Thoughts on Transition

Yesterday I announced the resignation of our Executive Pastor Kevin and his wife KyAnne (our kids director). They will be moving to Kansas where Kev will be pastoring a church previously lead by KyAnne's aging father. We will certainly miss them and their leadership here at PCC. Even though they were here for a brief time (almost 2 years) they made a huge impact on our church and community. 

Here are a few things I've learned about staff transitions:

+When someone feels released from a ministry, let them go. Don't try to convince them to stay. You will most likely do more harm than good. Let God be God and trust Him alone in the transition

+Give honor to whom honor is do. There are good transitions and then there are difficult ones. However, whenever possible, celebrate the staff and be generous. You can't go wrong being generous with outgoing staff.

+The spirit and attitude of the leader during the transition will generally be the attitude of the congregation. In other words, the most important part of a transition is not the transition itself, but how the leader leads through the transition. 

+How you leave a ministry speaks a lot more to your character and integrity than how you start a ministry. I've had my share of staff transitions here at PCC and how you exit says a ton more about you than how you enter.

+Keep a positive perspective. Seize the transition as an opportunity for growth and a new season for change.

Small Group / Stewardship Seminar

Just an FYI for all the pastors and church leaders that read the blog ... you are invited to join me at our new facility on July 30th where we will be hosting Church Leader Insights and Kerrick Thomas for a one day Activate (Small Groups) and Stewardship (Church finances) Seminar.

If you need to know how to do small groups at your church or need practical insight on how to increase your giving and set up a solid stewardship plan at your church - than you need to come to this seminar. 

Check out all the details to the left or to register just go here. 

I've learned a ton from Nelson and Kerrick and have received a 100 fold on my investment in their ministry training opportunities.

Work ON it

There is a big difference between working "in" your church/organization and working "on" it. When I work "in" it, my time is consumed with the daily routine, operational oversight, sermon prep, staff meetings, planning, etc.

However, working "on" my church is akin to taking a ride in the plane and looking at the church from 30,000 feet in the air. It involves asking tons of tough questions like, "are all my systems in place and firing on all cylinders?"; "do I have all the right staff in the right place for the current ministry and who do I need to hire to go to the next level?", "are we accomplishing the vision of the church and how do we know - what tools are in place to measure organizational effectiveness?" and on and on and on.

I've been working "on" the church harder the last couple days than ever. Working "on" your church is kind of like a double-edged sword for me. On one hand, this kind of stuff excites me and fills my mind with anticipation for all that God is going to do in the future. On the other hand, it scares me to death when I consider how in world are we ever going to get all this done.

How about you? What are you working "on" not just "in". Your marriage ... career ... parenting ... heath ... home?

You can take a 30,000 foot perspective on your life by just sitting at your kitchen table and starting thinking and dreaming and working "on" it, not just "in" it.

Self-Feeder

Jesus states in Matthew 4:4 that "man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." In another translation of this scripture, it states that we are to "feed ourselves on every word from God." God's goal for every disciple is that we experience real life, the kind of life that compelled Jesus to leave heaven and die a criminals death on a cross in order that we cast off the chains of sin and condemnation.

Unfortunately, many aren't experiencing that dynamic real life in Christ because we have failed to learn how to "feed ourselves" from the Word of God - the Bible. Too often Christians settle for secondary sources of spiritual sustenance. These are "spoon fed" Christians that rely on others.

If you want to really live - feed your soul, not just your face. Learn how to dig into God's word and apply it to your life.

Humility 101

I've enjoyed filling in for Pastor Dave the last few days, but I'm also glad he'll be 'taking back the reigns' here at the blog (some of you may feel the same... :) ). You may not know it from my blogging thus far, but I really love a good laugh. Life is not the same without them. It's even better when we can see a reality through the lens of humor. I posted a video today that I just saw recently. Of course, it's light-hearted but it speaks a truth as well. I speak a lot to the worship and creative arts teams about blending with one another and serving each other as we play / sing. If you're a musician or vocalist, I hope you're not like this guy below. Enjoy!

The Relationship behind the Sunday

Meaningful worship. Dynamic teaching. Relevant Sermon series. Creativity. Excellence. Souls impacted for the kingdom of God. I truly believe that every pastor and worship pastor strives for these elements every Sunday. How do we get there? Well, I can say with certainty that the most important relationship in the worship planning process is the pastor/worship pastor relationship. Now, having said that, here's another truth. Potentially the greatest tension in the worship planning process is the pastor/worship planning relationship.

I've had the privilege of being involved in a Worship Leader Coaching Network for the past 4 months. I know that Pastor Dave has mentioned this before in the past, but its worth saying again. If you're not involved in some type of mentoring / coaching relationship as a pastor or worship pastor, you are definitely missing out. I have both been encouraged and learned many things just over the past few months. Let me just say a quick thanks to my coach Jason Hatley. Thanks Jason for all your help! Now, back to this relationship. It has the potential to make or break your planning and implementation of worship services. If its non-existent, trust me, it will show on Sunday mornings. I don't believe that any of us want a bad relationship, I believe the problem lies more in the fact that we are not actively engaged in making it happen. Sometimes we can assume that "it will all just work out". I am blessed to have a Pastor that takes this relationship seriously. I can honestly say that we work together and actively engage in the process of worship planning. We meet weekly to evaluate the services and spend time on creative planning elements, song selection, and future series topics. While I have a great Pastor and friend in Dave, there are also things that I MUST do to help this relationship. Here are some of my responsibilities: a) Loyalty to the Pastor, b) Trust - its one of the greatest gifts I can give him; c) Excellence in my area; and d) Communication.

I hope each of you can say your relationship with your pastor, or if you are a pastor, your relationship with your worship pastor is great. If you can't say that, here are a few steps you can take to start turning the relationship in an active direction.

1. Commitment: "trust + loyalty" - are you committed to this relationship?
2. Clarify Roles: you must have role clarity or you will have role confusion.
3. Communication: "the biggest problem with communication is the assumption that it is taking place".
4. Create Systems: ensure that there are systems around that help you continue the relationship.

I want to encourage you to take a moment and evaluate your relationship as a pastor or worship pastor. Maybe take some time this week and meet with each other and have an open dialogue about this relationship. Trust me, it will have a positive impact on your Sunday mornings!

Worship Planning in the 21st Century

Worship service planning. It's not what it used to be. I can remember years ago writing a list of songs down on a piece of paper for each musician before a Sunday service. You know....3 fast, 3 slow and an 'offeratory' for your ONE Sunday morning service. Standard protocol in the late 80's early 90's. You had your 4-5 musicians that played every Sunday and you had a rehearsal, well, tried to have rehearsals if you could get the 4 guys to show up. Chord charts weren't really an issue (most of the songs were right there in the hymnal) and an mp3 might as well have been a cousin to C3PO.

Fast foward to 2009. Multiple services, multiple teams, chord charts galore, and you can't survive without a rehearsal. It can be very overwhelming coordinating all those things as a Worship Pastor. We all want every Sunday to be meaningful and want to be sure that our teams have all the resources they need. Here at PCC I found myself scrambling much more than I had planned. I wanted to make sure everyone was in the loop and had their resources (charts, words, mp3s, etc.). Great goal, but tough to achieve with 3 services and over 35 members on my team. I did alot of research on the internet about service planning options and tried many 'free trials'. Now, I'm not a salesman or representative for this program, just a Worship Pastor trying to be an intentional leader. I came across a web based program called Planning Center Online. If you are looking, or needing, some help in organizing your team and services then you may want to check them out (of course there are other ones on the web as well). I have used it for 2 months and I love it! I can plan service orders, attach chord charts, mp3s, lyric sheets, etc. All my team members get emails when I schedule them and they can either accept or decline the request (it can even send them text messages if they choose to get them). And my team LOVES it. They can see plans ahead of time and have the resources they need to prepare for rehearsals. Most of all, they feel connected! We communicate via email, I can send them updates on songs, and our rehearsals are much smoother as a result. If you're struggling with planning your services and rehearsals, be encouraged....there are solutions out there that can help. It's nice when technology can help us with the administrative parts of our ministry so we can focus more on people!

Guest Contributor: Ronnie Jordan

I'm going to take some time away from the office so I've asked Ronnie Jordan to be a guest blogger in my absence. Ronnie is the Creative Worship Arts Pastor here at PCC and he will be sharing thoughts on leadership, worship, technology and the arts. I know that you will enjoy what he has to share.

Bible Study Tools

After writing a glowing endorsement of my Logos Digital Library System yesterday it occurred to me ... I can have all the commentaries, systematic theological treatises, and even best practices on church growth and management ... and yet still not have the most important component of inductively studying the scripture - the Holy Spirit. 

Look at where the church is growing the most in the world today - Africa, South America and Asia. Most of the pastors leading those congregations are lucky to have a Bible and concordance let alone a set of commentaries or digital library system. But they have the Holy Spirit - who Jesus promised would "guide us into all truth". 

I'm not planning on tossing my Logos, but I do want to bring a little more balance to my comments from yesterday. When it comes to Bible study tools, it's not an either/or issue, it should be a both/and proposition. One should desire to have the best tools available to study the Bible yet not neglect the importance of the relationship with the Holy Spirit. The Bible is the only book that you can read while simultaneously speaking with author. Kind of cool, huh?

Logos Bible Software

Just purchased the Mac version of the Logos Software by Libronix Digital Library System. A big "thank you" to the people at Logos for finally releasing the software compatible with the Mac platform. 

I've been using Logos DLS for 5 the past years on the PC platform and I totally love it. I can't imagine being a pastor or serious student of the Scriptures and not having this software at my fingertips. I also just upgraded to the Silver Scholars edition and unlocked hundreds of new volumes for my digital library. I now have literally thousands of reference works on my laptop that I use everyday for sermon preparation and Bible study. 

If you are a pastor or Bible college / seminary student, I would strongly recommend you purchase the Logos digital library system. If I was a carpenter, I would have the best nail guns, circular saws and digital levels that money could buy. But since I'm a pastor, I'll stick to my digital library and for my money - Logos from Libronix is the way to go.

New Seres: Text

On Memorial Day weekend we kicked off a brand new teaching series, TEXT. 

Everyone is texting these days. It seems that this is the preferred method of communication, especially among the younger generation.

Interestingly enough, God sent the first text thousands of years ago. In this series, we are going to discover that this was no ordinary text though. 

So for the next 6 weeks we are going to be studying the original text, the Bible, sent to us from GOD with LOL. In this series we hope to answer some questions, such as:

What is the Bible? Who wrote it? How do I read and study it? What does it mean for my everyday life? 

If you missed part one, go here to listen. 

I'm really pumped up about this series. I know it's going to help a lot of people develop a greater hunger and deeper passion for God's text.

Church Stats

Just participated in a survey for Leadership.Net on large churches in America.

Here are some interesting stats they shared:

Among some 300,000 churches in North America only:

- Approx. 2900 churches have attendances of 1,000-1,999

- Approx. 580 churches have attendances of 2,000-2,999

- Approx. 670 churches have attendances of 3,000 and higher

Heart Word

Ps. 119:11 says, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against. you."

One of the inherent dangers of being a preacher is that we spend so much of our time proclaiming the Word that we constantly look to the Scriptures for principles or truths that we can use to help someone else.

Often times, we neglect hiding the Word in our heart for ourselves. It's the hidden Word of God in our heart that keeps us pure and righteous and and free from sin.

Don't be like the train conductor who that falsely believes he has been to the places he announces just because he has loudly proclaimed them. Spend time in God's word first and foremost for your personal benefit. Then, out of the outflow of the Word and Spirit's activity in your own life, will come your best messages for others.

Kelly Shannon

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up that Kelly Shannon will be our special musical guest this weekend at PCC. She's just finished her latest album and will be filming her new worship DVD on Sunday night at PCC in a free worship concert.

Be sure to make plans to be here.

No Fear Video

So proud of the media team for putting together a cool video roll in for the message. Way to go guys!

Sujo John

This weekend Sujo John will be speaking at PCC. Sujo was one of very few that survived 9/11 when Tower One collapsed. Many have asked, "Where was God on 9/11 ... what was God doing when the buildings collapsed and people perished." Well, if you want to hear from someone who actually witnessed the entire event first-hand, than make sure you don't miss this weekend at PCC. Sujo's story of those events and final moments in Tower One will be unforgettable.

Remember that this weekend we are piloting a Saturday evening service on May 16th at 6:00 PM. On Sunday, there will NOT be a 9am service. Instead, we will have a 10:45am and 12:30pm service. Invite your friends! Don't come alone.

Mother's Day

This Sunday is Mother's Day. At PCC, we have a special presentation to honor all the moms and you don't want to miss it. It's going to be a ton of fun.

Also, I'll be continuing in our series, No Fear, with a special message and time of prayer at the altars. I sense in my spirit that God is going to do something special in all our services this weekend.

So be sure to come out and bring your friends!

Ted Haggard Interview

I just finished watching the Ted Haggard Interview with Steven Furtick at Elevation Church. As you might remember, Pastor Ted who grew one of the largest churches in America as well as leading the 30 million member association of evangelicals in America, was embroiled in a scandal that rocked the Christian community. You might have seen the interview that Oprah or Larry King did on The Haggards, but you need to view their story through the lens of a local church. As you watch the interview, let God speak to your heart about what might be going on in your own life and how you can avoid the same potential pitfalls that shipwrecked Ted Haggard.

Weekend Highlights

1. Had an awesome day at PCC. God is really using the "No Fear" series to help tons of people. In each of the three services, the altars were packed with people crying out to God and giving thanks.

2. My good friend, Etienne Zongo, is in town from Burkina Faso, Africa. He spoke a great word to our PCC family Sunday night at The Gathering prayer and worship service. I believe it was a prophetic word from God! PCC, look out. The future just got a whole lot bigger.

3. I was exhausted today. Still don't have the stamina built up for preaching three services - especially for sermons like yesterday. Not sure how we are going to do 4 services. God will help us

4. This week I'm in Pittsburgh for our District Council meetings. Looking forward to the week.

5. Sunday is Mother's Day. I have to get my mom a gift. What do you get a woman who has everything! Ha!

Dinner with the Crosbys

Leading on Empty

I'm reading the latest book by one of my favorite authors and pastor, Wayne Cordeiro. His book, Leading on Empty, chronicles his personal journey from ministry burnout to balance.

Ministry is like a double-edged sword. On the one side, it offers the most refreshing and rewarding experience ever. It's amazing to watch God literally restore life to those that are dry and dead inside.

On the other side, ministry can be a completely draining and exhausting enterprise. Unfortunately, too often many people find more to criticize and complain about rather than celebrating and complementing all that God is doing in and through his church.

I'm loving Wayn'e book and look forward to sharing some thoughts.

It's All Good

"May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." Hebrews 13:20-21

This is a powerful prayer! Since Jesus is alive - his power is available to us and will give us every good thing we need to do what he's called me to do. A Priest or Pontifix literally means "bridge builder." Every minister stands between two worlds - one foot in a world which is hurting and full of need and one foot the Kingdom of God which holds the capacity to meet every human need.

What an awesome responsibility we have to bring these worlds together and have front row seats to watch the great capacity of God meet every human need and change lives.

Coaching Pt.. 3

A Good Coach Encourages You. Watch this video.

Coaching Pt. 2

Sorry for not posting in a few days. I've been in bed sick as a dog. Thanks for your prayers and patience. Been working too hard and running too fast (I use the word "running" metaphorically). Anyway, here's part 2 of the coaching post.

2. A Good Coach Asks Tough Questions

Good coaches always ask tough questions. Someone said, "The quality of your questions will determine the quality of your life."

Here are some of the questions my coach regularly asks me:

1. What is the one thing that is impeding your progress?

2. What benefits/payoffs do you experience by not doing anything about it?

3. What would you like to see happen in this situation?

4. What are you pretending not to know about this situation?

5. What resources do you need to overcome this challenge?

6. What are you going to do about? When?

7. Would you like some accountability with that?

8. How can I pray with you?

Coaching Pt. 1

Last week I wrapped up an 8 month commitment with my Advanced Coaching Group in NYC led by Nelson Searcy. In addition to planting and pastoring Journey Church, Nelson leads coaching cohorts in both NYC and FlA. Nelson and his team have made a tremendous impact on my ministry here in Pocono and I want to thank him for investing in me and many other pastors.

This week I want to share some of the thoughts regarding the importance and benefits of having a coach.

#1. A Coach Challenges You to Be the Best

Coaches never get on the field and take a shot, score a goal or participate in play. Their work takes place on the sideline and in locker room at the chalk board. Through teaching, training and motivation, coaches bring out the best in their players.

If you are a pastor, who is challenging you to be your best at building the Kingdom? Who is motivating you and speaking into your life? Who is holding you accountable?

If you aren't in church ministry, do you have someone challenging you to be the best at what you do? Paul says that older women are to pour into younger ladies and help them excel in life and faith. The same is true for the guys. Paul's teacher was Gamiliel. His protege was Timothy.

Everyone needs a coach. If you don't have a coach, ask yourself: what's the reason why? What are you going to do this week to find one?

Glen Beck Video

Whether or not you are a Glen Beck fan, you need to watch this video.

Don't Quit

The book of 2 Chronicles records 5 national spiritual revivals that took place in the OT. The first occurred under the leadership of King Asa (2 Chron. 15-16). When this young leader took over the helm, he faced opposition and criticism.

The prophet gave him this word, "Be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded."

It's so easy to get discouraged in life. Whether you are a mom feels completely unappreciated for all the work she does around the house or a minister who gets more complaints than compliments, know this - your work will get rewarded.

One day God will reconcile the books. Rest assured. Don't quit.

Amazing Easter!

This year Easter @ PCC was simply amazing. We had 2536 people show up and tons of them made decisions for Christ. In fact, I don't have the final number yet, but I believe it was over 200! That's crazy awesome! Go God!

We kicked off the series, No Fear. If you missed it, you can go here to listen to it. Next week I'll be sharing a message on how we can overcome discouragement in life.

I want to thank the staff and hundreds of volunteers for praying, fasting and working so hard to make this Easter the best-ever so far at PCC. Thanks for inviting your friends and partnering with PCC to reach this Mountain with the Gospel!

Also, I want to thank all those that attended the third service. We had almost 700 in that service alone. Thanks for freeing up seats for the second service. Unfortunately, we still had to turn people away. Looks like its time to start another service! Let's do it!

Good Friday Communion

Tonight from 5 - 7 PM, PCC will be offering a family come and go communion. Whether you come alone, with friends or family, everyone will be served during this wonderful time of contemplation and thanksgiving for all that Christ has done for us.

The Pastoral Staff and Church Elders will be serving the communion. As you enter the auditorium, you may wish to find a place to sit, pray and quietly give thanks for Christ's sacrifice. When you are ready, make your way to one of the six communion stations where you will be served.

Easter is coming!

Easter is just a few days away. We have an awesome weekend planned to celebrate the fact that Jesus is alive!

You still have time to invite your friends to one of our three weekend services on Sunday at either 9am, 10:45am or 12:30pm. Bring a friend to each of our three services!

This year we have special musical guest, Vickie Yohe. You and your friends will enjoy her upbeat music and inspirational spirit.

Also, I'm putting the final touches on my Easter message. This year I'll be sharing a message called, "No Fear" from John 20:19-24. I pray that God will use it to bring hope and encouragement to all who hear it.

Again, one special request ... if you normally attend the 10:45am service, please come to the 12:30pm service instead. There has been so much buzz about PCC that we may end up having to turn people away from our second service. Last week it was completely packed and first service was jammed too.

God Still Isn't Dead

The Wall Street Journal posted this interesting article in today's column:

Looked at from a celestial perspective, the American model of religion, far from retreating, is going global. Pastorpreneurs are taking their message around the world. In Latin America, Pentecostalism has disrupted the Catholic Church's monopoly. Already five of the world's 10 biggest churches are in South Korea: Yoido Full Gospel Church, which has 800,000 members, is a rival in terms of organization for anything Messrs. Warren and Hybels can offer. China is the latest great convert. There are probably close to 100 million Christians in China, most of them following a very individualistic American-style faith. Already more people attend church each Sunday than are members of the Communist Party. China will soon be the world's biggest Christian country and also possibly its biggest Muslim one. Read more

Weekend Highlights

We had an awesome day at PCC yesterday. Here are some of the highlights:

1. Our attendance was up over 56% from last year on Palm Sunday with over 1700 attendees.

2. Many put their faith in Christ yesterday. Go God!

3. We baptized 26 new believers in Christ.

4. The new three service format was awesome. It helped us grow by 300 people in one weekend.

5. The Gathering prayer service was amazing. God is going to honor those prayers for the lost.

6.We had tons of committed volunteers do a fantastic job creating a warm and welcoming environment.

7. The music was off the hook.

One request ... all those that normally attend the 2nd service at 10:45, please attend the third service this Easter weekend at 12:30pm. We need all the room we can get in that 2nd service. So please help free up seats for those that don't know Jesus yet!

Butt Slapp Thank You