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

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

My One Prayer

Our church joined with the global teaching series One Prayer.

This Sunday I kicked off the series at First Assembly with my prayer "Make Us Selfless." Listen here.

Here are my notes. I used a technique called mind mapping. It worked great.

When txting in service is a good.

Tonight at our youth service, we encouraged our students to text message.
We signed up for free with a service called Poll Everywhere.

We asked the questions, "What causes you to pound the table?"
And then students texted their answer to a certain number, and then we projected the poll website page and watched the live results come in.
It was very simple.

Here some of the results.

Seizing Opportunities

Yesterday I had the privilege to speak on the 6th part of our series called Chase the Lion in the am message at First Assembly.

Listen here to the message, called Seizing Opportunities

Would you eat it?

Last night at the pipeline Travis spoke about keeping a tight rein on our tongues.
I boiled a cow's tongue for 30 minutes and then we showed it to the students during the message.

Thanks for picking this up for us Joey

Inside the Orange. Day One

Today we traveled to the Orange Conference in Duluth, Georgia.






Found a snoop look-a-like


Heard an incredible message from Reggie Joiner


He dissected the prodigal son story.
And talked about the two different approaches to the prodigal.

Loving fathers are preoccupied with whoever is missing.
Older brothers are preoccupied with themselves
.
Loving fathers operate from a context of forgiveness.
Older brothers operate from a context of shame.

Loving fathers throw parties.
Older brothers throw fits.

Loving fathers confront older brother thinking
Older brothers criticize loving father thinking

Loving fathers keep the lights on for as long as it takes.
Older brothers close the door and turn off the lights.

Creative Idea: Balloon Launch

We started a new series based on the first chapter of the book of James.

You in Real Life.
Real Pain.
Real Smarts.
Real Temptation.
Real Speech.


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Last night we started with part one. Real Pain.
Here is what the message sounded & looked like.

I told a personal story of real pain.

Showed this clip on pain/suffering from Dan in Real Life.



Read
James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Luke performed a poem by Bradley Hathaway called "On Being Joyful And Content".
He tore it up, by the way.

I talked about that when we are suffering or experiencing real pain, we have a choice to believe and trust in God, and when we do, we become mature.

We showed this incredible video 99 Balloons

{embed video}

Then we had small cards on the stage, and challenged those students who are dealing with pain and suffering, to write it on the card.

And then to take a balloon and attached a card to it with the string.


Then we went outside where we prayed and ask got to help us with our pain and suffering, and as a symbol of releasing that to God, we released the balloons with the card attached.

God Help Me Banner - Creative Element

As people walked into the auditorium on Easter they saw a 6' x 15' blank canvas banner hanging from the ceiling on the stage.

During the conclusion of the message, we started the song "God Help Me" by Rebecca St. James. And 12-15 students stormed the stage armed with paint, brushes and ladders. The students painted different "sins" on the banner during the song.

At the end of the song. The students got out of the way, and another 6' x 15' banner pre-painted with the words "God Help Me", dropped over the banner covered with the sins.

Easter Productions Run-Thru is OVER!

Getting Pumped. The Banner is Hung

Luke helped get everything ready today for a creative element for Easter.
The banners are 6' x 15'.



Details on the creative element.

I love the 80s - Theme Night

Our students ministries is going to be having an I love the 80s theme night.
I have setup a brainstorming google document.
I'd love for the world to contribute ideas to it, but google docs doesn't allow me to open it up publicly to be edited. It is invitation only.

So I am inviting you blog readers, except I don't have you email address.

So.
If you are interested in contributing let me know me here.
I will leave the document up so others can use the ideas.

Contributing instead of Consuming

Yesterday at First Assembly & The Pipeline we talked about the need to get people to serve.

So, last night at The Pipeline we did a Double Cheeseburger eating contest, to see who could consume the most in 2 minutes.

Then we talked about the need for us to be contributors instead of consumers.

Here are a couple statements made.

• You were put on earth to make a contribution.
• Whenever you serve others in anyway, you are actually serving God and fulfilling one of your purposes to live.
• Anytime you use your God-given abilities to help others, you are fulfilling your calling.
• Jesus says your attitude must be like my own, for I didn’t come to be serve, but to serve and to give my life.

In 60 seconds

Being Bringers and Braggers

Yesterday we had a great time at First Assembly.

3 Services. 3 Ages. 1 Message

1. Adult
2. Kids Factory (1st-5th)
3. The Pipeline (6th-12th)

We challenged everyone to be bringers and braggers to and about First Assembly.
We inspired everyone that we want to have the largest Easter service ever.

Sundays Message in 60 Seconds

Help, I Need Somebody - Easter Artwork

The other day I posted some artwork that Travis and I were working on for our Easter service at First Assembly. I gave no background information on the art for a reason. I just wanted your gut reaction.

So...
First off, thanks for all the criticisms, encouragements, and ideas that were posted here, twitter, xanga and myspace.

Background
Our Easter service is going to be based off of The Beatles' song Help.
A live band will cover The Beatles song.
Multiple stories from people.
Creative elements from children and student ministries.
All centered around one center. Help.

Inspiration


rough draft


final draft


Any thoughts the on revisions?

The Beatles Help {embed video}

Our Easter promo. I need your gut reaction.

Rules.
I need your gut reaction on our working promo piece for our Easter service.
Comment away.

Connecting People to People

In 60 seconds


We had a great time at The Pipeline tonight, we encouraged our students to connect with other Christians. We also promoted 2 small groups we are starting.

Family Centered Ministry by Reggie Joiner

Four ways youth ministries are

1. Our job is to stop kids from going to Hell
2. Stop them from raising Hell
3. We want to scare the Hell out of them
4. (he either didn't say it, or i missed it)
   

5 words youth pastors think about during the week

1. Student
2. Content
   
3. Production
4. Age group focus
5. Growth

Across the country, churches are losing influence.

3 major dials needed to be in a life

1. Relationship with God
2. Relationship with others
3. Relationship with yourself

Shift from production to relationship.
As much money we spend, we still will not be able to out produce culture.
Culture can not out do you in your relational content.
The greatest gift you can give a student is relationship.
The greatest gift you can give a parent, is to give them same thing that their parent is saying.

Family ministry focus
We can't compete with the family, we need to compliment with the family.
2 combined influences make a greater impact, then just 2 influences.
Nehemiah 4:13
One day someone else will be doing my job, but nobody can be the kind of father to your sons and daughter that you can be.

Reggie Joiner in 60 seconds

Building Your Team by Dan Hunter

Dan Hunter
Seven Student Ministries

Dan shared on developing a team.
You can not do everything
You should not do everything
You must step away so that they can step up

Why do we do it alone?

1. We want to do it alone.
2. We feel like we can do things better ourselves
3. We are insecure and feel threatened

Why we should build a team?

1. Helps people develop and discover their gifts
2. Prepares your ministry for success tomorrow.
   

Building a team.
Effective teams just dont happen, they are built.

1. Spread the dream.
2. Recruit constantly
3. Give away ownership
4. Grow together
5. Pay the price
   

Dan Hunter in 60 seconds

Perceptions of Christianity by Gabe Lyons

• Gabe Lyons author of Unchristian

3 Questions we asked.

1. How do non-christians 16-29 view Christians?
2. How did we get here?
3. How can we change this perception

Perceptions of Christianity

• What's the first thing they think of when they hear the word Christian.
• Anti-homosexual - Christians show contempt for gays and lesbians
• Judgmental - Christians are prideful and quick to find faults in others
• Hypocritical - Christians say one thing but live something entirely different
• Get Saved! - Christians are insincere and concerned only with converting others
• Sheltered - Christians are boring, unintelligent, old-fashioned, and out of touch with reality
• Too Political - Christians are primarily motivated by a political agenda and promote right wing politics

Changing the perceptions
1. Respond to anti-homosexual by being compassionate
Christians show compassion and love to all people regardless of their lifestyle
That homosexual isnt the only sexual sin taking place in the church.
They are made in God's image.
2. Respond to judgemental by showing grace
Christians show grace by finding the good in others and seeing their potential to be Christ-followers
3. Respond to hypocrisy by being authentic
Christian are transparent about their flaws and act first, talk second
4. Respond to proselytizing by being...Relational
Christians cultivate relationship and environments where others can be deeply transformed by God.
5. Respond by sheltered by being informed.
Christians are engaged, informed and offer sophisticated responses to the issues people face.

Gabe Lyons General Session in 60 seconds