Evotional.com

V Day Special

2010-02-08T13:55:00.001-05:00

Since Primal is all about getting back to the Great Commandment which is all about love and we're coming up on Valentines Day which is all about love I thought it was a match made in heaven. We're going to share the love by doing a little V Day Special on Primal.

If you need a case of books we'll hook you up with a bulk discount. We'll also include In a Pit and Wild Goose Chase in the V Day Special.

Email resources@theaterchurch.com for the 411.

Extra Mile

2010-02-07T11:55:00.000-05:00

Huge thanks to everyone who went the extra mile to make our services happen this weekend. It was a heroic effort. From Brandt, Will and Andy who shoveled like antarctic natives to Michael and Shana who walked more than a mile through the snow to teach our kids, all I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you! Dave Schmidgall, one of campus pastors, drove our minivan complete with snow mohawk, to pick up our Ebenezers band. Chris Jarrell, our Kingstowne Campus Pastor, shoveled for 25 hours in a 24 hour period to dig out and get to church. And the stories go on and on.

What a weekend!

Sometimes a little extra effort leads to a little extra blessing!

Webcast is Live

2010-02-07T08:00:00.001-05:00

This weekend is pajama Sunday @ NCC. If you are snowed in, keep your pajamas on, pour a cup of coffee, and tune into our webcast @ theaterchurch.com. Thank God for technology! We're gonna redeem it and use it! For what it's worth, last year we had webcast watchers from 160 countries and 6,611 cities.

Because we have so many people that cycle through NCC--working on the hill or doing an internship or serving in the military--that we have come to view as NCCers as immediate family (those who attend one of our locations) and extended family (those who used to attend and stay connected via webcast and podcast).

Another Schedule Update

2010-02-06T21:52:00.002-05:00

Just got word from manager of Georgetown Theater and they will NOT be open in the AM. That means we need to pull the plug on that service. We're down to Kingstowne and Ebenezers. Planning on regular service schedule at those two locations.

Schedule Update

2010-02-06T20:27:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to share an update on our weekend service schedule. We had a great 4:30 service @ Ebenezers. Pretty funny when 63 seems like a huge attendance! We actually placed bets as a staff. I guessed 17. One of our proteges, Andy Pisciotti, guessed 55. You can tell who has the most faith on our staff. It's not me! Pretty impressed that we had that many people trudge through the snow.

Can I share a thought? I have zero issues with any one who missed service because they felt like it wasn't safe to walk or drive. Totally respect that. But I also believe that sometimes God honors the extra effort. I really feel like some people got more out of the service tonight simply because it took more of an effort to get there!

Here's the scoop.

Our Ballston Location will NOT have services. Theater is closed. We will have our regular service schedule @ Georgetown, Kingstowne, and Ebenezers. And we'll have the webcast up on Sunday morning so you can go to church in your pajamas if you're snowed in.

Snowmaggedon

2010-02-06T09:42:00.003-05:00

Here are a few shots from my pathetic phone camera. They don't do it justice! Here's a street view and my office view. You can barely see Union Station through the snow and it's half a block away!

Snow Plan

2010-02-05T13:20:00.001-05:00

This is getting ridiculous. The Midwesterner in me is loving this snow, but why on the weekends! Driving the pastor in me crazy!

Here's our snow plan at NCC: we don't cancel church. Even if it's the worst storm in DC history! We're gonna have church come hell or high snow. Obviously, we don't want anybody to endanger themselves. And we'll have the webcast live on Sunday morning so you can get the message @ home. But we're planning on holding services unless the theaters close.

At our Ebenezers location, we'll do one Saturday night service @ 4:30 PM. Right now we're planning on all three Sunday AM services @ Ebenezers.

Stay tuned and spread the word. Check theaterchurch.com for updates!

Vision Series

2010-02-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

This weekend we kick off our Vision series. Not only will we talk about our corporate vision as a church. I also want to help NCCers discover the personal vision God has for their life.

I think church needs to be a two-way street. When you become part of a church you become a shareholder in the corporate vision. But churches also need to help individuals identify the unique vision God has for them. Churches that do both of those things have a catalytic culture that is hard to put into words. Vision becomes contagious. We believe God has called NCC to be a dream factory!

The Stretcher

2010-02-04T10:00:00.005-05:00

I tweeted this earlier this week: there is a fine line between "my kingdom come" and "Thy kingdom come."

Can I be blunt? I think it's easier for some pastors to pray for a church that is four states away than a church that is four blocks away.

I feel like I'm living in the tension between two verses this week. They are stretching me like one of those medieval torture devices that dislocated the limbs. I think they were actually called The Stretcher. Sorry for the visual image but that is what is happening in my spirit. Two verses are pulling in opposite directions.

How do we "increase" as in I Cor 3:6 and "decrease" as in John 3:30?

I desperately want God to increase NCC as we plant and water, but I also know that I need to decrease like John the Baptist. Bottom line? I want to stay out of the way of what God is doing at NCC. It's just hard to do both of those things at the same time! Thus the tension. I want us to grow but it cannot be about the numbers.

Word to pastors: it better not be about you. In fact, I think we need to find ways to intentionally decrease. How? For starters, we better not take any credit for what God is doing. God will not be robbed of His glory! Unless the Lord builds the house, we labor in vain! I think one of the greatest dangers that growing churches face is this prideful temptation: "look at us." Why? Because we've been saying "look at me" since we were two years old. That is our default setting. But when we follow Christ there is a paradigm shift: look at Him.

May His Kingdom come. May His will be done.

All Church Celebration @ Lincoln Theater

2010-02-04T07:20:00.002-05:00

So excited about this announcement. Drum Roll please...

We're going to do our first all church gathering @ the Lincoln Theater on U Street. This will be the first time since we went multi-site in 2003 that we'll all be together in one space. It's going to be an amazing night of worship and vision. And we've got a few surprises up our sleeves!

Here's the 411:

When? Tuesday, February 16 @ 7:30 PM
Where? Lincoln Theater @ 1215 U Street, NW

By the way, February 16 is Fat Tuesday and the Lincoln Theater is right next to Ben's Chili Bowl. That's what I'm talking about.

Holy Anticipation

2010-02-03T09:12:00.002-05:00

I live my life with a holy anticipation. I genuinely believe that God could come out of nowhere at any given moment, invade the reality of my life, and change everything forever!

I'm reading in Ezekiel this week and I love the specificity of Ezekiel 40:1: "In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day, the hand of the Lord was upon me."

In the margin of my Bible I wrote: this could be the day.

This could be the day that God gives you a vision. This could be the day you experience a breakthrough. This could be the day God does a miracle. This could be the day the hand of the Lord comes upon you.

I also like the New Testament version of this Old Testament truth. The Message translation of Philippians 4:4 says: He could show up any minute!

May we live with that holy anticipation.

For God or To God?

2010-02-03T08:10:00.003-05:00

I read a verse that stopped me in my tracks this morning. The Holy Spirit arrested me. If I were completely honest, I'd have to admit that most of "my ministry" has been for God not to God. I don't think that is just semantics. It's a whole different paradigm. So many of us are so busy ministering for God that we rarely minister to God.

Ezekiel 44:16 wrecked me today: "They shall enter my sanctuary, and they shall approach my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my charge." Makes me think of the original commission in Matthew 10. Before Jesus "sent them out" he called them "to him." I think one of the greatest dangers leaders face is this: we get focused on what God wants to do THROUGH us instead of what God wants to do IN us.

Are you ministering for God or to God?

I think it's both/and, but you better prioritize ministry to God.

Catalyst Deal

2010-02-02T20:24:00.000-05:00

Catalyst is offering a Primal package. Buy the book and you'll get the catalyst lab talk I did last year for free. Offer is only good till February 5th @ midnight.

Check it out.

Kindle

2010-02-02T19:27:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about getting a kindle for months because I'm out of bookshelves. I literally have books stacked on top of my bookshelves as high as I can reach! So today I got a package from Greg Darley with Backstage Leadership. Inside? A Kindle. Now that'll make your day! Gonna be a change of pace, but excited about downloading my first book.

Don't Say It Till You Pray It

2010-02-02T08:09:00.005-05:00

I think I drive some people crazy with all of my mantras, but I honestly think mantras are a key form of leadership communication. The most important truths ought to be communicated in the most memorable ways. And that is why mantras are so important.

The reason why so many mission statements and core values have such little bearing on organizational culture is because they are so forgettable. You can't just say it. You've got to say it in a way that sneaks up on the right-brain imagination, turns on the lights, jumps out from behind the sofa, and yells "surprise." You've got to paint a picture like Jesus did with the parables. The parables are filled with mantras.

My latest mantra is: don't say it till you pray it. If you don't pray your messages before you say your messages I think it'll fall on deaf ears. It'll lack conviction. It'll lack credibility. You want a greater anointing? Pray it before you say it.

By the way, I highly recommend a book by Bill Hybels titled Axiom. It's my favorite Bill Hybels book! Must read for leaders. Why? It's filled with Bill's leadership mantras and it'll help you come up with your own.

Garden to City

2010-02-02T07:30:00.001-05:00

The theme for our leadership retreat and our theme for 2010 is Garden to City. That's how we're framing our "read through the Bible" initiative. We're going to journey all the way from the Garden of Eden in Genesis to the Eternal City with streets of gold in Revelation. And we want every NCCers to join us on our biblical trek thru all LXVI books of the Bible.

We'll be rolling out our reading plan, blog, and reading resources before Lent. And, yes, we'd love to share it for free with other churches.

Stay tuned.

Vision Fast

2010-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Next weekend we kick off our Vision series at NCC. We'll cast vision for 2010 and 2020. Honestly, the vision scares me a little and I think that is a healthy thing. It's a holy fear because I know there is no way we can do the things God is calling us to do. Not with our strength. Not with our wisdom. Not with our resources.

Our staff is going to do a week long fast. Praying for vision clarity. Love to invite NCCers to fast lunch this week as we seek God. I'm afraid that many visions are nothing more than our agenda for God. This vision needs to be God's agenda for us!

Weekend Reflections

2010-01-31T17:27:00.002-05:00

I was able to just attend a service with my family today. Nice break in between our Primal and Vision series. I'll be back in the saddle next week.

A few reflections this week.

#1 We desperately need to launch our next location. Hang in there NCCers! The snow hurt some services, but the service I was in @ Ebenezers was way beyond standing room only. More like breathing room only! We'll outline our 2010 launch strategy during our Vision series.

#2 Was it just me or was that one of the best sermons you've ever heard? I love Dick Foth. I always jokingly tell Dick, because he's been a mentor to me since we were a church of 19 people: "if you keep doing this you could be a good preacher someday!" Man, blew me away today. I love the energy of young preachers, but there is something about the wisdom of years that adds so much gravity to a message. That message had serious gravitational pull! I feel like I gain 30 years of wisdom when I listen to Dick Foth for 30 minutes! Makes me want to be older!

Dreams Dreams

2010-01-31T09:17:00.001-05:00

Josiah wanted to send his teacher a poem he wrote this week. So sweet. It's awfully short, but I absolutely love it. Part of parenting is capturing these glimpses into the destiny of our kids. I think this poem says something about Josiah. And it's awfully gratifying as a parent. I want to raise kingdom dreamers!

Dreams Dreams by Josiah Batterson

Dreams Dreams such a good gift we all have our own collections of such wonderful gift Dreams Dreams. We all have dreams.

Retreat Reflections

2010-01-31T07:43:00.000-05:00

I don't know how to frame my thoughts about our annual leadership retreat. It was the best yet. But most of my thoughts are what I would call sixth sense thoughts. Tough to put a finger on what I'm feeling but here goes.

First of all, I'm so grateful for a gifted team, but I'm far more grateful for our team chemistry. There is an amazing synergy. Love doing life and doing ministry with our staff and leaders @ NCC.

There is more energy and more excitement @ NCC than we've ever had. And we're dreaming bigger dreams. But it's not just vision in a vacuum. I think early in the life cycle of a church you have vision but there isn't much weight to it. Why? Because there isn't a track record. The more history you have the more vision you ought to have. Why? Because it's the faithfulness of God in the past that gives us faith for the future. God has delivered time and again at NCC. And it's our responsibility to keep dreaming God-sized dreams. In a nutshell, our team is maturing. I think the vision is maturing. I think we're maturing spiritually. There is a gravitas to the vision.

If our leadership retreat is any indication of what God is going to do in 2010, look out.

Annual Leadership Retreat

2010-01-29T13:08:00.001-05:00

About to hop a flight back to DC. I feel like I'm "getting out of Dodge" just in time. Greensboro is expecting a snow storm that could shut the city down. Had a great time speaking to and hanging out with The Anglican Mission in the Americas.

Gotta get back for our 2010 Annual leadership retreat. It kicks off tonight. One of the highlights of the year every year! High-octane energy. High-calorie snacks. Gonna be a Holy High!

This is when our vision-casting season begins. We cast vision to our small group and ministry leaders. Then we'll do a vision series in February. We've got some amazing miracles and big visions to talk about.

Uprising

2010-01-29T13:00:00.000-05:00

We don't have a ton of youth @ NCC because we're 70% twenty-somethings, but we've got a great youth group. Check out Uprising on Sunday, January 31st @ 6 PM @ Ebenezers Coffeehouse.

Least Expect it & Least Deserve It

2010-01-28T19:39:00.002-05:00

We have a core value at NCC: love people when they least expect it and least deserve. Go ahead and love people when they expect it and deserve, but that doesn't count for much. Buying someone a birthday gift or giving flowers on Valentine's Day is like breaking even. Why? Because it's expected and deserved.

If you really want to impact someone, love them when they have just made the biggest mistake of their life and they are surrounded by an angry mob with stones in their hands! Isn't that what Jesus did to the woman caught in the act of adultery? He loved her when she least expected it and least deserved it. That is the example we need to follow.

I want my life to be about loving people and blessing people when they least expect it because that is how God loves us. He comes out of nowhere and surprises us with His amazing grace!

Lion Chaser + Toms Shoes

2010-01-28T12:06:00.002-05:00

I couldn't not post this! Just got this picture. These are Tom's Shoes with the Lion Chasers manifesto written on them. Worn by Cubby Graham. Created by Hannah Moreno.

Now that is putting feet on your faith. Absolutely love it.

Bad Way To Start The Day

2010-01-28T10:45:00.002-05:00

For the first time in my life, I missed a flight. I died a thousand deaths waiting in the security line. They actually shut down the security line for what seemed like forever because only two lines were open for hundreds of people. One security person told me I could go to the front of the line so I did. Then another security person yelled at me, pulled me out of the line, and put me at the back of the line. Missed my flight by minutes.

Long story short, I owe Margaret Feinberg big time! She graciously switched sessions with me so I can speak tomorrow. Please buy two copies of every book she's ever written. On a serious note, she is one of my favorite writers!