I love "Behind the Scenes" stuff. If you want my attention just do a blog post, a TV-Show, a magazine article, etc... and I will be hooked! I've asked a few other people to do Behind the Scenes posts on their blogs, but I haven't ever done one myself so here's a look at my last 3 days of my life.
(Editor's Note: this isn't a 'normal' week... but it's a quick look at my week nonetheless))
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14Th
(7:00 AM) - Shower, Getting ready for the day, Reading, Packing Car (for travel to SC)
(9:00 AM) - Quick breakfast
(9:30 AM) - Travel to South Carolina (for memorial service - my aunt passed away)
(5:00 PM) - Early Dinner with extended family
(6:00 PM) - Wake
(3:30 PM) - Arrival in South Carolina
(7:00 PM) - Memorial Service
(8:00 PM) - Visiting with extended family
(9:00 PM) - Travel to Parent's home
(10:00 PM) - Fell asleep in recliner... long day!
(11:00 PM) - Woke up and worked on ChurchLeaders.com weekly Youth Leader's Newsletter
(12:00 AM) - Finalizing message for this weekend's service
(2:00 AM) - Sleepy time
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15Th
(8:00 AM) - Shower, Getting ready for the day, Reading, Packing Car (for travel to VA)
(10:00 AM) - On the road again!
(12:30 PM) - Lunch
(3:30 PM) - Arrival in Virginia
(4:00 PM) - Light house cleaning (final preparations for small group)
(5:00 PM) - Meeting with my Intern; working on direct mail piece
(7:00 PM) - Hosting guy's small group at my home
(9:00 PM) - Catching up on emails, etc; Working on ChurchLeaders.com; polishing future talk
(11:30 PM) - Sleepy time
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16Th
(7:00 AM) - Shower, Getting ready for the day, Reading
(8:00 AM) - Running errands
(9:00 AM) - Travel to Richmond, VA for Innovative Church Network meeting
(10:00 AM) - Hearing Mark Batterson speak
(12:30 PM) - Met Mark Batterson; Lunch
(1:00 PM) - Hearing Mark Batterson speak
(3:00 PM) - Travel home
(4:30 PM) - Checking emails, returning phone calls; working on couple of projects
(5:00 PM) - 1 on 1 Coaching with Youth Worker in CO; quick bite to eat
(6:00 PM) - Shower and getting ready for next meeting
(6:30 PM) - Travel to Norfolk, VA; phone call with family on road
(7:00 PM) - Meeting with Chancellor of Columbia International University
(8:30 PM) - Travel home
(9:00 PM) - Working on side project for consulting group
(9:30 PM) - Composing this blog post (hope you like =)
(10:0o PM) - Texting friends
(11:00 PM) - Sleepy time
If you decide to do a Behind the Scenes post on your blog make sure you comment here with a link! I'll read it... and point people to your blog through my twitter (@terracecrawford)!
Labels: behind the scenes, Creative, inside look, Personal, Youth Pastors, Youth workers
I recently visited Orange County, CA and enjoyed touring a few churches: Saddleback, Mariner's Church and Rock Harbor. My friend, Michael Bayne, and I had a great time getting to meet with some great friends while there: Kurt Johnston, Doug Fields, Josh Griffin, Jared Kirkwood and Matt McGill, among others. I had so much fun and learned a lot! Here are a number of snapshots from my iPhone:
Labels: Personal, Youth Pastors, Youth workers
This Blogger Has Evacuated - Temporarily
1 Comments Published by Terrace Crawford on 8/26/11 at 3:39 PM.
Hurricane Irene (currently Category 2 storm) is scheduled to make landfall tomorrow off the coast of North Carolina. This 600-mile wide storm is headed straight for my area. I've been a bit preoccupied this week in prep for #Irene and hope she decides to take a hike... east. For now, it doesn't look too favorable for us. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers over the next few days. I'll be back soon, here on the blog - Lord willing.
My friend, Freddy Villarreal (a local pastor) decided to warn folks in our area with the church marquee. Check out his message to those who pass by his church:
Follow me on twitter (@terracecrawford) for updates during #HurricaneIrene.
RSS Subscribers: there is video [here]
My friend, Freddy Villarreal (a local pastor) decided to warn folks in our area with the church marquee. Check out his message to those who pass by his church:Labels: Personal
I enjoy interviewing other leaders. I learn so much from them each time I spend a little time asking them question after question. 
I was amazed at Leslie's story as she shared with me. One of the things she shared was how much she wanted to be on the show. In fact, she tried out 11 times! Upon finally getting the attention of producers and being accepted as a contestant, she (along with the other castaways) were informed that they were not to jeopardize CBS' presence in the country. It was difficult for the show to get the opportunity to tape in China and if anyone jeopardized that relationship they would immediately be sent home! So when Leslie walked out of the Buddhist ceremony it was a HUGE deal for her. She just knew she would be sent packing. However, the producers continued to roll tape and include it in the show.
In reflecting on the people that I interviewed last year, it was easy for me to choose the one person I enjoyed chatting with most: Leslie Nease.
Leslie is most well known for her stint on the long running reality show, Survivor. She was a contestant on Survivor: China. And boy, was she memorable. In the premiere episode of that season the contestants were asked to march right up to a Buddhist temple for a "ceremony." Jeff Probst, the show's host, told the contestants that they would be participating in a ceremony and then tried to reassure contestants (especially those with different beliefs) that it was not "a worship service." The contestants walked into the temple and were asked to bow before Buddha.
What happened next was remarkable. Leslie walked out of the ceremony [video here]. She was later confronted on camera by Probst as to why she walked out and she stated "I'm sorry, it felt like worship to me... and the only person I will put my face to the floor for is Jesus Christ." WOW!
This past summer I felt led to speak from the book of Daniel, particularly on how you can maintain your faith in a culture filled with sin. When prepping for the message I felt God bringing to my mind this episode of Survivor... and Leslie's example. Within a few hours I was talking with Leslie about her experience and would later include her story in my talk.
I was amazed at Leslie's story as she shared with me. One of the things she shared was how much she wanted to be on the show. In fact, she tried out 11 times! Upon finally getting the attention of producers and being accepted as a contestant, she (along with the other castaways) were informed that they were not to jeopardize CBS' presence in the country. It was difficult for the show to get the opportunity to tape in China and if anyone jeopardized that relationship they would immediately be sent home! So when Leslie walked out of the Buddhist ceremony it was a HUGE deal for her. She just knew she would be sent packing. However, the producers continued to roll tape and include it in the show.Since being voted off the show, Nease has established a ministry where she travels around the country to share her faith with others. She is one of the most inspiring people I have met in a while and was a huge encouragement to me this past year through my own Daniel experience.
This is why I have named her my favorite interviewee of 2010.
I highly encourage you to use Leslie's story when you are speaking about faith or courage to your audience -- or even book her to speak to your audience for you!
Thank you, Leslie, for your incredible example of faith.
Editors Note: By the way, Leslie & I found out during our chat together that our worlds weren't too far apart after all. We both worked for sister radio stations a few years ago (small world!). Labels: Celebrities, Creative, Issues, Leadership, Personal, Youth Pastors
So, I've been laying low lately here on the blog. Here's why...
I woke up on the morning of May 21st all excited because I knew that I would spend the day with other like-minded people at a leadership conference in Virginia Beach. I had no agenda that day other than just the normal networking... and high hopes of receiving some insights that might help me in my ministry and my personal life too.
Upon leaving the conference I phoned a dear friend, a church leader, and told him how much I learned from speakers Perry Noble, James McDonald, Al Mohler, and Jonathan Falwell, just to name a few. Then I realized I had to stop by and visit with a student. I knew he would be moving the next day out of the state and I wanted to see him off.
A few hours later I headed home and thought I'd make a quick phone call to my mother. I approached the intersection just down the street from my neighborhood. No one else was there. When the light turned green I turned left and within a couple hundred yards took a right into the entrance of my neighborhood. Suddenly I heard a siren. I looked in my rearview mirror but didn't see anything. So I continued ahead and before approaching the next stop sign I noticed lights in the distance. Still thinking nothing of it I took a left onto the road that I live on and immediately came up on a lady walking her dog. Just after passing by her I looked again in my mirror and saw the sheriff cruising up behind me so I quickly pulled over on the grass to get out of his way. Little did I know that he was in pursuit of me. "Mom, I uh... am being stopped for some reason. I have to go now."
Within a split second the officer ordered me out of the car and onto the ground. Before I knew it I was in handcuffs! I had no clue what this was in regards to. I immediately began getting questioned by the officer and remember being completely freaked out because I was in cuffs with no clue as to why I was being yelled at. The sheriff began to tell me that he witnessed me do a "burnout" at a traffic light and that I fled from him once he began to pursue me. Within a few moments two other officers came on the scene. Once out of their cars one of the officers began instigating the entire thing affirming that he "could still smell the tires."
After a few more minutes had passed the sheriff who stopped me stated that I would probably go to jail and then asked me to sit in the car. An eternity seemed to pass before he came to speak with me. A little while later he came up to my car and said, "Mr. Crawford, I'm not going to take you to jail, but if it were up to my partners I would. Instead, I'm writing you a citation for reckless driving." Nearly speechless I drove the rest of the way home and called my mother back to explain why I had to hang up the phone so suddenly.
I ended up getting a lawyer to represent me in court. That's what you do when you face reckless driving charges - or so I've heard. I have a spotless driving record... so I've never dealt with anything like this before. I also decided to have a character witness stand with me in court because I learned that the officer's cruiser was not equipped with a dashboard camera and it would be a case of his word vs. mine.
My trial date kept getting postponed because of one thing or another so several months passed. In September we went to trial and things did not turn out so well. The sheriff shared his recollection of events that happened and then I shared my version. They were COMPLETELY different stories. It was obvious to me standing in the court room that day that this officer had been in pursuit of someone else and somehow mistook me for them.
After hearing the case the Judge declared that I was guilty(what happened to innocent until proven guilty???). He then fined me and suspended my license for 6 months. My lawyer asked the judge to consider my driving record and after looking over my record he then stated that my license would be restricted for 6 months.
We decided to appeal.
So now the stakes would be higher.
More money spent in legal fees for something I did not do.
My faith has been tested. Oh yes, tested.
I've questioned why all of this has happened to me.
As I have reflected on the events of that day I remember the thing that stood out most to me was one of the speakers talking about the faith of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego as they were made to walk into a furnace that had been turned up 7 times hotter than usual.
Is this my furnace? I've often asked.
I've asked God for some comfort... and I believe he's given me that. On December 2nd I was traveling to South Carolina. I found myself behind a Ford Explorer on I-95 and written across the rear windshield in window chalk -- in GIGANTIC LETTERS -- was the scripture reference PSALM 64. Soon I found a Bible (NIV translation) and read God's Word about my situation. Trust me... there's no denying that it was meant for me. Read it. Thank you, Jesus.
I started praying for God to work in my behalf.
The Lord had been encouraging me, I felt, to wait on Him. To allow Him to be my defender.
Then, when I thought things couldn't get crazier, they did!
Within a couple of days my lawyer called me. He told me that someone contacted the sheriff's department and told them that I had preached a sermon on "police brutality" at my church.
What?!?
This did not happen.
I had only shared with my church the fact that I was going throught the situation and was having to rely upon my faith to make wise decisions. I was then asked by my lawyer to not share any further details until the case was over.
On December 14th, 2010 I went to court. In short, the judge ended up finding me guilty but I was glad I was able to stand before his court (with integrity) and state "Your honor, in my heart I did not do this... but I understand the officer feels I am in error and I have to respect his judgement and your authority."
At the end of the day I walked away being charged with a hefty fine but I was grateful to have it all over with... and know that I had not lost my integrity through it all.
I woke up on the morning of May 21st all excited because I knew that I would spend the day with other like-minded people at a leadership conference in Virginia Beach. I had no agenda that day other than just the normal networking... and high hopes of receiving some insights that might help me in my ministry and my personal life too.
Upon leaving the conference I phoned a dear friend, a church leader, and told him how much I learned from speakers Perry Noble, James McDonald, Al Mohler, and Jonathan Falwell, just to name a few. Then I realized I had to stop by and visit with a student. I knew he would be moving the next day out of the state and I wanted to see him off.
A few hours later I headed home and thought I'd make a quick phone call to my mother. I approached the intersection just down the street from my neighborhood. No one else was there. When the light turned green I turned left and within a couple hundred yards took a right into the entrance of my neighborhood. Suddenly I heard a siren. I looked in my rearview mirror but didn't see anything. So I continued ahead and before approaching the next stop sign I noticed lights in the distance. Still thinking nothing of it I took a left onto the road that I live on and immediately came up on a lady walking her dog. Just after passing by her I looked again in my mirror and saw the sheriff cruising up behind me so I quickly pulled over on the grass to get out of his way. Little did I know that he was in pursuit of me. "Mom, I uh... am being stopped for some reason. I have to go now."
Within a split second the officer ordered me out of the car and onto the ground. Before I knew it I was in handcuffs! I had no clue what this was in regards to. I immediately began getting questioned by the officer and remember being completely freaked out because I was in cuffs with no clue as to why I was being yelled at. The sheriff began to tell me that he witnessed me do a "burnout" at a traffic light and that I fled from him once he began to pursue me. Within a few moments two other officers came on the scene. Once out of their cars one of the officers began instigating the entire thing affirming that he "could still smell the tires."
After a few more minutes had passed the sheriff who stopped me stated that I would probably go to jail and then asked me to sit in the car. An eternity seemed to pass before he came to speak with me. A little while later he came up to my car and said, "Mr. Crawford, I'm not going to take you to jail, but if it were up to my partners I would. Instead, I'm writing you a citation for reckless driving." Nearly speechless I drove the rest of the way home and called my mother back to explain why I had to hang up the phone so suddenly.
I ended up getting a lawyer to represent me in court. That's what you do when you face reckless driving charges - or so I've heard. I have a spotless driving record... so I've never dealt with anything like this before. I also decided to have a character witness stand with me in court because I learned that the officer's cruiser was not equipped with a dashboard camera and it would be a case of his word vs. mine.
My trial date kept getting postponed because of one thing or another so several months passed. In September we went to trial and things did not turn out so well. The sheriff shared his recollection of events that happened and then I shared my version. They were COMPLETELY different stories. It was obvious to me standing in the court room that day that this officer had been in pursuit of someone else and somehow mistook me for them.
After hearing the case the Judge declared that I was guilty(what happened to innocent until proven guilty???). He then fined me and suspended my license for 6 months. My lawyer asked the judge to consider my driving record and after looking over my record he then stated that my license would be restricted for 6 months.
We decided to appeal.
So now the stakes would be higher.
More money spent in legal fees for something I did not do.
My faith has been tested. Oh yes, tested.
I've questioned why all of this has happened to me.
As I have reflected on the events of that day I remember the thing that stood out most to me was one of the speakers talking about the faith of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego as they were made to walk into a furnace that had been turned up 7 times hotter than usual.
Is this my furnace? I've often asked.
I've asked God for some comfort... and I believe he's given me that. On December 2nd I was traveling to South Carolina. I found myself behind a Ford Explorer on I-95 and written across the rear windshield in window chalk -- in GIGANTIC LETTERS -- was the scripture reference PSALM 64. Soon I found a Bible (NIV translation) and read God's Word about my situation. Trust me... there's no denying that it was meant for me. Read it. Thank you, Jesus.
I started praying for God to work in my behalf.
The Lord had been encouraging me, I felt, to wait on Him. To allow Him to be my defender.
Then, when I thought things couldn't get crazier, they did!
Within a couple of days my lawyer called me. He told me that someone contacted the sheriff's department and told them that I had preached a sermon on "police brutality" at my church.
What?!?
This did not happen.
I had only shared with my church the fact that I was going throught the situation and was having to rely upon my faith to make wise decisions. I was then asked by my lawyer to not share any further details until the case was over.
On December 14th, 2010 I went to court. In short, the judge ended up finding me guilty but I was glad I was able to stand before his court (with integrity) and state "Your honor, in my heart I did not do this... but I understand the officer feels I am in error and I have to respect his judgement and your authority."
At the end of the day I walked away being charged with a hefty fine but I was grateful to have it all over with... and know that I had not lost my integrity through it all.
Labels: Personal
Give The Gift of SAFE WATER For My Birthday!
1 Comments Published by Terrace Crawford on 11/30/10 at 11:17 PM.
I'm celebrating my 33rd Birthday today! For my big day I'm asking for something unusual. If you're considering giving me something of monetary value would you give me WATER please? There is a SAFE WATER crisis.
People are literally dying because they don't have safe water to drink.
Scores of lives are at stake.
The reality is that it takes very little to solve the problem.
So I'm partnering with Water Missions International to solve this problem and I want YOUR help.
Did you know that if you donate just $10.00 you can provide safe drinking water for one person who needs it? That is ONE life spared!!!
So please, go [here]. Make a donation. Then come back and feel free to leave a comment to let me know you've given the gift of safe water. Thanks for celebrating my BIG day with me.
--
Labels: Personal, Social Justice
On November 1st I may be put in jail... unless I can raise enough bail from family and friends to keep me out.
I currently have the privilege of serving on the board of directors of Recovery for Life. This ministry is a faith-based program designed to help people with addictions. People with drug & alcohol, sex, and even food addictions, among many others, have found hope and healing through this organization. I have witnessed the life-change firsthand.
Two years ago I spent an entire summer serving in their program for teens. Yes, they even have programs for teens (and children!) to teach them how to cope and break the cycle. It's a remarkable ministry... doing a remarkable work... but it takes money to keep a ministry like this going. So the board of directors (which includes yours truly!) may be jailed if we don't raise enough funds (individually) by November 1st - which by my calendar is this Monday! (Yikes)
Would you consider giving $10, $2o or even $50 to help me post bail? Not only will you make me happy but you will literally make a difference in hundreds of lives. If you can contribute at this time, please drop me an email with your pledge amount and I'll get an invoice to you. Otherwise, make an instant impact on the secure website [here] - just indicate my name when you donate. All the funds raised (bail money) will go to the charity, Recovery for Life.
Feel free to leave a comment on this post with the amount of your pledge (unless you'd like to remain anonymous) so I can thank you also!
On behalf of the board of Recovery for Life, we thank you for your support and generosity!
*Please note* This is a fundraiser for the ministry of Recovery for Life.
I'm constantly thinking about my future. And sometimes I am overcome by fear. Often I share the same fear Tony does, that I'm just spinning my wheels in directions that don't really matter. Can you relate? Holla if you hear me.
One thing is for sure: I want my life to count... and I want a clear vision of how my life can best be used up for God's purposes.
Craig Groeschel and the great folks at LifeChurch.tv have created the Chazown experience.
It's a website that will help you look at your life and process through your experiences, strengths, and gifts in a way that will help you get a clearer picture of what the vision of your life should be.
So, today I'm going to log-on and start going through this process. I'll answer questions, spend time in prayer, dream, and complete the program. Hopefully in the end I'll have a better picture of things and I can start to put skin on my next steps. Anyone game to join me?
Labels: Church, Creative, Hot Topics, Issues, Leadership, Personal, Resources, Youth Pastors
Ok -- so I'm single. I'll put that out there. One of the things I don't like about being single is that you have people playing matchmaker with you.
Farmers Only - I may have grown up in farmer's territory, but I don't care to date one. Shoot, I don't even play Farmville on Facebook.
... and last, but not least, Women Behind Bars - a great place to connect with those incarcerated.
Some have suggested I try internet dating sites. You know, eHarmony... Match.com... and so forth. Even though I know a few people (personally) that these have worked well for, I'm just not so sure its for me.
I ran across a few other dating sites in the past week though that I can pretty safely say you'll never find me on. Check these out:
Purrsonals - a site where you can meet and greet other cat lovers. I'm known for my sparkling personality... not my purrsonality.
Farmers Only - I may have grown up in farmer's territory, but I don't care to date one. Shoot, I don't even play Farmville on Facebook.
... and last, but not least, Women Behind Bars - a great place to connect with those incarcerated.
Labels: Personal, Straight Up Funny
I'm Joining the Team @ ChurchLeaders.com
14 Comments Published by Terrace Crawford on 8/20/10 at 7:30 AM.
It's official.
I've been asked to join the amazing team at ChurchLeaders.com.
Just days ago I told you about the new site for church leaders, and after several weeks of conversations & prayer with the management team I've been hired as the very first channel editor.
My role at ChurchLeaders.com will be giving oversight to the Youth Ministry channel and I'll be working along with the amazing senior editorial team to help deliver the best content on the web to you. I am deeply honored (and humbled) and couldn't be happier about this new opportunity.
My passion for helping resource & encourage leaders, particularly youth workers, has been growing for years and this is one way I feel I can contribute to the Kingdom in a tangible way. I'll be periodically pointing you to the site from my blog and will continue to share more exciting news with you along the way.
I'm very excited to see what other opportunities God has in store. I would especially like to thank my dear friends, family, and ministry partners for your amazing support over the last few months as I've sought direction for my next steps.
**Update**
This is a part-time role. I am still on staff with Crossroads in a part-time role. I will also continue my intinerant speaking ministry.
I've been asked to join the amazing team at ChurchLeaders.com.
Just days ago I told you about the new site for church leaders, and after several weeks of conversations & prayer with the management team I've been hired as the very first channel editor.
My role at ChurchLeaders.com will be giving oversight to the Youth Ministry channel and I'll be working along with the amazing senior editorial team to help deliver the best content on the web to you. I am deeply honored (and humbled) and couldn't be happier about this new opportunity.
My passion for helping resource & encourage leaders, particularly youth workers, has been growing for years and this is one way I feel I can contribute to the Kingdom in a tangible way. I'll be periodically pointing you to the site from my blog and will continue to share more exciting news with you along the way.
I'm very excited to see what other opportunities God has in store. I would especially like to thank my dear friends, family, and ministry partners for your amazing support over the last few months as I've sought direction for my next steps.
**Update**
This is a part-time role. I am still on staff with Crossroads in a part-time role. I will also continue my intinerant speaking ministry.
Labels: Leadership, Personal, Resources, Youth Pastors, Youth workers
Someone asked me last week if I had ever GOOGLED my name? So I did. Here's what I found...
Labels: Communicating, Personal, Resources, social media
Our team has been preparing for this experience for months on end now and we've been raising funds to help our team get there; however, we are falling short. I am personally trying to raise $1,000 dollars this week to help us meet our goal. Would you consider helping me? Any donation would be appreciated.
This week (until Friday at 5:00PM EST) I am designating all funds that come through TerraceCrawford.com for this mission. That means, any donation made through PayPal (through the donation link in the sidebar of this site) until 5PM Friday will be marked and used for this Mission.
God has been faithfully meeting my personal needs and I'm trusting Him to meet this financial need too. If you would like to give a gift by mail, please email me. If you cannot give at this time would you consider blogging, tweeting or linking to this via Facebook? I'd be so appreciative of any support you give our team. Thanks most importantly for your prayers.
Labels: Personal, Social Justice, Youth Pastors
This week I'm speaking at a camp in the beautiful mountains of Southwest Virginia. I'll be laying low and trying to unplug as much as possible to clear my head and enjoy spending time with the one person who loves me more than I will ever understand.Labels: Personal, Youth Pastors
I asked myself this question today. Sorry, I'm human. I have faith... but occasionally have doubts too. So tonight I found myself doubting... and finding it hard to trust that God really will provide and that He really will direct my next steps.
I never knew that when I wrote this post it would strike such a chord with folks. I began getting inundated with emails and tweets from leaders all over the country who are losing their jobs or facing pay cuts. It is for YOU that I write these honest thoughts... this encouragement for the journey... because you, like me, may be faced with the same question - or the same doubt - does HE have my back? YES HE DOES.
Labels: Personal
For months now many churches have had to cut expenses due to the economy. Our church is no different. We've curtailed spending in every way possible and have tried to maintain the level of ministry we had before but its been difficult. In fact, I've operated on zero budget since I walked in the door.
Though our church is growing, we are still falling short and have taken some pretty painful measures to help matters. In February our staff took paycuts. In April we said goodbye to our worship pastor. And now, my position is being cut to part-time status.
I'm literally hours away from feeling the financial burden of going from full-time to part-time. I share this news with you because my faith is being tested and honestly, I'd appreciate your prayers & support. I need it now more than ever.
I've spent countless hours seeking direction and I don't have one doubt God will provide for my needs, but in the words Mr. Schneebly from The School of Rock, "the legend of the rent is way hardcore."
To that end, I am accepting speaking and consulting engagements this summer to help relieve some of the burden (and do something I enjoy) as my schedule will allow and would appreciate any further prayers or financial support you might offer me during this difficult season.
If you'd like to offer a financial gift at this time, please feel free to use the donation link in the side-bar of my site (or see the address below). Otherwise, I'd welcome inquiries about speaking or consulting. Following are dates I'm currently accepting bookings for:
June 23-26:
June 30-03:
July 04-10:: Youth Camp Speaker, Goshen VA
July 14-17:
July 19-24: Mission Camp, Philadelphia, PA
July 28-31:
August 04-07:
August 11-14:
August 25-28:
Thank you so much for your support. My faith has been tested more this year than ever before... and this is yet another round of it. I can't wait to see what God does!
For speaking or consulting inquiries, [email me]
To sign up for my personal newsletter, go [here]
Though our church is growing, we are still falling short and have taken some pretty painful measures to help matters. In February our staff took paycuts. In April we said goodbye to our worship pastor. And now, my position is being cut to part-time status.
I'm literally hours away from feeling the financial burden of going from full-time to part-time. I share this news with you because my faith is being tested and honestly, I'd appreciate your prayers & support. I need it now more than ever.
I've spent countless hours seeking direction and I don't have one doubt God will provide for my needs, but in the words Mr. Schneebly from The School of Rock, "the legend of the rent is way hardcore."
To that end, I am accepting speaking and consulting engagements this summer to help relieve some of the burden (and do something I enjoy) as my schedule will allow and would appreciate any further prayers or financial support you might offer me during this difficult season.
If you'd like to offer a financial gift at this time, please feel free to use the donation link in the side-bar of my site (or see the address below). Otherwise, I'd welcome inquiries about speaking or consulting. Following are dates I'm currently accepting bookings for:
June 23-26:
June 30-03:
July 04-10:: Youth Camp Speaker, Goshen VA
July 14-17:
July 19-24: Mission Camp, Philadelphia, PA
July 28-31:
August 04-07:
August 11-14:
August 25-28:
Thank you so much for your support. My faith has been tested more this year than ever before... and this is yet another round of it. I can't wait to see what God does!
For speaking or consulting inquiries, [email me]
To sign up for my personal newsletter, go [here]
Financial gifts or correspondence may be mailed to my attention: PO Box 2461, Yorktown, VA 23692
Thanks to all my friends who have tweeted or blogged about this.
Your support is invaluable.
Labels: Personal, Resources, Youth Pastors
sometimes i want to... GIVE UP on people. I constantly ask myself "WHY EVEN BOTHER ANYMORE?!" i say to myself "IS IT REALLY WORTH ALL THIS FRUSTRATION?" know what i mean? but God LOVES them. God LOVES me. it is WORTH it. HE is WORTH it. and He won't let me GIVE UP on them.
Some of my raw thoughts shared on [Facebook] today.
Labels: Personal
Years ago I created a personal newsletter and used it frequently to communicate news & prayer requests that I might not otherwise broadcast via my site. The list has grown to the hundreds over the years but has been in desperate need of some clean-up and a relaunch. I decided to bite the bullet and act now... so I now present to you "LifeLine."
If you'd like to sign-up to receive personal news from yours truly, click [here]
Labels: Personal
Last week our staff attended an innovative network meeting in Richmond, VA. The theme was "Miserable Ministry." Specifically, miserable ministry jobs. The speaker at the meeting was discussing Patrick Lencioni's book "Three Signs of a Miserable Job" and helped us evaluate the working environments we are responsible for.
Here are the 3 signs of a miserable job mentioned in the book that he highlighted during his presentation:
- Anonymity - Your staff may get this feeling if they feel that you don't care about them. Do you show an interest in your staff members? Do you know what their hobbies are? Their aspirations or interest? I can really relate to this. I've had several managers over the years that I felt did not take an interest in me at all. I often found myself working half-heartedly for them, which ended up making the environment miserable for all parties.
- Irrelevance - It is important for your staff to see that the work they do is making a difference in the lives of others. Are you helping them see the connection? Whether it is a custodian or the frontman for your worship band, every staff member should see how the work they do directly impacts others. The speaker (a pastor) told us he shared a story with the parking lot attendant of how someone came to Christ in their ministry and how he reminded the staffer (the attendant) that if they weren't helping guests find parking spots the person might not have made a decision that day.
- Immeasurement - Every employee should have the ability to assess for themselves their contribution or success. If your staffer has no way of measuring how well they are doing on a given day or week, they must rely on the subjective opinion of others, usually their manager, to gauge their progress or contribution. Measuring success purely by the numbers is a big #FAIL. A good manager must help his\her staff measure the little things that make the difference. From counting smiles to positive feedback comments on surveys, leaders should be looking for ways to help staffers measure improvement & ultimately knowing when their job is well done.
This presentation was really valuable to me and will help me become a better leader. If you want to check the book out on Amazon, go [here].
Labels: Books, Church, Issues, Leadership, Personal
I'm a bit of a drinker. I can't seem to break the addiction of sodas. (No, not alcohol silly!) My favorite soda of choice is Coca-Cola. It's like a deep-burn going down... which I'm sure does a body good.I've made verbal commitments to myself to quit...
It's been one of my new year's resolutions for years...
... but I look at my delicious soda and say "I can't quit you!"
Until now.
I've found a new product at Walmart that I love. It's Clear, Sparkling, Key Lime Water. I hate regular tap water... and I've tried flavored water before but I've never (repeat, NEVER) liked them. Perhaps I like this because of the carbonated water? A little Aspartame? (yea, we'll get to that in a second...) Regardless, it's GOOD. It reminds me of a Sprite... but better. I found a bottle of it in our kitchen at church and drank some and then went to Walmart and bought five 2-liter bottles of it! (By the way, whoever left that bottle in the kitchen I probably owe you lunch.)
I was a little sad to see it contained Aspartame. It was like a beautiful letdown because I've heard all the negative hype over it. I've even started researching the sweetner online and have read the 92 dangerous adverse reactions it could have on your body. I'm not convinced it's that bad... but I'm willing to drink it until my doctor says that I should stop. At least for now it has caused a MAJOR decrease in my soda intake.
So, here's to a leaner, trimmer bod! By the way, I've made a few other changes to my diet and lifestyle that I'm really digging right now. I'll share those in future posts.
Any new finds that you might recommend to me?
Labels: Health and Wellness, Personal
