Weekly Rundown (01.30.2011)

• Great to be back on the ground in Georgia for another 4 days: seeing our boys, being at church, seeing the N. GA mountains ... priceless!


• January is always an interesting month.  Attendance is usually up (which it is) but giving is usually down (which it is). Crazy how that works as a type of "calendar conspiracy": new year of promise combined with fewer travel plans = higher attendance while the post-holiday budget is much tighter.
  
  
  
  • We continue to seek God's wisdom and favor over our church finances.  Our local economy is still depressed but we have a budget that reflects faith in God's economy as we seek to be even more generous as a congregation in the area of local and global missions.
  
  
  
  


• Next week we'll conclude the Faith Pirates series by discussing a very challenging subject: suffering and what it can do to faith.  This is obviously a very "raw" time and subject for my own family so I would appreciate the prayers.  Also, many of you know people who are suffering and struggling, this is a GREAT time to bring them to church with you ... and pray that they receive love and compassion!!


• Our staff is thinking through some great things about to simplify our process of communicating and connecting people into the life of our church and onto a path of spiritual growth.


• Had a great conference "skype" call this week with Jim Tomberlin.  Jim is one of the leading voices and experts in the multi-site movement in the American church.  He really helped us understand more about where we are as a multi-site church and how to continue thinking through the challenges and opportunities multi-site brings.  A few highlights:
  
  
  
  • Our multi-sites are doing well when compared to national averages.
  
  
  • Multi-site campuses have higher growth %'s than the original campuses.
  
  
  • Church mergers (two or more churches combining) is becoming more and more of a trend for a few reasons:
    
    
    
    • Some churches are stuck and in decline; being adopted into another church helps leverage resources and infuse health.
    
    
    • Churches are asking, "Could the kingdom advance farther and faster if we worked together?"
    
    
    • Churches are seeing themselves as part of God's kingdom as opposed to part of a denomination or an entity unto themselves.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Lots of churches will start 1 or 2 sites; the leadership challenge is the steepest when operating 4+ campuses. However, getting to 4+ or more campuses starts to create a "movement" effect where a church's impact for Christ goes beyond the local community and spreads into an entire region or state (or nation!).
  
  
  
  


• Beth continues to show remarkable progress!  Our boys are doing great (and in great hands ... thanks family!)!  We cannot thank you enough for your prayers, love, and support.