You are going to have to deal with lists over the next couple of days because I got a lot of thoughts on my mind.

As we get ready to launch our second campus, here is what is running through my noggin right now:

• I think the multi-site model of ministry is GREAT for a church like ours that has a desire to go into smaller towns where church plants might never go.
• Tonight we find out if we get to start our build-out at our Jasper location.  If we get the go ahead, we start construction tomorrow.
• Multi-site is all about branding.  I am blown away by the response in Jasper from people that already know about our church.
• Campus Pastor is the KEY role in the whole thing.  This person has to be a leader, but also a team player.  To be a campus pastor you have to be a very unselfish person.  You are leading, but you are not the primary teacher or vision caster.
• Worship is the second big role.  God has blessed us so much musically that we are fine for the short-term.  However, we need to bring another worship leader on staff asap.  Finding that person is such a key hire.  They will be under Tim’s leadership and have to fit in our with our team.  Artsy, Fartsy guys need not apply.
• We will probably NOT assign a worship leader to a campus.  Instead we will rotate them among all our campuses.
• Creating a buzz BEFORE you launch is EASY and IMPORTANT
• Doing a build out on a budget is stressful.  I think IF possible it is best to go portable.
• I think the second one is probably the hardest and most expensive one to launch.  As we launch our 3, 4, and 5th campuses, we will already have the video recording equipment so we will only need to buy equipment for that campus.
• Your mindest changes to leader reproduction quickly
• Reproducing has to become a core value in all aspects.  We are saying we have to reproduce EVERY aspect of everything at every campus or we won’t do it at any campus.
• I’m excited to see us change North Georgia with the gosple of Jesus Christ!!!

• Another awesome day!
• We popped around 1000 again.  Haven’t seen total numbers, but it looked equal to last week.
• I literally, I mean literally lost my voice teaching today.  It is shot.
• Yes, I compared prayer and sex.  The comparison worked in my mind.
• Fantasy Football Party tonight. I’m in a keeper league so we have to announce who we are keeping. You can keep four players and you lose the round they were drafted.
• I only allow myself to subscribe to 30 blogs at a time. Today I deleted about 15 and added 15 new ones. Some of the ones I bumped, I have had since I started blogging. But, for whatever reason they aren’t connecting right now.
• We got to nail down our 2008 conference schedule this week. I want to take the entire staff to one conference together. We do Unleash and I am thinking of the Drive Conference as well.
• With staff changes comes staff office shuffle. Preston moved into Malcolm’s old office and took all of my office furniture. Adam moved into the creative meeting room and has set-up shop. It makes me laugh watching everyone move offices for about the 100th time since we started.
• HUGE meeting with Pickens County concerning our Jasper build-out Monday night. We have already had the HOA of the neighborhood around the building call and let us know they will be opposing the rezoning. Bummer. They are mad at the landowner over some other things, not us. Still sucks.
• Ashyln has discovered Hannah Montana. Kill me now.
• Our dog got this “boys” cut off last week. He has been pretty hyper since it happened. I thought it was supposed to calm him down.
• Adam is heading up 85 this week to pick up our video equipment we have been given. Nice.
• Friday night I am teaching at the Men’s Conference at West Ridge Church. I’m looking forward to it.
• We have all our teaching series nailed down until June. We got some cool things planned.
• I ate an authentic Cuban meal today.  Cuban pork, black beans, rice, and yuca root.  It was awesome.  Bob, do you know what a yuca root is?  It freaked me out at first.
• I know a teenager that is about to BLOW a great opportunity because he wants to do things “his way.” It breaks my heart how stupid he is being.
• I am ready to launch our Jasper location!!!!!!!!
• Watching the Packers last night was the way football should be played. I love Favre.
• I’m so tired, I have nothing else left on my mind.

Got a lot on my mind so here goes:

• Christmas was GREAT!!!!  We went nowhere.  We just stayed around the house in our PJ’s till about 1.  Grandparents came over about 3 and stayed the perfect amount of time (about 2 hours) and then we just laid around some more.
• BEST GIFT: VAN HALEN tickets!!!!!!!  Not to just one show, but to both of their shows.  Two different people got me tickets and I am pumped!  I love concerts.
• Of course the only gift we give in this family is concert tickes so I got DeAnna tickets to Bon Jovi/Daughtery.  Should be fun also.
• Today is DeAnna’s birthday.  She is the love of my life and I thank God every day for allowing me to be married to her.  As is our tradition, we spent the entire day at the mall and I wasn’t allowed to complain.  Had a blast!!!
• Heading out to West Virginia tomorrow to teach a few hundred teenagers at the Sidekick Students Winter Retreat.  We got a good group of our kids going and my family is going.  I haven’t taught to students in probably 9 years so I really don’t know what to say or do.  I just plan on bringing the heat like I do on Sundays.  Our kids seem to dig it so I hope the other kids dig it.
• We have a 50,000 piece mailer hitting mailboxes next week and we are featured on the cover of Around Canton Magazine in January.  It all points to our new teaching series called Confessions Of A Pastor.  This series is going to be me no-holds barred.  I’m a open book already so this should be interesting.
• NO CHURCH THIS SUNDAY!!!!!!!! Enjoy the Sunday with your family.
• We’ve made a couple of additions to our team at Revolution.  Aaron Olson is coming in for the next few months to do programming and stage design (which he had already been doing since our 24 series) and we have hired Jennifer Vogelpohl full-time to come be do all our business administrative.  I’ve been trying to hire Jennifer since about 3 months after we started the church and finally with some of our people moving onto other things and her ready for a new adventure, the stars aligned.  Very excited to have her in the office.
• Seeing our people show up to deliever doughnuts on Christmas Eve was awesome.  Very proud of our church.  Loving pastoring a church I would attend even if I wasn’t on staff.
• I can’t lie, it felt weird not having our big Christmas Eve blow-out, but we’ll come STRONG next year with it.
• Still can’t believe we brought in $83,000 in our Next Step Offering.  Revolution is amazing.
• I almost bought some shoes today.  I haven’t bought a pair of shoes in probably 5 years and have only worn shoes about 3 times this year, but it might be time for a change.
• No good music out right now.
• We took the dog to a bording place today and I am not happy.  I am worried about the little fellow, but I guess he’ll be fine until Sunday.  He better be….
• I’m going to enjoy the next week off but honestly, I am ready to go back to work now.  I love what I do, but I know resting from it is good for Revolution, for my family, and me.
• I started praying some VERY specific prayers about our church a few months ago.  They included location issues, staffing issues, multi-site issues, and financial issues.  God has rocked my world by answering those prayer requests.  Some the way I thought he would, some NOT they way He would.  Either way, I am glad He is control and trust Him to build this place.
• Chris and Taylor close on their first house on Friday.  VERY proud of them.
• I wonder what God has in store in 2008?

More thoughts running through my head:

• Did I mention we raised $71,000 today!!!!
• I was rocking the sports coat today
• Swift tore it up on When Love Comes To Town
• I wish I only had one name like Swift.  How about just Lamb?  Doesn’t have the same ring.
• I got to figure out how to get our dog to quit chewing everything in the house
• Just saw a glimpse of the new Batman.  Yeah baby!!!
• DeAnna is starting to cook all the once a year goodies she makes every year.  I’m pretty excited.  The next two days I will simply eat, eat, and eat some more.
• One more week until the Sugar Bowl.  I ain’t going to lie, the Warriors worry me
• Got someone who just emailed and wants to deliver doughnuts to those working at the liquor store tomorrow night.  That’s awesome!!!!
• Had a few “old” faces back at church today.  I was glad they were back.
• I have had Zaxby’s 4 nights in a row.  Not good.
• Okay, no more thoughts for the night….

• What a DAY!!!!!
• Second service was SLAMMED!!! Highest attendance since around Easter!!!
• Hands down, one of the worst services ever during 9:00 a.m. service. We were not in the grove. #1 priority for the new year is get our mojo back at 9.
• Hands down, one of the BEST services we have ever had during our 10:30 service. The place was slammed, we made some huge adjustments from the first service, and we hit a grand slam.
• About 6 months ago, Stonecreek Church gave us a TON of stuff including some VERY nice signs. We use them every week and they are awesome. Today, we had awful weather and about 10 minutes of crazy, crazy wind and it blew the front of the sign off at the entrance. So the sign said Stonecreek Church instead of Revolution. This has never happened before.  The funny thing was Steven Gibbs, the pastor of Stonecreek was in our service this morning. The funnier thing was our people ready to go lynch someone at Stonecreek because they thought they put it in front of our theater.
• Glo-sticks. Nuff said
• The energy in the second service today was insane.
• Love doing communion.
• All is right with the world. After a week of waiting, Kathy Knight’s cookie platter showed up this morning. I have been waiting since last Christmas for that!!!  I kid you not, they cookies are all already gone.
• We are all working today at the office, getting ready for January 6th so we can be off until January 2nd.
• NO Church next Sunday!!! Enjoy the Sunday off.
• We took up our Next Step Offering today. I didn’t know what to expect with the economy like it is.
• Honestly, I had no idea and for the first time ever, I didn’t know if we would raise what was needed to purchase the needed equipment to allow us to go multi-site.
• Did I mention that I didn’t know what to expect?
• This morning, the people of Revolution Church gave
  
• $71,092.82!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME????????????? That is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!
• We are now going to be able to pay CASH for everything needed to capture videos for us to launch multiple campuses. That includes cameras, computers, and a TON of stuff I don’t even understant. We are also going to be able to make MASSIVE improvements to our Canton campus. I am literally shocked and overwhelmed by the people of Revolution. You guys blow me away!!!!!
• I am actually looking forward to hanging out with our students at the ski trip this week!!!!!
• Christmas Eve tomorrow at the office at 4:00 p.m. We got 250 dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts to pass out to those working on Christmas Eve.
• We had our staff Christmas party tonight.  VERY low key affair, but it was nice to just hang out with people who make Revolution happen.
• Ch-ch-ch-Changes at Revolution in 2008.  We got some new blood coming on staff and that is always exciting.
• I still don’t feel like it is Christmas
• SO many new people lately that it is crazy.
• I can always tell when people start buying into the vision of Revolution because they change from saying it is my church to saying it is their church.  They go from saying me to saying we.  I love that.
• I got a Stryper pillow today.  Awesome!!!
• We have some hurting people and that hurts me.  I hate to see our people going through hard times.
• Looks like I am going to win the loser bracket of our fantasy football league.  I am the king of the losers.
• God is stirring me on some big time things about how we are going to help other churches this next year.
• Taylor is filling in some huge areas right now and I am super proud of her!!!
• As people were coming down to take communion today, I just sat back and watched person after person who has have had their live changed while attending Revolution.  I’m far from perfect and we have done a lot wrong at Revolution but seeing the lives that have been impacted make it ALL worth it.
• I am worn out and I am going home and going to bed.
• See everyone at the warehouse tomorrow night!!!

• Probably one of the best services we ever had was today!
• There are some Sundays when things click and there are some Sundays where EVERYTHING clicks.  Today, everything was clicking.
• Today you saw why I believe Tim is one of the best worship leaders I have ever seen.  The music was AWESOME today.  They played “40″ by U2 as a worship song and it was off the hook.
• We borrowed Joel back from Oak Leaf (hey, he was ours first ) and he simply NAILED the song Where The Streets Have No Name.  I miss Joel, but I honestly am glad he has a church closer to home.
• Click here and you will see how Oak Leaf and Revolution are changing the world through gingerbread houses. :)  Go to the third story down.  Mitch goes to Revolution.  Brett goes to Oak Leaf.
• I have spent more time in prayer over the last few day then I have in a long time and I can really tell it.
• I think I quit leading in some very important areas over the last few months.  Trust me, that stops now.
• Through some friends and my quiet time, God has really reminded me that I am the leader of Revolution and everything rises and falls on leadership.  I will be stepping some things up big time starting first thing tomorrow.
• If you have friends who don’t know Christ, do WHATEVER it takes to get them to church this Sunday!!!!
• Have you heard what we are doing for Christmas Eve?
• Our Next Step offering is this coming Sunday!!!  I love it when God stretches us!!!!
• Adam is taking over our Tech Team at the start of the year.  I really love that dude.
• Laney and Jenna are doing a great job in the kids area.
• I just realized my fantasy team is in the playoffs.  It is the loser bracket, but it is the playoffs.  I’m losing.
• Honestly, I am flying high after today.  Love Sundays like today.  Sundays are better then any drugs I use to do.
• It is almost Christmas!!!
• I’m getting ready to head to Winterplace with Michael to teach at one of his winter camps.  Very cool.
• Zaxbys tonight.  Mmmm…..
• We have 5 former pastors at Revolution.  That’s cool.  We also have 5 kids of pastors who attend.  That’s cool too.  We also have 2 people who work for the North American Mission Board.  I dig them too.
• Man, the Falcons stink.
• Taylor gave me what might be the coolest shirt in history today.
• Two Words: Rockstar Mocha.  Yes, they have it and Yes, I have had it.  awesome!
• We are NOT having church December 30th.  Enjoy the Sunday with your family.
• Tons of guests today.
• I just saw the front cover of Around Canton Magazine for January.  We are on the cover.  Actually, I am on the cover and it seems a little weird to be honest.  The story inside is great!!!
• Several sport coats today.  See, we got a little class.
• Fire place is going!!!  Finally!!!
• Props to our set-up team for setting the place in the freezing cold this morning!!!
• There is a natural buzz right now in the church that is off the hook.
• I love my friends.
• I can’t believe I get to do this for a living!!!

• Yesterday was awesome!!!
• Our attendance, giving, people serving, and people buying into what God is doing is HUGE right now.
• I have always prided myself on the fact that we give it our all during the first service and don’t use it as a practice service like other churches I have seen BUT we have dropped the ball the last two weeks during the first service. I hit a dud yesterday in the early service.
• I’m still flying high about the stories on RevolutionaryLove.tv. Simply Amazing!!!
• Yesterday, we collected over $5500 in gift cards for the two homes from Goshen Valley Boys Ranch that attend Revolution. FREAKING AWESOME!!!!!
• This week we are partnering with MUST Ministries to help them stock their clothing closet with NEW coats, mittens, socks, and undergarmets. You guys have been awesome letting God use you, keep it up!!!!
• I’m glad my family is back.
• The Patriots are just punking people out big time.
• I ate like crap while DeAnna was gone and I am paying for it. I feel like crap.
• If you have friends who don’t know Jesus, do whatever it takes to get them to church on December 23rd!!!!! We are going to present the gospel in a clear and relevant way.
• American Gladiators is back on??? Are you serious? The writers strike has to end SOON!!!!!
• I love it when other pastors in town love our church so much they invite people to attend our place instead of theirs!!!
• It is supposed to get to 76 degrees here today!!!!  I want SNOW!!!!!
• We have some cool things planned for the start of the year!
• We are on the cover of Around Canton Magazine next month!!!!
• I got a picture of David Anderson coming to me from this last Saturday.  I will be posting it soon for the simple purpose of humiliating him.
• Still impressed with Tech hiring Paul Johnson.  I love that dude.
• I am excited about Christmas Eve this year!!  We are doing something pretty cool.
• I’m still not totally sold on the dog, but he is growing on me.
• Back to work.

Sorry, but the wife and kids are back after being gone for 4 days so you will be getting a Monday Morning Mind Dump instead this week.

Trust me, it will be worth the wait!!!!

• Hands down, I thought today was the most powerful service I have ever been part of
• It wasn’t because of the music, the teaching, or stage design.  ALL have been better before but the spirit in the place was insane.
• We gave our entire offering BACK to our people today to be a blessing to others.  That was a HUGE financial step for us, but it was worth EVERY penny.  Our people were blown away.
• Don’t forget to share you financial story at RevolutionaryLove.tv
• Next week, we are taking up gift cards for the Goshen Valley Boys Ranch.  Remember to get them gift cards at FUN places!!!!
• I felt off in my teaching today but it was a great reminder that it isn’t about me.
• Announced today that we are STAYING at the movie theater.  LONG STORY but basically, the contract for the Boys and Girls Club was WAY different then what we were told.  The theater is bending over backwards to keep us and we are PUMPED about staying!!!
• I’m still flying high after our Jasper informational meeting last Friday.
• I think Georgia is NOT going to the National Championship game and to be honest, they don’t deserve too.  However, if they get to go, I’m fine with that.
• Still blown away from today.
• We have some BIG things planned to improve our experience at the theater.
• The last two weeks have been some of the most stressful of my life with all the location stuff having us up in the air.  I am glad it is settled.
• I love our church.  I said that from the stage to start the message and that was honestly all I could think to say.  I love our church.  I love being there, I love our people, I love teaching, I love our staff, I love our volunteers, I love that God is doing BIG things.
• I haven’t seen the numbers yet, but I would venture today was out biggest Sunday of the fall.  The place was packed out today.
• I’m excited about our Next Step Offering on December 23rd.  God is really stretching DeAnna and I with what He wants us to give.
• I love what God is doing through Tadd.  I thank God we get to be part of it.  Tadd and I were a great team and even though we almost killed each other when we worked together, I consider him one of my best friends.  We talk daily and I love that we have a part in Pine Ridge Church.
• I love Christmas.  DeAnna has the house decorated and I love it.
• We had a church that runs 1/5 of what we run send us a check for our Jasper location.   I couldn’t believe how unselfish that church was.  It humbled me BIG time.
• I feel blessed to have so many friends in the ministry.
• The guy who murdered DeAnna’s brother pleaded guilty.  She flies to New York City next week for the sentencing.  I am sure she would appreicate your prayers.
• I’m excited about what we are doing for Christmas Eve.
• Our dog likes to chew on everything.
• I love that Tim is our worship pastor.  I love sharing the stage with him.
• Life is good.

• I missed church today.  I hated missing and started getting the desire to go about 9, but it was a much needed break.
• I heard Kyle O’Neal did a great job leading worship today.  If you are looking for a worship pastor, take a look at Kyle.  If the timing is right and Kyle isn’t with another church by then, he will be playing a big part in Revolution as we launch our second campus.
• I heard Preston did a good job too.
• Wal-Mart is crowded even on Sunday mornings!!!!!!!
• I heard attendance was great especially for a holiday weekend.
• I have a 7:00 a.m. meeting tomorrow.  That is too early to be fun.
• We are decorating the house for Christmas and I love it.
• There is a chill in the air and it feels like winter down south.
• I heard Tadd had an awesome day.  I am proud of him and glad we get to partner with what God is doing in North Carolina.
• Things start moving BIG time this week for our Canton location.
• We have our first meeting with our Jasper team  on Friday!!!!  If you haven’t signed-up and want to come, just call the office this week.
• Some tough decisions to make this week.  Some of them won’t be popular and people will jump to conclusions without hearing our side, but that goes with being the leader.  I don’t like it, but I accept it.
• Next week we are doing something that I promise that those of you in attendance will have never seen done in a church service.
• I am pumped up about RevolutionaryLove.tv
• I am glad my family is home.
• Pray for DeAnna.  The guy who murdered her brother is supposed to plead guilty tomorrow in New York.  This has been about 13-14 years in the making and as you can imagine, it is a tough thing.
• Christmas music is playing on the radio and I am ready for the season!!!!
• My fantasy team is rolling!!!!
• I am starting to like the dog a little better.
• Someone gave us two tickets to a unplugged concert with Keith Urban this week and I am looking forward to the night alone with my bride.
• I’m going to enjoy the rest of my day off.