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The Big D

May 1, 2012 in Church Leadership, Leadership with 49 Comments

I’m starting to feel like Dallas is a second home. I’m headed back there today to do some TV interviews for Empty Promises after just being there at Prestonwood the week before last.

I’ll also be going back next week to speak at Catalyst Dallas, May 9-11. I love Catalyst. What is Catalyst? Well, I’m glad you asked. :)

Catalyst is a powerful gathering of young leaders, a movement of influencers and world changers who love Jesus, see things differently, and feel a burden for our generation. We seek to learn, worship, and create together with a momentous energy passionately pursuing God. We are Catalysts… Kingdom ambassadors, change agents, influencers, and cultural architects seeking to change our churches, communities, and cultures for God.

Sounds cool doesn’t it?

Here’s the best part. I actually have 5 FREE TICKETS TO NEXT WEEKS CATALYST. Just leave your name and the name of your church and I’ll pick two people to win 2 tickets each and one person will win 1. Make sure you let me know if you want 1 or 2 tickets when you leave your name.

Here’s an awesome preview video which will give you even a better picture of the blast we’re going to have. Hope to see you there next week.

Catalyst Dallas 2012:: Preview Video from Catalyst on Vimeo.

Test It On A Few

March 21, 2012 in Church Leadership, Leadership with 16 Comments

“A plan in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding draws it out.” Proverbs 20:5

The writer of that Proverb reminds us of the importance of having knowledge in regard to moving one’s plans out of the deep recesses of the heart to the surface to where those plans can be carried out. Generally, the first step in seeing those plans carried out involves some level of vision casting. A lot of people have great vision. But you’ll never see your vision become a reality unless you communicate it well to others. Many great God-given dreams die in the vision-casting stage.

I’m going into a season in my leadership where vision casting is going to be essential. I think vision casting is always an important part of leadership, but there are certain seasons it’s crucial.

Some leaders are just natural vision casters. It almost just oozes out of them. Other leaders (like myself) have to work at it.

Over the years the most important lesson I’ve learned about vision  is: Test it on a few before you cast it to many.

If I know I’ve got an important vision casting message or meeting coming up I’ll intentionally set up a handful of one on one meetings to lay out the vision in a much smaller atmosphere. And then I do two things:

1) As I’m casting the vision to them I read their body language. What makes them squirm? What makes their eyes sparkle? At what point do they lean across the table wanting to hear more? While the vision is the vision, how I say it and the order I say it in is important and I often readjust quite a bit just by watching people in these mini-environments.

2) After I cast the vision, I shut up and listen. The questions they ask are like gold to me. Why? Because it’s the same questions everyone listening to my vision casting are going to ask the next time I make this presentation.  Once someone has serious doubts about something I’ve said or a question that pops in their mind they often become so focused on that question that they miss the rest of the presentation. Being able to answer those questions inside the presentation before they get asked becomes key to the next presentation.

So there’s a few random thoughts on vision casting. I’d love to know what are you’re learning about vision casting these days?

Keep On, Keeping On

March 13, 2012 in Church Leadership, Church Planting, Leadership with 20 Comments

I know there are a lot of church planters, pastors, and volunteers who read this blog. I know that many of you are in situations where you’re setting up and taking down church each week. For the first 4 years of Cross Point we were doing four services in an elementary school which forced us to set up and take down each Sunday. It was exhausting to say the least.

With that in mind I thought you might need a little reminder today that what you do really matters!!

This is part of a post recently written by Tam Hodge, the wife of Brent Hodge whose the pastor of our Cross Point Hendersonville campus.

I know there are many who serve in this capacity with churches who set up and tear down every week. It can get tiresome. It can become very frustrating. In fact, you may have grown resentful. But let me offer you a word of encouragement…

You are not just getting up early – You are going before those who will show up for the first time to meet their Savior.

You are not just breaking a sweat – You are sweating in thanks to the One who purposed you to tell the nations.

You are not just setting up 150 chairs – You are providing a place for the wounded to come and sit in the lap of their Healer.

You are not “doing church” – You are creating an experience.

You are not clocking in and out – You are investing in lives!

For every chair you set out…For every crayon you put in a basket…For every coffee creamer you place in a bowl…For every cable you run across a gym floor to an amp…For every sign you hang…For each and everything your hands commit to you are creating an experience for those to come. You are creating an atmosphere for others to come into and rest. A place for God’s people to enter into to find hope, encouragement, friendship, counsel, healing…life. A safe place for others to meet God.

I know this is hard work. I am exhausted from serving today. I feel like I’ve done a months worth of P90X. And every single second of it is worth it. None of this is about us. It is about God and the ones He sent his son to love on.

So whether you hold babies, set up chairs, turn knobs on the sound board, preach you heart out, hand out programs or count the money in the back room please know that what you do REALLY MATTERS.

Keep it up!

Where do you serve in your local church?

Learning To Disagree

February 2, 2012 in Church Leadership, Leadership with 28 Comments

If you know me at all, you know I have a passion for helping the Body of Christ learn to disagree in a respectful and honorable way. The downright slanderous criticism and cheap shots that permeates the church these days turns my stomach.

That’s why when I saw this open letter written to me on Jared Wilson’s blog I had to re-post it. Jared and I don’t know each other very well, but we know each other enough to know that while we share a lot in common we also have some differences. We approach ministry differently, but I respect and value what he brings to the Kingdom. His passion for Jesus and his writing has not only encouraged me but sharpened me. His latest book, Gospel Wakefulness is fantastic. I’d be a fool to write him off just because he annoys me from time to time. :)

Enjoy the letter…

Dear Pete,

You and I both know we have some significant differences of opinion — significant differences of conviction — about church and how it’s to be done, on everything from video venue stuff to the point of sermons, and all sorts of secondary theological issues, I’m sure. But this isn’t about any of that. Because even though we run in different tribes (so to speak), I love you and appreciate you and am glad for your heart for people and them knowing Jesus.

Pete, I remember when I was less of a nobody than I am now and you wanted to meet. I remembered you fondly from your pastoral teaching at the church we once shared, even though you didn’t know me then, and I’ve always been grateful for your instruction during that time. So I was glad to meet you as a friend and as a learner and to talk about life and ministry. You’re the real deal. And you acted as a friend to me when you had nothing to gain from it and no real reason to do it at all. I didn’t have a book out, I didn’t have blog traffic, I pastored a brand new church plant of about 20 people. All that to say: you showed me friendship and mentoring when most other people in your position had already written me off. I’ll never forget that.

Pete, when you more recently contacted me privately to discuss a concern you had, I was both impressed and humbled that you trusted me enough to receive it well and respond appropriately. I appreciate that you also weren’t demanding anything either; you could have thrown your weight around, but you didn’t. So even though you’re 4 feet tall, you stand head and shoulders above so many other men. (insert winky face here)

So again: I love you and will never forget the kindness and respect you showed me once and continue to show me. You were a picture of grace to me in a difficult time, and I wish you nothing but the best in life and ministry.

And since these open letter thingies are supposed to be full of blistering criticism, here’s one more for the road: It’s time for a grown-up haircut, bro.

Love,
Jared

That’s how it’s done friends. Next time Jared thinks I’ve “crossed a line” do you think I’ll be more open or closed to what he has to say? And all of this begs to ask the question…

How are you doing at loving the people you disagree with?

Six Reasons The Next Generation is Leaving The Church

February 1, 2012 in Church Leadership, Church Planting with 69 Comments

So we’ve all seen the stats. It seems like the church is rapidly loosing influence with the next generation. Barna President David Kinnaman examines the 6 reasons in a new article in Christianity Today.

The six reasons he lists are…

1. Isolationism. One-fourth of 18- to 29-year-olds say church demonizes everything outside church, including the music, movies, culture, and technology that define their generation.

2. Shallowness. One-third call church boring, about one-fourth say faith is irrelevant and Bible teaching is unclear. One-fifth say God is absent from their church experience.

3. Anti-science. Up to one-third say the church is out of step on scientific developments and debate.

4. Sex. The church is perceived as simplistic and judgmental. For a fifth or more, a “just say no” philosophy is insufficient in a techno-porno world. Young Christian singles are as sexually active as their non-churched friends, and many say they feel judged.

5. Exclusivity. Three in 10 young people feel the church is too exclusive in this pluralistic and multi-cultural age. And the same number feel forced to choose between their faith and their friends.

6. Doubters. The church is not a safe place to express doubts say over one-third of young people, and one-fourth have serious doubts they’d like to discuss.

Your thoughts? Would you add any?

How You Can Pray For Us

December 22, 2011 in Church Leadership, Cross Point Church with 5 Comments

*I know many of you who read the blog live around the world, therefore you obviously don’t attend Cross Point. However, you’re often asking how you can pray for me or the church, so I like to keep you in the loop of what’s going on around this amazing place.

Below is a letter I sent out to our church a few days ago just letting them know about some of the exciting things taking place here. If you get a minute, we would really appreciate your prayers as we get ready to follow Christ into 2012. It’s going to be an exciting year!!

Dear Cross Point Family,

Merry Christmas!

2011 has been an exciting year for Cross Point. I continue to be amazed at how God has entrusted us with the opportunity to reach others with the hope of Christ.

Here are some of the things that I’m the most proud of this year:

• Over 500 people have given their lives to Christ and over 215 have been baptized at one of our campuses. Life change is the heart of everything we do and seeing people take that step of faith is one of my greatest joys.
• We launched our Downtown Campus specifically geared toward college students. Seeing hundreds of young adults engage in worship and serving at this campus encourages me that this generation has hearts that are passionate for God.
• The launch of our Internet campus has been a huge opportunity to take what we do here in the Nashville area and worship with others literally around the world who may not otherwise have a place of worship. The community that has formed and the connections being made are simply beautiful.
• We are on track to give over $484,000 to missions this year. Those dollars have gone to serve the under-resourced in our local communities, regionally in Wheelwright, KY and around the world in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, India, Kenya, and most recently Haiti. Over 2500 volunteers have served in our missions efforts this year. I’m continually amazed by your hearts to serve others!

As we close this year, I look forward with great anticipation to 2012. I believe God still has even more things to do through this community of faith we call Cross Point. In the coming year, we have plans to:

• Launch a Hillsboro Village Campus
• Launch our Franklin Campus
• Relocate our Nashville Campus to accommodate growth
• Relocate our North Campus to be more centrally located in the Hendersonville area
• Add new service times at our Bellevue and Dickson campuses to accommodate growth needs
• Send groups on 14 global and regional mission trips including our first-ever trip to Haiti and increase our financial giving to missions to 14% of what we receive

All of these things are being done to allow for us to continue to accomplish our vision to be a church that is “radically devoted to Christ, irrevocably committed to one another and relentlessly dedicated to reaching the lost.”

As you consider making a year-end gift, would you consider partnering with Cross Point to help us further this vision that we are so very passionate about? I truly believe the church is the hope of the world and as a community of believers, together we have already experienced what God can do through a group of willing individuals.

Each of our campuses will direct their Christmas Offering in the following ways:

The Nashville Campus will be funding the launch of our Franklin Campus scheduled to open in April 2012.

The Bellevue Campus will be directing their offering to the Together We Will initiative to pay down remaining construction expenses from the campus launch.

The Dickson Campus will be several campus upgrades including a remodel of our kids ministry area and improved meeting space for our students.

The North Campus offering will be funding their relocation in early January.

And to be consistent with all of our offerings, 13% of our Christmas Offering will go towards missions: specifically purchasing property to launch The Dream Project in India. The Dream Project will be a two-story home in Kolkata that will house women who have been abused and abandoned by their husbands. It will also house at-risk and orphaned children. The home will support up to 50 women and 100 children at a time. The purpose of the home is discipleship and whole-life development. The women will be taught job and life skills. The children will go to a nearby school and live at the home with “house parents.” We are so excited about the life-change we believe will take place as a result of The Dream Project!

We’ll be receiving the Christmas Offering at all of our Christmas services. Please note that all gifts must be post-marked by December 31, 2011 to be reflected on your 2011 giving statement. Also, please note in the memo line of your check which campus you attend.

Thank you so much for believing in, supporting and serving the ministry of Cross Point. Together we create a place where “everyone is welcome, nobody is perfect, but anything is possible!”

I love being your pastor!

Pete Wilson

Death Mode

December 12, 2011 in Church Leadership, Church Planting with 26 Comments

I think there’s a growing and disturbing trend in the church today. There’s often this assumption that spiritual maturity is happening if you’re attending more services this year than last year. That spiritual maturity is happening if you know more about Scriptures this month than last.

But often our hearts are growing colder and colder toward the person that is far from God.

Luke 5

30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

I’m telling you, when a church loses that vision it’s in real trouble.

When a church starts caring more about their own personal agendas.

When a church starts caring more about their own preferential style.

When a church starts caring more about their own comforts.

That church is in death mode.

I don’t care how many great programs you’re offering.

I don’t care how amazing your music is.

I don’t care how amazing your building is.

At that moment you’re in death mode.

How’s your heart for those far from God these days?

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