MoviePastor.com: Church, Culture, Christ

Sunday Mind Dump

• I am totally exhausted!
• I had a LOT of fun today talking about why we do church the way we do!
• We tried to live capture video today - the video looks good - the audio blows.  Maybe we can combine the video with our audio only recording and get a good video up on vimeo
• Im still blown away by how we transformed that theater into what amounted to a beach party.
• Snow cones were a hit with kids - next time we'll do something different though.
• Batman is going to hose up our lobby experience next Sunday.
• Everything else will ROCK.
• Kidzone was SLAMMED today.  They did awesome! 
• Bigger and better children's ministry coming - stay tuned.
• Had some new volunteers today - they were AWESOME!
• Yes I said you know its a good day at church when you get lei'ed!
• Can't get over the mandolin in Losing my Religion!
• My wife sacrificed her palm trees - she's my hero.  They MADE the stage.
• Someone gave them to us and Im glad we can use them for Jesus.
• We need new video volunteers - email Kenny (kenny at moviechurch dot tv) if you can use a mouse!
• Why does our computer audio out buzz? We cant figure it out.  Its annoying the crap out of me!
• Yes we lifted the ground, ran on battery, passed audio through a direct box - NOTHING works.
• I told a story about when I was 15 and "learned" to speak in tongues.  It was pretty funny.
• Lots of positive comments about a delicate subject!
• You CAN grow a church as a Bi-vocational pastor! 
• We have nearly doubled in a year - actually in about 7 months!
• Several people committed to follow Jesus - thats what the topic was all about since Acts 2!
• Pumped about Pig Out Saturday.  Almost 150 signed up!  Contact Kenny at moviechurch dot tv if you haven't signed up.  Bring your lawn chairs, frisbees, footballs, food and appetite.
• The BBQ will be INCREDIBLE!
• We spend a ton of money on this party - but seeing people take their next steps is worth every single dime!
• Crosspoint Rules!
• Jesus Rocks!
• This was long - im done.

Hot Topic Recap

Week 1 of Hot Topics - Religion - Speaking in Tongues is done.  Holy smoke.  I was so giddy and full of excited nervous energy during the worship I couldn't hold my iPhone steady enough to take a good picture.  They are all blurry.  I'll get someone else's.

Unbelievable vibe and energy as people were greeted by a vintage VW Bug complete with surf rack and antique cooler and beach umbrella.  Rodney and Jennifer - you guys ROCK!!!  As people entered the theater they were greeted by friendly people who put a Lei around their neck.  Summer music from the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, Jimmy Buffet, Blake Shelton and Los Lobos rocked the lobby that themed with Palm Trees, a Tiki Bar and snow cones.  Our surfing countdown had some pretty funny reminders every minute.

When people entered the auditorium they saw a stage outlined with tiki torches and a grass "skirt".  On stage were beach balls, "tiki" poles (like a totem pole), and palm trees.  When the countdown ended we tossed out a half dozen beach balls and  had an old fashioned beach party to the tune of Wipeout by the Safari's.  Beach balls were being bounced around, people were on their feet and engaged in what was going on and then we ROCKED the worship set.

After a video promo for next Saturday's Pig Out our band played Losing my Religion by REM.  It was complete with a mandolin that absolutely was the most incredible thing I ever heard.  Kevin can sing that as good as REM did - and the place was electric!  It was insane. 

I got up and preached the message God gave me at 1:00am this morning.   Yes - you read that right.  I had a sermon that was good doctrinally and informationaly - but absolutely sucked and I couldnt make it make sense.  I literally wrestled with myself, with God all evening Saturday and finally scrapped half of my 10 hours of work around midnight.  I prayed and God began to reveal what He wanted people to hear and I rearranged it, changed the main theme.  As God poured out what He wanted me to say I literally couldn't type it fast enough.  I went to bed at 2:45 am, woke up at 5, loaded the pick up three times back and forth to the theater, downed a Monster Lo Carb and shucked the corn.   I dont think I have ever had as much fun and freedom preaching as I did today. 

We finished the service with a great song about Love - Arise - and then did a reprise of one of the HOT songs to close out the service. 

Our volunteers and our staff absolutely blew me away at how great everything looked and how well all the elements came together.  I'll find a picture and post it.  I'd post the video but we jacked up the audio track - this was our first attempt.

The highlight of the day though was the half dozen or so people who trusted Jesus as Savior!  Absolutely incredible.  And the icing on the cake - for the first time ever we broke 200 - in the middle of summer!  Now thats HOT! I was absolutely blown away by what God did at Crosspoint today and on the way home after the service while I was stopped at a traffic light I cried. 

Unbelievable Day!  We serve an AWESOME God! We have an INCREDIBLE Church. 

The night before...

I absolutely LOVE the night before a new series like Hot Topics.  Since we are a portable church there is a lot of uncertainty associated with it.  We have a TON of props to set up and no way to do a trial run.  Besides our usual 2-16' trailers full of junk - we'll have cars, SUV's and a pick up loaded to the gills with props.  And when they get there - we have to figure out on the fly how to put it all together to make it look good.  Some stuff isnt even done yet and we dont know if it will work! Honestly a ton of stuff can go wrong in the morning - and I absolutely LOVE it.  I thrive off of it in fact.  Cant wait till tomorrow!

Hot Hot Hot

Headed out today to get some work done - and its HOT outside.  Reminded me that its going to be HOT at Crosspoint tomorrow.  We start Hot Topics Sunday.  We'll be tackling some issues related to Religion and the church, politics, Homosexuality, and Alcohol.  What does the bible have to say about Ellen's marriage and how should the church respond?  Is it OK for Christians to drink beer?  Was Jesus a Republican?   What about speaking in tongues?  What's that all about?  It should be HOT HOT HOT. 

Sunday will be fun and it will be silly sometimes - but it will help you, it will help your friends, Jesus will be worshiped and the Word will the taught.  Do not miss HOT TOPICS!

iPhone app test

Using the typepad blogging tool

iHappiness!

Well, apple sure wasnt ready for the iLaunch of the iPhone and neither was AT&T but after a long day that began at 4:00am i have achieved iHappiness.

The day began with waking up at 4, showering, and heading to the AT&T store to avoid crowds in Metro Huntsville.  I was meeting my buddies there at 5.  Well one was going to come at 5:30 and bring breakfast.  I arrived to no line but noticed cars in the lot.  Too bad - they lose.  I got got my stuff and headed to the door.  2 kids that camped out overnight had their stuff there so I was #3 at 4:30.  My buddies were 5 and 6.  I already knew that only 6 people would be allowed in.

The AT&T people arrived about 6:30 and started setting up and getting our hopes up for an early launch.  They came out and put up a barricade around 7 and at 7:30 came out and had us pre-fill out what we wanted - made sure we knew how many bills to lay out, and checked upgrades for existing customers.

The doors opened at 8 with about 40 people in line.  I made my dash to the register, they got me a phone, swiped my card and I was paid up in 15 minutes.  Not bad. Then they had to "unbrick" the phone.  Basically you connect to itunes and register it.  All they got was "connecting to the itunes store" - and then timeouts.  Suddenly there was panic among the employees.  No one could sync.  Some people couldnt even pay and activate with at&t.  They had to break out the old school credit card machines! 

At 8:50 they told me the new plan was let people take them home and sync them.  ITunes store was getting slammed.  CRAP.  So I left with my iBrick and headed to work.  Got here at 9:30 and started to try and sync.  No joy.  called apple.  No operators available - please call back!  WHAT?  Not a good sign.  So I called at&t.  Their suggestion - leave it plugged into the computer and it will eventually sync.  Uh - no it wont.  iTunes timed out and gave an error. 

Now im searching the internet - EVERYONE is having the issue.  Several suggestions to work around - nothing.  Suddenly around lunch I get a text message from AT&T.  Welcome to the AT&T network.  Could this be it?  I can use my phone now - but I cant sync with itunes.  Off to a meeting and I come back and one of my buddies is working.  WHAT?  I shut down iTunes, disconnect the iPhone - reconnect - BAM!  Im registering my new iPhone.

It was a pain, apple and at&t were unprepared - but no riots took place, I have an iPhone that works, and no one lost body parts. 

Here are my pics from this morning:

iPhone Limbo

CRAP!  I'll post details later - but I got my shiny new iPhone and cant use it.  Its a brick.  The AT&T people overwhelemed the iTunes store apparently and cant unbrick the phone.  they sent me home with a nice new $300 brick!  Called at&t and they said to keep trying.  Blogs are saying that people around the country are having the same problem. 

Apple couldn't see this coming? 

App Store on iTunes

There are some pretty cool and free apps on the new iTune store for my soon to be new iPhone.  Already got Pandora and Typepad apps for free music and blogging.  Surfing the store now.  SWEET!  Gonna get the new Youversion Bible for iPhone too! 

iAmexcited

Went to the AT&T store last night to scope out the potential situation on an iPhone.  Fortunately I live in a smaller town.  Best guestimates are that the store will have fewer than 100 iPhones, but more than a couple dozen based on what I could pull out of him.  They will have 6 employees manning the store and open at 8.  I asked about interest and people telling him when they were planning to line up.  Only one caller to the store said they would be lining up early.  That guy said 3:00am.  CRAP!  Our plan (me, a buddy from work, and a buddy from church) are getting there at 5:00am.  The AT&T rep said based on his gut feel, we'd be among the first.  I want to be one of the first 6 in the store!  I got to get my phone and get out so I can go to work.  There is an APPLE store in Huntsville but that place will probably be slammed.  I bet people start lining up tonight!

The BEST part of the conversation.  I asked about 3G coverage in Decatur.  There was coverage in HSV but not Decatur when Apple announced the phone.  They turned on 3G in Decatur 2 days ago!!  I probably wont be able to sleep tonight.  If I cant - I might be there before the 3:00am dude arrives! 

So - are YOU getting an iPhone?  Are you waiting in line to get it? 

HOT STUFF

Had a creative meeting last night about HOT TOPICS.  We are going to have a BLAST this Sunday.  You will think you are at the beach so dress accordingly!  Flip Flops, Board Shorts, Hawaiian Shirts.  There will be Lei's, Tiki Torches, Surboards, Beach Boys, Beach Balls, Sno Cones...The Music will be HOT HOT HOT.  The message I'm leading off with will help set the stage for the rest of series as we tackle what the bible has to say about gay people, drinking beer, politics. 

What I say over the course of the next month is going to SHOCK some of you, liberate some of you, convict and convince some of you and maybe even make some of you mad.   Get your friends there.  You dont want to be late either!