Travis Johnson

Hasta la Vista Exponential Conference

Ships were not made for harbors.  So, as much as I enjoy hanging with a bunch of guys that talk and dream about the same stuff, it is time to go back to sea.  Homestead is calling.  And, in all honesty, Christian subcultures can be overwhelming...a seemingly safe bubble of good little Christians. 

I can't wait to get back to Miami where road rage, high taxes and tolls, congris, maduros, population density, hurricane warnings, and bazillions of ethnic and cultural concoctions await.  Jesus is in the middle of all that.

As my last NNCC/Expoential Conference entry, check out what some of the other pastor/bloggers are saying about it:

Matt Payne - Drew Goodmanson - Andrew Jones - Ben Arment - Jeff Calloway - Derek Brown - Tadd Grandstaff - Dave Ferguson - Todd Rhodes - Chris Elrod - Gary Lamb 

Follow the conference on Technorati: here and here

Oh, and thanks to the guys that have linked to me.  I had as much traffic on my blog by 9 am today than I usually get in a day.  Thanks especially to Todd Rhodes from Monday Morning Insight.

Mid-conference mind dump

• Its really great to be around these guys and gals that are moving out of comfort zones to expand the Kingdom of God in communities around the world.
• Its refreshing to hear guys like Larry Osbourne take the focus off of maximizing potential and unapologetically living life and following the calling.
• Its refreshing to hear guys like Ed Stetzer point to the cross as more important than cultural relevance.
• I sometimes wonder if there is a homogenization of American church coming.
• (break- there are rabbits falling out of the ceiling)
• I enjoyed the bloggers roundtable.  Quick observations:  Andrew Jones shared that he blogs for posterity and evangelism.  I wish he would have said more.  Drew Goodmanson is really tall.  I wish the roundtable could have gone on longer.  Pastors love to hear themselves talk.  Blogging pastors....well, we all basically talked at each other and kept subverting Ben while he was trying to direct discussion.
• I agree with Dave Ferguson when he talks about a shifting of what is celebrated from that of size to a celebration of reproducing churches.

Larry Osbourne - Grow a Church and Still Have a Life

Larry Osbourne is the lead pastor of North Coast Church, one of the most prominent churches in the multi-site, multi-venue church movement.  I'm all ears in this session.

• Larry plugged into the power of authentiticty.
• stopped trying to build a church that people wanted to go to and started building a church that he wanted to go to.
• The only church God has equipped us to build is one that we want to be in.
• He decided to be himself. 
• He quit doing the busy stuff that was annoying and unnecessary.
• A church you like is the only church you are gifted to build and lead.
• Larry decided to fulfill his calling, not his potential.
• Potential is such a harsh mistress.
• Potential confuses what I could do with what I should do.
• Sometimes, obediences is settling for less than the best.
• According to Paul's encouragement to stay single, marrying is settling for less than being able to fulfill your greatest potential.  Somehow, serving two masters (God and spouse) is better than maximizing your potential.
• North Coast Church could be bigger but he chose to love his family, be there for them, and enjoy life as opposed to selling out everything to grow the church.
• He chose to waste Kingdom impact in exchange for living his life in a way that honored his family.
• Larry said some things here that he was relieved that this message wasn't being recorded...won't share that but, it was really good, straight-forward and prophetic in attitude. :)
• decided to focus on building what he calls "a sticky church."
• A church where people are cared for and are not left hurting and angry.
• Larry decided to live up to the standards of a mature Christian and not a pastor.
• He quit asking "what would a pastor do?"
• Guideline: I won't live my life any differently as a pastor of North Coast than I would if I was a framer who was a part of North Coast Church.
• He chose not be more earthy at home than in the pulpit.
• FAMILY STUFF:
  • too much outward passion and zeal (for anything) embarrasses most kids. We think it is a spiritual problem...but its not.  Its a kid thing.
  • He quit managing his kids for peak performance and helped them with their character.

Q&A
How many hours do you work as a pastor?  With kids, no more than 50.  Now, 60 hours.  The only thing is that you can't always control when thos hours are.  But, honor your family first with your time.

Is there a practical way to say no to emergencies while you have a smaller church?  Yes.  You tell people that everyone wants to meet after hours and that you can't do that without being divorced.  They understood and made the adjustments.

What do you say to people who always complain about how tough their responsiblities are? You tell them life is hard, then you die, and if you are a Christian you'll go on to be with God.  Life is tough for everyone.  So be thankful as you go through your particular process.

What do you do for your staff to encourage renewal?  We encourage them to discern their own ebbs and flows.  In all honesty, we've had more of an issue with people thinking staff ministry is Disney World and that they are entitled to stuff.  Ministry is not a union job.

After you came through your difficult years, did you lose people in the change?  Yes.  People left because our new healthier approach to ministry was not what they were looking for. 

Commentary: I'd say that Larry's teaching is almost opposite to what everyone else is teaching.  I'd group Larry and Ed Stetzer in the same group as sharing almost prophetic words to planters.  They are counter cultural voices whom I very much appreciate.

session 3 - The Heart of a Multi-Ethnic Church

Tony Bruno, Rickie Bradshaw, and Efrem Smith shared their personal stories and how that the heart of a pastor, his experiences, and pains shapes the heart of his church.  This session was inspirational and story-driven.  I can't really bullet point this.  But, I can say that the heart of a multi-ethnic church has to be heart...who you are.  The heart of a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural church cannot reduce ministry to preach down to the church but to be transparent with the story, encouraging one another in a way that transcends race and culture.

Ed Stetzer and Terrance Levi

The opening of this session started with urban hip hop worship led by some of Terrance Levi's guys.  This was awesome because, typically church plants that are featured by prominent church planting networks are for urban and suburban white. At the close of this session, Terrance told the story of the prodigal son story. Inspirational. Moving.  Check out Ben Arment's blog for some good pics.

Ed Stetzer interviews Terrance Levi of Street Life Church Planting Network

• Hip hop has united the races in a negative way.
• Crosses every socio-economic and cultural boundary.
• “People say they don’t want to go to church. Really, they don’t want to go to hang out with people like that that go to that church.”
• Get back to being relevant.
• More info at streetlifeworldwide.tv and www.godaintmadatyou.com

Begin Ed’s talk on Missional DNA

Acts 1:8 – “You will be my witnesses.” 

• True multiplication will only take place when we believe that disciples have to      multiply themselves.
• Acts 16
• This reminds us that we are all to “live being sent.”

“COME ON OVER” Acts 17 – “come over to Macedonia and help us.”

• Consider what it means to come over to your Macedonia and help.
  • Tied in to the Great Commission is to “go”
  • We are sent.
  • God sends Jesus.
  • Jesus: “As the Father sends me, I send you.”
  • John 3:16 leads to john 20:21
  • The New Testament is a book about a God who sends His son to send us.
• The Holy Spirit prevented the disciples from entering Troas.
• Paul received vision that left him unable to totally discern the heart of God.
• There is no indication that Paul entered Troas but later in Galatians, we see a church there.
• Later did Paul start a church there?
• Being Missional is planting Biblically faithful churches in communities according to the direction of God…even when difficult to discern.
• The how of church planting is determined by the who, what, and where.
• So, come over into your community…not someone else’s.
• Don’t become like other pastors. But, get a vision for your people.
• Don’t plant a church in your head (what you like).
• Plant a church for your community…relevant to the needs of your city.
• Bring Christ to culture and not just the church.
• We are planting the Gospel.

HELP

· Make sure people know it is all about Jesus.

· The help that we need to offer is the “proclamation of the Gospel.”

· 2 corinthians 5:11-20

o your job is to persuade men about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

o Let them know that you are totally sold out too the Gospel.

o Christ’s love compels us.

o We are Christ’s ambassadors…imploring people on behalf of God.

o The totality of the Christian message is bigger than a salvation decision.

o However, we cannot remove the bloody Christ and the empty tomb.

o Francis DuBose wries “The God who sends” quote: “The ornamental beauty of a bejeweled cross is not…” (Find rest of quote)

o Being missional is bringing the help of the Gospel.

o Missional is being redefined as being sympathetic.

o Help walks by a ditch and offers a man a way to get out

o Sympathy walks by the ditch and feels sorry for a man, gets in the ditch with him but never offers him the way out.

o To start a church, you must not only BE and DO, but you must also TELL.

o WARNING to PASTORS- relevance has become a goal when relevance should be a tool and the Gospel should be ther goal.

o When relevance becomes the goal:

§ We focus on personal transformation and not Gospel transformation.

§ When your sermons are so practical they lack any Gospel.

§ When we talk more about practical than biblical.

§ When your outreach demeans others that preach the gospel.

§ When your approach makes you the hero and not jesus.

§ When personal evangelism is an oxymoron in your church.

§ When invest and invite never leads to evangelize.

§ When attendance is a bigger goal than evangelism.

§ When the cross gets less focus than your church

§ When not offending seekers is more important than the Gospel.

· Perhaps its time to stop being seeker sensitive and we should be seeker comprehensible.
US

• Lost people matter to God.
• When Jesus says “Go and make disciples” – he is talking about seeking and      saving what is lost.
• The US of this passage matters to God.
• Have you fallen in love with the people of your Macedonia?
• Do you have a vision for the people in your conext?
• Stop planning until God has broken your heart for your people.
• John Knox: “Give me Scotland or I die!”
• All that matters is “Will we live out the mission that Jesus has given to us?”

session 2- Trends in Church Planting that Reaches More People

Intro to my notes:

Some cat in the back was clipping his nails…distracted me. So, my notes are a little scattered. You would think that pastors would know better. Cell phones ringing in church bug me. I hear that nail clipping is the old school annoyance now replaced by cell phones. I definitely like the sound of a cell phone more than I like the sound of some monkey in the back digging at his finger nails. I’ll throw a book at the next bonehead that does that.

Ed Stetzer

Trends in Church Planting that Reaches More People

• Ed’s research debunks a lot of the church planting/church growth statistics out there.
• See much more accurate research here. “Church Planting Survivability and Health Study 2007".
• What is really going on that can be evidenced.
• 120 million unchurched people in the USA.
• Church plants that reach 200 at the end of 1 year is an abnormality.
• Average church plant at the end of 1 year is 40.
• Factors may be funding, training, etc…
• Still need to reset expectations of church planters so that we are not comparing ourselves to abnormality but actually know going in what may be the actual experience.
• Top factors for higher response/attendance:
  • Among others, meeting in a school, theater, events, new member classes, church       covenant, starting a daughter church within 3 years, proactive stewardship development plan, multiple staff at the beginning of the plant.
  • Stewardship plan is SUPER CRITICAL according to research.
  • A/G finances planters least yet has a higher success rate.
  • Mean annual church planting funding approx. $100,000 over the course of 4 years on a decreasing scale.
  • It takes approximately 4 years for a church to become totally self sufficient.
  • Survivability 99% year after 1, 92% after year 2, 81% after 3 years, 68% after 4 years.
  • We don’t want all church plants to succeed.
  • 100% success rate, means we aren’t trying hard enough.
  • 400% greater chance of survivability if planter’s expectations match up with reality.
  • Church member leadership development increases survivability by 250%.
  • Planter Peer Group increases survivability by 135%
  • Stewardship plan increases survivability by 178%.
• Most large launch churches are the first one into that community.
• With each successive plant, the large launch strategy needs to be re-evaluated/reconsidered.

Networking Track Session 1 - Getting the Word Out

I heard Brad at the Buzz Conference in '06. He's the VP of Communications for the Four Square Church.  He's like a boy genius as well as the founder of one of my favorite blogs, Church Marketing Sucks.  Drew Goodmanson, pastor of Kaleo Church was with Mark Driscoll when Mars Hill Church had under 100 people.  Drew gave a great talk...seems like he has his finger on the pulse of a very transient community in San Diego.

Getting the Word Out

Drew Goodmanson  of Kaleo Church and

Brad Abare of Center for Church Communications

• Be who you are, not who you are not
• Quote Martin Luther “must be a saviour….damnable.” (did not get this whole quote...need it.  If you have it, share it)
• Luther portrayed church realistically as an effective tool to reach out and      properly set expectations.
• Churches reported their website is their most effective marketing tool.
• Make sure website reflects who you are.
• Message, Method, Movement.
• Message comes first.
• Method comes last.
• Vast majority (60%+) of people who visit your church will look at your website      first.
• 5 essential criteria for the next generation by lisa johnson:
  • experience – active participant
  • transparency
  • reinvention
  • connection
  • expression - trying it myself, using my tools, and releasing my inner rebel.

• Americans aged 13-24 spend more time online than in front of a tv.
• The audience is always right.
  • If people aren’t getting it, it’s the communicator/leader’s fault.
• A church’s website IS a new resident’s first filter.
• During usability studies, 88% of web users went to a search engine first to      accomplish a task.
• If no one visits your really expensive website does it really exist?
• .07 per click for preferred yahoo top search
• communication without repetition is noise.
• Focus on worst possible outcome from your audience not getting the point.
• It takes 6 to stick (6 touch points/communications modes)
• Use your gut to guide.
• “It is by logic we prove but by intuition we discover.” – davinci
• discover by doing less.
• Be remarkable
• Great websites Soma Communities www.somacommunities.org powered by www.ekklessia360.com
• Starbucks spent less than $10,000 on advertising in their first 10 years.

Arrival at Conference

I'm sharing the high points of the conference with anyone interested.  My attention span can sometime be about the size of a gnat so don't be surprised if I don't stay super detailed with the notes.

But, before I pass on the notes, I have to say it was cool to bump into Dave Ferguson in the hallway.  Dave has left a couple comments on my blog in the past.  Since, he's like a Michael Jordan of church planting, I find that cool.  I think this guy is pretty much the picture of a servant leader.  For a guy leading one of the most influential churches in the U.S., he's about as down to earth as a human can be.  I dig that.

Also, I ran into Ryan Kramer from Mosaic Church in Tarpon Springs.  Ryan and I went to Lee together.  He's a decent guy that I wish I knew better.  I saw Tadd in the auditorium.  I ran into Matt, a future really good friend who is starting a church in the Pembroke Pines area.  I never bumped into Phil Underwood from the Point in Snellville, GA or Nathan Griffis (planting in Weston).  But, I did speak to both of them on the phone a half dozen times.  1st Baptist Orlando has a big campus so that's pretty easy to do.

The pre-conference sessions I was in today were great.  Jim Putnam from Real Life Church in Idaho was spot on with his teaching on community and discipleship.  Next Stop- my notes.

tagged: National New Church Conference - Exponential Conference