During our July 4th weekend services, we gave the audience the ability to text their vote regarding song selection (our band had learned three special songs and were ready to play whichever one won). Each service had a different winner. We also used a fun pre-service poll to greet people as they arrived. We asked them to vote for their answer to this question: Which would you rather have? George Washington's hair Abraham Lincoln's beard Martin Van Buren's sideburns It was a simple and fun way to engage the crowd, especially the kids. The technology behind text voting is simple and pretty straightforward. Our IT guy created an iPhone app to toggle between the questions on the fly. The results also updated on the big screens immediately. For those who are wondering: More people preferred Martin Van Buren's sideburns over George's hair and Abe's beard.
Read More
As a communicator, one of my goals each time I speak is to create at least one "talking point." It could be a memorable phrase, story, or unexpected moment that then grows legs and gets talked about during the week. It doesn't have to be sensational, just memorable. And being memorable is often a matter of being meaningful. A meaningful phrase, story, or moment is one that connected with the heart of the listener. The idea may have originated in the head, but it has to travel to the heart to become truly memorable. Since my main arena as a communicator is at church, that means my task is to give careful thought to what I hope will stick long after the message is finished and the parking lot has emptied. What I've discovered is that the best talking points are word pictures. It's a turn of phrase that creates…
Read More
We had a fun 4th of July weekend at Mountainview. Our worship services were "family" style, which means the kiddos come into worship with their parents. We started the service giving the audience the chance to vote for the song they wanted our band to play at the end. They could text their vote for one of three songs: Born in the USA R.O.C.K. in the USA God bless the USA Saturday night's crowd picked R.O.C.K. in the USA and Sunday's crowd chose Bruce Springsteen. It was fun watching the crowd respond to both the voting and having the band play the song. Our band did a fantastic job, too. I spoke on the idea that true freedom is found only in Christ. To begin my message, I showed a series of pictures of myself as a kid -- making the comment with each one that I was "free to…
Read More
The only time I’ve traveled in the back of a police car was on the 4th of July. I hadn’t been arrested, though it felt like it. A few of us kids from the neighborhood were playing with firecrackers – and we found that by throwing them under a trash can made the explosion sound that much louder. Unfortunately, it also sounded like a gun shot. I’ll never forget seeing two cops come running around the back of my friend’s house. After talking with us about “how serious the situation was” they put me in the back of the car and drove me home. My mom just about died (I was only in elementary school at the time). I didn’t experience too many of the joys of freedom that July 4th night. But I have experienced the joy of freedom. I’m blessed to live in a free country. I’m blessed…
Read More
It's not easy to be a leader. Unless you are a leader who never makes a decision (which probably means you're not really a leader), you'll have to say yes or no to certain things. Saying "yes" may green-light a project, giving life to a dream or aspiration. Saying "no" may just as easily dim another person's dream. Either way, it takes courage to make a decision and stick with it. Leaders are often tempted to change direction when a decision appears to be failing when it fact it may just need more time. It also takes courage to admit a mistake and change course. It may require apologizing to those who were originally told no ... or putting the brakes on someone who was originally told yes. Leaders must have courage to lead well. Any decision carries with it risk and a potential upside (or downside). A leader must…
Read More