Why Do I Want To Know

As you may have noticed I'm asking a lot of questions to you the readers.

Why????

Because this is about community and I want to get to know you.

So for now the questions continue...and please...PLEASE....click on the post a comment and leave me a comment.

It doesn't even require an account or anything. Simple click on post a comment, type in your comment, check the name/url button...and hit submit.

Join in the community and help me get to know you a little.

[photo credit by flickr.com]

Grill and Chill

This past week as we are gearing up for our campus launch we decided to have a fun night. This was meant to connect people with others out there who have an interest in our campus.

Each week we have been working two to three nights or days on our campus build out. We are so close to finishing and launching.

Our grill and chill was meant to give our people a break and simply have a night to relax. I felt it was a successful night with over 90 people showing up. We didn't even really advertise for this event either.

Here are a few pictures from the night.

Simply Creative

Found this creative artist's video on Brad Ruggles site. It is simply amazing how this artist merges this into animation by drawing all over Buenos Aires. It is Simply Creative.


MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

RSS readers if the video is not here please go to the original post to view.

The Short Version Resume

Here is the short version of my 1st Job to my Current....

Paint Scraper
Grocery Sacker
Farmhand
Lifeguard
Lifeguard
DJ
Lifeguard
Fitness Center Attendant
Manager TCBY
Youth Pastor/Coach/Athletic Director (Same Organization)
Substitute Teacher
Teacher/Coach/Athletic Director/Assistant Principal (Same Organization)
Youth Pastor
Substitute Teacher
Teacher
Principal
Campus Pastor

So what's your resume consist of from 1st to current????

Turning Ideas Into Reality

Brad Lomenick, from Catalyst, had a GREAT post on the process they use to execute ideas. In reading the full post, you will realize this is a simple process that can be implemented by any organization.

The points of the process are:

1. Create
2. Criticize
3. Optimize
4. Validate
5. Execute

Read the full post to get a breakdown on Brad's blog.

5 Point Update 4 or Not

Here is a little campus update I shot. It has info on our work night Thursday June 26th and our Grill and Chill on Friday June 27th.

Are You Questioning Me

So...I've never done this before...and might be a little afraid to...BUT...here goes.

If you could ask me any question, what would you ask.

Go ahead...leave a comment and I'll answer them all.

Rule is....if the date is after June 27th...no more questions...

HERE WE GO....

Why Churches Fail

With over 3,500 churches closing down each year....the population rising and the churches not keeping up...question is....Why Are So Many Churches Failing?

Let me give you two reasons I think so:

1) Leaders Don't Know How

2) No Longer Relevant

What can you do to begin to turn-around your church?

1) Admit There's a Problem

2) Do Something About It.

Read and study what some of the growing churches are doing. There are business books, especially entrepreneurial business, that you could read. Never stop learning and growing. Ask questions. Take a risk. Try something new. What more do you have to lose.

Where Are You From

Curious....where are you, the reader, from???

Leave me a comment and let me know.

Simply Creative

My simply creative posts are designed to highlight things that I see that are creative...they are meant to inspire us all to a higher level of creativity.

The guys and gals at LifeChurch.tv have one of the most creative trailers for their summer series. Loved it...it is simply creative.

Your Movie Title

I asked this question on my twitter...

If you had a movie of your life....what would the title be????

Here were a few of the answers:

DavidHorning The Best Pirate Everrrrrrrrr.

emilysilveira My movie-"Through the Valley"

jeangwang Saving Jean's Face

missdeneen The title of my movie is And God Smiled.

dreznicek "A Fist Full of Change"

GregSimmons my movie title, "An Absolute Maybe"

Mine - "A Marked Life"

Now I'm asking it here....

If you had a movie of your life....what would the title be????

You Need A Coach 2

In the first post I talked about the need for a coach. So you know the need...NOW WHAT???

I was a really good player in high school...it wasn't until I played in college that I realized that in order for me to play at that level I was going to have to be better at my technique. In fact, after our first day it was apparent that I hadn't learned much in high school but had gotten by on athletic ability. If it weren't for the great coaches I had in college I would have found myself not being able to continue on that level.

For you to begin reaching your potential you need to find someone that will help you get there.

Let me give you three ways to reach those new levels:

1. Ask - Ask someone to mentor you who has been where you want to go. Hire a coach to help you in an area you are lacking.
2. Read - Some of my best coaches I have never met in person. I have read their books or blogs.
3. Join - Join a network with others where you can all learn and share in the journey.

You don't have to do it alone. Whether in business or ministry do it with a coach. Do it with someone who can help you develop yourself to your fullest potential.

[photo credit by flickr.com]

Bay Area Fellowship 5 Points Work Night

Here are a couple of pictures of our last work night. Our Bay Area Fellowship 5 Points Campus is almost ready....you can see some pics of our projector screen in action.

You Need A Coach

One thing that many of the greatest athletes in the world have learned is that for them to be even better they need a coach. One thing that escapes many people in ministry though is just that point.

It is impossible for you to maximize yourself...by yourself. You may be better than everyone around you but you will never be as good as you can be unless you have outside input.

When you set yourself on a pedestal or an island/kingdom all your own, you are only hurting your God-given potential. Don't allow your ability to perform be hampered by the pride of letting yourself be helped. The ministry and people you lead deserve it.

Who has helped you along the way???

Ownership In Ministry 3

This week we have been talking about ownership in ministry. You can catch up with these posts in Part 1 and Part 2.

I can think back to my very first job. I was actually 15 years old...a couple of buddies and I worked one summer scraping paint off a house. It was a two story house and boy was it hard work. I don't remember just how good of a job we did but by the end I'm not too sure we really cared. Why??? Because it wasn't our house...it was just a job. We had no ownership.

Today I want to talk to those out there who are volunteers or staff.

It is important to realize the role you play is a great one. You are not just serving a leader...or working for someone. As a son or daughter of the Most High you play a huge stake in what God is doing in this world.

When you begin to realize that you are an heir and that you have an inheritance then you will begin to realize that everything you do matters.

That doesn't mean that we all play the same role...it means we all after making our Father's Kingdom greater each and every day.

That is where the shift comes in....if you are a greeter....you are an heir and share in it all.

If you are a department head....you are an heir and share in it all.

If you are the pastor...you are an heir and share in it all.

That is why I love the story of Nehemiah so much....when you read chapter three you see that everyone takes responsibility for their point on the wall. That is the shift that needs to take place.

Let's micro that down to a church. Lives hang in the balance and everyone from a parking attendant...to children's volunteer...to maintenance person...to the pastor...to the follow up person...all play an important link in the chain of someone inheriting salvation.

Our inheritance will be the lives that will stand in heaven with us...they are the crowns...they are the jewels...they are the reason we all do what we do.

It's time we all take ownership......

What are you now planning on doing????

[photo credit flickr.com]

Ownership In Ministry 2

When it comes to taking ownership...whether it's business or ministry...I believe it takes a great deal of shifting of a mind-set.

Let's focus on the perspective of an employer today.

One of the things that stands out tremendously in my first position in ministry is that my pastor let me...be me!!! He didn't run around making me do ministry the way he would do it. It gave me the ability to work on me and our youth ministry. I was able to use my personality and strengths.

How do you get your staff to take ownership?

• Cast Vision For Something Greater - Can you show them how what they do works on a larger scale?
• Train and Release - Do you hover or have a tendency to boss them around?
  
• Help Find Their Niche - I know you have a bottom line but how can their niche help your bottom line?
  

Getting your people to take ownership really is your responsibility as a leader. Whether they are volunteers or paid employees they can make the mind-shift if you can take them there.

What is something you have done to make a shift in ownership???

Stay tuned for part three where we will talk from the perspective of the employee.

[photo credit by flickr.com]

5 Point Campus Events This Week

Just wanted to catch you up with all the happenings this week (June 15th to June 22nd)

• Thursday 19th - Work Day from 6 to 9 we are especially looking for people with a design eye for our lobby area....plus we are going to try and work on some of our projects....installing bathroom lights, hanging doors, putting on door knob kits, finishing sheet rock in nursery, rolling on tecture to the walls.
• Saturday 21st - Campus Clean up...9 to 12....this is a morning only....we need to begin to clean up from some of the work we have been doing so we can get ready for Sunday's.
• Sunday 22nd - No church just yet....we need to complete some more details for our campus before we are ready....namely electricity in our adult area and some clean up.
• LEADERSHIP ROLES - If you are interested in leadership roles in some of the areas of our campus please let me know....so we can set up a time to meet with you....greeters/usher/hospitality, media, children's areas, youth ministry, home teams....(music...we will be setting up a meeting for upcoming auditions...please let me know if you sing or play instruments or both)

Our campus is located at 15314 Northwest Blvd. Click the address for map.


View Larger Map

P.S. We are going to be having a family bar-b-que hang out night on Friday...June 27th....look for more details coming soon...this will be a time where you can invite your friends to come hang out and see our campus as well as meet many of the others involved in our campus. (if you like to grill and can bring yours let me know)

Ownership In Ministry 1

One of the hardest task in business and ministry is to get volunteers or employees to take ownership. To move from a state of being asked to do something...to taking responsibility and doing it yourself.

Leading people who don't get paid is a world of difference from leading people who get a pay check...BUT...that is only if you take it from the perspective of the person leading.

I know many people who are absolute poor leaders of their employees. They lead from a state of holding a persons paycheck over them. Poor...POOR...LEADERSHIP.

Let's talk a little this week about Leading People....and People moving from Servantship...to OWNERSHIP.

[photo credit flickr.com]

BAF 5 Points Update 3

Here is the third update on our campus project. The Bay Area Fellowship Campus in the 5 Points area is moving and making more progress each week.

Simply Creative

This is simply the most creative way that I have seen testimonies given. If you don't think I'm gonna try it one day...you're simply crazy. This video is Simply Creative!!!

Check Out Cardboard Testimonies:



What would mine say????

Hates The Church

Leading A Church

What about yours??

Talking Business and Leadership

If it's one thing you may notice if you read my blog long enough...it's that I love talking leadership. I want to give some link love out to my pastor....Bil Cornelius...who has three posts that hit in this area.

5 Things To Consider When Hiring
How To Keep Your Best People
3 Ways To Create A Culture Of Excellence

Three great posts for you to drip on.

Here's an excerpt from 5 Things to Consider

5. Always hire someone who is a raving fan of the organization, and dare I say it, a raving fan of you! They better think you are “all that,” or you do not want them working for you. I hope you understand this is not “let’s all worship the leader,” but if you want a staff that has a fast pace, you need a high trust from the beginning and that comes from a high esteem for one another. This goes both ways too…I really believe that greatest compliment I can give someone in “my world” is to offer them a job.

Leading In Uncertain Territory

One of the things that you can be certain of is that as you lead you will encounter uncertain territory.

If you are pushing forward there will always be a measure of uncertainty in your leading. For example...even though I have worked on staff at a church of 3,000, and I have worked in ministry for 14 years, right now I am leading in unknown territory for myself.

Daily we are pushing forward to launch a church. I've never done construction...I've never lead a church full of adults...and at each level of growth that we will experience it will be a new level I've never experienced.

The price of leadership success is greater uncertainty. As you gain more responsibility your uncertainty level increases. As each level increases it is vital for you to learn to thrive in environments that are uncertain.

Isn't that what faith is all about???

[photo credit flickr.com]

Multi-Ethnic Ministry

David Turner and I are working on a little project on multi-ethnic ministry.

I want to do a series of posts with some bloggers. I have a few in mind...but...if this is an area that you may feel a little passionate about, leave me a comment and let me know if you would be interested in participating

Just throwing it out there to you...let me know.

Is It Really A Team

Many churches, and I could also add in businesses, say there is a team when it comes to staff. Unfortunately, when you look from the outside in...that isn't what you see.

You don't see a group coming together to collaborate.
You don't see a group working together.

Sometimes you see a group of people running around trying to do what the head person wants and tells them to do.

Many times you see a bunch of people that when they leave work, they all run to their separate corners (homes) never to interact together.

I'm sorry to tell you...just because you are a pastor and you hire a bunch of people and you get them to do what you want...it doesn't mean you have team

I would have to say that a true team....works together, collaborates together, envisions together, enjoys each other, brings out the best in each other, lives in community, pushes each other to more, prays, sweats and bleeds together...when one is down they all rally around and lift them up....shall I say more. That's probably why I enjoy being where I am right now.

TEAM....is that what "YOU" call it.

Twittering Bay Area Fellowship

One of the things that I have been spending my time on Sunday's at Bay Area Fellowship as we are moving towards our pre-launch phase, is twittering the notes from the messages while sitting in our Corpus Campus. Pastor Bil Cornelius is used by God in a great way...I am doing it as my way of taking notes but also it is a little experiment on some internet tools we may utilize.

Here are the twitter notes but you can check them all out at twitter.com/jasoncurlee (make sure you read them from bottom to top):

• Point 4 - Get started on meeting your expectation.
• Scripture - Proverbs 13:12 (NLT)
• We can turn our health around if we turn our attitude around.
• Point 3 - Dwell on good things
• Learn to mine yourself and pull out the best from within you.
• People must have joy to have strength....Satan always wants to rob you of your joy...
• Scripture - Nehemiah 8:10 (NIV)
• Focus on "His" promise not "your" problem!
• You must declare you're fit before you are.
• He (Abraham) plunged into the promise
• Scripture - Romans 4:19-25
• You have got to get moving....DO SOMETHING!!!!!
• Nothing will taste as good as you feel if you are in shape.
• Point 2 - Choose to increase eating healthier food and drinking water. (crowd out the bad food)
• Scripture - 1 Corinthians 10:23
• Your health is "your health"....your life is "your life"....you must take responsibility for it.
• Point 1 - Take responsibility for your health.
• Scripture 2 Corinthians 2:9
• What you focus on you get more of....
• Bay Area Fellowship - Series "The Power of a Winning Attitude" 3rd Week
  

I also tried out ustream.tv one week. I came and broadcasted it to my wife who was at home not feeling well. She watched the whole service from home except for the music.

These are just two internet tools I'm experimenting with right now that we might possible use in some way.

The Intangible Of Ministry

One of the reasons why it is important to plan your year and evaluate your progress, is because ministry is often very intangible. That means many times you can feel it or see it.

It is very often you don't realize you are going in the wrong direction until you see the harvest of the crop you have been working. Remember, faith is the substance of things hoped for. Our ministries are built on faith. A faith that is not really seen until it happens.

Once you have set your vision, mission, and goals...it is important to evaluate. You can choose many methods...I would suggest your ultimate evaluation would be one whether you are fulfilling your vision.

If your vision is to create fully devoted followers of Christ...what exactly does that mean and how will you know if you are getting there. Will it be based on how many baptisms you do each year? Or how many people are participating in small groups?

It is not always Sunday morning attendance that determines whether you are going in the right direction...it is whether you are fulfilling the vision God has given you.

[photo credit flickr.com]

Focus

Where should our focus be? Keeping or Reaching

I used to have a pastor who made us spend an exorbitant amount of time on tracking down all the people who had left the church.

I'm not saying we shouldn't....just saying, if we spent more time focusing on reaching those that have never graced the doors of a church, then the ones that are there will feel a greater sense of purpose and mission.

Just dropping my thought....what's yours???? KEEP or REACH

[photo credit flickr.com]

I Can't Handle It

Over the past year I have been struggling with a statement that I have heard over and over. On the surface this statement sounds great. It is comforting. It makes us feel good.

Now I am actually questioning the accuracy and validity of it. Is it even biblical?
I actually heard it said this past week. The statement?

“God never gives us more than we can handle.”

As I said, this statement sounds good, but I really have begun to challenge it. Partly, I would say that this comes from my experience. It also hasn’t been something I just came up with overnight either.

Over the past year I can actually say that I don’t know how I handled the year. The pressure and stress were almost too much to handle. Some people would say, “See, I told you God wouldn’t give you more than you could handle.”

In some upcoming posts I hope to dive into this thought a little bit but would love to get your feedback.

What do you think? Does God only give you what you can handle?

Interesting Visit

Not sure how I want to post this. I visited a church today and it was really weird. I actually felt like I was intruding. They didn't know my faith at all...I would say that one of the guys on staff I had a great time talking with.

Got me thinking...it is not just first impressions that count on Sunday...our whole lives should be a witness when it comes to leading others. We have to make sure that we are not coming off as bothered when we are visiting people. There are too many lives hanging in the balance.

Summer Slump 2

I talked a lot in another post that I just don't buy into the fact that summer has to be a time where we accept that there is no growth.

Sure people may be taking vacations and etc...but you can see growth and on top of that there are many other growth factors that could happen besides attendance.

Check out this series from Craig Groeschel at SWERVE that talks about the summer issues:

The Summer Slump
Your Church Can Grow This Summer
Your Church Can Grow SPIRITUALLY This Summer
August Is The New September

Also check out Nelson Searcy's blog post "Free Report - How To Maximize Summer" at the ChurchLeaderInsights.com/blog for some great ideas on summer.

[Photo Credit Flickr.com]

BAF 5 Points Update 2

After a couple of weeks under our belt...here is another video update of how our construction has been going from our 5 Points campus.

Our Campus Plan

As we continue to launch our Bay Area Fellowship 5 Points Campus I thought I would let you in on our plan/time-line.

Right now we are renovating our campus. Since I posted this update we have painted our adult meeting area and framed out two of our children's room as well as finished framing our last wall in our nursery. This week I'll post another video keeping you updated.

Until we get most of this renovation completed we are meeting as a core team on Sunday evenings to talk about vision, serving teams and our plans. This front end time has been a time of really getting to know everyone.

What a lot of people may know or not know is that we have three churches that have ended up coming together to make this happen.

First, my wife and I were launching our own church with some families while we were attending Bay Area. You can read about that in my post "My Big Announcement 2". Secondly, Focal Point out of Virginia suspended their video church right about the same time. Most of these families had made the move over to Bay Area and as they found out about our campus have jumped on board. And then many people from Bay Area Fellowship who live out in our community.

We are all working towards a September Grand Opening. I'll come back and let you know a little more of our summer time-line.