The Heath Mullikin Project

Deja Vu from 2 years ago

Here’s a post from over 2 years ago. Ironic that we just finished painting the youth room in Denton. Anyway, here’s what was going on in my life 2 years ago.

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

New Beginnings

Current mood: tired

I write this in the kitchen of the house we have just moved into. We are renting(for now) and praying that the Lord provides the money to buy. I don’t know whose wireless internet connection I’m using, but thanks. I’ll get my own this weekend. Before I get into serious matters, only a woman would choose to move into a house without tv capabilities the day before NFL Kickoff. Maybe I can bootleg some cable too. Today has been a day of what could’ve beens. I don’t like those days. I am being made to feel, unintentionally I hope, by some people that I may have been the biggest roadblock to numerical growth at my former job. 99% of the people I talk to are concerned with what’s going on with us right now. The other 1% seems to call to tell how great things are now that we’re gone. I want things to be great. I want God to do amazing things. I don’t even think these people know that the way they are conveying information to me makes me feel like a big ole pile of poop. But, it does. Never in my entire ministry have I needed my creativity more than I do now. It just ain’t there. I have a 450 square foot youth center that I can do anything I want with. The only problem is that funding is limited. Already we have a stinking huge TV and someone donated an 8 channel mixer. We’ve got a ping pong table, pool table, and foosball table that we don’t really have room for(well, it’s them or room for people). So, here’s my dilemma. How do I make a cool room with enough space for people to sit while maximizing my resources? My brain doesn’t even work to pick out colors. I am so desperate that I am blogging about it after hours of prayer. Actually, I think this blog is a prayer. A reminder to God that I’m where He placed me. A reminder that it’s His kingdom to build. All I have to offer is a 460 square foot two car garage and a bunch of people who are willing to paint and work. What’s weird is I’m trying to get people to see that this is only a temporary solution. I want them to dream about a new Family Life Center. I want them to realize that this isn’t our destination, but a pit stop. So, there you have it. Would it be nice to have the money to go out and buy a bunch of stuff? Absolutely, and I would do it in a heartbeat. But that’s not where we’re at in our journey. No, God is stretching us. Some days it feels like we’re going to snap, but I know that one morning i am going to wake up and the light bulb is going to come on again in the creative side of my brain. Then, it’s on. Gates of hell shall not prevail kind of stuff. Can’t put a price on that.

Fantasy Football and Church Leadership

My First Fantasy Football draft I had a specific strategy. I would draft players to fill all my starting positions(Quarterback, 2 Running Backs, 2 Wide Receivers/TightEnds, Defense/Special Teams, and Kicker) before drafting bench players. I would also have a sub for each position. This strategy worked as I won the championship that year. I used the same strategy the next year and made it to the finals. I didn’t tweak the strategy much for several years. My thinking was: it’s more important to draft someone who will actually be scoring points than someone who will be on the bench.

A few years ago, I read a Fantasy Football article that blew this strategy out of the water. The thinking was that it’s better to draft RB’s and WR’s for your bench because, for the most part,(after the top 3 or 4) TE’s, K’s, and Def’s are a dime a dozen. I started drafting these 3 positions in the last 3 rounds and not having a sub for any of them. RB’s and WR’s are liable to score more points or have a breakout season. You can always drop an unproductive RB or WR and pick up a TE, K, or DEF when a bye week hits. I crack up when I see guys draft multiple TE’s, K, and DEF early in drafts while I’m getting productive RB’s and WR’s. Now, what does this have to do with church leadership?

First, there should be no bench players in the church. How are we choosing our leaders and are we putting them in the right place where there strengths will shine through? Or, are we selecting niche leaders instead of strong leaders? Are we putting the person who can weave baskets in leadership simply because we want to find a place for them? Is our church even strategic enough to know what kind of leaders we need and what we’re looking for them to do? Sometimes, we pick leaders because of their last name or who invited them. Are we picking people to fill a spot or we actually looking for those who will contribute to the mission and vision of our church/ministry? Sometimes, I think we are totally unprepared when a new leader emerges. We are not ready to cultivate and empower them for ministry so that initial burst of enthusiasm goes away. We have got be more prepared to harness that enthusiasm and have the strategies in place so leaders/volunteers can find that place where they can serve with passion and purpose. Many people spend their lives going through the motions. The last thing they want to do is volunteer, lead, or serve in a capacity that doesn’t challenge, stretch, and empower them in their faith. So, who are you going to draft and who needs to be removed from your team?

If you liked this post post check out:

1. Your Whole Life is a Fantasy Camp.

Event Marketing, Fashion, and other things I have no business talking about

Let’s say your church had an event every year(and no, this story isn’t about a church so don’t ask) that is it’s biggest event to attract new people. You used to do this event in the spring, but other “churches” were having their big event in the spring so you decided to move yours to the fall. When you moved it to the fall you had to change the name because the name was associated with spring. After several years of holding this event in the fall you decide to update and change the name. You spend months and money branding and promoting the new name/event. The event is somewhat of a success and you feel that the new name has become imprinted on the minds of those you are trying to attract. So, what do you do to follow that up the next year? First, you wait until very late in the year to start promoting this event. Already, people are asking, “Are they having “insert name of you event here” this year?” Word leaks out slowly with few details. When the event is finally announced, you have changed the name, schedule, and format of the event while putting it at a time when a large chunk of the people you are trying to reach will be unable to attend because of another big community event. That is the kind of marketing you don’t need. I think with events of any kind there comes a critical point where you lose your audience. If they don’t have the info in their hand by a certain date then you can forget about their participation. It’s like getting a wedding invitation 2 days prior. People are so busy these days and if you’re event is important enough for them to attend then they need to know about it ASAP. That means you have to plan ahead and get your work done early. When they do find out about your event it needs to be worth their time. Would people drive 4 hours for a 4 hour event? People do that every weekend for many college football games, but those dates are on their calendars months in advance. I will drive 5 hours to a 2 hour U2 show, but they only tour every 4 years or so and there are normally 2 shows within that driving distance. Are you giving people enough bang for their buck? And, no, having a free or low priced event doesn’t always cut it. Give me a moment to put my soapbox away.

On a lighter note, here’s a new site I found: PuffyShirt.com. I found this great article on Pastoral Fashion that I thought you would like. I just invested in some print T-Shirts and now I guess I’m gonna have to lose more weight so my suits will fit again. Where’s my Spider-Man tie?

The Nines and Tony Morgan Live in Lynchburg

In my blogging haste I forgot to mention a few things.

Great post from Perry Noble today on opportunity. Read it and ask yourself the hard questions.

Today, I will be catching as much of The Nines as possible over at Tony Morgan’s blog. The Nines is a free conference featuring some of the church’s greatest leaders. They each have 9 minutes to share their insight. I pray it is influential and beneficial for all who watch. These minister’s are truly annointed and I hope to get a portion of that!

Wesley Grubb and I are heading up to Thomas Road Baptist Church tonight to catch a conference with Tony Morgan tomorrow. Tony is my blogging inspiration and is one of the church’s great strategic thinkers and leaders. He’s got three books you can check out here. They’re all very insightful and have practical applications.

Getting ready for the 642 tonight! Have a great day.

Making Money with a Blog

I’m not sure if you realize this, but there are people who make their entire living from their blogs. I would dare say that most, if not all, of these people are blogging about something they are truly passionate about. In other words, they get paid to do and talk about something they love. Now there’s a novel idea. I’ve been getting paid to do what I love for over a decade now. However, I’m looking at other ways to provide for my family that won’t take time away from them or my ministry. I found out the hard way that free wordpress.com blogs aren’t suited, designed, or intended for making money. So, I’ve been looking into other alternatives. Blogger is also free and allows for ads, promotions, and capture pages. However, you don’t have full control over the layout and design. After doing lots of research, I’m looking into a wordpress.org blog. Lots of people use this from ministry to business experts. One of those guys who I’ve been reading is David Risley. He’s got a 3 day program called 3 Day Money that I’m currently in the middle of. It has opened my eyes to lots of new things and ideas. David is passionate about helping people make money blogging about something they are passionate about. The thing I needed the most help with figuring out how to setup a new wordpress.org blog and get hosting and a domain name(he will explain all of this). I’ve found that I’m only halfway through the course, but it’s already been well worth the price. All of this is leading to the new site/blog I will be launching soon. Not as soon as I would like, but I want to get it right. His course is by no means a “get rich quick” deal. It’s an education to help you work smarter at building your online blogging presence. The only changes you’ll see here at heathmullikin.com is maybe some design stuff. I may eventually move it to wordpress.org, but just for the design options. So, if you’re a serious blogger or just starting out, go check out David’s course and see how he can help.

What is Joy?

Here are some of the main points from my sermon Sunday. It was part of our Engage Series based on the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. I asked(and tried to answer) 4 questions: What is Joy? What does Joy look like? What does Joy sound like? Can anyone/anything steal my Joy?

First, Joy is expressed through emotion, but it is not emotional. It is an anchor for our soul that keeps us steady in good and bad times. Where as, happiness is based on circumstance, joy is based on what Christ has done for us. The opposite of happiness is sadness, but the opposite of joy is fear. As long as we have fear, our joy can not be complete.

Secondly, Joy is seen is obedient action. Our joy will either: bring out the joy in other believers or attract others to Christ in us. Without Jesus, there can be no joy. Without obedient action, there can be no joy. It takes something on our part, or a response on the part of others to complete our joy. Joy is seen in the steadiness of character in uncertain times. I also feel that one can have true joy despite suffering from depression and that Christians should seek Godly counseling and medication when necessary. Some Christians I know have experienced the grace of God that allowed them to live with their depression without treatment. Others I know would not have been as productive in life or faith without it. I don’t see suffering from depression as a lack of faith or an absence of joy.

Thirdly, Joy is heard in our praise to God and our testimony to others. It is heard in our prayer requests and praise reports. The some mouth that rejoices in what the Lord has done can not also participate in the cursing of others. We either speak words of life or words of death. What kinds of words do people hear us using? Do people hear us and think,”wow, he sure is rejoicing in the Lord” or “wow, I didn’t know you could put those 2 words together?” Show me someone with a foul mouth and I’ll show you someone lacking in joy.

Finally, I don’t believe God would go to the trouble of letting His Son suffer and die if, after all was said and done, there would be loophole by which Satan could take away what has been given to the believer by the Spirit. No one can steal our joy, but we sometimes hand it over too easily. Sometimes, it’s like we leave our car unlocked, give the keys to a stranger, and say,”my car’s right there. It needs a little gas, but it runs just fine.” We don’t protect our joy from the situations around us. If you feel like someone stole your joy, it’s because you are giving it to them!

I think a lot of us have allowed Jesus to come into our hearts, minds, and lives, but we’ve never let him unpack. He’s like a roommate we are forcing to sleep on the couch. We can never experience or bear the Fruit of the Spirit until Christ is allowed to fully unpack His stuff. That may mean some of our stuff has to go. It may mean giving up more space than we planned. This whole process can be painful, but the joy that grows from it is worth it.

By no means is this meant to be the be all, end all on joy. They’re just the thoughts the Lord laid on my heart for the past month or so. How’s your Joy?