6 Ways Church planting is like School House Romance
1. Awkward - Church planters are so self conscious of how they are perceived. It is like junior high when every part of your body is out of proportion. You are so self conscious. 2…
Topic: Church Planting
Swarm Theory and Church
Scientists have been studying swarm theory for many years, and today I came across this article dealing with how they are now applying that same theory to human behavior. I want to…
Exponential Conference
This week I have the privilege to volunteer with my friends at Exponential, the National New Church Conference here in Orlando. I was able to attend last year and it is one of the …
Update from Iglesia Bautista El Buen Samaritano
Pastor Rafael writes: "God bless you, the following is a report of the first service at Iglesia Bautista El Buen Samaritano held on Sunday March 30th 2008, there were 20 persons in…
Iglesia Bautista El Buen Samaritano
I just got off the phone with Pastor Rafael Riera. They will be starting Sunday services this week at the Beef O'Bradys in Four Corners. I am so impressed with Rafael and his passi…
Insight
See your destination in your mind. “When you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.” – White Rabbit…
Andy Stanley's 3 keys for Sermoneering
Years ago, Andy Stanley spoke at the C3 conference at Fellowship Church and while I did not attend, I did order the CD's and these three rules for delivering messages have changed …
My Tribe
I got a chance to hang out with my tribe yesterday in St. Pete. Joe Murray, our church planter in Harmony picked me up and we rode together. I am so excited about what God is doing…
Missional Fatigue
I read this from Ed Crepes today and thought it applied to us at Cornerstone. What are your thoughts? When I visit casual contemporary and traditional churches these days I’m meeti…
Dealing with Departures
Today I will be preaching to a group of preachers. It is a bit intimidating for a young pastor to address such a audience, but God's Word will do all the teaching, all I have to do…
Hello my name is Joel and it is my first time
While on vacation I attended my sister-in-law Michele's church in Athens GA. I was reminded of how terrible that it is visiting church for the first time. Now, don't take anything …
Something Old, Something New
I was reading some C.S. Lewis yesterday and he made a very insightful statement about what we read. It is his opinion that we balance our reading by reading as much of the classic/…
Heckler or Helper
Have you ever gone to a ball game and sat next to a "Big Fan?" I mean the kind who is always yelling as if among the 30,000 other people, their voice would stand out. From time to …
Sermon Series Structure Strategy
Some of us had a discussion the other night and out of it I realized that most people who are "regulars" of CBC and you church planters who read this blog might benefit from pullin…
Communication
Communication is vital to any relationship. Especially church. In leading a relatively new work things can change at the drop of a hat. But the communication I refer to is more vis…
God has my mind spinning
I am currently reading a number of books all at the same time. I don't know how it happened other than I was given two, one by a friend and another at a conference, one I had order…
Gimp
A little note for you photo manipulation types out there (you know who you are.) This week I have been test driving a new release of the Gimp program. It seems to do all that Photo…
Monday Meeting Download
What a great day off. We went to Joe Murray's meeting today and heard two outstanding messages from Russell Johnson at IBB in Miami and Mike Stancil from Calvary Baptist in Taylorv…
Monday Meetings
Just to backstage you a bit. Today Gabe, Chuck Stephens, and I are going over to Church @ Harmony for a meeting with Joe Murray. He is our church planter on the other side of Kissi…
Disney and the church...
I sat next to Gary Lamb , pastor of Ridge Stone Church last week at a blogger's round table at the National New Church Conference. His church is on fire and it was cool to meet him…
The Tabernacle Projct
Cornerstone began with a clear vision from God to provide a place of worship for the people of Four Corners. With US 27 and 192 in the cross hairs we set out to find a place of mee…
Missional and Attractional are not Antonyms
One of the best things that I have learned this week at the Exponential conference is that exponential growth comes when we realize that missional is attractional . If we define mi…
Welcome Home
We want every guest who attends Cornerstone to become actively involved on a weekly basis in the life of our church. We really want everyone to know our goals for involving them in…
Of Marriage, Church & Mortgages
I got married in the summer of 1995. I guess if I had to answer the question of why, it was because I love my wife and I want to spend my life with her. Marriage was a good way to …
Do ya wanna come?
I grew up in a rules based circle. Not so much my home, but the church, and school, and the college I attended. At times I found myself on one side or the other of those rules. Som…
Church Planting In Harmony
Joe Murray, our church planter in Harmony writes... We celebrated our 2 year anniversary on Sunday, March 25th with 103 attending. Our service included testimonies, lasting for bet…
Church Planting & The Olive Tree
I found this and thought I would pass it on... Today you can travel to Greece and visit the site of the home and one of the early hospitals of Hippocrates. He is the inspiration of…
Sunday Synopsis
Today's services were great. I am still in preacher withdraw from not getting to speak today. But Michael brought it. We were all inspired, and I think we all want to go plant a ch…
Still Growing
While working on our "Natural Church Development" process I had to do a little research on attendance averages for the last five years. What was neat is that every year since the b…
Outback Upfront
"What will you do if you are not approved by the Missions Organization and if none of these churches support you?" That was the question that I asked Michael Nelson two years ago a…
Don't Quit Your Day Job
My good buddy Mark over at Ephesus has a great post that every potential church planter should read. You can find it here. We must change how we define church, back to the biblical…
Natural Law of Reproduction
In Genesis 11:11,12 God gives us a bit of natural law. Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to…
Church Planting in Knoxville or Bust
The other day I was able to sit down with Chris Sliger who is going to West Knoxville TN to plant a church. In our conversation he asked a few questions that I thought I would shar…
BOOMER
Last Sunday night Gabe and I had a chance to go to a new church start in Lakeland called Gravity. The "Vision Pastor" is a young guy named Boomer , and he has a neat thing going in…
Reproducing Churches Network
Reproducing churches is a network of pastors/planters who are highly motivated to see churches started along the I-4 corridor. The premise is that we will work together for prayer,…