and Megan.

This is Jared and Megan.
Jared and his family attended our church for about a year.
After high school Jared got married and attended North Central University in Minneapolis.
He recently graduated and is now a children/youth pastor in Warsaw, Illinois.

This past week at camp, you'd see Jared running around with a white rambo-like headband, because he was the white team captain.

Camp. Light Painting.

How to light paint.
Thanks for the idea Los

McCain, Obama and I

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

Mark.

This is Mark.
I met Mark when he was playing drums for a Chicago rock band called, Endless Never.
I had booked his band to play at our youth center twice within a couple years to play for 100 teens.
This week at camp, Mark is playing drums for the worship team in front of a 700 teens.

Jeff.

This is Jeff.
I met him when he was going into 7th grade, eight years ago.
I poured everything into Jeff for seven years while I was in Macomb.
Two years ago, Jeff was going to camp, this year Jeff is helping lead worship at camp.

Youth ministry & parents working together is a beautiful thing.

I'm phoneless.

So.
My LG Chocolate has broke again. For the fourth time.



It powers on, but the screen is just white.

I can place calls, if I know the number.

I can't send texts.
I can't receive texts.
I can't get into my contracts.
I can't do anything.

I'm out of my phone warranty (which is only 12 months), I've had my phone for 15 months and I have 9 months left on my Verizon imprisonment contract.

Here is my plea, blog readers.
I'm just needing a Verizon phone.
I don't care what kind.
Used works great for me.

I just need a phone, battery, wall charger.

Could you help me out?
Email me evan.courtney@gmail (dot) com

iEnvy

With all the new iPhone G3 hype, and me living in a community where ATT won't sell to me (because they don't have their own tower nearby), all I have now is iEnvy.

Story of Stuff

This Sunday we are talking about Freedom from More, as part of our I Am Free series at First Assembly.
Makeesha pointed me to a sweet 20 minute video tour of a consumer-driven culture.



It talks about a couple reasons why we consume so much.
One of those being that styles change so rapidly.
Why?
Because they want us to buy more stuff.
Thats why we look at old pictures and think, "Man, we dressed like dorks".
Regardless, I dressed like a dork.

So that's why 10 years ago I dressed like this.


And now this.

Weird Al in Springfield next month

Next month I'm going to see Weird Al's Straight Outta Lynwood tour at the Illinois State Fair.
I actually got to see it last September in Champaign.
I blogged it here.

My Top Five Weird Al Songs
Smells Like Nirvana
One More Minute
Amish Paradise
Fat
Gotta Boogie

What's your favorite Weird Al song?

Jr. High Retreat

The last weekend in June, Kt and I were invited to speak at a Jr. High retreat in St. Louis.



We spoke on purity.
Katie talked with the girls.

• Purity is a process
• Discover your value in God's eyes
• Purity embraces wise guidance
  

I tackled some lies that guys get told. Some thoughts I had see from Doug Fields

• Everybody is doing it
• It's impossible to be pure
• A fantasy filled life is no big deal

Katie did an incredible session, that people were talking about, and she showed this moving clip from our wedding.



Thanks Rena and team for hosting us. We had a blast.

Hancock

Last night after our ball game I went to see Hancock.

It was interesting.
The first half of the movie was really good and what I expected.
But.
The second half just got weird.
The twist was crazy.

Hancock is probably a rental movie and not theater.
Save your money.

The website is sweet. So take a look.

My 4th of July Plans

I've been helping out with one of the Mattoon Babe Ruth League teams.
I got selected to help out with the 15 year old all-star team.
So to gear up for our quest to the Babe Ruth World Series, we are playing in a tournament this week in Indy.




Follow my twitpics this weekend.

So that's what I'm doing for the 4th.
What are your plans?

Free Chick-fil-A

When I moved to Mattoon, I was so pumped to hear that their was a Chick-fil-A at EIU.
I remember when White Oaks Mall used to have one.
I loved the free samples.

Next Friday is Cow Appreciation Day and Chick-fil-A is giving away free chicken.



Dress up like a Cow and be reward a free Chick-fil-A.
Dress up from head to hoof and get a free combo meal.
Dress up partially and get a free entree.

Any other Chick-fil-A lovers out there?
Does the McDonalds Southern Chicken Sandwhich compare?

July Series Artwork - I Am Free

We are doing a four week series at First Assembly.
We wanted to go with the theme of freedom with the obvious holiday, but at the same time didn't want to go with patriotism.
So this is the the artwork that we have created it for it.

7.6 - Freedom from offense - Travis
7.13 - Freedom from debt - Van
7.20 - Freedom from sin - Travis
7.27 - Freedom from yourself - Evan

Part of the Church Marketing Lab Flickr Group

I got certified.

This summer I'm volunteering as an assistant coach for one of the local baseball teams in Mattoon.
Its 13-15yrs old.
I'm helping out with the 15yr old all-star team, so I had to take the Babe Ruth League course and complete the test.



Do you help coach?

Shane Claiborne Makes CNN.com

Sure do wish I could see Shane speak this week at Cornerstone.



Here is the CNN.com article

I've been poppin' my collar

Thanks to Josh for this sweet find of videos.



Are you popping your collar?

Celebrity Money

More of these here.

This is not my political endorse me.
This is.

Amy

Kt and I are speaking at a jr high retreat this friday on purity.
I blogged about it here.

I found this great video on dove's campaign for real beauty.

Viva La Vida

ok.
im not a big cold play fan.
it seems like its the thing to listen to if you want to be a "progressive pastor".
whatever that means.

i got the album and have listened to it six times.
its ok.

viva la vida is good for listening while

• working
• sitting and chilling
• napping

viva la vida is not good for listening while

• riding a roller coaster
• road trips in the car
• head banging
  

do you like the new coldplay album?

Help! I need a name.

Tomorrow I'm teaching in Kids Factory at First Assembly.
And I need a name for my character.


Comment now.

Twittering Teddy

How 2.0: How to Make a Twittering Teddy Bear from My Home 2.0 DIY on Vimeo.

Remodeling. Family Room

We have a family room on the back of the house, that needed some major work.

Before



Step #1 remove paneling, drywall, bookcase

Step #2 Remove carpet


Step #3 Remove Window and door



Step #4 Install french doors


Step #5 Drywall



Back of the house now.