Pmkyker’s Weblog

So, I’m back!

• I had a wonderful birthday. Friday night my Pastor’s took me out to a little place called P.F. Changs. Oh wow. All I can say is that it was one of the best places that I have ever eaten. It was also a great time with the guys and their wives. They are something special.
• Saturday Night my kids threw me this awesome surprise party. They got into it so much. The drew pictures and had balloons hanging up. My kids are the greatest.
• Gen church was alot of fun Saturday night. I am excited about what is happening there.
• We were full to capacity again. It’s time to do something on Sunday mornings. We are looking for new space and asking for wisdom concerning our next move.
• Our people are starting to catch the vision of giving. It has been something really special. I am excited to see what happens with a group of generous, sold out, hungry people.
• Reading a new book. It’s called Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley. Powerful stuff. Character is so huge. Most people talk about it…but do you have it?
• My blog is getting tore up with hits, close to 2000 in 7 weeks….keep it coming!
• My wife bought me this neck pillow that you heat up and put on your neck to relaxation. It smells like lavender. I have already wore that thing out.
• Got some exciting changes getting ready to happen in our services be on the lookout.
• Was the drama the kids did awesome or what? I was afraid though that Tezz was going to get her shirt ripped off. The white one. I was praying hard, but man, they did so awesome. I am so proud of our young people.
• Confronting the Elephant in the Pew has been a good series. It’s been hard but very much needed.
• 2 more first time decisions for the Lord!
• December is going to be one great month. Our creative team has already been talking about what it’s going to do…and it’s going to be awesome.
• We had a marine and a cop show up to talk to the kids. It was great. They got to ride in the police car and see a real life soldier. Pastor John and Don we honor you guys.

Good stuff…we are already working for the weekend. It’s going to be even better.

So, I have been out of commission the past week or so with some really nasty stuff. It has been amazing to see our pastors and leaders pick up where I left off. You guys are awesome! I want to thank you for continuing to be the people that God has called you to be and thank you for working so hard. That’s the very reason I know that God is going to do big things in our church.

Early in the summer, I took a stand for some things in the church. It was rough, but it was something that needed to happen. It’s always uncomfortable making others uncomfortable, but it needed to be done so our church could move forward and God’s best could be demonstrated in our city. I want to challenge you today. Take a stand! I know it’s tough, scary, weird, all sorts of adjectives….but it’s worth it. We took a stand to honor God with everything and guess what…he has truly honored us back. Stay faithful and God will be faithful to you. You will always have the critic…you will always have the naysayer, but keep in mind….when they are talking…they are talking about you, and if they are talking about you..then you must be doing something right. Take a stand!

So…this weekend was just an absolute wonderful weekend to be a part of Church for All Nations. The gen church started it off…and it has continued all throughout the morning service on Sunday. We truly broke the bank!

• We had a young man come in Saturday night and give his life to the Lord for the very first time! I was pumped about how pumped he was!
• Al’s small group was awesome. I heard so many great things about it. He had a house full of folks. It was powerful.
• I started our new series “Confronting the elephant in the pew!” We talked about money! We had a record tithe and offering…our church truly stepped up to the plate and broke the bank!
• I did’t hurt anyone when I smashed the piggy bank! Thank the LOOORD!
• The bread was causing some folks to struggle. Heh…people had to sit with that warm, nice smelling bread in their hands for about 20 minutes. Some people ate theirs!
• The kids church is rocking…sooo many kids!
• We had two more people give their heart to the Lord for the very first time! I was completely blown away. What a powerful setup.
• We are getting ready to do a newcomer’s luncheon! We have to do something…we have so many new people!
• I was nervous being so upfront about such a controversial issue, but we needed to do it.
• We are working on getting some T-shirts, touch cards, and new e-vite cards for our church. Some tools to continue to get the word out about the hottest church in town.
• The worship team is just nuts! I mean….there are people who talk about worship, but those folks know how to do it! Good job team.

I can’t wait for next week. I really can not wait. This week we are confronting….SEX! I almost know we are going to have a full house

If you feel stuck…

I often have folks tell me they feel stuck at their currently level of progress:

• Pastors whose churches aren’t growing
• Professionals whose careers are stalling out and losing momentum
• Christians who are sick of pitiful prayer lives or predictable sin patterns

There’s nothing more frustrating than spinning your wheels, revving your engine, and going nowhere.   Here are 3 simple (and inconclusive) pieces of advice that help to pull me out of the mud when I’m bogged down.  I hope they help you too.  Let me know if they do. 

• Expose yourself to something different. 
I was at a meeting recently and at lunch, all the white guys were kind of sitting together, all the black guys were doing likewise.  I went and sat down in the middle of a group African American men twice my age, and I could barely find time to take a bite of my food because I was too busy soaking in their perspective on a number of leadership challenges.  The advice they gave me was refreshing and profound, because they see the world differently than me. 
Along these same lines, a businessman was in my office recently, and he remarked that a lot of the books I lead our staff through are not “church work” books.  There’s a reason behind that.  I refuse to allow our paradigms to get stuck in the rut of one mode of leadership. 
I advise you to get out there.  Learn from people you disagree with.  Read blogs and listen to sermons that rub you the wrong way.  You’re a big boy.  You can eat the fish and leave the bones.

• Set your sights on something higher.
Maybe you feel stuck because you’re in survival mode rather than expansion mode.   If your goals revolve around barely getting by, you’ll eventually find yourself in maintenance mode because there’s nothing worth growing for.  One of the quickest ways for me to get unstuck is to zoom out to a wider angle and reevaluate why I’m doing what I’m doing. 

• Seek the Lord with greater intensity.
One of the most beneficial (and grueling) things I did around the time we started Elevation was to go on an extended fast.  It provided my spiritual life with an uncomfortable edge, and challenged the dullness of my American spirituality.  Whether it’s 40 days without food or a series of simple changes in the rhythm of how you spend time with God, getting unstuck starts with a tighter connection to Jesus.  There is no substitute for connection, and without it, even if you feel like you’re making progress, you’re really just burning calories on the treadmill…but going nowhere.  

By the way, my Executive Pastor Chunks wrote a great entry about the barriers of growth that keep churches stuck here.

Getting stuck isn’t a always bad thing.  It often means you’re off road, exploring new frontiers…and that’s a good thing.
But staying stuck is a sin.  May God give you insights that will force you forward in every area of your life today.

(taken from Pastor Steven….Elevation Church)