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so I’m going to post some scatter brain notes and they may or may not make sense.  Here are my notes from yesterday’s intro that had dino rizzo, mark batterson and Surratt from Seacoast:

“good to great” Collins – read

what are you passionate about?
What could you be the best in the world about?
What is your resource engine?

Seacoast – week delay video

Dream center – travel anywhere to learn from others

Advice to senior pastors moving into multi-site?
- go and experience it somewhere. get your sr. pastor and go
- learn from networks doing multi-site

Paradigm shift in pasturing multi-site church:
- senior pastor – not everyone needs to know me.  As a pastor you need to be okay with that.  Not everyone needs to know me, but they need to know Jesus.
- not using main campus terminology

Saturday night recording, videos and creativity is centralized, week delay gives you the ability to get best of

Questions that came in via text:
Key to successful campus and what is success?
- Doing what we say we’ve come to do, integrity (ie: great weekend services, great ideas in action)
- campus pastor is the absolute key, location, worship, how you handle kids
- prayer walking over locations, many prayers before launch builds the right foundation
- have to have a passion and a burden for that area, a God-moment that says “there’s something about this place that is beyond the demographics that says we have to go here”

How do you replicate the dna across sites?
- Making sure all of your campuses are treated equally.
- Staff meetings – senior pastor spends time talking about guarding our heart and vision/dna
- Language – constant correcting and using the correct pastors
- campus pastor is going to be key DNA character
- would not hire externally to be campus pastor (they have dual portfolios in that that they do several roles)
Every area (children, worship, other areas) filter to make sure that they are on the same page
I – initial (things that they want to be done from the start)
P – preferred (want them to be doing this within one year)
O – optional (up to them)
D – discouraged (don’t do this)

Bullpen/Skybox – video tool where can monitor and look at the actual worship experiences to give instant feedback as well as record worship experiences in real time to give to campus pastors.  Uses cameras.

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I’m here today: multi-site exposed conference

I’ll be blogging about it later on today.

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I was driving into work this morning and begin to think about how I spend my time.  I started to do the math in my mind about how much time I am actually awake vs asleep.  I probably get between 7-8 hours of sleep a night.  Most of the time it is closer to 7.  That leaves 16-17 hours a day when I’m awake.  THAT is a lot time.  As I began to think about it, I have to confess that I was somewhat ashamed about all the missed opportunities and just how I sometimes squander time.  And then I felt the Lord saying to me “and you think that 20 minutes you spend in the morning with ME is too much some days when your schedule is so busy?”  Nailed.  Just being honest there, but how often do we let other things crowd out our time with Jesus?  Got me thinking about how Jesus took time away to be with the Father.

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left
the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”  Mark 1:35

I read Mark 1:35-39 and a few things jumped out at me as to the importance of why we should begin our day in time with God and some truths about that:

1. Jesus started his day with time with God (v35).  Kind of self-explanatory there but it says to me that He gave this time priority.  He got up and left, he took the time, went to a place and basically said, “This is the most important thing I can do to begin my day..period.”  He had to disconnect, get away.  I think some of us, including myself, are addicted to email, twittering, facebook, blogging, etc….just technology in general.  Maybe Sportscenter for you :)  Shut it off, turn off your monitor, get quiet and listen.

2. Jesus managed His time (vv)36-37.  I can’t remember if it is John Maxwell who said it or not, but it is SO true:  Manage your time or someone else will manage it for you.  You have to take back your schedule.  You don’t have to be rude about it, just let people know “I can give you 5 minutes now or 20 minutes later”.  The disciples came up to Jesus saying, “everyone is looking for you”.  This is especially true in growing churches and ministries.  As the scope and breadth of your church increases, so will the number of people wanting to manage (take) your time.

3. Time with God gives focus to my life (v38).  I often reach points in my day where I just feel totally overwhelmed…like the tyranny of the urgent is about to do me in.  My to do list is screaming some days, the red light on my phone telling me I have messages, my inbox that had 4 messages that morning now has 20, etc.  Yet, time with God gives focus to my priorities, what I should focus on today vs. what can wait or even a ball that I just need to drop period versus trying to juggle.  Jesus said he wanted to go to some nearby villages and preach because “That is why I have come.”  That is laser focused.  Most of the successful people that I know are successful not because they are “balanced” trying to juggle everything but because they are focused, targeting the best things.

4. Time with God prepares me for the battles ahead (v39).  The Bible says that Jesus traveled throughout Galilee preaching and driving out demons.  He was prepared for some INTENSE ministry and spiritual war because He had plugged in to the time with God.  This is huge!  Anyone in ministry knows the toll and warfare that you experience when you reaching people for Christ and snatching them from Hell.  The heat is on bigtime.  It is draining emotionally, physically, spiritually….everyway possible it just empties you.  Time with God not only prepares for life, it renews me.

Anyway, just thought I’d share some things that jumped out at me this morning.  I hope that you’ll TAKE the time to spend with Jesus today.  It is so worth it.

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Was listening to Mark Driscoll speak to an Australian Anglican gathering.  Very good stuff.  One nugget that I pulled is about ministry giftings when it comes to pastoring.  He said that Jesus is THE Senior Pastor as He is Prophet, Priest and King.  Below that, pastors serve and are grouped into the following categories with each pastor having one or two areas that they would fall into:

Prophet: these are the preachers, teachers, love doctrine, discernment, truth, ideas

Priest: about people, counseling, hospital visits, care, discipleship, premarital counseling, small groups

King: systems, policies, procedures, real estate, tecnology

As I was listening to his message, I would fall into the prophet-king columns as far as my giftings go.  Where do you see yourself?

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If you’re wanting to view the video on YouTube or add it to your blog, facebook, etc., here’s the YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ_E1aFFeQo

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We ended both services this morning with the following:

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Was putting together a list of presentation software and the video formats that are supported.  There are a few other presentation software’s out there but these are the major players in my experience.  We use ProPresenter at CCC.  We moved from PowerPoint, to Sunday Plus, to Media Shout, to ProPresenter.

ProPresenter:
QuickTime, Windows Media with Flip4Mac, MPEG & MPEG2 with Quicktime playback component

Media Shout:
WMV, MPEG-1, AVI (plus MPEG-2 and MOV with third-party codecs)

Song Show Plus:
Windows Media Video, MPEG-1, and AVI

Sunday Plus:
QuickTime, MPEG-1, DV and AVI

Easy Worship:
MPG1, MPG2, AVI, DV, WMF, WMV

PowerPoint (PC):
AVI, MPEG1, WMV
PowerPoint (Mac):
QuickTime, Windows Media with Flip4Mac, MPEG & MPEG2 with Quicktime playback component

Live Worship:
QuickTime, Windows Media with Flip4Mac, MPEG & MPEG2 with Quicktime playback component

Apple Keynote:
QuickTime, Windows Media with Flip4Mac, MPEG & MPEG2 with Quicktime playback component

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oops, forgot about this:

• Really want to go to this conference.  It is this week.  If I can get edits done on Monday, I may sneak away for a few days.  Looks like it is just what the doctor ordered.  Plus, it’s free:

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Okay, it’s Friday and since it is one of my days off, I thought I would catch you up on a few thoughts and happenings in the life of “Dr. Jones”:

• This Sunday at CCC could be one of those Sundays that will seriously rock some people’s worlds.  If you have people in your life that don’t know Jesus, invite them this Sunday….really.
• Artie adjusted the white balance on the cameras as well as some other adjustments and they look great!  We’ve got some other adjustments to make on our projectors to step up our production qualities, but he is knocking it out of the park.
• Finally am getting in another wireless mic.  Should make a HUGE difference in the audio of some of the vids we shoot.
• Wish I had it in this past week.
• Still trying to figure out the whole video delivery for multi-site.  Right now we’re looking at same day and our worse case is we have someone carrying over the sermon video to the other campus that is VERY good quality.  The best case is still being researched and worked through, but if it works out……will be VERY good quality and we COULD do live (not that we would necessarily) with the message in full broadcast quality.
• Been a long week.  Glad for the weekend.
• Hoping the DAWGS lay the smack down on the gamecocks this weekend.  We usually always play them close with the ocassional blow out.  I’m hoping this is the year that we blow them out.  Usually it is a close game because 1. While they are not one of our chief rivals, we are one of theirs.  2. They play us early in the year where depth is less of an issue.  The reason why SC starts out well usually but ends up fading is because of their depth.  Most first teams in the SEC can play with anybody across the country and compete.  It’s the second and third strings the separate the PLAYAS and the PRETENDAS.  3. Usually our offense doesn’t get in gear until about the 5th game of the season it seems.  So far, it is looking like it picked up where 2007 left off…close anyway.
• trying to find volunteers that are skilled in video editing, video shoots, web developing and the like is difficult.  We have a few folks that are stepping up that have some skills that I’m excited about but could really use some more.  We have a new web design waiting in the wings right now that I haven’t been able to touch yet between multisite research and phone calls, video edits, video shoots, meetings, IT issues with our staff, etc.  Hoping to have a Web day this coming week but don’t know if it’ll happen.  I think we’re going to intensify our search for some volunteer web and video people.
• Spencer and Hannah are doing really well so far in school.  Hannah is a good student, and studies hard.  Really proud of her.  Spencer is right on target with his academics.  Talked with one of the special ed admins/teachers today and got a good report (if you’re wondering, his diagnosis is PDDNOS )  Still have some work to do on his social skills, but that is typically where the bigger hurdles are.
• got a secret project that Kim and I are working on together for a new business.  I’ve been working on the development part of the website, and we’re hoping to launch mid to late October.  Hard part is trying to grab a chunk of time here and there to get it off the ground.  I’ll keep you posted on that but I can’t say what it is just yet
• ready for some fall weather.  We live in the armpit of the south…it is just SO hot and SO humid here.  If I could pick anywhere to live, it would be probably in this order: 1. North Augusta - why?  because I grew up there.  Weird but that’s one of those places.  Has a small town feel but is close enough to stuff in case you want to get into it.  Has nothing to do with the weather, but I just like the feel. 2. Okay, next would have to be the upstate of GA - grandparents and parents are all originally from the ATL area although my parents live in NA still.  Like the weather, it is usually at least 10 degrees cooler and is close to Athens 3. Upstate SC - great weather, a lot of greenery, foothills, still not far from the beach and the mountains 4. Raleigh-Durham-Cary NC area - visited there a good bit as we have friends there.  Place is beautiful, especially in the fall.  Cooler temps, metro area, mountains close by, beach not too far away.

Sorry for the long post…..ready to chill out, cheer on the DAWGS and hang with the family

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So we kicked off NEXT this past Sunday.  In leading up to it, we used 3 weeks of teaser vids to get a little buzz going.  Each week we made it a little longer, added a little more info.  We didn’t say anything about the series or the videos…just let them play.  It does mean that you can’t be planning for a series the week of.  Right now we have our series titles and topcis through December and will probably begin planning through Easter soon.  I know some churches are a year out.  That would be very cool.  The more time you give your creative people to think, dream and play with new ideas, the better the end result.  Pluse, you build “equity” into your creative people for down the road when a lead pastor calls an audible and goes a new direction every now and then.  Using teaser vids for upcoming message series has several pluses imo:

• as mentioned above, gets people talking or at least thinking about the series.
• because we built the graphics, audio and animation already, we have already done a lot of the legwork for the series graphics, bumper and countdown.
• helps us to know if the graphics and videos “work” or not or do we need to change some things up before the series hits.

Here’s the first teaser from the first week we ran them.  Will post the others and the finished bumper later this week:

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