15 years

Last night we celebrated as a church what God has done at NorthStar over the past 15 years!!  Hard to believe that much time has passed and so much as happened.  15 years ago….I was 27, Anne was 7 months pregnant with Mary-Michal and Casey was two.  Today, I am a quickly graying 42 year old, Anne is (Not pregnant), Casey is 17 and a senior in HS and Mary-Michal is 14 and a high school freshman. We have seen thousands of lives changed, tons of churches planted, lots of good days in families lives and lots of dark days as well.  I am so thankful that long before we thought of NorthStar, it was already on God’s agenda.  I am so thankful that there was a group of people praying for a church like NorthStar, long before we ever had our first service!   We are so blessed and I am so thankful!  So thankful that our staff, who could be anywhere in the world leading, have chosen to stand and lead with me at NorthStar!

My children have never known another church and they absolutely love church and think it is the greatest place in the world!  Anne & I have our closest friends in the world there sitting beside us every weekend……NorthStar is not where I work & serve….it is my family!!!  So thankful for the last 15 and so looking forward to the next 15!

 

Rearview Mirror

• We will wrap up our “Hello my name is series’ this week……it’s been a blast the past few weeks introducing who we are as a church and why we do the things that we do!
• As sad as I am to see summer come to a close – I love the energy that fall brings and all the people that start getting reconnected back to church after summer!
• Absolutely – the best summer ever!  So much incredible stuff happened for the kingdom!
• Worked with our NStar coaches yesterday on doing some “tweaking” of how we do staff meetings to make them more impactful and helping keep us on mission!  Can’t wait for Sept!
• Fall baseball is back in full swing – games start next week.  Last run with this with Casey & I on the field together….bittersweet….
• Football cranks up friday night for the Bucs…start a new series with the team on the life of David…..so many great lessons from this incredible leader!
• Almost 2 weeks in the book of school for Casey & Mary-Michal….so proud of them for “who they are”!  Anne & I are so blessed to have them as our kids!
• Anne is back to work full-time after 14 years at home helping the kids grown up and become who they are!  A little sad that part of our life is over….we have loved every minute of it!
• So many great things ahead this fall!

Rearview Mirror

• The craziest few weeks I can remember have come to a close……
• It has been an unreal summer at NStar!  Right at 100 signed up for our lake baptism on July 31…..always the highlight of my summer!  Can’t wait for that night!  Celebrating everyone’s “declaration” is awesome!
• Great series “Hello, My name is” about who we are as a church!  I was able to slip in church on sunday to the True North room and watch on the screen….Marlon knocked it out – talking about our passion for compassion!  I hear Brad killed it as well at the Dallas campus!
• We may not do a lot of things right – but you cannot go wrong when you give back to the community!
• This past Sunday was “Back-pack” sunday – helping buy back-packs for foster kids before school starts…can’t wait to hear how it all came in!
• Got a letter last week letting me know that NStar gave over 4200 pairs of shoes for “Souls for Soles” Sunday in June!
• Wrapped up our Georgia Sox baseball season….finished 9-5-1.  Won the final two tournaments we were in – so proud of these guys!  Started 0-5 and then reeled off 9 wins with 1 tie!  Hard to believe that I am coming to the end of coaching Casey….time has gone too quick!
• Had a blast having my college buddies son living with us – great kid and great ball-player!  Enjoyed Tee so much!
• Looking forward to getting away & unwinding a little!  Need to some time to get my feet under me…….!
• Started working today on my football devotions for the fall….last year did the life of Joshua….this year is going to be solid as well!  Can’t wait to get it all together….hard to believe that this may be the only scripture some of these young men ever hear!
• Started the book “Fearless” by Lucado…..enjoying the first few chapters so much!

Rearview Mirror

• This past Sunday may have been one of the most unforgettable days in the history of NorthStar!  We concluded our “Greater Than” series with (Greater Than – sickness)….Seeing the altar full of those battling:  cancer, MS, muscular dystrophy, heart conditions and seeing them give over their “fears for faith”…..WOW…a sight I will never forget!
• He can HEAL here if HE chooses…but if you are a child of His, you will be healed either HERE or THERE!  “To live is Christ – to die is GAIN”
• The Worship team in all of our venues sang “Healing is in your hands” over those praying…..solid!  My inbox on facebook and nstar e-mail has been flooded with stories of those that left their fears at the altar yesterday!
• Greater Than was a solid series out Mark 4 & 5…..good stuff!  He is:  Greater Than our:  storms, evil, death & sickness!!
• LEAP week for our students is this week  - they worship on campus in the AM and then serve in the community all afternoon….HUGE week building bridges in our community….

• Mary-Michal is at LEAP this week….so proud of her servants heart!!!
• Casey is winding up the Allatoona Summer Season and will start Saturday with the Georgia Sox in the 18u Perfect Game
• We are having one of my old college teammates sons come to stay with us for a few weeks and play on our summer team – so excited to have him with us!  His dad is one absolutely one of the finest men I have ever met!  He is coming on Thursday!
• Anne & I were able to get away (no baseball) on Friday and eat at a great spot in ATL…”No Mas Cantina”….it was a great new spot to find!  So fun to spend time with my favorite person in the world!
• So excited about our future here at NStar!!  Some exciting things in store!!!

Leadership Lessons learned from John Schuerholz

Casey & I were blessed this past week to spend an hour of time with the President of the Atlanta Braves, John Schuerholz.  I had met Mr. Schuerholz twice in the past few months, at a business luncheon and a funeral.  I had told him that my son thought he might want to get into front office baseball work and he said he would be glad to spend some time with us and answer any questions that Casey might have.  Here are a few lessons I learned from maybe the greatest general manager that baseball has ever known….these are not things he necessarily said but things I took away from the meeting:

• Study what you do constantly…..As Mr. Schuerholz spoke throughout the meeting – I could tell he knows as much about the game today as he did when was a GM
• Don’t forget how you started…..He, many times while meeting, told Casey that he remembered what it was like to break in to baseball and he had not forgotten how many breaks he had to get where he is today
• When you have a dream pursue it…..Schuerholz was an 8th grade teacher when he wrote a letter to the team president of the Orioles about wanting to get in to baseball.
• God’s hand plays a huge role in the breaks we get…..His letter ended up in the hands of Lou Gorman who worked for the Orioles and was looking for an assistant….
• Love what you do…..He told Casey, “I don’t feel like I have ever worked a day…..it is fun”
• Great leaders know what pieces make a good team….”It’s not just putting great players on the field – it is putting players together that work good together and are better together than a part”
• Be willing to take a risk…..”Leaving Kansas City as GM everyone thought I was crazy, but I could see that Atlanta could be something special”…..was he ever right!
• Put good people around you……many of Schuerholz’s former front office staff are now regarded as some of the best in baseball with other organizations!
• Expect Excellence…..from the time you walk in the door to the corporate offices, to the aisle ushers at the games, to the players on the field….excellence is the always the mark!  He never said it – but you sure could not miss it!!

I went for Casey but I learned as much he did and I am so thankful for someone that would willingly give of their time to help someone else get ahead!!!

Thanks Mr. Schuerholz!  For more info – pick up his book:  Built to Win 

 

Rearview Mirror

NorthStar

• Absolutely loving our “Greater Than” series as we work through Mark 5.  Tough message for fathers day on Jairus daughter and Jesus “Greater Than” power over death.  One day, He will wake us all up when we close our eyes here!  Gotta love Hope!!
• The “Blessings” song that we closed with was solid and right on the money.
• Could not get over crowds in TN & Compass…….heard Dallas campus was solid as well!  Loving all the people out in the middle of the summer getting/staying connected in their walk with the Lord!
• Loved seeing all of the families lined up at the photo booths getting pics made for Fathers day!  Huge hit!!!  Pics were awesome!  If you are a pastor or ministry leader – cool thing to add to events at your church…vbs, student camp, etc……Contact Chuck at Southern Nights…..
• Great Fathers day at NStar!
• Got to lead a grandmother to Christ on thursday in my office…her heart was so ready!!!  So incredible!
• Found out that 114 children accepted Christ during Adventure week!!  So proud of Tricia, Terri, Lendy & Kristi and their amazing volunteers & teams that made the weekend happen!!!

Family:

• Got to be home all day & evening…..Casey got home from camp around 3pm and we were able to chill…watch some college world series action and some good Sunday night AFV….
• Any day we are all home is a good day!
• Good news…bad news…..Anne is going back to work full-time in the fall in the attendance office at Allatoona…so happy for her and so happy that we get to start getting ready to pay college tuition in a year!  So thankful this awesome job opened up at this awesome place!!  So sad that we will not have our fridays hanging out on my off day…….selfish I know but will still be missed
• Casey & I get to meet Tuesday with John Schuerholz from the Atlanta Braves…can’t wait to pick his brain on leadership and also let Casey ask him some questions about how to get into front office work in baseball…incredible opportunity – crazy story of how it all came together!
• Still can’t get my mind around MM starting HS next year……time is going to fast!

Baseball

• Spent the weekend at the Auburn Team Camp with the Varsity squad from Allatoona…played some good baseball while there and learned some great new training tips for pitchers…..good stuff!
• The Bucs have 2 tournaments left in their June summer schedule.  9-4 so far which we are all good with in light of missing a lot of our key returning players.
• The Georgia Sox showcase team crank up July 2 with the Perfect Game – can’t wait to get these guys on the field!
• A former college buddy from LU is letting his son come and live with us for a few weeks to play for the Sox!  Can’t wait to have him as part of our family for that time!

Leadership Lessons from Nehemiah

Just read a great post by Brad Lomenick from Catalyst regarding Leadership Lessons from Nehemiah…..Great stuff!!

 

 

NorthStar Christmas Eve 2010

It is hard for me to believe that we are getting ready for Christmas Eve 2010!  I am blown away every year at how many people join us for one of our 7 services!  Hope you are planning on joining us…..

December 23          6pm           Compass Centre

December 24          2:15, 3:30, 4:45, 6:00pm    Compass Centre

4:45, 6:00pm                          True North

I can’t wait to see you & your friends!!!

Lessons for all leaders from Matt Ryan

From a good friend of mine Steve Miller……..

I heard yesterday that during the off season, Matt Ryan chose several top quarterbacks and studied them to discover what separated them out. It would be easy, once you’re playing at Ryan’s level, to get smug and say, “I’ve arrived. It’s time for lesser quarterbacks to study me.” But, no, he stays humble, keeps learning, and studies opposing teams relentlessly from week to week.
He’s a great example of Solomon’s admonition:
“A wise man will hear and increase in learning,    And a man of understanding will acquire    wise counsel.”

Rearview Mirror

Incredible weekend at NStar and in our community – here are a few highlights…..

• Today was drop off for “toy collection” and our NStar family filled up a huge cargo truck full of toys for kids in our community!!!  The “most giving” sharing church I have ever seen!
• The past 2 weeks were “Shop with a Warrior”, “Shop with a Buc” and “Shop with a Mustang”….over 300 children went shopping with students from North Cobb, Allatoona & Kennesaw Mountain!  Last week over 10k in checks were delivered to the schools from NStar – out of proceeds from Christmas @ NorthStar!  AMAZING!!!  I absolutely love this program!
• Packed out bfast yesterday for the wrap up of our “Facing the Giants” men’s small groups!  Loved seeing all of these of the guys who are connected in relationships!  Praying for 200+ guys for spring groups!  Eddie Bishop is knocking it out leading these men!
• Over 400 at “Couples Night out” last night with Kenn Kington…incredible to walk around the room and see all of the tables reserved for “couples groups” to sit together!!  So proud of CA & His team!!
• My assistant Ludell makes so much at NStar happen – absolutely could not do what I do without her!!  The best assistant in the world!
• Great 2nd week in our “Lights” series….today we talked about how to “Shine”!  We have no choice – His goal for our lives is for us to SHINE!
• Loved seeing the 3 & 4 year olds sing to close the service…..seems like just yesterday mine were up there singing!
• Took the “GIVE HOPE” offering to help our Dallas campus and help our “Acworth/Kennesaw” campus get ready for 2011!!
• Absolutely exhausted physically from weekend…..glad to have a day to sit & just watch football and enjoy being home!
• Way to go Falcons….11-2!!!