Last night, The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization came to a triumphant conclusion. The plenary hall of the Cape Town International Convention Center was packed with the 4,500+ participants and more than 1000 staff.  Stan (my broadcast team mate) and I determined that we would be in this final session, but as it started, we were still editing.

Finally, our incredible editor, Justin, got the English version wrapped; Barry, our superb audio engineer got the Spanish voice overs recorded, and we decided that we’d just post the English version and let Stan finish the Spanish from the States.  So we packed everything up and went into the final closing celebration.

We got there in time to celebrate communion with everyone, and close in a tremendous hymn declaring the Lordship of Christ – “Crown Him With Many Crowns!”  We then received the benediction and blessing and went out feeling like we were part of a very large worldwide body of Christ.

We posted our final video report – don’t look for communion content, we were enjoying that time, not working!  Here you go, click here to view it.

Now, I’m at the Cape Town International Airport, in the Premier Lounge, getting ready for the first of three flights and 30 hours of travel time, to finally be back home. (Please, Delta, upgrade me!)  I truly enjoy international travel and producing stories around the world – but I really can’t wait to get home and be with Kathy and Alex. The only thing better would be if Tori were there too (but she’s at Seattle Pacific Univ and thriving there, so I’m happy).   I really miss my family when I’m on the road.  Kat was planning to be in Cape Town with me as an executive producer on the broadcast team, but at the last minute Lausanne trimmed the budget and we decided that since only one of us could go, I’d be the one.  Thank you, sweetheart.

Yes, CT2010 is history, in the truest sense of the word.  This week, the most recent chapter in church history was written as the most representive, most diverse gathering of church leaders ever took place. As they go home, they leave with a renewed purpose and calling to complete the task of world evangelization.

All praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

I spend a ton of time traveling, both in the air and driving (when can I please start sailing again?!) and most of the time I have my iPod on.  Only rarely am I listening to music, although I have a nice collection ranging from Eva Cassidy to the Rolling Stones, from James Taylor to J.S. Bach.  No, I’m catching up on Podcasts, mainly sermon series from Rob Bell, Mark Batterson, Andy Stanley… and about ten others.  I do this in blasts, waiting for a pastor to finish a series and then I listen to the whole thing in one shot.

I did that today, listening to Kent Dobson filling in for Rob Bell, then jumping over to Andy Stanley on the will of God.  If you have anything to do with podcasts here’s some advice I’ll pass on from today’s listening:

[Read more →]

“We’re not trying to grow a church here.” That’s not exactly what you expect to hear right before the pastor says that we must expand to three services because of our rapid growth. It’s not normal, but that’s what Rod Van Solkema told us this Sunday at Crossroads Bible Church outside of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

So it begs the question: if Crossroads isn’t focused on growth, why is it growing? (Especially when so many churches are extremely focused on growth, but are actually shrinking.) [Read more →]

I’m spending a lot of time right now in Central Ohio, helping a huge television ministry as executive producer. It’s demanding, hard and rewarding but tonight it ramped up to a whole new level.

After dinner with my buddy and Avid editor extrodinaire Mark, I went back to the office to finish writing a script. Finally I pushed send in Outlook and drove through a nasty thunderstorm to the hotel where I am on a first name basis with all of the registration desk people.

Got ready for bed, don’t worry — no details — and the phone rings. Not my cell, the room phone. I knew it wasn’t 7am yet. There was a stinkin’ tornado sighted. (guess that weird horn noise wasn’t someone’s car alarm)

So, here I am, forcibly evacuated from my rented bed, sitting in a first-floor hallway with my pillow (how is that supposed to protect me?) and blogging.  The family across from me is really worried. A bunch of contractors are ticked because they have an early call. A really young couple is passing through on their honeymoon and think this is a cruel joke. They all mention I should be doing almost anything besides this.

And they’re right… I’ll be right back. [Read more →]

I like Father Michael Pfleger, or at least I liked him back when I was executive producer at WCFC-TV in Chicago and he was a frequent guest on the talk show “Among Friends”.  Back then, he was a white priest ministering in a predominantly black part of Chicago and seeing many lives changed. His words were of hope and love for the oppressed, and he was about drawing people of all races and backgrounds to the love of Christ.  Obviously something’s changed.

His now infamous tirade about Hillary’s entitlement to the Democratic nomination has placed him right up there beside Rev. Jeremiah Wright as racist hate-mongers abusing and misusing the pulpit.  Francis Cardinal George, Archbishop of Chicago, has asked Father Pfleger to temporarily step back from his obligations at St. Sabina’s Parish to reflect on his recent statements.  The statement that Father Pfleger has issued in response sounds sincere, but how much better if we hadn’t gotten to this point.

Once again, the church gives us a case study in management and ethics. Get out your notebooks. [Read more →]

Somebody done somebody wrong… again.

Scott McClellan was one of President George W. Bush’s posse that moved with him from Austin to the West Wing. He was a trusted insider but left the White House in 2006 after serving as press secretary to the President. His kiss-and-tell book What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception, gives a scathing, one-sided glimpse into the Oval Office.  One writer on the Houston Chronicle Commons site called it Scott McClellan And His Thirty Pieces Of Silver.

Meanwhile in the church…

Ed Young, Jr.’s pathetic rant against Church Pirates in a staff meeting ended up on the Monday Morning Insight blog (a great resource for those among us who kinda get off on trying to make the church better). Obviously somebody left Ed’s staff and started a new church (what was that ungrateful, insubordinate Judas thinking?) or it may have happened recently to a pastor friend.  This was not Ed’s finest moment, but it made clear the passions that are ignited by betrayal.

Some churches try to insulate themselves by enveloping their operations in a legal cloak of documents. I was on the staff of a very large church that required me to sign a non-compete agreement (if I left for any reason I couldn’t work for any Christian ministry within 50 miles) and a non-disclosure agreement (I couldn’t talk about the church or its leadership for five years after leaving).  Feel the love. Obviously they had some betrayal in their past.

Here are some lessons you can use today… [Read more →]

Uber-Designer, Michael Buckingham, wrote a great post on his blog today in which he talks about the risk of promoting what you cannot deliver. It’s a good reminder.

As I was writing a response, I said to myself, “self” (I said) “this would be a great post on your blog, ergon agathon.” So here it is, not a rip off of Michael’s thoughts but just a spin on what he wrote.

Jesus said (as recorded by Matthew in chapter 12):   “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.  You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.  But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.  For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

What we say (promote, market, write, produce…) matters. Jesus said all that stuff (our creative output) comes out of what is in our hearts. Our words (ads, spots, postcards, fliers…) will either condemn us or acquit us.

Tell the truth in your marketing. If you find yourself embellishing, maybe you shouldn’t be doing any promotion until you help fix the underlying problem, then go wild and promote the snot out of it.

Trout like real trout bait. They hate the stuff that looks like a juicy worm but tastes like rubber. Your target audience hates stuff that tastes like crap. Give ’em the real thing.

Every now and then a deal comes around that you can’t pass up  (like buying oil futures when crude was $50 a barrel).  My friend Cory at 616 Productions has priced his upcoming Defender’s Conference at an incredible rate that I recommend jumping on.

Get this…  Mark Mittelberg, Dr. Norm Geisler, Dr. Alex McFarland, Dr. Jason Reed, Dr. Chad Meitzer and Dr. Paul Maier and Dr. JP Moreland — the top apologists of our day, in an intimate setting, helping you get your head around “WHY” you believe and “HOW” to communicate it. [Read more →]

In a recent discussion with my resident curator of cultural conformity (my 16 year old daughter) (and yes, we do have discussions, where we both actually talk) we chatted about what she thought were the vital characteristics of a church that she would like to attend.  It all came down to two basic components: a head and a heart.

What’s important to her is a church that thinks about the issues that confront the world and its inhabitants and isn’t afraid of intellectual questioning and skepticism (that’s the head); and also has a genuine compassion (heart) for the world that expresses itself in service that is done simply to help those who need help (as opposed to service performed simply as a marketing ploy).

What parts of the anatomy is your church known for?  (I’m not talking about whacky hair, but for some people that defines one Christian broadcasting network.) Is it the mouth? We seem to be good at talking.  Is it the stomach — gorging on the bless me buffet?

Take an honest look in the full length mirror. It might be time for a makeover.

Anna Jarvis worked nine years to establish a national day celebrating mothers. She gave up her job and put her entire time and energy into this quest. She was successful. Then she spent the next 14 years complaining about how people had taken what she had worked so hard for and twisted it, creating a crass commercialization of her dream.

Today is also Pentecost, when we celebrate the visitation of the Holy Spirit and the creation of the Church.  Jesus spent his life pointing toward the cross, redeeming us from sin, He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, sending the Holy Spirit to live within us, and empowering us to witness and become His Church.

Like Anna, I wonder how disappointed Jesus is at how people have commercialized what he worked so hard to create.