I’m not a profound writer by any stretch.  And I’m no C.H. Spurgeon in the pulpit.  But communication is what I do, and there’s one master tool in my chest that has helped me clean up sentences and craft spoken words.  It’s the simple and grueling process of revision.

When you’re about to write or say something, I suggest you revise it at least 2 or 3 times before posting or verbalizing.  For example, even if you’re just tweeting about your plans for the night, think of a better way to say it than: Going to dinner.  Gonna be fun. Personally, I think the less interesting the activity, the more you should dig until you find an interesting angle to communicate from.  At least, that’s the kind of stuff I like to read.  Not so clever that you come off like you’re trying too hard.  But focused and measured enough to get my attention.

When you’re about to have a difficult conversation, it’s well worth the investment of your time to rehearse what you want to say mentally, or commit it to paper if necessary.  You owe it to the person you’re confronting.  And you owe it to yourself…a few moments of preparation on the front in may save you hours and hours of explanation afterward.

I can’t tell you how long I’ve thought about certain sentences in my sermons, and how ruthlessly I’ve hacked away at them until they were concise and sticky.  A simple sentence like: Between the promise and the payoff is the process-and the process is the point may take me weeks of on again, off again mental energy to perfect.  But I suspect that my finished product packs more punch than: life is tough, but hang in there. It’ll be worth it.

Whether you’re preaching, blogging, or speaking a hard truth, the principle is golden: If you think it over, you’ll say it better. Everytime.

Everybody wants to be an original.  Lately, I’m concluding there’s no such thing.  Don’t get me wrong, you’re unique.  One of a kind.  Just like everybody else.

When God made you, He encoded a temperament, skill set, passion, and anointing in a measured and distinctive combination.  But through the years, that DNA is enhanced and affected for better and worse through your influences and experiences.  And over time, you become a mixed breed of sorts.

Let me come at this another way:
People who stand out as unique aren’t original.  They’re just really interesting hybrids.

Musical styles that are hailed as groundbreaking typically just fuse certain elements of several existing styles in a way that is fresh to us.  Ska is reggae meets punk.  Hip-hop is the bottom of the funnel that started with R&B and rap.  Before that blues and jazz.

There’s no such thing as an original preacher.  Just a preacher who combines all of his influences and inspirations in a way that sounds new to us.  And the richer and more smoothly blended the influences, the more tasteful and flavorful the interpretation will be.
Methodist upbringing + Baptist college +
Interdenominational traveling ministry + Black preacher wannabe=
me.

There’s nothing original about my leadership style (yours either).  I’m a the product of 5 million different influences, some good, some bad, some potent, some barely discernable, filtered through the Holy Spirit, changing every day.

You can’t be an original.  But you have potential to be a really fascinating hybrid.  Internalize and integrate your influences…and see what comes out in the mix.

It’s that time again. So kick back and cool off from the summer heat with this special recipe for tasty frozen fun and a bit of sensory overload. Yum yum.

[QUICKTIME http://www.stevenfurtick.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/26.mov 460 259]

-Ryan “Bobby Flay” Hollingsworth & Chris “Paula Dean” Brown

Guest Blogger: Wade Joye

Recently, our service programming team sought to come up with a good way to evaluate our worship experience each week. How could we determine both on the front end, when we plan, and on the back end as we evaluate, whether or not a worship experience captured the spirit and vision of Elevation Church?

After being inspired by a conversation with Pace from Fellowship Church, we developed the following 5 elements that every Elevation service should have.

These elements are all built on the foundation of worshipping in a way that lifts the name of Jesus high and making Him the center of our time together.

We know that these may change, but right now they are …

Energy – Is the worship experience full of life? Both in the stage dynamics of our band and in the tone of the songs picked, are we boldly celebrating the life we have in Christ? A song doesn’t have to be super fast to have energy either. Hillsong’s Stronger is a slower tune that absolutely explodes in our worship experiences.

Flow – Does every element of the worship experience seamlessly fit together as one, or does the service feel jumbled with a lot of different elements that have no consistent theme? Do the spoken transitions by the worship leaders, the videos used, announcements, etc. all work together in a smooth and meaningful way? Are there any awkward silences or elements not executed well that kill the mood and become a distraction?

Creativity – This category is pretty broad, but is there at least one fresh element in the worship experience? Recently, we took Chris Tomlin’s My Deliverer, a song we have done a lot, and put a Radiohead hook in it to make it come alive in a new way. It reminded me that you don’t have to pull out all the stops to be creative and have a powerful moment.

Far from God focused – Are we too insider with our language, or are we thinking about the person who is far from God that is sitting in our service for their first time at church in years? Do the creative elements we choose speak more to the first time guest, or to  “our people.”

Intentionality – Are we taking people on a purposeful journey in each worship service? We always want to have one “payoff” moment where no matter what frame of mind someone was in when they entered the service, they are now engaged in worship and ready to hear the preaching of the Word of God when Pastor Steven steps on stage.

While these standards work well for us, they might not be the best for your church. Pull your team together and work through what the essential elements are for your services.  The exercise alone will be well worth your time.