Don’t miss church on Sunday! Oh, how sad it would be to miss a great worship experience by just an hour — because you forgot to “spring” your clock forward an hour and, therefore, overslept! But, it doesn’t have to be that way. Just remember to set your clocks ahead one hour before bed on Saturday.
Did you know?
The time change officially takes place at 2:00am on Sunday morning. That’s the moment when it suddenly becomes 3:00am. Even so, most folks simply choose to set their clocks ahead before heading to be on Saturday — though I have to admit I have stayed awake through Time Change more than once in my life.
Daylight Savings Time (DST) runs from the second Sunday in March until the first Sunday in November in the United States. This has been the pattern since 2007. And, the the inquiring minds among us, the US Naval Observatory has made a chart available with the time change dates list through 2025.
The idea of Daylight Savings Time has been around for more than 100 years. It was used in a few places around the world before it was brought here in the early 1900s. It’s early use was inconsistent though, wreaking havoc on train times, bus times, and even broadcast networks because localities could pick and choose if and when they participated in the time change. This was all finally resolved with the passage of the Uniform Time Act of 1966. And for nearly 50 years, it’s been running like clockwork (pun intended). You can read more about the history of Daylight Savings Time here.
Getting ready for time change
For some folks, the time change messes with their internal clock as well. In fact, one study has tried to make a connection between time change and an increase in heart attacks. So what can we do to help our bodies make the transition more smoothly? Here are a few ideas:
Get up incrementally earlier in the week leading up to the time change. Getting up 10 minutes early, then 20 minutes early, and so on will get your body accustomed to the change. This will keep you from feeling like you lost an hour all at once.
Go to bed incrementally earlier in the week leading up to time change. This goes hand-in-hand with the previous tip, and again, I recommend 10 minute increments. This will also keep you from feeling like you’re “not tired” on Saturday when you’re trying to go to bed an hour earlier than normal.
Adjust meal times accordingly. In addition to sleep, our bodies rhythm is affected by when we eat. So, adjusting your mealtimes a little will also help to ease your body into the new normal.
Prepare mentally for the change. While there is debate in the world about whether or not DST is a good thing, don’t focus on that. Unless you’re a United States congressman, you probably don’t have much control over Daylight Savings Time anyway, so don’t focus on the loss of sleep and what-not. Instead, focus on what an extra hour of daylight means for you and your family. All spring and summer long we get to enjoy some extra daylight at BBQs, beaches, parks, and more. Mentally prepare for the fun that you’re going to have because of time change. It’s going to be great!
They’re bound to happen. Conflict itself is unavoidable because we all walk through life with our own set of desires, expectations, and values. So, what do you do most often when the tension of conflict springs up?
This week in our church’s volunteer inspiration meeting. We talked about the five steps for reproducing volunteers. Keep reading to learn more about the process.
Photo courtesy of #476804017 / gettyimages.com
Every organization could benefit from extra volunteers, and the best way to get them is to grow them yourself. Rather than simply hoping volunteers will simply walk in the front door and sign up, it’s probably better to get your existing volunteers to find an apprentice, a padawan learner if-you-will. The apprentice can then learn from the mentor in a hands-on way. That’s the ideal.
Here is a simple five-step procedure to think through when you’re trying to reproduce more awesome volunteers:
First Step: I do. You watch. We talk.
Second Step: I do. You help. We talk.
Third Step: You do. I help. We Talk.
Fourth Step: You do. I watch. We Talk.
Fifth Step: You do. Someone else watches.
For more on information about reproducing volunteers, consider picking up Dave & Jon Ferguson’s book Exponential (affiliate link). That’s the book from where these insights were drawn. Happy reading!
This past week, I was talking with Bob Watson from over at SimpleChurchNetwork.org, and he told me that in leadership we need people who are F.A.T. Not fat weight-wise, but F.A.T. It’s an acronym, and hopefully, it’s an easy one to remember. Keep reading to learn more.
Photo courtesy of Thomas Northcut at GettyImages.com
At the volunteer team meeting this week, I encouraged our volunteers to be F.A.T.
We need people who are F.A.T.
Faithful
Available
Teachable
So, are you F.A.T? Are you faithful, available, and teachable to what God wants to do in your life? Decide today to be faithful, available, and teachable.
I’ve been reading John Maxwell’s book, Everyone Communicates, Few Connect. It’s been an incredible resource to me an a communicator who really wants to connect with his audience. I don’t want to be another talking head. I want to influence people positively.
Well, in this book, he explains that when people meet you for the first time they ask themselves three important questions. Keep reading to find out what they are…
Photo courtesy of marrio31 at GettyImages.com
In my context, we are welcoming people to our church experience. People who come for the first time ever are considered our guests. We want them to feel welcomed and wanted. To that end, we want to be ready to answer the three big questions when they arise. So, here they are…
Three Questions Our Guests Will be Asking Themselves Today:
Do you care about me?
Can you help me?
Can I trust you?
Let’s plan to answer these questions today! (And everyday)
Perry Noble has earned the “right” to write this book. From humble beginnings, God has uniquely gifted him with the capacity and desire to pastor one of America’s largest and fastest growing churches. In reality, Perry has experienced first-hand the kind of unleashed living that he explains in the book.
The book itself will challenge your current condition and compel you to embrace God’s unleashing grace. You don’t have to be stuck in duty-oriented religion or in the chains of your past experiences. You can move forward, see triumph in tragedy, and take your next step in your relationship with God.
This book is filled with practical principles as well as Perry’s personal experiences. The book flows well, and it’s an easy read. You will stay engaged, especially because of Perry’s storytelling abilities. Because of these things, it’s worth the read. You will get something out of it. In fact, here is one of my favorite excerpts:
One of the quickest ways to forget what God says about me is to focus on what the enemy says about me.
Buy the Book
This is just a small sampling of the message of the book. Get your copy today!
(Click here to buy the book right now, using my affiliate link.)
Go to the Unleash Conferences!
As an aside, I have also personally benefited from attending Perry’s Unleash Conference in the spring and the NewSpring Leadership Conference in the fall. These are great church leadership events. Google these event names to learn more. The NewSpring folks are hospitable, and I promise that you will learn something from your time in Anderson, SC. Invest in these experiences. You won’t regret it. I promise.
Stay Tuned for More
In the coming days, I’ll be posting a review that includes my personal insights and favorite quotes from the book. In the meantime, keep reading!
This post is the seventh in a series from my time at the Exponential Conference in Orlando, FL last month. I will post several others in this same category. I invite you to browse all of the notes that I took.
If no one has accused you of doing anything crazy lately, maybe it’s because you’re not doing anything significant for God.
Don’t make your crazy mandatory. And, don’t make someone else’s crazy your crazy. Be crazy for God in the way that he has called you.
3. Be compelled by Christ’s Love (5:14-15)
Notes & Quotes
“You’re responsibility before God is not a spectacular ministry. It’s a faithful and sincere heart, grounded in what God has called you to do.”
When you get to the end of life, all that matters is (1) your relationship with God, (2) your faithfulness to his calling, and (3) your faithfulness to the people He has placed in your life.
You have to be content and joyful with 4 or God will never allow you to lead 4,000.
We must throw away the old/traditional scorecard, and e,brace the scorecard that God has for us.
This post is the sixth in a series from my time at the Exponential Conference in Orlando, FL last month. I will post several others in this same category. I invite you to browse all of the notes that I took.
When the Holy Spirit corrects you in private, repent in private.
If you do not repent in private, you will one day be corrected in public.
One of the devil’s crafty tactics is not bringing about consequences, but withholding them. He withholds his opportunity to pounce so that it is eventually much worse (Ecc 8:11). He knows you will keep sinning. He’s setting you up. Don’t let it happen!
God put mentors in th Bible for us in the form of the biblical characters. Every problem you will ever face, someone in the Bible experienced it before you (Heb 11:4).
2. Learn to suffer.
“Suffering will change you, but not necessarily for the better. You have to choose that.” (1 Peter 4:19)
3. Learn to leadyourselftoChrist.
When you get tired, sick and discouraged, you must learn to lead yourself back to the cross where you started.
If you made all of your life decisions when you’re sick, tired, and mad, what kind of life do you think you’d have? A bad one.
Notes & Quotes
“One of the truest tests of a servant is how we respond when we’re treated like one.”
For some of you, God called you to ministry, but not senior pastoring.
Some of us are confusing the work of God in transforming us and the work of Satan in troubling us.
God most often takes us by the hand and leads us through the challenging times, rather than picking us up and allowing us to miss them. Even so, He never lets go of our hand!
The best vegetables grow from sifted soil. The same is true in your life.
God grows the best stuff in sifted soil.
You don’t train for the start of the race. You train for the moment that you most want to quit so that you will decide to push forward to the finish. The same is true in ministry. You have trained through books, messages, and conferences so that you will continue on when you are most discouraged and closest to quitting.
This post is the fifth in a series from my time at the Exponential Conference in Orlando, FL last month. I will post several others in this same category. I invite you to browse all of the notes that I took.
Exponential – Shawn & Trishia Lovejoy
Orlando, Fl
Speakers: Shawn & Trishia Lovejoy
Topic: Marriage & Ministry
Date: April 25, 2012
4 Things God Taught Us About Marriage & Ministry
1. Intimacy is worth fighting for.
Church planters are known for fighting for the Gospel. We need to fight for our families!
We must fight for date night and family night.
Sometimes we must fight against religious/churchy people.
2. Have a last 10% family
We typically only share 90% of how we think or feel. We keep back the last 10%.
Be honest with each other.
3. There is only one enemy in your family.
The enemy is not: your spouse, your family, or your church.
The enemy is the evil one (John 10:10)
4. The family trully is a partnership.
Date nights are your responsibility.
Family days are your responsibility.
Family items (meals, allowances, prepping for the day, etc)
You are partners in marriage and ministry.
The stronger your partnership is at home, the stronger your ministry expression will be.
Notes & Quotes
The reason that our church is a textbook “simple church” is not just because we think it’s the best model for building a church but because we believe that it’s the best model for protecting our marriages and families.
Many of you are not tempted by moral failures, but you are tempted to put ministry over your marriage.
This post is the fourth in a series from my time at the Exponential Conference in Orlando, FL last month. I will post several others in this same category. I invite you to browse all of the notes that I took.
Exponential – Family, Marriage & Ministry
Orlando, FL
Speakers: Darrin & Amie Patrick
Topic: Battle Lines: Family and the Ministry
Text: 1 Timothy 3:15
Date: April 26, 2012
About Marriage
1. This is constantly a process.
Be careful of weighting your whole life condition on just the past three days of family and ministry.
Principle of 3s: Check the last 3 days, 3 weeks, and 3 months.
If you’re not careful, the church will become a mountain in the middle of your house, and everything will revolve around it.
Think of the ministry as a marathon, not a sprint.
2. Take care of yourself
Most church planters gain 20-30lbs in the first year. The stress pushes them to over eating, lack of sleep, caffeine pills, etc.
You must take a Sabbath (whatever is restful for you).
You must stay healthy (work out and eat right).
Don’t believe the lie that your stress level and busyness equals importance and significance in ministry.
There is humility in understanding that you have limits, and you are living in tandem with God to work within these.
3. Take care of each other.
Date Night: You must figure out how to continue dating each other. Doesn’t have to be dinner, late nights, or expensive. It can be a simple lunch.
Weekly Meeting: Talk about family plans, matters, and schedules.
Don’t treat each other like a problem to solve. Instead, treat each other like a mystery to discover.
About Family
1. Cast vision for your kids.
Daddy and Mommy have a job, but it’s not that much different than God’s calling
Don’t talk about church junk around your kids. Talk about the wins, but not the losses.
When you blow it, apologize and repent to your kids about it. Always, explain to them upcoming scheduling items that impact them.
2. Value the uniqueness of your kids.
Every child will have a different response to your role in ministry. Let them develop in that process.
You don’t parent your children. You parent each child. Differently (Proverbe 22).
3. Set boundaries to protect your family.
How many nights per week will you be out?
Is your family the mission? Or, will you leave your family aside, for the mission? What’s the important mission?
Your house: what are the boundaries for your home? You must be hospitable (1 Timothy 3). Find a way to make it work in a way that your family can accept.
Notes & Quotes
Don’t make a false dichotomy between your church and your family. They are connected, but not insuperable. Your family is part of the church.
To wives: Be your husbands biggest fan and his gentlest critic.
People will feign allegiance to your mission, but what they really want is a personal counsellor and friend. But, you just can’t manage that many friends or needy people.
If you do not have good boundaries, people will suck the life out of you.
Introverts in the Church by Adam Mchugh. Quiet: the Power of Introverts… by Susan Cain
Do the best you can to have friends outside of your church planting circle.
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