Okay, I am pretty hard on Mark Richt, head coach at Georgia. He doesn’t run up the score like I would like and he can’t beat the Gators, but give the guy credit. He CAN coach and he is a believer who is not ashamed of the gospel.

So I was glad today to see Georgia locked him up for through 2013. I know it is hard for fans like Clemson fans to understand that you don’t have to worry about your coach getting fired every year, but that is a luxury those of us who root for winning teams get.
Oh yeah, how come Tommy Bowden, the coach at Clemson is offering Richt’s son a scholarship? More dreaming by Tiger fans…..

This week we are celebrating 2 years since we started this adventure. It have been a wild ride. I can’t wait for this Sunday!!!! We have been rocking the last few weeks and I think IF we can keep the mo going, this fall is going to be huge.

Days like today make it where I can’t sleep on Sundays night.

I’m counting down the days until this Sunday!

Today we had an awesome day!!!! We put a curtain up along the back of our worship space to cover space and today we had so many people we were scrambling to get it down to make room!!! You could feel the buzz as it was coming down. I can’t believe we have grown like we have and done it in July!!!!!!

The band was incredible today ending our iPod series and I mean they LITERALLY nailed Don’t Stop Believing by Journey. Our crowd was digging that 80’s tune. We started maing 50 CD’s of the messages two weeks ago when we sold out and today we sold out again.

Tuesday the Around Canton magazine hits all the mail boxes, next week celebrate two years, and then the next week are launching a series called Love Affair.

The mo is going and all I can think of is the chapter from Good to Great on the flywheel. I am copying that chapter for our staff meeting tomorrow. The flywheel is spinning rapidly and it simply because it has gained huge MO.

I love this thing called church planting.

Preston had a back to school bash thingy for the elementry age kids today. I think this is the FIRST thing ever that I had NO SAY in putting it together. I’ll admit, it was very hard for me not to give my input on things when they were being planned. I wasn’t even going to go then it dawned on me that my princess is moving up next week to big kids church and I had to take her
It was SO nice to just show up at something like a normal church person. For about the first 30 minutes I was having to bite my tongue over things I personally would have done different (not better, just different), then I got over it. I decided it wasn’t my thing and that I trust Preston to pull off a great event. I then just made the rounds talking to people and hanging out.

It was nice. It is great to know we have gotten to the point where I can do those things. It is a great feeling to know that I have the team to pull it off. At the end all the kids were thanking me for doing the thing and I just smiled and pointed them to Preston.

As a pastor, it is nice to have that happen.

Good job P!

The new Ridge Stone Church webpage is up! We still have some tweaking to do and all the links are not live but it is live!

Chad got this thing up in literally 2 weeks.

It is awesome to have people sold out and willing to help be part of the vision!

E-mail me and tell me what you think?

Nope, not yet.
It should be up be live by Saturday! Props to Chad Snyder for killing himself the last two weeks trying to get it up. If you are looking to have some web work done, Chad is the man!!!!

Props to Tim Grandstaff for helping with the design. Tim is one of the best design guys out there and does 90% of our graphic work.

This morning I got up and took a shower to get ready to go and film a video at Teasley Middle School where we started. I got out and was fixing my hair and noticed my sideburns need thinned out. I took out the clippers, put the guard on started trimming them when my arm slipped and I cut a HUGE bold spot in the side of my head!!!!!!

Needless, to say I was not so happy and was actually freaking out a little bit.
Lucky for us we have half the gang from Jyl Craven Hair Studio in our church including Jyl, the owner. This crowd is one of the highlights for me in starting The Stone. They are some of the nicest people in the world and they keep the rest of the church looking in style. They are probably the premier salon in North Georgia and they are awesome to my family!!!

So I picked up the bat phone and Jyl fixed me up!!!

Thanks Jyl, you’re da bomb!!!!!

See ya Phil, you stunk!

Right now I am sticking with Dilana BUT Storm has it going on!!!!!! She is a GREAT performer and she might end up winning this thing when it is all said and done.

In two weeks, we turn 2. It seems like yesterday we were trying to get this thing started. I have looked at so many pictures and video getting ready for this service and I have laughed more the this week then I have in a long time.

I am a blessed man. What has happened here is an amazing thing and only God can get the glory. I look at other plants who have more education then me, are better speakers then me, are in larger cities then me, had more money when they launched, look better (that isn’t too hard), and yet very few churches are doing what God is doing at RSC. I don’t say that at all to be cocky, I say it to give God glory for all that HE has done. IF God can use me, HE can use anyone.

I was thinking about some of the lessons I have learned over the last two years and these thoughts jumped out to me:

1.) If you truly believe in your vision then 99% of decisions are already decided. Saves you a lot of trouble.
2.) God will send scaffolding. You need scaffolding to build a house but once it is built the scaffolding is gone. God sent us some GREAT and GODLY people who were scaffolding. I hated to see them leave but I now realize God sent them for a time and for a purpose.
3.) You CAN build a church without a building. Everyone told me you couldn’t in this area but, God has done it here. I have really kicked up our land search lately just to be prepared, but lack of a building will never be an excuse for us not growing.
4.) You can lead your people by doing life WITH them instead of being ABOVE them.
5.) People want a pastor who is the same Monday-Saturday as he is on Sunday.
6.) You can’t grow as a leader without having mentors who are ahead of you in the game. I thank God for those people in my life.
7.) I have the greateast wife in the world. She is the greatest pastor’s wife in the world because her ministry is our family, not Ridge Stone Church.
8.) God WILL send Christians who will be sold out to your vision. It took me a year to understand this.
9.) Go after those that no other church would want and ask God to send those to you.
10.) Be yourself. Love me or hate me, I am who I am. Most pastors are who they think they are supposed to be.
11.) There will be critics. Only insecure leaders feel the need to defend themselves.
12.) You must grow ahead of your church’s growth
13.) Fight, scrap, and kill if necessary to keep the BIG MO going. It is so vital.
14.) Preach vision AT LEAST every two months. You think your people are sick of it, but they don’t live with it like you do and will forget it.
15.) Core Values aren’t some written thing, they are something you live.
16.) Have tunnel vision.
17.) If you aren’t friends with your staff, then why are they around?
18.) Sold out lay people actually make the church what it is.
19.) RUN to confrontation.
20.) Love your people no matter what.
21.) It’s ALL about two things: Jesus and People

I could probably go on and one but those are just some things I have learned over the last two years.

I am totally digging this Nickelback CD. I don’t think there is a bad song on the CD.
Savin’ Me and If Everyone Cared are the two jams that are speaking to me right now.

I am ready to do a whole teaching series around the song If Everyone Cared, it is powerful.

Good CD after a loooooong day!