your personality

This is me:

How about you?  Head over to signalpatterns.com, then share your results with us by posting them in the comments section.  Mine was right on!  Special thanks to Sara Fitz for this find.

Advent, Christmas Eve, and omg it's almost 2010

For those of you who are still somewhat new to the world of online abbreviations, "omg" stands for "oh my gosh."

Advent Series and Christmas Eve
I am a little scared to look at the last time we posted an update on our blog.  Apparently, Christmas happened!  Here are some highlights from our Advent Series and our Christmas Eve services:

• The final week of our Advent Series on "Waiting" saw 22 people come to Christ!!!  Praise God!!!
• On that same weekend there were many, many more people who came forward for prayer, recommitment, and a desire to take significant steps in their faith.  It was an awesome sight to behold.
• Overall, we were blown away by how God worked through this series as a whole.  We had to print off more invite cards after week 2!
• Despite the terrible weather on Christmas Eve, we still saw over 2200 people come to our services.
• At the 11 o'clock service, we had a hard time getting people into the Worship Center... simply because they wanted to stay circled in the lobby listening to Ron Morlan, Thomas Creeden, and Zach Elster play some Christmas carols jazz-style... not to mention watch little Max Phares dance in the center!
• We did some pretty creative things at the Christmas Eve services - the aforementioned live jazz combo in the lobby; a blurry beginning with musicians and vocalists being gradually added on stage; some awesome lighting moods and movements; and a video piece that combined video, still photography, live music, and creative lighting.
• Jeremy Ott, our Waterloo Technical Director, called the most significant service that we did all year.  Very cool.

P&P Staffing Updates
And even though Christmas has dominated our ministry these past few weeks, it hasn't been the only thing that has been going on.  here are some other significant updates that you need to know:

• We've hired a new Created Video Director!  Matt Miller is going to join our team on January 5th to replace Matt Rittgers.  We're excited to have him aboard.  You'll hear more about him in a future blog post and at our next All Team Meeting.
• What's next for Matt Rittgers?  Well, long story short, we don't know.  Matt has felt for some time that there's something next for him and Hilary in the arena of missions, to the point where they have been actively pursuing opportunities.  So far, nothing's been solidified.  We're gonna continue to pray for them as they pursue what God has for them next.  Until then, they are both here, and still a part of our family and ministry.
• Dan Lincoln, the candidate for the Cedar Falls Worship Director position, had a great visit last weekend with his wife Tiffany.  Many of you got a chance to meet them both in between the services last Sunday.  Although his visit was cut off short due to the weather, it did culminate in a written offer from us for this position.  He and Tiffany are going to take some time to think and pray about the opportunity.  Please be in prayer yourselves as we try and discern what God has for us next!

Lastly, But Most Importantly
Oh... man.  What a long post already.  But there are a couple of more REALLY IMPORTANT things for you to know and do as 2010 approaches:

• It's been awhile since our last All Team meeting!  Although we did retreat together in November, really, our last regular All Team meeting was back in October!  Our next one is coming up on Tuesday, January 12.  Be there!  We'll be talking about the importance of community... and how we're gonna tackle that as a multi-site church.
• Speaking of multi-site: the Waterloo campus is going to start worshiping together up in the chapel on the weekend of January 30-31!  Which means:  WE NEED MORE VOLUNTEERS FOR WATERLOO!  At this point, you don't have to make the Waterloo campus your home.  But, for at least these next six months, we need vocalists, instrumentalists, and technicians to consider serving at our Waterloo location to get that time off and running.  Since Shari's about to head down to San Antonio for her son Spencer's wedding, please send an email to Jon Lloyd or Jeremy Ott if you're willing to serve there.

Whew... that was a lot.  Thanks for making it through that with us.  Hope you all had a Merry Christmas... and have a happy New Year!

why you aren't dead yet

Recently I've begun reading a blog maintained by Michael Hyatt.  He is the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, the largest Christian publishing company in the world.  He has some pretty fascinating things to say... especially as it concerns intergenerational relationships and communication.

One thing that keeps hitting me hard in these last few months - and especially since we've made some intentional decisions to expand our ministry to support another site - is just how critical it is for our more seasoned people to take on a different mantle of leadership in our community: to mentor those in our ministry who are newer, younger, and less mature.  It's beautiful when it happens... and painfully obvious when it's absent.

Michael Hyatt wrote about this very subject in one of his more recent posts entitled "Why You Aren't Dead Yet."  I'd love for all of you to read it, and then share on our blog some of your own personal examples or desires as to how these principles continue to apply to P&P at PLC.

the hymn debate

This post is not going to say what you think it's going to say.

Take a look at this video.  Let us know if it causes you to view the hymns, music, and art in the church differently.  Scroll down to the bottom of this entry to post.  (By the way, I changed the settings so that now you don't need an account to post.)

The video is about a series that Mars Hill Church is doing, covering the life of Isaac Watts, the composer of many of the hymns that we still sing today.  Thanks to Andy Iehl for coming across this and bringing it to my attention.

Interesting how the same debate that rages on today was being waged 400 years ago... only with a little different twist.