If you haven’t had the chance to participate in our weekend meals at Eugene Butler Middle School, there is still time to participate! Just bring in some non-perishable food items that do not require cooking — pop tarts, peanut butter, crackers. You get the idea.

I can’t wait to see you there. Let’s finish this semester STRONG and head into SHINE excited and full of faith!

Love,
Kerri xx

I have really gotten into apologetics books lately, in case you are not familiar with them, apologetics is the defense of something, in this case the defense of the Christan faith. You might have heard of Lee Strobel. he wrote a book called The Case For Christ.  He was an atheist journalist who was studying the Bible and it’s historical claims with the goal of proving them wrong. In the process, he was converted! (If that story sounds familiar to you, it may be because it is also the story of C.S. Lewis.)

In this article Strobel says that even though skepticism is on the rise, it presents a great opportunity for evangelism because more than ever before Christan are becoming interested in learning to defend their faith. Also, the rise in skepticism has made for a rise in formal debates between Christan apologists and apologists for other faiths and well as debates with skeptics.

I have never read Lee Strobel’s book, but I heard him speak at C3 conference at Fellowship Church in Dallas, TX this February. I was really intrigued by a type of group he is involved with at Willow Creek Church, called Spiritual Discovery Groups. These are basically small groups for skeptics (agnostics/atheists) that attend the church. The groups are described as a safe place to express doubt and struggle with questions of God’s existence. Strobel reported that in these groups they experience and 80% (!!!!!!) conversion rate. Wow!

What do you think about the spiritual discovery groups Strobel talked about? Do you have any friends who would attend one? Do you ever read apologetics books? If so, let me know which ones you like so I can check them out.

#TrendingTuesday

Today’s top trending topic is #Famouslies. I can’t always do posts on the top trending topics, but today I can… AND I can use people’s actual tweets, because these are some lies I have told and been told. These are meant to be FUNNY, so please take them that way. Are you ready? Let’s go!

“I am on my way…” No, you are loading dishes in the dishwasher and finishing your show.Just tell me the truth so I can go do something else too. #famouslies

“It’s not you– it’s me.” Translation: It’s you, but I don’t have the emotional energy to have this conversation with you, so I’ll just take the blame and get it over with. #famouslies

“I’m just not ready for a commitment right now.” Translation: I’m just not that into you. #Famouslies #moveon

“I need to focus more on my relationship with God right now, and I can’t be distracted with dating.” Translation: I need a good reason to break up with you because “I’m not attracted to you anymore” is just too unchristlike. #famouslies

“We can still be friends.” Translation: I can’t stand disappointing you, so will you accept the first runner up prize? #famouslies

“I didn’t see your text.” Ummm… you JUST tweeted. #famouslies

“Of course I didn’t forget it was your birthday. I have something really special planned.” Translation: I totally forgot it was your birthday, I have nothing planned, and now I am freaking out! #famouslies.

What about you — any #famouslies you have told and/or been told? (Keep it clean, keep it nice, keep it light!)

Kerri xx

If you are a pastor, pastor’s wife or church planter — or a potential church planter — I hope you are making plans to attend the All Access Conference. This is one of my favorite conferences of the year, not only because I get to hear from some of the best speakers in the church today, and not only because I get to catch up with far-away friends that I love, but because I just LOVE being around the fire and passion of church planters! they are some of the most inspiring people I know. Being around so many of them reminds me of what a privilege it is to do what I do, and makes me want to go home and work harder, love better, and evangelize more boldly.

I’m even more excited this year because fir the first time ever ARC Women will have TWO (count ‘em — TWO) app sessions. You can check them our here. I have met so many of you through Twitter and Facebook, and it would be awesome to meet you in person at All Access 2012. So what are you waiting for? Register now and meet me there! xo Kerri

I love color! I love it’s uses across all mediums — fashion, interior design, art, and architecture. Whether I am planning an event or brainstorming a media piece, color always gets my creative juices flowing. I saw this cool picture on a www.popsugar.com email that was in my inbox today and I thought I would share it. It reminded me of how we can apply creative concepts across various disciplines in life. Sure, this picture is showing the hot new colors for spring fashion, but these same principles can apply in home decor, media creation and event production. On thing I have been doing lately with our sisterhood nights is theming them by color. This happened by accident last September when we decided to do a creative item based on the Coldplay song “Yellow.” Word got out about the item, and it happened that everyone showed up in some kind of yellow clothing…and the decor was yellow…and the creative item was yellow…it was cool look and very easy. this time, for Sisterhood United on March 12 (with Lisa Young — HOORAY!!!!!) the color is WHITE.

What are you creating right now? How do you get inspired and stay inspired? I would love to hear about it!

by di wilson

“The real world is where healthy relationships actually have to move from chemistry to construction.” – Di Wilson, It’s Time

This awesome little quote comes from a fantastic book by a new friend of mine, Di Wilson. Di Pastors Newport Church in Newport, CA alongside her husband Jonathan Wilson, and it’s just incredible to see what God is doing through the two leaders over on the West Coast. We are using Di’s book as a discussion catalyst for our sisterhood leadership development groups.

In our first group we talked about the demands placed upon our relationships as we move from simply hanging out and being friends with people (chemistry) to the sometimes sticky situation of trying to be their friend and their leader (construction). As leaders we have all had to face this subtle shift in our relationships with others at one time or another. It can be awkward — even uncomfortable. Here are some of the ways the girls in my group and I have successfully navigated this transition:

• Keep your identity strong and focused.
Before you are a leader, a pastor, a blogger, a wife, a mom, a daughter, a student, or whatever…you are first and foremost child of God. Keep that identity front and center. It is this core aspect of who you are in Christ that has to drive all of your decisions and your direction in life. Don’t lose sight of it.

• Stay honest and open.
You will have to engage in some tense and uncomfortable conversations with friends sometimes – nobody likes doing that! I have learned that It’s ok to acknowledge that the conversation is difficult for you. It’s ok to say, “I don’t like having conversations like this, but it’s a conversation we have to have. It makes me uncomfortable to bring this up with you as a friend, but as your leader I have a responsibility to do it.” (Be careful about crossing the fine line of creating an “us against them” scenario by saying something like, “I really wouldn’t care if it was just up to me, but you know how ______ is about stuff like this, so let’s make sure it doesn’t keep happening.” That’s a subtle way of passing off leadership responsibility to the people above you, and it will ultimately bring division and poor morale to the team.)

• Don’t put off the hard talk for too long.
You would be amazed at how many people on your team are compensating for the lack of performance or commitment of just one person. Meanwhile they are looking at you – the leader—wondering when you are going to notice and step in and do something about it! There is a tension between being kind and letting one team member consistently lower the moral and productivity of the team. Effective leaders know how to balance that tension – and when to tip the scales in one direction or another.

• Come to the discussion with specific examples, a plan of action, and at least one great thing to share about the person you are talking to.

Sometimes we can get so nervous about having difficult conversations with people ( I always get nervous!) that we try to get the painful part over as quickly as possible. As a result, the person we are talking with feels attacked, misunderstood, and that their positive contributions have not be taken into account. Relax and take your time – the person on your team is worth it! Coming up with things to praise helps soften the blow a bit and let’s your friend know that you notice the positive things they are doing. Having specific examples isolates the behavior rather than heaping general displeasure on their head. Having a plan of action to fix the problem says, “I believe in you. I love having you on the team, so I put effort into finding a way to make that work for both of us.”

Now it’s your turn. Have you had to move into a leadership role over people who are your friends? Did it impact your friendships in any way? How do you handle difficult discussions that sometimes must be had? I would love to hear from you!

Watch here: Virtual Groups

If you have always wanted to go to Sisterhood Mornings, but can’t make it during the day, we have the perfect solution for you–Sisterhood Online! It’s a replay of the messages at Sisterhood Mornings, followed by a small group discussion in the chat room. And we now have three different times for you to choose from! You can join Tuesdays or Thursdays at 6PM or Wednesdays at 7PM. It’s like going to Sisterhood Mornings in your PJs. Now what could be easier than that?

So remember, we now have THREE opportunities for you to join us each week and the first one begins tonight!

Tuesdays at 6pm EST from Tuesday, February 21st through Tuesday, April 24th

Wednesdays at 7pm EST from Wednesday, February 22nd through Wednesday, April 25th

Thursdays at 6pm EST from Thursday, February 23rd through Thursday, April 26th

Just log on to http://groups.celebration.org and our online host will be there to greet you.  You don’t want to miss out as we embark on a study of the book of Proverbs entitled The House That Wisdom Built. Hope you can join in!

Kerri

Just writing a little reminder that SISTERHOOD MORNINGS are starting back up this Wednesday, February 15 at our Midtown and Orange Park locations.

This semester we are embarking on a study of the book of Proverbs entitled The House That Wisdom Built. Proverbs 9:1-4 gives us a little peek into how and why Wisdom builds her house. It says:

Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn out its seven pillars.
She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
She has sent out her maids, and she calls
from the highest point of the city.
“Let all who are simple come in here!” she says to those who lack judgment.
“Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed.
Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.

There are varying ideas to what the seven pillars mentioned above might be, but concrete meaning has never been ascribed to them by Bible scholars. What we do know is that seven, in the Bible is a number that represents perfection, completion and fullness. If you think you don’t have the wisdom needed to build such a house, don’t worry – you are exactly the kind of person Lady Wisdom is inviting to the table in this passage. No matter your starting point, you can be sure that the house built by wisdom is something we can confidently aim for as we walk in the power and grace of God.

I hope I will see TONS of you there! I think you will enjoy the study, but even more I think you will LOVE meeting all the amazing, lovely women who position themselves at Sisterhood Mornings each and every week. They truly make up a grace – filled community that beautifully demonstrates the heartbeat of this house in every area. The only way Sisterhood mornings could possibly be any better is if YOU COME! So why not make a little extra room in your world to join us? We would love to have you along for the ride!

Love,
Kerri xx

Recently in a Q & A panel for pastor wives I was asked this question: How do you go about training and requiring things of associate pastors’ wives?

My answer to this question is really different now, 13 years in, than it would have been during the first few years of our church plant. Back then I would have said “All hands on deck at everything!” Early on you are desperate for leaders and it is crucial that every person on your team puts in a full effort just to make weekend services happen. We started with a team of only seven people– that included wives! There was an unspoken understanding that we were all expected to put forth maximum effort to help the church succeed. I was very blessed that the wives in our launch team got that and fully stepped into it.

As time went on we needed to hire more staff and we found that there were some wives who simply did not have a desire or capacity to be in ministry at any level. They felt that keeping their families functioning smoothly was their best contribution to the church. In my opinion, it’s not my place– or the church’s place — to force any requirements on pastors’ wives. I trust that they know what’s best for their families. They know what resources are available to them for helping with the house and kids. They know what God is placing on their heart to do or not do. At the end of the day, you hire one person, not two. And you cannot force someone into a role and expect any kind of sustainable results.

In an ideal world every associate pastor’s wife would be at a minimum:

• Consistent in her own personal devotion

• Serving on the weekends in one area

• Attending church on a regular basis

• Fully committed to the vision and values of the church

• Growing in meaningful relationships in the church outside of the weekend services

• Faithful in giving financially

• Participating in some way in outreach annually

What I have just described is a picture of a fully-devoted follower of Christ and a fully-integrated member of our church, Celebration Church. This is simply what a mature Christian looks like, and this is what I expect our pastors’ wives to be like…mature believers and fully-integrated members. If they choose to step out over and above that—and the majority do, then awesome!

As a leader, I have to remember that they are not supposed to be doing everything that I am doing. That’s my calling, not theirs. Make sure that you are not trying to place requirements on your pastors’ wives simply because you feel overwhelmed and under supported. As a leader, the best you can do is lead from a place of passion and strength, make room for the pastors’ wives to participate at their comfort level, and inspire them through your own life and attitude to increase their capacity.

Someone asked me the other day if I had ever messed up on a fast. I had to laugh to myself. The answer, of course, is a HUGE YES!! I set goals every year — this year included — that are beyond what I did the year before and what I can do in my own strength. When we set the bar high, sometimes the natural result is failure to meet the goal. But that should never stop us from trying to reach as high as we can! It has actually taken me years of developing a lifestyle of fasting to build up to where I am now.

So what if you “mess up”? What do you do then? Proverbs 24:16 says, “…for though a righteous man falls seven times, he gets back up; but the wicked are brought down by calamity.” This has been a formative principle in my life in so many areas, and it’s no different in the arena of devotion to God. What matters is not that we stumble, but that we get back up! True failure only occurs when we let adversity keep us down.

Maybe you have tried to participate in the fast this year and have found yourself stumbling along the way. I want to encourage you to try it again during this last week. Don’t be discouraged by looking at the times you gave in to hunger or messed up. But be encouraged by this: when we draw near to God, he draws near to us. (James 4:8) He wants to draw near to you — so keep it up! I am confident that you will be rewarded and blessed for your perseverance.