Travis Johnson

Sad News about Polly Zinn

This morning has been a little bit rough for the Life Pointe Church family.  It really breaks my heart to share the news that this morning at about 6 am, Polly Zinn passed away at Jackson Memorial Hospital - South.

Polly died unexpectedly in the hospital after going to the emergency room by ambulance after having flu-like symptoms.  She was 43.  As a single mom, she left behind four beautiful children, Dereck (17), Gordy (16), Jennalyn (12), and Stephanie (8). Early this morning when I got to the hospital, Jenna was wearing a t-shirt that said "My Mom rocks!"  That was tough.

Polly loved Jesus and was really growing in faith.  She had a beautiful heart that loved to serve other people.  She was on our hospitality team and children's ministry. She was also involved in a life group.  In the short five or six months that she has been a part of our church, she, along with the kids, and her brother Jimmy had so interwoven their lives with ours, it seems that they have actually been a part of us for years.

Some people come to the Church and to Jesus and look to be perpetually served.  Polly came to the Church and Jesus and immediately showed her heart and thankfulness to God by serving others.  In fact, I was reading Anne Hollifield's blog a few days ago and saw this expressed in this paragraph:

One last thing, just want to say a big thank you and may God richly bless you, to all those who helped in our Kids Life groups this past Sunday during both services! You are awesome!  A special thank you to Polly Zinn and her family who, at the last minute, came in to help with 2 year olds, and did an excellent job! God is smiling.

God is indeed smiling as she now stands before a perfect Jesus. Every tear from everything she faced has been wiped away (Rev. 21:1-5).

If you would like to financially bless this family as they deal with these unexpected expenses, please do so by sending a check to (please write "for Polly Zinn's family" in the FOR line):

    Life Pointe Church
    1100 Old Dixie Hwy
    Homestead, FL 33030
    305.247.0889

Once funeral arrangements have been made, I will post it here and send out an email.  Thank you for being a such a wonderful extended family.  The power of the Church is really seen and felt in times like this.

Christ has no hands here but yours

Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
     no hands but yours, no feet but yours,
Yours are the eyes through which to look out
     Christ's compassion to the world
Yours are the feet with which he is to go about
     doing good;
Yours are the hands with which he is to bless men now.

These are the words of Teresa of Avila.  They hang in our hallway on Sunday mornings.  Some people try to do, love, give, abstain, or serve just enough to get by.  I guess you can live life that way.  But, there is another way...a better way.

There is a way that gives more than it takes, that loves more than it is loved, and that experiences Christ in such a way that it cannot help but to extend itself practically so that people may actually catch a real glimpse of Christ by looking at us.  That's the way I want to live.  When I arrive at the end of my life, I pray that I have spent myself in a mission that is worth more than my comfort or self interests.  Those are convicting words and a great challenge.  I hope to live up to them.

Why do I obsess over Life Pointe?

Like Dave, I too am consumed with the ministry of Life Pointe Church.   I'll share why and invite you to be obsessed with me.  I am obsessed with the ministry of Christ at Life Pointe because...

• God uses the Church to share Christ, the greatest hope for Homestead.
• I see daily stories of transformation and know that I know that I know that HUGE spiritual shifts are taking place one life at a time.
• it is a physical expression of a spiritual family born out of the Grace of God.
• it has the capacity to change the nations (around 32 nationalities represented on any given Sunday).
• it is a place where my broken, dysfunctional humanity can express practical service which blesses people and Christ. (never underestimate the value of service as worship to God).
• I love this church family.
• Because I can cut through the religious bull and speak the truth of the Scriptures.  People that can't handle that don't stay long.  The result is that I don't feel pressure to contort and twist myself around to keep a few pharisees happy all the time.
• I have a mission to advance the Kingdom of God.  God has place me in this family.  And, I will do everything I can to love God and man, even with a reckless abandon.

I refuse to grow complacent, to be distracted, to let up, slow down, to stop praying, or to give up.  I will see God's Kingdom come here.  He's promised it.  He will provide for it.  He will bring the increase.  I am as confident in that as anything in my life. 

My confidence comes not from my ability.  It comes because this is God's Church.  He will build it.  And, the gates of hell won't prevail against it.  That's why I obsess.  That is why Satan should tremble.  If God be for us, who can be against us?!

Sunday Wrap-up

Great Sunday!  Here it is:

• The lobby rocks: the vibe, the noise, the design, the clean lines.  It simply rocks...heck of a volunteer team there.
• I love walking out following service and seeing that place packed with people crowding around the info booth, asking questions about the fall semester of Life Groups before they pull the trigger on their decision.
• I thought our crowd would be down because of Labor Day weekend.  Nope.  Full theater.  Our move to 2 services on Sept. 16th (9 & 10:30 AM) is right on time.
• 1773 rocked the house. 
• We added ellipticals shooting from the back of the auditorium.  We only installed half of them...killer lighting. 
• Again, the videos are bangin'.  Mr. Jones, the polly pocket washing a Hummer.  Perfect compliment to the message.  Props to Jesse.
• The Life Group video was incredible.  I saw it on Thursday and was humbled. GUYS, THIS IS WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO!!  Barbaro, Richard, and Chris, you three men are exceptional!
• Paul had such a fun topic today and he brought it home.
• He also pulled a first today.  He cursed everyone out in Spanish without knowing it.  It was one of the biggest laughers in Life Pointe history.  A lot of things have been said from that stage that wouldn't go over in most places.  This might have been the best.  I may have to post the video later.  It was almost as good as this.
• I absolutely loved the vibe of the whole day.  Did I already say that?
• I've really enjoyed sharing the teaching responsibilities.  This is setting us up for something big.
• This is such an awesome time to be serving at Life Pointe!
• One last thing, we have to shave 15 minutes off the service before Sept 16th.  Paul couldn't pull it off last week.  He didn't do it this week.  I'll have to show the guy how its done! 

Ministry Opportunities @ Life Pointe

We've got some really great ministry leaders/servants.  We're looking to move more of you guys on up the leadership ladder.  Following are some available ministry positions:

• Kids Life team captain - a Sunday morning team leader - ages 5-12 (twice per month...MUST HAVE A LOVE FOR KIDS)
• Children's venue setup crew member (twice per month)
• Volunteer Office Assistant (Mondays or Fridays)
• Parking Team Members (serve twice per month)
• Web Genius (to manage our internet strategy)
• Graphic Designers and Video Editors (to work with Jesse on projects)
• Bloggers (to share your Life Pointe experiences)
• Hospitality (especially if you have good breath)

Things are really moving forward.  Its an exciting time to be serving and investing in the development of people at Life Pointe!  If you see an open position that excites you, email Paul (paul@life-pointe.com).

Sunday Sunday Sunday

We had our best setup ever.  The vibe in the theater this morning was "chill" to quote one of our setup guys.  Why?  Because the whole thing was completed last night.  The guys and girls on the production team were really excellent. 

Now, as good as things pulled together, they didn't stay that way.  About 15 minutes into the service, our power grid went down (the surrounding 14 blocks).  We improvised and had a great time.

Without a doubt, this was the most commented, most questioned, most emailed message we've done so far.  When you ask the question, "Can you be a Christian and drink a cold beer?", expect a high level of interest and some very interesting comments (like as opposed to a warm beer?).

Since there was no podcast, I'll post my notes tomorrow.

Sunday Wrap-up

Letting go of control is a scary process.  I hear that when your daughter goes on her first date, that's tough...not there yet.  But, I let go of Sunday mornings and it seemed like a big deal to me.  This morning, I was calm underneath but, I was dying on the inside because I didn't have anyone or anything to manage.  I can direct resources pretty quickly and efficiently.  But, it isn't the best use of my time and there are actually some better equipped people here to be thinking about how things are working on Sunday AM's. 

With that said, here's how Sunday went:

• Auditorium setup was finished on Saturday night.  When I came in this morning, everything was together and there was a low level of stress on the production crew.
• We changed over from Song Show Plus to Media Shout today.  That didn't go so well.  We struggled with our two videos and my slides.  We're all good for next week though.  Either, we'll be back to SSP or the Media Shout bugs are going to be worked out.
• With those bugs, our flow was unique.  I don't really know how to describe it other than this morning's service seemed like a conversation and a sarcastic one at that.  I was able to get some things off my chest and share the Scriptures with our church family.
• It was great to see Chris and Denise Elrod come through the doors this morning.  Chris didn't disappoint.  He was sporting a lovely man bag that pleasantly matched his entire ensemble.  I have to say that I really appreciate Chris as a friend.  He's genuine...the real deal.  I thank God for men like Chris in my life.
• Benny Salas and his fiancee from Freedom Culture, a church plant here in Miami were great to hang with.  It looks like we have something in the works where he's going to be hanging with us over the next few weeks.  I am excited for Benny and the city of Miami.  Expect great things from Freedom Culture.
• We said goodbye see you later to a friend, Isabel Dalama, our Kids Life Director.  She and Brittany are moving to North Carolina and will actually be involved at a great church there.
• Finally, with the Media Shout bug, we were unable to show this video.  Check it out.

Good News from our Theater

The meeting I referenced here just happened.  It went very well.  To go to two services, we have to get setup done more quickly.  We just got the go ahead to do setup on Saturday nights after the last show.  We have one other key piece to take care of to make the theater work for two services but, I think it is going to work out as well.  Big win!

Sunday Wrap-up

• Today was Paul's first Sunday on staff.
• As a result, today was my last Sunday being responsible for anything other than the message and the relational aspects of Sunday.
• "Fix You" by ColdPlay was a sweet play today...loved it.
• We opened "Hot Sauce" with the message "Clash on Cash: God on Money."  I came home to an email that said: "By the way I don’t know why people get their noses out of joint when a preacher talks about money. I know I need to hear it, and it doesn’t offend me, in fact I’d like to see a 12 week (step) series on it. Be bold bro’."
• Part of our growth and maturity as followers of Christ is becoming stake holders/investors in the mission.  When we commit our finances to God, we are drawing a huge line in the sand and making a massive statement about our lives.
• After church, we hit the park by my house and I got to play "Iron Chef."  I make a killer hot dog.
• Terry had his golf cart out and was cruising around like a kid.  I asked if I could take it for a spin.  Yep, I was flyin'.
• In about 10 minutes, Paul and I go to meet with one of the great guys from Flagship corporate.  I think some really good things are going to be coming out of this.
• I'm really glad to have such an awesome church family.

Party by My House Tomorrow

After church, we're having a party in the park next to my house.  I'll have directions at church tomorrow.  I've got the food.  You bring the sodas.  I've got the football.  You bring the frisbees, soccer balls, and dominoes. 

Sunday Wrap-up

• Jesse spoke yesterday.  I was really proud of him.  However, I walked out feeling badly for the poor little chuparosas.
• Going forward, I will be speaking about 40 times a year.  Paul Hollifield will be speaking a lot as well (he joins the team this week).
• Reina and Phillip did a great job leading worship yesterday.  The team sounded fantastic.  During the last song, I felt like God was truly present.
• Phillip has been such a great part of our ministry team.  Yesterday, he came straight from work to setup and help lead worship.  Then, he went home to rest before going straight back into another shift.  We reproduce what we are.  People like Phil really set the tone for who we should be becoming. 
• The past month has seen a lot of disruption because of life.  It has pulled a lot of our key leaders out for extended times.  Yet, our teams have been functioning like they are made up of a bunch of champions.  Very proud!
• When service started yesterday, I thought no one was coming.  After worship, I came up on stage, looked at the crowd, and the place was full.  Rain, summer, south Florida culture, and dedicated people.  Funny.
• We've had some really great new folks coming over the past few weeks.  I'm really looking forward to some great, lasting relationships.

The Eclectic Church of Jesus in Homestead

From time to time, people ask what kind of church Life Pointe is.  I usually respond by saying something like “eclectic.“  That’s as close to the truth as I can get.  We are racially, culturally, theologically, and politically diverse.

This past week, we had a service where people in one of our social networks were sharing their thoughts with a group of around 80 people.  Two of the people who were sharing presented ideas far from orthodox Christianity.  One stated that Jesus is a prophet of Allah.  Another presented the idea of purgatory as a real event that occurs in a loved one's passing.  While that does not reflect the beliefs of our faith community, it does reflect the views of many of our friends, family, and neighbors whom we love.

People outside of our church, ask if we are a seeker-sensitive church, an emerging church, a charismatic church, a Baptist church, or a “Christian” church (meaning non-Catholic in Miami).  One Sunday, we even had a couple people shouting in our lobby that we were a cult.  Ultimately, we are a church community that could not be recreated anywhere else in the world.  We are Christ-centered, Scripturally faithful and culturally aware.

The bottom line is that we are a church that loves our community, embraces the Scriptures, and is actively trying to knit together a culture to call our own, something I feel is necessary to create a tangible identity common to us all…the culture of Christ as expressed in Homestead, FL.

This week, I’ll be blogging a bit about what our unique culture should look like.  I’ll go through an article or two, including “John Wesley and the Emerging Church ” by Hal Knight to paint a picture of what a passionate protestant with a good “catholic spirit” might look like.

Then, on Wednesday @ 7 PM, Paul Hollifield will begin our 9-week series on the book of Nehemiah (in place of our life groups for the summer) where we’ll discuss Scriptural guidelines for the establishment of our culture of Christ in Homestead.  Without a doubt, Nehemiah is the greatest, most succinct book on Leadership ever written...better than Covey, Collins, Maxwell, or Carnegie.  I'm really looking forward to it.  You won't want to miss it.

God Gives the Victory

42 It is the same way for the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies, which die and decay, will be different when they are resurrected, for they will never die. 43 Our bodies now disappoint us, but when they are raised, they will be full of glory. They are weak now, but when they are raised, they will be full of power. 44 They are natural human bodies now, but when they are raised, they will be spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, so also there are spiritual bodies.

53 For our perishable earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die. 54 When this happens when our perishable earthly bodies have been transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die then at last the Scriptures will come true: "Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" 56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord!
58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

-1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 53-58

Broken Hearted: I lost two great men today

Last night at 1 AM, I lost my grandpa, W.J. Roberts.  This afternoon, Ivan Ortega lost a brief but aggressive bout with liver cancer.  I want to share a bit about these two men:

Ivan Ortega
Ivan came to Life Pointe two years ago.  He was a continual source of encouragement, optimism, and generosity.  On his first Sunday, we were kicking off a "Canning Hunger" project where we asked our neighbors to help us fight hunger by contributing their canned food to needs in our community.  He and Ela, without being familiar with our church and after a decision to renew faith in God, collected more food than anyone else.

That attitude of generosity permeated everything he did. At the time, our church was in a critical stage of formation.  Ivan's attitude has been significant in the formation of the DNA of our church.  This is tough news to share.  I really don't know how to do it other than to just say how special Ivan was and how much he'll be missed.  Information on the funeral will be posted here tomorrow and emailed to our church database.  The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, you would contribute to the University of Miami - Jackson Memorial Transplant Center.

W.J. Roberts
My grandfather was an amazing man.  I've shared my heart about him and who he was.   You can check out those posts below.  Tonight when I got home from the hospital, I sat down with Kourtney and explained to her that "Pop Roberts" died.  You can imagine the questions. 

As I talked to her, I thought about how Andrew and William Ortega grieved over their dad.  I listened to those personal words honoring their father in his last moments.  I thought about the sadness I feel for my mom, her brother Mike, and us grandkids.  And, I wondered if I would be a man that would be grieved like these two men.

That remains to be seen.  I know that when I got home, I wanted to hold my family and love on them more.  I want to model how to honestly and passionately pursue this Christ that pursues us.

WJ Roberts: A Gift of Heritage - Grandpa: Following Jesus Is a Manly Sport

An addition to the team

This is a great time to be at Life Pointe.  Just when things were getting comfortable and the bills were getting paid and things were getting figured out, we have decided to accept another challenge to step up in our mission to reach this city.

We just hired Jesse about a month ago.  We had to make that move to keep up with our growth and continue moving forward.  But, now we are making another hire, an executive pastor to take a more strategic hands on role in leading the ministries of the church.  That will take more pressure off of me, help with equipping, systems, and teaching.

This is a forward-looking move.  We had been looking for a strategic person to come on board with us.  We looked inside and out passing on some stellar and very committed guys.  Ultimately, I felt there was only one choice.  I'm glad to welcome Paul and Anne Hollifield to the team.

Paul will be joining us on July 15th.  Make sure you stop by his blog and give him a little welcome.

Sunday Wrap-up

We had our first summer slump day of 2007.  It was a good day...here's the details:

• We had a really great, witty couple that called Flamingo Road Church to find out if they had a campus in Homestead.  They don't.  But, whoever they talked to said that they needed to visit Life Pointe. So, they did. That rocks.  I have to throw a huge thanks to Troy for taking an interest in me...can't tell you how much that mens to a pup like me.
• While our crowd was down, we had a good number of new people. Our attendance today is still higher than the average for the month of Easter 2006.  That's awesome!
  
• I think that there was a rule today that if you are a leader at Life Pointe, you vacation on 6/24...not even kidding.
• I like to preach to our people.  Our crowd is so engaging.  I feel as much of a participant as I do the communicator.
• Like clockwork, our ratio of adults to kids (12 and under) is 2:1.  We have a lot of kids.  I just got the dashboard (attendance, guest tracking system) from The Journey in Manhattan this week.  After looking at how many kids they have, you have to know that every church is incredibly unique.
• Today, I started the last chapter of James.  We talked about money and how it shouldn't "rot in your hands."  I don't do that often.  But, we went directly at it.  Trusting God with our finances is a huge piece of following Christ.  We are getting this lesson.
• Finally, we are having Sunday night church back at the Theater at 7:00 PM.  We are watching a theological documentary...Evan Almighty.  Can't wait.

Reina and Diego Join the Team

My mind went racing back to Chicago when I'd see Jesse, Reina, David Lugo, and Joey Gonzalez doing their thing.  Good days.  It was nice to see Reina doing ministry with Jesse.  And, Diego is cute little cat.  When I hold him, I just want to steal him and keep him forever...awesome.  I really haven't had the opportunity to say welcome to these two publicly.  But, here it is...welcome Reina and Diego!

My hands have come off the steering wheel

We break from our Life Groups from July until the week of August 26th.  We encourage our groups to continue hanging out, doing bbq's, dinners, etc...  But, there is zero pressure for our groups to maintain teaching sessions in their homes.  It shifts to strictly relational connectivity over the summer.

In place of our groups, we will be hosting a leadership worship gathering for everyone that considers themselves a leader or wants to develop into a leader.  There are no requirements for coming to the gathering other than showing up.  There will be a time of worship, equipping, and vision casting/strategy formation (sharing strategy and participating in strategy formation).

The July 11th kick-off meeting is going to offer a directed, open forum type environment where we will be discussing some huge stuff that may impact a lot of what we do entering into the fall.  Some of the discussion will probably lead to a "strategic chaos." Already our creative planning session this week has caused me to shelve our summer message series until August 26th.  For those of you that heard the teaser on Sunday, get ready because our roll out is going to be pretty big.

This Sunday, we'll announce our new series that we'll be beginning July 15th.  We have not promoted a series since April.  The current series has lasted 14 weeks.  We've experienced significant growth since then to the point that we need to be adding a second service no later than August 26th.  Even this past Sunday we were over the 70% capacity mark for our auditorium. 

People that come in late have to sit either separated from their group or in the uncomfortable down front seats.  Those seats are so close that people end up looking up my nostrils which is uncomfortable to all parties involved.  I also learned in my communications classes that strong enunciation leads to spitting...hopefully you don't see that from the back.  But, when you're down front super close, you definitely do.  Summed up, that's pretty gross.

Sunday seemed personally challenging for me.  I left the service feeling worn out.  But, the feedback has been phenomenal.  The offering was much stronger than our 6 week average.  And, our attendance was more than 30% higher than the same Sunday the previous year.  That's totally God.  Because I felt like I went up to share and was just inadequate for the job.  Ultimately, I am.  But, moreso on Sunday than most.

I have to tell you that just when I think I am figuring things out, God has come in and messed me up.  I feel like I'm spinning down an icy road and in frustration with being able to control the car, I've taken my hands off the wheel.  Its up to God where this vehicle goes from here.

Anyway, if you want to be a part of a corporate worship time, prayer for our future, and strategy formation, Wednesday, July 11th @ 7:30 PM (in our building) is your day.  I'm asking God for one of those Upper Room experiences where hearts and minds are in one accord.  The result is an outpouring of power to impact the culture here in our city in a HUGE way.

Sunday Wrap-up

Every time we gather, God does something unique in each of us.  I know that He had a plan and He worked it regardless of me.  I was drained by the time 10 AM came and felt like I gave everything I had and it seemed to me not to be much.  I have to say that the guys who motor through the days where things don't come together are stars in my book.  I'm appreciative for them. Trying days really illustrate that we ARE NOT a church service but a Church Body.

During the service, I challenged us all to be fathers (as well as mothers, sons, and daughters) who will be grieved and remembered for who we were and for the legacy we left.  I thank you for hearing my heart and letting me live that message feebly in front of you.  Being in the middle of this process with my grandfather is personally challenging.  But, I'm thankful that it beats the alternative of hating a monster who hurt me.  Instead, I am grieving for a man that mentored and loved me.  I want to be that man who people grieve over one day.

In the service, I mentioned that we will be going to two morning services on August 26.  We have been poking around at this for some time and its time to make it happen.   We've not pulled the trigger yet.  But, it is definitely time! 

There are some logistical issues to overcome in the theater to be able to pull this off at a time that works for our community and for our lease.  So, we're going to be going through our plan with a fine tooth comb.  Every potential solution is on the table.  Nothing should be able to hinder our growth.  If you want to be a part of our planning team, give us a shout in the office.  We could use some good quality thoughts engaging this process with us.

Life Pointe Church Pastors

A few really awesome things

• I have an empty inbox.  I got a mac a few weeks ago and I've been keeping my room clean so far.  I'm proud of me.
• I crossed off everything from my to do list which was pretty extensive.  1 week of work finished in two days.
• I finished my message for this coming Sunday last night!  Holy Cow!  AND, I wish Sunday was here.  This message is really timely for us.  We are going through the Book of James.  So, the timing of it all is orchestrated by the Man upstairs.  I'm cool with that.
• I am getting Photoshop CS3 tonight and the 160 gig Apple TV!!!!  Its already been bought.  The package is being delivered by Mr. Watkins.
• I'm going to Tampa in the morning for our annual state conference for the Church of God.  One of my close friends from college, Johnny Zeiglar is speaking in the evenings which is a pretty big deal.  If you dig TD Jakes, you'd dig Johnny.
  
• I get to have some downtime with guys I went to school/am doing ministry with like Jesse and Reina, Brian Hunter, Nathan Griffis, Ken Hitte, Ryan Kramer, and a lot of other guys that I can't list.  I'm looking forward to recharging and exchanging ideas late into the nights.

By the way, I'll steal internet from somewhere and be connected enough to blog my week. 

Man Day this SUNDAY!

If you get our weekly email, you know a little about what to expect.  If not, you won't want to miss it.

Sunday Wrap-up

We had a ton of people out today (more will be out next week and every Sunday during the summer).  But, the crowd is about 30% higher than anything we've ever had in a June.  We continue to move the drapes back to make more room. 

More volunteers are stepping up.  Overall, there is just a killer vibe.  Here's the run down. I'll try to keep it shorter than last week (but not by much)...

• I wandered around feeling unnecessary this morning while the crew was setting up.  Setup is already handled without me.  But, I like to be there and sometimes, I get my hand in things more than I ought to...pretty much got kicked out today.
• My new job is being coffee courier to the volunteer teams.  Those guys are awesome.  I definitely want to keep them loving life.  They are a HUGE blessing!
• Casey got some new lighting toys.  Goodie.
• Jesse really brings a new dimension to our service.
• Reina and Diego bring a new dimension to Jesse.  Jesse was blushing and had butterflies when they came into Sonny's from the airport.  Glad they made it in safe.  Great to catch up with Reina.
• I'm not kidding when I say that she looks like a latin version of Sandra Bullock.
• Diego is a handsome little guy in person...makes me want to get my hands on my little boy...only a few more months to go.
• We finished chapter 4 of James.  One more to go.  3 weeks left in our longest series ever.  I've had a great time and have grown spiritually in the process.
• I think its so cool when people address me as "Father Travis." Just "Travis" works absolutely fine.  I even answer to "Hey, you!"  So, no worries.
• We are just about ready for our second service which should kick off on August 26.  The service schedule will totally change.  It looks like they are going to be 9 & 10:20 AM.
• FYI- We'll need more volunteers for everything (children, nursery, greeters, etc...).  Everyone can do something.  This may be your chance to step up. 
• Assuming a strong volunteer enrollment, a lot of our volunteers will be able to attend a service every single Sunday by tweaking our rotation.  That will be awesome!

Keep doing your thing, inviting your friends, and keeping it real as you follow Christ!

summer slump?

The summer slump may still be around the corner.  But, I haven't seen it.  School has been out for a while. We should have already been experiencing it.  We have people out of town already.  But, there is a bit of momentum right now and we haven't seen giving or attendance on Sundays or in Life Groups really decrease at all.

Regardless, we have two major pushes for this summer.  I feel like something really awesome is happening at Life Pointe right now.  Some of it, I can point to.  Some of it is just kind of out there...a God thing.

Sunday Wrap-up

I think yesterday was really good.  James got really direct in chapter 4:7-10.  He basically says, "repent, you sinners.  I want to see some tears, you hypocrites." 

I sidelined a lot of my study material and also shared about David, Bathsheba, Uriah, Nathan, and the rich man and the poor man.  God honors a broken heart.  I believe God is putting the pieces back together in a lot of our lives.  We've done a good job of creating a facade where we appear "put together."  I think God is deconstructing a lot of that and reworking us...as long as we let Him.

On to the rest:

• Jesse got in Saturday night just before midnight and crashed at our place.  They drove through Tropical Storm Barry.  Every time I talked to him, I was telling him to be safe...felt like an overprotective father. 
• He got together with the band for the first time Sunday morning.  It was great having him on board.
• His brother, Luis Santoyo sang a song from his album.  Later he and Albert Alfaro did "Throne of Glory" during communion.
• Setup is coming along so good.  For awhile our lighting trusses were making me nervous because of how long it was taking to set them up.  Casey is cranking it out in a big way now.
• Hospitality setup is done by 8 AM...going to have to get them some new gadgets for the lobby.  They're rockin'.
• Before service, one of our elders shared some ideas for Communion in July.  Not only was it a great idea.  But, it just fires me up when people are dreaming about how to make church a more significant experience for our people.
• I can't stop talking about our life groups.  One Sunday, I'm going to cancel our worship service and do breakout groups in all of the theaters.  We have more people in groups now than ever...I'm addicted.
• After church, we took over half of Chili's.  We bring a rowdy vibe to that place. 
• When Atlanta Bread Co. opens by the theater, we're going to have to make that a strategic part of our Sundays...thinking through that one.
• We moved Jesse into his house in 30 minutes.  The move included a Baby Grand Piano.  That's how a portable church rolls.
• We went to Captain's Restaurant and Seafood Market after the move...had to prove to Luis that Dolphin is a fish...not a porpoise.
• We had a really great server.  If you eat there, sit in Liz's section.  She was excellent.
• I hit the sack around 11 deader than a door nail.  But, I'm ready for another week.

New Diggs

I just got moved into my new office.  I still have some pictures to hang: family portraits, autographed photo of Willie Mays, Bob Feller, Alonzo Mourning...but for the most part, I am moved in.

Sleep Deprived

This week has been crazy and I don't totally understand why.  Things were so tight on Thursday that I missed the men's group at Dave Crowley's room.  On Friday morning by 7:30, I had already visited 3 people in the hospital.  I moved into my new office this week and made room for Jesse.  Mayra is out for more than a month.  And, that can't happen without feeling it.  I am already.

Anyway, by yesterday at 2 PM, I had to check out and take some downtime.  Kelly, Matt, and I watched Pirates of the Caribbean.  It was too long.  I basically paid $6.50 to intermittently sleep in my "theater church."   Next week is slowing down...no matter what.  I already get in trouble for what I say on Sundays.  I cannot be responsible for what comes out of my mouth when I'm functioning on too little sleep.  If anyone would like to offer a hand with some volunteer office days, we'd take you up on your offer.  Just give me or Anne a shout in the office.  Rest assured that if you did, I would skip out on at least one office day.

Sunday Wrap-up

    
WOW.  Here goes:

• It's 11:53.  I stopped hanging out with our people about 1 hour ago.  7:30 AM @ theater. 1 PM at Bayfront Park. 5:30 PM @ our house.  Crazy fun. 
• Hospitality setup was complete at 8:15 and tear down was over before church finished (not our M.O. but due to the summer schedule and the party at Bayfront, they did it).  Impressive.
• Phil and the band have done an awesome job filling in until Jesse starts on Sunday.
• Speaking of Phil and the band (and all the setup and engineering guys in the auditorium).  These guys have put their hearts into their ministry.  We ask for a lot out of them.  And, they give it freely.  Their service isn't second rate.  It's first class.
• For a Memorial Day weekend, our crowd was smokin'.  On days like today, I typically want to stand out on the curb to watch and see if anyone will show up.  Not going to feel that compulsion anymore.
• Paul did a great job speaking today.  He insulted me a few times.  The whole St. Peter joke was classic.  References to my argument with my wife over the toilet seat were unappreciated.  Now that that wound is re-opened, Kelly and I are going to have to get counseling.
• One thing about Paul- he made some comment about football and dreaming that he caught me in the backfield.  After service, I stressed to him it was a dream.
• For the fourth week in a row, we've had people come for movies and attend church.  This is getting to be hysterical.  These are some really cool cats too.  I love doing church in the theater for reasons just like that.
• Bayfront Park was awesome.  Good food.  Good people.
• Our people know how to party.
• Baptism was awesome.  Alex Link's expression when he came out of the water was priceless!
• We baptize people about every 6 weeks.  The largest baptism we've done is 32 people.  That was cool.  Today, we baptized 8 people (6 guys, 2 girls).  We circled up and shared our stories.  Then, Jim Nelson, Paul Hollifield, and I baptized the group.  That is one of my highest privileges in ministry!  I especially love sharing it with guys that are coming along with me in ministry.
• Note to self.  Apparently, you have to have an "event permit" to baptize someone in the bay?!  Who knew? 
• FOOTBALL- the old man still has it.  Our team was dominant.  We were offensive and defensive giants.
• Paul did manage to catch me in the backfield one measly time.  But, the three Mississippi rule was violated repeatedly by my aerodynamic bro and his minions.
• I'm embarrassed that our opponents whined like a bunch of "man-bag toting" girly men.

Overall the day was great.  I enjoyed hanging out with a lot of friends and catching up with Paul, Annie, and their kids.  Great time.  Great Sunday.  Glad it's over.  Time for some rest.

A Face in the Crowd

Paul Hollifield will be speaking this Sunday and I'll be a face in the crowd.  I'm looking forward to it for a couple reasons:

1. I have a lot of confidence in Paul speak from the Scriptures and from his heart.  He's a super guy with a heart to see the Church worship Christ.
2. I really enjoy being on the receiving end of a church service.  I get to sit next to Kelly in church and do the family thing.
3. I'm looking forward to slipping into Kids Life and our kids environments for a few minutes to check on our kids.  We have some of the best kids' volunteers.

We also have our Memorial Day gig tomorrow after church (football, soccer, food, etc...) at Bayfront Park.  We have some of our crew going public with their faith in Jesus by being baptized.  I'm always fired up about that.

Memorial Day Approaches

• Its a time to remember the men and women who have laid down their lives in service to our country (see Wikipedia).
• It is also the weekend where some more of the Life Pointe crew will go public with their faith at Bayfront Park.  Sunday, May 27th @ 1 PM.  Be there.

Survey results - drive time

Its always interesting to peel back the curtain and seeing whats in the shadows.  Above is our graph for drive time to the theater for the Sunday church service.

Life Pointe Church - a redneck's paradise?

The musical preference of 27.5% of Life Pointe Church is Tim McGraw!?  I don't know what to say. 

We'll be releasing some of the other results over the next week.

St. Arbucks, the Patron Saint of Coffee

I just found out bad news!  We have our church up for sale and are in active negotiations with a buyer AND they are putting in a Starbucks so close to our building that I can touch it...almost literally.

Check out the driving directions and weep with me.  We are being separated from the patron saint of coffee!

Sunday Recap

Due to Chick's Day, the Sunday recap is being done on Monday.  We hung out with my parents all day and then went to Southland last night and watched "Next".  Good flick.  Its hard for me to watch a movie without assessing the theater as a church location.  That would be a pretty sweet location.

On to yesterday:

• Yesterday was the first time our Mother's Day attendance went up.  I can handle that.
• We have a schizophrenic A/C situation.  It has been annoying and we've laughed about it so far...not really laughing anymore.  The 15 degree temperature swings are killing us.
• In the last two weeks, we've had some really great people come early for a movie and end up in church.
• Two weeks in a row, I've seen God do some amazing things in the lobby...people crying as God reached out and touched their hearts.  Its a great surprise to unexpectedly see someone make a decision for Christ after the service where the popcorn gets sold.
• Phillip and the band did an awesome job stepping up until Jesse is on board with us.  I have to say that there probably isn't anyone in the church that has been challenged by me more than Phillip.  He consistently picks up the bat and keeps hitting the ball.  He does it because he understands what the game is.  You can tell he's passionate about that.  I wish I had 5 more guys just like him.
• We have some really awesome new families.  I really dig this guy, Rich.  He looks like Fred Hammond.  His son is about 2 years old.  But, he looks like he's ready for a starting position at THE "U."  He and his family have a heart of gold.  They've connected right in with a life group and have connected fast.
• Slowly, I think my whole neighborhood is being overtaken by the Life Pointe addiction. I dig it.  Already, we have two life groups here.  I can't wait for a third and a fourth.
• The podcast has been down for a few weeks.  In a way, I like it.  I can say whatever I want without considering a larger audience.  Still, we'll have it back up soon though.
• Someone was taking pictures of my wife and another one of the gals from the church in addition to saying some inappropriate stuff.  So far, these kind of situations have been handled on a case by case basis.  But, we are going to lock this thing down.  We are putting together a security policy to handle this kind of stuff.  If we are going to make a error in judgment it is going to be in favor of people who are minding their own business and gathering to worship.
• I can feel a ton of positive momentum.  It is a result of you guys sharing Jesus with people in our lives and putting your faith in action by serving.  Keeping doing what you're doing!

Chicks' Day

I'm a Lover, Not a Fighter

Gary talked about how to have people leave your church.  You ought to read it.  He talks about how that it hurts most to have people that were with you at the beginning to leave.  That does hurt even when its an out of town move like we've had too many of.  It got me thinking about the guys that have been with us from the start, "our originals."  These guys are pretty incredible.

Sunday night, we went to Spiderman 3 with a crew of them.  During the height of the movie, a fight broke out.  This kind of stuff follows me. I decided to be a good kid and not move...not get involved.  Then, a lady behind me said that it was a woman getting beat up by a guy.  So, out the door I go...first one there as usual.  Some say its curiosity.  I'd say I have a tendency to run towards trouble so I can help.

Well, it was a fight between a guy and a girl.  Thinking that the girl was in danger, I got in between them.  I was wrong.  The guy left seriously beaten up and without his shirt.  I think he got caught cheating or something based on the string of expletive laced story yelled at him as he was apparently pummelled out of the auditorium and down the hallway.

After the adrenaline died down, I looked around and there's about 6 of our guys standing behind me in the theater looking like the four horsemen teaming up with the Road Warriors of the old WWF fame.  We finished off the movie, went to Applebees and talked about how manly we were while we were rescuing this guy from the damsel in distress.

Hanging with them is great.  Its kind of crazy to hear their stories, see how they've developed, see how they're serving/leading, and connect the relational dots (seeing how many people are at Life Pointe directly because of them).  It is also crazy to know that if I ever got in a fight, they'd throw down with me.

DISCLAIMER: I have no intentions of getting in any fights or encouraging fighting at all.  I'm a lover not a fighter.

Jesse Santoyo and Life Pointe Church

I had been holding off on talking about this because the time frame hasn't been totally worked out yet (though we're really close).  But, Jesse Santoyo's talking about it.  So, I will too. 

I've known Jesse since before our church plant in Chicago (2000).  I actually met him on New Year's Eve 1999 in Humboldt Park.  He's solid with a passion for Jesus, Reina (his wife), and Diego (his new little guy).  He's artistic.  He and his band, The Saturn Project, rock.  He's a producer for a tv station in Chicago.  And, he leads a ministry for Chicago artists called "The Living Room Sessions."   

He is the kind of guy that has your back.  You can talk straight to him.  He'll dream with you.  He'll share the load with his friends.  He doesn't fly solo He always has a posse. He's a leader.  He is committed to the mission of Jesus. 

He's a heck of a lot of fun to be around.  He's a low maintenance cat.  Since I don't do well with people who need a bunch of hand holding, I seriously appreciate that.  He's talented.  He totally gel'd with our people and fell in love with south Florida while he was down.

I've asked him to join our team at Life Pointe.  We started talking about this around two and a half months ago.  The way everything has come together has really been a God thing.  I can't wait.

Up to this point, we've staffed with a lot of stipended staff (extremely part time in compensation and high on commitment).  They have been and continue to be great.  I cannot say thanks enough for our people who consistently put themselves on the line to create a significant faith community here. 

But, our staffing strategy is changing as we go forward.  In order to create the synergy we need, we need to make this shift.  The timing is right.  The situation is right.  So, I'm glad to announce that Jesse Santoyo will be joining us in a full time position to oversee a chunk of the Life Pointe ministries. Take a moment, leave a comment, and give the kid an early welcome.

Sunday Wrap-up

Today was a great day at Life Pointe.  I'll share: 

• The church continues to grow in disciples and in the number of seekers.
• The A/C was kickin' at the theater (an issue we've had over the last 3 weeks)
• I feel like something really special is happening here but, I don't really know how to describe it.  I just love this church.
• We have some incredibly dedicated volunteers like Collin who worked until 2 AM last night/this morning and was at the theater at 7:30 AM to setup the kids environments.
• I prayed with two people in the lobby following service...one of those kind of moments where it seems like God just reaches down into someone and digs into their soul...a huge moment where a spiritual God had a head on collision with a physical man.
• I had key leaders out today and setup, hospitality, and children's environments ran as smooth as silk!
• People say they want to see their city won for Jesus until the city comes in and sits by their daughters.  I dig that our church is so reflective of our community.
• I love that there is no dominant culture, race, or socio-economic status in our church.
• I love seeing the rich serving the poor and the whites serving the blacks.
• I love seeing Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Guatemalans, Nicaraguans, Dominicans, and Cubans love one another with no cultural strings attached.
• I love seeing people get the mission of Jesus.

Guys that Rock!

Parking lot "uber-studs," Michael Pharmer and Reuben Osario.  It ain't easy being green...or is that "highlighter yellow?"

more pics of life pointe

Today, Michael John Stanley lead worship.  That dude can jam.  It was a great day.  I enjoyed taking a break from our Losing My Religion/James series to share my heart. The only downer is that our theater seems to have a problem figuring out our A/C unit.  Seriously, I think I'm on the verge of going postal over how hot our auditorium has been.

A couple weeks ago, I shared some pics from our auditorium.  Here are some of our other environments: lobby, hallway, and one of the nurseries.  I think our volunteers are pretty awesome to pull this stuff off every week.