Well, the hardest part is over  I successfully made it through day 1 of my losing2give challenge, and have some pretty cool things to share.  In case you missed it, read this post from yesterday to find out how I’m on a challenge to lose weight and help starving people at the same time.  Here are some updates:

• I had a successful day 1.  Often that’s the hardest part- getting started.  I know from experience that there are crucial milestones along the way and getting started is one of the hardest!  I had a great intense upper-body workout at the gym in the morning (working out on an empty stomach in the morn burns way more calories) and ate 6 small meals throughout the day (healthy balance of carbs/protein at each meal).  I’ll be posting thoughts along the way about specifics re: training & eating.
• This morning at the gym was cardio day.  I did the elliptical machine, bike, and walked on the track.
• I have 6 people sponsoring me so far, with a total pledge of $20/lb.  That means for each lb I lose, I can send 117 meals to starving kids around the world… this is just with 6 sponsors!
• My friend Tammy Helfrich, one of our coaches at The Orchard & an amazing person, sponsored me and then got to thinking, “Why don’t I do this myself??”  She emailed and asked permission to join me and get her own sponsors, to which I of course said yes!  You can read her journey here.  I’m hoping to set up a blog dedicated entirely to the losing2give challenge, and we will both chronicle the journey there.
• I’m praying this thing takes off and people get involved and we see what a difference we can make together!  I’d love it if you’d talk about this on Facebook & Twitter (please use hashtag #losing2give) and we get a ton of people involved.  I’ve got some super secret plans to  turn the heat up a bit after I reach my end of year goal!
• I am still looking for at least 4 more sponsors… if you’d like to help, you can click here to sign up!
• I weighed in this morning again (I know most people weigh in once a week but it really helps me to weigh daily) and was surprised (in a good way) at the progress so far!

Thanks so much for your support!  I’m looking forward to making a difference, together!

Many of you know that last year I buckled down, got focused, and lost 5olbs.  I worked hard, ate right, exercised, and did well.  Unfortunately, at the end of the summer last year I began cheating and have done a terrible job since then of staying focused.  I’ve tried a number of times to “get back on” and focus, but to no avail.  Sound like your own journey?  Unfortunately, that’s the story many share.  According to Forbes, in the United States, 74% of those over 15 years of age are considered overweight.  It’s a struggle.  I’ve been there.  Still am.  But I’m ready to do something about it, and I need you to help me.

Bill Phillips is the author of the best-selling book, Body-for-LIFE.  I basically did a modified BFL plan last year to lose the weight I did.  It’s fairly easy, and not a crash diet like many other methods.  Instead, it’s an eat right and exercise plan.  Really, a lifestyle change.  I’ve been following his current work over on his Transformation website, which has a large, active online community.  Last week, he announced his fall Healthy Holiday Challenge.  It involves setting a measurable weight loss goal, staying involved helping others along on their journey, eating right, and exercising.  At the time of year most people coast (and eat like crazy over the holidays), Bill is challenging people to work out a minimum of 32 times and only take 10 cheat days total over these next 8 weeks.This is just what I have been looking for, so I signed up! (Grand prize winner can win $10,000!)  I’m starting today, Monday, November 2nd.

My goal is to lose 25lbs between now and December 31st. Can I do it?  Yes I can!  But it’s going to take some work.  It’s going to take a commitment.  I’ll share in upcoming posts some of the changes to diet, lifestyle, and habits I’m having to make to make this happen.

Here’s the exciting part… I’ve decided to take this one step farther: I want to lose weight, but also benefit people in my community and around the world.  I want my loss to be to others’ gain. I’ve been praying for some way to help others in our local community and around the world, and I think I have an idea that can make that happen!  Here’s where you come in!

Many people have trouble getting the internal motivation to stay consistent on their challenge… so I’ve decided to bring on a little external motivation that will make a difference.  I’m looking for 10 people who will sign up to partner with me over the next 8 weeks. I’m looking for 10 people who will commit to donate x amount per pound up to my 25 pound goal.  Maybe it’s $1/pound, maybe it’s $10/pound, that’s up to you.  I’m going to partner with both a local organization to help homeless people in my community (Aurora, IL) as well as an organization that feeds starving children around the world.  If you’ll donate just $4/pound, and I do my part by losing 25lbs, together you and I can serve nearly 600 meals to starving kids around the world. That $100 can also feed 200 homeless people soup for 2 days, buy 100 boxes of cereal for a local food pantry, or give a homeless child 10 days of shelter and 3 warm meals a day.  That’s just one of you.  Imagine what 10 people could do.  Or even more.  Us working together, me losing & you giving.  It’s a win-win!  I plan to give $$$ as well.

I’m going to be posting insights from my journey.  I don’t know what this will turn into… at the least, I’ll be skinnier and some kids will get to eat.  At the best, others could get involved and we could make a real difference in Aurora and beyond.  I know it’s different, unusual, and maybe a little bit crazy… but I’m ready to take the plunge!  It’s going to be easier to say no to certain foods, to get up when I’m tired to go to the gym, etc, knowing the ultimate difference it can make.  I’ve got big plans for this I’ll talk about later, but for now, it’s one small step to make a difference.

Whether you can financially commit to this or not, I’d appreciate notes of encouragement along the way.  I’m praying that as I eat less, exercise more, and stay focused, that together we’ll be able to give back to others in a unique partnership!

Who’s with me?  If you’re interested in sponsoring my lost pounds, simply fill out this form and you’ll be signed up!  Thanks in advance!

I wrote an article recently that was featured over at The Origins Project blog called Innovation Cultivation.  In it, I contend that the role of many pastors is shifting from being the one who drives all innovation (and creativity) to one who cultivates innovation among the people of the church community.  I’d love it if you’d jump on the Origins Project and read it and share your thoughts!

“O God, because without You we are not able to please You,

mercifully grant that Your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule my heart;

Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,

One God, now and forever.

- Amen”

From The Divine Hours

Max Lucado is an exceptional communicator, and his newest book, Fearless, is a great example of that.  Fearless is a book that arrives in a time that is relevant to all readers.  He addresses, head-on, many common fears that hold people captive, repeatedly illustrating how trusting God can counteract the deathlike grip fears have on us.

Reading Fearless is like sitting down over coffee and great conversation with Lucado himself.  His appeal to Scripture serves to strengthen his contention that followers of Jesus should not live in fear, but his conversational tone and personal anecdotes serve to make this approachable.  It’s almost like having a big brother or personal pastor giving much-needed counsel.

Lucado addresses common fears (like protecting your kids, not making an impact, the calamity of the world, etc), but goes beyond to sharing practical tips and steps we can employ to overcome our fears.  A great, short statement sets the tone well: “When Christ is great, our fears are not!” (p. 169)

This book reminds me how much God loves me, and my position as a child of the King should eliminate fear of engaging life to the fullest.  This book is for the person who fears disappointing God, who fears taking a risk, who fears being all they could be.  In short, this book is for anyone who wants to reframe their fearful perspective with a godly outlook on life.

My 8-year-old son wrote this letter to a friend of his from school.  We’ll be moving soon and he probably won’t see this friend again, so I thought this letter was so sweet.

Dear Zachary,

My mom recorded some Bakugan episdes.  One of them were Drago’s on fire.  Zachary, I want to ask you if your mom would be fine if you or me call each other.  I sure liked having you as my friend.

Your friend,

Brendan

I’m really proud that he recognized the value of a good friendship.  How often do we forget how important good friends are and how rare is it when we tell them we enjoy our friendship?  Who would be blessed if you sent them a note like this?  Got them in mind?  Then go, right now, and write the letter.  You’ll both be glad you did.

Yesterday, I talked about how our Lead Pastor is taking a few weeks off next month for his summer study break.  I talked about reasons and benefits to his doing this, and today I thought I’d share a number of ways I think you as a staff member can help make this a great, productive, beneficial time for him.

Some ways to help:

-       Pray!  Pray that he really rests and takes his minds off the day-to-day of the church.  It’s important that he really recharges his batteries.  Pray that he really connects with God- this is SO important.  I can tell you that Scott is leading the way he thinks God is leading- so I and the rest of the staff NEED him to connect with God during this time.  I’m praying and trusting that he will.

-       Think of ways to pick up the slack…  over the next few weeks, I’m going to look for ways I can pick up the slack around the office and in our teams so he doesn’t have to worry about it.  Are there little things you can do that will save your leader from worrying about them?  Look for them and take care of it!  This obviously depends on your role and job description, but everyone can pitch in even in little ways that make a big difference in the leader’s ability to disconnect from the day-to-day, trusting that things are being executed well in his absence.

-       Leave him alone!  It’s all too tempting to make little issues seem like big issues that need to be solved by the senior leader, but in reality, most things he doesn’t need to be bothered with.  Before you pick up the phone or type an email, ask yourself this question: “Is this issue something serious enough that it’s worth interrupting the potential rhythm of rest and refreshment my senior leader is having?”  If it’s not, don’t do it!  (let me give you a little tip based on experience: there’s very little worth this interruption).  Wait until he’s back or see if someone else on staff can help you.  Most things that in the moment feel like a crisis end up being minimal.

-       Be a buffer.  When people in the church come up to you and say, “Can you get in touch with so and so, it’s really important?” run interference and keep unimportant stuff from causing an interruption to your senior leader’s important time away.  See the above, leave him alone.

-       Get ahead.  It’s natural when the “boss” is around to have a million little things you are doing.  While he’s away, take the slightly lighter pace and get caught up but take it a step farther and get ahead.  What upcoming events can you work on now?  What things in the church (painting a room, cleaning carpets, etc) can you ensure get completed?  Get ahead so there is room in your schedule to respond to the things your leader feels God wants the team to respond to in the upcoming year.

-       LEAD!  He needs you to lead.  It’s your church and your responsibility too, so step up and when you see things that need to be done, do them and lead out!

-       As a staff, think of creative ways to welcome your leader back when he returns from break!  This might include getting a gift card to a nice restaurant and offering to babysit, hanging a banner, getting a card or Starbucks gift card, etc.  Be creative!

What things can you think of that would help your senior leader have a great, productive time off?  If you’re a senior leader, I’d love it if you’d chime in here with some things that help you during your time away.

My friend, pastor, and boss is about to start his weekly summer study break.  This is a season where he takes off the whole month of July (from teaching and much of the day-to-day) to refresh his spirit, recalibrate his priorities for the upcoming year, and prepare to lead us the next year of ministry.  I think this is one of the most important things he does every year for a number of reasons.  If you’re on a church staff, you need to read this post to help you understand the why behind the what.  Today I want to discuss some reasons why this season is so important.

• It gives him a chance to recharge his batteries. Leading a church is HARD work.  Make no mistake- the pressures of leading a ministry, staff, other ministry leaders, and balancing that with being a great husband and father are HUGE.  He needs this time to get out of the rhythm of leading day-to-day and simply fill his tanks that have been depleted from leading all year.  He needs to build some margin back into his life.  His emotional, physical, and spiritual tanks are empty, and this gives him time and the resources to refill them.
• It gives him an opportunity to connect deeply with God. Without the day-to-day pressures of “running” the ministry and teaching 40+ weeks a year, he can make sure his study and praying time has no agenda other than meeting God and hearing His voice.  Staff, this is SO critical for your leader, I cannot stress this enough!  You are depending on your senior leader to take this time and connect with God so he can be sensitive to the leading of God.  I don’t want us moving forward based simply on our creative ideas.  I want Scott to connect with God and find His heart for Aurora, The Orchard, the surrounding areas, and other areas of the world, so he can lead us to serve in ways that bless the heart of God.  If you were in the military, you’d want your leader making well-informed decisions prior to launching an offensive in battle.  It’s the same with ministry.  I want my leader taking us into battle with the best intelligence there is- the Voice and Heartbeat of God.
• It gives him a chance to give his family some quality time. His kids need him to just be dad for a bit.  The church takes much of his time (and many church leaders are guilty of not setting good boundaries and let the church do this) so the kids need to see dad focused on them.  I’m guilty of this.  My wife has often said, “You’re here but you’re not here.”  My body is there, but my mind is on church junk.  My senior leader needs to be able to get away and invest in his family in some quality, uninterrupted time.  This is a win for the team.  We’ve all seen people in ministry bite the dust because they neglected their family and have gotten their priorities mixed up.  I don’t want that- so this time is very important!
• It gives him a chance to step back and see things from a fresh perspective. Too often when we are in the leading daily routine, we don’t zoom out to 30,000ft and see things from a renewed perspective.  I once read a quote from Mark Batterson that has stuck in my mind: “A change of pace + a change of place = a change of perspective.” I’ve found this to be true.  Your senior leader will benefit from some time away to think big-picture and to see things he might miss when he’s in the grind of it.  He might visit some other churches and get fresh ideas.  Some staff hate it when their senior leader takes this time because he comes back with a laundry list of things to tweak/change, but that is an immature, non-team attitude.  Don’t fear the “notebook filled with things he wants to change;” trust that God is speaking to him in this time and it’s for a good purpose.  Remember, you’re co-laboring together, and he’s the leader, so follow well!
• Finally, it gives him a chance to learn and be a better leader. How often has your bookshelf lined up with more and more books that you “intend” to read but just get busy and put it off?  The other day in a meeting, Scott talked about how it has been awhile since he’s been really able to dive into some good leadership books. This time off will be spent reading some great leadership material and I have no doubt it will give him some added umph going into the fall.  Every professional career has continuing education, so this is a great time for your leader to learn some new skill, to engage in an ongoing global dialogue about leadership, and to ultimately learn some tools that will help him lead even better.

This list certainly isn’t exhaustive, but it’s a start.  Tomorrow I’ll be back with a look at some ways you can ensure this is a healthy, productive season for your senior leader.  I’d love it if you’d comment with your thoughts and perspective and share some other reasons this is a good thing.  Invite your friends to stop by and give their .02 cents as well!

Bart Ehrman is all the rage these days.  His book, Misquoting Jesus, was immensely popular, earning him the status of being a household name.  He’s been on tons of press spots; heck, he even got interviewed by the distinguished journalist Steven Colbert.:)  With his followup, Jesus, Interrupted, Ehrman continues the same line of claims he began with Misquoting Jesus.  As a result of his writings, countless people who at one point claimed to follow Jesus abandoned their faith, as Ehrman “obviously” proved that the Bible was an unreliable document, and if the document is unreliable, the faith it speaks of must be unreliable as well, right?

Bart Ehrman is a competent scholar.  I think that’s what really baffles me about his writing.  No, I’m not saying what he is writing is dumb at all.  He’s obviously brilliant and has some good points to make.  The problem is, his generalizations and many of his one-sided assertions don’t mesh with a scholar of his caliber.  

Let me give you an example.  Ehrman says, “Most of the books of the New Testament go under the names of people who didn’t actually write them.  This has been well known among scholars for the greater part of the past century, and it is taught widely in mainline seminaries and divinity schools throughout the country.  As a result, most pastors know it as well.  But for many people on the street and in the pews, this is ‘news’.” (p.112)  The problem lies in his sweeping generalization that this is taught widely and that most pastors know this as well. In reality, he is talking about liberal scholarship.  Conservative scholars rise up to stand against his claims.  Ehrman makes it sound like all of academia (in the Christian world, at least), believes this.  In truth, many liberal scholars do while most do not.  To further the point, many books in the New Testament were NOT written by the person we traditionally associate authorship with.  News to you?  Yes, many letters were written down by what was called an amanuensis, a person who essentially took dictation down from the author.  So, in Galatians, it’s most likely Paul did not physically write the letter.  But, he did speak it, and his amanuensis wrote it.  Paul signed off on the writing, however, saying “See what large letters I write with my own hand!”  This doesn’t mean Paul wasn’t the author- it just means that as was typical of the day, he dictated it to someone else who wrote it down.  Paul likely read and approved the final copy as authentic.

Ehrman likes to speak about contradictions in the text.  The truth is, the contradictions he speaks about are there.  He says, “When students are first introduced to the historical, as opposed to a devotional, study of the Bible, one of the first things they are forced to grapple with is that the biblical text… is chock full of discrepancies, many of them irreconcilable.” (p.19)  He goes on to discuss discrepancies between stories contained in the gospels.  Ehrman fails to really capture the opposite view that each of these gospels are written from starkly different viewpoints, written to vastly different audiences.  Finally, the Bible nowhere claims to be a historical document.  God allowed things to be written through the eyes of the respective writer, and it’s natural that perspectives are different.  There are no theological discrepancies.  Sure, one gospel may contain a glimpse of a story (the crucifixion, for example) that seemingly has contradicting accounts (did Jesus cry out to His father and seem fearful of the cross or was He calm and collected?).  But reconciling these against the theological message of the Scripture is not a problem at all.  One must remember genre when discussing the Bible, as well.

A favorite topic of Ehrman comes regarding variants between Greek manuscripts.  Many scholars and critics use big numbers in an effort to make a point.  Sure, the NT has over 100,000 words, and 300,000 variants.  What liberal scholars fail to point out is that most variants are as simple as inverting the words Jesus Christ for Christ Jesus, or putting the letter n at the end of the word rather than in the word (the variable nu).  No cardinal doctrine is affected by this.  Another topic is copyist errors.  Ehrman claims that copyist errors throughout the centuries have led to an unreliable manuscript.  He also claims that the documents we have came hundreds of years after the original writing.  Again, in a case of selective presentation, he fails to mention that the earliest extant manuscripts have been traced back to 125AD, a generation from their writing.  No other ancient literature can boast anywhere near this claim.  What he has done is give stats that at first glance cause everyone to say, “Holy Cow!” without qualifying them (which would greatly reduce the shock value).

What bothers me is that his attempt to bring “what the scholars know” to the laypeople who this supposed truth is kept from doesn’t present all the information, leading good people who trust the Word of God to doubt their Holy book and the Christ it speaks of.  I enjoy when good scholars present their view but clearly state other views as well.  Ehrman writes matter-of-factly (and why shouldn’t he, it’s his book?) about heavy topics that are by no means “settled” in the academic community.  Textual Criticism has operated within ebbs and flows for the last two centuries, and competent scholars on both sides of the issues produce excellent scholarship.  But to present things as if they are widely accepted without giving the inverse argument is a scary place to be if I’m a scholar like Ehrman.  It undermines his credibility and causes deep doubt to set in the hearts of many people unnecessarily.   I’d encourage you to read Ben Witherington, Dan Wallace, Scot McKnight, and other competent scholars to see their take on the same viewpoints.  They frequently bring both sides of the issue into their writings.  Ehrman has a nasty habit of making his and other liberal scholars’ beliefs the norm.  

Here are three important takeaways I’d ask readers to think on.

• First, I think Ehrman is absolutely correct that pastors have not done a good job conveying some of the concepts he speaks of (NT manuscripts, controversies, etc).  I personally believe a healthy discussion about how we got our bible could do a lot of people good in the church today.  It’s important that as followers of Jesus, we have open and honest discussion about important issues like this, and people learn the history of the faith they engage in. 

• Second, I think it’s important for people to read from people who disagree with their beliefs.  Despite arriving at different conclusions than I have, I appreciate Ehrman’s contributions to the field of study.  He’s right- we need to talk about these issues.  They ARE important.  We shouldn’t shy away from them. 

• Finally, if you’re a pastor and you checked your brain at the door when you graduated bible school or seminary and your only reading today is popular how-to methods books, you NEED to read books about the Bible.  I can’t say that strongly enough.  The field of study didn’t stop when you left school.  It moves on.  People in your church are reading Ehrman and John Shelby Spong’s books, and they are filled with doubt, some eventually leaving the church and their faith altogether.  Don’t be ignorant of some things that are being discussed right under your nose.  I have a rule of thumb- I try to read a balance of 50% of books about the Bible/Bible-related and 50% about other subjects (practice, etc).  That’s why I read books like this one.  I want to know the current issues.  I want to learn what new discoveries have been made.  I want to keep my mind sharp.  When was the last time you looked at a commentary other than to pull a quote for a sermon?  When was the last time you thought about  how this book or that book arrived at it’s present state?  Dig!

Ultimately, I think Ehrman did genuinely follow Jesus as a young man.  I think his brilliant mind was afforded the opportunity to study with the best of the best (Dr. Bruce Metzger).  I don’t think the academics really were the reason he chose to go this other path.  I believe he began to wrestle with the problem of suffering (how does a good God allow suffering), and his bright intellect ate at him and overwhelmed his faculties, and once he crossed the line of doubt, his intellect kicked in yet again and took him down this path.  I understand that.  I know it’s a tough issue, and I admit I don’t fully understand it as well (although I can give you a nice textbook answer).  I think Erhman’s faith unraveled over this fact, and his academic mind began to see things in another light.  In short, God just doesn’t tell us everything.  We have to trust in Him and ask Him for truth.  Ehrman believes he found the truth, and is now an agnostic.  Jesus said “you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”  I believe the truth Ehrman believes he has found has taken him down a defensive path of un-freedom.  I pray that his heart meets up with the Creator of all truth once again.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “The Greatest Story Ever Told.”  Those of us who follow Jesus really believe the story of the Gospel is so powerful, and I love when people take seriously communicating it in a powerful way.  Today I want to tell you about a one-of-a-kind experience that’s coming to Chicago this fall that is all about creatively communicating the Gospel.  It’s called Story, and it’s the brainchild of Ben Arment.  When I first heard about this, I got really excited, and as more details emerged, I got pumped!  I’m glad that today we can officially tell you about it!  

 Here’s the official blurb:

STORY is a first-of-its-kind experience for communicators of the Gospel – the greatest story ever told. It will be held on Wednesday, October 28 at the Paramount Theater in Aurora, Illinois. Speakers include Donald Miller, Nancy Beach, Dave Gibbons, Ed Young, Stacy Spencer, Chris Seay and Mike Foster. A day of workshops will follow on October 29 at nearby Orchard Valley Community Church, featuring illustrators, designers, scholars, authors and communications experts. Register for the conference and enter to win 2 free trips to the Kilns – CS Lewis’ home in Oxford, England – at www.StoryChicago.com.

Story is going to be a powerful discussion with communicators from all over the country- all committed to exploring powerful ways to sharing the gospel within our culture.  Ben has lined up some great communicators to help lead the discussion, and I’ve heard he’s lined up a pretty awesome emcee as well!  Again, I’d go right now and register at www.StoryChicago.com .  Early bird registration will save you some money!  If you’re into architecture, Story is hosted in a beautiful old theatre right in downtown Aurora- next to the river.  Love that place!

Now if you can swing it I’d plan to spend the whole week in Chicago- on Tuesday you can attend the Cultivate conference in downtown Chicago (click here to read what Dawn Nicole Baldwin has to say about this awesome opportunity!).  Then head to Aurora for Story Chicago on Wednesday- attend the Story workshops on Thursday at The Orchard, (we’re honored to host the workshops!) golf or explore the city on Friday, and come out to The Orchard on Saturday where we’re going to be having a very special guest speaker at our weekend gatherings.

One final plug-I’m pretty sure Ben’s web team one-upped Disney on the Story website- It’s better than the Narnia websites hands down!  When I first saw it it gave me that awe-inspired majestic feeling, the way Narnia did.  Just looking at the website grabs me and makes me want to be a part!  I’d love some feedback on what you think of the site!

Hope to see you and your team attend Story with us- you won’t regret it!