MoviePastor.com: Church, Culture, Christ

The Birdhouse!

Traveling for business this week so I had a chance to take in an Orioles Game last night at Camden Yards.  What a nice ballpark.  And tickets were only 8 bucks right behind home plate (but in the top level) still we had great seats - saw a #1 team beat a #2 team I think (the Tampa Bay Devil Rays) and even though food was more than the tickets and it was a little cold - it was a fun. 

The highlight of my night there was hooking up with my friend Darren Plummer.  "D-Plum" is planting Mosaic in College Park, MD just outside DC, and has a PASSION for building a multi-racial church for God's glory.  And he's getting it done.  Darren is funny, compassionate, passionate and encouraging.  I loved hanging out with him.
 

Break Free From...

Your Past.

This weekend is wrapping up to the the most powerful, emotional, mind numbing experience of Prison Break.  You do NOT want to miss and you NEED to get your friends and family there.  The story you will hear from the bible and real life will show you the power of God to help you break free.  DO NOT MISS!  Trust me. 

Hold on a second - new numbers came in

We had a miscount.  We didn't break our record by 1.  We broke it by 3.  Yes - two people matter to God so they matter to us.  189 people!  I am blown away. 

I have been asked by a few pastors and others - what do you attribute this upswing to?

First - let me say that 189 people attending Crosspoint is not a measure of success.  Until everyone knows Jesus - or Jesus comes back - our work is not done.  With 115,000 people in Morgan county we have a lot of work to do.  Thank God for other churches large and small that are working in the field with us - but even with all the churches - there is still an overwhelming number of people that need Jesus and need to be on mission with Jesus.

Now, what do I attribute the upswing in attendance to?

God

A blog to check out

You may want to check out Chris Reeder's blog this week.  He will have an interesting series of guest posts from pastors answering this question:

What advice would you give to a guy that has been called into church planting, but sometimes feels that he has no idea what he is doing?

I wont tell you who the list of celebrity pastors is but it should be pretty good - well except for one of them ;-)

Prison Break Opener

Today's Opener.  Literally we had about 20 takes.  And I almost locked myself in a cell like this.  It was crazy spooky because there was no electricity and it was DARK! 

Some Photos

These are from my phone so they arent great - but here's a few photos from today during set up

Sunday Mind Dump

• This is long.  Sorry.
• Prison Break started today - we kicked it off in style.  Over the top!
• The fire department didnt show.  I was worried our fog on the stage would set off smoke detectors.  There weren't any.
• After the countdown the place went black - we fogged the stage, searchlights came up and randomly scanned the room while sirens blared - and the the band Busted Out!
• Great performance of Best of You by the Foo Fighters.  Awesome song to kick off the series.
• Worship set was great to start - loved the band today.
• The video we shot in an abandoned prison was pretty cool - i almost locked myself in.
• People were rolling in the aisles when I talked about what church was like growing up
• When I talked about door to door evangelism and said it was more like spiritual terrorism I thought people were never going to stop laughing.
• Honestly I really struggled with the message putting it together and I really didnt do a good job with the end.
• I also really didnt tie in the song we did afterward and to me it seemed out of place - so I went back and tried to make it fit better before the last worship song.  It was a weird shane and shane song that we can scratch off the list.
• Oh - we had a new record high attendance.  Beat it by 1.
• 1 person matters.
• KidZone had the most kids ever.  That ROCKS!
• It looked great too - the space theme was out of this world ;-)
• One guy who has had a tough life said he cried during the service.  This is not a church person either.  He may have actually been in prison.
• One lady came up to me after I told about all my church background and said "I went to that church - I knew I knew you from somewhere"  I wasnt dogging that church - just how religious I had become. 
• Other Highlights:
  
  • "Police Line - Do not Cross" tape was everywhere.
  • COPS was playing on one of the plasma TV's
  • A Police Light made for a cool distraction
  • A Jail Cell caged the drummer it looked COOL! ( I think he inhaled most of the fog too - but its non toxic food grade stuff supposedly)
  • Kenny's Playlist on the lobby/outdoor music was great!
    • I Fought the Law (green day version)
    • Jailbreak by the Thin Lizzy
    • Axel F (From Beverly Hills Cop)
    • Jailhouse Rock by Elvis
    • Breaking the Law by Judas Priest
    • Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash
    • My own Prison by Creed
    • Dragnet Theme
    • Chain Gang by Sam Cooke
    • I Fought the Law (Bobby Fuller version/Original)
    • Bad Boys Theme from COPS
    • In the Jailhouse Now by The Soggy Bottom Boys
    • A-Team theme

• Staff meeting at 3
• New Small Group - Basics of the Bible starts tonight.
• Busy Busy Day - but I am amped up
• Long week next week. 
• Cant wait till Sunday!

Tomorrow

I really dont think the devil wants us to do what we have planned tomorrow.  But I am confident that everything will come together ole lucifer will run with his tail tucked between his legs.  I just hope what we try doesn't get us thrown out of the theater or put in jail tomorrow.

My Playlist

Today while I was mowing the grass I was jamming out to my most recent playlist on the iPod.  I call it the Best Rock Ever playlist:

• Stairway to Heaven - Led Zepellin
• Free Bird - Lynryd Skynyrd
• Hotel California - Eagles
• Foreplay/Longtime - Boston
• Carry on My Wayward Son - Kansas
• Roundabout - Yes
• Come Sail Away - Styx
• More than a Feeling - Boston
• Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top
• Rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac

This is not the whole Best Rock Ever list I would like to have but includes some of my all time favorites from the 70s (and zz top's 80's hit) Considering my "religious" background some people might be shocked that this is on my iPod.  Tomorrow I am going to talk about breaking free from religion.  It may change whats on your iPod - but what I really hope is that it will change your life!  Cant wait for prison break tomorrow.

The Rabbit Lived!

My Daughter Jordan starts college in the fall to be a Nurse.  She made the paper today for healing a stuffed bunny rabbit!  This article came about from her medical career class she takes at Austin High School.  Im very proud of her.  Our Stupid Paper requires you to subscribe now so you cant read the article - but here's a couple screen shots my dad grabbed along with the picture.  The article starts:

Austin High School student Jordan Anderson helps Child Tech Daycare student Cole Jones apply bandages and splints to his “Ink Bunny” on Wednesday at Parkway Medical Center. Austin’s Medical Care Career III class helped Parkway with the...