The Week In Brief(s) (1/17/10)
Every Sunday I’m sharing a recap on some of what happened that week. It will be quick (in brief) and I’ll write in my underwear (in briefs). Here ya go:
1. Here’s the funny thing: This has easily been one of the busiest weeks we’ve had in Vegas, but I’m sitting here thinking: What in the world did I do? What did I get done? In general, it was just craziness…
2. Last week we had a bunch of new people at our Launch Team Meetings. I think maybe seven. It was fun and definitely helps create momentum.
3. I really feel for pastors of smaller churches. I’ve worked in churches of 80, and of 11,000, and spent most of my years in a church in the 600 to 800 range. So I’ve seen it all. But when you’re small enough that you can name the people who are missing, and when one new person makes a big difference, and when you’re worried whether there will be enough people to have a critical mass for that new person to feel comfortable when the arrive, especially if they arrive early. That’s just a crappy situation. I’m looking forward to (hopefully) adding enough people at our launch to move past it.
4. Tried out for, and was selected to be in, a professional comedy troupe/show.
5. God has been so good to us. I met with a great guy on Tuesday morning who is TOTALLY connected here in Vegas, and he has set it up for me to meet with a casino executive who will hopefully enable us to revive an idea or two we had which had seemed D.O.A..
6. Sat in on Central’s creative and staff meetings. Just wanted to see how another church does that kind of stuff. Their entire staff prayed for Verve at the end. Awesome.
7. Met with a local pastor on Wednesday morning who has been put in a crappy situation with a dysfunctional church. People, can we please get our act together?
8. Had our staff meeting. Right now we’re spending most of our time talking through volunteer stuff. Who is going to serve where and when kind of questions.
9. Also met with Holly about the vision she’s developing for our Children’s & Student Ministries, and what she needs to get there. That girl is SHARP. The kids of Verve are in great hands.
10. Had a Mission Team from Westbrook Church in the Chicago suburbs come to town. We put them to work, having them do thousands of door hangers and fliers to people working on the Strip, along with all kinds of other stuff. They did awesome, and we SO appreciate their willingness and sacrifice to be here.
11. Spent most of the week trying to make sure the deal for us to get the warehouse space didn’t fall apart at the last hour. The city is requiring us to do a lot of stuff that is making it too expensive for us, and that the owner of the building feels is unreasonable. TONS of phone calls and meetings and praying and you name it.
10. Talking to my (author) agent about an idea for the next book. I think I’ve come up with something very cool, and pretty far out there…
TO PRAY ABOUT THIS WEEK:
1. Please keep praying for the whole building thing. We need this all to come together, and fast!
2. On Wednesday I get to go to a party that’s hard to explain, but it’s 100 (exactly and no more than 100) of Vegas’ mover and shakers – casino executives, entertainment celebrities, etc. – and in a funny twist, I get to be one of the 100. Please pray that I make some good contacts.
3. Please keep praying for our Launch Team. That we would continue to add people, and that we’d all keep growing in our passion for God and the people of Las Vegas.