Their ordeal reminded me of the flexibility required on mission trips. I went to Zambia on a mission trip when I was in college. One thing from the preparation for that trip that stuck with me was something that Pastor Walt said over and over again.

It went something like this: Be flexible no matter what happens. We’re going to be like Paul. If our ship wrecks, we’ll build a church!

No matter where we end up, the goal is still the same. Serve and share Jesus.

• This post from Perry Noble about being disturbed by God really messed me up.  I don’t want to sit back and be content with average!
• “What if they [pastors] shifted from being drivers of innovation to being cultivators of innovators?” from Larry Boatright via the Catalyst Catablog.  Isn’t this Ephesians 4:11-12?  As church leaders, God has called us to be equippers of people.
• “If you think the way everyone else is thinking, you’ll do what everyone is doing.” from the LifeChurch.tv Swerve blog.  How can I start thinking in a new way?  What can I do to break out of my rut to do something that no one else is doing?

Innovation comes from collaboration

Everything is an experiment

We learn on the fringes

Risk is a requirement

Every campus is a laboratory

We set BHAGs

We are comfortable with imperfection

Failure is always an option

No one failure will sink the ship

Our goal is never innovation; our goal is always effectiveness

See original post from Greg Surrat

Interesting thoughts…

• How often do I try to do something on my own because I don’t want to work with people or think I can do it better on my own?
• It is only a failure if I choose not to learn from something I try.
• Try something outrageous that no one else is doing.
• Set my sights higher.  Set “God-sized” goals.
• I need to remember that it is ok to roll things out before they meet “my standard of perfection’.
• Am I being effective in what I doing?

This week we’re preparing for our big 4th of July celebration at the Monroe campus.  I’m also going to be settling in with the interns and starting discussion on Chazown.

• Bad milk spoils the whole bowl… see 1 Cor – bad company leads to destruction.
• By now they should be adults, but they are still drinking milk when they should be teachers. Now they have to be taught the basics all over again.
• Spiritual milk is about input; solid food is about output.
• TOXIC – the opportunity for Christ to insert control.
• It is time for a baby to move to solid food when they are still restless after a milk feeding; allow them to feed themselves. – from UK baby website.
• Solid food helps us learn right from wrong.  It is a maturing relationship with Jesus.  Solid food gives us the calories to get out into the world and make a difference.
• Solid food: 1. Comes directly from God.  2. Results in output for the kingdom.  3. Steadies us through the rough times.
• God is telling us to grow up and quit acting like babies.

See more from our team and the other teams. We’re still waiting for the winner of the hunt to be announced…