new teaching series in march

This is the graphic for March's teaching series at LifePoint. It will focus on how we can learn to effectively share our spiritual story.

tommy lasorda

I just happened to be watching television this morning at 5:40 or so and caught Tommy Lasorda on a morning show. It's been years since I've seen Tommy Lasorda on anything. To the uninformed, Lasorda was the longtime manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He was being interviewed in regards to the World Baseball Classic. This man is a passionate patriot! He also has a strong opinion regarding those who use steriods -- needless to say, it's not a good opinion.

prayer labyrinth

On Wednesday and Thursday I volunteered at the prayer labyrinth during the National Pastors Conference. It's a series of guided exercises that walks people through a spiritual journey. It was fun to serve and I enjoyed watching how people experienced the various stations in their own unique way. Spiritual formation is still a somewhat foggy concept to many in the evangelical church. Maybe not for long ...

my mom would be proud

Those who knew my mom, knew she was a cat lover. It all began when we befriended a stray cat that later became known only as "momma." She earned the title many times over. I must have been in late elementary when momma moved in and cats became another part of our family.

My mom fed them, tried to bathe them, and bought a variety of cat pins that she wore with pride. I never questioned two things -- that my mom loved me and that she loved her cats almost as much as me.

Well ... I'm blogging this from our living room chair, with Hope sitting on the couch. She's home sick from school and so I'm "doctoring" her back to health. We have two cats in our household and Smokey is sleeping on Hope's lap while Pokey tries to "help" me type this blog.

My mom would be proud.

bono addresses prayer breakfast

A friend of mine who knows my interest in U2's spiritual underpinnings sent me the following link. It's a video of Bono addressing the National Prayer Breakfast. Once he gets settled in, it gets pretty interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH0JFbjfhy4

tethering ... the antidote to t-mobile

For several years I have had conflicting feelings: my love for coffee and my desire for free WiFi. This is where matters get complicated. Tonya and I have owned stock in Starbucks since 2000 and I love the company, how they do business, and their coffee. But they do not offer free WiFi access. Instead, they require you to have a t-mobile account.

We already have broadband access at home and I'm too stubborn to pay for another ramp to internet access. So ... what I've been doing is going to independent coffee shops that offer free WiFi. Since I'm working out of the house, it's a great way to get out among people. But it also means that I'm not going to Starbucks.

Hence, the conflict.

Until now. The technical term is called "tethering." I'm actually typing this blog via a connection between my cell phone and laptop. Since my phone has EVDO (Sprint's data network) capability, I can surf the net on my phone anywhere I can get a cell connection. With the addition of a USB cable, I can also fire up my laptop and go online.

Howard Schultz should be partially happy. I'm back buying his coffee, minus the t-mobile account.

swan lake (something called ballet)

Thanks to a friend from LifePoint, we received two free tickets to the Russian National Ballet's performance of Swan Lake at the CA Performing Arts Center. I decided to take Hannah and make it a daddy/daughter date. As we were getting settled in, she asks me, "Will they be saying any words?" And not a single word was spoken the entire night!

From an artistic standpoint, it was a beautiful presentation. The dancers all weighed 110 lbs and had muscles that put me to shame. The set was nicely appointed and it was an all-around fun evening.

Hannah and I brought the average age down to about 63 or 65. I was actually surprised at the number of middle-aged guys (40 and above) who actually appeared to be paying attention. I nodded off two or three times during the first half -- not due to a lack of interest but more so because I had been awake since about 4:45 that morning. I took advantage of intermission to get a double expresso and that did the trick for the second half.

The best part was getting to spend an evening with Hannah. She picked out a pretty dress and actually held my hand as we walked around. I figure I have until about 12 or 13 before that becomes less common.

volunteer opportunities at lifepoint

LifePoint has the following volunteer opportunities! If you're interested, please email Pastor Ken for more details (and probably a free cup of coffee).

Community Service Coordinator. This person will help locate, coordinate, and publicize community service opportunities. LifePoint desires to be a church that serves our local community in practical, tangible ways.

Athletic Coordinator. This person will be the point-person for initiating athletic opportunities. May include one-time events like volleyball, frisbee golf, or ongoing activities like softball leagues, etc.

KidPoint Teachers and Helpers. We are looking to include additional teachers and helpers in our KidPoint ministry. KidPoint is offered during our 10:45 gathering and teaches toddlers through 4th graders.

LifeGroup Leaders and Hosts. LifePoint emphasizes small, intentional groupings of people known as LifeGroups. These groups meet on a regular basis for study, support, and encouragement. We are looking to launch additional groups and need leaders and/or hosts. Groups can meet in homes or somewhere else (like a coffee shop).

Multimedia Operators. If you are comfortable with a mouse and keyboard, we could use your help. We need people to run our multimedia during our 9:00 and 10:45 gatherings. On-the-job training will be provided.

Knick Nack, Paddy Whacks! We have many miscellaneous opportunities every Sunday including setting up and taking down the KidPoint tents, setting out our directional signs, helping prepare/clean-up communion, and much more! Ask at your own risk!
If you are interested in serving in one of these areas -- or another one not listed -- please contact Ken directly. Thanks!

first mobile blog

OK, I like gadgets that have a degree of functionality. Hence my first blog from my Pocket PC (Sprint PPC 6700). It runs the windows mobile OS and has wifi/bluetooth/evdo built in. EVDO is really slick -- it allows me unlimited data transfers wherever sprint has a cell connection. The phone features a slide-out keyboard and the screen automatically reorients to landscape. With the windows os I can also work on documents and then sync them with my laptop. Can you tell I'm excited?

a window seat to life

I must admit something ... I like sitting by the window when working at a coffee shop. This afternoon, I'm doing some adminstrative stuff at Cosmos in La Mesa. Just outside the window is La Mesa Boulevard. It's always interesting to take a moment's break and watch people walk by -- especially those who don't know you're watching. Without the benefit of sound, I play a little game trying to figure out what they're talking about. I sometimes do the same thing with the television -- it's a good little exercise.

I believe most people don't either use or train their powers of observation. We simply let life roll by without noticing much of what happens.

It really is amazing what you notice when you start paying attention!

new faces, exciting times

One of the things I love most about starting a new church is getting to meet new people. We've seen a steady flow of new faces since launching LifePoint last fall. Over the last month or so we've seen an increase in young couples and I've had the opportunity to grab coffee with a few of them. When a church is new, no one has tenure! That's a good thing.

My prayer is that LifePoint will always be a place where new people feel comfortable.

Hope to see you Sunday ...

prayer night

Tonya and I hosted a night of prayer at our house last night and what a great night it was! I began by sharing a passage from Joshua where God instructs the Israelites to follow the lead of the ark of the covenant. They are told to follow the ark because "they had never been that way before." When it reaches the Jordan river, the water stops flowing as soon as the priests enter the river.

It was an awesome experience to hear people pray that I had never heard pray before. We spent the night seeking God's direction for LifePoint, particulary in regards to our worship ministry. I was again humbled by the intense devotion God is building in other people. As we were praying, I was thanking God for allowing me to work alongside such good people. Starting a new church community is an adventure best experienced with a good group of people.

We were reminded that LifePoint is not an afterthought to God but originated in his own heart.

a good cafe

We hosted our second Live at the LifePoint Cafe last night and it went really well. We had two great artists -- Carlos Olmeda and The Gooses. Carlos drove down from a concert in San Luis Osbipo to play for us! The Gooses did their usual good job and had everybody laughing right from the start.

We had nearly 50 people in attendance, over half of whom had never been to LifePoint before. Tina did her usual great job with the coffee and all of our LifePoint people were very helpful.

I see our cafes as part of a gradual outreach process. It was interesting to watch people browse around our facility, picking up cards, and looking at the art. There's no hard sell on attending church -- in fact, we're pretty low key about it.

We're building good momentum among a slice of the local music scene. Artists like to be appreciated (and paid!). Our LifePoint are great about interacting with the artists and I believe the artists notice.

Stay tuned for the next one ...

the week in review

It's been a long time between posts -- long for me, maybe not for you.

We are in the midst of a few transitions at LifePoint, several of which have kept me rightfully busy. As a new church community begins to develop and take shape, it is my task to see that we continue to allow God to shape our heart, vision, and values. The first two years will put in place the DNA of a church and it's important that our DNA is healthy and reflects who God wants us to be.

Our girls also began softball practices (yes, that is plural). Hope is playing her first year of organized softball, called "minis" and Hannah is in her second year with the Navajo league. She also played for three years in Georgia as well. Both girls are naturally coordinated -- not sure where that came from. It's a blast to watch them interact with other players and their coaches. It also keeps our cars humming.

And I've been taking the opportunity to sit down with people over coffee and just talk about how things are going. It's amazing how few people get asked about how they are REALLY doing -- not the "how are you doing? question we ask but really don't care to know the answer. Not that I've ever asked that question before ...

Last but not least, Friday night ushered in the weekend complete with three sick people out of a family of four. I'm afraid I'm on the verge of making it four for four.

This has been our week ...

tina gets baptized

This past Sunday night we baptized our first person since starting LifePoint. We first met Tina through an ad on Craigslist advertising a new small group that would be studying the topic of "Simple Spirituality." I remember when she came by the house to pick up the materials and we talked for about thirty minutes. She has been a key part of LifePoint ever since ... and that was back in March of 2005. Now we share more than a common love for great coffee ...

church planting and the dotcom days

As some of you know, I ventured (or strayed) into the dotcom world in the late 90s. It was a heady time when new companies were popping up in dorm rooms, garages, and in coffee shops. Entrepreneurs were getting funded on the basis of scribbling a few notes on a napkin. "Conventional" business world was temporarily suspended in favor of the "new" economy that we were entering.

For part of that time, I was involved in running my own start-up and had a chance to interact and network with other 20/30-year olds who were involved in start-ups. Later I worked for six months at Christianity.com, now on its third owner.

Two things converged to create a chaotic experience:

• Internet companies were going public and create enormous sums of paper wealth for lots of people. This often happened irregardless of profitability (an "old" economy assumption);
• As this happened, more and more companies kept getting huge sums of venture capital (also known as "other people's money or OPM).

In my opinion, this changed what I thought was the beauty of the Internet revolution -- a group of people setting out to change the world. These early missionaries bootstrapped and worked long hours because they wanted to make a difference. They believed in their mission.

As the venture capital increased and IPO's created instant millionaires, you saw fewer missionaries and more mercenaries. Here's the basic difference:

• A missionary does what he does because he feels called to the task and would do it for free.
• A mercenary is a hired gun who is simply there to make money.

In my opinion, the mercenaries ruined the Internet revolution.

This is why I love to be around other church planters. No one goes into church planting for the money! I believe the assessment tests are designed to select only those people who are a bit nutty and crazy.

And Christ-followers who are attracted to church plants tend to be missionary in nature as well. This is a good bit of the reason why the most evangelistic years of a church's life will be the first ten. A majority of the people are "on mission."

The truth is ... God always expects the church to be missionary in nature, no matter if it's one year old or 100 years old. May God create more missionaries and fewer mercenaries.

monday morning observations

I believe Arlen Spector has dyed his hair for the Judge Alioto hearings. That's really an old observation, but I thought I would share it any way.

We went to Garden Grove on Friday night to spend a few hours with Tonya's cousin and her husband. Their wedding was the first one I ever did ... and they're still married 15 years later! On Saturday we drove to Knotts Berry Farm for breakfast (it was OK) and then to Downtown Disney where we walked around the in rain for about two hours. I could have done that at home for much less money!

On Sunday night I popped into Horizon Park Chapel last night for their 6 PM service. A friend of mine had told me a little bit about the church and a few of the worship leaders there. HPC is a church plant from Horizons in Clairemont Mesa ... and it has the Horizon's feel about it. (It even has the name "Jesus" emblazoned directly behind the band).

Back in the early 90s, Tonya and I worshiped on a regular basis at Horizon's Saturday night service. It was a great experience for both of us.

HPC is a definitely an urban church and had that feel about it. It was an enjoyable night and the pastor went verse by verse through 1 Timothy 4. This teaching style can be traced back to the influences of Calvary Chapel/Chuck Smith. HPC is home to a group known as the Dance Floor Prophets.

I love the part of town they are in and am glad they are doing well.

did an angel just stop by?

Alright ... so I'm sitting in Twiggs working on a communion video for Sunday. In walks a man I've never seen before and he walks straight up to me. Pulling out my earbuds, he simply says, "Life may not seem fair but remember Jesus always loves you." And he turns and walks back out the door. And he's gone just like that.

"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it" (Hebrews 13:2).

some new music

Discovering one new artist almost always leads to a few more. A few weeks ago we watched the movie "Because of Winn Dixie" and one of the artists on the soundtrack was The Be Good Tanyas. Canadian folk. Really good.

When I discover new artists/groups, I usually do the following: Go to Google and try to find shows, festivals, concerts, etc., and see who else they play with. Generally speaking, artists play with artists who are similar in style. Perhaps it's just the hunter in me.

Well, from that five minutes of "work," I found a few more goodies I'd like to share with you. In no particular order, but I do recommend they find their way to you iPod.

Neko Case
Kasey Chambers
Alecia Nugent
Grascals
My Morning Jacket

Finding new music is like waking up to a great cup of coffee that will never grow cold.

Enjoy!

the next "live at the lifepoint cafe" ...

Our next "Live at the LifePoint Cafe" will be January 29 at 7 PM. The LifePoint cafe is a time to fire up the coffee and serve up great music. This night will be no exception.

I'm very pleased to announce our two artists. Carlos Olmeda plays a mix of blues, folk, and Latin -- you have to hear it to believe it. Here's how he describes it: "Acoustic Alternative -Tricultural -Genre Inclusive -Adult Contemporary." See what I mean ...

Our second group is simply known as The Gooses. These four guys pull together an incredibly fun set. In some ways, they remind me of another of my favorite groups ... the Barenaked Ladies. Click here to listen to a sample.

See you there.