Sunday, July 12, we are MOVING! For ONE Sunday anyway. We are closing out Oneprayer with a message titled God is MOVING and we are going to PARTY on our new Property!
Im pumped about this opportunity. Make your plans to be there. We are going to COMBINE into ONE Service at 10:00. We’ll have a great time of worship and we’ll see where we are heading as a church.
Trust me - you dont want to miss the Party on the Property! Wear your shorts. It’ll be hot but we’ll have some stuff to cool you down!
Ever go to a Church conference and come back and inspired but feeling like “that was way cool but I cant do that because….”
…we dont have the money they have
…we dont have the people they have
…we dont have the facility they have
…we dont have the resources they have
…we dont have the _________
Well guess what - we dont have it either. We never did. Crosspoint started in a living room with 6 adults in 2002. It took 5 years to grow to about 100 people. We moved into a theater in 2007 and I quit my full time job to pastor the church and we relaunched with 170 people.
6 months later we were down to 93 people and I was recovering from my second surgery after my colon ruptured. I wanted to quit. I wanted to throw in the towel. I wanted to give up. I was broke, my church wasn’t doing what I had hoped, and I nearly died.
So I quit pastoring full time and went back to work. I figured if the church tanked having a job was a good “Plan B”. I worked 60 hour weeks traveling 50-75% of the time. I told my part time “Staff” they would have to do all the work and I would preach on Sunday. In less than 18 months we grew to over 400 in attendance with an all time high of 580 people!
How you ask? I’ll tell you - on Tuesday, July 7 at our Non-Conference for Nobodies with TheSticks Founder, Pastor Charles Hill.
This is a round table for pastors and their teams. There are NO big name speakers. There are NO flashy stage performances. And there is NO PRICE. Thats right this is absolutely free!!!
We want to share what God is doing with as many who can make it to Decatur Alabama on 7/7. Consider it your lucky day!. Check out more details on TheSticks Blog and then email (info at moviechurch dot tv) to get set up. We’ll feed your tummy well and feed your spirit and hopefully encourage you and give you some thing that will show you how you can be effective in any situation. We’ll even find a place for you to crash if you cant afford the hotel bill.
What’s the catch you ask? I just need to know you are coming by Friday 7/3.
If the first 27 years are any indication of how great my life is with Dana as my bride - then I can’t wait to see what the next 27 hold. I feel like I won the marriage lottery. Thank you Dana for loving me, for being a great wife, an incredible mother to Lara and Jordan and the sexiest grandmother alive! Enjoy the Remix of the video I made a couple years ago!
Kicked off OnePrayer today with Craig Groeshel from Lifechurch.tv. I think since it was his idea its a great way to honor him and it was a great message -God Is LOVE.
We had TONS of technical issues today! We almost had to worship in the dark or with fluorescent lights. On stage video monitor didnt work. Our triple head projector had brain damage. But our team pulled it together and we made some things work but it was crazy the kinds of problems we had.
In spite of us working and worrying, God showed up and several gave their lives to Christ!
Amazing to hear people interact with a video - they laughed, they felt the weight of the heavy parts, they raised their hands when asked, they clapped - video teaching works and one day we’ll be muli-site too with video!
My Good friend Darren Plummer came to seem me today. One of the must humble guys I know! He’s very encouraging to me and knows everyone!
We ran out of seats in the second service today and its June! Hello! We need 40 people to move to the early service! Seriously! Its better and it gets out earlier!
I think we had 25-30 first time guests today. Are you kidding? One family brought 13 people!
Someone from Florida was in Alabama and heard a Preacher from Oklahoma on a recorded video seen all over the world at different times and weeks and gave their life to Jesus of Nazareth today. Does that jack your mind up about how God is moving?
Friday is my 27th Anniversary. Same night as the next cage fight! There was a guy at church today who was a cage fighter. I think I could take him - with a gun - but I dont think i’ll get to see him fight this week.
Taking my bride to Cozumel Mexico next Monday - her favorite place on the planet. I will be under the ocean part of the time. She’ll be on the sand. When we come back people will think we are an inter-racial couple. I’ll be red, she’ll be black.
Pray for me. I have developed TMJ and the last month my jaws feel like they have nails driving through them! I can barely open my mouth today. I need some time off stage to get this fixed. I see a specialist this week!
Met with two lifegroups this past week about The House of Rock - (thats what I call our new facility) and had some great questions. Meet with two more this week. Love sharing the vision and what and why. Big vision takes big money and I love the way people are diving in.
Great question from last week “How do I give my money? Do I write two checks or what?”
My answer - two works, or write on the memo line “House of Rock” - or you can give online and designate general offering or building fund.
It’s going to take $500K to do this right but God aint broke and he chose US for this AMAZING gift! Lets all be good stewards and listen to the voice of God and get this thing done!
Can’t wait for OnePrayer next week. God is MOVING!
This morning on Twitter I started posting some things about our early church experience at Crosspoint begining with Remember When….
remember when we had service in the hotel and the band got up to lead worship and the only people left were me and jack the sound guy?
remember when we got a new guy 2 join our worship team & he was so self concious he brought a guitar w/no pick ups so no one would hear him?
remember our first public service when 45 people came? and the next week we were back in the 20’s?
remember when we found a small building to rent for $2300+utilities and our offerings were $2000 and we rented it anyway?
So let’s continue
Remember how 35 people looked in the pews in that building?
Remember when we didn’t have any money so we all bought chairs for our family and one for our friends?
Remember when THIS was our Light Controller?
Remember the time I tried to use a microwave as an illustration but it had a pressurized can of PAM or something in it and I blew it up in the service?
Remember that time I tried to hire a children’s pastor. The only person who fit the bill was some lady that was sort of interested but actually needed to get paid so she moved to a church in Kentucky….
Remember how crappy great the stage looked after we painted it and got some lights?
Remember when we we had this crazy idea to move to the theater because we were stuck at 120 people and the building sucked?
Remember when we said we’d need $35,000 to make the move and we raised $17K in cash and pledges?
Remember when we got the notice that the mall wouldn’t sign the contract so we couldnt move to the theater?
Remember when we spent most of the money upgrading our children’s ministry area with Wii’s and Kidmo, upgraded the lobby, and put a new 60″ plasma on stage and wood flooring?
Remember when I quit my job to focus on growing the church right there on Spring Ave?
Remember when I got the call the next day saying we COULD move to the theater?
Remember how we didnt have much money cuz we spent it on upgrading the building but we bought a trailer, a stage, some lights and LOTS of cables?
Remember the first Sunday in the theater TWO YEARS AGO THIS WEEKEND when we got there and HOPED we could set everything up in time to have a 10:00 service - and we did!
Remember when I said that Sunday - look at all the empty seats and imagine what it would be like to fill them up at least two times?
Remember when we put out 10,000 door hangers in AUGUST and it was 100 degrees outside?
Remember when we “relaunched” in August 07 and 168 people came?
Remember how crappy GREAT the stage looked with our lights and iLife Background Elements?
Remember when we put up the Pure Sex billboard hoping to attract people who didn’t go to church?
Remember when attendance declined steadily in August and September?
Remember when my colon exploded the week after we started Pure Sex?
Remember how I almost died from it and attendance kept dropping till Christmas 07 it was back to 95 or so?
Remember how I almost gave up and quit?
Remember how I reorganized our staff and preached a message called Simple Church in Jan 08 and we narrowed our focus to Celebrate, Connect, Contribute and we put someone in charge of the systems to do that?
Remember when I got a call from that lady that moved to Kentucky and she wanted to talk to me about our children’s ministry but we didn’t have any money to pay her?
Remember how I said I was going to go back to work and do nothing but teach and cast vision and let people use their gifts
Remember how me not getting paid freed up money to pay Becky to come be our Children’s pastor and invest more money in our programming?
Remember how I found out my job was 50-60% travel and I was gone most of the time?
Remember the MONSTER SERIES at Easter 08 and I drove a NASCAR? and we spent hundreds of dollars on videos and Monster Energy drinks?
Remember when 170 people were at the service on Easter Sunday?
Remember when we started One Prayer and the church kept growing?
Remember when we did Hot Topics and I told you if 200 people came I’d wear a grass skirt and a coconut bra?
Remember when we had to go to two services last fall and the church kept growing?
Remember when we had 300 people at Christmas?
Remember when we stayed above 300 beginning in 09 and I was still traveling?
Remember when we started REVOLT Student ministry a couple months ago?
Remember when hired Charles Hill to consult with us for a few months and we started prepping for Easter 09 and ROCKSTAR?
Remember how there were 580 people at Crosspoint that Sunday
Remember how AMAZING the stage looked?
Remember that someone has decided to follow Jesus EVERY WEEKEND since Easter?
Remember how have been averaging about 400 every week since Easter?
Remember when someone said they would buy land and build us a building to meet in so we can reach even more people for Jesus?
Remember how I said it was going to take a half million dollars to equip the building and we dont have 10% of that?
Remember when REVOLT took 55 people to the beach and 7 kids decided to follow Jesus for the first time and 20+ made recommitment decisions for Christ?
Remember this weekend when some of them came up on stage eager to let the world know they are following Jesus?
Remember when they ALL came up on stage at the 10:15 service and there was still a huge crowd of people watching them worship and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house?
What will we be remembering this time next year I wonder? God has been so faithful to bless beyond measure. I am humbled to look back where we’ve been and crazy excited and scared about where we are heading.
Psalm 111: 3 Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails. 4 He causes us to remember his wonderful works. How gracious and merciful is our Lord!
Sitting here reflecting on the day and I am amazed and humbled about what I get to be part of.
I absolutely love what is going on at Crosspoint Church!
The end of the service today I brought my family up on stage with me to illustrate what it means to be a Follower of Jesus. I wish I had a photo.
The point was - there is a generation following us - we have to follow Christ and invite people to follow us or “Christianity” is done.
Jesus called people to follow him and they left EVERYTHING.
At the end of the 10:15 service I also brought our REVOLT teens on stage. It was a powerful reminder of how we lead and the next generation follows.
Seven of them made commitments to Christ-Three unashamedly made their decision public today.
So proud of our REVOLT student ministry. Its a MINISTRY - not a YOUTH GROUP. There is a difference. Groups hang out. Ministers change lives and follow Jesus!
I am so blessed by the family God has entrusted me with. This month Dana and Celebrate 27 years of marriage. I won the marriage lottery!
Love that my kids are my friends. Love that I get to do mission with my mom and dad. Thankful for the legacy of Jesus people in my family tree!
Heartbroken over some sad news I got this week. If you know you know, if you dont it dont matter. Not going to sensationalize it. Would ask that you pray for a friend who stopped following Jesus and his family that is now wrecked. Thanking God for mercy and forgiveness!
Never ever stop following Jesus! Be covered in your rabbi’s dust.
Ready for One Prayer to start next week as we join over 1700 churches and nearly 1MILLION other Jesus followers to pray, serve, and give. We are going to be doing some pretty cool things. Hang on! God is…MOVING!
Im toast. Gonna hang with my bride and spawn and enjoy God’s creation (possibly including some of it cooked on a fire!)
This is so funny - and wrong on so many levels. Kind of a sad commentary on the church trying to be relevant without really getting it. Not sure thats what they had in mind but its true. We look dumb sometimes trying to marry Christ and Culture
Working full time, not having much vacation, cancellations, and some illness jacked up my conference attendance the last couple of years. I’ve got my radar on a couple of events that im pretty pumped about. The first one I cant wait to get to is the Innovate 2009 Conference at Granger Community Church.
My first Innovate was in 2005 and it literally changed my ministry focus. Granger has had more impact on the ministry programming at Crosspoint than any church in America. I have missed the last couple of years due to illness and scheduling but by God’s grace I plan on being there this year.
The next conference is new. Its called “The Dirt Conference“. It’s a conference for communicators and artists. I think this will help us go farther than we’ve ever gone with our creative elements at Crosspoint. I dont mind saying we are pretty good at what we do. But we need to get better. It’s rare we have a conference geared toward artsy people this close for this cheap. I wont be taking staff to this one either. This is for our artsy creative people. Im jacked up about it too.
