Manic Monday Minute

Manic Monday Minute is a serious mind-dump that will probably take you one minute to read. Here are some thoughts going through my head right now...


  • Its the Manic Monday Minute - live from Ohio! .
  • This M (cubed) comes to you from the sticks in Ohio.
  • ...although I want to thank Jesus for the free Wifi here in the hotel.
  • We have a team of 27 here in Ohio building a church.
  • Yesterday we attended the church service. Felt like a 300 people crammed into a very small church made to hold 40
  • They desperately need the new church building... and we are excited to be a part of building it.
  • On the way to church we passed about 8 horse and buggies. Lots of amish people in these parts.
  • I wanted to take a detour and go to the Amish church... (as that is where the horse and buggies were headed) but my team would not let me.
  • Today was our first day on the job site. Everyone worked hard and did a great job.
  • We are here till Saturday. Please pray for our team this week as we minister.
  • I'm having some major allergy issues right now. Feel like my throat is closing up. Hope it gets better soon!
  • My neighbor gave me a free watermelon before I left. I brought that thing with me. Cut into it last night. It was prob the best watermelon I've ever had. No joke.
  • Some strange lady is trying to speak spanish on the phone beside me right now.
  • Currently listening to some tunes via my myspace page. I need to update that with some fresh new music. What would you recommend?
  • Lost some tweet peeps the other day at random. It was weird... but I got them back later.
  • Last night was so nice. I just sat by the pool and enjoyed the weather.
  • Looking forward to my return to South Carolina in a couple of weeks. Attending my cousin's wedding there and seeing my wonderful fam.
  • I'm beginning to feel like I'm on tour. It really has been that crazy this summer. Lots of traveling... but I've enjoyed it.
  • Next time I tour I want to make a stop on the west coast.
  • I'm excited about Vince Antonucci's latest announcement that he will be planting a church in Las Vegas on the strip.
  • Today is the birthday of one of my team members. Happy Birthday Nancy!
  • All our ministerial staff is here this week. We left the weekend services in the hands of our star volunteers. They rock!
  • Ok, I have to peace out. Lots to do here.

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  • Churches Need to Man Up

    This is not news to us. Guys are few in the pews...and we know it. USA Today just released an article on this growing problem concluding that churches overall are "fretting and sweating" to reel men into their sanctuaries.

    In fact, according to the research women are outnumbering men in attendance in every major Christian denomination, and they are 20% to 25% more likely to attend worship at least weekly.

    Although most pastors will admit that every soul matters and that guys are few in the pews, are they willing to "man up" and begin programming their churches in a way to attract men?

    Some churches are going the distance to reach men. 121 Community Church in Grapevine, Texas programs with dude's in mind...

    "No pastels. No flowers. No sweet music. No sit-with-your-hands-folded mood. Women are welcome, but the tone is intentionally 'guy church' for a reason," says Ross Sawyers, founder and pastor of 121.

    Several church plants have stated they program with men in mind. Revolution Church (Lead Pastor, Gary Lamb), Pine Ridge Church (Tadd Grandstaff) and Thomas Station Church (Tom McCoy) are among them. And who could forget the Church for Men?
    According to Dave Murrow, author of Why Men Hate Church, "The typical U.S. Congregation draws an adult crowd that’s 61% female, 39% male." This gap shows up in all age categories.

    So if we turn men off and the problem continues to grow how do we turn this thing around? Murrow suggests a few practical ways to change the environment in your church to become more man-friendly:

  • Stop sending signals that church is for women
  • Become students of men
  • Be Great, Courageous Leaders
  • Help men learn
  • Help men worship
  • Help men serve

    Ok... so you may feel overwhelmed and not know where you can begin. What about just ONE Sunday to get things rolling?

    The leadership at the Church for Men suggest that one way to begin would be to have a "Go for the Guys Sunday" They even provide a free resource with steps on how to implement from start to finish.

    Bottom line: today’s church needs to go back to the drawing board... and man-up.

    Click here to read the article in USA Today.

    Click here to read more on this topic from the Church for Men

    Click here for more details on the practical ways you can change the environment in your church to become more man-friendly.


    So I'm curious... what churches do you know that are man-friendly? What are your thoughts on today's church?

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  • 10 Ways a Church Can Show Students Love

    My boy, Josh Griffin, posted 10 things a church could do to show students love. I thought I'd share this with you.

    10. Give the student ministry the best room in the building to meet in.
    9. Don’t just tell them they are the future of the church, let them demonstrate it by giving some genuine leadership opportunities.
    8. Program your weekend services with the “under 30″ crowd in mind.
    7. Use a reference or illustration that intersect with their world.
    6. Consider messages applications to a student’s life, not just adults.
    5. Give them ownership of an entire weekend adult service.
    4. Invite a few of them into the planning/brainstorming meetings for adult events/services.
    3. Have some adult leadership show up to a youth service and join in.
    2. Celebrate the student mission projects and trips in the adults services.
    1. Let a student share a story/testimony in front of adults.

    What did he miss?

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    Son of Greg Laurie Tragically Killed



    Christopher Laurie, son of Pastor Greg Laurie and Cathe Laurie of the Harvest in Riverside, California, died this morning in a car accident. Christopher (33) served as the art director at the Harvest Christian Fellowship for the past three years.

    In addition to his parents, Christopher is survived by his wife, Brittany, and daughter, Stella, as well as his brother Jonathan. Christopher and his wife are expecting another daughter in November. Please pray for his family during this time.

    You may pass along condolences and thoughts for the Laurie family by posting a comment on pastor Greg's blog by clicking here.

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    If not you, then who?

    Tim Sanders shares a quick illustration on taking action in the world around you and doing the right thing.



    Even though his emphasis was geared to honoring those in service, we can apply the principle here of being quick to show the love of Jesus in practical ways daily.


    (ht: Tim Sanders)

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    Free Wifi at Starbucks

    Dear Starbucks,

    I’m sorry. I was about to send some hate mail to you because I thought it was ridiculous that you were charging $9.95 per day for internet access while other places of goodness were providing free wifi. Today I discovered that the wifi does flow like milk and honey (at least for two hours daily) in your great establishment. I will now share the good news with my friends so they can enjoy the benefits too.

    Sincerely,
    Terrace Crawford


    So here's how you enjoy the goodness...
  • Buy a Starbucks gift card.
  • Go to Starbucks.com to register it.
  • Click on Starbucks Card
  • Click Register now
  • Set up your Starbucks account
  • Complete the registration
  • Complete the free registration for a AT&T Wireless account
  • Enjoy the benefits.






    *You must have at least $5.00 loaded on your gift card at all times to enjoy the free wifi and the other blessed benefits indicated in this post.


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  • Communication is Key

    This is an incredible illustration offered by Mark Beeson on communication.



    (ht: Tim Stevens)

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    Manic Monday Minute

    Manic Monday Minute is a serious mind-dump that will probably take you one minute to read. Here are some thoughts going through my head right now...


  • Its the Manic Monday Minute - drama-filled!.
  • This M (cubed) comes to you back at home.
  • I'm glad to be back from Philly and looking forward to Ohio in just a few days!
  • Returned a rental today and had arranged for someone to pick me up.
  • They apparently were not listening to the details during the convo and did not arrive on time.
  • I was stranded for nearly an hour before starting to think I had been punk'd. Then arranged for a new ride.
  • It was a very frustrating morning for me, considering I've been busy for the past few weeks (traveling and coordinating camps or projects) and this was the first day back in the office and I had lots to do!
  • I was very frustrated. I tried to be graceful (considering this has happened before -- with the same person)... but its hard. Even though they aren't good with the follow-through I guess they deserve at least one cool point for offering.
  • Later I had a face to face convo with someone else recapping a situation that happened a few weeks ago.
  • It was drama everywhere I turned.
  • Ate at the cafeteria for lunch.
  • Good friend,Steve Bradshaw, spoke for us yesterday. It was great to see him and hear him preach again. Thanks Steve!
  • NBC broke the big news today on Leno's last day. It was announced earlier.
  • Jimmy Fallon will be taking the late, late night spot it appears.
  • Had a great time meeting lots of new friends last week in Philly. Several of them checking out the blog for the first time. Thanks for stopping by guys!
  • This and this is very cool.
  • Cannot WAIT to see The Dark Knight this week. Hoping to see it in the IMAX.
  • Ohio I'm coming your way on Saturday!
  • Will be working with a team in building a church there. Should be awesome!
  • Lots of new tweet peeps lately but some of them are spammers.
  • Planning a trip mid-August to the coast of South Carolina for a wedding. Would love to fly as I hate driving so much by myself. Tickets are so dang expensive.
  • Eating lunch with Tally Wilgis this week. We're hitting up a sweet wing place.
  • Someone asked me earlier today if I created a myspace as a publicity stunt. I thought that was pretty funny and responded "Yes!"
  • Had a couple of convos today with complete strangers who seemed to want to spill their guts on me. I love when that happens. Its such a God-thing I think. It is so true that people are spiritually hungry and in need.
  • Hope tomorrow is a better day.
  • How was your day?


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  • I never leave home without...

    What do you NEVER leave home without?

    "Ever since I was 18, I've read a chapter of Proverbs every day. I carry a real small bible-The New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. I'm a nut for organization."
    Mike Huckabee in People Magazine earlier this year.

    John Edwards- "My ipod. I love Dave Matthews and Bruce Springsteen. It's nice to have a little time to yourself."
    Mitt Romney- "A gallon-size bag of his wife's homeade oats-and-almond granola," and a Dora the Explorer bowl to remind him of this grandkids.
    Barack Obama- "A webcam" to keep in contact with his family.
    Hilary Clinton- "My blackberry."

    For me its definitely my cell phone, money for lunch and most recently my man bag.

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    You Tubesday

    Bible App on iPhone

    For all you iPhone users there is a new Bible App just for you, powered by YouVersion.com. Here’s a video that shows you the Bible App in action and points out a few key features:


    Announced by LifeChurch.tv here.

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    Manic Monday Minute

    Manic Monday Minute is a serious mind-dump that will probably take you one minute to read. Here are some thoughts going through my head right now...


  • Its the Manic Monday Minute - fresh from Philly.
  • This M (cubed) comes to you from the road...
  • I'm stoked about our work in Philly this week.
  • We have some sweet t-shirts I designed for the occasion.
  • I think I'm over my allergy probs. I'm so relieved.
  • Want to start a new book and can't decide what I should read. Any suggestions?
  • We had a great service yesterday.
  • We had communion and there were a few mess ups... which basically changed the mood from contemplative to entertaining.
  • We started the service in a very entertaining way with some beach balls, music and dancing. It was fun but unexpected for our folks, I'm sure.
  • Ate Cracker Barrel last night. Thats always good for me.
  • Glad to hear NewSpring had a good launch yesterday.
  • Someone trashed my car yesterday while I was in the evening service. I walked out to find trash on my car. I'll be fingerprinting later.
  • You should get one of these for your front yard.
  • Got up around 5am today. That is what I consider middle of the night.
  • Check out vids from WiBo posted by my friend ChurchyDave.
  • Looking forward to being in Ohio in just two weeks!
  • Anyone from Ohio reading this?
  • Praying for my friend, Tim Liu, who is speaking to the masses in Sweden. What a cool opportunity!
  • Can't believe I missed the premiere of Big Brother last night. I started watching that show last season and missed last night's premiere. Bummer.
  • Even though I've dropped a few pounds in the last few weeks I need to go hardcore! Its coming.
  • Still can't get over what Jesse Jackson said about Obama. That junk was funny... considering he forgot the mic was on! Rev. Jackson, there is no way to come back from that.
  • I'll be twittering updates live from Philly this week...
  • Crawford out!

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  • Indiana Jones Goes to Church

    LifeChurch.tv (Tulsa campus) is beginning their "At the Movies" series and turned their campus into the set of Indiana Jones. Here is a virtual tour...


    If you think they spent tons of money on this think again. Word has it they used recylced materials from past series, borrowed many items and found great deals at a few stores. Impressive.

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    I'm Running for President

    I've been sitting on the fence for too long. I've shared my frustration with the masses about how I'm uncertain of who I will vote for in this year's election - since Mike Huckabee is no longer in the race.

    I threw the random idea around to a few people about me running for President. Little did I know several people thought it would be funny to make it happen and the news has spread all over the internet. Now I'm doing interviews with press and everything! So I'm making it official... Crawford for President!


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    The Band I Never Booked

    Several years ago I was the director of para-church ministry in South Carolina called The Lighthouse. We saw thousands of teenagers come through our doors in the five years I was with their ministry.

    One of the highlights for me was signing the contract for bands to come play live at our center. I recall one particular day when I got a call from this band named "Need to Breathe," from Seneca, South Carolina who heard about our ministry and wanted to play for us.

    I turned them down. I think it was because of our busy schedule at the time... but I did turn them down. Since then they have been signed to a mainstream recording label, are rockstars for Jesus and have a song ("Washed by the Water") that is resonating with people everywhere -- rising to the top of the charts.

    Congratulations guys. I highly respect your work... your faith in Christ and I sincerely regret the day I turned you down.



    For more on this incredible band, click here.

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    The Check Box Factor

    I'm on the road a LOT this summer with different camps and mission experiences. Its fun but one thing I've noticed is that I have a tendency to get in the "check the box" mode. One camp down... three to go... type mode. It's that time where you have lots of things on your to-do list and you literally work your way through the list checking off item after item. This is not good.

    God desires that I be right here, right now. He wants and desires my full attention. When I get in this "check box" mode I often hear him saying softly "Don't miss this, Terrace." Sometimes I think I'm too busy to hear him. But when I do (hear him) it is then that I need to immediately abandon the check list... and follow his direction.

    I experienced this the other day at the post office. I had just returned from a week-long trip to a camp in South Carolina. I was running around town trying to check the boxes... this time literally checking the post office box. Upon coming out of the PO I was in a hurry and heard someone calling for help. I turned and this gentleman was calling for me (from his car) to help him. He asked if I could call his cellphone (as he had misplaced it). Upon dialing his digits he located the phone and then proceeded to get out of his car and began crying his eyes out! He immediately told me how he had lost his job and his wife in the same week and that it was a terrible time. Later he disclosed that he turned to alcohol for comfort and was severely depressed. Our discussion led to a time of prayer -- yes, right there in the parking lot. It was intense... but I would have missed it had I not abandoned the check list for what mattered most.

    I don't want to miss what God has in store for me. I imagine even as I travel this summer and are on the road for weeks at a time there will be MANY opportunities like this where I need to be "right here, right now" and catch where God is active... present... working and join him.

    Do you struggle with this? How do you deal with it?

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    Perry Noble Rocks Your Calling

    Whiteboard was an incredible event and if you missed it the DVDs are available now for purchase. Here is a little preview of Perry Noble speaking on your calling. It was intense (in a good way)!


    Perry Noble @ WIBO from Churchy Media on Vimeo


    Click here to visit the WhiteBoard DVD site.
    Click here for more on Perry Noble.

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    Manic Monday Minute

    Manic Monday Minute is a serious mind-dump that will probably take you one minute to read. Here are some thoughts going through my head right now...


  • Its the Manic Monday Minute - fresh from VA.
  • This M (cubed) comes to you from VA but next week it'll be coming to you from Philly. I'm on the road this summer!
  • Just finished a camp earlier today. Resting for a hot minute to catch my breath.
  • Having lunch tomorrow with Jason Bedell,Churchy Dave and Tally Wilgis and looking forward to it!
  • Just took a swig of Robitussin. Eww. I hate that stuff but I hate my occasional cough even more.
  • If I ever start coughing it seems to take weeks to vanish.
  • Can't wait to be in Philly next week.
  • My camp stop in South Carolina last week rocked. Had a great time with the kiddos!
  • I am scheduled for a root canal on Thursday. Not looking forward to THAT.
  • We had an excellent Celebration Service yesterday, celebrating our church's 18 year anniversary.
  • I was scheduled to sing a solo (yes, seriously) but had to back out because of my allergy issues over the weekend. The wildfires in NC and Chesapeake, VA aren't helping either.
  • Got a call from my good friend Michael Bayne on Thursday. Loved hearing from him.
  • I love when people call to say hello with no real agenda. It seems like people in our society today (including me) are now so busy there is always something they want or needwhen they call.
  • Chatted with Tim Schmoyer quite a bit via Twitter this weekend. Looks like he'll be in my area later this year. We are planning to meet-up.
  • My friend Dave announced yesterday that Whiteboard DVDs will be shipped today. I saw the finished product... and they are most excellent. You should order one.
  • Sorry to hear Revolution's equipment trailer was stolen this past week. The letter from the pastor, Gary Lamb, to the thieves is pretty hilarious.
  • Looks like a few of my feed readers bailed in the last three weeks. Sorry to see you go.
  • However, my tweet family is growing.
  • I posted my 1,000 update on Saturday.
  • I've got to unpack and have some serious laundry to do. Anyone want to serve? JK.
  • I need to join a gym soon.
  • Just read on Josh Griffin's blog that John Tesh wrote the SportsCenter theme. Who knew?!
  • See... the MMM is entertaining, yet educational and informative.
  • Ok... I've gotta peace out.

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  • Japanese Game Show

    Japanese game shows are so entertaining to watch. I saw this particular one online tonight and was in tears. What sets this game show apart is that its set in a library and contestants are tortured if they draw the incorrect card. This 9.5 minutes is worth it!


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    1,000th Update

    I posted my 1,000th tweet update today.

    Since I started using twitter I've been very pleased with how its helped me network with leaders all over the nation -- just like blogging -- although it frequently goes down. I update my twitter several times per day whether I'm in the office or out and about. If you want to follow me, click here.

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    Leadership Lesson # 108

    I'm currently on the road at a camp this week in South Carolina and I've been very impressed with the leadership again this summer. The director is especially impressive because he has kept every promise and his attention to detail has not gone unnoticed by me.

    I have a great appreciation for leaders who are good at the follow-through because I think one of my sweet spots lies in event planning and administration - which requires lots of attention to detail. I must admit; however, it took years to develop my skill-set and many failures on the job (details falling by wayside and many, many promises unkept) and I continue to learn and grow in this area to this day.

    The problem is that many leaders promise things and under-deliver. As leaders it is vital to over-deliver. I, too, am constantly stretched in this area. When I don't keep a promise I consider it personal failure because it can discredit my leadership. I understand nobody is perfect but a promise kept and the extra attention to detail goes a long way. I like what Tim Sanders said on the subject recently in a post about fixing broken promises:
    "One small broken promise can undermine your credibility with your troops, customers and friends. One way of reacting to this would be to stop promising anything. This, however, is a defensive strategy that will paint you as either noncomittal, wishy washy or unhelpful.


    Here's a much better strategy: Manage your promise keeping ratio. To do that, you need to record your promises as well as their due date and then later review your track record. I challenge you to take ten minutes today to come up with a list of the promises you made last week at work, including promise dates. Next, take a look at how you are doing against that list. Miss a promise date last week? Immediately make a priority to keep it and send a note apologizing for missing the promise date. Have a promise date coming up today or tomorrow? Meet it on time or early. This is a habit. The more you do this, the more you'll improve your promise keeping ratio. Get this ratio right and you'll have credibility on your side.
    "



    Leadership Lesson #108: Keep your promises (and fix broken ones!) and give personal attention to the details.
    Following this lesson learned will help you become a far better leader than you ever imagined.

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