Link Dump -- Christmas is everywhere you look edition

Obsessive- Compulsive’s Guide: Top 12 Organizing Tips, Plus Resources
"If you think I'm going to hell, you should care that I'm going to hell"
The Top 20 Ways to Come Up With Amazing Ideas
Should Spanking Your Child Be Illegal?
Engaging the Culture
Ten Things I Would Say To Anyone Entering Ministry…And Anyone Else Living On This Planet
Ten Major Trends Affecting The Church (from 1986!)
Burying the lede - Ken Jennings on schools banning Wikipedia
Hidden Debt - Do You Have Any?
Motivational Posters for the Emerging Church
Seven Simple Ways to Eat More Omega 3
Emergent Five Solas
Still-in-the-Red Friday? - Further Thoughts
America’s Joyous Future
50 greatest fictional weapons of all time

Book #22 -- Creating Community by Andy Stanley & Bill Willits

I was amazed at how quickly I got through this book. Especially with the depth of information to be had. I am convinced that you will not find a group of people anywhere as passionate about connecting folks with God in a real way as the gang at North Point. Not only are they passionate about it, they have found relevant ways to do it without changing or compromising truth. This book is one of the resources they have made available. It is in a nutshell the why and hows of their small groups.


I always go into treading texts like this with the realization that I will not find everything presented as practical or agree with the process given. I am refreshed when the authors admit this fact and in fact acknowledge that the way they do things is not the way for everyone. If all churches were exactly the same what would be the point? I did find several things that I found interesting and that I feel we should at the very least take a serious look at in our discipleship groups. This is definitely a book that anyone who is involved in organizing/ leading small groups ministries should read. Here are some of my key takeaways...

• the only numeric goal they set is in the area of small group participation
• groups will not have true impact if the top leaders do not buy in and participate themselves
• groups should be an extension of how God intended for us to "do life"
• God has called the church to be about creating environments where authentic community can take place
• We have to answer the "big three". What do we want people to become? What do we want people to do? Where do we want people to go?
• A great strategy is simple to understand and easy to implement
• the authors make a strong defense of closed groups
• there is a fundamental difference in "thinking programs" and "thinking steps"
• most people's problem today is not with God, rather with the church
• each step needs to be easy, obvious, and strategic to be successful
• our expectations of participants and leaders especially, need to be based in reality
• it is not the acquisition of information that prepares a leader to properly lead, rather it is the application of the RIGHT information
• "train less for more"
• 5 factors for group success: SIMPLE, VISIBLE, VALUED, RESOURCED, MODELED
• people do not need more things to attend; they need the kind of life-giving benefits that occur when people connect regularly in a meaningful way
• the interesting policy of reimbursing families for childcare while attending groups

As we continue to mold our groups, this information will be a tool in our hands.

Water Bottle Boy

AMAZING! Especially the first 20 seconds...

Advent Conspiracy ... Christmas Tree

In the midst of BLACK FRIDAY, tons of football, creating leftover menus, and making big plans for the next month of celebration it is good to keep perspective.

a couple new favorites from ASBO...

Good thinking stuff... check out these and more HERE

Link Dump -- Gobbler's Giblets Edition

A few for your perusal; probably more to come tonight...

Top 10 Resources and Inspirations for Decluttering Your Home good hoiday resource
Repeat Saturday: R U Willing 2 Sacrifice?
Facing Money Challenges?
How to Reduce Information Overload
Are You Over-Committed to the Bible?
Cash Duck — Earning Free Gift Cards - could be fun if you have the time
Dangers to Your Christian Walk
Contentment and Thanksgiving
Rob Bell: The gods Should Be Angry - a review of the tour
The Flaws of a Fad-Driven Church
Hillary Clinton Joins Rick Warren
Free Book Giveaway: Your Money & Your Brain - who can turn down a possibly free book?
Carve Your Thanksgiving Turkey Like a Butcher [Cooking]
What High School coaches make
Help Me Pick a Subtitle! - take a survey, help an author title his book. you too have the power!!
John Hagee Responds to Controversy
Thanksgiving Breakfast: New England Cheddar Cheese Pie - mmmmmmmmmmm Cheeeesseee
Kindle: First Impressions - a look at the new ebook reader
Top 8 Spectacular NASCAR Crashes of 2007 - you know its what you wanted to see anyway
An Anonymous $100M Donation
Motivational Posters for the Emerging Church
Live To Be 100: 7 Ways to Lengthen Your Life
How to Mark a Book
Holy Man, Earthy Man
Tips For Ladies Watching Sports
A VOTERS GUIDE FOR THINKING EVANGELICALS—ONE YEAR OUT
Just shake your head
A Church Afraid

OK it's a few more than a "few" -- have a Happy TurkeyDay

This and Dat

It's been over a week since my last post. Time flies, responsability reigns, and blogging become the lesser of the things to do. In the spirit of a day off blog I'll throw out the higlights of whats been keeping me away from the blogosphere. As an aside; when you go several days you feed reader can become overwhelming. This calls for an even higher lever of skimming and culling to get at whats important.

• Two and a half days of hunting = BUPKIS! Saw very few deer and got no shots at anything bigger that a medium sized puppy. Still lots of days between shotgun, muzzle loader, and bonus shotgun. Just have to find the time to get out there.
• my laptop took a dump -- thus way less access to write and read blogs, grrrrr technology
• There are pros and cons to being the hosts on Thanksgiving. The biggest pros are that you don;t have to go anywhere and you can be relaxed. The con is that you need the relaxation after getting everything ready for guests to your wife's satisfaction!
• read a good book on small groups -- post coming soon
• looking forward to a great day with family.
• going to to be a little tough as it will be the first family get together since my dad passed away -- the dog will miss all the handouts I know!!

Here's hoping that you and yours have a great Thanksgiving!!!

T MINUS 23 Hours ....

A beautiful view... come out, come out wherever you are!

T MINUS 48 Hours and counting

That's right, We are coming to see you!!!!!!!!!!

Book #21 - I Believe - Exploring The Apostles Creed by Alister McGrath

McGrath is becoming known as one of the most prolific writers of our time. He turns out texts at an almost unbelievable rate, yet I had never read a full book of his. I can now understand why he has become so popular. This book is filled with treasure and can easily be used as a reference or teaching text yet it maintains an element of readability that books of that style generally lack.

The topic itself I found interesting. I think that in general a large portion of the church is afraid of and shys away from anything that could be considered liturgical. I think we fear that we will either somehow be tied to groups and denominations that we would rather not or that following a liturgical path somehow makes us lose touch with a modern audience. While I think that we always need to be mindful of he way that we apply the Gospel message, we also need to be aware that the message in itself never changes. This is a strong advantage of some liturgy and creeds in themselves; they allow us to memorize and a retain facts that are important to us.

McGrath does a line by line, thought by thought analysis of the Apostle's Creed in this book. The historical background of the Creed itself is inspiring and made me want to keep digging. Each line is discussed and backed by Scripture. While I never felt that the truth was shorted it is quite clear that much more could have been said/ written on many of the topics addressed. That is another positive to this book in my opinion, it is not overwhelmingly long. I registers in at around 120 pages. I have become more aware of the fact that I learn much more and others get communication better if we stick to simple thoughts rather than extending our conversations. Not to imply that this book is simplistic. It covers the topics that it is designed to in clear fashion. It may just work into a Sunday School series in the coming new year. I will be adding other McGrath titles to my book pile in the future.