5 Things I'd Like COC Metro To Know

Pastor Brad listed 10 things he'd like to say to COC Metro on his blog. You can read his list here: www.brad-wilkerson.com. Since he's about half my size I think I'll give half a list. So here are the top 5 things I'd like COC Metro to know:

1. Your Lead Pastor is a man of integrity. Quite frankly it's easy to be a nice guy; it's relatively easy to develop and deliver a good message every week; it's easy to care for folks. It's absolutely not easy to lead a life of impeccable integrity. And that's what you have in your Pastor. He's better than most at all these things (nice guy, good preacher, etc.). But he's definitely way above the crowd when it comes to living a life of integrity.

2. The vision of COC Metro is very narrow, but opens the door to the entire world. We're here simply to tell folks about Jesus. We come up with various and creative ways to deliver that message, but it all comes back to that singular focus.

3. Our volunteers are extraordinary. Did you know that on average less than 20% of people in churches volunteer their time to ministries in their church? At COC the number is around 50%. We've got a long way to go, but we're already breaking the mold!!

4. We will do whatever it takes to reach people for Christ. If that means we need to have 7 services on a weekend then we'll do it. There is no obstacle that can keep us from our calling and duty.

5. We've got "it". What is "it"? "It" is the intangible feeling you get when you walk in the door at COC. It's that sense of "Something is different about this place. These people are nuts for Jesus." You can't create "it". You can't replicate "it". All you can do is hope to keep "it" and that's exactly what we intend to do.

There -- that's 5 things which is half as many as Pastor Brad. But like I said, he's half my size so somehow the math works itself out I think.

Gotcha Day

Today is our family's Gotcha Day. It's the day that a Dallas County judge officially named our little boy Clay Mitchell Blankenship. I'll never forget August 25, 2006. Nearly two years of constant stress, pressure, government red-tape and prayer culminated with one swift swing of the gavel.

Now we have an unbreakable bond with Clay. I think we had that bond before the judge did her thing, but to have an official piece of paper from the great state of Texas letting us know that it's simply not possible for anyone to break our bond. That little boy is extremely special to us.

I'm keeping it short this week but will share with you a great picture I took of the boy last weekend. We had a Clay & Daddy night since Mommy was off partying with the ladies of COC Metro. Have a great week! I know we'll have a great Gotcha Day.

Growing Up

Things are growing up all around me. My son started Kindergarten this week. That was tougher than I ever imagined it would be. It's one of many milestones he'll cross in the coming years. Yet this one seemed special. All the emotions and hard work from the past few years of investing so much love in him seemed to reach a pinnacle as he walked through his classroom door for the first time. He sat right down and began working on the task in front of him. He is indeed growing.

We're in the middle of a message series called "Deep" at COC. The goal of the series is to help us all grow up in our relationships with Christ. That sounds a lot easier to accomplish than it really is. Real life change is required. It's not just about attending church on Sundays. It's all about our lifestyles the rest of the week.

Mandy and I are growing up a bit too. We're diligently working towards establishing a new routine in our household. If you could see our weekly schedules you'd say there's no way a routine can be established. Maybe you'd be right, but we're going to give it our best shot for our family's sake.

Among all these things I'm taking Pastor Brad's 3 hour challenge as well. For those of you that missed his message last week he challenged us to worship, grow and serve one hour each more a week than we already do. Usually a challenge like that has a very noticeable payoff so I'm eagerly anticipating God moving in my life.

In all this "growing up" going on around me it's important to realize that if something doesn't continue to grow it will surely die. It's tough. Real tough. Yet it is so worth it. I encourage you to do a little self-examination and figure out where you can "grow up" as well.

Deep

We start a new series at COC this week called "Deep." Pastor Brad when into some details on his blog...so I'm going to steal it again:

I remember in summer of 2005, my son Ryder, who is now 11, put on his first little T Ball uniform and ventured out into the great field of dreams of being a MLB baseball player someday. Lets just put it kindly, it was ugly. As a matter of fact, for a Dad who was a pretty good baseball player back in his day, it was a little frustrating. But I knew was some great coaching, from me of course, he'd soon be well on his way to the majors! He did begin to improve and to this day continues to become a more skilled player and a pretty tough little second baseman. I tell you this story to lead into another story about another little boy that was on that first little T Ball team. I'll not mention names so that I can protect the innocent. But, here is the deal, this was the kid that pushed every button a coach had and little drove you to the brink of nuts. Sweet boy, but just had a mind of his own that moved to the beat of a different drum. So here's the deal; this little boy would walk up to the plate and take 2 to 3 minutes before he'd hit the ball of the tee. The whole time he was practicing his aim. Aiming the bat for the ball and of course aiming the direction he wanted the ball to go. To say the least, his pre hit routine wore all of us out. The funniest thing would happen every time the kid would finally swing. You got it, he'd miss the ball all together and hit the portion of the tee right under where the ball sits. He'd literally move the ball off the tee only two feet in front of home plate, causing himself to get thrown out at first the majority of the time. The moral of this story is simply this, we knew then that this kid was really gonna struggle in the years to come when the ball was coming 40 to 45 mph in kid pitch. If he couldn't hit the ball when it was standing still, wow, what was he going to do when it actually began to move towards him?

Our spiritual journey with God is very similar to this kid. I meet, know and minister to people everyday who cannot even hit the ball off the tee but they'll tell me and even front that they are ready for any curve ball that might come their way. The truth is, they are not ready. I know because I minister to them everyday. People who's faith and commitment to God waivers every time a struggle or storm comes their way. I hear things like, "Well Pastor, you have changed." Pastor, "The church has changed. Since we have grown so much, you just don't have time for me the way you used to." "Pastor, I cannot make it through this storm, it is too overwhelming, so I am going to cash out and quit." Simply said, people trying to hit a 90 mph fastball who never learned to hit the ball off the tee.

I am daily amazed at this young generation of couples who struggle with the curve balls of life. Life is not easy people, it is hard. I see people everyday who get themselves into marriages, having children, financial ruin and life destroying habits and then want some incredible guidance to get them out of the mess they are in only to bail if the remedy doesn't work. As a Pastor committed to reach this generation with the life changing message of Jesus Christ, I say, "Enough is enough. It is time to put up or shut up...if you know what I mean!"

So this week, I am starting a new message series called DEEP. It's time to check the depth of your spiritual life and if it is shallow (an inch thick) make the changes needed, so that you can stand when the curve balls of life come your way. By they way, the question is not, "Will curve balls come...but rather When curve balls come." They will come and if you are shallow in your walk with God, you'll cash out every time. COC Metro hasn't cashed out on you, Jesus didn't cash out on you...don't cash out on Him and His church.

"It's Time". TIme to stop striking out, even if that means going back to tee ball and learning how to hit the ball off the tee again. How deep you willing to go. Remember Jesus went all the way for you...a commitment like that deserve a response from us...and might I add, a MATURE response.

Going Fishing

I hate fishing.

I can't think of one element of the entire fishing experience that I enjoy. I don't understand all the equipment; I don't know what kind of fish lives in any particular spot; it's usually brutally hot; it's always slow; I don't like the taste of fish; I'm fairly certain I'd injure myself somehow with a hook or a fish tooth or something.

So I hate it. I know it's not polite or good to say you "hate" something -- I don't care. I absolutely hate it.

Yet on Saturday I'm going to take Clay to a great fishing hole. Where is it? It's at Savannah Elementary School. You see I'm registering Clay for the upcoming Upward Flag Football season. Jesus told us we're to be fishers of men. Now that's the kind of fishing I enjoy. I do understand the equipment; I know where we'll live if we get hooked; it'll be brutally hot if we DON'T fish for men, etc. Those are all good things.

Upward is a fantastic tool not only for adults to learn how to fish for men as Jesus commanded, but it's a great tool for kids to develop a Christ-like attitude and learn about their Savior as well. In turn they will become fishers of men.

Want to go fishing with me? Then bring your kid out to Savannah Elementary on Saturday anywhere between 2PM - 4PM. There's room for football players and cheerleaders.

I'll see you at the fishing hole!

Tour's End

The Blankenship World Tour has finally come to an end. Somehow my family was all over the southeastern United States most of July. At any one time one or more of us were in Little Rock, Jacksonville, Nashville or Aubrey, TX. That's a lot of Cracker Barrel eating, interstate driving, hotel staying, airline fighting days packed into a relatively short amount of time. Needless to say I'm very glad we're all safely back home in TX.

Joni Mitchell sang a song called "Big Yellow Taxi" where she said "you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone" and she was right!! For most of the Blankenship World Tour I was at home, alone. I didn't have the constant begging for attention from an energetic 5 year old. I didn't have my wife to talk to whenever I wanted and couldn't see her everyday. I missed both of them terribly. But now all is back to normal. And you know what? As much as we all complain about "normal" I'm here to tell you that it's a great thing.

Don't ever take for granted your "normal" if it involves being around your family every single day. Sure they'll drive you crazy from time to time. Yes, there will be conflicts. There will be difficult times. But the craziness, conflicts and difficult times come with or without your family there beside you. I assure you that they are easier to manage WITH family.

Let me encourage you to take a few minutes today and thank God for your family. Then, when you're done with that, go tell your family how much you love them. I'll wager that the craziness will temporarily subside, the conflict will seemingly disappear, and the difficult time will get just a touch easier.

R-O-U-N-D-U-P

CCity Roundup is here! What a blast!! Pastor Brad really did sum it up best this week. So I'm going to "borrow" his blog (www.brad-wilkerson.com):

Luke 18:16 says, "But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

In the fall of 07 when plans were being made for a new church on the 380 Corridor called, Church of Celebration Metro (COC Metro), our leadership was 100% committed to the vision of reaching into the heart of our communities through the heart of the children of our communities. With a vision like that, you have to have not only a great Children's Pastor but an entire TEAM of people (CHURCH) who buy into that Children's Pastor's vision, dreams and plans. That is the very exact thing that has transpired at COC Metro and as a result we are reaching our communities by reaching out to the heart of the kids of our community. I am so proud this week to be the Lead Pastor of a church that would just get stupid, crazy for four nights and produce a Bible Club called CCity Roundup. Believe me, I have seen tons of Bible Clubs & VBS's, and this one is the best ever. From the leadership of Brian and Amy Holt, to the group leaders, game time directors, drama team, production team, clean up crew, snack team and those who just simply welcome people every night and get kids registered it is amazing. With a team and a vision like this, the only limitation we have to fulfill our dreams and visions are the limitations we put on ourselves. We are only scratching the surface of what we can do but we are certainly scratching hard. Keep it up TEAM...Keep it up CHURCH...Keep it up STAFF....Keep it up Pastor.

I have a crazy thought process sometimes, but I just think God was smiling when He watched the attached video of CCity Roundup take place in Living Color. Hope you enjoy as well.