Burn Your Grave Clothes

From the Ashes - Week 2

2010-09-29T21:29:00.000-04:00

Farewell Blog

2010-06-17T14:16:00.005-04:00

I'm no longer devoting attention to this blog. It was fun for a while, but it just got old. I like the url so I might make other plans for it. I'll keep this site up until then.

You can follow me on Twitter or on Facebook.

Thanks for stopping by.

My wife is talented...

2010-05-13T23:28:00.001-04:00

...and my daughter is beautiful. Pic from mhillphotography.com

A Story of Trust

2010-05-05T12:53:00.003-04:00

Deep: Week 1 Feedback from The Ridge Community Church on Vimeo.

This is Deena Robbins. She is a worship leader at The Ridge and a new mom. In the video, created for The Feed, she tells a story of her and her husband diving deeper into their faith in God through a tough financial situation.

A Safe Place

2010-04-28T11:03:00.001-04:00

I'm the oldest of three siblings. I was six when my brother was born and 8 when my sister showed up. We had our normal sibling battles, but I think I had a unique plan and the advantage of being much older. Since they were closer in age, I could manipulate them against each other and sit back and watch them fight it out and get in trouble. It was entertaining to say the least.

When we'd cross the line or when the teasing became too harsh, my mom would step in break it up. Something she said in those moments still sticks with me today. She would explain that the world is hard enough, so home should be a safe place. She reminded us that school was hard, kids were mean, and that teasing would happen outside the walls of our house and there's not much we could do about it. However, home was meant to be a place where it's okay to be yourself and not worry about getting picked on for it. She reminded us that home was supposed to be a place where we're surrounded by love and not abuse.

As a father, I hope I can relay this message to my family as it continues to grow. As a church leader, I want to continue to put this message into practice by helping to create a safe place for people to worship and learn the way God created them to do so. I want our church family at The Ridge to continue to be a community marked by love not judgment or ridicule.

Life is hard. Are you doing everything you can to make sure your home and church are safe places for people to be themselves without fear of judgment or ridicule?

Mathew Perryman Jones Live @The Square Room

2010-04-14T22:55:00.001-04:00

Cooking Up Something Tasty

2010-04-14T09:27:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the lack of entries lately. I've been in the lab with my friend Jason cooking up something tasty for the web. I can't wait to unveil it in a couple weeks.

Something New

2010-03-18T13:26:00.003-04:00

In the book of Joshua, God has some interesting battle plans for Joshua and his army. Click here and read about it. It's pretty specific and quite bizarre as far as battle plans go. In fact, it's the only historical account where God instructed an army to take over a city in this way.

What does that mean for your ministry?

There's great value in learning from other successful ministries, but when it comes to implementing a plan for the one you've been placed over, abundant success comes from the strategy of listening to God and doing what he says.

Is it possible that God has a strategy for your ministry that's never been done before? Are you worried about what others might think?

Feedback

2010-03-09T00:35:00.006-05:00

Feedback from Chris Hill on Vimeo.

Very soon, I'll be posting sermon responses from people at The Ridge through a video series called Feedback. I can't wait to share stories of how God is speaking to people every week.

From Reactive to Proactive: Seeking the Need

2010-03-08T17:36:00.004-05:00

The Ridge Community Church exists so that people far from God are awakened to life in Christ. We believe this is God's vision for our church through our pastor, Bobby Williams.

Making sure our people's needs are met is a way that we fulfill God's vision and also spark community at The Ridge. At our current size, it is easy to find out what specific needs can be met for each family who come through our doors. We make an effort to seek out the needs of our people and our community before they are reported to us.

The anticipation of need is critical to any company who values customer service, so I believe the Church should value this philosophy as well. From what I've learned about care ministries of most churches, it seems like many needs are being discovered and met through emails, phone calls, and word of mouth. Right now, the average care ministry seems successful as a reactive ministry. However, if you make strides to become a proactive care ministry and find new ways to seek out needs, I believe this will create new opportunities for community to happen on a level most haven't yet experienced.

I've heard people say, "See the need, meet the need." However, before you can see the need, you must SEEK the need.

Who am I?

2010-03-07T00:02:00.003-05:00

Tonight I attended a Hollywood theme birthday party. Any guesses at who I'm dressed as?

Used Bookstore Score

2010-02-24T16:52:00.002-05:00

I'm a bookstore rat. Especially when it comes to browsing the aisles of a used bookstore. I found a hardcover copy of The Wordy Shipmates by one of my favorite writers, Sarah Vowell, for $8.

I noticed it was in "new" condition when I picked it up, which was a plus. I opened the book in the car after buying it and noticed it was autographed. Very cool!

Solace in Hard Times

2010-02-17T13:57:00.002-05:00

This week, The Ridge Community Church was featured in a story shown by WVLT news here in Knoxville, TN. The feature was about how your spirituality was effected by a tough economy.

My wife, Melissa, was interviewed in the story because she was laid off last year and our family has gone through lifestyle and budget changes because of that. I thought she and my pastor, Bobby Williams, did an excellent job in the interview by staying positve and sharing a message of hope through trusting in God when times are tough.

For the full story and video, check it out here: http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/84490832.html

Get Mad Church Disease free on your iPhone/iPod touch

2010-02-17T09:34:00.004-05:00

This is a special offer that will only work today (2/17) so hurry!

Here's how:

1. Download the free Amazon Kindle app for your iPhone or iPod touch here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000301301

(by the way, this is a great app. Access to all Kindle versions of books and lots of free classics)

2. Download the Kindle version of Mad Church Disease & have it sent to your iPhone/iPod touch for free using this link: http://www.amazon.com/Mad-Church-Disease-Overcoming-ebook/dp/B001NLL8HE/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

(yeah, that's a 100% discount and you'll have access to the book with or without 3G or wifi)

Thanks Anne Jackson!

1st Haircut

2010-02-05T13:24:00.003-05:00

Presenting Amelia's new do. Today, my daughter got her ears lowered for the first time. Actually I guess she got her eyes lowered since that's the only part that was cut. At least she can see where she's going now. I'm outnumbered by girls at home. So it pays to have a mother-in-law stylist.

(In other words, I don't have to pay for their haircuts.)

Excerpt from one of my favorite movies "The Man Who Wasn't There":

(Ed and Frank are barbers)

Ed: Frank.
Frank: Huh?
Ed: This hair.
Frank: Yeah.
Ed: You ever wonder about it?
Frank: Whuddya mean?
Ed: I don't know... How it keeps on coming. It just keeps growing.
Frank: Yeah-lucky for us, huh, pal?
Ed: No, I mean it's growing, it's part of us. And we cut it off. And we throw it away.
Frank: Come on, Eddie, you're gonna scare the kid.
Ed: ...I'm gonna take his hair and throw it out in the dirt.
Frank: What the...
Ed: I wanna mingle it with common house dirt.
Frank: What the hell are you talking about?
Ed: I don't know. Skip it.

Who Cares?

2010-02-03T01:11:00.002-05:00

This year I'm going to spend a lot of time working on a project that I'm very passionate about. I'm creating a non-profit organization. It's vision/mission is still under wraps.

I have my project plans all laid out and I'm working on a way to spread the idea. The current stage involves creating a "who cares" list.

My "who cares" list is a compilation of names and contact information of people in my cloud of acquaintances that will benefit from this project. These are people who I have an good indication will be willing to jump on board when I raise the red curtain.

This list will help me focus in on my goal and strategy because actual people's personalities and interests are involved.

You just may be on this list. If you are, you'll be hearing from me shortly.

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

2010-02-03T00:47:00.003-05:00

I never read a book so quickly or gripped a cover so tightly. My white knuckles and Don Miller's words revealed a side of me that's been locked up by fear.

I'd love to dive into a deep review of what touched me most about this book, but I could go on and on for hours. Just pick up a copy and read it. Trust me.

Bottom line for me: God wants to help you write an amazing story for your life. Just ask him to help you. Listen to what he says and do it. Your life, with God's guidance, has the potential to become a much better story than you can write on your own. This is like an opportunity to ask Hemmingway to help you write a story about death and emasculation. God knows what your greatest possible life's story holds. He's already walked it.

Seriously. Pick up "A Million Miles".

2010-02-01T23:27:00.002-05:00

Here's a pic of me playing a show at Patrick Sullivan's in Knoxville's Old City around 2003 or 4. Those were fun times. I love sitting with friends and talking about moments past. Though I feel like I'm in a stage of life where the past moments are getting stale. It's time to create new moments that I can sit and talk about in the future. It's time to jump on opportunities.

What's next?

I can't wait to tell you about it.

Pause

2010-01-18T16:38:00.005-05:00

My life was too noisy. So I decided to turn down life's volume a bit and take a break from all things "social" online for 21 days. Throughout this week, I'd like to share with you what happened.

Part 1

1. I didn't realize how addicted I was to it. A few days after being away from the "comforting glow" of the computer screen, I felt lonely. I felt out of touch. I realized that my need to contribute to a conversation and the need for affirmation from others online dictated my mood.

2. I'm learning how to live in the here and now instead of always feeling like I need to be in on the cutting edge of everything. I've never felt so out of touch with the rest of the world. On the other hand, I feel like I've taken steps to reconnect with the "real-life" moment I'm in; including the steps taken closer to my family at home. Instead of relying on the glow of the computer screen and the attention of others online, I'm relearning how to focus my attention where it needs to be;

-In tune with God through his word and not only praying, but just listening for his voice.

-In tune with my family

-In tune with God's word about doing everything for His glory; including the productivity level at work.

Christmas Rock Night 2009

2009-12-22T00:35:00.002-05:00

Jesus. Worship. Rock n Roll.

You can read more about this event over on bobbywilliamslive.com, but I thought I'd share a quick vid with you. Enjoy!

Christmas Rock Night 2009 from Chris Hill on Vimeo.

Need a Remedy?

2009-12-16T10:23:00.005-05:00

Knoxville, TN readers: I now present to you Remedy Coffee.

When walking into Remedy for the first time, you'd never believe they've not yet celebrated their first full year in business. Remedy has nestled itself into Knoxville's Old City community in a way that will quickly boost itself to "city landmark" status. It just fits. (Oh, and also free wifi which you know I love.)

I've been a coffee & tea lover for years and I don't think I've experienced a more knowledgeable staff of baristas. These guys and gals kill it when it comes to quality service and consistency. And of course, they only serve 100% organic direct trade & regional roasted beans to ensure freshness. Their kindness, attention to detail, and caring attitudes match the excellence of the products served at Remedy.

By far the most impressive tidbit of info about Remedy, that often goes overlooked, is their generosity to the community of Knoxville. Here's a quote from Remedy's website:

"100% of our after tax proceeds go towards serving and helping the people and
organizations in Downtown Knoxville who need it the most. Our goal is to help
the people who are doing amazing things in our city like:

- Habitat for Humanity

- Tribe One

- Beardsley Farm"

Remedy Coffee: The name could not be more suitable.

All the details about Remedy can be found on their website here: www.remedycoffee.com/

Pictured above: Loose leaf chai served with soy milk and honey prepared by Jennifer Kisabeth (for less than the price of a grande chai latte at $tarbucks)

Primal by Mark Batterson

2009-12-15T19:54:00.006-05:00

I agree with Bobby Williams on this next statement. Mark Batterson can say more in one sentence than I can communicate in several paragraphs. Primal, the new book release from Mark Batterson, peels back generations of religion and gets down to the heart, soul, mind, and strength of Christianity. Not the consumerist, plastic, American Christianity most of us have grown up with, but the true longing to know our God on a deeper level and the faith journey where we'd risk everything just to simply love our God.

I was challenged and awakened by these words written almost in passing, "When you tune out the convicting voice of God, you also tune out the comforting voice of God and also the guiding voice of God."

Dig into this book in 2010 and make it the first book you read after the new year begins. It's a quick read because you'll be engaged from the very first chapter. It was a privilege to be able to review a pre-released copy of Primal. I want to thank Mark Batterson & Multnomah Publishers for allowing me to do so.

Flavors.me

2009-12-08T20:52:00.002-05:00

You really need to check out Flavors.me. If you utilize multiple social networking/media sites, this serves as a great landing page for all. It's super customizable and user friendly. It's currently in beta stages, but soon will allow some amazing free features. Check it out.

Just in case you forgot....

2009-12-01T22:24:00.002-05:00

.....I think my wife is talented and our daughter is beautiful. Need a photographer for your child's special moments? Hire Melissa Hill. You'll be glad you did for years to come.

Being Present

2009-11-28T10:45:00.003-05:00

"Being present" is a very valuable way of thinking/living. It's something that's becoming increasingly difficult for our generation and generations to come. Things like instant status updates from everyone, being constantly solicited to, & more media than we could absorb in a lifetime at our fingertips are training us to feel like we're always missing out on something. Truth is: what we're really missing out in is already happening. It's right now. This moment. To quote Donald Miller, "We've been given a pen and it's up to us to make our life's story amazing." ...& it starts right now. A life's story that consists of always looking for what's next and filled with indecision isn't very interesting, it's kind of stressful actually. No one would read that story.

Audiotool

2009-11-24T22:03:00.001-05:00

This is so much fun. Thank you Pastor B for letting me know about it. Hours of fun.

Check it out here.

Putt the line, not the cup.

2009-10-22T11:02:00.001-04:00

I've learned a lot about life from golf and also a lot about golf from life. Here's an example:

When you putt the line instead of the cup, your chances of hitting the mark are increased. When you putt for the cup, you lose sight of the line and increase your chances of missing the break of the green all together.
If you're putting for the cup in life and leadership, you miss the path and the lessons that can be learned on the path. You may even forget the line, push people out of the way, and putt through the break in order to reach the goal. When I look back at my life, I realize that most of the time the process has had much greater value than the goals.

btw...If you want to buy me a putter, I'll take a Right-Handed Nike Unitized Retro Blade. They're discontinued and hard to find.

Two Kinds of Ramps

2009-10-17T01:32:00.003-04:00

The motocross high jump ramp will get you a lot of attention because it's relatively new, boost you very high very quickly, but doesn't get you very far.

The distance ramp will take longer to get air born, require more gas, not appeal to some because it's been done before, but will launch you much further.

I'm not going to be motivated by using the most hip methods of whatever to boost me quickly to the top only to come back down and realize I haven't gain much ground. What about you?

10-11-09 Set List for The Ridge

2009-10-10T16:44:00.000-04:00

10-11-09

Updating Twitter with Google Wave

2009-10-02T00:07:00.002-04:00

Click picture for larger image:

Google Wave Screenshot

2009-10-01T23:52:00.004-04:00

Click picture for larger image:

My Coaching Network Guys

2009-09-28T23:07:00.004-04:00

The list below is the group I've been spending one Friday a month with for the last six months. I can't tell you how much I've appreciated the time I've been able to spend learning with/from them. If you are in a leadership position or you are a developing leader, keep up with these guys & seek advice from them. I'm looking forward to keeping up with everyone and seeing where God leads them and their ministries.

Adam "New Dad" Coates - Syracuse, NY - http://www.syracusevineyard.com

Brian "Fanny Pack" Moon - Tampa, FL - http://www.thechurchinsider.blogspot.com

Crull "That's My Real Name" Chambless - Houston, TX - http://www.focusexpands.com

Dave "Cubs Win!" Davis - Chicago, IL - http://www.davedavis.typepad.com

Geoffrey "Big Truck, Bigger Heart" Janes - Monroe, NC - http://www.geoffreyjanes.com

Hal "Father of Finance" Hunter - Jacksonville, FL - http://www.thechurchatargyle.org/

Jason "Gen Why?" Young - Loganville, GA - http://www.jasonyounglive.com

Kevin "Creeker" Lloyd - Augusta, GA - http://www.kevinlloydlive.com

Lance "Sugar Tit" Martin - Greer, SC - http://www.lancemartin.net

Marc "Chuck Taylor" Cauthon - Wichita, KS - http://www.marccauthon.com

Stephen "I Prefer Metal" Lowe - Atlanta, GA - http://www.slowethinking.com/

Tony "I'm Skinny, Therefore I'm Smart" Morgan - Atlanta, GA - http://www.tonymorganlive.com

Prideful Arrogance vs Confident Humility

2009-09-24T22:35:00.003-04:00

I have this struggle in my mind about getting personal satisfaction about doing a good job or coming through for someone when they need me. I feel like God has equipped me with certain abilities, strengths, and gifts in order to lead others to Him and do well at whatever is put in front of me. However, I sometimes feel guilty for being confident and wonder if I'm confusing my confidence with pride.

Then there's the humility vs arrogance struggle. I often fear that my confidence comes off as arrogance. When I'm perceived as arrogant, I immediately lose influence. It think its obvious that people will follow confident leaders, not arrogant ones.

Do any of you struggle with prideful arrogance vs confident humility? If so, what personal disciplines do you practice to keep these things in check?

Draw the Line by David Gray

2009-09-24T22:30:00.001-04:00

Draw The Line - David Gray

Pitfalls of a Super-hero

2009-09-20T14:52:00.005-04:00

Today at The Ridge, Pastor Bobby Williams preached on the subject of addiction. If you examine your life close enough, there's a good chance you'll find that you are addicted to something that's hurting you and/or others around you.

God revealed something to me that I've been hiding from myself and others for a long time. I am addicted to recognition. I love being the "go to" guy. I love being the person who steps up and "saves the day". I love the false sense of importance I get from a pat on the back, a "thank you", or a "job well done". I'm addicted to being the super-hero.

Super-heroes are versatile. This explains a lot about why I do what I do. I've always been known as a "Jack of all trades" type. I never really take the time to master any one particular thing, but I love learning how to be proficient enough at most things so I can take credit for helping someone out in many different situations.

Super-heroes wear disguises. Sometimes my addiction to recognition is well disguised as dedication, kindness, or selflessness. The truth is, I'll sometimes go out of my way to "save the day" and totally neglect my wife and daughter.

It feels good to pin-point an addiction in my life. The next step is resolving this issue. Pray that God will transform me and help me figure out how to use the compassion, kindness, and abilities that He has given me for His glory instead of my own.

9/20 Setlist for The Ridge

2009-09-19T19:47:00.001-04:00

9/20 The Ridge

Chainbreaker

2009-09-17T23:35:00.002-04:00

Here's a video that Nick Miller put together for the next series at The Ridge called Chainbreaker. It was shot with a Panasonic DVX100 and edited in Sony Vegas and Adobe After Effects. The song used is called Firebreather by Thrice.

Chainbreaker from RunningCrew on Vimeo.

Matt & Deena Move On Up!

2009-09-12T17:06:00.001-04:00

Matt & Deena Move On Up from Chris Hill on Vimeo.

Worship Leaders from The Ridge, Matt and Deena Robbins, on moving day!

He Smelled the Aroma

2009-09-08T12:52:00.003-04:00

I started a reading the book of Genesis last week. This particular passage stood out to me like never before. I want to share it with you.

Genesis 8:20-21

20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. 21 The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though [a] every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.

These verses remind me that God actually takes delight in our worship to him when it's done well. Our worship to him should never be in vain or by routine. If he literally smelled the aroma from the burnt offerings of Noah, then he actually hears the notes we play, appreciates the art we make, and experiences everything we create for him and hopefully he is pleased with what he sees and hears. Very cool.

Culture of Honor and Encouragement

2009-09-01T09:47:00.003-04:00

Romans 12:10 (English Standard Version) Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

Lately, God has really opened my eyes to the value of honor and encouragement. We're still developing our culture at The Ridge and we are working on fostering a culture of encouragement and honor for each other as we serve God and fulfill our purpose.

A word of encouragement and affirmation can mean so much to someone when shared at the right moment. We are making an effort to notice things people are doing well around us and compliment them on it.

Most of us are relatively new to ministry and we are all developing new skills as leaders in our unique positions. Honor through affirmation of a job well done from our peers just may be the fuel each of us needs to propel us over that next hump in our development.

I made sure to let everyone know that if they weren't comfortable complimenting and encouraging someone face to face, they could shoot them an email or text msg. Any form of this type of communication is better than none at all.

If you open your eyes to others you serve with, you'll find many ways to offer encouragement and compliment one another. Get creative. Let's really try to live out Romans 12:10 and "outdo each other in showing honor."

Focus

2009-08-24T22:56:00.004-04:00

Luke 16:10

10a"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with
much...."

In the passage above, the parable is on the topic of money, but I
think that principle can be applied to many different aspects of
ministry.

In this season of growth, God is slowing me down and giving me a
greater focus. He's teaching me how to harness my passion, fire,
drive, gifts, and abilities and make them most effective. I shared
with my coaching network that while I have a giant/big picture vision to
reach for, God is placing two or three individuals in my
life. I feel like He's telling me, "If you are faithful with these few
individuals and focus your time and resources on sharing Me with them,
then I'll give you the opportunity to reach many more."

Hearing that clear direction from God is huge for me and our church
plant. I believe that God will bless us with access to thousands of
people in our community and online if we are faithful and serious
about reaching the tens or hundreds He's blessed us with in the
beginning.

What Biblical principles has God shared with you lately?

Photo by zgodzinski

My Wife is Talented

2009-08-21T22:52:00.005-04:00

My wife Melissa has become quite the professional photographer as of late. I'm really proud of her work. She has a natural eye for the shot she wants. You can check out her work here: M.HillPhotography

Volunteer Chain Gang

2009-08-20T22:36:00.005-04:00

A few thoughts for those of us who are struggling to find volunteers.

- If this is the way your team looks when you "serve" at your church, don't expect everyone around you to jump on board.

- Why would someone want to join a group of volunteers who look and act like they're performing court-ordered community service projects?

- When you see prisoners on the side of the interstate picking up garbage with a sheriff looking over their shoulders, are you ever compelled to jump in and help out? Of course not.

- When you read verses like this one, shouldn't people see the contagious excitement and expectation of God's transforming power on your face?

- "People Don’t Respond To Need–They Respond To Vision. When a leader talks about a need SOME people will respond. BUT…when a leader can cast a compelling vision about what SHOULD BE…and with God’s grace and our participation WOULD BE…CHANGE HAPPENS! Many times a team leader will drift off course…NOT because they are lazy and/or pathetic…but because maybe they have forgotten why they do what they do…and a shot of vision will cure that every time." - Perry Noble

- A good attitude makes the big problems easier to deal with and the small problems almost disappear.

We Live in a Beautiful World

2009-08-19T21:43:00.006-04:00

I was going through some mobile pics and found these.

Check out You Just Don't for free

2009-08-17T23:45:00.005-04:00

This is some new music from my great friend and old band mate, Joshua Manis, from Knoxville, TN. Find out more about You Just Don't here. Enjoy!

You Just Don't

Toothache

2009-08-17T23:34:00.002-04:00

It's funny how our bodies respond to pain. I woke up a couple nights ago with a toothache. Now, the part of my body that was causing the pain was probably a tiny nerve. The effect that tiny nerve had on my entire body was epic. I couldn't see straight. I couldn't walk straight. Heck, I couldn't even stand up straight. Why? There was one tiny little nerve hindering my entire body from working properly. The smallest problems in our lives can cause some major effects. The question at which I arrive is this: What seemingly small, neglected problem in my life needs repair before it sneaks up and completely ruins me?

Letter to Zac

2009-08-17T22:46:00.004-04:00

This is Zac. Last month, he told his story for the students at Newspring Church. Take five minutes of your time and watch. It just may change you.

Letter to Zac from NewSpring Production on Vimeo.

You can follow Zac's journey here: www.hello-righton.com

Before. After.

2009-08-16T22:43:00.005-04:00

Here's a before and after shot of our Sunday mornings at The Ridge. When we show up at The Double Tree Hotel in Oak Ridge, TN at 7am, the room undergoes a full transformation.

New Layout

2009-08-16T22:06:00.002-04:00

I'm trying out a new layout for the blog.

Barcelona - Live at The Square Room - 07/2009

2009-07-30T22:48:00.001-04:00

In Case You're New Here

2009-07-27T12:23:00.003-04:00

According to the Bible, there was a man named Lazarus. His story is a very inspiring one. He even has a modern term named after him. Ever heard of the Lazarus Phenomenon? If you work in an ER, you probably have. It happens when someone’s heart starts beating again well after resuscitation has been given up. In that kind of situation, we are talking seconds, maybe minutes, which separate the heart stopping and starting again. You see, the dead body of Lazarus spent four days wrapped like a mummy in a tomb before Jesus started his heart again.

From the book of John chapter 11:
41So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."
43When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

The fact that a four day old cadaver was filled with life again is incredible and awe inspiring alone. However, it is what Jesus says next that moves me every time I read it. He says, “Take off his grave clothes and let him go!”
The imagery created by this account is just insane. Can you imagine what Lazarus looked like as he struggled to walk out of the tomb because his head, torso, and legs were wrapped with linens? Can you imagine him trying to bust out of those grave clothes, realizing Jesus loved him enough to literally give him a second chance at life? What a picture of liberation. What a picture of true freedom.

Have you ever wondered what Lazarus did with the linens that once bound his dead body? I’ve wondered about this before. It’s not like he threw them in the closet with the rest of his attire. Hopefully he wouldn’t need them anytime soon, right? They were probably cheap strips of linen that were dirty and smelled horrible by then anyway. If he kept them around, don’t you think it would remind him of his death? I think he burned them. I think it would have been a symbolic moment for him as well. Think about that; the memories of his death going up in smoke and the grave clothes becoming ashes.

There was a time in my life when I wore figurative grave clothes. The stench of death was all over me. I had no sign of abundant life that only Christ can provide. Little did I know my grave clothes were so binding. The linens covered my eyes, blinding me to the freedom that God had in store for me once I awakened from death, removed my grave clothes, and followed Him.

Have you ever worn grave clothes? Are you in them right now? If you’ve worn them in the past, do you still keep them around? Do you slip into them every once in a while because they’re comfortable? Do people around you think they look good on you? Hey, maybe your grave clothes are in style.

When the tendency to throw on those old grave clothes comes, think about how ridiculous Lazarus must have looked bound up in his. Do what he did. Take off your grave clothes.

Oh, and before you go, burn them.

Mat Kearney & Erin McCarley Concert - Live Vids

2009-06-21T14:43:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the lack of blogging

2009-06-15T09:23:00.004-04:00

I've been slacking on blog entries lately because I've been searching for a new way to blog. I think I've found it. I may be moving the blog very soon. More info to come....and also a new URL to come.....

Guest Blog for Lifechurch.tv

2009-05-21T17:45:00.002-04:00

Go here: http://internet.lifechurch.tv/2009/05/building-trust-within-your-online-community/ and check it out.

Let me know what you think.

TNT Church

2009-05-19T15:01:00.004-04:00

I think I'm going to refer to The New Traditional Church as TNT Church from now on. I like the way it sounds.
It gives a word picture of how TNT Church can demolish itself.
If you haven't read Tony Morgan's post about the subject of community, go do it now, comment, and come back.
http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/05/10/new-traditional-church-community/

My coaching network kind of talked a little about this subject on last time we met when we brought up the subject of small groups, but I'd like to start a conversation about it here and get a little deeper.
Personally, I believe that the church wastes a ton of resources programming things that may have good intentions, but just aren't natural in organic American community, in order to fulfill the role of discipleship.
Does discipleship rest in the hands of church leadership or in the hands of the "C"hurch?
One commenter said something like, "It's our responsibility to make sure people are growing in their faith."
Is it really?
I think, as leaders, our job is to ENABLE new believers to grow, but ultimately it lies in their hands whether or not they are willing to devote themselves to growth.
In Acts 2:42, the fellowship of believers devoted themselves to the teachings of the apostles.
The apostles followed this model: Go and make disciples. How? Baptizing them..., and teaching them...
The followers took it from there and their passion and devotion ultimately led to their fellowship, discipleship, and growth. Not only spiritual growth, but growth in numbers as well.
I believe true passion, devotion, and excitement for growth will manifest itself in real community with other believers and will be contagious enough to spread into the lives of non-believers as well.
That passion, devotion, and excitement can't be manufactured and measured by the church. That kind of power comes from God into the individual.
What say you?

will they know we are christians by our tweets?

2009-05-14T15:01:00.003-04:00

Here's a great blog entry from ChurchCrunch.<---Click there. If you currently a pastor, staff/volunteer, or are a member of a local church, think before you tweet. With social networking clients like Twitter, it's easy to send out quick status updates and that's why we all love it. However, that's also what makes it easy to slip up. It's just like when you're young and your parents say, "What you do in public represents this entire family." (I've got that embossed on the insides of my eyelids) The messages you send may not seem like a big deal at the time, but they may offend or alter someone's view of you, your church, or more importantly, Christianity.
You may think: "If I offend someone with a flippant twitter update, then that is their problem." It may actually be our problem and I think the Paul would agree with me.

late night prayer session

2009-05-10T23:51:00.003-04:00

She's out like a light. Love praying for this girl.

Last night I was checking my tweets and noticed a couple from @loswhit that said he was hosting an online prayer service. I checked it out here and was really excited to see something like this actually happening. It's one thing to have conversations about online communities making an impact for the Kingdom of God, but it's a whole new thing when you can experience it and become involved.

For three days, Carlos was asking people how he could specifically pray for them. Then last night around 10, he broadcasted live from his webcam and went down the list praying for everyone's needs. Around 100 people hung out participating in the chat room and sending twitter messages all in prayer for everyone's specific situations.

Because of some technical difficulties, the prayer service started around 10:30pm and lasted till about 1:00am. I had no intention of hanging around for the whole thing because it was getting late, but I got hooked. The spirit of God was moving through our means of technology like I've never experienced.

No prayer was too big or small for consideration. We lifted everyone up and God was definitely not insulted by our requests.

This is proof that God can and is working through any means necessary to make his name famous and glorify him.

The stories of answered prayers are already coming in at www.ragamuffinsoul.com and I can't wait to hear more of them.
I will no longer participate in the tired conversations of whether or not "real" community and discipleship can exist online. I have experienced it. God has no limits.

The Ridge iCampus Update

2009-05-04T17:26:00.003-04:00

May 24th looks like it'll be the day we officially launch The Ridge iCampus. I'm working really hard and putting all the pieces together in order to make the best experience for participants out of the resources I have. The plan now is to go live with video and chat at 6pm on Sunday evening. That may change so check back here for more updates as we get closer to May 24th.

This week, I'm meeting with Will Rodes and Ken Wilson from NewSpring Church. I'm looking forward to learning more from those guys about how to get more out of the current gear that I'm using. Those guys are top notch when it comes to excellence in church media and I really appreciate their time and willingness to help.

The argument of whether or not real community can exist within the church online is tired and irrelevant. I have felt the call of Christ to make his name famous online and I've been set out to do just that by His great commission. I'm really excited to make some new friends with people online through the iCampus and ready to see how God will speak to people through the technology provided.

The Ridge Podcast is Alive!

2009-05-01T17:32:00.004-04:00

Thanks to the kind folks at Factor 1 Studios, our podcast is up and running. You can stream it or subscribe via iTunes here.

I'll be posting sermons from Pastor Bobby Williams, interviews with Ridge volunteers and other church leaders, church planting experiences, etc...

Enjoy!

My encounter with Wilco

2009-04-20T11:34:00.004-04:00

My view from the 7th row of the TN Theater

The band posing for a pic with the employees of Disc Exchange

Saturday was National Record Store Day and since Wilco was in town for a show at the TN Theater, they stopped by the Disc Exchange for their DVD release and an autograph signing. I was there recording some audio so I got a chance to meet the band.

For the record: I don't care what anyone else has ever said about Jeff Tweedy. I feel like I'm a pretty good judge of character and these are the words I would use to describe him after meeting and talking with him: classy, polite, and a real gentleman.

Strength Finders 2.0

2009-04-16T10:08:00.003-04:00

Really liked this book. Although, it wasn't about the book at all.

The first couple of chapters introduce a philosophy that goes against what we've grown up with here in America. It's the idea that fighting through our weaknesses is usually a waste of time. If we instead took that effort and put it towards developing our strengths, we could maximize our potential and rise above the status quo.

I've always believed that, but the first two chapters really put it into terms I could understand. After reading through the first portion of the book, you are given a pass code that gives you access to the Strength Finders 2.0 personal strength assessment. The online interview takes about 20 minutes. Once the results are calculated, you are assigned 5 themes based on your strengths. With the 5 themes is a report with detailed descriptions of areas in which you excel and ideas on how to put the strengths into action.

My top five:

Maximizer

Adaptability

Ideation

Developer

Belief

I recommend going through this book and assessment on your own, with your family, team, coworkers, etc...It not only has great personal strength building potential, but also team building potential.

Get your copy here.

Uninterested

2009-04-14T09:40:00.002-04:00

Soooo....my daughter is not that crazy about hats I guess.

When you're sharing ideas with your peers, do you get this look? Do you ever feel like you have a hard time motivating people to come on board with your ideas? You think, "what else do I have to do to get these people excited about my idea???"

You might not have a motivation problem......you might have an idea problem.

Pray that your ideas are aligned with God's vision. Then he'll do the motivating; starting with the hearts.

wait for it....wait for it...

2009-04-10T10:02:00.002-04:00

....And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." - Matthew 4:19

Okay, I love the outdoors. I love to hike, camp, bike, and do just about everything outdoors. Everything that is, except for fishing. Fishing is boring. There, I said it. My pastor is cringing as he reads this. He loves to fish. That's okay though. He's also a LeBron James fan. ugh...We disagree on some really important things like that.

In Matthew chapter 4, Jesus is telling the men he chose to join him in ministry that if they follow him, he will make them fishers of men. He is using a metaphor by comparing adding people to the kingdom of God to fishing, something the men could relate to since their culture was based upon the sea, and their food supply depended on the catching of fish.

I've been thinking about that metaphor in today's terms. Going fishing in my culture usually means either sitting on a dock, a bank, or standing in a river waiting for the fish to bite whatever you've thrown at them. If they bite, it's a good day. If they don't, you just chalk it up to bad luck because there's always tomorrow, right?

The metaphor just doesn't work in today's terms. That's why it's important for us to understand the culture of the people we encounter in the Bible.

Fishing was tough for the men back then and probably a lot more adventurous than what we've ever experienced on the water. If a storm came, they couldn't just hop in the truck or head for cover. They had to face the storm head on and hope the waves didn't capsize their boats. There was also much more importance placed upon their fishing trips. If the fish weren't biting, they couldn't sell them. If they had nothing to sell, they may have not had food to eat. I would think that if the fish weren't biting, they would have to take desperate measures and move to another spot or try techniques they've never used before. I bet they got pretty innovative with their methods when the pressure was put on them. Can you imagine the joy and satisfaction they got pulling in full nets of fish because they found the right strategy?

That's the kind of fishing I'd want to be a part of. It sounds exciting. There is importance placed upon it. It sounds vital to a thriving culture. It involves life and death situations. It's dangerous at times, but the payoff is HUGE.

I don't want to stand around in a river waiting for fish to come to me. I want to go after them.

I don't want to be a part of a church that throws out "bait" and waits for individuals to "bite".
I want to GO.
I want to use new strategies.
I want to find new ways to spread the message of Jesus to a lost world in order to add to the kingdom of God.
I don't want to be a part of a boring "stand in one spot and wait" kind of church.
I want to be a part of a dangerous church.

That's how I choose to fish.

Online Easter Experience

2009-04-08T11:27:00.004-04:00

Last night, Pastor Bobby Williams, Nick Miller, and I filmed some elements we'll be using in The Ridge's online Easter Experience airing on our web campus Sunday morning at 10am eastern. (Yeah, we filmed in my garage. We're all about DIY at The Ridge. We have to be. We're broke. lol)

This will be a chance for someone to log on and hear the message of Jesus in a very clear, straight-to-the-point way. We've also set up ways to communicate with each other while you watch with a chat function and also a way to communicate with me and Pastor B, if anyone decides that they want to dive deeper in a relationship with Christ.

We are pumped about using technology to have an online Easter experience. Hope to see you there!

as polymer smoothens polymer...

2009-04-07T09:35:00.003-04:00

On Friday, I met with 12 church leaders from around the country at NewSpring Church as part of a coaching network hosted by Tony Morgan. Among many other topics, we discussed how important it is to surround yourself with passionate individuals who know when it's appropriate to push back. We found out that Perry Noble thinks it's essential for his partners in ministry to be honest and never be a "yes man" type person.

That got me thinking about Proverbs 27:17; "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." In our ministry work together, we must be honest with one another and not be afraid to say what God puts on your heart, even if it feels uncomfortable or goes against your natural non-confrontational human instincts.

I think we are better for each other if we are iron sharpening iron instead of a polymers smoothing polymers.

Things I'm excited about

2009-03-31T13:29:00.001-04:00

1. My daughter laughs at me pretty regularly now. It's good to have an adoring audience again. My wife used to laugh at me, but the cheesy jokes just got to be too much for her. Amelia just laughs at anything I say, mainly because she's three months old, but I'll take it!

2. Thursday night I get to meet and hang out with a few of the guys from my upcoming coaching network. Then Friday morning begins the monthly meetings at NewSpring Church with Tony Morgan. I feel truly blessed to be a part of this learning experience and I'm ready to jump in.

3. This Sunday morning is our last preview service at The Ridge before we launch for real on April 19th. The first preview service was such a blast. I'm ready to do it again this week.

4. My new music slump is starting to turn around. http://www.lala.com/artist/Esterlyn http://www.lala.com/#album/360569445169201429 Take a listen for free at what I'm digging this week.

5. www.swaptree.com I think I'm addicted to this website. This week I've scored Bioshock for xbox360, UNChristian by David Kinnaman, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind all for a game, a book, and a dvd I don't use anymore. Check out Swaptree now and start trading! In this economic climate, barter is king.

6. iPhone/ipod touch Skype app is great. Download it and add chriswhill to your contact list. Let's chat!

There are a lot more things I'm digging right now, but don't have time to list it all. What are you excited about?

Weekend in a Castle

2009-03-26T07:24:00.003-04:00

So I know you've had one of those "I need a vacation" moments. Well, I've been having that moment for the past three months. What can rid me of that feeling better than spending a weekend in a castle???

Melissa, Amelia, and I are headed up to the "highlands" of Gatlinburg, TN with a few friends to share this adventure. I hear it's supposed to storm on Saturday night. I really hope the weather follows through because it could be one of those "dark and stormy night" events to remember.

Now.....where did I put my suit of armor?

First Sunday Morning @ The Ridge

2009-03-23T16:16:00.004-04:00

I'm not sure where to begin, so I'll just list some things that stood out to me.

- By 7:30am, there were about 15-20 volunteers preparing the stage, welcome table, and children's area.

-At 8:30am, our band was fully prepared to do a full run through of music and service flow.

-Around 9:00am, Pastor Bobby spoke to all volunteers to express his appreciation, provide a last bit of motivation, and remind us why we were there: Because there are people in our community and online who will never know the love of Christ and they're going to hell if we don't do something about it.

-When he was praying for the icampus ministry, I was moved because I felt the weight of the burden of lost people online.

-I fully anticipate lives being changed through our icampus ministry. That's exciting.

-From about 9:30am-9:50am, it was like the quiet before the storm.

-The band was well rehearsed so no one was on stage, the greeters were at the entrance and welcome table, the camera angle was set, the icampus was ready to cue up. Everyone was in place and just kind of waiting. The anticipation was a pretty cool feeling.

-I know we didn't really advertise because it was a "preview service" (a churchy word for dress rehearsal), so I'm not sure why I was expecting many people to come charging through the doors, but I just had a strong feeling of expectation.

-Here comes 9:50am-10am. This is when things started to get really exciting.

-People I've never seen before started walking in. I know that's what we're there for, but it wasn't real until I actually saw it happen. Then more and more started to arrive. One family even brought their TEN kids! Amazing!

-7 people showed up online and even with some connectivity issues, they hung in there and stuck around till the end.

-Our service started at 10am. The place was packed and our band killed it.

-We are so blessed to have such a talented band. They even rocked out with Pretender by Foo Fighters to go along with our upcoming series. (Matt, Deena, Kevin, Nick, Bobby, Teresa...you guys are incredible and there are a ton of churches and music venues around the world that would kill to have you guys play for them.) I can't wait till you all start writing/recording songs.

-By the time Pastor Bobby got up to speak, the energy in the room was high.

-My pastor always speaks with confidence, but yesterday it was at a much higher level. God showed off through him in a very powerful way.

-He spoke about his feelings of inadequacy as a pastor. He let us know that we let Satan win when we let others or ourselves define us. Only God defines who we are and He wants us to serve Him no matter how inadequate we think we are.

-I know for a fact that a lot of people listening yesterday had one of those, "is he talking to me?" moments.

-After the service was over, our volunteers step up again and we had the room cleared of equipment and staging in less than 30 minutes.

-We need a trailer and a place to store it.

-We really need a trailer and a place to store it.

I'm blown away by what God is allowing me to be a part of @ The Ridge. Here's the other thing that gets me.....Its only the beginning!

Even snuggies love Killing Cockroaches

2009-03-19T00:32:00.005-04:00

Ok, I admit: It's not an actual snuggie. It's really a bathrobe turned backwards. It's my wanna be snuggie.

Anyway, I just finished Killing Cockroaches by Tony Morgan. Two words: Loved it.

Now for 162 words:

Pastor and Chief Strategic Officer of NewSpring Church, Tony Morgan, offers up a solutions for leadership burnout, tips for churches stuck in the 80s, and a way to fix a rental car with duct tape in his new book Killing Cockroaches.

Much like Seth Godin's Tribes, it is written in short blog entry-like bursts instead of chapters. In a "less is more" culture, this fits right into any reader's schedule. The only time that I have to read during my busy day is at lunch. I can pick it up, read a few pages, and have plenty to think about in that short time. Some of the topics are left opened ended in order to give the reader a chance to apply his or her own leadership style to the advice given. And when you start to apply what you've learned, Tony's book gains priceless value.

When I read the title and description of Killing Cockroaches, I knew this book had legs. It does. Six to be exact.

For more info about the book, click here.

Lee McDerment Live at Unleash 09

2009-03-14T15:42:00.002-04:00

This is the opening song from the first main session at Unleash 09. Get Lee's CD here!

Unleash 09 Worship - Love Enough

2009-03-14T13:24:00.003-04:00

This was shot in the new student building at NewSpring Church for Unleash 09 Main Session 2 with my Flip Mino HD. This song is called Love Enough by Hillsong United. You can download the album version here.

Building Community - Unleash 09

2009-03-14T00:47:00.003-04:00

NewSpring Church Internet Campus Pastor Nick Charalambous explains the church's important role of building community at Unleash 09. Introduction by Tony Morgan.

Get the notes for this session here.

Book Barter

2009-03-13T13:11:00.004-04:00

Well, I gave away my copy of Tribes by Seth Godin at Unleash to a leader named Todd Hudson from Charlotte, NC.

Sooo....I'm still looking for a new book.

Here's my offer:

I'll trade you a $10 itunes gift card for a copy of It by Craig Groschel or Creating Magic by Lee Cockerell . It you have a copy of either book and want to trade, just leave a comment here on my blog and I'll email you requesting a mailing address exchange.

I've wanted a new book lately, but can't really spend the money right now. I won the itunes gift card at Unleash.

Also, if you don't have either of these books but still want to trade, make me an offer for a book that you do have and I'll consider it.

Let's trade!

Unleash 09 Book Swap

2009-03-10T16:12:00.004-04:00

Got a few books piling up? Running out of shelf space? Did you just recently get a Kindle 2 and forget you even had books? (I guess they would be considered "analog books" now.)

If you are headed to the Unleash conference at NewSpring Church this Thursday, would you want to get together and trade some books? Because this is a one day conference, there isn't a whole lot of time to meet up so let me know here in the comment section if you're interested in bringing a book to swap and we'll figure out when and where this can happen.

It'll be a good chance to meet some fellow readers and maybe walk away with a "free" book.

Because of the time constraints, it'll probably be best to only bring one title to trade. I'm bringing Seth Godin's Tribes.

What are you bringing?

unleash 09

2009-03-09T14:05:00.003-04:00

I am really pumped about joining my team from The Ridge and a couple of friends from Providence and heading to Anderson, SC for the Unleash conference this Thursday. I suspect that might be the only reason anyone would be excited about visiting Anderson, SC.

It's official. I have a phobia.

2009-03-06T07:57:00.002-05:00

Most people have something that either frightens or bothers them. The most common phobias or fears deal with spiders, snakes, heights, public speaking, Oprah becoming president, etc.. Those all seem pretty normal. My phobia is a little different. I am megalophobic.

You see, until yesterday, I never really new there was an actual phobia that described the things that make me shudder. I've always been extremely fearful of either extremely large things like large statues, ships, planes, blimps, hot air balloons, inflatable parade characters, etc...or it really bothers me when things are larger than I expect them to be such as large sculptures of objects that are normally small or giant truck tires. I decided to do some research on this fear and stumbled upon other folks who have the exact same feelings down to the details. I was kind of shocked.

The fear is not out of my control. I never feel like I want to run from these things or anything like that. I just get a really uneasy feeling and want to start shaking. If I concentrate on the fear, my stomach starts to tighten and I can start to feel physically ill. I've always been good about hiding it and you'd never know about it unless I said something. It's also never really altered decisions in my life or anything. I've been on a cruise, a lot of planes, and walked under the sunsphere.

I don't really even have to been in proximity to these things in order for me to be creeped out. A few years ago, there was a commercial where a Jeep was cruising across a frozen section of the ocean and a giant submarine surfaced underneath it. No kidding....that commercial used to freeze me. Like seriously....I couldn't even turn the channel. How messed up is that??

If you have an odd fear, I'd love to hear about it. You may think you're alone, but as I found out yesterday, there are probably thousands of others who share the exact same craziness.

God's design vs ours

2009-03-05T13:17:00.002-05:00

Our Deisgn:

God's Design:

Not a lot to say here on my 100th blog post. I'll leave you to draw your own inspiration from the photo comparison. Just know that no matter how "structured" our design is, it's by God's that all things are held together.

Groundhog Day

2009-03-05T08:08:00.003-05:00

I know. It's already passed. I'm talking about the movie. It's one of my personal faves. However, sometimes I feel like Bill Murray's character.

Wake up to the same alarm
Stumble through a shave & shower
Try to put together a matching shirt & tie
Pack the same old lunch in a brown bag
Drive the same roads to work
Pull into the same parking space
Sit in the same cube
Look over the same applications for insurance
and so on....and so on...

I could go on, but I had to stop the list. It was too painful to visualize.

I have GOT to stop the cycle, but I don't know how. Or am I just scared?

Jesus came to give me life more abundant. What am I doing with it?

Note: I apologize for the pessimism, but please tell me that someone else feels this way sometimes.

Albums I'm digging right now

2009-03-03T10:42:00.005-05:00

Greg Laswell - Three FLights from Alto Nido

Ratatat - Classics

Common Market - Tobacco Road

Mute Math - Spotlight EP

Check Ups

2009-03-02T21:37:00.002-05:00

As of Feb 27th, my daughter Amelia has been here for two months. Time for a check-up! We took her to the doc this morning where they poked her with needles, got her down to her diaper and laid her on an ice cold scale, and poured an oral vaccination down her throat. (I could tell it tasted terrible by the look on her face.) It was a traumatic experience.....for my wife. Amelia, however, was a trooper and for the most part was a smiley happy child who really had a lot to say to her doctor, but none of it was comprehensible of course.

Everything is A-OK with Amelia and she is right on track for the average two-month old. We'll go back in two months for another check up.

Even though there is nothing visibly wrong with her, it is essential that we take her in for check ups at this important stage of her development. There may be things going on that we would otherwise miss if we didn't let the expert check her out. We all know that in the world of health, it is always best to diagnose an ailment as early as possible. The earlier you identify the problem, the easier it will be to treat.

This got me thinking about identifying problems in my own life. I'm not talking about health problems. I'm talking about spiritual problems, relational problems, or anything in my life that I'm neglecting. I realized that I've never had a systematic way of keeping all areas in my life in check. I usually let my short comings get the best of me before they receive treatment. If I can learn to discipline myself to where my check ups are much more frequent, I think I'll be able to keep a better handle on all aspects of my life.

Sometimes, I'll be able to diagnose myself. Sometimes I won't. That's when I'll need to consult an expert on the matter and go to God Himself and ask Him what needs a tune up.

How do you keep yourself in check? Do you have a specific method of giving yourself a daily, weekly, monthly check up?

KS Rhodes Dark Hotel Live

2009-02-26T21:05:00.002-05:00

KS Rhodes Live Dark Hotel from Chris Hill on Vimeo.

Here's a vid I took last week at The Square Room in Knoxville. KS Rhodes killed it. The very talkative crowd got on my last nerve, but I fought through it and enjoyed myself.

Kyle Gilbert

2009-02-25T14:54:00.002-05:00

I met with Kyle Gilbert today from Faith Promise Church. He's their communications guy and he's also working on building their web campus. He offered some great encouragement to me personally and The Ridge Community Church for the city of Oak Ridge.

I look forward to learning from him as we wander through the wilderness of church 2.0 together.

The world needs more kingdom minded big "C" Church type of leaders like Kyle who are are willing to share ideas and knowledge with others instead of keeping inside their church walls.

Kyle, thanks for the insight, encouragement, and the free lunch! btw.....look forward to disc golfing it up with you and my disc golf crew very soon.

Tweets I enjoy getting

2009-02-24T11:00:00.003-05:00

Right now I'm following about 70 people on Twitter. Here are a few that I've enjoyed lately. You should follow them too.

@tonymorganlive let's me know what's going on at just about every church leadership conference in the country. How does he do that and also keep up with interesting pop culture tidbits? I'll never know.

@bobbywilliams keeps me updated on what God is doing at The Ridge Community Church. He also shares in my frustration with UT basketball this year.

@jt just let me know about an amazing dessert option last night. "two spoonfuls of peanut butter, a generous amount of honey, nuke it for about 50 seconds and pour it over vanilla ice cream." He also speaks in web developer language that's way over my head but keeps me learning new things about technology.

@ipiphanist keeps me motivated about the web church movement with biblical references and personal victories. He also adds the occasional quote from GK Chesterton that makes my brain explode.

Just a few here today. I'll add some more of my favs later.

Matt Knows Billiards

2009-02-19T18:02:00.001-05:00

Matt Robbins Knows Billiards from Chris Hill on Vimeo.

Matt Robbins, the worship leader for The Ridge Community Church, gives us a little insight into his past...total pool shark.

New diseases call for new medicine

2009-02-19T07:47:00.004-05:00

In this post by Nick Charalambous, he reveals some issues surrounding the condition of the traditional church service and how it translates online. He does this by showing why people attend church online.

This got me thinking about the future of the Church 2.0 movement and the new issues future church leaders will face. I'd like to list a few of those issues here so we could begin to run down some solutions, but that's just it....we can't anticipate problems we've never run into before.

When a new disease is discovered in the world of medicine, the cure calls for the creation of a new type of medicine. Sometimes the disease is a form of a known disease that has mutated or been amplified by other bacterium. This situation can be remedied not by creating a new medicine from scratch, but by tweaking a current method of treatment.

Since church on the web is a relatively new form of ministry, leaders will face problems and issues that have no known solution. We must be creative in finding new remedies. It is essential that we resist the urge to try and cure these issues with tried and tested methods used to tackle problems in the traditional "brick and mortar" church.

The same old problem-solving methods may mask the symptoms of future issues, but it's going to take brand new methods we haven't even thought of yet to cure the new problems ahead. This is when leaders should rely on God the most. The quicker we ask God for answers, the quicker we can pinpoint problems and fix them so that nothing hinders the life-changing message of God online.

The Power of Common Bond

2009-02-18T09:14:00.001-05:00

How does strong healthy human interaction happen? What cultivates it? You probably come in close proximity of hundreds of different people everyday. Whether it's in the coffee shop, gas station, sidewalk, at the office, the restaurant, or online, human to human proximity happens daily. What causes two or more individuals to stop and interact? What causes us to create bullets in our planners that involve interaction? What separates an acquaintance from a friend? It's the common bond.

I have always felt that I have a gift of finding the common bond quickly. I'm borderline obsessed with it. When I meet someone new, I automatically go into a sort of friendly interrogation mode to find out if I share similar interests, mutual friends, if I've visited the city they live in, etc... The common bond can lead to the kind of conversation that goes beyond the surface. It can lead to a very memorable moment. It can begin a long lasting friendship. It can create a learning experience for both parties that otherwise never would’ve occurred if the common bond wasn’t established.

I feel that most of us have some sort of common bond that is just waiting to be revealed. Don't get me wrong here. Diversity is very important to community; however, humans by nature are more alike than we are different. If we emphasize the commonalities in our lives while respecting our diversity, we stand a better chance to whether storms that usually break us up.

Good leaders will always find and reveal the common bond in the people they are leading.

VERY SIMPLE EXAMPLE: I know that Person A likes to watch LOST, play basketball, read books, and eat steaks. I know that Person B is obsessed with coffee, collects antiques, likes to watch LOST, and is a vegetarian. On the surface, the obvious differences outweigh the similarity. However, if I get them together in on a conversation about last week's episode of LOST, there is an opportunity to find many other common viewpoints or interests that help the conversation reach a new level of depth. Not only that, but it also increases the chance to learn so much more from one another about topics outside each other's personal "norm".

Find the common bond you have with someone you consider an acquaintance. There is a good chance that person could quickly become your friend.

Greg Atkinson is getting Potent

2009-02-17T13:35:00.002-05:00

I was so motivated by this post by Greg Atkinson that I had to make sure and share it here on BYGC. I read it and had one of those "jump-out-of-my-seat-and-give-a-fist-pump" moment.

http://www.gregatkinson.com/2009/02/09/impotent-conclusion/

Tony Morgan's Coaching Network

2009-02-17T10:50:00.004-05:00

Last year pastor and chief strategic officer, Tony Morgan of NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC, started a coaching network “designed for leaders and strategists that serve in a local church.”

This network is a group of 12 participants who serve in similar roles at similar churches. Tony offers this opportunity for church leaders to not only receive valuable leadership coaching from him, but also from each other as they meet once a month over a six month period.

Starting in April, I’ll get the opportunity to join this network of leaders. I’m anticipating my leadership skills, creative mind, and relationship with Christ to be stretched tremendously through this experience. Most importantly though, I anticipate the Kingdom of God to be multiplied through The Ridge Community Church from the coaching and insight I plan to apply to my daily life and ministry. I’m so pumped to put the knowledge I expect to gain into action.

In order to prepare myself for this experience, I tracked down three of the current participants of the first network and asked them a couple questions. Mainly, I asked them what they have benefited from the most by participating. Here are some of their responses:

"I have had a great experience and
really connected with some great guys who
were a part of my network….We had
several topics that were great: working with
our Senior Pastor, discipleship
& volunteer strategies,
branding/communications, growth strategies,
structure...those were all very
beneficial.” – Jason Stewart Worship
Programming & Communications for
LifePoint Church Nashville,
TN
“You will really enjoy the network.
Tony will give you all you need to prep for the sessions…..Tony is really open
to share about his experiences.
I think each topic was relevant – he always
has taken time with us to look at current ministry issues.” – Josh Whitehead
Executive Pastor for Faith Promise Church Knoxville, TN
“It has been a great experience being a
part of the network. It is an opportunity to hear what Tony has learned which is
a big part of the experience, but it’s also a great chance to learn from the
other people in the network…..As far as the sessions, they have all been very
appropriate for where I am as an executive pastor. I deal a lot with volunteers
so I think that was my favorite. My wife and I also worshiped at the Greenville
campus just before Christmas. It was good because it gave me a chance to
experience a lot of what Tony talked about.” – Jack Fisher
Finance/Communications Cornerstone United Methodist Auburn, AL

How to be a crappy husband

2009-02-13T14:40:00.005-05:00

This post by my pastor inspired this blog entry about how to really fail at being a husband.

Always put your own needs, comforts, and preferences ahead of your wife's. (in short: be selfish)
Never compliment your wife.
Never ask her about her day or show interest in her opinion.
Always answer her questions with short one-word answers.
Always make family decisions without her input.
Let your hobbies or job become more enticing than time with her.
Never give her your honest opinion when she asks for it. (there is a fine line with this one)
Ignore your responsibility to lead her spiritually. (this one should also be filed under: "How to be a disobedient child of God")

Starting on Monday, I will hit each bullet with some detail. I may even get personal.

In the meantime, visit http://www.iwantanewmarriage.com/

UPDATE: I'm suspending the detailed blog on this topic for now. I'll hit it again at a later date.

Google G-Drive....I'm ready for you.

2009-02-13T09:12:00.002-05:00

Considering that I have 9GB left on my Macbook Pro, I'd really like for Google to just go ahead and release the G-Drive. Yeah, I know...I could just dump some things on my external HD, but then I'd have to carry it around to access everything on it.

Ok...I don't need the G-drive....but I really want it. Google....Come on already!

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Google/?p=121

killing cockroaches

2009-02-11T16:58:00.002-05:00

I received an advanced copy of this new book by Tony Morgan. I'm pretty pumped about finishing it. So far I like the way it reads. It feels like many ideas compiled around one main theme...which is good for my short attention span. I'll be reviewing it here on BYGC when I'm finished.

In the meantime, you can purchase a copy here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805447857/tonymorgan-20

..and read some details about the book here:

http://tonymorganlive.com/book/

How can you help a new church?

2009-02-11T09:35:00.001-05:00

Pastor Bobby Williams has posted some of our needs for The Ridge as we are gearing up for launch in April. Please visit his blog to find out how you can help.

http://www.confessionsofaworshipper.com/2009/02/how-can-you-help-new-church-plant.html

Be encouraging

2009-02-10T17:49:00.002-05:00

This is a quickie..

Be encouraging. Every chance you get to offer someone personal encouragement, do it. Don't wait for the right opportunity. Just do it. The power of personal encouragement is HUGE. Whether it's by email, phone call, text, chat, tweet, facebook wall post, blog comment, or especially in person, encourage someone you know or don't know.

Do this daily.

Your personal encouragement can cause extreme amounts of positive change in someone's life. That could start a fire of encouragement that could spread in the lives of many.

Search frequently for the good in someone's life and encourage them to kindle it.

The Ridge has a new website!

2009-02-09T13:43:00.002-05:00

Thanks to the work put in by Pastor Bobby Williams and Factor 1 Studios, the new Ridge Community Church site is live!

Some elements are still under construction and will be updated soon. Keep checking back for the latest updates leading up to our launch this spring.

Check it out here http://www.ridgechurchonline.com/

Productivity

2009-02-06T09:53:00.003-05:00

This weekend is our first staff retreat/advance/meeting-out-of-town. The core team from The Ridge are getting away from it all in the mountains of Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge TN. This is a major event in the life of this church. We will be laying down the final blocks in our initial structure as we prepare to launch this spring.

I'm praying for my Pastor. He has a lot on his shoulders as our leader. He is working dilligently on flow charts and organizational structure. I've been praying that he will hear the voice of God and see the path for us with clarity as we set our cornerstones in place.

I expect this weekend to yield a level of productivity that we've yet to experience.

....in between the productivity though......we'll have this:

Caution: This may be too simple for you

2009-02-04T09:27:00.002-05:00

Have you ever seen warning signs that just seem like they’re unnecessary because there is obvious danger involved? Well, just because you may understand the risk involved doesn’t mean everyone will. The reason why those signs sometime seem like overkill is because the risk is too great to assume everyone knows about it.

When you communicate the message of Jesus to others, whether in person, on your blog, via Twitter or Facebook, are you making sure your message is clear enough for everyone to understand? Jesus had the capability of speaking way over everyone’s head, but instead he kept it simple and spoke with the voice of the common man because his message was too important for anyone to miss.

It’s worth the risk of sounding simple or uneducated to your peers when making sure your message is clear to everyone listening.

Just In Case you're new here

2009-02-03T11:10:00.002-05:00

Here's what the name Burn Your Grave Clothes is all about. There is also a link under my profile to this explanation as well.

http://www.burnyourgraveclothes.com/2008/11/whats-with-name-explained.html

Who's Driving Who?

2009-02-02T10:23:00.002-05:00

In today's culture it is important for the Church to embrace new technology as not only a valid way to spread the message of Jesus, but a powerful way as well. In doing so, we need to make sure our motives are pure and our philosophies drive our methods and not vice-versa.

In other words, we need to make sure we aren't justifying our actions with self-made philosophy in order to stay relevant in today's culture.

I have made a vow to never compromise the message of Jesus for the sake of following the latest technology trend. With that said, if the latest technology trend is the method that it takes to reach the next generation and most effectively deliver the message of Jesus, then by all means I will embrace it and use it to it's fullest potential.

This "Church 2.0" movement of God will always be about actual lives being changed and souls being saved.

If you are involved in this movement, make sure your philosophy, passions, and beliefs are driving your actions and your actions aren't requiring self-made justification.

The Wilderness of Church 2.0

2009-01-29T09:48:00.003-05:00

Nick Charalambous is the web campus pastor for NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC. Well, I guess if you’re a web campus pastor you’re not technically located in a specific location, but he lives in SC.

As I’ve started to develop what the web campus for The Ridge will look like, I have been learning from some amazing people who believe that the Internet can be used as a powerful tool to take Jesus to people who need Him. Leaders like Nick C & Tony Morgan from NewSpring and Tony Steward from Lifechurch have provided some great insight. Church online is relatively new and is changing frequently with the culture. I’m thankful that I have leaders like these guys holding the torch as we venture down an unpaved path called Church 2.0.

Nick recently posted a blog entry about preparing the way in the wilderness with church online. Since the web church concept differs greatly from the traditional physical church model, we really have no specific guide about the most effective way to reach as many people as possible online. Here is a conversation between Nick(ipiphanist) and I about grassroots advertising strategy for church online.

Chris Hill says:
January 22, 2009 at 7:22 am
Since web church is the wilderness that we’re walking through, there is no known good-better-best way to get people to show up. What has been NewSpring’s strategy for inviting people to the web campus in a couple weeks?

ipiphanist says:
January 22, 2009 at 10:43 am
Good question, Chris. So far, we’ve just been relying on the organic buzz that we can generate through NewSpring’s social network presence through staff like me, Tony Morgan, and the volunteers we are depending on at launch. That’s mostly intentional since we want to iron out any issues in the way we manage the services before drive people to the web campus with full force.
I haven’t discussed this without communications director exhaustively, but I would assume that we will communicate with our physical attenders to point friends and family to the web campus if they don’t live near physical campuses. We’ll explore some keyword advertising, too, very possibly. Do you have any ideas?

Chris Hill says:
January 23, 2009 at 10:52 am
Social media networks are definitely the best means. If we want to reach people through the web, we’ll have to find them there. Personally, I’m more likely to visit a website if provided a link through email, facebook, twitter, etc..more so than if I’m given a web address through traditional means of advertising.
I guess social media is the new “word of mouth” advertising.
Maybe we can discuss this topic more at Unleash.
I’m excited for this ministry and the unknown possibilities that web church has to offer.

The Ridge Needs Your Help

2009-01-28T13:34:00.002-05:00

The Ridge Community Church exists to awaken people to life in Christ and serve our community by helping others as much as we can. Now we need your help. We need someone to open their heart and open their doors so we can have a place to meet on Sunday mornings.

Starting tonight after dinner we are fasting and focusing our attention to prayer for this movement of God.

Right now, will you pray that we will find the right path to follow in starting this church? Will you pray that our doors of opportunity burst open and defy all odds? Will you pray that God does something so amazing through The Ridge that no one will be able to deny His work?

Thank you.