Beyond Sunday Worship

Worship Podcast

Hillsong – "Yahweh"

This is the best song off the new Hillsong album, “Faith+Hope+Love”. Written by one of my favs, Reuben Morgan. Take some time to watch this.

Essential Questions for Leadership

Raising up leaders is very exciting work. The easy part is asking people. The hard part is following through. It’s fairly easy to build a team of people. It’s another thing to maintain a strong momentum in your leadership team. But that is where you must focus your energies.

Getting a bunch of bodies on board is essential, given they are the right kind of people. But how are you actually leading your team? Questions to ask:

  • Am I modeling the work ethic I am requiring?
  • Am I modeling a disciplined lifestyle of consistent prayer/Bible reading?
  • Am I praying for each of my leaders?
  • Am I breathing consistent, faith-filled vision?
  • Am I smiling and laughing a lot? (more important than you may think).
  • Am I constantly seeking to improve my leadership through reading & observing other great leaders?
  • Am I following through with team assignments?
  • Am I having one-on-one, face-to-face conversations and not just sending random emails all the time?
  • Do I know where we are going?
  • Am I improving my communication skills?
  • Am I challenging/coaching/encouraging in real time?
  • Do I honor/value/spend QT with my wife above my leaders?
  • Am I happy?

Any others you would add?

APEX Spiritual Breakthrough Retreat

I’m looking forward to August 21-23. Every few months at APC we host the Spiritual Breakthrough Retreat. Pastor Jeff gives a great description over at his blog. This upcoming retreat, we as young adults are concentrating together on breakthrough. To do this we’ll take part in the retreat, spend a couple nights at the church, and rise up in our walk with God.

The SBR is powerful because it’s an opportunity to set aside time to focus; to sit under powerful teaching by Pastor Jeff; to hang out with a big group of people all hungry for more of God. You don’t want to miss it.

If you’re interested in joining APEX Young Adults in this retreat, leave a comment and let me know. The cost for us will be $30, which includes all retreat materials and food for the weekend. It will change your life.

DS

Why We Love the Church

Just finished reading Keven DeYoung & Ted Kluck’s new book, “Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion.” With all the numerous ‘church-as-we-know-it-sucks’ books out there, this was a refreshing read. I read a lot of books and it seems that everybody is always ticked off at somebody. This book is a bit of a reaction to George Barna, Leonard Sweet, Brian McLaren, Donald Miller, & emerging church types.

Aside from the playful banter, I came away from this book with a renewed appreciation for my church and a stronger desire to serve there. I will leave you with some wise counsel from Kevin:

“Find a good local church, get involved, become a member, stay there for the long haul. Put away thoughts of revolution for a while and join the plodding visionaries. Go to church this Sunday and worship there in spirit and truth, be patient with your leaders, rejoice when the gospel is faithfully proclaimed, bear with those who hurt you, and give people the benefit of the doubt. While you are there, sing like you mean it, say hi to the teenager no one notices, welcome the blue hairs and the nose-ringed, volunteer for the nursery once in a while. And yes, bring your fried chicken to the potluck like everyone else, invite a friend to church, take the new couple out for coffee, give to the Christmas offering, be thankful someone vacuumed the carpet, enjoy the Sundays that click for you, pray extra hard on the Sundays that don’t, and do not despise ‘the day of small things’ (Zech 4:10)” (226-227).

Amen.