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Today was a day that started early and finished late...but not with the usual kinds of busy-ness.  It was a day full of sports!  The day started with Caleb's football game at 9 am and his Pee-Wee team staying undefeated with a 20-6 win.  I had to leave that game before it ended for a two hour drive to Sterling, Illinois to see Josh in his cross-country meet.  And Josh made it worth the trip.  He set a new personal record by running a 17:06 3-mile time and getting a medal for being a top finisher (see pic).  After the award ceremony at the cross-country meet I hurried back to Naperville so I could run the first practice of the season for my 5th grade YMCA basketball team.  I love basketball and coaching is like therapy...fun!  But I still wasn't finished.  The last sport of the day would be the most challenging - trying to help my daughter Amy negotiate the purchase of her first car.  As this day comes to an end I think we got her a good deal on a good car (more to come).  All in all, a sporting day!

I am sitting in the Atlanta airport after finishing up a coast to coast weekend of conferences  It started in San Diego at NorthCoast church where we talked about The BIG IDEA for the Sticky Church Conference.  I heard from the COMMUNITY team it was terrific conference.  Since I got sick I was only there for about an hour of the conference...and that is when I was on the stage doing the opening session.  The prayers of scores of people, including twitter-ers and friends on facebook I think got me through that main session.  Actually, once the worship kicked in I was feeling great and then felt awesome all through the session and even when talking to people afterward.  But once got back to the hotel I hit bottom again. 

Then we took off for the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta - it is one of the premier conferences of any kind, anywhere!  Brad Lomenick and team do a super job of pulling of a great event!  And it shows in all the little details.  NewThing did our first ever Discover the Dream which sold out and promises to be a can't-miss experience for leaders everywhere. We made a lot of great connections with leaders who have big dreams for changing the world and being a part of a reproducing church movement.  Right after Discover the Dream I spoke at the Start Lab about on 5 Church Planting Lessons Learned. It was a new talk at the encouragement of Todd Wilson and I spent the 45 minutes talking to the audience as if I was talking to them one-on-one as a church planter and letting them in on, "here are five important lessons I've learned along the way..."  I got good feed back.  I think it worked.  And I know with a little tweaking it could be even better.

I got to do a bunch of other cool stuff:  talk to publishers, get interviewed by Lindy Lowry for a feature in Outreach Magazine, get David Chrzan's take on NewThing, get some coaching from Dave Travis, chill with the Leadership Network gang (great people!), interview Ed Stetzer (and Hank Wilson - sort of!) and Efrem Smith on the planting channel, have dinner with Charles Jenkins (if you don't know that name - you will!) hang out with Todd Wilson, eat, laugh and strategize with our NewThing team.  It was a blast!

After five days away and hanging out with thousands of Christian leaders I believe there is a whole generation of leaders who are willing to make big sacrifices to see the Jesus mission accomplished. My constant prayer is "God, give us the eyes to see your vision, and the heart to make it happen!"

Our Discover the Dream event has sold out!  But now you can join us online and not miss out on the premier for this event.  While we are all in Atlanta for Discover the Dream and the Catalyst Conference you can stay at home, join us online and not miss a thing!  If you log onto the NewThing Network Church Planting Channel at 8:45 am EST on October 8th you can experience everything from your own computer. 

Would you like to discover the dream that God has put within you?  Would you like to understand how your dream is a part of God's bigger dream?  Would  you would like to hear from leaders who are living out their dream by planting reproducing churches?  Do you want to know how you can be a part of movement of reproducing churches that are pursuing Gods dream?  Join us for Discover the Dream on the  NewThing Network Church Planting Channel.
 

I'm off to San Diego with Jon, Metcalf, Tammy, Bill and Pat for the Sticky Church Conference!  I get to do so much fun stuff.  Punch me if I ever complain.  And this conference will be even more fun because we are all getting to talk about one of our favorite subjects - The BIG IDEA!

I know the Sticky Church Conference already sold out...but if you are in the San Diego area and you show up at NorthCoast, I bet they won't kick you out! 

I just finished a great weekend at CCC-Yellow Box as we wrapped up our WITH series.   We made a "big ask" for people to say, "I am WITH Them" and join a small group. The whole  weekend had a great vibe.  I haven't got the numbers but Eric Metcalf said the amount of people asking to get into a small group at the Yellow Box was unprecedented!  I got similar reports from some of our other campuses. 

If you were at COMMUNITY this weekend and decided to to say, "I'm WITH Them"; it's good to have you on the mission with us!

I just read that the guys in Las Vegas are now saying the odds of an all-Chicago World Series of the White Sox versus the Cubs is 11-1.  Reminds me of my favorite line from Dumb and Dumber, "...so you're telling me there's a chance!"

"When Community Christian Church attender Sherilyn Sheets celebrated her 27th birthday Sunday, instead of asking family and friends for gifts or a celebration for herself, she asked them to help her throw a party for homeless people in Chicago..."  To read the rest of this amazing story in the Naperville Sun, click HERE.  Way to go Sherilyn!

Thanks to Alexei Ramirez the Sox will live to see another day and take on the Twinkies from Minnesota to see who is going to the playoffs.  When the ball went off of Alexei's bat for the game winning grand slam tonight Josh, Caleb and I were high-fiving and jumping all over the place.  After a roller-coaster seaon, the Sox are  not just one game from going to the playoff where anything can happen.

Now, if we can get a win tomorrow...who knows?

It is all about developing more and better leaders and more and better artists.  I have said that over and over and over.  And I believe it!  But here is someone else saying it, but I think saying it in a more compelling way:  "2 DEEP".  I love it.  Dan Southerland, who is the new Lead Teaching Pastor at Westside Family Church is challenging everyone on his new team that they need to be "2 DEEP".  "2 DEEP" means that every staff, coach, leader or volunteer should be developing a bench that is at least 2 deep.  Call it ‘apprenticing’ or whatever.  Each person should be investing in developing another person to expand their ministry. The lid to the church’s growth is not buildings, sites, strategy, creativity, or even vision….it’s leaders….because leaders give you all of the above.  Campus Pastor Jason Morris made the connect between how we say it at CCC/NewThing and how Dan articulates the value of reproducing.  Thanks Jason!

All right COMMUNITY...a new way to say something we have been saying for a long time:  "Everyone needs to be at least 2 DEEP."

Community Christian Church now has a facebook fan page.  So, if you are on facebook and a fan of CCC, you should join now!  Second to the CCC website, it is a great way to get the inside scoop on all the stuff happening at CCC and it's an awesome way to interact with other fans of CCC.  And while you are on facebook, check out my facebook home page.

Just found out that this blog was nominated for a BLOGGLE AWARD in the Best Blog by a Pastor category.  Thank you Marty Holman.  It's an honor...I think?

We are very excited to welcome 5 new Affiliates to NewThing!  These churches are almost exclusively new churches who are starting with a commitment from day number one to be a reproducing church.  On occasion, there are exceptional existing churches who are willing to do the hard work of re-tooling their values toward reproduction and they will become a NewThing Affiliate; and we have one of those in the five.  With the growing number of churches in NewThing we are will soon be moving from three networks to six networks.  God is on the move!

Momentum Christian Church, Chris Hornbrook, Lead Pastor (Chula Vista, CA)
Momentum’s vision is to start a new church in Chula Vista, California - a multi-staffed, fully functioning, thriving church that will be a catalyst to plant other churches all over San Diego County.  This new church plant in Chula Vista is led by Chris Hornbrook who moved with his wife, Lindsey, from Indiana to southern California. They have already assembled a great staff and launch team (and are also expecting their first child!).  Starting on Oct 12, 2008 Momentum will be meeting at the AMC theater in Chula Vista located just south (that’s right, south) of San Diego! 

The San Francisco Project, Aaron Monts, Lead Pastor (San Francisco, CA)
Having concluded a Leadership Residency at COMMUNITY, Aaron Monts has left behind the Windy City for the adventure of church planting!  Aaron and his wife, Tracy, are leading a church plant set to launch in 2009 with the purposeful mission of reproducing groups, locations and churches that will transform people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Waterfront Community Church, Jim Semradek, Lead Pastor (Schaumburg, IL)
When Jim Semradek came to COMMUNITY a few years ago, it was with a vision to plant a church in Schaumburg, Illinois. Then, as a staff person and campus pastor, Jim continued to catch a vision for reproducing ministry that is now ready for the next step.  As of Oct 19, 2008, Waterfront will open its doors as a new and innovative church. Jim has assembled a launch team and staff leadership with the drive to have a church that “loves God and people wellâ€.

Paseo Christian Church, Greg Hunt, Lead Pastor (El Paso, TX)
In August 2006, Greg Hunt moved with his wife, Jill, and their 3 kiddos to El Paso, TX from Champaign, IL where he served as the Student Minister.  The hope of Paseo is to be a church that is distributed through both the traditional avenues of a Sunday gathering & the birthing of house church networks so that they can help people wake up to the reality of Christ & their need for Him.  The uniqueness of being a “hybrid†church has allows Paseo to engage people from all walks of life: former drug runners, missionaries, poverty stricken, professionals, homeless men & women, Hispanic, gringos, & everyone else in between.

Southpoint Community Church, Brett Kays, Lead Pastor (Trenton, MI)
Southpoint CCC is a 16-year old church located in Trenton, Michigan just outside of Detroit.  Brett Kays founded this church with the vision of reaching the entire “downriver†region and they are well on their way! As Southpoint looks to continue to reproduce the ministry that God has given them, they bring experience and leadership to NewThing.