Ken

Since Tonya and I have been trying to "count our points" each day, I've discovered a new attraction to granola. Granola bars, granola cereal, granola in my yogurt. I have consumed more granola in the past month than in the past five years. Yummy!I've also been working on the drafts of a new direct mail campaign for LifePoint. To keep costs down, we're handling the design in-house and it has been fun to stretch a bit. You can view the first working samples here. These are scaled down to 800px width and compressed for quicker viewing. The originals are much bigger (6x9).Last Sunday we had our first guest speaker -- Steve Denney. Steve and his wife, Ali, have relocated to San Diego to start a new church downtown. I've grown to enjoy Steve's friendship and we hope to be supportive in whatever way we can.Our worship band continues to get…

Since redesigning the newsletter at LifePoint, I've included a side column that features a bit of humor. A few samples should suffice ...Forgotten Bible SlogansWhen it comes to building the perfect ship, nothing works better than gopher wood.Prophets may rock but shepherds rule.Why betray a friend with a handshake when you can do it with a kiss?Rebellion isn’t cool.Don’t blame the locusts.Healthy miracles are high in Omega-3 Fatty Acids.In hell, all the coffee is cold.Love your neighbor but choose your neighborhood wisely.Recycle your papyrus.WWJD: What Would Jesus Drive?If Church Were More Like StarbucksWorship leaders would be called worship baristas and be expected to remember your favorite songs.Communion would taste more like biscotti.With leather seats and catchy music, you might actually be tempted to stick around when it's over.Your favorite song would have ten different words in the title, one of which would be soy.Contribution gift cards.T-Mobile Hot Spots in the…

I normally get gas at a local independent station that's around the corner from our house. It's close and convenient, and generally cheaper than other places. The owner seems a bit fiesty, in a good way. Not too long ago, he posted this sign: "Fight Back: Drive Less." Today I needed gas and stopped at a different station. After swiping my debit card and starting to pump, I heard these voices and realized that they were showing CNN on the credit card screen. On the pump. It was one of these "real crime" shows that feature combative attorneys and "forensic experts." Even though gas costs more, it still takes the same amount of time to pump.As I was pumping my gas and getting my news at the same time, I thought to myself ... "This is absurd." Now, I must confess, I actually like the idea of having something to…

Since the pre-launch days at LifePoint, I have been blessed to have had Bruce White as my planting coach. During those days Bruce was also serving as the director of church planting for the Southwest Region of Stadia: New Church Strategies. Earlier this year, he made the decision to return to the staff of Eastside Christian Church in Fullerton (click here to see his staff picture).Since then, I have been given a new coach -- Dan Scates. Dan's main job is serving as the multi-site minister for LifeBridge Christian Church in Longmont, Colorado, a church of about 3,000 people. Dan is also coaching other church planters.Why mention all of this? Because I believe every new church pastor needs a coach.

Starting in June, we'll be hosting a regular "pizza with the pastor" at LifePoint. It will be a time for regulars and newcomers to hear the LifePoint story as well as our vision for the future. And there will be free pizza ... hand-tossed by the pastor.