Calling Cautions (5)

Just did a little blog series on discovering your calling.

Thought it only fair to also do a short series with some cautions on your calling...

Once you've discovered your calling and get moving you're going to expect wind rushing through your hair, to be saying great quotes about how you were made for this and are feeling God's pleasure, to be seeing amazing results. And all of that may happen. But here's something even more likely: You will fall down. You will start moving, and then fall. And fall again. You'll be confused, "I thought God called me to do this? I thought I was made to do this? Why aren't I good at it? Why is it so unnatural for me?

The answer? It's new to you. Michael Jordon had some amazing innate abilities for basketball, but I bet he missed the first few shots he took when he was starting out. And if you volunteer for the first time in the children's ministry, or share your faith for the first time, or film and edit your first video, it's just going to go so great. That's something I like to call normal. 

Don't let falling down, failing, create doubt that this isn't really what you're supposed to do. And don't quit. No one starts out amazing. We all start out awkward. And then we get more comfortable, better, wind starts rushing through our hair, etc. But on the way to "I was made for this" you will fall down. It's normal.

Best/Worst States

A study was done recently statistically determining what each state is worst and best at. Here are some examples of what states are worst at:

• California:  Air pollution.
• Texas:  High school graduation.
• South Carolina:  Teacher salaries.
• Pennsylvania:  Arson.
• And my state of Nevada:  Crime. (Nice. Why can't we have "obesity" like Louisiana?)

 So here are some examples of what different states are best at:

• California: Safest for workers
• Texas:  Most wind power production
• South Carolina:  Best value University
• Pennsylvania:  Most hunters.
• And my state of Nevada:  Most liberalized prostitution laws. (Seriously?! That's what we're best at. This is the best character trait of our state? What the crap?!) (Help us Lord.)

VERVE Happs

This weekend I spoke at Revolution, who was one of the first churches to support Verve. Cool to spend time with them.

Since I was gone, Jake continued our A Life Worth Watching series. I am so grateful to have guys on staff who can teach God's Word in a way that's life-changing.

Last week we had a 2 day staff retreat with Will Mancini, leader of Auxano. He is a genius when it comes to churches having clarity about their mission and strategy. His coaching was invaluable and is going to lead to some subtle but critical changes at Verve that will really help people to grow, and really help our church to grow. For instance, the diagram below may not mean anything to you, but it's going to be huge for us...

Calling Cautions (4)

Just did a little blog series on discovering your calling.

Thought it only fair to also do a short series with some cautions on your calling...

Discovering your calling from God is a great thing ... or is it? It is, and we all want it, but there are some downsides. One of those is fear.

Last time we thought about how God doesn't Mapquest out the journey for us. He typically gets us moving in the right direction without showing us the destination. Well, that induces fear.

And God generally calls us to things that seem bigger than us, maybe even impossible. He does that because then it requires faith, but it also induces fear.

And what God calls us to do, it may not be normal. It may not be what others expect. It may not be what we've always done. And that can be a bit embarrassing. And it can also ... induce fear.

If you're not willing to stare down fear, don't even try to discover your calling. And if you get a calling that doesn't induce fear, at least consider the possibility that it may not actually be your calling.

Get Connected

In Click: The Magic of Instant Connections, Ori and Rom Brafman write, "... the single most important factor in determining whether or not you connect with another person is neither personality nor mutual interest - it is simple proximity."

They're speaking more of new connections, but the same would hold true in established relationships. So question: Who do you need to get close to and spend some time with to increase your connection? Your spouse? Kids? Employees?

What are you waiting for? Get connected...

The Power of a Podcast

There's a guy here in Vegas who heard about our church last March, but wasn't interested. He heard about us again around Christmas, and he was a bit interested, he felt he needed a change, needed something. But he didn't want church. He knew about churches, and no thanks. Still, he went to our website, and discovered we had a podcast. So he subscribed on iTunes.

He listened every week from Christmas till June. Finally, he felt comfortable enough to venture to Verve for a service. Afterwards I asked him if he felt comfortable. He said, "More than I even imagined." Not long after, he gave his life to Christ and got baptized.

And it all started with a podcast.

Molokai, Leper Island?

Kalaupapa is one of the beautiful parts of Molokai, which is one of the beautiful islands of Hawaii. A picturesque setting, that was once home to a leper colony. In the 1840's cases of leprosy started to break out in Hawaii, and the government segregated all with the disease to the Kalaupapa section of Molokai.

Father Damien was a priest serving in Hawaii when, in 1873, at the age of 33, he wrote his superiors, "I want to sacrifice myself for the poor lepers." They eventually said yes, he moved in, and for 16 years poured his life out serving them, loving them, burying them. He learned their language, organized schools, bands and choirs, built homes for them to live in, and coffins for them to be buried in. And he always spoke to them of the love of God.

He became one of them. He became a leper, not only metaphorically through his friendship to them, but eventually literally through the fact that he had caught the disease. One day he began his sermon with the words, "We lepers..." and everyone realized that they were now truly in it together. He had chosen to live as they lived, and now he would die as they died. And Father Damien did so at the age of 55.

And when he died? He became a deceased member of the Guerrilla Lover Hall of Fame.

Want to learn how to become a guerrilla lover? Join the guerrilla revolution? Then check out my book, Guerrilla Lovers.

this weekend @ VERVE

Waiting is a part of our lives.  The old commercials for Heinz ketchup said, "The anticipation is making me wait."  Tom Petty sang, "The waiting is the hardest part."  There have even been a few crappy movies called "Waiting."  Why all the waiting?  Is it because we need to learn the lesson of "delayed gratification"?  Is God a delayed gratification kind of God?  And what does any of this have to do with Living A Life Worth Watching?  You'll have to come this weekend to Verve to find out!

And ... if you come this weekend, you'll learn some things about my past that you'd never know!

And ... well, there will be more, just show up and you'll find it all out...

Calling Cautions (3)

Just did a little blog series on discovering your calling.

Thought it only fair to also do a short series with some cautions on your calling...

When we start to discover our calling, part of the problem is that typically we only start to discover our calling. What I mean is that God doesn't give us a complete picture. Last time I mentioned Abraham - God called Abraham to leave his home and go, but didn't tell him where he was going! That's a very incomplete picture! How do you GPS that one?

In the same way, God may tell you how to get moving towards your calling, without showing you where the trip is going to take you. Why? I don't know, but maybe because then it takes faith, and because it requires us to stay dependent on God.

Video Update for Supporters

3 minute video giving our supporters around the world a quick update:

Mancini Day

Our staff is spending the day with Will Mancini today, and that makes me very excited.

I consider Will to be one of the sharpest guys out there, and at the very top when it comes to church consultants. And his book, Church Unique, is perhaps the book I recommend most often to church planters and pastors.

Will has an amazing combination of big picture thinking AND drilling down into the details. And I LOVE his focus on church's finding their unique vision from God rather than a carbon copy vision from some other church.

Can't wait to learn from him and have him take our staff to the next level in vision clarity!

VERVE Happs

Fun week at Verve.

We continued our brand new A Life Worth Watching series in which we're studying the life of Abraham to learn how to live a life of faith.

We're used to having a consistent worship leader, but with Robb leaving we're going to have a little variety this Summer, and then (the plan is to) get back to more consistency towards Fall. This week one of our Monday night Ververs, Zac, led and he killed it.

We're talking about how we spend a lot our lives watching the lives of others, and this week we talked how one of the ways we watch the lives of others is through Twitter. We had a video of Verve kids reading some of the inane tweets of celebrities. Hysterical. Check it out:

Vince Recommends...

So, unfortunately, I've got a sweet tooth and enjoy desserts. And if you told me that I would travel to a country that doesn't have cake or cookies or ice cream or brownies for dessert, I would be disappointed. But I have spent quite a bit of time in two countries that don't have any of those for dessert, but I was not disappointed. Why? Because in Laos and Vietnam, dessert is often ... mangoes. It's freakin' genius! Over the long run, there is no way America can keep up with nations smart enough to make mango their normal dessert. And if I ever move out of this country, I guarantee you it will be to a mango for dessert nation.

Why? Because I like mangoes, I love mangoes, I am passionate about mangoes, I am obsessed with mangoes. And if you've ever had a perfectly ripe mango, you know why. It's the greatest taste God created. Period. Like when God was creating perfect things, He thought of Jesus' life on earth, the distance between home plate and first base, and mangoes.

Vivalamango.

And you're welcome.

Moment of Truth

A few weeks back I did a message on "Red Light - Green Light" and talked about areas of our life that we ignore and let get out of control. As I prepared for it I faced the obvious truth that this is what I've done with my own physical fitness. I made a commitment to myself (and even announced it to my church) that I would start exercising, change my eating habits, and lose weight.

It's been working.  Nothing radical, but I've been working out and eating healthier at least five or six days a week, and I've dropped a few pounds.

But this week I went away. I was in Michigan meeting with my book publisher. Now I'm back. And it's the moment of truth. I lost the habit I've created and it's so easy to not get back in it. So I have to decide: Was that a fad in my life, or is this a new lifelong habit?

When do you face the moment of truth? What critical habits are you trying to create (reading the Bible?, being generous in giving?, date nights with your spouse?), and what is it that interrupts the habit (a vacation? some unforeseen expenses? summer break?) and makes you tempted to never reestablish it?

It's our habits (the healthy commitments we've decided to keep) that get us where we need to go. So don't stop! (And pray that I don't either!)

Cupcake Girls On The Net

One of the coolest things happening at Verve is The Cupcake Girls, a ministry to the people who work in and around Las Vegas' strip clubs and brothels.  Cool news: They now have a website!  You can check it out here.

this weekend @ VERVE

What does a mercenary mission and action-adventure movies have to do with you, and helping you make the transition from a life voyeur to a life voyager?

Can you really get to the point where you don't have to live vicariously through watching the lives of others, but instead can live such an exciting life that it's actually worth watching?

Want to find out?

Be at Verve this Sunday morning or Monday evening!

Calling Cautions (2)

Just did a little blog series on discovering your calling.

Thought it only fair to also do a short series with some cautions on your calling...

God's calling on our life typically includes a promise. It may be a promise you're aware of, or perhaps not. For example, Abraham. When God calls Abraham to leave his home, He promises to bless him and give him descendents who will be His people.

And that's cool. Who doesn't want a promise from God? But here's the caution: We often have to wait to experience the promise. Sometimes it's a long wait. Like God promises Abraham descendents, and Abe and his wife probably got busy, then ran to the store to get the home pregnancy test. But it came back negative. And she didn't get pregnant the next day either, or the next week, or month, or year. It's years later that God delivers on His promise. Why? I don't know, but God does.

And you may have to wait for years before getting going on your calling. Or you may start immediately, but toil in obscurity without seeing results for decades. You may even forget the promise. But God won't. So answer the call, stay faithful, and wait expectantly.

Coming to Vegas?

If you're coming to Las Vegas, here are a bunch of things to do.  Most I've done, and a few I haven't yet but come highly recommended:

You may want to walk through some of the casino's.  Here are some options:

• The classic Vegas casino's worth seeing:  (1) Caesar's Palace,  (2) MGM Grand
• Classy new-ish casino's:  (1) Wynn,  (2) Bellagio
• To be transported somewhere else:  (1) The Venetian,  (2) Paris,  (3) New York - New York
• My personal favorites: (1) The Cosmopolitan,  (2) The Palazzo,  (3) The Aria

Great free entertainment:

1. The Bellagio Fountains.  (Go between 8 pm and midnight when the show happens every 15 minutes, and stay for at least two, as they're all different).
2. The Fremont Street Experience.  (The most visited attraction in Vegas. Go at night and be there on the hour for "Viva Vision,"a sound and light show on the ceiling which is pretty cool.)
3. Red Rock Canyon. (If you like the beauty of nature or hiking, Red Rock is amazing. And if you're not from the West Coast, you've probably never seen anything like it.)
4. The Bellagio Conservatory.  (A phenomenal state-of-the-art indoor botanical garden.)
5. The Zappos Tour.  (Zappos has quite a unique and fun work culture, and they give a free tour where you get to experience it. It's worth it.)

 Great expensive entertainment:

1. The Cirque (or Cirque like) Shows, like:  (1) O,  (2) Mystere,  (3) Ka,  (4) Le Reve
2. Fun, more family oriented shows, like:  (1) Blue Man Group,  (2) The Lion King,  (3) Phantom
3. Shows for the closer to AARP crowd:  (1) Jersey Boys,  (2) Celine,  (3) Barry Manilow

Great food:

1. Buffets:  (1) Rio,  (2) Bellagio,  (3) Wynn,  (4) Aria
   
2. On the Strip: There are so many choices, and it's hard to go wrong, but you're going to pay.
   
3. Off the Strip: (1) Hash House A GoGo,  (2) Hot N Juicy Crawfish,  (3) Lotus of Siam (for Thai),  (4) Chicken Bonz, for all-you-can-eat chicken wings,  (5) China Mama (for Chinese, especially soup dumplings)
4. Desserts:  (1) RM Seafood for the Rick Moonen Ice Cream Challenge (you will have fun!), (2) Max Brenner's, for chocolate (at the Forum Shops in Caesar's),  (3) The Pepper Mill for a colossal banana split,  (4) Du-Par's Restaurant & Bakery, for pie (at the Golden Gate on Fremont)

And ... when you see the billions and billions of dollars spent on Las Vegas, be smart enough to realize that what paid for all that is money left behind by gamblers who were sure they would get rich. You don't need to make the same mistake...

VERVE Happs

This was a wow weekend.

We had our highest attendance Sunday morning attendance (other than Easter) in over a year, even though it was the first week of summer. (And yes, we do count. Why? Because every person in the total is someone who matters to God. And because it helps us to see what God is doing at Verve. And because over the years it will allow us to see trends in our growth.)


We had a great mission team here to help us from Palm Valley Church in Phoenix. (And, no, we didn't count them and so they aren't the reason our attendance was up. We subtract out from our attendance any groups who are visiting from out-of-town. Why? Because some churches count not because the individuals matter and to see what God is doing and to track trends, but because they want to show off their success and make themselves look good. But it doesn't honor God when you mislead people about the size of your church for your ego's sake. So we try to be careful to not exaggerate our numbers.)

We had 12 people give their lives to Christ in baptism!! (We had 14 baptisms in May, now 12 in June, and already it looks like another 5 coming in the next two weeks. How cool is that?!?) (And, by the way, as far as "decisions" - I know some churches count hands raised, or cards signed, but we only count baptisms. Why? Well, in the Bible, we don't see hands raised being counted, or sinner's prayers prayed, or cards signed. The only decisions counted were baptisms. And it's just too easy to raise your hand - baptism is the big step and it's not an easy one. And if you're counting hands raised, how do you know you don't end up counting some people multiple times?)

And, we did our first ever Snow Cone Sunday and Mayhem Monday. (And we know you can't beat that crap.)

Calling Cautions (1)

Just did a little blog series on discovering your calling.

Thought it only fair to also do a short series with some cautions on your calling...

Romans 12 tells us that God's will for our lives is "good, pleasing, and perfect." And that's true, but we don't want to romanticize it. It doesn't necessarily mean wealth, status, security, great benefits, endless happiness. In fact, basically every person in the Bible who discovers their calling from God ... doesn't want it. Read the stories of Moses, Gideon, Jeremiah... They didn't want it, but said yes because it was from God. And they found out that God's will was good, pleasing and perfect. But it was also difficult, draining, and sometimes depressing.

That may sound like a contradiction, but it's not. In fact, it's the story of my calling. What God has asked me to do is good, pleasing, perfect, and difficult, draining, and depressing. And I wouldn't choose anything else. Because there is great reward and comfort in knowing you're doing what God made you do to. That you've heard God's voice, and you've said yes.

Ten Cities

Saw Tony Morgan blog recently about the top ten American cities he'd like to visit and it got me thinking. I'm fortunate enough that I've been to a lot of the great one's - New York, L.A., Chicago, San Francisco, Austin, San Diego, Washington D.C., Philly, Boston, Baltimore, Phoenix, Savannah, Atlanta, Dallas, Kansas City, Nashville, Memphis, Denver, Salt Lake City. But here are ten cities I've never been to, but hope to:

1. New Orleans, LA  -  I've love to check out all the culture and eat a ton of food. And someday I'd like to train someone to start a church on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter.
2. Honolulu, HI  -  Okay, I'd settle for anywhere in Hawaii. Maybe someday...
3. Seattle, WA  -  We're hoping to do a northwest trip for our family vacation next summer, so Seattle may be coming soon.
4. Portland, OR  -  Hoping to hit Portland on the same trip as Seattle.
5. Miami, FL  -  I was actually born in Miami, and though I partly grew up in Florida, I haven't taken my talents to South Beach since I was born.
6. The Keys, FL  -  I know that "The Keys" is not a city, but I'm grouping it all together and saying I'd like to get down there and eat some Key Lime Pie.
7. Jackson Hole, WY  -  Looks beautiful, and if it's good enough for all the celebrities to live in, it's good enough for me to visit...
8. Minneapolis, MN  - I hate the cold, but seems like a great city with a cool arts community.
9. Anchorage, AL  -  Again, hate cold, but it would be cool to visit, especially when it's dark or light all day...
10. Bend, OR  -  Also planning on getting to on the northwest trip...

this weekend @ VERVE

We are starting a new series: A Life Worth Watching, in which we'll check out the story of Abraham in the Bible, and learn how living a life of faith can take us from watching the lives of others to living a life worth watching.

We're doing baptisms on Sunday morning (at about 12:45) and Monday evening (about 8:15). Be there to celebrate with us!

It's (our first ever) Snow Cone Sunday and Mayhem Monday!  To kick off summer, we're giving out snow cones on Sunday after the second service, and going out to eat Monday night - join us, it's gonna be fun!

Living In The Tension: Decision vs. Process

When you do church for people who don't like church, joining Jesus on His mission of helping people who are far from God get close to Him, there are all kinds of tensions you live in and have to embrace.

There are some churches who are always pushing people to make decisions. They offer invitations at every service, every event, and sometimes do altar calls in the men's bathroom. And I understand that. We desperately want people to experience the love of God, and the full life of following Jesus. (Though, honestly, for some of these churches there may be some wrong motives, such as an obsession with numbers, driving them to get people to make decisions.)


There are other churches that don't push decisions and apply very little pressure. And I understand that as well. Perhaps they don't want anyone to make a premature decision, or one based purely on emotion. They probably understand that for most people coming to Christ is a long process, and this person may not be at the point of decision yet. (Or, honestly, it could be that they lack passion for God or for people, and feel no sense of urgency to connect people with God.)

So what's the right approach? Well, both. If we don't respect the process, we're ignoring reality and can hurt what God's trying to do in this person's life. And if we don't (respectfully) push for decisions, people may never make the decisions they need to make. Living in this tension is an art form, and it's one churches need to master.

Discover Your Calling (6)

One of the saddest things I encounter is a person without a life passion. 

And one of the most exciting things I get to do is help people 

discover their calling from God and start to live it out.

Thought I'd do a few posts on how to discover your calling...

How do you discover your calling? We've talked about a bunch of "heady" techniques, but here's a more practical one:  Experiment. Bob Buford, author of Halftime, suggests doing "low cost probes." Basically, it's finding ways to try a new "calling" on for size, without giving up your day job.

So perhaps you're feeling called to becoming a teacher. Well, volunteer to teach in your church's kid's ministry and see if it feels right. Thinking God might want you to become a missionary? First go on a mission trip or two.

 If you have an idea about what your calling might be, what low cost probes would allow you to kick the tires before you buy the car?

WeinerGate

I hate it when people self-destruct and bring pain not only to themselves but others.  Like I seriously hate it.

But I have to be honest: I love it that when I look at internet news sites I see the title, "Weiner Gate."  My ten-year-old self would have paid $10 if you told him it would mean someday there would be a Weiner Gate.

And today?  I would have paid $1,000.

VERVE Happs

This week we concluded our Games People Play series with "Hide and Seek." We used to play it, but perhaps we still do. We talked about how we hide from God - in our supposed intellectualism, our busyness, in our good works, and some even hide from God in church. But God continues to seek us, because He wants relationship with us.

We had a bunch of people make decisions to start a relationship with God, and they'll be getting baptized this upcoming Sunday morning and Monday night.  It's gonna be awesome!

To celebrate the beginning of summer, we're also doing "Snow Cone Sunday" and "Mayhem Monday" this week - on Sunday we're giving Snow Cones on the way out, and on Monday we're hoping to have a big group go out to eat after our service.

Vince Recommends...

Decided to keep with my last "Vince Recommends" theme, where I suggested you read or watch Conan O'Brien's commencement speech at Harvard.

I'm gonna stick with Team CoCo again this week, suggesting that if you're into being creative and the creative process, you read this article.

You're welcome.

Vault is Coming!

We are only about four months away from Vault! Vault is the conference we put on for church leaders who want to be equipped to reach people who don't like church. Most churches attract church hoppers and church shoppers, so how do we bring in, and keep, and see life change in the lives of people who don't like church and have no interest in going.

We'll talk about it. We'll share what we've learned at Verve. And John Burke will share what he's learned at Gateway in Austin. And one of the cool things is that we intentionally keep the attendance down to about 100 people, so you'll have a chance to interact with the speakers and with others at the conference. In fact, we do several things that you'll love, and which would be impossible at a bigger conference.

But because we only allow about one hundred, you need to register soon. Once we hit our max, we truly will say no to people, so register now. (The whole thing is only $125, and we provide three of your meals! And we also can get you into a hotel here in Vegas for under $40!)

Discover Your Calling (5)

One of the saddest things I encounter is a person without a life passion. 

And one of the most exciting things I get to do is help people 

discover their calling from God and start to live it out.

Thought I'd do a few posts on how to discover your calling...

Parker Palmer has a great little book called Let Your Life Speak, which is all about discovering your calling. Palmer tells the story of a time when he was offered a job he planned on taking. But he comes from a Quaker background and the Quakers have a tradition called a "Clearness Committee," where when a person is faced with a decision having to do with their calling, they meet with a few wise friends. The friends ask a series of questions designed to help discern whether this new job is truly a part of God's calling on that person's life.

Well, I don't know much about Quakers beyond oatmeal, but I like this idea. The Bible teaches us that we are incredible at self-deception, and that there is wisdom in many counselors. So if you're trying to discover your calling, one way to do it is to ask. E-mail a bunch of friends and ask them what they think. Or bring together a small group of wise people who know you well, give out some rice cakes, and ask them to ask you a bunch of questions.

Other people probably see things about you that you don't see about you.

this weekend @ VERVE

What are you hiding?  
Who you really are? A secret sin? Your pain? Your life?

Why are you hiding it?   
Fear? Embarrassment? Don't know what else to do?

And where are you hiding?
In your good works? In your sarcasm? In your hard outer shell?

You can know the answer to those questions, if you choose to be honest with yourself. But here's something you may not know:
Who is seeking you?

This weekend at Verve we'll try to answer those questions as we continue our Games People Play series with HIDE AND SEEK.

Living In The Tension: Attractional vs. Missional

When you do church for people who don't like church, joining Jesus on His mission of helping people who are far from God get close to Him, there are all kinds of tensions you live in and have to embrace.

Some people argue that the way to reach people who are far from God is to be attractional. The idea being that we need to attract non-Christians to our building, through our church services or other programs, and from there we can try to lead them to Jesus. 

Others argue that the way to do is by being missional. That we need to send out the Christians from our building, to serve the community and build relationships, and out there we can try to lead them to Jesus. 

So what's the best way? It's living in the tension. It's and. Every non-Christian God wants us to reach is not the same. And every Christian God wants to use to reach them is not the same. And so we need to do both. If we choose just one, we lose the effectiveness of some of our Christians who just aren't the "attractional" or "missional" type, and we lose some of the people we could've reached but just won't be reached in an attractional or missional way.

Discover Your Calling (4)

One of the saddest things I encounter is a person without a life passion. 

And one of the most exciting things I get to do is help people 

discover their calling from God and start to live it out.

Thought I'd do a few posts on how to discover your calling...

In Romans 12, the Bible says to "offer your bodies as living sacrifices" and to not "conform any longer to the pattern of this world" - basically instructing us to be obedient to God. Next it says, "Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will" and goes on to talk about how God's people are like a body in that we each have a unique part to play, and God provides us the talents to do what He's made us to do.

So what we learn is that a key to discovering our calling is ... obedience. And it makes sense, doesn't it? So many people are asking God, "What's your purpose for me?" but aren't being obedient to God in what they do know. So if you're God, why give someone new information, when they're not acting on the information they already have?

It's when we're obedient to God and really offer our lives to Him that we put ourselves in a place where He can reveal and we can discover our calling.