Still On Vacation...

In case you're wondering why you haven't heard from us, we're still on vacation. We're home now so I thought I'd check in, so to speak.

• Last week Andrea's parents came into town. We went on the local Last Chance Tour Train for Helena history. We've never been on it and I found it quite interesting. I got a deep sunburn on my face, though - really red, but not blistering.
• We also went on the local Gates of The Mountains boat tour. I've been on it before, but it's still pretty neat.
• All of us also went to Yellowstone National Park. None of us have been there before (except Andrea - see photos here and here from her trip with Erica), but it's only a 3 1/2 hour drive from Helena. We saw lots of wildlife - mule deer, bison, bald eagles, squirrels, a moose, black bears, grizzly bears, and more - AND we took lots of photos. (I haven't gone through them yet, but I'll let you know when they are posted.)
• We explored the Yellowstone for two days, staying the night a hotel in West Yellowstone - very disappointing for $130. While the park experience was wonderful, I thought the drive there on the 191 past the Gallatin Gateway was absolutely stunning!
• On Friday, we all went to see Evan Almighty. I really enjoyed it. It really spoke to how God calls us away from the things we think we need and gives us what we truly need. I liked everything except the whole "random" part - I don't think our acts of kindness need to be random. There is an intentionality, a purposefulness to being a Christ-follower. (We also saw Fantastic Four: The Rise Of The Silver Surfer the previous weekend we liked it.)
• Andrea's parents left on Saturday. Thanks Don and Nancy, we really enjoyed having you. Sorry about the kids - I guess they are just at that age. By the way, the whiskey works great on them - just kidding!
• On Sunday we visited a local church that is doing a major remodel on a warehouse for their first church building. We at Hannaford have been trading technical and materials tips with them for our expansion as well. I also worked with one of the leadership there with the PK Jesus Conference. The church isn't meeting in their new building yet, but it's nice to experience how some of the other churches in town worship.
• We rented a couple of DVDs on Monday. Ghost Rider was done well and generally okay, but seemed kind of weird - a lot more demon and devil content than I expected, and it wasn't really consistent logic. It didn't work for me and I would not recommend it. On the other hand, I really enjoyed the second movie, Deja Vu. The whole time travel is a little difficult for some to follow, but I thought it worked (much better than Next, by the way).
• Today we went to the park and also went bowling. Boy, I stunk. Last past are the day when I used to league bowl with an average of 205. Of course, the boys both struggle with their scoring as well. We're still trying to instill the idea that it sun to play games even when you don't win.
• Andrea and I have also been fighting off colds. That has made vacation a bit more of a struggle, dealing with the kids, keeping active, and trying to blow our noses every chance we get.
• I've also continued reading. I finished Robert Webber's Ancient-Future Faith (really like Donald Miller's Searching For God Knows What but more scholarly), Brian McLaren's The Secret Message of Jesus (great stuff about the kingdom of God. I don't agree with McLaren on all accounts, but great!), and am starting another McLaren book he co-wrote with Tony Campolo, Adventures In Missing The Point.

Finally, I'm still struggling with some issues, I do ask that you still pray for me. I appreciate it. I will be back at work next week and blogging as well. So till then...

You Know You Are In Montana When...

I came across this post on Iggy's blog. He's a ministry leader at Billings Vineyard Church here in Montana. Having lived here in Montana for about three years now, I found these ones especially funny (and true).

You know you live in Montana when...

• Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor and combine crew on the highway.
• You've had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
• You think ethanol makes your truck "run a lot better." (The gasoline here sucks.)
• You see a car running in the parking lot at the store with no one in it no matter what time of the year. (There's probably dog in it, too.)
• The festivals across the state are named after fruits, vegetables, grain or testicles.
• People get a "To Go" drink from the local bar.
• You install security lights on your house and barn and leave both unlocked.
• You know someone who's lost their license due to a DUI and have seen their tractor or snowmobile parked at the local bar.
• You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.
• Driving in the winter is often simply a matter of staying between the fence posts.
• You think that washing your pickup or car is a waste of time and money.
• You have never owned a vehicle that did not have cracks in the windshield.
• The local paper covers national and international headlines on one page but requires 6 pages for High School Sports.
• You know someone who's shot themselves accidentally.
• You know all 4 seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Construction.

Click here for to read them all!

11 Things That Can Kill A Ministry

If you are looking to kill your ministry or slow down your growth, be sure to integrate some of these practices (or stop them if you want a vibrant, life-giving ministry)...

1. Destructive pacing (too much, right now)
Try to do everything in as little of time as possible. Don't give people lead time for dreaming big and being creative. Make sure you pace yourself in a way so that when you approach a task, everything else has to go on hold.

2. Lack of planning ahead (plan to fail)
Make sure that you leave everything to the last minute. You know, like an hour before the worship service. Then you have an excuse for number 11, mediocrity.

3. Encourage people to volunteer (don't let them minister)
Give your volunteers enough just enough instructions to compete the task-at-hand. Then they can go home. Make sure that they don't get a vision or passion for the overall goals because they might try to hang around and start taking away work that the pastor does. And whatever you do, don't hold them accountable.

4. Talk about us (make US the focus)
Always talk about what we can do and how we have all the ability to do anything. That way we can leave the work of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit out of it. This is a great way to keep people busy, too.

5. Misdirected focus (don't talk about Jesus)
Focus on the little things like worship style, carpet, windows, and any other personal preference. That way we can be bogged down and distracted from the Person of our faith and the real vision He has for us.

6. Lack of consistent and effective communication (assume everything)
If you have certain expectations, be sure to never tell anyone. That way you can blame them when things don't go the way you saw it in your head.

7. Lack of communicated vision (out of sight, out of mind)
Once you mention what your ministry is about, make sure you never mention it again. People will remember it forever, right? Also, don't forget to dream small dreams that are only humanly possible. We wouldn't want God to get involved.

8. The status quo (God always gives small dreams)
You're there. You've arrived. You're doing it just like God wants. Really! He doesn't have any more growth or surprises on the horizon. It's a good thing, too, because society and culture never changes either.

9. Lack of passion (make Jesus seem boring)
Make sure you weigh people down with lots of boring lists to follow. Religion is about rules and formulas. Besides, the message of Jesus is about the law which promises death, we don't want to be life-giving. Jesus wants us to practice religion without relationship, not live an abundant life right now.

10. Make Jesus boring (it's a sin)
Since the message of Christ never changes, nether should the methods we use to reach and engage people. Keep trying to stuff new wine into the old wineskin.

11. Seek mediocrity (God doesn't want your best)
Make sure that what you and your people do is just "good enough." Besides, we're all tired from doing all the things on our lists and taking on God's role in life. God understands. Why else would he give you first fruits if he didn't want you to keep them? That's what He did with Jesus.

I hope you guys can appreciate sarcasm :-)

Father’s Day: Fatherly Impressions

With Father’s Day this week, my thoughts keep returning to how fathers can affect our relationship with God. Our experiences with our earthly father are a lens for how we see our Heavenly Father.

• If your father was stoic, you see God as stoic.
• If your father never showed affection, you think God has no affection.
• If your Dad was absent or busy, that’s how we see God.

My dad was very controlling – I spent much of my childhood battling for control of things. Consequently, it is a struggle for me now to surrender and let God be in control.

But, let me tell you that God is not like your earthly father. And even if your dad was great, God is better. Scripture tells us that He loves us, He has compassion, and that He delights in us.

Zephaniah 3:17 tells us "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
He rejoices over us with singing!

Whatever your view of your earthly father, don’t let it limit your relationship with your heavenly Father. Ask God to reveal to you who He really is.

Father's Day: Do You Know Your Daddy?

In John 4, Jesus told the Samaritan woman, "You Samaritans worship what you do not know…"

Do we really know our God, our Abba Father? Do we talk with Him? Do we understand his character and nature?

Jesus continued, "A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks."
The Father is seeking worshipers. Not worship, but worshipers. He wants more than good behavior, He wants YOU. God wants ALL of you, ALL the time, regardless of the circumstances.

Get to know your Daddy.

New Photos!

We've posted some new photos in the e|Photo gallery (see the link above). Check out the Misc Spring 2007 and Kellin at VBS 2007 albums. There are some photos of the kids' musicals, Andrea's decorating, Kellin at VBS, and more. There you have it. Enjoy!