You Can Know God

Here’s a short and silly video that we filmed to get ready to move back to the movie theater.

Crossing the Etowah from Oak Leaf Church on Vimeo.

1.  People that throw cigarette butts out of their car window.  I’m thinking about creating an organization where I am somehow empowered to write $500 tickets for this offense.  When we see this happen, let’s all get out of our cars and throw the smoldering cigarette back in the persons car.  I think this could make a difference.

2.  Cheerleaders who wear shorts with words written across their butts.  Seriously, you wonder why guys treat you like dirt and don’t look you in the eye.  It’s because you have a billboard on your behind.

3.  When I see people write Oakleaf Church.  It’s Oak Leaf Church.  Three words.

4.  People that drive slow in the left lane.  The left lane is for us law-breaking speeders.  The right lane is for the rest of you.

5.  The parking lot of Wal-Mart.  Seriously, it looks like a shopping cart bomb went off and left shopping carts scattered all over the place.  Come to think of it, I could probably broaden this pet peeve to Wal-Mart in general.

We close on the House of Rock on Friday, August 8.  The very next day, August 9, we’re going to go in there and do a bunch of work.  We need guys with tools and trucks, people who know how to clean and move stuff, people who can tear stuff out and straighten things up.  We’ll work all day from 8am until about 5pm and we need as much help as we can get.

In the Old Testament, the people played a valuable role in building the temple.  In Cartersville, the people of Oak Leaf Church are going to play a valuable role in renovating a bar.

Leave me a comment if you can help, and be sure to let me know if you have any special training or abilities.

Here’s a few random facts about our staff.

Tracy (My Assistant)

• I only drink bottled water. And only certain kinds. I hate Nestle water, and I love Target water.
• I have a major fear of having things over my face- like a pillow or something. I also have a fear of being popped with a towel. Both of these come from being tortured by my brother as a child.
• I have a state champ ring in competition cheerleading from my sophomore year at Cass High School!

Mitch Moyer (Connections Pastor)

• I was living in Puerto Rico when man landed on the moon.
• I took disco lessons to impress a girlfriend.
• Chuck Norris was on the panel that tested me for my black belt.

Jody (Campus and Groups Pastor)

• I have to say that I am a true coffeeholic.  I need a cup by 10 am or I get a headache.  If you know me please don’t ask me to stop unless you’re ready to give up something yourself.
• I am a native Miami-an as in Miami, Fl. As a matter of fact I have never lives outside of S. Florida until I have moved up here to Oak Leaf Country.
• John Wayne is my favorite movie star. I love collecting stuff on/of him from posters to coffee mugs.  If he is on the tube I am watching it!

Helen Camp (office manager)

• I have, on more than one occasion, experienced supernatural intervention in my life that had to be God watching over his dense children.
• While living on Guam, I rode the backs of giant turtles, played hide and seek in giant clam shells, locked a Japanese soldier who was not aware the war was over (it barely was) in our outdoor shed, and cried when my brother found a dead man in the jungle (killed by the unaware the war was over japs).
• I married at 16, and at that time married people were not allowed in the public school system.  My principle, counselors, and several teachers from Roosevelt High School went before the Board of Education and spoke on my behalf…  I became the first person in Georgia to go to school as a Mrs. and not a Miss.

Jonathan Sutton (Family Pastor)

• I ate peanut butter & syrup sandwiches growing up.
• My older brother made me mad one day while swimming.  I threw a hammer at him.
• I secretly want to become a famous drummer.  (Or maybe just learn how to play them.)

Anthony Gratto (Executive Pastor)

• I would prefer a QT hot dog over just about any hot dog in America.
• I lived in Muscatine, IA for 6 years.
• I drove a low rider in High School and shaved lines in my eyebrows…thug life baby!

Will Goodwin (Creative Arts)

• I’ve been to every state except maine and I’m waiting to take my wife there after I’ve taken her to the other 49. We’re over half way there.
• My favorite meal for breakfast is a concoction I invented back in college called “mush” and my favorite place to eat it is Bob Evans or Cracker Barrel. It is legendary but most people who see me make it thinks it is disgusting.
• My initials spell “wag” and my name can be a question: “Will good win?” Yes it will.

Mache Thigpen (Bookkeeper)

• I LOVE ranch dressing but I hate it on salads.
• In my car I have to have my car radios’ volume set on even numbers. If not it drives me crazy.
• Never in my 21 years of life have I been to a concert.

Here’s a Word doc with some recommended resources.  Conferences, blogs, podcasts, books, etc.  You don’t have to be a church staff member to take advantage of this stuff.

recommended-resources

I am going to make your computing life easier today.

For those of you that read this blog, there’s a better way than just typing in the address of following a link.  You see, blogs like this one have RSS feeds, which means you can use something called a “Reader.”  One of the easiest to use is called Bloglines.  You go to bloglines.com and set up an account.  Then you subscribe to this blog’s feed.  While you’re at it, you can subscribe to the other staff members or other blogs.  So instead of visiting 6 different blogs, you visit bloglines.com and see the latest posts.

For those of you that surf the web, make the move to Firefox if you haven’t already.  Firefox is a much, much, much better web browser than Internet Explorer.  Oak Leaf websites are optimized for Firefox as well.

And finally, for those of you who are serious about improving your computer experience, you need to bite the bullet and buy an Apple Computer.  I use a Macbook Pro, but the Macbooks and iMacs are also great.  Seriously, after a few weeks on a Mac, you will wonder why you didn’t make the move earlier.  What Apple did for music players with the iPod and the cell phone with the iPhone, they have done for computers.

It’s been no mystery that things have changed quite a bit at Oak Leaf Church over the past six months.  A few of these changes have come from growing pains or running too far ahead, but most of them were the result of listening to God.  I know some people don’t like change, but I love it.  I think change is central to Chrsitianity and faith.  Here’s some changes happening or about to happen at Oak Leaf Church.

1. We made a big change this last Sunday in moving back to the movie theater.  That was a good change.  Not only did attendance increase by 30%, there was just an incredible amount of energy.  There’s just something special about that place, and we’re just going to go with it.
2. Under Jody’s leadership, groups are relaunching this fall.  We’ve got a new strategy, a new focus, a new leader, and a new passion.  I seriously want everybody at Oak Leaf Church to be connected to a small groups.
3. We are launching a full blown student ministry in a couple of months.  We’re going to meet on Wednesday nights at the House of Rock. I’ll be teaching (yes, it’s a lot to add to my plate, but I want to personally pour unto our students and their families…this is one reason I hired Tracy to help take things off my plate)  Matt Moody is going to lead worship.  The House of Rock will be jumpin’ on Wednesday nights.
4. Our staff getting more serious and more organized.  I’m calling them to higher standards, and I’m going to see them blow past it.  I want them all to grow as leaders and ministers and servants.
5. We are renovating The House of Rock.  The closing date is set for August 8, and that night, we’re going to start working.  In the Old Testament, the people played a huge role in building the temple, and people connected to Oak Leaf Church are going to play a huge role in this project.   I can’t tell you how excited I am about redeeming a night club for the Kingdom of God.
6. We have allocated resources in our 6-month budget to give more to community ministry and church plants across the country.  We do our budgets six months at a time, and I’m excited to see us giving so much away to other like-minded organization and helping people right here at home.
7. My personal assistant is helping me get the little things done so I can focus more on the big picture.  I really like Tracy and her husband, and she’s going to help me get more done. She’s not doing busy work; she’s helping us lead people from where they are to where God wants them to be.
8. We’re not sending out any more postcards this year and we reapportioned most of our advertising dollars to community service and outreach and church planting support.  I am a big believer in advertising, but I felt like God was telling us to spend that money elsewhere.  Besides, our people are our best invites.
9. Jody is taking over setup and tear down at the theater, and the first week was a huge success.  That group of people has always been amazing, but Jody had a small army there Sunday and those people were inspiring.
10. Mitch is going to be the point person for community outreach and ministry.  He’s got some good ideas in the works.

Sometimes, you join a gym to get in shape.  But sometimes, you need to take it to a whole new level.  So, you get a personal trainer.

A personal trainer shows you how to work the machines, helps you develop a personalized plan for fitness, and gives you encouragement along the way.  There’s instruction and accountability with a personal trainer…something you don’t just get from throwing down $33 for a monthly membership.

What if we gave new Christians or young people personal trainers for their faith?  What if people who have been Christians for a while took a younger Christian under their wing…showed them how to read their Bible and encouraged them in their daily walk?

What if our Journey Groups worked like this?  What if more season Christians embraced their role a spiritual trainer?

Great, great day at Oak Leaf Church this morning.  It was our first Sunday back at the movie theater and there was a great amount of energy in the room.  Here are some highlights.

• Anthony didn’t want me to get there until 8am this morning so I wouldn’t make the setup people insane.  When I walked in, the setup guys were coming out of an empty theater where they did a little Bibe Study and prayed for the service.  I knew it was going to be a great day.
• We had a new themed-out kid’s check in station today and it looked amazing.  The new logo, theme and t-shirts looked great.
• Matt Moody led worship and did a great job.  The production people did a great job as well.  I’m amazed that things were so smooth on our first day back.
• There were about 30% more people at the theater than last week at Woodland.  30% is a big number.
• We gave out 22 first time guest bags.
• I think people liked being back in the theater.  I liked it too.
• Jody took over leadership of the setup team and he did a great job getting ready for the morning.
• The 11:15 service was totally packed…had to bring out extra chairs.  If you can come at 8:45 or 10:00, that would be great.
• I forgot how worn out I was after three services.  I am really worn out and I’ll have to get used to this new schedule.  For those of you who are runners, teaching once is like running a 5k.  So three times would be a 15k or 9.3 miles.
• The manager of the theater came to church today and I can’t wait to hear his thoughts about the service.
• I think people enjoyed the coffee team.  Brian (husband of my assistant Tracy) is leading that team and I’m excited about seeing where they go.  He’s a good guy.
• Some of our greeters were actually at Woodland this morning, to catch any person who didn’t know we had moved.  They had Starbucks gift cards and invited people to the theater. Seriously, Dee Dee’s greeter teams are amazing.
• We kicked off the supernatural series with a message on angels.  Next week, we’re talking about demons, and then on August 3, we’ll talk about spiritual warfare.

Glad this show is coming back in September.  TV is no good right now with all the vote the chef out of the kitchen and 5th grader ballroom dancing stuff.  We need Sylar and Jack Bauer back.