FaithEngineer

Tools for Your Worship Team

Mike — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:51:49 +0000

Own the Mix

Since I was sharing about a resource to train your tech team in an earlier blog post today, I wanted to share some other resources that you might find helpful. The first is Own the Mix, an online training resource for your audio team. Here is how they describe the service

OwnTheMix.com is a comprehensive audio training solution for the modern church. Created by Buckhead Church’s Audio Director, Dustin Whitt, and Music Director, Chris Green, you will learn secrets to creating irresistible worship environments. Whether novice or professional, there is plenty for everyone inside. Subscribers have an all-access pass to every video, and are connected to all of OwnTheMix.com’s users through a state-of-the-art social network.

Check out the video below for a sample of the teaching that you’ll find

Transposr

The second service I want to highlight is Transposr. It allows you to transpose chord charts and mp3 files into different keys. This is a great way to make practice tracks in different keys. It will change the key of a mp3 file without changing the tempo. I have created accompaniment tracks in new keys several times in the past, but it required a confusing mix of plugins and audio programs to accomplish. This is a free service provided by Planning Center Online and it works great. You will need to know the original key of the song to make it work. We are using and implementing Planning Center to schedule our worship teams and to layout the flow of our services each week.

I have looked at both of these services in the past, but I want to thank Church Media Design for reminding me about them in their latest podcast. Check out the CMD.tv podcast for great technology and computer tutorials.

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Sound, Lighting, and Video: A Resource for Worship

Mike — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:58:13 +0000

I recently received a copy of the book Sound, Lighting and Video: A Resource for Worship to review here on the blog. This is really a great book that fills a very important need in the church. I am always looking for good resources that help volunteers get up to speed in using tech equipment at church. This is a book that will help beginners and experienced users alike with an overview of equipment and methods. I am already passing it around to our tech volunteers and we will plan on using the book in our training.

First, let me give you my background. Although I am a pastor, I am always playing with audio and video equipment. I’m the guy that reads through the entire manual of every single piece of equipment at the church and then plays with it to try it out. As pastor, I want to know how things work and how they function. I’m also the guy at church who helps running wire and installing new equipment. At times, I also train our tech workers and get them up and going as well. I have had experience with designing and installing both audio and video systems, although I’ve not gotten into the lighting world yet.

The book is organized into three main sections: sound, lighting, and video. All of the sections contain diagrams and pictures to help explain the principles and theories. Each section also contains examples of current equipment and how they work. The section on lighting was the most helpful to me since I haven’t had the opportunity to really learn about all the different types of lights and connectors. The audio section was good, but it was mostly review for me, although I picked up some great info about EQ that I haven’t heard before. The video section had some really good advice on designing and planning video systems in churches and making the switch to wide screen.

Some additional thoughts:

Since this book is focused on being a resource for worship, I really appreciated the author’s focus on why we are using technology. We can’t lose sight of the mission of the church.
A book like this can quickly be outdated because of the rapidly changing technology in the audio, lighting, and video world. I think the author does a good job of staying focused on the underlying theories of how and why things work. Just remember that pictures and specific examples may not be that helpful in just a year or two, especially as we see the convergence of computer, audio, and video equipment.
If you are looking for an advanced, in-depth resource on how every knob works on every piece of equipment you have, then this book probably isn’t for you. It is what it says, a good reference and resource for technology use in worship. You will still need to read manuals and apply the information in this book to your setting and your environment.

I think this would be a great book for all churches to have in their training library. I’m glad I had the chance to read and review it. I will definitely be using it in my ministry.

From the Back Cover

Hallelujah! Finally the book you’ve been waiting for! Sound, Lighting & Video: A Resource for Worship is the only book that tackles the integration and use of light, sound and video for houses or worship. Connect with more people in ways you never thought possible. Written by the managing editor of “Worship Arts & Technology Magazine” you’ll learn how to:

Integrate sound, lighting and video together from the ground up for easy application

Connect with more people in ways you’ve never imagined

Re-examine and re-incorporate your current media systems

Be up and running like the pros with this beginner-friendly guide

Solve your greatest technical problems efficiently, without the information overload

Better communicate your message using media solutions

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/2

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U2 on YouTube

Mike — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:55:39 +0000

Earlier this week, U2 did something that would seem a little crazy. In the middle of their 360 concert tour, they livestreamed their show from the Rose Bowl on YouTube and then made it available for viewing. Jenni and I saw the concert in Charlottesville, and it was an incredible experience. Here are a few thoughts.

I think this is a historic moment for the music industry. Bands are learning how they can directly interact with their fans through social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube. They have a new distribution model to quickly make their music available to a wide audience. This really puts the record companies at a crossroads. Can they change their business models to take advantage of the internet? Or will they keep fighting to increase CD sells in stores?
U2 didn’t just broadcast a concert, they shared an experience. The production quality was incredible and they were able to recreate the concert experience for the online viewers. So how does this impact churches? I believe we will see more and more opportunities for people to be involved with churches no matter where they are geographically. The church can and should study this to see how U2 was able to take a live experience and make you feel like you were part of it. From showing pictures of the crowds to the multiple camera angles to lighting and video, everything drew you into the experience.
U2 wasn’t worried about cannibalizing their ticket sales by providing an online concert. A major complaint of current online churches is that they prevent people from attending real live “brick-and-mortar” churches. I believe we are just learning how to leverage the internet to share a church experience. Why can’t we can use online church experiences to foster community in non-traditional ways?

Overall, I’m excited about how video on the internet is developing. From internet simulcasts, to live-streaming concerts and church services, geographical boundaries are being torn down. We recently even hosted a evangelism training service for a church in Michigan from our church here in Virginia. This would have been impossible to even dream about 10 years ago.

Here is the complete 2 hour and 21 minute concert. I suggest you hook up your computer to your tv and sound system, hit the full-screen button, and sit back and enjoy the concert. You can find more videos on the U2 YouTube channel.

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Why do we all look the same?

Mike — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:11:27 +0000

I have been hesitant to blog about this, but the thoughts simply won’t go away. At the Catalyst Conference I saw yet again something that has been bothering me about the church world. When you step back and look around, all the pastors of contemporary churches look the same. And all the worship leaders leaders looked the part as well. It was a very homogenous group of 30 and 40 somethings all trying to look cool. You could tell many of the pastors made a run on Buckle and picked up their wardrobe before dropping by the salon to get highlights in their hair. And don’t even get me started on the tight skinny jeans and low-cut v-necks that many worship guys were wearing.

You may ask why does it matter? Let me give you a couple of thoughts to think about. And let me just say that I am in no way judging others. In some ways, I very much lump myself in with the pastor crowd.

Some may say that we dress that way to be culturally relevant. I’m okay with that if the culture you live in actually dresses that way. I don’t want to be cynical, but in most cases, the way we dress doesn’t actually match up with the people we are called to reach.
Some may say that we are rebelling against the pretentious suits and ties of the previous generation. But is there any difference between wearing a $500 suit and a $500 outfit from a hip store? How many people in your congregation can actually afford the clothes that you are stylin? It’s a honest question that we must wrestle with.
Why are worship leaders afraid to wear masculine clothing? It looks like a bunch of 40 year olds dressing like the Jonas Brothers. That may sound harsh, but I really struggle with the styled long hair, manscara, and skinny women’s jeans they are wearing.

Let’s remember who we are to imitate. I would argue that there is nothing inherently wrong about styles, as long as they are modest and appropriate. I know those are subjective terms, but the bigger issue is one of our hearts. WHY do we all look the same? Is there an unspoken pressure to conform to the music world? Why can’t we be normal?

I don’t have the answers, but I don’t think there is a valid reason that everyone looks the same. I want to see the uniqueness and beauty of the world we live in reflected in the leaders of our churches. Drop me a comment and help me understand. Keep it civil, and remember that I live in a small rural town in the mountains of Virginia. I’m just a little backward

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Crazy Love Update

Mike — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:51:02 +0000

We kicked off our study of Crazy Love with the youth and college students from Cornerstone this past Thursday night. I wanted to share the links back to my comments on each chapter of the book. I’ll be adding the later chapters to this list as we go through the study. You can also find out more about the book at the official Crazy Love Book website. We have a few more books available if you missed Thursday night so see us at church to get your copy. We are reading chapters 1 & 2 for next week’s study.

Posts in this series:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

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Gear Update: Kodak Zi8

Mike — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:19:24 +0000

Last year, I shared about a new Kodak Zi6 pocketcam that I was using as my main camcorder. I have been extremely pleased with the camcorder and we have used it a lot over the past year. But with the cheap price and small size, pocketcams all have some drawbacks. Typically the battery life and recording times are short. Because of the small size, it is almost impossible to keep the video stabilized while filming. So expect some shaky footage. But the biggest drawback for filming footage for youth and church is the audio quality. The first generation pocketcams did not have the capability to hook in an external mic.

Fast forward to today. All the major makers have updated their camcorders. Flip, Creative, and Kodak all have new models out, and all the other camcorder makers are quickly jumping in this growing market. I wanted to spotlight the newest model from Kodak, the Zi8. Here are the new features

Record High Definition video (1080p at 30 fps with 16:9 aspect ratio) The old Zi6 that I have only goes up to 720p resolution
Expandable SD/SDHC card slot up to 32 GB. The new SDHC cards are getting cheaper all the time
Rechargeable batteries and charger included. It uses a battery pack now, but they have also added a DC port to power the unit continously.
Vibrant 2.5-inch viewfinder; Watch footage on HDTV with included HDMI cable
Get sharper videos and less blur thanks to built-in digital image stabilization.
But the biggest new feature is the external mic port. This is HUGE! You can hook up an external mono or stereo mic to record audio from a distance. I have not been able to use my Zi6 for many of the church videos because of the poor sound quality. With this camcorder, you can use a lapel mic or boom mic to get the sound directly from the source.

And the price … currently it is $179 on Amazon. I have been able to simply drop the footage into iMovie from my Zi6. If you are looking for a cheap high quality camcorder, then you may want to check this one out. You can find out more info about using this camera over at worshipideas.com.

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Running, Pain, & Discipline

Mike — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:30:39 +0000

Nineteen years ago I was running in the state cross-country finals. We had a great team and I was a scrawny 135 lb senior running 18 minute times in 5K’s. Since that time, I really haven’t continued running and the years and pounds have added on. Over the last couple of years I have tried to start running, but I have lacked consistency. This summer I have managed to rack up about 25 miles, but I am still far from being in shape. But I am playing basketball regularly, biking, and jogging. I am definitely making an effort to be more disciplined in all areas of my life.

This morning I ran the Susan G. Komen Lowcountry Race For the Cure near Charleston, South Carolina with over 5000 other people. It was a fun race, but the real reason I ran was to honor my mother-in-law (you can see the details of her previous battle with cancer here) . My wife Jennifer had planned to run, but her knee has been locking up and will probably require surgery in the next few weeks, so she was unable to run. But I ran with my sister-in-law and mother-in-law for Team Bambu. Our kids all ran the 1 mile fun run as well.

I wasn’t real pleased with my time of 32 minutes, but with my lack of training and current weight, it is all that I really could expect. I started developing shin splints several weeks back and they really bothered me during the race. I wasn’t used to running on pavement and the impact took it’s toll on me. I still need to drop about 25 pounds to get to a decent running weight. It was still a fun race and I’m glad that I ran it. Check out some pictures below.

[[Show as slideshow]]

If you want to learn from my mistakes, here is what I recommend:

Don’t compare yourself to others. Even if you get passed by 70 year olds, women pushing strollers, your sister-in-law , and a man in a fat suit (which all happened to me today) don’t give up. It takes discipline and hard work to get in shape. And some people are just natural runners.
Forget your past. It doesn’t really matter what you used to do. All that matters is where you are now and where you need to go.
Music is a great motivator. Be sure to pick music that keeps you running at a good tempo. Nike has some great running mixes and the free podrunner podcast is a great place to pick up some good techno running music.
Have a plan! Start gradually and work your into shape – the couch to 5k plan is a great way to get in shape for a 5k in two months. They also have a podcast and a couch to 5k application for the iphone and ipod touch.
Mix things up, don’t feel bad changing your workout routine. Weight training is important as well
And finally, train on the same surfaces that you will be racing on. I’ve been running on the trail at home and the road really bothered my knees and shins during the race.

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More Catalyst Moments

Mike — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:48:56 +0000

I wanted to share a couple of memorable moments from Catalyst. One was crazy and the other was powerful.

Professor Splash set a new world record high dive. He dove from a tower over 35 feet high into a pool with only 12 inches of water. Check out the video below. It’s another crazy world record from the Catalyst Conference.

Professor Splash Breaks World Record! from Catalyst on Vimeo.

The second video literally brought me to tears. It was a powerful moment when Jimmy Wambua met Mark, his Compassion Sponsor of 19 years, for the 1st time. Our family has sponsored a little girl in Indonesia for the last three years through Compassion and I hope that it makes the same kind of impact in her life. The video is a little long, but it is definitely worth it. Skip to about the 9 minute mark if you just want to see his reaction when he finds out that the man who had sponsored him was there to meet him.

Catalyst 2009 Compassion Moment from Catalyst on Vimeo.

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Catalyst Thoughts

Mike — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:45:18 +0000

Image by Stephen Hunton

Three days later, and I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the Catalyst Experience. It was again a great trip. In the past, I have shared about what each speaker shared, but this year, I just want to talk about the overall experience. You can find summaries of the talks at the Catalyst Blog.

I was able to split my time between two groups, the young leaders coaching group that I have been a part of and a group of leaders from Cornerstone. My wife was able to make the trip as well and volunteer with Land of 1000 Hills Coffee. At a conference like this, you are exposed to encouraging times of worship and great teaching. But for me, I felt a little more like a guide this year to those I was traveling with. It was great to see the conference through their eyes.

For me personally, I think God really spoke to me about rest. That may be a funny thing to take away from a leadership conference that is over the top in so many ways, but I was able to just close my eyes and soak in what God wanted me to hear. I have been through a busy season of ministry, but it is time for me to focus on others. If our church is to continue growing and reaching others, then I have to do less. I have to give away more responsibility, and spend more of my time to train and equip the saints (Ephesians 4:11-12). One of the highlights of the trip was the ride home. I was able to spend some great time with Jennifer, Chad, Ben, & Randy as we talked about what God had showed each of us. The challenge for everyone at Catlayst is to not just gain knowledge, but to gain wisdom in how to apply that knowledge. Learning what to do as a result of what we have heard is very important. What sin do we need to confess and repent? What do we need to start doing? What do we need to stop doing? What do we need to share with others? My hope and prayer is that I will take what I have learned, and use it to build God’s Kingdom here on earth.

For those of you reading my blog who attended Catalyst, what did God speak to you this year?

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Catalyst – A Conference Like No Other

Mike — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:28:30 +0000

Tomorrow, I’ll be driving down to the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta. This will be my third year in a row that I have atttended. We’re taking a group of 6 people from Cornerstone, so I’m excited for our team as well. Catalyst is not your typical conference. From the time you enter the parking lot, everything is about creating an experience you won’t forget. The teaching is excellent, the activities are over the top, and the worship is passionate. I love that the conference is focused on developing and building young leaders.

I’ll be hanging out with a group of young pastors during the conference. We have been meeting with a mentor and friend who has been pouring into our lives and leadership over the past year. It will be the first time to the conference for all of them, so I’m sure we will have a great time.

Here are the main stage speakers
Andy Stanley, Chuck Swindoll, Louie Giglio, Malcolm Gladwell, Tony Dungy, Matt Chandler, Rob Bell, Priscilla Shirer, Dave Ramsey, Jessica Jackley, Shane Hipps, Josh Hamilton, Reggie Joiner, Margaret Feinburg, and Francis Chan

WOW, from athletes to business people to incredible pastors and church leaders, Catalyst is truly an experience. If you haven’t been before, then prepare to be amazed. If you can’t make it, you will want to check out the Catalyst Backstage website for info and videos about the conference. I’ll be posting updates from my twitter account as well.

Catalyst 2009 Preview from Catalyst on Vimeo.

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Crashing Jericho

Mike — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:38:44 +0000

Over the past 13 years in ministry, I’ve heard a lot of young bands. In the past six months, I’ve had the opportunity to hear this new band twice and I really like their music. I have a lot of blog readers in the southeast, so I wanted to let everyone know about this band from Greenville, South Carolina. I think their music is a blend of Creed, Daughtry, Todd Agnew, and Decemberadio, with a little vintage Jeremy Camp thrown in as well. They guys put on a great concert and I love their testimony and message. Check out their main website, their myspace page (with music), and their facebook page for more info.

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A Once in a Lifetime Concert

Mike — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 19:59:43 +0000

Last week, I noticed that one of my friends on facebook had a couple of extra tickets to the U2 concert in Charlottesville. It worked out for Jennifer and I to go, so we decided to go on a big date. The tickets were general admission for the field and were sold during the presale for members of the fan club. In other words, the tickets were great and inexpensive. If you’re not familiar with the 360 tour, I’ll share a little about the stage. You can see a picture above, but it is hard to comprehend how large and incredible it really is. The 40 million dollar stage is 164 feet tall and takes over 100 tractor and trailers to transport. Simply amazing. You can find more info about the concert and stage from wikipedia.

The round high-tech stage was surrounded by an outer circular walkway that connected by an overhead moving bridge. Jennifer and I were able to get in the inner ring, and we were constantly surrounded by the band as they moved around the stage. Bono was literally inches away from us as he walked across the bridge. The Edge was perfect as always and we were close enough to see all the guitar magic. They played a good mix of old and new music and they were able to really engage the crowd. U2 puts on an incredible show, and Muse was a great opener as well. As a technology junkie, I was amazed at the stage and video and production of it all. My only big regret was that I didn’t take a better camera. The tickets said no cameras allowed except cell phones, but they didn’t check for them and it seemed like everyone brought nice cameras in. We were on our feet for almost 6 straight hours and we had to walk a mile and a half each way, but it was worth it.

The best part — I was able to enjoy the entire experience with Jennifer. Simply Awesome. Here are a few pictures from my phone for you to enjoy.

[[Show as slideshow]]

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Keeping Your Computer Secure

Mike — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:03:29 +0000

If you have multiple computers running Microsoft Windows to keep secure and virus-free at home or at church, you know how much of a pain it can be. Churches can get in a tough spot, because some of the “free” programs like AVG anti-virus are not free for non-profits and churches. The cost of keeping multiple computers current on virus subscriptions can be high with both Norton and McAfee. Both have good products, but they can also slow your computer down significantly. I wanted to let you know about a new free option that seems to work well.

Microsoft has released the free Security Essentials program to provide both spyware and virus protection. It is a small program that doesn’t take a lot of your system resources. It is not fancy, but it seems to work well. And did I mention it’s free

You can download it at Microsoft’s Security website. Here is some info about it from CNet’s review

Microsoft Security Essentials is a lightweight security app that people might turn to for a number of key reasons. It’s easy on the system resources, it’s easy to figure out how to use, and it comes pre-configured. It only works on legally licensed Microsoft computers, which is understandable but potentially leaves a large segment of the unprotected population still unprotected. You can’t opt out of contributing to SpyNet, which isn’t understandable at all. Overall, it’s recommended for those who want something to set and ignore, but users who want more robust configuration choices or don’t want to contribute to the cloud should look elsewhere.

As with any virus program, you still have to be careful installing programs. Don’t trust pop-ups on your screen while you’re browsing the internet. Most are links to malware programs that will only cause problems. If you are on a mac, you don’t have to worry about all of this at the present. But there will come a day when more viruses and spyware writers will start attacking Apple as well, so don’t get careless. It is also a good idea to run some type of filtering on your internet access as an added layer of protection. I’ve written before about the free OpenDNS service here on the blog, and I continue to use it at home and at church with great results.

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Why We Chose a Youth Curriculum

Mike — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:57:47 +0000

I’m not a huge fan of curriculum for youth. I’ve seen far too many lessons that were long and culturally irrelevant, and most of the time they didn’t even make sense. If I see another youth lesson where they ask people to dress up in Biblical costumes I think I will drop kick the writer into the 21st century! For the most part, over the last thirteen years of working with youth, I have written my own lessons. I like getting ideas from others, but I couldn’t find the right mix of Biblical teaching and conversational questions that fit my teaching style. With our recent changes to our youth ministry at Cornerstone, I knew I needed to come up with a plan for equipping and preparing our different youth leaders.

We have made the change from one large youth meeting each week to multiple smaller groups meeting at the same time. We all meet together for announcements and some activities, but then we split up into different age groups. I did want all the groups studying the same thing each week, so I started looking at several different options. I really liked the content and messages from the XP3 curriculum by the reThink group, but it is geared for one teacher to teach a large group and then break up into smaller discussion groups. We have tried that before and it is tough to teach a lesson that connects with a large group of students ranging from 6th to 12th grades. The lessons were also very long. I looked at some others that I won’t mention here that seemed like they came straight out of 1980, and then I finally found what we we’re looking for. Simply Youth Ministry just recently released a curriculum for small groups called the Live Curriculum. I talked with another youth pastor who was using it, and we made up our mind to jump in. So far it’s been great.

The lessons are easy to customize and share. It is online based, so I can login, make any specific changes that I feel are necessary, and then share with the rest of our leaders. They can then customize the lessons for their group and teaching style, and print out the lessons and student sheets, all from their homes. The lessons are intended to create discussion, and there are even text message questions and parent emails you can send during the week. You can also choose the order in which you teach the lessons. The cost sounds a little high ($499), but you are buying into a four-year plan so it really becomes cheaper than all the other options that I have seen. I’m not easily impressed, but I think this will really help our youth ministry and save some valuable time for our leaders.

When choosing a curriculum, don’t choose something because everyone else is using it. You have to evaluate your ministry and style, and then find something that will be a good fit. In many cases, you may have to write your own, but don’t rule out looking at all curriculum.

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Learning to Lead

Mike — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:12:38 +0000

If you are a leader, then let me share with you a great source of free leadership lessons. Andy Stanley’s Leadership Podcast is great for both those in the business world and in the church world. Each month a new 20 to 30 minute lesson is posted and every single one of them has been exceptional. Click here to subscribe to this podcast in iTunes.

If you’re not familiar with podcasts, let me share a little instruction. You don’t have to even have an iPod, but you will need to have iTunes installed on your computer. If the links in this post don’t work, it probably means that you don’t have iTunes installed. It is a great free program for managing your music, and there are thousands of great Christian podcasts that you can subscribe to for free. While you’re there, you’ll want to check out our sermon podcast for Cornerstone as well.

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Marriage Sermon Resources

Mike — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:20:36 +0000

At Cornerstone this week, we continued our New and Improved Series by looking at Ephesians 5. If we want to have a new & improved marriage, then we have to be willing to do whatever it takes. I shared about understanding our commitment, about fighting for our marriages, and about protecting our marriages from sin. It was a tough sermon to preach, and I could tell it made many people uncomfortable, but it was a message that we all needed to hear. It is impossible to share everything you need to know about marriage in a single sermon, so I wanted to give you a few links to other sermons that helped me prepare for this past week. I encourage you to check out these sermons, and I pray that you will have the courage to do whatever it takes to improve your marriage.

Sermon Links

Cornerstone did a series on building healthy home a couple of years ago. Check out the love and respect messages that I shared for the husbands and wives.
It’s Just Sex sermon by Perry Noble – Great for singles and married couples. Perry Noble preaches a powerful message about sexual purity.
I Want a New Marriage series by Perry Noble – This is a 4 week series about what it takes to have a successful marriage.
How to Commit Adultery sermon by Craig Groeschel – Craig shares a message on how to prevent adultery from happening in your marriage
For those of you who have gone through a divorce, let me recommend a great sermon on Divorce by Greg Surratt of Seacoast Church. Check out part 16 of their series on Ephesians here
And finally, check out the series from Lifechurch.tv called Going All The Way, Preparing for a Marriage that Goes the Distance. It covers everything from dating to marriage and is great for teens, singles, and married couples. I have used it with our youth, and I use the book that came out of this series in my pre-marriage counseling.

Update: One last thing, I did mention a book that several have asked about. Check out the The Love Dare based on the Fireproof movie. It’s a great way to get your marriage back on track.

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Ladies, do you want a new marriage? Today you get to hear from my incredible wife. ...

The Principle of the Path

Mike — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:07:28 +0000

I shared about our walk with Christ this past weekend at Cornerstone. How our life is full of small steps that determine our direction. I also mentioned Andy Stanley’s new book, The Principle of the Path. He makes the statement that our direction, not our intentions, determines our destination.

I was in New York City several years ago for a wedding. My wife and I managed to get around by using shuttle services and the train system. We were up in Long Island for the wedding and arranged for an airport shuttle van to get us back in time for our flight home. When the driver arrived, he asked me to sit up front with him. I had trouble understanding his Jamaican accent, and he struggled to understand my hillbilly accent, but he finally got across that he needed some help. He wanted me to be his navigator and tell him how to get from where we were to our next stop to pick up the other passengers on the shuttle ride. He handed me a map and a list of five addresses and asked me where to turn next. I had this sinking feeling that it was going to be a long afternoon. I realized very quickly that a map is useless if you don’t know where you are and if you don’t know where you are going.

The same principle is true in our walk with Christ. I want to urge you to think about where and where you need to be in your spiritual life. Listen to this short clip from Andy Stanley about this principle of the path.

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Running For a Reason

Mike — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:50:32 +0000

It’s been a long, long time since I ran in a 5K. It was actually my senior year of high school when I was part of the cross country team. I have ran off and on over the past several years, but something always comes up and causes me to quit. Whether it was a kidney stone, ankle problems, my psoriasis, or just plain laziness, I seem to always find an excuse. Well, I am officially out of excuses. I have signed up to run in the Susan G. Komen Lowcountry Race For the Cure in Charleston, South Carolina in October.

This will be a special day because I am running with several family members. My mother-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 35 and has been blessed to overcome this disease. She will be running the race as well, joining with my wife and my sister-in-law to raise money to help others in their fight against cancer. I will be running with the team from Bambu, the restaurant in Mt. Pleasant where my brother-in-law serves as the executive chef.

Although this will be my first 5K in almost 20 years, I am excited about running for such a great cause. I don’t ask for much here on this blog, but I am asking that you consider making a tax-deductible donation to support breast cancer research. You may donate online with your credit card by clicking the “Support” button at my personal race page. Your support helps us get another step closer to a world without breast cancer.

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Our new youth website

Mike — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:25:25 +0000

The blog here has been a little slow this week. We have added a second Sunday service at Cornerstone and have kicked off our new youth ministry structure. I have been busy with all the details of getting everything off the ground. I did want to share with you a new youth website that we will be using to let our teens know about upcoming events. I had to bring myself back up to speed on a CSS formatting and working with html templates, but I’m happy with how it turned out. We have added the ability to subscribe to announcements by email or by txt messaging. We have also created a church facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/mycornerstone, so if you’re on facebook, become a fan of what God is doing at Cornerstone!

Youth Overview | cornerstoneyouth

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A Great Wedding Day

Mike — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 01:35:25 +0000

I was honored today to officiate a wedding for a former student. It’s something that I really enjoy doing and today was no exception. It’s great seeing old friends and seeing them take a huge step of faith. Since Jennifer and I have been married for 14 years now, I also feel like I can share some advice on what it takes to have a great marriage.

I think all marriages should be celebrations and I could tell everyone had a good time this evening. Two funny things stood out. First, the best man acted like he couldn’t find the ring. He asked the next groomsman and it went all the way down the line until the last guy pulled it out of his pocket. I knew they were going to do something, but you should have seen the look on the faces of all the parents and the bridesmaids. The second thing that I am still laughing about is a conversation I had with the groom before the wedding. I had given him a copy of Joe Sangl’s book, I Was Broke, Now I’m Not, so I asked him if he had read through it yet. He was excited about it and told me that he was taking it on his honeymoon for his bride to read as well. He couldn’t wait to share what he had learned about budgeting and financial responsibility. It struck me funny that he was taking it on his honeymoon. I know Joe’s book is good, but it must be seriously awesome to take on the honeymoon.

Congrats to the newly married Brian and Meghan Norris. May God Bless your marriage. In honor of your wedding today, I present to you three of my favorite youtube wedding moments. Be sure to watch all three videos in the youtube playlist below.

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