Recently I called my good friend Pastor Perry Noble on the phone and just chatted with him for a few minutes about ministry and I thought, hey it would be fun to record this and let everybody listen in on our phone call.

It’s kind of voyeuristic. But that’s what makes it fun. This is a little different than a typical leadership interview because it’s really just two friends chatting about stuff. Hope you enjoy listening. Let’s us know what you think and we may let you bug phones on a more regular basis in the future.

To say I am excited about the One Prayer series would be an understatement. I actually think it’s going to be a history making event and Elevation couldn’t be more proud to be a part. I answered a few questions on today’s Swerve blog about my sermon in particular for the One Prayer series. Check it out, here.

There is one more thing God has laid on my heart to offer as a resource to churches participating in the One Prayer series. If you are participating in the One Prayer series and using my message, I would be happy to record a one-minute roll-in video in which I specifically address the senior pastor and the congregation as a way to personalize the message to your church.
I know this may be a little awkward if we have no formal relationship, but I believe that affirming the senior pastor and addressing the particular church can add great value to the sermon. I hope this will help to make the One Prayer experience as powerful as possible for all those involved.

Here are the details:

• Email your request to us at Lshea@elevationchurch.org by 4:00pm Thursday, May 15, 2008

• Your email request to Elevation should include: Church name and address, name of the senior pastor and how he likes to be addressed (Pastor, Reverend, etc.), city and state where your church is located, a few fast facts about your church (for example, your church is 2 years old, you are in the middle of a capital campaign, your vision statement is…, etc.), anything specific you would like to be included in the roll-in video

• You will preview and download Elevation’s message from the One Prayer website as instructed by LifeChurch, but you will receive your roll-in video in the mail by Thursday, June 5th from Elevation. Do not email LifeChurch for your church specific roll-in video

• On the technical side of things, all dvds will be exported in standard definition in a 4:3 format.  If you need something different, please specify that in your email

We hope this is a help to encourage your church during the One Prayer series!

Don’t confuse being in your sweet spot with being in your comfort zone.  Because when you’re in your sweet spot, there’s nothing comfortable about it!  I know this is a little confusing, and definitely counterintuitive.
When I’m in my sweet spot, doing what God has called me to do, God stretches me relentlessly.  But I find that He’s challenging me to activate gifts that He’s already put inside of me.  I just didn’t know they were there.

If you want to find your sweet spot, you’ll have to journey past the perimeter of your comfort zone.

Ever been working at your desk and your boss walks by? What do you tend to do? Sit up a little taller, focus a little more, try not to say anything stupid, right?

This week’s audio blog is what happens when Pastor Steven isn’t in the room. He typically leads us through the audio blog experience, but this week his instructions were to, “go ahead and record one without me.”

It doesn’t mean we’re any less respectful or that our focus changes, it just means some people feel comfortable saying things they may not normally say when your leader is sitting right next to you.

Enjoy this week’s post by the Creative Dept on the - dumbest - mistakes - we’re - embarrassed - to - admit - happened - but - we’ve - learned - and - we’re - moving - on.

Larry Hubatka, Creative Pastor

I was watching Bishop Jakes do his thing the other day.
Somewhere around the 45 minute mark in his message (just after the introduction) I realized that as a pastor, I listen to preachers on two levels at the same time:
1. What they’re saying
2. How they’re saying it

The first level is for content, the second level is for context. If you’re a musician, you can relate. The average listener appreciates Mute Math in a totally different way than you appreciate Mute Math. You appreciate the subversive chord progressions, the complicated time signatures and the off-the-wall production elements that somehow work. Most listeners just like it because it’s…different. Most people listen and play air drums, or sing along. You listen and then go write a song of your own, inspired by what you heard.

So when I hear Bishop talking about The Chemistry of the Crumbs (a message from T.D. Jakes Classics Vol. 2, recently purchased as a gift from my staff-who obviously knows my love language), I’m excited about what he’s saying: God can make a miracle happen in my life with leftovers.

But I’m equally fascinated by how he’s saying it: his cadence, his word selection, his dynamics…not to mention precise timing, command of the subject matter, or charisma.
What he’s saying inspires me to be a better Christian.
How he’s saying it inspires me to be a better preacher. Not that I’d have the audacity to try to emulate the Bishop. That would be stupid, because he’s from Mars. Besides, God already has a Jakes. My job is to be Furtick.
But I’m always on the lookout for principles of good communication that I can observe, own, and then make operational in my own unique ministry.

I can’t stop thinking about this lately:
Is it possible that the key to Elevation’s continued growth lies in my ability to lead less?
To spend less of my time executing and almost all of it empowering?
I’m not talking about passive or nebulous leadership.  It will always be my responsibility (and my passion, and my honor) to lead wholeheartedly and boldly in key venues and to key people.
Developing and communicating clear and thorough direction will always be on my job description.

But I think the bigger this thing becomes, the more time I’ll spend receiving vision from God, and the less time I’ll spend implementing it at a hands on level.
It’s a brand new paradigm for me: I can lead better by leading less.

I envy preachers who are able to approach creativity as a science. I really do. I have friends who prepare sermons the same exact way every single week. They study at the same times, in the same setting, organizing thoughts in the same sequence…that must be nice!
I’ve tried to emulate this approach, because I honestly think it would be the most effective way to do it. Sadly, I’ve never been able to make it work for me.

For me, creativity is compulsive. Ideas are like waves, and I’m just a guy with a board. No matter how good I get at riding these waves, I can’t generate them. I can locate the best beaches, even, but I can’t control the tide.

Recently I recorded an audio blog in response to a FAQ:
Explain to me how you prepare sermons.
I laugh when someone says that to me, because whether they know it or not, it’s kind of like a kid saying to his dad:
Explain to me how babies are made.
See, you don’t really want to know. You’ll find it disgusting. It’s messy. It’s traumatic. It’s downright awkward to discuss.
But parts of the process are a lot of fun. And the end result is new life, which makes the pain worthwhile.