Children's Conference Over

Just finished the Tennessee District Children's Conference that was hosted at our church. I was in and out during the weekend, but I was impressed with the sessions I was in. I am very grateful for the hard work of Chad Clark (who ran media) and Penny Cowart (who ran sound and was our staff host). I was also glad that Deanna Powell and some of the children's staff attended - they acquired some great ideas for our children's ministry. Bob Driver and Don Tracy did repairs to the sign on our building - those guys are studs!

On this quiet Saturday night preparing for service, I am very grateful for the team God has assembled at Indian Lake!

Paris / Camera / Children's Conference

I talked on the phone yesterday with Robby Bradford, who is planting a church in Paris, France in 2009-2010. Robby is going to come see us in the next few weeks on a Wednesday night to keep that connection with our church. I am praying that Paris, France will be a major missions emphasis for our church in '09 and '10. We are going to start working on a mission trip for '10.

I believe one of the reasons The Church at Indian Lake exists is so we can plant churches in western Europe. Does that sound outrageously ambitious? Of course it does - that is why we need God! It is also why we need to start somewhere. Getting behind Robby's vision is a great start!

New Camera Here!
Our new, expensive, high end, HD camera arrived at Pastor David's home Thursday afternoon. We are giddy!

Children's Conference Starts Today
We will have 75 to 100 Children's Workers from across Tennessee at our church this weekend. I love being around leaders - this should be fun. This is a great opportunity for us, as Jim Wideman will be the featured speaker. Jim is an amazing talent in children's ministry - I don't know of anyone better. To learn more about Jim, check out this link - Jim Wideman's Bio

Back to School Blessing / Summit Report #2

Back to School Blessing

Saturday was a dream come true! Over 40 people from our church volunteered for the Hendersonville Back-to-School Blessing. In a couple of hours we gave groceries to 52 families, and school supplies to over 100 kids. Kim Driver did an amazing job leading this event. I felt honored to pastor such a wonderful group of people.




Summit Report #2 - Bill Hybels

Bill Hybels is the Senior Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, and the visionary for the The Leadership Summit. This event would be worth attending just to hear his talks and be exposed to his heart for the local church. Every time I attend this event, I walk away from a story from Bill that sticks with me for the rest of my ministry. He is not a perfect man, and he is a target for critics. However, when the history books are written on the Church during these decades, Bill Hybels will be remembered as one of the most influential and positive leaders of our era.



Special Note: Bill's daughter Shauna Niequist is the author of the book Cold Tangerines. Shauna's husband Aaron is the worship leader at Mars Hill Church in Michigan, where Rob Bell is the pastor.

She will be the guest speaker at The Church at Indian Lake on Sunday, November 23. We are thrilled at this opportunity!

Summit Report #1

Summit Report #1 - Gary Haugen

Gary Haugen's talk was life changing. Gary is the founder of International Justice Mission - "an international human rights agency that rescues victims from violent forms of oppression, including slavery, sexual exploitation, trafficking, police brutality and illegal property seizure."

I found Gary's talk and life to be inspiring and challenging. Here are some good quotes from Gary:

- Just because I am leading, and people are following doesn't mean its what God is wanting.
- What is God's plan for justice? We are! God doesn't have another plan
- If you want your leadership to matter, then lead in the things that matter to God.


- If you say, "Justice is not my thing. . . " then, God is not your thing. God is about justice.
- Jesus did not call us to make us safe, he has come to make us brave.
- Anyone can lead people in what is "cheerful", "safe" and "easy"
- Your community needs to know that those without a voice have a man of justice."
- Being brave comes from prayer.

The Leadership Summit

The Leadership Summit

Last Thursday and Friday I attended the Leadership Summit that is put on by the Willow Creek Association. The event is in Chicago, but they simulcast it throughout the world - hence the video feed in nearby Franklin, TN. The event was amazing! This particular leadership conference always invigorates my call and gives me fresh vision. It's one of those events that may not be for everyone, but it makes my heart come alive. For two days, I heard from both leading pastors and CEOs, which gives me a wide range of perspectives. On top of this, the sessions by Bill Hybels are always insightful and anointed. Over the next couple of weeks, I will post some good quotes and highlight some amazing leaders that I was exposed to during this event.

I had a really good few days last week, but I didn't blog because I was frustrated with some hosting issues for this blog. So, I will catch up everyone little by little to keep with this theory: To have people actually read your blog, you have to keep the post down to a few lines per paragraph.

Sand Volleyball with the Young Adults
Last night, Beth and I played volleyball with the young adult group
from the church (see pic of this great group). It was a lot of fun . . . I kind of got into it (see pic for evidence). I was surprised how quick the competitive juices got flowing again. I wasn't near as athletic as I used to be (no surprise), but I still hung with the youngsters.

A Day Off In the Flower Beds
I had a true day off on Monday. The weather in the Nashville area was amazing (can't believe its August!), so I spent most of the days pulling weeds from my flower beds . Since I
neglected this all summer, it was an all day job. I lost a lot of flowers in the process, and it made me think of this passage as I worked . . .

"The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared . . . The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up? No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. - Matthew 13:24-30

Value of a Church Family / Young Adult Ministry

The Value of a Church Family for a Lead Pastor
In recent weeks I have found great value in the prayer team that is interceding before each service. Typically, I only spend a few minutes with them, but that short amount of time gives me a lot of spiritual confidence and encouragement for the service ahead. On Sunday, I went through my typical process with them, but before I left the group a woman spoke up and asked to pray specifically for me. She had recognized something in my life in which I needed confidence. As she and others in that group lovingly prayed words of encouragement and blessing, I was touched by the thought of "community." Even though God has given me a certain level of authority and headship in this church community, I was still receiving ministry from me fellow brothers and sisters. God has placed pastors to not only lead a church, but to be part of a faith community. Sunday morning was a great reminder that I am part of a family, not just a paid professional.

College / Young Adults
For the last two Sunday nights Beth and I have been leading the College / Young Adult group at our house. We have had a really good turnout, and we have really enjoyed getting to know this great group of young people. This is our third time to work directly with this age group, and though it has unique challenges, I love this age group.