List Person...Did I finish?

I keep wondering if there was something else that I intended to share with you about my list/organization system. For those that have been reading those posts, do you have any further questions? Anything more that you were hoping I would share? Click on the "responses" button below and I would be happy to hear from you. If not, I will leave well enough alone. :-)

From the guy who has to make sure things are completed,

--Noah

Supreme Sports Performance & Training

I am so proud of our friends Matt and Sioux-z Gary. They are driven, committed and inspiring in their desire for fitness and health. Their lives have been committed to it. A dream came true for them today. They opened their own business just minutes from their (new) home in Rockville. It is called Supreme Sports Performance and Training. You can click here to see their site (designed by another friend in our church, Adolph Key).

It was the last week of 2004 when I met the Gary's in the lobby of the church as they were seeking a place to get married in. They found that. They also found a church community that they have dedicated themselves to in a BIG way. They are in our Small Group. They are very special to Tricia and I, and we are totally proud of them tonight!

"And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." Luke 2:52

How do we partner?

Here is a very simple review/recap of my message yesterday.

How does a CCF Partner commit to this ministry?

Answer: Embraces and lives the vision by

1. Faithfully connecting in large group
2. Faithfully connecting in small group
3. Faithfully serving in a ministry
   

We believe that EntryPoint will be the main catalyst to move people through these steps, but there will be other catalysts too. We also believe that these above commitments will lead people into faithfulness in many areas of life including a financial commitment to this ministry. As I said Sunday...at CCF, we encourage people to give regularly and sacrificially. That may look different for each of us.

So excited about the people that God is already sending our way so that we can partner in ministry!

Barak

Last night, we got to hang out with Barak. Okanya that is. Davis and he are just a few weeks apart and are great friends. We were glad to have him for the evening. I count it a great joy to know that my Associate Pastor is also my friend! In fact, I feel like I am friends with every member of the team I am privileged to work with. What a blessing!

Well, I wanted to share this picture of Grammy (my Mom) reading to Davis and Barak last night. Precious!

Partnership

This morning, we renamed membership! Instead of joining into membership at CCF...starting today, we invite people into partnership.

Why not membership?

• First of all, just because we have always done something or held to a certain name, does not mean we always have to! Sometimes, it is really healthy to rename or redefine for the sake of the new thing that God may want to do!
• Next, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, as far as I am concerned, you are already a member of the body of Christ! No membership status will ever beat that!
• Also, your membership at BJ's, the local pool and the country club requires that you pay a fee and receive a service or benefit. I think that perspective only fuels the growing consumeristic mindset of church shoppers more then it makes disciples.
  
• Finally, I have been leading our Discovery 101 membership class for the last 3-4 years and have noticed that the "M" word (membership) scares more people off than the Boogie Man...and that should not be so. People are missing the point. And I for one think that is because of the baggage and anxiety that people bring to that very word...membership. I am tired of running people off and seeing them miss the point.
  

Why partnership?

• We would like to think of connecting to CCF as Partnering with a movement, more than becoming a member of a club.
  
• Partners team up to provide a service, more than receive one. I have said it before. We are the church and we exist to serve and reach the world. We are the servants, not the recipients.
  
• At CCF, we believe that each of us is called by God for ministry (Eph. 4:11-13) to join the body of Christ in partnering together to love God (Matt. 22:36-40), love each other (Matt. 22:36-40) and to go and make disciples (Matt. 28:18-20).

If you are local, we hope you will partner with us in this ministry! If you are out of state, we hope that you will partner with us in prayer!

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:3-6

The day the projector died

Yesterday we learned that we had no signal to the projector hanging from the ceiling in our Worship Center. No matter how hard our guys tried (8 hours yesterday), they could not get it working. We think it may be a cable issue or something. Buying a new one is not in the plan. Why? Because our Director of Worship (my Brother, Caleb) informed me this week that those suckers are like $10,000-$80,000. Whoa!! Well, since we had no media today, we printed the lyrics to the songs and laid them on the seats in the Worship Center.

Not convinced whether there is a connection or not, but here is what I noticed:

• We worshipped!
• The room was seemed more full of expressions of praise than most Sundays.
• Even the volume and unity of the voices seemed to fill the room up more.
• The Worship Team was on!! They were dynamic, engaged and inviting us into a time of meaningful worship!
• I cried like I haven't in a long time.
  
• It blessed my heart.
  

Couldn't help but wonder if it was a nice needed change of atmosphere. Couldn't help but wonder if it was a part of God's plan for us today. Maybe some of us stare at the screen for words we already know. I wonder what would happen if we put our eyes on the screen less and put our eyes on Jesus more?

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." Hebrews 12:2a

This is CRAZY...the human mind

After not blogging since Thursday, I post this. It don't take much to amuse me, huh? I got this email tonight and it fascinated me. I laughed pretty hard and it kind of creeped me out, actually. Not sure why, but, hey...check it out.

Can you read this?

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeilng was ipmorantt!

You never know what you will find on this blog.

The Talking Calendar

Picking up on my recent daily posts about being a list person...let me address what I have began to affectionately call the "talking calendar." I know that this title errs on the cheesy side, but it makes my point.

I said in my post yesterday that the thrust of my organizational system is based on the conversation that exists between my task list and my calendar. Hence, the talking calendar. Or, I guess we could say, the talking task list as well.

Let me explain.

In short: I need "to-do" things to be prepared for what is approaching in my calendar. And I need to-schedule the things in my task list that I need to-do. If I am missing one or the other, something is going to crumble.

As a result, over the last 10 years, I have made a daily habit of ensuring that my calendar and task list communicate.

My calendar says things to my task list such as:

• You have Small Group tonight, have you prepared your lesson?
  
• You are meeting with the bishop next week, are you ready for that?
• Davis's Birthday party is Saturday, you need to go get the balloons.
  
• You are preaching Sunday. Is your message done?
  
• You are meeting with Entry Point coaches next week, email them the draft and prepare for that meeting.
• You have Executive Board next Thursday. Email the board the agenda.

My Task list says things to my calendar such as:

• When can you meet with that couple next week?
• You need 2 hours to finish your ordination paperwork and need to be focused. What are 2 good hours for this to happen within the next 10 days?
• Tricia and I have not seen our friends Tim and Michelle in a long time. When can we go visit them on a Friday-Saturday in the next 3 months?
• You need 3 hours to finish your message in the next 2 days. Plug those 3 hours in now.

Look, if it is going to get done, it probably needs to be scheduled. And if it's on the schedule I need to-do what I need to-do to get ready for it!

Sooo...the calendar and task list talk back and forth at each other, coordinate with each other and sometimes ask provoking questions about my priorities.

Let me know if you are finding any of this helpful. Or is it too long that you are not reading it? What would you add to improve this system?

EntryPoint!!

Introducing…EntryPoint!

Launching on… Sunday, January 18^th at 9:00am

EntryPoint is CCF’s connection ministry for all those wanting to take next steps with us! Designed for new guests and long term visitors, EntryPoint will coach you into partnering with CCF, its vision and its ministries.

Curious about joining CCF as a partner?

Curious about Small Groups?

Curious about ministry?

Come to EntryPoint!

The purpose of EntryPoint: To connect you to CCF and to the Lord so you will love God, love people and live as a disciple of Jesus!

How is EntryPoint set up?

• Sort of like a short term Small Group.
• There are 6 sessions and then they start over and repeat.
• There will be EntryPoint coaches that will help you make connections with the church. You won’t have to do it alone.
• EntryPoint will take place every Sunday from 9am-10am.
• You can join in any Sunday. It does not matter which session you start at. Come any Sunday at 9am!

See you at EntryPoint!

[You may wonder why there is no space in the title, EntryPoint? It is intentional...to remind us that EntryPoint exists so that no one falls through the cracks.]

2 years ago tonight

Two years ago tonight, Tricia and I were sitting in a hospital room staring at the most beautiful creation we had yet seen in our lives. Our son, Davis Joseph. Nearly impossible to believe he was ours. Still hard to believe today. Formed in love, by the love of God for us to raise and nurture.

Two years ago tonight, Davis could pretty much breathe, suck and cry. Couldn't even poop yet, I don't think. TMI!

Well, tonight we went out to dinner, carried on semi-conversations, had ice cream, went bowling, read stories and prayed together. What a special day. I am not a big "birthday person"...unless it is my kid's birthday (so, I learned today)!

Here are just a few things that I have learned in the last 2 years:

• I did not know I could love like this.
• People were right. It only gets better and better. I did not believe them at first.
• I will never get a "do-over" on a single day or memory! I vow not to blow them!
  
• We are not sure who has learned more about life over the last 2 years. Him or us. He is learning so fast, but we are too! Learning about parenting, marriage while parenting, loving, serving, modeling, faith, selflessness, etc.
• Holidays and traditions move to a "whole nutha level" with kids around.
• And of course (brace yourself for the bragging that follows)...We feel like God has blessed us with an exceptionally great little boy. Awesome sleeper, warm and sweet personality, loving and affectionate, sensitive, and bright.
  

Tricia and my life was changed two years ago tonight! We want to say thank you to each one of you in our lives who has loved Davis and made his first 2 years of life so special!

Here are some pictures comparing tonight to the night he was born:

List Person; A Sample Task List

Once you get me started, it flows. Lemme post this real fast and then I will stop. You would be shocked to find out how many people I have talked with that just do not know what kind of things are fair game for a task list. Everything is fair game! I do not and COULD not have multiple task lists. Everything is written in one list! One list including personal tasks, Daddy tasks, Hubby tasks, church tasks, ministry tasks, school tasks, etc. And all day, I glance at that list for my marching orders.

Here is a sample task list. It is (some of) my task list for TODAY, January 7, 2009 with some name changes where needed:

• Complete Sunday Message prep
  
• Email Capital Assignments
  
• Schedule meeting with Bob and Sally
  
• Sync my PDA
• Rake the back yard
  
• Blog about being a List Person :-)
  
• Call Pastor Paul about blank
• Update FT staff Job Descriptions for 2009
• Change Sign out front
• Stay on top of email inbox
  
• Finalize annual staff contracts
  
• Schedule a meeting with Entry Point Coaches
• Get Corn Hole bags re-sowed
• Listen to Connection Power trainings online
• Finish "blank" document
• Call Griffith's
• Schedule doctor's appointment
  
• Send a check to Bill
• Finish my ordination paperwork
• Work on 2009 Preaching Calendar
• Finish development of Entry Point for Staff review
  
• Plan 1/14 offsite staff meeting
• Finish touch up painting at the house
• Organize attic
• Paint the porch roof
• Schedule a corn hole tournament
• Read for next Masters class

Note 1: This is just for today. I did not go into the things already on for tomorrow and the months ahead.

Note 2: I will NOT get all of this done today!

Note 3: Anything not done today gets changed to tomorrow's date.

Note 4: These tasks are done between meetings. Today, I have 5. Jesus is always one of them.

Note 5: In just one week from now, this list will be totally different as much will be done and many new items will be added.

Now that you know more about me than you ever wanted to know...

Later.

List Person; The System

Continuing from yesterday, I thought I would share about my own personal homemade organizational system today. Later, I will share more about its strengths, weaknesses and so on. I also look forward to sharing about the conversation between my task list and my calendar. The talking calendar. So fun!

How it started: I started college in 1998. I was a full time student. After the first week, I had 5 syllabi in my hand, totaling hundreds of assignments, readings, tests, quizzes, deadlines and details. I knew that I would fail if I failed to organize it all, so I bought a monthly calendar at Staples and a pack of legal pads. I took the time to write all the dates and deadlines into the calendar and then I made a to-do list for that day. The calendar was for tomorrow and forward. The task list was for today! I slid the legal pad into my 8.5x11 monthly calendar and carried the 2 with me everywhere I went. Each day, I would:

• Have a task list with a nice heading handwritten in my sloppy writing..."To-do list 1/7/09"...and have a bulleted list of everything that I wished I could accomplish that day.
  
• Look at my task list often. Morning, meals, classes, chapel...often!
  
• Do things on the list throughout the day. (I struggle with doing the fun and easy things first. But the problem is that they add up. That leads to putting off the larger more difficult tasks. Which leads to procrastination. More on that later.)
  
• Experience the elation of scratching items off the list as I finished them. (Did I mention that I LOVE putting a line through something?)
• Think of things to do tomorrow and start writing tomorrow's tasks on the next page.
• Look at my calendar a time or 2 throughout the day anticipating what is coming up in 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 weeks. Then, typically add something to the task list such as... "Begin preparing for blank."
• Finally, at the end of the day, every task that was not completed got written on the next page to be done the next day.
• Repeat each day.

The whole system rides on the relationship between the task list and the calendar. I will post about that soon.

--Noah

PS...in 2000 I made the leap from paper to electronic. Same system! Just using a mobile device (PDA). I am a HUGE Palm OS fan. To this day.

Looking Past Economic Woes

A brother in the church sent me this tonight. He expressed how appropriate these words are for our time. I agree. Warning: it is about the economy...in case you are just sick of hearing about it. But, it's good.

How many denominations are there, anyway?

I always say that CCF is quite diverse:

• Generationally
• Culturally
  
• Economically
  
• And Denominationally. (I calculate that we have well over 30 different denominational backgrounds present in our church.)
  

Well, I found a fascinating collection of info this evening. According to Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, there exist roughly 39,000 Christian denominations worldwide in 2008. That is up from 500 Christian denominations in 1800, and the number is expected to grow to 55,000 by 2025.

If you like data and numbers...you must check out this one web page. It has some very revealing numbers. Wow! Click Here!

--Noah

List Person

I have been a serious list person for better than 10 years. This may sound crazy, but I often feel that my integrity is wrapped up in my lists. If my word means something, then I need to keep it. If I am going to keep it, then I need to remember it. If I am going to remember it, I better write it down. It started back in college when the load of responsibility seemed to be more than I could juggle. I knew that I would forget what I had to do or forget what I said I would do.

So, over the last 10 years I have stayed organized and on task with the same system. It worked in college, it worked when I was a College Residence Director, it works as a Pastor, a student, and even as a Husband and Dad! After 10 years of developing this system of organization, I thought I would write about it some. It is not from Franklin Covey or any other organizational guru. It is my own weird system by which I organize my world. It involves the relationship between my calendar and task list.

You may find it interesting and helpful. You may not. Regardless, over the next few days, I will post about it.

Are you a list person? How do you keep organized?

Luke 16:10 "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

I dream of a team...

Today, our Staff grew from 4 to 7! What a special day this is for so many reasons! This is my favorite day of 2009!! After a great time of prayer as a staff this morning, we all took turns completing the sentence, "I dream of a team..." Here were some of our responses. Pray with us that these dreams become our reality as we work together each day:

We dream of a team that...

• Is fun, silly and loves coming to work!
• Is Authentic, honest and real.
• Is thoroughly equipping volunteer leaders.
• Is a well oiled "God-Machine".
• Has clearly defined roles yet is incredibly flexible.
• Is seeking the presence of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Is great at releasing people to lead.
• Is not threatened by each others gifts, but rather sees them as a compliment to the team.
• Will rigorously defend one another and address their concerns directly to each other.
• Can serve as a support to each other in tough seasons.
• Has an eye for contributing to the growth of the church.
• Is sold out to the vision!
• Knows how to trust that Jesus is at work in each other...even when the decisions that they make may not be exactly how we would do it.
• Is being built on the power of the total team, not the abilities of a few "stars". Instead of a star player taking us to a championship, we all get there together.

What teams do you serve on? How do you want that team to function for the greatest impact?

What a start!

What a start to 2009! Great service this morning. Not necessarily because it was the best planned, most organized, creatively presented, or that we were somehow more on top of our game. In fact, we weren't! We were stumbling through some things after most of us being out of the office this week. But, that stuff all matters much less than I probably think. What matters is that lives are impacted. And they were! Here are some testimonies from just this morning that I am excited about!!

• One young man gave his life to Jesus for the first time!
• Another person recommitted their life to Christ.
• An 18 year old came up to me and said he did not want to be just sitting there anymore. He wanted to know what he can do to serve!
• A lady who has been in the church for many, many years came up to me and confessed that her doubt and questions about the church have been replaced by a passion for the vision and the future.
• One couple took a big step today toward restoration in their marriage.
• Another woman came to me in tears to say that "this is her year of greatest commitment to CCF and to the Lord!"
• Someone else came to me and told me that they can no longer put it off...they are ready to go all in and want to join next Sunday.

Each of these things I just shared are signs of lives being impacted and transformed. This is why I do what I do. Look, there are just the few things that NOAH can remember about today. There are many things that others in our community saw and heard today that I have no idea about. And there are many things that the spirit of God did today that we cannot see and measure. For all of this...we give God the glory!

For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. Romans 11:36

These last 2 weeks

Does anyone else feel that these last 2 weeks have been exceptionally positioned to maximize the holiday break? Don't get me wrong, I probably worked 60-70 hours over the last 2 weeks...but much of it from my Pajamas and a lazy boy! Tricia has been off, we have chilled out big time, traveled and really enjoyed these last 2 weeks. She just told me this morning that this has been the best Christmas vacation she has had in 5 years of teaching. It has seemed never ending. We feel really well rested and connected.

Well, tomorrow it is church & football! Then, Monday...it is off to the races. 3 new staff members join the team, we are all back in the office and I am REALLY looking forward to staring 2009!!

Here we go, baby!!!

Our God Reigns!

There is a verse in my heart today...

Isaiah 52:7 says:
How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
"Your God reigns!"

Are you bringing good news today?

Are you proclaiming and announcing peace and salvation around you?

Do you believe that you can?

I am really thankful today that OUR GOD REIGNS!! Always has! Always will!

Read the Bible!

I wanted to share with you a very impressive online program called YouVersion. It is designed to help you read through the Bible in a year. It has some really cool features that go along with it like bookmarking, emailing and journals. Here is the link. Check it out! It may be something that could really work for you in your journey toward faithful Scripture reading.

--Noah