The LaunchPad

Just Show Up

The thought occurred to me this morning that so much of life is about SHOWING UP every day in the critical disciplines and responsibilities of life.  We often look for the big, extraordinary, earth-shattering breakthrough moments to bring the results we long for in life.

But the words that describe how much progress is made are words like:

Ordinary  -   Mundane   -   Consistent  -  Present

Can you imagine what can happen if we JUST SHOW UP consistently, everyday for the next few months.  If we just show up...in Bible study, or in our marriages, or in our exercise habits, or at our small group. 

Push past the excuses.  Resist them temptations.  And even if it doesn't feel exciting or life-changing, realize that one act of discipline connected to many others will make an enormous difference.

Random Thoughts On A Monday

Yesterday was an awesome day in many ways.  First of all, it was one of those incredible fall moments in Pittsburgh.  It was warm.  The sun was out.  Leaves are still falling.  Football was on TV.  Fall smells in the air.  I thoroughly enjoyed the day.

1.  I spoke at Sharpsburg Family Worship Center (which was the third plant out of APC).  Not only was I privileged to dedicate Pastor Russ and Jamie's baby, Nolan.  I was also honored to speak in the service which just happened to be the 10th Anniversary of the launch of this church.

2.  The church was packed out and there was life and excitement in the air.  I am so proud of Russ and Jamie and this entire church family.  They are a wonderful church and are doing so many effective things to serve their community.

3.  In the afternoon, I took my two youngest sons to the Pitt Basketball exhibition game at the Peterson Events Center.  Pitt rolled on a Division II school from South Carolina.  It was 41-2 at one point. 

4.  Because the crowd was so thin, we slipped down, after half-time, into some of the best seats in the house.

5.  On the way home they got a bit giddy and started telling every joke they know.  Most of them they read off the back of Cheerios boxes.  Here's a few of them:  Why were all the 'ants' so confused?  Because all of their uncles were ants!  What did the boy Bee call his girlfriend...Honey!  (you get the idea!)  They laughed themselves to tears.

6.  This past weekend, we received in the mail the official certificate for Melodie's Ministers License. I AM SO PROUD OF HER!!!! 

7.  It will be great to have Johannes Amritzer in town this week.  He is teaching at the Ministry School all week.  In fact, this Friday, the classes are open to anyone who would like to check out the school.  You can register here.

8.  While I wasn't there on Sunday, I was told that APC had a big day in terms of overall attendance. Andy did a fantastic job in delivering the second message in the series of the Jesus Revolution.

It's good to be home all week for a change.  I have been traveling a lot recently.  But it slows down from now until the end of the year.  My plan is to use this time to get back into my exercise habits again. 

Looking forward to a Steelers victory tonight in Denver.

The Haiti Project

Brian Lippert did an amazing job on this video overview of the Haiti Project we are involved with through this year's GENERATIONS CAMPAIGN.  Learn more at GenerationsProjects.Com.

Need For Haiti from Brian Lippert on Vimeo.

Peace Has To Be Made

One of the realities of relationships is this:  PEACE DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN, IT HAS TO BE MADE. Because every human being is stained with the sin-nature, we all have the tendency to react selfishly and defensively in life.  This tendency can cause division, conflict, bitterness, offense, and lingering frustration in relationships.

Jesus said, 'Blessed are the PEACE-MAKERS for they will be called the sons of God.'  Matthew 5:9

When we work against the grain of our own self-interest to make peace with an offender or enemy, we do something that is so Christ-like in its nature that it immediately identifies us as a part of God's family.  They will declare about you when you 'make peace' that you resemble God and are acting like His sons and daughters.

Peace-making is a skill set that should be high on our priority list to develop and learn.  It has the potential of improving the quality of our family life, business world, and church experience...and therefore the possibility to greatly improve the quality of our lives.

So how do we make peace?

1.  Forgive your offenders

2.  Seek forgiveness for those you have offended

3.  Humble yourself enough to listen to another point of view.

4.  Resolve conflict through Biblical steps (Matthew 18:15-17)

5.  Make restitution for that which you have broken, stolen, or destroyed.

6.  Refuse to participate in slander, gossip, or negative talk.

7.  Establish healthy boundaries against toxic people who refuse to participate in peace.

It is true that it is not possible to make peace with everyone.  Some people that we attempt to make peace with will remain hostile to our attempts.  Romans 12:18 says, 'IF POSSIBLE, as far as it depends on you, make peace with all men.'  Which means that it may not always be possible.

But if we choose to pursue the path of peace we experience Romans 12:21 - don't be overcome by evil, but rather overcome evil with good.'

Ten Factors That Center My Life

The past few weeks have been very busy for me.  I have been traveling, speaking on the weekends, giving talks at church planting events, doing some leadership coaching, as well as normal church leadership stuff.  The pace of my life has picked up quite a bit in the last few years.

At the same time, I think I am becoming a little better at maintaining a sense of balance and pace in the midst of it all.  This is truly encouraging to me.  I was trying to think about what helps me stay centered properly in my life?

1.  I HAVE IDENTIFIED MY 'GRACE ZONES' - I am not trying to do everything, I am now attempting to stay focused on what I believe are the MAIN THINGS for the calling that is on my life.  God's grace is on me to 1) teach/preach; 2) plant churches; 3)coach and develop leaders; 4) manage the vision and strategy of Allison Park Church. 

2.  I HAVE DELEGATED LEADERSHIP TO CAPABLE PEOPLE - it's so healthy to know where your limitations are and to surround yourself with people who can do what either you don't have time to do, or don't have the gifting to do.  These people have to be committed, character-solid, capable people.  Thankfully, I have a bunch of these leaders that currently surround my life.

3.  I AM AT PEACE WITH MYSELF - for a long time in my life, I was DRIVEN.  I was over-working and totally stressed because I was trying so desperately to avoid failure.  Several years ago, I had a breakthrough in this area and truly have come to appreciate God's acceptance in my life. 

4.  I AM ENJOYING WHAT I DO AND THE PEOPLE I AM WITH - even though my pace of life has increased, I am really working on slowing myself down to enjoy the moment I am in and to treasure the relationships that God has given me.

5.  I AM INVITING GOD INTO MY DAY - so often I fall prey to the temptation of limiting my interaction with God to a 'devotional time'...and then I can forget to invite Him to participate with me in the rest of my day.  I am still faithful in having daily time with God, but I am also trying to breath in His presence throughout the day.  I use my 'sigh' moments as mini-prayers where I tell Him how much I love Him and appreciate Him in my life.

6.  I AM INWARDLY FREE - every day I make sure that I have forgiven anyone I need to forgive, and have sought forgiveness from anyone I might have offended.  Currently, I am not dragging any baggage of guilt, shame, bitterness, or regret.

7.  I AM CHOOSING JOY AND REFUSING DREAD - In the past, when my life would get busy, I would have a tendency to dread what was coming next.  There is another choice, and that is the decision to ENJOY (or choose joy) and expect that God has something good in store with what is coming next.

8.  I AM CONNECTED TO MY FAMILY - while I haven't been around as much in the last six weeks or so, I do feel that I am present in the world of my wife and my five kids.  Actually, the absence has made me long for them even more.

9.  I AM WORKING TO GET ENOUGH TIME ALONE - if there is one area I feel a need to increase significantly, it would be more alone-time.  I am naturally an introvert and gain energy from solitude, so alone-moments are key for my spiritual, emotional, and leadership health.  Getting alone is a big deal for me being able to lead with clarity.

10. I AM SEEING WELL AHEAD - finally, there are some projects where I feel behind...but my clarity of vision is still several months ahead.  When I can't see where I am going, or where I am trying to lead others to go, my entire leadership life slows down.  But staying advanced in vision and strategy helps me remain at a faster pace and in personal peace.

These things have not always been true in my life.  Sometimes I go in and out of these.  But I do think these are ten factors that are critical to a healthy pace and quality of life.  Anything you would add?

How's Your Margin?

When I was in Birmingham earlier this week, I was talking with Chris Hodges about the way they manage the finances at Church Of The Highlands.  He talked about the principle of 'zero' budgeting which is when you purposefully don't forecast any increase in income for an upcoming budget year.

What often happens is that we project an increase and then if that increase doesn't occur, our budget plan ceases to work.  Cut backs have to be made.  Morale is affected.  Some degree of credibility is lost.  But if you forecast 'zero' increase (actually Chris explained that they budget for a 10% decrease in income), if you exceed your expectations in what you bring in...you will have extra cash on hand to do whatever needs done.

Chris said, 'we budget to create MARGIN - because when you have MARGIN, you have OPTIONS.  But if you have no MARGIN, you have no OPTIONS.'

That is a profound principle right there!  And MARGIN works for you in every area of life. 

• If you create margin in the use of your time, you will feel less stressed out and have options. 
• If you have margin in the way you use your money, you will have cash on hand to spend on what is needed. 
• If you are working on a project and wait till the last minute to start, you will have no margin for error or delay.  But if you start early, you give yourself options.

So here's a challenge for you today.  Where does your life lack MARGIN?  What will you do to build a healthy degree of it into your life?

The South Side Church Plant

In this video clip, Pastor Jack Thomas outlines the needs and reasons for planting a church in the South Side of Pittsburgh.  Lifestone Church will be launched in the spring of 2010.  It will be the 9th church planted out of Allison Park  Church.  Check out Jack's blog and the Lifestone Church website.

LifeStone Community Focus Video from Jack Thomas on Vimeo.

Breaking Fear Of Failure

One of the core fears that I have had to confront in my life is 'fear of failure'.  My sense is that this is a driving force in many lives and it can make an enormous impact on what we believe, how hard we work, and whether or not we enjoy our life.  Craig Groeschel had some tremendous thoughts on this....

The fear of failure paralyzes too many people.

I’ve found one of the best gifts God can give a leader is the gift of failure.

Too many of us are not doing what we feel called to do because we’re afraid to fail.

As I observe the people around me, it seems the most effective have failed far more times than the least effective.

The people making the biggest impact seem to:

1)  Try something outlandish.

2)  Fail.

3)  Learn.

4)  Adjust.

5)  Try something that works better.

Failure is never final. It is often the first step to success.

If you haven’t failed in awhile, why don’t you try something crazy and see what happens.

Staff Meeting Agenda

In a few minutes I will head into our weekly Pastoral Staff meeting for Allison Park Church.  This weekly meeting is designed to keep everyone communicating, on the same 'planning-page', envisioned, and prepared for what is coming up next.

We use the same basic agenda for every meeting.

1.  STORIES - we begin every meeting to sharing about life change.  We take time to celebrate what God is doing in the lives of people who are being impacted every week.

2.  STATS - we briefly, then, go over the trends that we can trace through the various statistical measurements like attendance on the weekend, in small groups, etc.

3.  STRATEGIC - we try to tackle one or two issues that need a plan and we strategize about how we can improve in what we do.

4.  SCHEDULE - finally, we go over the schedule of events for the next few weeks so that we make sure everyone is aware, that departments are communicating with each other, and that we all are ready for what is next.

All of this takes place within an hour to an hour and 1/2.  My goal is to keep this meeting focused and yet highly interactive so that everyone is contributing, consensus is developing, and ownership gained.

Experience A Day @ MCM Ministry School

Next Friday, we are going to open up the classes in the Ministry School for a day.  Anyone who would like to audit a day of classes is welcome to do so.  The only requirement is that you are at least a Junior in High School.  On that day, Johannes Amritzer will be teaching on the book of Acts.  You can register or check out the Ministry School online by clicking here.

Cross This One Off My 'Bucket List'

Last year I was inspired by a post from Mark Batterson about setting life goals.  Mark had provided a list of 100 things he wanted to accomplish, experience, or fulfill in his life time.  There were dreams on there about his family, his ministry, his finances, his travel, etc.

So I sat down and made my own list.  One day, maybe I will share the entirety of it?  So far I have 65 of my own LIFE GOALS...things I want to do before I die.  'Learn to hunt' is one of the goals I wrote down.  Why?  I am not sure?  I guess I felt like I should at least try it once to see if I like it?  Plus, I have a lot of good friends who are really into it.  I grew up in the suburbs and am not from a 'hunting family' so I just had never done it.

Yesterday was my initiation.  I went quail hunting in Alabama.  We spent the morning doing some clay target shooting (this is where I learned to load and fire the gun without killing anyone).  Then in the afternoon we went out in the fields and shot some quail.

Chris Hodges explained that quail hunting is very 'white collar'.

• The dogs find the birds for you. (and these English Setter dogs are amazing).
• A guide flushes the birds out of the bush.
• We shoot them.
• And the dogs retrieve them and bring them back.
• When all is done, the hunting lodge cleans and prepares the meat.

It was a lot of fun and it made for some awesome moments of connection with the other pastors and leaders who were part of this event.  After dinner, we had a meeting together to share about our lives and ministries, talk about the ARC and church planting, and tour the building of the Church Of The Highlands.

Chris Hodges is the pastor of this church, which has been ranked as the fastest growing church in American right now.  The church is 8yrs old and has an attendance already of over 9000 every weekend.  And Chris is such a down-to-earth person.  He is not grandiose, but rather is very real, personal, and has an obvious deep love for God and for people.

When I see a situation like the Highlands and get the chance to interact with leaders like Chris, I am inspired to dream bigger dreams and believe God for even more in the area of planting churches and reaching people.

Three Prayers That Bring Peace

As a part of the message this weekend I shared an approach to prayer that brings peace. Several people asked me personally to repeat it, so I thought I would post it here.

1. Lord, use this to make me more Jesus-like.
2. Glorify your name through this situation.
3. I trust you!

May God multiply his peace to you as you pray this way.

My Top Ten iPhone Apps

No doubt my favorite toy and most often used piece of technology is my iPhone.  I love having my email, music, podcasts, and so many features in just one place.  I know many of you enjoy these features as well as many other useful apps.  Here are my top ten apps.  I would love to hear from you if you have others to recommend.

1.  You-version - this is a great Bible app with many translations.

2.  Around Me - the best app I have found for locating places to eat, get gas (hopefully not from what you eat), and find other stores, etc.

3.  RK Free - if you run or walk, this one tracks distance, time, average speed.  It even records all your runs on a website to help you analyze your patterns.

4.  Receipts - this one I just discovered.  It allows you to document business or personal expenses.  There is a way to take and record a picture of the receipt so you don't have to try to remember to file it properly.

5.  Dictionary - quick search for word meanings.  Easy to use.

6.  Shazam - If you are in a store and hear a song playing, this app will help you identify the title and artist and take you to iTunes where you can buy it if you like.

7.  Planning Center Online - for pastors, this is an online program for service planning.

8.  Amazon - when I hear of someone recommend a book, I now just quickly search and add that recommendation to my wish list.

9.  ESPN Radio and/or Dan Patrick - I love to listen to sports talk, so I use these two all the time.

10.  Photogenie - allows for pretty nice edits of pictures taken.

I could probably list a bunch of other obvious ones.  I use the Facebook, Linked-in, Tweetdeck (for my twitter account), the Weather Channel, and USAtoday for news.  What recommendations do you have?

The Song Stuck In My Mind This Week

This past weekend I was one of the speakers at the START EVENT at Valley Forge Christian College.  One of the songs we sang during the chapel services was Saviour King by Hillsong.  I've been singing it all week.  Enjoy.

What's So Great About Romans 8:28?

No doubt one of the most popular and oft quoted verses in the New Testament is Romans 8:28 - 'and my God will work all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.'  These words have served as a source of encouragement for countless people over the two thousand years since they were originally written.

Connected to this verse is a REVOLUTIONARY idea that holds the potential of solving personal problems, relational problems, and even global problems.  In fact, if you combine the meaning of verse 28 and verse 29 together, you have God's redemptive answer for so much of what's wrong in the world today.

This coming weekend we will kick off our series for November - THE JESUS REVOLUTION.  We are going to talk about the revolutionary ideas that Jesus came into this world to initiate and how we can go from being a part of the problem to being a part of the solution.  Here's the topics for the series:

Week 1:  Revolutionary Purpose

Week 2:  Revolutionary Generosity

Week 3:  Revolutionary Power

Week 4:  Revolutionary Obedience

Week 5:  God's Revolutionary Response

Remember that this weekend is (not only Halloween) but it is FALL BACK WEEKEND - when we turn our clocks back one hour.  You get an extra hour sleep, and the Steelers have a bye-week.  So this is truly a NO EXCUSES WEEKEND. :)  Hope you see you Revolutionaries this Saturday or Sunday.

What Is Your Life Sentence?

This morning in chapel (Valley Forge Christian College), Tim Elmore spoke about this question:  WHAT IS YOUR LIFE SENTENCE?  No, this was not talking about imprisonment or some curse or burden you have to burden.  A 'life sentence', as he described it, is the statement that will describe your life 20 years after you are dead.  Examples?

• George Washington - 'the father of our nation'
• Abraham Lincoln - 'he ended slavery through the civil war'
• Harry Truman - 'the president who ordered the dropping of the atomic bomb'

So what will they say about you 20 years after you are gone?  Elmore shared the statement he wants to be said about him when he is gone...'he influenced the influencers'.  Then he shared some examples about how identifying that statement has guided and guarded us life.

So what do you want them to say about you?  What is your life sentence? I need to pray this one through a little bit.  But I think I have identified a few things I would want said:

• He pleased God in cared about people.
• He adopted God's problems (the things that burdened God's heart) and worked toward a solution.

How about you?  What do you want said?

What's It Really Mean?

I am listening to Tim Elmore who is the author of the HABITUDES book series.  Tim has a unique ability of making important concepts simple and applicable.  He uses metaphor so powerfully.  As a part of illustrating the principle of 'feeding yourself' - Tim shared his three steps of Bible Study.

1.  One-Time? - the first question we have to ask when we read the Bible is 'what did this mean at one time...at the time when it was written?'

2.  All-Time?  - the second question we ask is 'what does this mean for all time and for all people?'  We look to identify the timeless principle to apply.

3.  My-Time?  - the final question we ask is 'what does this mean for me right now?'

Isn't it helpful when something is put in a memorable framework like that?  Next time you read, I hope you remember and use One-Time, All-Time, My-Time.

Integrity & Leadership

This post will also be included on Ben Davis' blog in his LEADERSHIP WEEK.  My assignment was to write about INTEGRITY and how it affects life and leadership.  Integrity is one of those foundational qualities of life that is most noticeable when it is absent, but hard to define when it is present.

It is a character quality that is woven into the fabric of a person or organization and is not necessarily visible immediately on the surface.  But its presence is like the stitching in a garment, it is not readily visible but it has an affect to hold it all together.

What is integrity?  A simple definition is this:  Integrity is when your words and your actions match.

A related word is the word 'integrated'.  Integrity happens when a person's values are integrated consistently throughout their life.  Their values show through the same in their words, as in their attitudes, as in their motives, as in their actions.  When integrity is present in a person or an organization - trust is established, credibility grows, values are reproduced, and people feel safe.

When integrity is missing, even in a small way - trust is broken, suspicion develops, values seem hollow, and people are insecure.  There can be temporary success without integrity, but if the stitching begins to unravel...eventually the entire garment will fall apart.  So what do we do to guard integrity?

1.  Listen To Your Conscience - Integrity most often unravels slowly, like the pulling on a thread starts with just small fraying.  The only way to prevent this is to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and the activity of your conscience.  The rule is that when your conscience is offended, and you respond to it -its voice remains strong in your life.  But when you ignore your conscience, its voice becomes a whisper and larger offenses seem natural.

2.  Repair Small Breaches - When you become aware of an offense, an area of dishonesty, an exaggeration, or misstep, take action on it.  Tie up that lose end.  Apologize.  Make it right.  Correct your exaggeration.  Do what's necessary to maintain integrity in the smallest areas of life.

3.  Remain Teachable - If integrity is a value, you will be thankful for anyone who points out to you when it appears to be missing.  The best way to ensure this is to invite accountability from trusted mentors or friends.  But even critics can be a gift if we sort through the criticism to throw out the garbage and yet hold onto some element of truth.

4.  Build Firewalls - It's best to eliminate temptation before it has the chance to arise.  Systems can be put in place to prevent weak moments from becoming moments of failure.  Put policies and protections in place.  Have two people handle the money and sign checks.  Never spend time alone with a person of the opposite sex (who is not your spouse).  Invest in some accountability software for your computer.  There are many such rules that provide needed protection.

5.  Reject Shortcuts - Many times we compromise because we want something that we don't feel that we can get without some quick aggressive action.  Lack of integrity can be a sign of lack of trust in God.  It says, 'I can't wait for God to provide this for me righteously, so I will seek to obtain it on my own.'  When we choose integrity, we are saying, 'I would rather maintain the favor of God on my life than obtain anything else in the short-term...because God will always take care of my needs.'

I'm not sure anyone can completely claim total integrity in all areas.  But it is a value that we should consistently pursue.  I pray God helps you grow this area of your life today.

Pittsburgh Gives - Tomorrow

On Wednesday morning (Oct 28), starting at 10am - hundreds of people will be online making contributions to the Pittsburgh charity of their choice.  This program is called PITTSBURGH GIVES and is intended to assist local non-profits to raise money for their causes by providing MATCHING FUNDS for every contribution that is given.

The giving process is set up like a race.

There is only a certain amount of matching money available.  No contributions can be made before 10am. But when the clock strikes 10 - the first to make the contributions to their charities will be the first in line to receive matching money for what they give.

We are encouraging as many people as possible to go online (click here) and give to the Network Of Hope (which is the local non-profit that helps operate the Foodbank at APC, the PCO Men's and Women's Recovery Homes, and so much more).  You can read more about NOH here.

So spread the word about Wednesday morning!  Contributions have to be at least $50 to be considered for matching money...and can be up to $2500.  Visit the Network Of Hope website here.

Peterson Is A BEAST!

Everyone knows I am a die hard Steeler fan.  There is no question about that.  But I have to say that I was totally impressed by Adrian Peterson from the Vikings.  He completely destroyed William Gay of the Steelers on Sunday.  In case you missed it, here it is again.