I have had a blast with the gang here at GCC during the Tech Arts Forum. Here’s the Mindmap I took today. Lots of great stuff from the group. I took a lot of notes. Here’s an image of the mindmap. It’s actually a big file, so “save as” and open it up nice and big:

Big thanks to Joe Wisler from having me hang with him this weekend, Adam Callender for letting me sit and soak up from the group, Kim Volheim for sharing so transparently, Jonathan Bartkowiak for showing how a high school graduate (he graduates tomorrow!) can go from 4th grade to 12th grade to become a leader in the tech ministries. Schweet.

Day 21
During the times of my life when I’ve been really stretched and I learned to grow, God has often shown me an old thing a new way. For me, this has sometimes been through a different translation of the Bible (I usually read the NIV and NJKV). Last night that happened yet again when, on a whim, I used BibleGateway.com to read 1 Corinthians 13 from The Message.

I have a love/hate thing going on with this chapter, as it continually encourages me and then kicks my butt. So when I read it last night, it really popped off the page with a new twist. Here’s how verse 7 read:

1 Corinthians 13:7

If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

Sure, it’s the same, but the new twist of reading it differently made it come alive in a new way…a way that causes me to rethink where I’m right (dogmatically). As a husband, I can look at Ephesians 5 and think I’ve got a handle on things. But then when I re-read this, with a new twist, I realized that being “right” has less significance than showing love.

I’m a work in progress. I’m learning. But I am getting it…slowly.

Here’s your assignment:

• Man or woman, married or not, are you loving this way?
• When you think you’ve won a disagreement hands-down, does it matter if you’re not loving this way?
• Who you are going to show this kind of love to today?

After a week of not posting (life’s been busy), I’m off again with minimal chance to post until this weekend. Sorry for the downtime, but, ya know, it happens.

I’ll be up in Toronto today and tomorrow with my friends at Christie Digital looking at cool new toys (sorry, NDA, can’t tell more or I’d have to kill ya). Then it’s off to hang out at Granger Community Church with my old buddy Joe Wisler for three days. Schweet.

If you live anywhere within driving distance of Granger, you should probably check out this Friday’s Granger Tech Arts Forum.

Day 20

It’s Monday, but Sunday’s a comin’. In fact, Sundays come every seven days, guaranteeing a constant cycle of preparation, presentation and post-evaluation.

At least, that’s how it should be.

The majority of churches that I’ve worked with do not consistently implement this three step process into their message preparation. There exists a mindset that preparation involves a few emails exchanged, a set of song lyrics complied and sermon notes submitted at nearly the last minute.

But, there’s a better way. It honors God by following His divine example and allows for the freedom to change. What way is that? Why, that’s the way of preparation.

It’s far easier to ditch a plan at the last minute than it is to create a plan at the last minute.

The Arguments

Essentially there are two schools of thought that battle on this subject. There’s the one group that does more or less the same thing, in the same order, with the same results every week. To this group, that is planning.

Then there’s another group that says “if we plan it, God can’t be in it". In other words, to have the freedom to hear from the Holy Spirit and change and flow according to His move and direction is in direct opposition to planning.

My Perception
After reading Genesis, chapter one, I was struck by how God taught us planning and priorities.

There He was, the God of the Universe (and more, if that wasn’t enough), with unlimited power… yet, He took His time. It’s not as if He was limited in any way. It would have taken less than the effort of a thought to “Poof!” everything into existence, yet God demonstrated a strategic, planned approach with steps of QA (quality assurance - “And He saw that it was good.”) along the way.

So, since God models everything for us to follow, why would we not take the planning, presentation and post-evaluation of each service and create an experience that we can say “and we saw that is was good”?

Don’t you see it? It’s the genius of the and! The genius of planning and changing means we can do our very best to prepare a service where the Most High God is worshiped, His truth presented, His offer extended and His love demonstrated - and be willing to change as the Holy Spirit directs us.

If the triune God was there at the beginning, then the power and prompting of the Holy Spirit was part of the planning process in Genesis! In fact, when you read carefully, you’ll see that it was the Holy Spirit who gave power and breathed forth life.

Since that is the truth from the source of Truth, why in the world are we in a mess most weekends? Either because…

• We keep doing the same thing and expecting different results (the definition of insanity, by the way) OR…
• We leave things open-ended and hope that the Holy Spirit will do the work that He gave us time on Monday through Friday to do

If the Holy Spirit planned with God all of creation, then He’s able to help you plan ahead of time, too. I’ve heard from dozens of pastors who say that “can’t hear from God before Thursday or Friday”. I lovingly challenge them to continue working exactly that way…but not to preach that message for a month. Sorta helps ‘em start down this path.

So here’s your assignment:

• Ask God to show you where you can change how you listen.
• Ask God to show you how to work as a team to get ahead in planning.
• Show God your heart and ask Him if you’re preparing how He wants you to prepare.

***UPDATE***Since posting this, I’ve had quite a few churches email me asking what I meant by FULL HD. Here’s my definition for the purposes of this article:

• From capture/injest (camera to recording format), either 720p or 1080i
• AND Live switching in either 720p or 1080i
• AND post-production in either 720p or 1080i

I’ve got a new article I’m writing, and I need to know of every church that’s gone full HD (High Definition video). If you know of a church or are at one of these churches, please comment below and let me know. At last count, I knew of only six churches - total - in the U.S.

Thanks to all of you for your help in rounding up this list!

- Anthony

Day 19

“I believe in Jesus.”

I’ve made all of those statements. Every one of them. And I know that God is faithful, and with the faith the size of a mere mustard seed…yada yada yada.

Platitudes are great. Claiming Scriptural truths are powerful. But faith untested cannot be trusted.

I wish I’d said that, but the credit goes to pastor Brady Boyd, the Senior Pastor at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, CO. Brady was at my church (where he was on staff prior to leading New Life) teaching this weekend and his quote really, really jumped off the screen at me.

Brady shared about December 9, 2007, when a gunman entered his church right after the last service and opened fire with an automatic rifle, killing two young sisters and wounding their father. The gunman was stopped a mere 60 feet into the church (he entered in the children’s wing) by a security guard who put four 9mm rounds on target from 82 feet away with her handgun.

The faith of a lot of people was tested that day. A father, mother and youngest sister struggled with losing two of their daughters. A mother and father struggled with the loss of their son and wondered why he did such a horrible thing. Yet around two months after this all happened, pastor Boyd invited the two families to meet at the church. He told a story of two sets of parents loving on each other and testifying to God’s faithfulness during their darkest hours.

Our faith cannot be something we can truly qualify until God gives us the opportunity to test it. And while I’ve not had to have my faith tested in such a tremendously difficult manner, I do know that my faith is stronger because I’ve been through hard times with the Lord. He is faithful. He does refine me in the fire of trials and tribulations.

My faith has been tested and I know that I now have more faith because of it! That’s the kind of faith God wants - a faith that grows deeper and trusts Him more.

Here’s your assignment:

• Would you pray for God to test your faith?
• Are you ready to trust Him more than you ever have?
• Will you testify of God’s faithfulness through your difficulty?

Your life of faith is on display. Will your faith tell a story to unbelievers?

Life continues to come at me fast these days. With a ton of new opportunities being dropped in my lap by the favor of God and my prayer for increased wisdom and discernment, I feel as if a page has been turned in my life. Interestingly, this all happens right around the time I flip the page from 36 to 37.

Yesterday (17th) was my birthday and my family made it a simple but very special day of games, movies and play time in beautiful weather. I never left the house yet felt like the day was full of fun family adventures!

Today is my day of rest. Back when I worked for churches, that day would normally be a Monday or a Friday, but today now that I’m not employed on a church staff, I can actually enjoy Sundays as my day or rest. If you missed my post on rest, you can check it out here. It is one of my favorite posts that God downloaded to me. For the flat-out-best sermon I’ve ever heard on it, click here.

As most of the people who read this blog work for or with churches, I hope that you, too are taking time to rest, thank God for the opportunities He puts in your path and enjoy the time you have.

My buddies at Church Media Group have been working diligently on the new website for Collide Magazine.

I remember when I first talked with Travis Gates about this project and how hard it was going to be to do a website worthy of the guys who, in my opinion, are setting the standard for a magazine. Their designs and style is gorgeous and impeccable. Creating a site for this group would be the greatest of challenges.

Well today’s the day! The new site is LIVE!

Major props to the gang of artists and developers at Church Media Group, including

• Ish
• Jurgen
• Chris
• Jose
• John

These guys are top class and have created a site that’s clean and easy to use while looking hot in the process!

And that guy you see in the picture above? That’s my good friend Phil Cooke. He’s one of my mentors and I love that the gang at Collide interviewed him. Once you’re on the site look it up. Or, if you’re lazy, just click here.

I’ve written a new article for Church Production Magazine about the use of IMAG in churches, slated for the July issue. The magazine editors have asked for several high-resolution (300 dpi) images of churches leveraging this technology.

If that’s your church and you can send a few of these high quality images to me, I’ll make sure to send them on to my editor. Plus, I’ll be sure to credit you and your church for the photos in the article. Just shoot ‘em over to me: anthony AT anthonycoppedge DOT com.

If you don’t mind, please email your friends and blog about this need for photos.

Thanks muchos,

Anthony

Day 18


Why do you serve in a creative/worship/arts/tech ministry? Before you answer, remove thoughts about what you are good at. Why do you serve?

I know that in my “church career” I’ve been in a position of doing a task rather than serving in a ministry. Do you see the difference?

If I serve rather than work, then I’m following my passion instead of my ability. Where we get confused is when our ability trumps our passion.

Think about it: when we’re asked to serve because someone saw an ability that we have, we find ourselves being guilted in to doing something that we’re not passionate about. Sharing transparently, while I know that I’m a terrific greeter (Meyers Brigg ENTJ here), that’s not something I’m passionate about. I’m very, very good at greeting people, making them feel welcome and creating a terrific first impression, but that’s not where God has given me a passion to serve.

Having a strong ability alone isn’t what calls us to serve with passion. Our call is based around our passion and our passion is derived from God’s blueprint for our life. When we serve with passion, we don’t rely on our talent (ability) but instead on that inner fire to do what we can’t help but love to do. In that passion, service is joyful and not a task.

So, after all of that, now answer the question: Why are you serving?

Here’s your assignment:

• Spend time (not just a few minutes) seeking God’s answer to that question.
• If you’re feeling burned-out, take a month-long Sabbatical and seek God.
• Check around you: who are you serving with that’s not where they’re supposed to be?

Day 17


Zach Neese, one of the song writers at my church (Gateway - www.gatewaypeople.com and www.gatewayworship.com), wrote this about the beautiful and moving song that he wrote, Alabaster Jar. I thought it was so incredible that as I began to write about “pouring out” (today’s assignment), this trumped any words I could have stitched together.

When I write a song, I begin in a moment with God, a gem of truth, and a cry that the Church needs to learn to vocalize. Alabaster Jar is a moment in the life of a person who remains at the feet of Jesus. The truth is that worship is not something we simply sing, but it is an attitude of the heart that motivates the actions of our lives. The cry is the chorus, “Here I am. Take me as an offering. Here I am giving every heartbeat for Your glory.”

The title refers to the sinful woman in Luke 7 who anointed Jesus’ feet with oil and tears and wiped them clean with her hair. I understand that woman. When you have been pulled off of the dung heap where the world casts aside its used-up, worthless garbage, you cannot remain unmoved. This woman permitted God to move her. And when she moved, it was an all-out act of worship; selfless, pure, extravagant, even embarrassing to the religious establishment. It takes a heart that has been wooed by forgiveness to love that deeply.

She bowed at His feet and poured out the wages of her past - everything she was. She poured out the security of her future - everything she could ever afford to become. She even poured out the tears of her broken heart and laid bare the wounds that they had pooled in. Then this amazing woman loosed her glorious hair and used it to wipe Jesus’ filthy, neglected, feet clean. She used her glory as a dust rag to serve Christ.

Her actions more eloquently expressed gratefulness than any words she could have spoken. That is worship. Worship is not lip service, but the grateful response of a heart that has been won by mercy (Romans 12:1).

That is how I want to live. God is worthy of nothing less.

Wow. That’s a powerful picture of pouring out, isn’t it?

When we serve, we pour out.

When we help a friend in a desperate time, we pour out.

When we are obedient without reservation, even when we don’t understand, we pour out.

Matthew 25:40 - “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’“

Here’s your assignment:

• Serve this weekend with the heart of one who pours out like the woman in Luke 7.
• Provide for a friend in desperate times; you have no idea how much they will appreciate it.
• Be obedient in that area where you are finding it hard to understand God’s plan.

The very first comment to my post on counting vertically and measuring horizontally, prompted this question from David:

Anthony,

I appreciate what you seem to be getting at here. The Great Commission is a call for the church to be making both converts and disciples.

I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on this question: Why should we make the effort to measure either one?

It’s a great question, and I’ve wrestled with how to give this the proper perspective. For if we first understand that we are in a society that has taught us to evaluate, categorize and analyze everything, it gives us our first clue that this might be an exercise in Greek thinking instead of Hebrew thinking. But, when we look back at Scripture, our thinking here might not be as simplistic as a measuring stick.

In the book of Acts, there are about 15 times when numbers are mentioned and/or expressed as a measurement. However, the context of those numbers seem, to me, to be based on the description rather than the numerical value of counting. Here’s how it breaks down:

Acts 2:41 - “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”
Acts 2:47 - “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
Acts 4:4 - “But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.”
Acts 5:14 - “Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.”
Acts 6:7 - “So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith/”
Acts 9:31 - “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.”
Acts 9:42 - “This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.”
Acts 11:21 - “The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.”
Acts 11:24 - “He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.”
Acts 11:26 - “So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.”
Acts 14:1 - “There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed.”
Acts 17:4 - “Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women.”
Acts 17:12 - “Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.”
Acts 17:34 - “A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.”
Acts 18:8 - “Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.”

The results are what Luke describes in the book of Acts. The quantitative numbers are the barometer; the qualitative numbers are the effect. Both give context and provide value. Numbers help us identify, codify and understand. It’s easy to look only at attendance as the main measurement tool, but it takes maturity and discernment to understand the fruits that are represented through the results of growth.

In churches that focus more on evangelism (top priority) than discipleship, numbers become the goal, so that practices change to pursue the numbers rather than engaging the practices that result in the numbers. Yet, on the other side of the coin, churches that focus on discipleship more than evangelism often don’t change their practices when the numbers represent stagnation.

I do not write any of this to throw stones one way or the other; to do so would be divisive and unhelpful and continue to reinforce the “either/or” mindset. Instead, I share my thoughts as an edification to believers for “both/and” in leveraging the measurement of quantitative and qualitative results.

Please share your thoughts, too.

Day 16

Sometimes, you just have to push through. Ever heard that term? It means you keep going, right on past…

• the pain…
• the circumstance…
• the situation…
• the moment…

Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Walking through, not stopping in. That’s the key; that’s pushing through.

But lest we fool ourselves into thinking it’s by our effort alone, here’s a better look at what this verse really means for us!

The Lord is my Shepherd
That’s Relationship!

I shall not want
That’s Supply!

He makes me to lie down in green pastures.
That’s Rest!

He leads me beside the still waters.
That’s Refreshment!

He restores my soul
That’s Healing!

He leads me in the paths of righteousness.
That’s Guidance!

For His name sake
That’s Purpose!

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
That’s Testing!

I will fear no evil.
That’s Protection!

For You are with me
That’s Faithfulness!

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me,
That’s Discipline!

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
That’s Hope!

You anoint my head with oil,
That’s Consecration!

My cup runs over.
That’s Abundance!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life.
That’s Blessing!

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord.
That’s Security!

Forever
That’s Eternity!

I wish I knew who wrote that, but I can’t find the person to credit. Still, it’s powerful and it’s a reminder to us of just how much God loves us and how much we need to rely on Him in our times of struggle.

Here’s your assignment:

• Rest in the Lord. Don’t get too stressed, but rest in His provision.
• Welcome testing from the Lord. Let him purify your heart and mind.
• Push through, knowing that God is right there with you today!

The crew up at Granger will be hosting a Tech Arts Forum, roundtable-style, on May 30, 2008.

Just thought you’d wanna know.

I have friends at Fellowship Church, Saddleback Church, Granger Community Church and North Point Church. They know I love and respect them, so this post isn’t about ’slamming’ them. Hardly. They’re all great churches doing great things. Love it.

Each of these churches offer conferences which give insight on the why and what of how they do things. Again, great things. Love it.

But there are more churches contacting me who have lost their own identity in the race to implement the Fellowbackgrangepoint Church model. What model is that, you say? Why it’s the mash-up of all of the best practices of each of those churches distilled into an unreproducible, unauthentic version of their own church!

Now before the flame-mails start flying… don’t be hatin’. Like I said before, those are great churches doing great things and I love it. And while we should all learn from others, taking best-practices and applying them where appropriate and applicable, trying to overlay multiple models on top of each other leads to a church without identity.

“Come visit our purpose-driven, seeker-friendly, creatively-inspired, pop-culture manic, church-in-a-kitchen. What does all that mean? Simple: we’re all things from all churches for all people. And we’re hip/casual in a Starbucks kind of way.”

What’s the vision for your church? Who are you trying to reach? How good are you in identifying with your local community? What unique attributes make your church unique? How is God moving in your church?

Those are the questions we should be asking. And, yes, we should be learning from those churches above - after all, they don’t suck. But at the end of the day, don’t create a brand of sameness. Dare to be different! Embrace your unique staff, volunteer and community attributes and celebrate the church God has called you to be!

Please take 15 seconds to comment below and let me know how often you read this blog:

• I’m subscribed to updates.
• Daily.
• Every few days.
• Weekly.
• When I think about it.

I’m trying to figure out some patterns here and this simple data is helpful. Please take just 15 seconds. You know you can.

Day 15

Today’s assignment has a request tagged on at the end. Make sure you read all the way through this one! I know it’s long, but it’s worth it!

Psalm 18:1-19
1 I love you, O LORD, my strength.

2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn [a] of my salvation, my stronghold.

3 I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies.

4 The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

5 The cords of the grave [b] coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.

6 In my distress I called to the LORD;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.

7 The earth trembled and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.

8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.

9 He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.

10 He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.

12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
with hailstones and bolts of lightning.

13 The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded. [c]

14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies ,
great bolts of lightning and routed them.

15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, O LORD,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.

17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.

18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the LORD was my support.

19 He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.

The psalmist, David, started out praising God before asking for help. David knew exactly who He needed and was quick to give God all of the credit as His Rock, Shelter and Salvation. Then God responds by not only saving David, but giving David’s enemies over to him in a counterattack!

Wow! From “The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me” to “The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of breath from your nostrils.” That’s a turn-around offensive! That’s a counter-attack!

from Wikipedia
During the Sicilian expedition from 415 to 413 BC, the Athenians were about to be victorious. However, one Syracusan line held, and pressed the attack, scattering and defeating the invading forces of the Athenian Empire.

At the Battle of Kursk in July 1943, German Panther tanks exhausted themselves against Soviet anti-tank artillery. As soon as the Germans ended their advance, Soviet T-34 tanks flooded down a nearby ridge, “like rats” according to General Heinz Guderian. The Wehrmacht was scattered in the battle, with much of their lines destroyed. The Germans would never again launch an assault of that scale against the Soviets, and were on the defensive against the Soviet Union from then on.

The value of the counterattack

The consequence of the counterattack has been decisive throughout history. If the Athenians had won at Syracuse, the Greeks, not the Romans, might have dominated the ancient Mediterranean basin. Had the Soviets not won the Battle of Kursk, the Nazis would have dominated the Eastern Front for probably at least a year longer, delaying pressure on the Third Reich and most likely having a substantial effect on the war, if not its eventual outcome. Other decisive battles, as well, have been won or lost by counterattacks.

Now while I’m a history and military buff, this post has something more to it than pincher movements and right wheel advances. I’m talking about spiritual warfare.

I’ve understood that our enemy has one mission: to steal, kill and destroy. He never rests, never gives up, never retreats (of his own accord), never surrenders. Satan will stop at nothing to accomplish his mission.

Now I don’t know where you are in your belief of spiritual warfare or the gifts of the Spirit, but regardless, we all realize that the enemy is real and he really is on the hunt all the time.

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a counterattack! Yet, learning from David, I won’t pull it off on my own (I know; I’ve tried quite unsuccessfully). I can’t make things different. I’m not smart enough, strong enough or capable enough to fight back on my own. Yet when I first praise God and understand that the battle is the Lord’s, then I can seek Him for my Shelter, my Rock and my Salvation. And if it’s God’s will, my situation can be turned 180 and the Lord (not me) can mount a counterattack offensive that makes military might look outright puny.

I’m fighting back - by calling on the Lord. I’m not backing down, because I have the power of prayer and the God of everything on my side. I refuse to surrender because the war has already been won, the Victor, our God, declared!

Here’s your assignment:

• Join me in a time of prayer today for those of us in the trenches of our tech booths.
• Praise Him for His personal work in your life.
• Give God the credit for your talents, gifts and abilities.
• Ask God for a counterattack against our enemy!

If you feel led to do so, share your prayers below in the comments.

In my previous post from last week during WFX, Tim Simms, a Tech Director at Bridgeway Community Church (I’ve consulted with them on the phone before), asked a great question in the comments section of the post. Tim was at WFX in my class on Essential Management Skills for Technical Directors. It was such a good question that I’m answering it here in a post all its own!

You often talked about mapping vision to need, which then drives the budgeting process. But you also mentioned that we as Technical Directors ought to be constantly submitting proposals to leadership.

So my question is, absent a Senior Pastor or Executive Director expressing vision or a need, how do we present the business case of the vision we wish to pursue (obviously matching the overall vision and mission of the church), with the cost/value analysis of what that will produce?

I’d bet there’s no specific answer for that question, and that instead, we just need to start with expressing the vision we have without getting into the details of implementation/cost. That would seem to be a good starting place, but I’d love to hear thoughts you might have on that.

Tim, your question is terrific and your thoughts for an answer are on-target! Well done!

Here’s what I’ve been teaching for a while now:

Vision drives Need. Need drives Technology. Technology drives budget.

Said another way, when you know what you are called to do (Vision; where vision = an idea that should be), then the need of what it takes to accomplish that vision is defined. Accomplishing it means that a certain level of technology and methodology is required (Need drives the Technology). That Technology will have prices associated with it. Those prices will then determine the overall cost (budget).

Really, it’s very simple: when you know what you need to do, there will be a way to do it and that way will cost a certain amount. Ladies and gentlemen, that’s called budgeting. When we flip this upside down and come with a certain amount of money in hand, we can never know if we’re over or under budget because the vision has not been cast.

Tim’s question is based around a situation where there is no expressed vision from a Senior Pastor of Executive Director. Now this could mean that we as Creatives, Techies and Artists have an idea that we think will fit into the overall mission of the church, but our Pastor has not expressed an interest in it. Or, it could mean that a tech director is in a church where there is literally no vision for anything creative, artistic or technical. Those are two very different situations, and I’ll do my best to delineate them below.

For example, let’s say that you have the idea for adding new technology that you believe will enhance the experience and neither distract nor go counter to the values, mission and style of the church. In this situation, your job is to find ways to write up a NON-TECHNICAL scope (proposal). Here’s what it should do:

• Define the opportunity.
• Explain (briefly) the value and set the budget options (always more than one option!).
• Write this up in a proposal format that is easy to read and quick to identify value without ANY technical knowledge.
• Your job is to present ideas, concepts and, most importantly, solutions to the leadership so they see you adding value and not just spending money.

It has been my experience that you might spend 10% - 15% of your time coming up with proposals every month! Seriously! But here’s the reality: you need to expect that up to 80% of your proposals will either be rejected or pushed off to a later date.

When the Pastor supports the Techs

This is the best-case scenario and, honestly, I’m seeing a lot more of this in my consulting work and in my conversations with people at churches worldwide. This scenario is what Tim was describing in his question above.

If your Pastor is defining vision, establishing expectations and setting goals, your job is to not only support with technology initiatives that meet those criteria but also to provide alternative solutions and models that leverage what you have (people, time and equipment) before adding new systems (people, time and equipment). The danger of more is that it never stops. Different is often better than more.

When the Pastor does not support the Techs

If you’re in this situation, I know you are frustrated. I get it. I completely understand!

Here’s your opportunity: Create the same proposals that I just defined above so that your Pastor will see your effort, passion and desire to provide solutions and over time, you can gain enough trust equity to talk with your Pastor about his Vision for what’s possible.

For some, this is a long, long, long, long process. Sometimes years are required for your faithfulness, servant attitude and heart for excellence to gain momentum.

And, here’s the really tough part of this post: For some of you, your passion for leveraging technology to effectively communicate the Gospel will always fall on deaf ears at your church. In these situations, you need to desperately seek God to understand if the passion He gave you for technical, creative and artistic excellence is motivation to find a new church home where your gifts can be exercised.

I DO NOT say that lightly. I think it’s a prayerful journey to understand if you are called to be a catalyst for change or if change will be your catalyst to move on.

There’s a full article that I need to write about how to actually write a proposal, so perhaps I’ll do that and submit it to one of the magazines that I write for. Until then, I hope that this discussion is one that you will have with us. Feel free to comment below and join the discussion!

"Hey, Anthony, what kind of consulting do you offer for churches?" I'm glad you asked!! Here's a sampling:

Creative Consulting
I have been described as hyper-creative and highly analytical - at the same time. Maybe that makes me bipolar, but, regardless, I do bring a unique perspective to the table!

Many churches hire me for my combination of creativity and knowledge to help them on a regular basis via my Creative Consulting Service, Creative 4-1-1. All of this consulting happens on phone conference calls and emails, so there's no cost for travel. In essence, I become a virtual staff member for growing churches that need the experience of someone who not only has "been there, done that" before but who is around a lot of great churches and sees the good, bad and ugly.

As a repository of a bunch information and creative ideas, I find myself helping churches with team creativity for sermon series, production oriented ideas, technical options and real-world time/personnel/equipment needs to make these ideas a reality. Plus, I also use my network of contacts to provide these churches with the go-to people to make these ideas a reality. Maybe your church needs this kind of virtual staff member? If so, email me: anthony AT anthonycoppedge DOT com

Staff and Volunteer Technical Training
I love training church techies! No matter the size of the church, I am always able to enjoy learning about the style and flow of each church's worship service and providing practical ways for them to take their skills to the next level. Most of what I teach is based on how to maximize your current gear, so Pastors don't need to worry about me coming to them with a gold-plated equipment wish list!

Some of my best memories have been in training techies how to communicate with their leadership, develop consistent practices, troubleshoot before things get out of control and replicate themselves to help grow their technical ministry.

Does your staff and/or volunteers need hands-on training? If so, email me: anthony AT anthonycoppedge DOT com

Creative Team Planning Training
Pastors - this one's for you! Today's church services rely heavily on project management of all the elements that transition a church from weekend services to weekend experiences! But that isn't taught in seminary or Bible college. Crafting creative sermons week in and week out is tough. Tying your sermon into a weekend experience is even tougher.

Through my personal team training, you and your staff will learn how to prepare your weekends for context, presentation and content. Training includes combining the sermon, music, media, props, drama, print and web with a theme or metaphor and how to manage a creative meeting.

Are you ready to learn how to use Creative Team Planning? You know you are! Email me: anthony AT anthonycoppedge DOT com

Remote and On-Site Video System Design
Unlike audio and lighting, much of the design work for video is straight-forward math. With audio, acoustics play a huge role in making your sound system shine. With lighting, power loads, heat buildup, dimming, control and even structural supports are key factors in developing a robust lighting system. But with video, so much of it is good old fashioned mathematics. That's why I'm able to offer remote consulting for churches seating 400 and less for only $500.

And for larger venue churches, I can work with what you've got now (retrofit/upgrade) or get on board at the front-end of a project with the Architect and contractors to ensure your video is done right from the get-go.

Is your video system not all it should be? If so, email me: anthony AT anthonycoppedge DOT com

Creative and Technical Job Placement
If you've ever gone to a church job placement website, then you know how vague some churches can be in describing their technical personnel needs while other churches seem to want Superman for the job! I bridge this gap by working with churches to develop realistic and customized job descriptions that are based on the unique needs of the church.

Just as important, I constantly receive resumes from techies and creative folks. Plus with my network, I'm able to keep my hand on the pulse of the church media world and look for potential matches as they become available. Does this sound like a service you could use? If so, email me: anthony AT anthonycoppedge DOT com

So, in a nutshell, that's much of what I do in the role of a Church Media & Communications consultant. Now you know! So what can I do for you?

If you were in any of my classes during WFX last week, I need you to read this and comment below and/or email me.

I’m gonna share this as up-front and honestly as I know how: Last week at WFX, I really had hoped God would take away my passion for helping churches.

I have been in a season where God is teaching me and pouring into me in HUGE ways. While I truly love the challenge and intensity, I have not enjoyed how God has gone about getting my attention during this time: He has dried up 98% of my business.

For the first few months, I attributed this to the sales cycle that I learned years ago. Have a full pipeline, expect 10% to come through per quarter and possibly another 10% to 15% as extra work. So when $720,000+ worth of consulting proposals have been sent out over the last 6 months, you kind of expect this “rule of thumb” about pipeline to work. Except it didn’t.

Instead, I have learned over time that God is using this time of holding back and pushing off business as a way of getting me to seek Him desperately and find my will centered on His will. Honestly, as much as I’d like to believe I’d have been as obedient had things not gotten so financially destitute, I’m not convinced I would have.

Still, I believe that God wants me to put in all of the effort and do everything I can to provide for my family, so I’ve diligently prayed about what that means. A job change? Sure, I’d do that, but since I am SOLD OUT to the ministry of helping churches, I’ve asked God to remove my passion so that a job change would make sense.

So last week at WFX, going into the conference asking God to remove my passion made sense to me. If He changes my passion, it’ll be easier to follow Him to a new career path.

My prayers have been this: ‘God, the answer is “Yes!". Now please tell me the question.’ I want to first be obedient to whatever He has for me so that I’ll go without question. Honestly, that’s where I’m at. Yet last week at WFX, God did the opposite of what I hoped: He increased my passion for helping churches and spoke to me and, hopefully, through me to those who God allowed to sit under my teaching.

If your church needs my consulting services, I’m willing to come at a reduced rate just to bring in the business. And I’m willing to be extra-aggressive in my fees for churches that hire me over the next two weeks.

I don’t want to be one who is ashamed or embarrassed by this current job situation. God is doing something, so I don’t have to worry about what it looks like to other believers. I simply want to make every effort on my part and pray that God reveals to me what He wants me to do.

So if you have a need, please email me today: anthony AT anthonycoppedge DOT com. Or call me at 817 . 819 . 7288. I look forward to seeing God get the credit for His results!

Sincerely to you,

Anthony

Day 14

NOTE: I’ve been meaning to post each day, but life keeps getting in the way. Said another way, I’ve not made this a priority like I should have and let other things get in the way. For that, I apologize. God has laid on my heart to share for 30 days from my life in a very honest and completely transparent way. This series of “Assignments” is what I honestly believe God wants me to share with you (yes, you personally!). I hope that both of us will hear Him and accept the daily assignments He gives us!

On Day 11 I shared very openly about our current job situation and held nothing back. If you haven’t read that post, I would urge you to do so now so that what I share today will fit into that context.

For those of you who know me or have recently had the chance to hear me share and teach at a conference, I hope you see God in all that I do. I don’t mean to sound pious; I simply have a burning desire to be as real and honest with each of you as I can. In a way, I want my life to be like a tent that has a light inside so extraordinarily bright that you just have to see God shining through.

So, it’s amazing to me that a man I’m just getting to know personally - Skip Moen - has written a Bible study this morning that speaks to this very thing! I love how God is the God of “coincidences", don’t you?

Here’s a portion of what Skip wrote today:

Tent - Once again the English language creates a detour. Yes, the word ‘ohel does mean tent. But ‘tent’ is hardly the appropriate sense of the word when it comes to the place of God. In fact, ‘ohel is used in Numbers 12:5 to describe the tabernacle, the dwelling place of God. So, as long as we realize that we are dealing with the sanctity of the tabernacle, we won’t think of this as camping accommodations. But that isn’t quite the end of the story.

In Hebrew thought, a human being is not a collection of parts. When the Greek culture speaks of being human as body, mind and soul, this conception is utterly foreign to Hebrew thinking. For the Hebrew, Man is a unity. Hebrew uses the word nephesh to describe this unity of will, emotion, thought, spirit and action. But Hebrew does recognize that this unity of human being has an outer representation and an inner character. In fact, the goal of obedient living is to bring the outer exhibition into perfect harmony with the inner character so that what I appear to be to others is exactly what I am in relation to God.

Hebrew thought describes this outer appearance in terms of a tent.

My inner person is surrounded by an outer tent (my embodiment). What I strive to achieve is transparency, so that there is no difference between what happens inside the tent and what you see outside the tent.

Let’s put the metaphor to use in this text. God dwells in a holy tabernacle (tent). There is absolutely no discrepancy between God’s character and His actions.

When we apply the metaphor to our own existence, we see that our embodiment in the world, the ‘tent’ that we occupy, needs to be as transparent as the place of God’s presence. In other words, when other people look at my outer behaviors, they should be able to see that I am sojourning in the presence of the Holy One of Israel. They should see God through me.

Who can enjoy the gracious hospitality of the Lord? That’s the same as asking who occupies the present earthly tent in such a way that God shines right through it. Our bodies are to become invisible shelters for God’s presence. Now, if that sounds a lot like Paul’s description of the body (the tent) as the temple of the Holy Spirit, you shouldn’t be surprised.

Today is probably a good day to examine the fabric of your life. Can others see right through it? When they look, do they see God inside?

Now that’s a great word from God!! I want to challenge you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, to blog openly and share freely your own life; your praises, your struggles, your questions, your thoughts and your love. But take it beyond the blog world. In your own daily life, let others in where you sometimes want to hide. Don’t fear what people will think of you (counter to what this culture teaches), but instead share transparently and let your life be the kind of tent where God shines through!

I’ve got some more posts coming this morning and I hope you’ll continue to pray for me and, if possible, hire me to help your church! Hey, I gotta go for the ask!!

Here’s your assignment:

• Share something today that you’d normally want to keep secret. Open up and let God shine through!
• Pray about how God wants to make your tent - the fabric of your life - more translucent.
• Ask God to show you someone who needs you to be open and vulnerable so they can open up with you in their time of need.