What kind of phone do you carry?

With the launch of iPhone by Apple and their claim of reinventing the telephone I thought I would go into my theory of cell phones. Now I know that there is tons of info out there already on the iPhone and it has become an internet sounding board. So I am not going to try and tell you how great or not great the phone is, but I do want one just for the cool factor.

Anyway, on with the point. Right now in my pocket I am carrying the T-Mobile MDA. If you are not familiar with this phone it is a smart phone with a full version of Windows Mobile 5 on it. What does that mean? It means that my phone is a PDA, MP3 player, Bluetooth enabled, WiFi, Internet surfing small computer. It has word, excel, powerpoint, and will even open PDFs. Of course it has outlook for e-mail and will do instant messaging with a breeze. Here is the picture of the phone:

This is when the phone is open and on it's side. It also has a miniSD slot where I have a 2 gig card for all of the music I want to take with me. I got a pair of Bluetooth Headphones for Christmas that I use to run with and a Bluetooth Headset to make my calls with. The phone has Windows Media Player on it to keep up with my playlist. So I have the comfort of a slide-out keyboard, touchscreen with stylus, and the phone can be use in both landscape that you see above and Portrait with the keyboard slid underneath. In general, a small enough phone that I carry in my front pocket and does everything I need for it to do.

Now some of you are looking at the above list and saying one of three things right now.

1. I want that phone.

2. You are bragging about your phone, so who cares.

3. I don't have a clue what you just said.

Why did I tell you about my phone. Because I think it says a lot about who I am. It says that I like to have access to everything at my fingertips so that I can make decisions quickly. It says that I don't like to be tied to my office so that I can meet with people on their terms and still get work done. It says that I am an early adopter and I am not scared of technology. It says that I am up to date with trends and culture. It says that I like gadgets that can improve my everyday life and the way I communicate with the people around me.

Now here is my question to you... What does your phone say about you? You do know that it doesn't have to be just a phone. What kind of phone do you carry?

By the way, the iPhone comes out in June. It doesn't do anything that my phone won't already do but it is much cooler. Here is a picture:

If you don't like my phone or the new iPhone and you want something more designer, Prada just came out with a phone. This is for those people who are really into fashion. Here is a picture:

So there is phone talk for you. I could go on for days...

Building Buildings

We are building our first building as a church. We have bought 154 acres and are taking over a golf course. Yes, it is pretty cool and we are even thinking about keeping 9 holes. A matter of fact, you can go today and play on our property. It is in the mid 50's today so it is possible. Anyway, the hope is to break ground in September of 2007. We have picked an architect but have not yet settled on a look and feel. If you have ever built a building then you know that it comes with much excitement and even more stress. There are always more questions then there are answers. What is going to be best long term? How much do we plan to grow over the next 5, 10, and 20 years? How many phases are we talking? Gym or no Gym? Carpet or stained concrete? Sloped, flat, or stadium floor in the auditorium? Classrooms for children or auditoriums and breakout spaces? What do you do for a baptismal? How much should spend? Should we keep the existing lake or build a new one that fits the property better? What do you do with the rest of the land? These questions are just the ones that came to mind in the first 10 seconds of thought. Needless to say, there are tons more. This past Sunday and Monday I traveled to Dallas/Fort Worth and looked at some churches there. Seems like standard procedure to go look at what people are doing well and ask what mistakes they have made. Of course, no one is just like you and you want your building to be unique and inviting according to your community. So why am I going on and on about building a building? We don't want to make mistakes. We don't want to repeat anyone else. We do want inspiration. We do want great ideas. So here are some questions for you:

What is the most innovative children's space that you have seen in a church or outside of church?

What is the biggest mistake that we need to watch out for?

What church building has the best auditorium for adults?

What is the inspiration behind your building?

Please post in the comment section so that we all can learn together. Thanks.

Curriculum Review: Elevate

I worked at Fellowship Church in Grapevine, TX from 2000 until 2005. When I first started we were writing our own curriculum week to week with medium to mild success. We had potential so Lifeway Publishing picked us up and we started G-Force. G-Force is above average but we always had dreams for more. I left Fellowship to come to Cincinnati and after I left Fellowship Church came out with a new curriculum called Elevate. I have used the first 2 installments with my kids here in Cincy. I know the vision of this curriculum because I was still at Fellowship and helped in the dream phase. Knowing all of this now here is my assessment of Elevate.

Curriculum Review of Elevate:

Bible Content: (4) The first series, On the Trail, was great. One story per week that the kids really got into and learned. The second series, Heroes, is okay. There are 3 different Bible stories per week and kids can get them confused.

Age appropriate: (4) Elevate is written in an older and younger version and lends itself to both a 5th grader and a kindergarten. The place it could improve is having more of a focus of relationship building in the older grades. The younger is right on.

Ease of use for volunteers: (5+) This is where the curriculum will blow you away. There is a DVD with every week training on it for volunteers. It goes through every activity for that week and even gives examples of what kids might ask. This is the only curriculum to my knowledge who is doing this and has changed my volunteer’s effectiveness. This is a WOW!

Ease of Prep for staff: (4) This great for staff. They have an every week training video for the large group time that could be shown instead of performed if needed as a backup. I prefer live drama that is above average than recorded drama that is great. They provide almost everything on a CD-Rom for all activities. The place where this curriculum might be hard to prepare for is changing your set or environment every 8 weeks. It is well worth it but can be a challenge.

Bells and Whistles (graphics, music, and sound effects): (5+) Another WOW! They have the best graphics of any curriculum out. There are 2 songs that you get per 8 weeks but they are up-to-date and fun to sing. The eye candy on this is unbelievable and very engaging for the kids. The sound effects are second to none and add to the environment tremendously. The production value is top notch.
Parent Information: (2) There is a half page review for the parents that you can hand out at the end of your service. It goes over the main point, Bible verse and theme of the day. This is the one area that they could really improve on their curriculum. I would love to see some type of media, ie CD, for the parents to listen to in the car or some website that could be interactive for parents and kids to go over what they learned for that week.

Technology needed or provided: (5) 5 DVD’s, CD-Rom, and Sound Effects CD provided with curriculum. You will need a CD player, a DVD player, and a TV or projector.

Overall Score out of a possible 35 points is 31. It got a bonus point for every week training for volunteers and one bonus point for the Bells and Whistles.

Summery: This is a great large group/small group curriculum. The production quality is not matched by any other curriculum, including KidMO and Saddleback. The training is excellent for both volunteers and staff. The graphics are great. The transitions are funny and very appropriate. Elevate could really elevate its product with better parent resources. Right now North Pointe, or should I say The Rethink Group, is leading the way in that area. This is a must check out.

I hope this helps. Until next time and on to the next curriculum…

It's a Boy!

If you haven't noticed I have been a bit lacking in my post recently. The reason is right above. His name is Azlan David McKee and he was born on November 6th. He weighed 9 lbs. 5 oz and measured 21inches long. Of course the name comes from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe but we replaced the S with a Z. This was in hopes that if it gets shortened later in life he will be called AZZ not the other option. My wife is doing great and we are trying to catch as many ZZZZ's as possible right now so off I go to sleep. I hope to put up another curriculum review next week of Elevate the new curriculum from Fellowship Church. Check back and give me your thoughts about their new curriculum.

Distractions or so they seem

Distractions can be a wonderful thing or they can be the world's worst thing. As you can tell I have been distracted recently from writing blog entries. I do apologize to those of you who have come to expect more of me (Thanks Mom and Dad), and to the rest of you shame on you for expecting so much of me. Seriously, distractions are everyday occurrences. They are like taxes, red lights, and indigestion. You know that they are coming but how you deal with distractions makes all the difference in the world. Some leaders have decided to minimize distractions as much as possible. They have scheduled their days and weeks and months in such a way that a distraction is not possible to happen. They have delegated every possible thing that they could think of that could be a distraction so that they have the least amount of chance for this hatred occurrence. Other leaders strive when distractions happen. They have people in their lives that they know will be distractions on purpose. There is a sense of chaos in there world and they really like it this way. Hanging by a thread is the best way they lead. In both types of leaders, I believe, the distraction is only a distraction if it is not a priority. You have head the phrase that ministry would be great if it were not for the people. In children's ministry we say it would be great if there were not parents, but that is beside the point. My point is that many pastors I come across talk about how this person or that person is a distraction to what they really want to do. The problem is what pastors really want to do is to be lazy and not have to minister to people. People have problems. People are distractions if they are not apart of your purpose. If you say that your people are your priority and then turn around and say that their problems are distractions then your priority and your purpose do not line up. Please don't see people as a problem. Please don't see people as a distraction. Please get over the idea that your program is more important than people's problems. Start doing the dirty work and work with your distractions. Quit hiding behind your outlook, your blackberry, and your new ipod nano. Again I am sorry that I have been distracted over the last couple of weeks. I hope you to get distracted.

It's time to Vent

Every now and then I believe it is good to vent. You know, let all of your questions and thoughts just flow. These statements or questions are in no particular order. So here goes nothing... Enjoy!

Why do I have to own a 100 lb. black lab who leaves large land mines in my back yard? Why don't I own a 10 lb. toy poodle who's mess would be avoidable during mowing?

Why does the gay community get to coin the phrase "coming out of the closet"? It would have been great to use last week during service but NO...

Why do I like most Mercy Me songs but hate the song So Long Self?

Why is Andy Stanley the best Christian communicator in the world?

Being sick is worse than taxes. Taxes you know are coming.

Pastors please quit the porn. You are giving us all bad names.

Why does my car not get 35 miles per gallon?

Why have I never been to Disney World and I have been a children's pastor for 6 years?

Why is change the hardest thing to do in church but excepted and expected everywhere else?

Does anyone else get tired of having to go to the bathroom?

Why is it so hard for my wife and I to find something that we both love to do together outside of the home?

Why don't I read more books?

And finally, why is reading rants so addicting?

Get a Mentor!

Over the last 7 years of my life I have had a mentor. It has not been the same mentor but I have been very fortunate with the people who have agreed to such a relationship or should I say partnership. I have been given wisdom that I would not have come by without these partnerships. I have also been helped out of situations that I found very difficult. The rewards of having a mentor are absolutely amazing. It is basically putting wise counsel in your life. Believe me, everyone can use some wise counsel. So you may be asking yourself, how do I get a mentor or how do I start this process? The first thing you have to do is swallow your pride and say that you need one. Being in my 20's, that was very hard at first. I am one of these types of people who tries to take the world by storm and I don't need your help to do it. I also tend to try to impress people to much and if people found out I needed help by a mentor it may hurt my very important perception. Okay, I may not have that perception but at least let me think that I do. After you have given your pride a kick in the pants, ask someone you respect if they are willing. I know, another kick to the pride. I mean what if they say no or what if I am not good enough. By the way, I have had no one say no. That's right, not one. When I say pick someone you respect I mean someone who is the most successful person you know in their field. Don't pick someone your age. If you are in your 20's don't even pick someone in their 30's. They won't be the most successful person you know. Believe me, they are still trying to figure life out as well. Now what are you looking for in a mentor? That is the wrong question. The question should be what do you want to learn? Do you want to be a great husband, boss, or maybe even a better Christ-follower. Find someone who is the best husband, dad, manager, or Christ-follower that you can find. Notice I said nothing about money. Don't bring money into a mentor partnership. It will be the downfall of the partnership. If you are looking for someone who will help you make a lot of money or someone who will help you keep the money you have, then you need a CPA or an accountability partner. Notice that an accountability partner is different than a mentor. Don't get me wrong, accountability will happen in your partnership but learning should by your primary focus. Okay, enough about all of this. Go get a mentor.

Coleslaw Dressing

Have you ever made coleslaw? I know that if you are reading this and you live in the north you probably haven't but I did last night. Coleslaw is a poor man's salad. It is shredded cabbage and carrots with a special dressing that is made up of mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar. I will have to say after reading the ingredients I am not very impressed myself, but I am a huge fan of coleslaw. When making coleslaw you take a pound of cabbage/carrots mix and pour in, if you follow the recipe, a cup of dressing. Now I will tell you that you don't need a full cup of dressing. It should be more like 2/3 of a cup. Why? Coleslaw dressing has this supernatural phenomena reaction with the cabbage concoction. It grows. I don't mean a little but some how it doubles and then triples and by the time you are done stirring in the dressing, a pound of cabbage is swimming in a pool. Cole slaw baffles me. I don't understand it. I don't understand how I can pour in a little and it comes out a lot. Why am I writing about coleslaw dressing? It hit me, as I was stirring, that my ministry is very much like coleslaw dressing. I don't understand how God takes my lame little attempt at ministry and multiplies it. I know how much I put in, not that much, and when I turn around it has doubled, tripled, and sometimes even to the point where lives are being changed. I would have to say praise God. God does some supernatural phenomena reaction with students, volunteers, and yes sometimes even staff. So I never thought I would say this but a goal of mine in ministry is to become coleslaw dressing. I don't want to know how God does it, but I do want to put in my part and stir. This way when the results happen I can't take credit for any of it. Needless to say I believe we look at our ministries and say the same thing. We say that we have been give the poor man’s salad and we are expected to serve it at a five star restaurant. Here is the problem with that line of thinking: It is not up to you. Yes, you have to do the work of stirring, mixing, and gathering ingredients but has nothing to do with what happens after you have done your work. First you have to do your work. Gather volunteers who fit your ministry. Mix in encouragement and excitement. Stir in great Biblical teaching. God does the rest. When you look back at your bowl you will see an incredible amount of God and very little of you. So do your work and let God do his.

First Time Visitors

Believe it or not I love going to other churches. Not because I don't like mine, but because I get to be a first time visitor. This experience is truly priceless. You are only a first time visitor once. I know the last sentence may not be profound but it does mean the world to your ministry. First impressions are made, whether good or bad. Families decide whether they are going to come back or not on their first visit. Now you have to understand that I have a 2 year old son and the nursery area can be a blessing or a curse to any church. Judgments and critiques come easily when you are at someone else's church don't get me wrong, but I try my best not to do that until I have experienced everything. After the service I sit down and answer the following questions.

1. Were the signs clear and easy to follow?

2. Was the check in process painless?

3. Did anyone greet me?

4. Was their a feeling of security and safeness for my child?

5. Did volunteers know where I should go?

6. Were there name tags on volunteers?

7. Was the facility clean?

8. Was there any thought put into the environment or was it white walls?

9. Could they tell me what belongs to my son or did I have to tell them?

10. Was the pick up process painless?

11. What could have made my experience better?

I know these are hard questions. I know right now that I wouldn't rank very high on all of these at my church. The important thing to remember is we only get one shot. We only have a brief time to convince someone that they should trust us with their kids. If our space is not creative, clean, comfortable, and does not communicate with out anyone around we are not doing well. I think we could do a lot better if we would swallow our pride and invite people to answer these questions. If you are afraid of what the answers will be then change not only needs to happen it must happen or families will leave. On a side note, if you live anywhere near the Cincinnati area and would like for me to come and be hard on your space and your environment, let me know. I would be more than willing to drive and discuss how we can make things better.

Chocolate Nachos

Friday night my wife and I went to Cheeseburger in Paradise. At first glance you would say that it is a themed restaurant and it will probably not have the best food but you will enjoy something different in the atmosphere. I mean come on, I like mine with lettuce and tomato... I will let you finish the song. When we pulled up we noticed the crowd. A wait was about to happen, but is it going to be worth it? Now I will say that a wait is worth it only when the food is great. With the number of restaurants that are out there waiting should only be a necessity for the best. So, when the hostess told me 40 minutes, I am hoping and praying for the best burger in Cincinnati. I do understand this is a chain and the best normally does not come from a chain, but I had hope. We waited. We checked out everyone as they came through the door. Made fun of the ladies in the pink hat society. Yes, it was pink and not red, they are starting their own movement. We laughed at old people on their first dates. We were amused by drunk people at the bar. These are all normal things to do while you wait. Then we sat down at a table. The menu was simple. The drink menu was more complex. I just wanted good lemonade and I got it. We both ordered burgers. My wife got the "mini's" with a toss salad and I got the "not so precise" with fries. The tossed salad came out and it was not typical. You know the typical, lettuce, carrots, one cucumber slice, and one cherry tomato with dressing on the side. This was far from typical. It was a real salad. Different types of lettuce, crumbled blue cheese, asparagus, and all around goodness. So far so good… The burgers come out and they are delicious. I will have to say the best burgers in Cincinnati. There was a salsa ketchup on my burger that was incredible. The mini's were juicy, again not typical for a mini burger. Cheeseburger in Paradise is batting 2 for 2. We look back at the menu and notice that they had something different for desert. There before us was the phrase Chocolate Nachos. Living in Texas for 5 years we knew about nachos, but not about chocolate ones. So we tried them. It was awesome. Here came a plate of homemade nacho chips that had chocolate in the batter. On top of the chips were strawberries, sprinkles, and a heavy chocolate sauce. Don't picture Hershey's, picture almost hot fudge. Next to the chips is a bowl of Ben and Jerry's for dipping. Three different flavors of ice cream for us to enjoy. Boy did we ever enjoy. We stuffed our faces to the point of no return. It should have been shared with 4 but with persistence on our side we finished it. Cheeseburger in Paradise hit a homerun for $25. Not bad for a themed chain.

I think as churches we could learn a lot from the restaurant business. I believe people will only stick around if you are serving the best. I also believe people should get more than what they expect from church. People should be blown away. They should be writing blogs about you and your ministry the same way I write about Cheeseburger in Paradise. Serve the best in town and I bet they will be. Don’t let your children’s ministry settle for second. Your menu should be that of excellence, quality, and something special that is not expected. You have more than just kids coming… You have customers, critiques, and yes even sometimes you have parents.