Eric Taylor

Reading and ReReading

I'm getting ready for this weekend's message and have been reading some great stuff on Risk.  Pulled out one of my old favorites... it's not really that old... but it is definitely a favorite... "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day" by Mark Batterson.  I forgot how great this book is!  I'm taking it home and rereading it again.

We had a great staff meeting today... Got a lot accomplished, especially in creative planning.  We have the whole series planned... we're getting ever so close to the Big Idea planning model that I want... 6-9 weeks out... Right now we're at 4... I'm hoping we'll get there by the fall.
We finished the roll in video and the graphics slide for the new series.  Check out the graphics... I'll post the roll in video later.  Right now, I'm headed to the Montgomery Biscuits game with our Growth Group!

It's Here!

Yesterday I got my autographed copy of Tim Steven's new book, "Pop Goes the Church".  Our story is on page 198!  It was cool to open it up and see the story of our church alongside some of my favorite church planters like, Bil Cornelius, Steven Furtick, Tadd Grandstaff, Mark Batterson, Dave Anderson and others. I'm about 1/3 of the way through and I love the book.  I'm sure I'll finish it today.    We ordered 10 copies... I'm feeling kindof generous, so if you want one, drop me a comment and It's  yours!

WARNING! Dangerous Book!

For the past few weeks my wife and I have been reading Kay Warren's new book, Dangerous Surrender.  I have to admit, Rick Warren is one of my heroes and he's mentored me through books and articles for years, but, I wasn't really excited about reading a book from his wife. I thought...'woman on the cover... must be a good book for preacher's wives'.  So, Sonja started reading it and said... 'we've got to read this together.'  So as we've been reading it over the past few weeks, I'm finding out that it's a "Rock Your Face Off" kind of book!  She talks about her trips to Africa, her battle with cancer and how God has transformed her... the word she uses is "RUINED"... Gloriously Ruined!  She calls for us to be Disturbed....seriously disturbed by all the suffering in the world. 

That's one of the reasons we started Journey Church, not so we could have another church in Auburn where Christians can be comfortable and get their needs met... but one that would challenge evil and complacency and poverty and disease and put faces to the millions of people suffering all over the world.  That's one of the reasons we've partnered with ACE-- American Caribbean Experience... We're going to Galina, Jamaica May 31st - June 7th... You should go!  We're having an informational meeting this Sunday Night-- January 6th at the church office (555 Old Stage Road- Suite 2B).   Come and see what can happen if you're willing to go... I guarantee you will be seriously disturbed and dangerously ruined.  And that's what we want to happen... because then, our lives will be all about surrendering to God's plan to shake up our comfortable world on behalf of those in great need-- whether they live halfway around the world or just around the corner.

Every Leader Must Read this Book!

Making Vision Stick  by Andy Stanley.  Every leader MUST READ THIS... it doesn't matter if you are a church planter, a pastor of an established church or you lead any other organization... this book is critical to remind us how to help people remember why they're following us.  And it helps remind us that, for the most part, people aren't as obsessed with our vision as we are... so if it's worth doing, it's worth repeating.  I read the book in a couple of hours, not to brag about my speed reading skills, but the thing's only 74 pages.  Here are the 5 things that make vision stick:

• State the Vision Simply
• Cast the Vision Convincingly
• Repeat the Vision Regularly
• Celebrate the Vision Systematically
• Embrace the Vision Personally

The best thing I read was a kick in the pants for me:  When it comes to casting vision...I am responsible... no one else.  God called me out to begin the church and I have to be the one to make sure people understand and embrace the vision.

He unpacks these 5 things in 74 pages and I wrote tons of questions that I have to ask myself and others. 

If you call Journey Church your home, I would love to get your feedback on a couple of these questions... If you would leave a comment or drop me an email it will help me evaluate how well the Vision of Journey Church is sticking... Here are the questions:

1. Why do we (Journey Church) exist? What's the Vision of Journey Church?
2. Since you've been coming to Journey, have you been moved to action because of the vision?

Thanks so much for your help.

Book Learnin' is Awesome!

I'm reading Earl Creps book "Off Road Disciplines:  Spiritual Adventures of Missional Leaders" and it's (to use a Gary Lamb Term) FREAKIN' AWESOME!   It's been kicking my butt every page... It's kindof like the book of James in the Bible... Pulls no punches, goes straight for the jugular. 

Where it hit me most recently was in the chapter called "Witness--The Discipline of Spiritual Friendship."   I've blogged before about having a mobile office at Panera Bread and Momma Goldbergs as well as having one in my house.  Well, over the past few weeks, I've been spending a lot more time at the home office and  I've unintentionally isolated myself from the world I say we're trying to reach.... I can say with all honesty that NO ONE has stumbled into my office at home wanting to have a spiritual conversation.  But, the more time I spend at the other places, I constantly run into people to talk to... For someone who is easily distracted, that's not good when you've got a lot of stuff to do.  So, that's why I moved back to my home office.  And it never dawned on me that I was short circuiting a critical area of my ministry... being around disconnected people.  Sure, when I was alone in my office at home I got a TON of work done... I even finished a message by Wednesday... but I missed out on being with the people I most want to communicate with.

In the book Creps talks about factors that can disconnect us from the disconnected.
1)  Vision Drift--He says "vision is often determined by who you spend most of your time with."  WOW!  I have to constantly balance my time between my family, investing in leaders and spending time building friendships with people who are far from God.  The more time I spend with Christians, the more desensitized I will become to those who I'm trying to reach... making them much more difficult to see.

2)  Ministry Drift--Even if I'm at Panera or Momma G's, If I am constantly buried in my work and never look around to see who's in the place... I'll give the impression that I'm unapproachable, busy, and I'll unintentionally make "ministry itself something that blocks my relationship with the disconnected rather than building it."

3)Schedule Drift--As our church grows and my ministry and schedule changes... I must be prepared to reevaluate my schedule to accomodate these changes...Otherwise, I'll find myself doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results.  (someone said that's the definition of insanity!) 

All these 3 factors are at work in my life every day... So, I have to be intentional about maintaining the Vision... doing what my friend, Shawn Lovejoy, says "Be Mean about Vision".  Constantly communicating it and embodying it.  I must always remember that my ministry is to PEOPLE ... not  Preparing Messages or  Producing Videos...those are TASKS associated with my calling... my calling is to PEOPLE... especially those who are living life outside a relationship with Jesus.  If I get more caught up in ministry tasks than the people around me... I've missed it!... I must protect my schedule... being prepared for changes and being ready to say NO to good things in order to say YES to the Best things!

This book is called Off Road Disicplines... and, as the name implies, it's certainly NOT for those who are looking to "DO" ministry in a nice, clean, scheduled, predictable environment... This book is reminding me of the Adventure and Heart Pounding Action that God called me to live as a Christ Follower.