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Ed Stetzer has released a new blog post that explains a “typical” work week for a Pastor. Now, I know that most think I only work one day a week , but I think this report is pretty accurate. I quote Ed’s blog post here simply to provide you a little insight into the life of a Pastor.

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A new study coming out of Lifeway Research shows that “Protestant pastors in America are working long hours, sometimes at the expense of relationships with church members, prospects, family and even the Lord.” The uber-fast folks at The Christian Post has already reported on the story.

You can read the whole article here in Facts & Trends, our flagship publication at LifeWay. Speaking of Facts & Trends, I will be joining the team there as a contributing editor starting in the next issue. Each issue will include a column fromThom Rainer and me, in addition to new research.

Here are some of the numbers. See the article for the full story. Feel free to download and use the graphics in your blogs and publications to help people understand what pastoral work and leadership often looks like. My hope is that it will help more pastors (and churches) achieve better balance.

The data points to some interesting work patterns. 65 percent of pastors surveyed work 50 or more hours a week, with 8 percent saying they work 70 or more hours. “Meetings and electronic correspondence consume large amounts of time for many ministers, while counseling, visitation, family time, prayer and personal devotions suffer in too many cases.”

From the article:

Among ministry activities, pastors spend the most time on sermon preparation. Half of them spend five to 14 hours in sermon preparation. Nine percent say they spend 25 hours or more in sermon preparation each week, and 7 percent report they spend less than five hours preparing to preach.
Ministry-related meetings and electronic correspondence drive the number of hours worked even higher. More than 70 percent of pastors say they spend up to five hours a week in meetings, and 15 percent put their meeting load at 10 hours or more. E-mail and other electronic correspondence eat up between two and six hours a week for half the pastors, while 14 percent indicate they spend at least 10 hours a week in electronic correspondence.

Many pastors, however, find it difficult to make time for two primary ways of relating to church members and prospects: counseling and visitation. While 24 percent say they spend six hours a week or more in counseling ministry, the same percentage reports spending an hour or less. By the same token, while 12 percent of pastors say they spend 11 or more hours a week in hospital, home or witnessing visits, 12 percent also indicate they spend an hour or less. Forty-eight percent say they spend between two and five hours a week in visitation.

Time with family rates as a priority for many pastors, but some find alarmingly little opportunity to be with their spouses and children. While 30 percent of the pastors report spending 20-29 hours with their families each week – and 16 percent indicate spending 40 or more hours with them weekly – almost 10 percent say they spend nine hours a week or less with family members. At the same time, 24 percent say they watch 10-14 hours of television each week, and 13 percent put their TV time at 15 hours or more.

The amount of time spent in prayer and personal devotions raises questions about the vitality of many pastors’ spiritual lives. While 52 percent report spending one to six hours in prayer each week, 5 percent say they spend no time at all in prayer. Furthermore, while 52 percent say they spend two to five hours a week in personal devotions unrelated to teaching preparation, 14 percent indicate they spend an hour or less in personal devotions each week.

Read the entire article here, and then come back to discuss. What are your thoughts on these numbers? What does Scripture say should take precedent in pastoral ministry? If you are a pastor, how do you manage your time and calendar?

Happy New Year!

It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years since Y2K. What a decade. Think about it, three of the most significant ways I communicate with people didn’t exist ten years ago. Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress.org blogs. Amazing.

But, this isn’t a post about the past decade, or even the past year.

This is a post about 2010. And, more specifically, two resolutions I’ve made for the upcoming year.

Normally, I don’t make resolutions. Never really have. But, this year, there are two things I feel strongly that I need to do, and I want to share them with you as a way of being publicly accountable. There’s something about making known a resolution. People can ask you how it’s going. In fact, I plan to share my progress with all of you, cause I know you care THAT much!

So, here they are:

1. Read the entire Bible

Yes, I’ve read through the entire Bible before. Probably a few times. But it’s been too long since I’ve done it just for me. In other words, not studying it for sermon material or for writing Oil Changes. But, just doing it for personal growth. So, I’m doing it this year. The entire Bible in 365 days.

I have a secret weapon I’m using in my quest to read through the Bible. It’s called YouVersion. If you haven’t discovered YouVersion yet, you need to. Go to their site and create an account. It is one of the best online Bible resources available. Not only can you read the Bible on your computer, you can also find all kinds of articles written for the various passages you’re reading. Heck, there might even be a few articles written by me.

YouVersion recently introduced Bible Reading Plans. I’ve used a reading plan in the past, and they are an excellent way to stay on track. What’s amazing about the YouVersion reading plans is they synchronize between your computer and your mobile phone. For me, that means I can follow my reading plan on my MacBook Pro or on my iPhone.

I’m going to use the Life Journal Reading Plan for 2010. Feel free to join me if you’d like. If you want to start with something a little less demanding, check out all their reading plans. Some cover just the Gospels, others involve only certain parts of the Bible. Some are for a full year, some are for only a month or two.

2. Forty Books

The other thing I plan on doing for 2010 is read a lot more books. There was a time when I was a huge reader. I probably still read more than the average person (I think I managed to read about 25 books in 2009), but I want to take in more variety of reading in 2010. So, 40 books it is. I wont write full reviews of all 40 books, but I will share what I’m reading and perhaps offer a few thoughts on some of the books. I’ll certainly highlight books that I think would benefit others.

Those who know me well, know that I value reading. Actually, I value learning. I just happen to learn through reading. I discovered books thanks to a mom who loved reading. Mom always – I mean always – had a book on the go. I love the fact that both my daughters love reading. Heather would love to read more, but she struggles with most books. So, she’s trying a new approach. She’s picked up a couple of audio books.

The point is not that everyone should have a book opened all the time. But everyone should have a goal to learn something all the time. Discover the insights of different people. Use books, blogs, audio and video podcasts.

How?

I know what you’re thinking: that’s cool for you. After all, you only work ONE day a week. You have time to do all this reading.

And, in a way, that’s true. Not the “work one day a week” part, but I do have the luxury of taking an hour here or there to read during the day. Although, to be honest, most of my reading is not done in the middle of the day. It’s done early in the morning or late at night. It’s done on the weekends. It’s done during my lunch.

In fact, one of the ways I plan on accomplishing my goal of reading both the Bible and other books is getting up earlier. I’m going to devote some time first thing in the morning, before anyone else is awake, to read. If I spend 30-60 minutes each morning reading, I will have no problem keeping my goal.

So, there you have it. It’s out here for all of you to see. Feel free to ask me how it’s going any time. If you

What about you? Any resolutions you’re making for 2010? Any of you want to join me in following a reading plan on YouVersion?

I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments section.

Some of you may remember me telling the story of meeting Vince Antonucci during my road trip. Vince is planting a church in Vegas. He’s an author and a Dodgers fan. He’s quickly become one of my heroes. I just love what he’s doing in Vegas.

Last Sunday, Vince spoke at Central Christian Church. CCC is one of three churches partnering with Vince to help him plant Verve. Here’s the cool thing, all three churches are located in Vegas as well. That’s right, three churches helping another church start in their own area. That’s so cool.

Anyway, here’s the message Vince gave at Central Christian Church.

Every once in awhile, a book comes along and just the perfect time. That was the case with Mark Batterson’s newest release, Primal. I was sent a free copy of this book a few weeks ago with the agreement to blog about it once I was done. I planned to share my thoughts, good or bad.

What I didn’t expect was to have the book impact me the way it did. In fact, few books have ever stirred me up the way this one has. It’s that good. It’s that inspirational.

Batterson focuses on one verse in the Bible, Luke 10:27, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.” What would it be like to love God in each of the four areas? How would you live differently if you did?

As I launched into the book, I didn’t expect much from it, to be honest. After all, as a pastor, I’ve read that passage a thousand times. I simply didn’t expect that Batterson could offer a fresh perspective on the verse.

Boy, was I wrong.

I couldn’t put it down. It challenged me on so many levels. Perhaps it’s because I’m going to be doing a sermon series called Extreme Faith in January. My focus for that series is similar to the focus of Primal. Maybe that’s why it struck such a nerve with me. I don’t know. All I know is that I would continually find myself putting the book down at the end of a chapter, and praying that God would ignite that kind of love in my heart.

I have Batterson’s other books, but haven’t read them. With Primal, he has become one of my favourite authors. It’s that good.

Primal is being released today. You can find it at Amazon.com. It’s a must read.

Have you ever considered what kind of story you are writing with your life? You do realize that you are writing a story, right? We all are. Like it or not. Each day, we wake up to a blank page and write. For the most part, what is written that day depends on each of us. Our story builds on what was written the day before. It follows along the theme of what we’ve accomplished to this point. And yet, at any time, we can make the choice to change direction with the story.

Many people don’t like the story they are writing. And so, they ignore the book. They pretend the words aren’t really be written. They dive into some kind of make believe story and imagine their life differently. They go online and create a persona that really isn’t them. They watch movies and imagine themselves the hero, or the villan.

And yet, each day, another page is written in their own story. What are you writing?

There are a few things that have caused me to think more about this question. If you’ll indulge me, I’d like to share them with you. I’ll try to do this quickly, because I know most of you are pretty busy getting the final things done before Christmas. But, if you take the time to read this post to the very end, you may discover the best Christmas present you could give yourself.

Let me share three things.

First, I was struck yesterday by a tweet that came across my twitter account. A pastor wrote, “can’t imagine the pain of launching a church, watching it grow, stepping down in shame, & seeing a new pastor step up. Praying 4 ______”. I didn’t know the name of the person he was praying for, but I clicked on their twitter name and then went to the blog linked to his account. He planted a church eight years ago and was seeing amazing things done. And then, a six week affair brought everything crashing to the ground. Yesterday, that church announced the name of the pastor who would replace him. As I read his blog, I found a man who was trying to get his life back on track. It’s been six months since his actions became public. Today, he inspects roofs for an insurance company. He is separated from his wife and children, but his focus is to repair the damage he has caused to those relationships. He doesn’t want people to feel sorry for him. His wife and children are the victims. Still, yesterday must have been an incredible day of mixed emotions. On his own twitter account, he celebrated the announcement of a new pastor and wished him and the church nothing but God’s best, and yet still … it would have been a tough day. This pastor wakes up each morning and faces a blank page. He is writing a story that hopefully will describe how God can raise up a broken man. God is the God of Second Chances.

His story struck me because I often hear people tell me that they’ve given up on their own story. They failed miserably. For thirty or forty years, the pages of their life have been fill with failure. Broken relationships, missed opportunities, crushed promises. Rather than see the blank page in front of them today, they see the mess of a page from yesterday. Again, God is the God of Second Chances.

The second thing has me thinking about story took place a year ago. As many of you know, I have to amazing daughters. One is seventeen, the other is eleven. I’m still enjoying being a dad. That’s my focus. Most of my closest friends are in that stage of enjoying parenthood. However, a little over a year ago, a little baby boy was born. His name is Landon. Landon’s mom and dad are like adopted kids to me. Landon’s grandparent’s are some of my closest friends. Heck, I’m even known as “Papa Rob” to Landon (not that he really knows that name yet, he’s only one after all. But, he will.).

This morning, I was thinking about Landon’s grandfather, John. Actually, I was thinking about Landon in twenty five years. I imagined him sitting on a couch, cuddling a cute girl. They are in love. They’re talking about the future. And then, the cute girl asks Landon about his family. And for a minute, Landon is quiet. He is thinking. Memories flood his mind. He starts to share about his parents, and how amazing they are. He laughs as he talks about his grandmother Chantal. How she still spoils him rotten. How her face lights up every time he comes to visit. But then he gets quiet again. I imagine him almost whispering to the cute girl he is cuddling with, “Do you know who inspires me the most? My grandfather.” The cute girl hasn’t met his family yet, so she cuddles in a little closer and says, “Tell me about him.” And Landon does. He talks about his Dutch grandfather who taught him what it’s like to be a strong man. He tells stories that I can’t share, because … well, they haven’t been written yet. But they will be.

You see, John is writing on fresh pages. He’s writing a story that will live on through grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren. The story he writes will be up to him. What he wants Landon to tell that cute girl cuddling him on the couch is up to John.

Finally, this whole idea of the story we write has been sparked in my mind thanks to a book I’m reading right now. Don Miller has written a number of books, but his latest, A Million Miles In A Thousand Years is an amazing book. I encourage you to pick it up. Make it a gift to yourself this Christmas season. And be inspired to write a good story rather than a tragedy.

Look, each of us is writing a story. This is non-negotiable. Whether you like it or not, you’re writing a story. The question is we must ask is what kind of story are we writing?

Today’s page is blank before you. What will be written on the page at the end of the day?

I have a confession to make. Even though I am Facebook, I rarely go on. I much prefer Twitter. When you see my status on Facebook change, it’s because I’ve synchronized it with Twitter. In fact, there are times I’ve debated shutting down my Facebook account, but so many still use it, I hang on (besides, it’s the only way to vote for my daughter in her current competition).

When I do log into Facebook, one of the first things I noticed is the number of invitations I have to support some cause or play some game. I will typically go in and hit ignore to all of them. Sorry, but I just don’t use Facebook and figure there’s no point of supporting all the stuff people are doing on it.

Starting late November I began to see a lot of “causes” that reflected people’s frustration with the whole “Merry Christmas” vs. “Happy Holidays” issue. A lot of people want me to take up their cause and defend the true meaning of the holiday. It’s as if something cataclysmic will occur if we don’t keep Christ in Christmas.

But, I can’t support the cause. To be honest, I don’t think Christ would even bother. It wasn’t his style.

I’ve had people tell me how upset they get when someone says “Happy Holidays” to them. Some tell me how they will demand that the clerk say “Merry Christmas”. Some have told me how they have left their merchandise at the cash and walked out of the store because the clerk was not allowed to say “Merry Christmas.” Really? Is that the best we can do as Christ followers? I’m guessing that clerk has been swamped all day. They have been dealing with people who are rushing around buying presents they can’t afford, under pressure to keep everyone happy.

Here’s what I’ve noticed: No store can forbid me from wishing someone a Merry Christmas. And so, when a clerk says to me, “Happy Holidays.” I don’t make a big deal about it. I smile at them, say “Thank you. And Merry Christmas to you” and leave it at that. I don’t get hung up over it. For all I know, that clerk isn’t a Christ follower. They may have no clue about the true meaning of Christmas. For them, it could be just another busy shopping day. Maybe they have no family to celebrate Christmas with. Maybe things are not as they seem. Maybe I can do better than simply allow myself to get bothered when they don’t use the two words I think they should at this time of year.

Here’s my point: I think we spend far too much time getting upset at what others should say or do rather than focus on our own words and actions. Jesus made the point when he referred to the speck in a brother’s eye when there’s a log in our own.

So, stop getting all worked up when a secular, marketing system doesn’t use the words “Merry Christmas” when they take your money and feed the Seasonal Consumerism Addiction. Instead, love them. Care for them. Demonstrate with actions how this season truly is “Merry”.

And stop sending me those stupid “causes” on Facebook!

Merry Christmas

UPDATE:

As soon as I posted this, I was sent the following email. I thought I’d add it to the end. It’s a “letter from Jesus”

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don’t care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn’t allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn If all My followers did that there wouldn’t be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 – 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don’t have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them..

3. Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don’t you write and tell him that you’ll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up… It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can’t afford and they don’t need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5 Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless?  Since you don’t know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren’t allowed to wish you a “Merry Christmas” that doesn’t keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn’t make so much money on that day they’d close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary– especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here’s a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no “Christmas” tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don’t know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don’t do things in secret that you wouldn’t do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine. 

Don’t forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I’ll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I’ll help you, but the ball is now in your court.

And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember:

I LOVE YOU,

JESUS

Letter from Jesus about Christmas –

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don’t care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn’t allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn If all My followers did that there wouldn’t be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 – 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don’t have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them..

3. Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don’t you write and tell him that you’ll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up… It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can’t afford and they don’t need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5 Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless?  Since you don’t know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren’t allowed to wish you a “Merry Christmas” that doesn’t keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn’t make so much money on that day they’d close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary– especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here’s a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no “Christmas” tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don’t know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don’t do things in secret that you wouldn’t do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don’t forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I’ll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I’ll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember :

I LOVE YOU,Letter from Jesus about Christmas –

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don’t care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn’t allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn If all My followers did that there wouldn’t be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 – 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don’t have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them..

3. Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don’t you write and tell him that you’ll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up… It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can’t afford and they don’t need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5 Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless?  Since you don’t know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren’t allowed to wish you a “Merry Christmas” that doesn’t keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn’t make so much money on that day they’d close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary– especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here’s a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no “Christmas” tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don’t know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don’t do things in secret that you wouldn’t do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don’t forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I’ll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I’ll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember :

I LOVE YOU,

JESUS

Seems likes everyone is jumping on the Tiger Woods bashing right now. It’s amazing to me that the very people who idolized him are now very happy to distant themselves from the man. The media is quick to criticize him, and yet every night, on every channel, they have shows that support the very stuff Tiger is being condemned for doing. The sponsors, who have made millions off of Tiger’s image, now want nothing to do with him.

I fully understand why people are so upset, and yet I question why the reaction is so severe. People think they have a right to know, that Tiger owes it to “us” to speak up. Why? He doesn’t owe you and I anything. He’s a golfer. That’s all.

According to the latest reports, Tiger is close to an emotional breakdown. Some of you can’t help but say, “Good, I hope he’s miserable.” I hope you rethink that.

Personally, I’m hoping – and praying – for God to do a work in Tiger’s heart. And in the heart of his wife, Elin. And the in the heart’s of each of the women connected to Tiger. God loves each and everyone of them. No action has separated any of them from the love of God.

People of the Second Chance recently wrote some excellent suggestions on their blog. I thought it would be appropriate to repost their comments here.

As People of the Second Chance, here are a few of my suggestions:

1. You have so many words that you can share in a day. Decide whether they will be about blessing or cursing someone.

2. When someone is caught in a scandal, I visualize two buckets that I can fill. I can add to the “Shame Bucket” or the “Second Chance Bucket.” Sometimes my first/easy/fun/human nature response is to fill the “Shame Bucket” so I have to work harder not to do that.

3. For all you online peeps…write your articles, blogs, tweets, and comments as if the person in crisis (and their family) were reading it. Why? Because they do! And the jokes, snarky comments, sloppy facts and flippant remarks hurt people. Instead, devote your computer keyboard to the restoration of people.

4. Refuse to participate in the gossip session around the water cooler. Or better yet, jump in and turn the conversation towards grace and second chances. Btw, just plan on being called a “buzz kill” and not invited back to any more social functions.

5. Realize we are either part of the judgment problem or the grace solution. But we can’t be both. So choose wisely.

Any thoughts?

Three months ago today, I loaded up my bike and headed out on a twenty-five day road trip. (You can read about that trip by choosing the “Categories” tab on the right side and choosing “road trip”. Day one of the trip can be found here.) It was the start of a Rest Stop that I was blessed to have thanks to a forward thinking leadership team.

Today, I am sitting in my office for the first time since that Rest Stop began. I’m back. I’m ready to go. And, I want to share with you some of my thoughts about the past three months. I learned a number of things. About myself, my family, my calling, and the future. I think it would be fitting for me to share some of those thoughts with you.

Some mistakingly have referred to the past three months as a holiday. It really isn’t an accurate description of what went on for me. I did spend twenty five days on the road, and during that time, focused, for the most part, on relaxing. However, I also spent some of it meeting with other church planters with the hope of being inspired for new direction with Bikers’ Church. I devoted time while riding to hear from God about what he wanted with CCBC. And, since coming home from the road trip, I have spent most of my days working stuff that will eventually be implemented in the church. In other words, my days were not spent sitting around in my underwear pyjamas watching movies.

While I still did a number of things for CCBC, I was blessed to not have to follow my usual routine. I didn’t have to prepare messages each week or focus on the day to day stuff that I usually have on my plate with the church. As a result, I was able to see things from a different perspective and believe I’m energized to see God do new things at the church.

I wont go into a lot of detail about the things I learned during this Rest Stop, because the bulk of my messages in 2010 will focus on those discoveries. From the first series in January through the end of December next year, we will be challenged as a church to go to the next level of effectiveness. I am convinced that God has great things in store for Bikers’ Church, and we’re going to pin the throttle and see where it takes us.

Having said that, there are a few personal things I’d like to share with you now.

First, my relationship with God and the calling he has given me must be a priority for me. More so that at any time in the past. As a pastor, it’s too easy for my spirituality to become mechanical routine static dull less than what it should be. That has to change. It is changing. I have found myself rediscovering worship. Whether it’s in the car or sitting at home, I enjoy putting on a great worship CD and allowing my heart to reconnect with God. It’s wonderful. I need to devote more time to growing with God. It means not allowing myself to get distracted by the things that will pull me away from that connection. It means devoting more time to focusing on the things that I am called to do rather than the many things that others expect me to do.

Second, my relationship with my family is vital. Heather and I have rediscovered each other during this time. As many of you know, she has been off work due to a concussion she suffered in a car accident. While the headaches and dizziness she has experienced during this time is certainly not fun, having her home during my Rest Stop has been an unexpected bonus. In the nineteen years we’ve been married, we have never been able to enjoy this much time together. While there have been times in the past when Heather has been able to serve along side me in ministry, the sacrifices we’ve made to plant a church has required her to work full time. As a result, she has not been engaged in leadership at CCBC the way she’d like to. Over the past few months, we’ve been able to sit and dream together, talking vision and praying for direction. She’s an amazing woman and I love her deeply. I needed this time to be reminded of that. I’ve also been able to enjoy more time with the girls, often driving them to school or hanging out with them during certain activities. It’s been a true blessing for me.

I believe God is up to something at Bikers’ Church. As I shared with the leadership team this past Saturday night, I truly believe it is going to be a season of faith for us. We must learn to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). I’m ready to do that, and my heart is to lead each of us on a faith journey.

Bikers’ Church family, I encourage you. Take time over the next few weeks to prepare your heart. Ask God to use you, speak to you, direct you. In January, we begin a new chapter in the life of our church. And I’m excited about what will be written on the pages of this next chapter.

See you all on Thursday night.

Autistic basketball player Jason McElwain spent most of his high school career cheering his team on from the bench as team manager — until the final 4 minutes of his final game as a senior. McElwain didn’t waste any of his opportunity to get in the game, pouring in 7 shots and finishing the game as high scorer.

Make sure you have a Kleenex before you watch this. I wont lie, my eyes leaked a little.

William Kamkwamba was 14 when he built a windmill from scrap parts in order to provide enough electricity to power 4 lightbulbs and 2 radios in his home in his tiny village in Malawi. I travelled through Palm Springs, California during my road trip. I saw the windmills, but I don’t think they meant as much to me as they did to William.

Watch and be inspired: