EdYoungBlog

Bienvenidos!

Lisa and I really enjoyed the opportunities we had to speak at two churches this past weekend in Mexico--Cabo English Church and Redes Christian Church. Thanks, Pastor Mike and Pastor Valdir!

Church Pirates

This is something I've wanted to blog about for a while. I also wanted the staff at Fellowship to hear it. So I filmed this in front of them...I can't wait to hear your responses!

Old School and One Prayer

Here's a look at what we did this weekend and what I'm looking forward to over the next several weeks!

Riding the Waves of the Retreats

Words can't describe how much I enjoyed being a part of our dual marriage retreats last week! It was so inspirational to rub shoulders with so many people and to see the great things that God is doing in their lives and marriages.

We had one retreat called the "Creative Marriage Retreat" for pastors and their spouses. I went into the retreat not knowing what to expect. But I've got to say that it was one of the most powerful times we've had with pastors...just to sit down and talk so openly about the joys and challenges of marriage and ministry.

I want to thank, once again, Craig and Amy Groeschel, Dr. Jonathan Cude (who I highly recommend as a Christian counselor), and Dr. Randy Perkins, who works so closely with so many in the ministry. And lastly, to my wife, Lisa...you did an amazing job at the retreat!

While this retreat was going on, we also had another one for our people at Fellowship Church called the "Wholly Holy Marriage Retreat". We would talk for an hour in one session and then walk across the hotel to teach for another hour to another group entirely. What an amazing time for growth!

And the response was so overwhelmingly great during this time that people are already asking about the next one. So we're working on that right now.

On the heels of those retreats, I would love to hear from some of you pastors. Maybe share one or two of the greatest things you find in ministry and marriage. And also some of the greatest challenges you face. Let me hear from you!

Again, I'm still riding the waves of excitement, and I'm looking forward to doing this all again...

Espresso Done Right

Now this is a friend of mine who knows about espresso! Thanks, Luca...

Craig Groeschel On A 'Hole 'Nutha Level

It was awesome to have Craig and Amy Groeschel at our Marriage Retreat the past few days.

And I can't wait to see all that happens as a result of this summer's One Prayer series. Check back here for more details!

The Numbers Don't Lie...Do You?

This has got to be one of the most hilarious times of the year, because it's the time of year when different magazines and websites come out with their reported "Fastest Growing" or "Top 100 Most Attended" churches in America.

When I see these lists I have to laugh, because there are only a handful of churches that count accurately. Only in the church world do we get away with this. I don't know why we lie about our numbers so much, but we do. We tend to exaggerate, elongate, double count and guesstimate. And we end up with numbers that aren't reflective of who is really there.

So I'm going to start an "Accurate Counting List." That's right...an accurate list of church attendance. The criteria are very simple. All you do is report:

          * Your annual giving (excluding building funds or other special projects)
          * Children, birth through fifth grade
          * Your attendance in worship services that present the same content

So many churches will add their midweek, Sunday night or special event services that don't share the same content as the weekend.

Just the other day we went to a well-known church (one that pretty much everyone would know) and we asked them what their attendance was in that particular service. Then our staff counted and there were 1,500 less that what they said!

From the get-go we have tried to be ruthlessly and brutally honest about our numbers at Fellowship Church. Why? Because numbers matter to God. They represent lives. They help us in planning buildings and programs. And they let us know if we are being effective in reaching people.

There is a balance, though, between OD-ing on numbers vs. not counting at all. So it's time that we all step up to the plate and be honest about our numbers, because the numbers don't lie.

Happy counting!

From Countdown to Recovery

If you want to see my message from this weekend, check it out now...