Cross Promotion Gone Wild

There's a term used in advertising called "cross-promotion" and it basically means that you create a unique link between two pretty much unrelated things in order to promote a particular product, concept or event. Sometimes it is a very effective use of resources... like getting Kelloggs to make Pirates of the Caribbean cereal and put it on the shelves a couple months before the movie hits the theaters. Obviously, pirates have very little to do with cereal, except that people that eat sugar-coma cereal like that might also want to see the movie, and the cereal will sell particularly well when 9-year old boys pitch fits in the grocery store in order to get it. Happy Meal toys are also famouse examples of "cross-promotion" and usually very cost effective... promoting movies, toys, or game systems to kids in McDonalds through 20-cent plastic toys can really boost sales of the product nationwide.

But, what happens when "cross-promotion goes wild" and advertising gurus start using money (lots of it) to promote items in ways that simply don't make sense? The result is a complete waste of resources. Three days ago, I followed a large dump-truck-type thing for about 5 miles when I repeatedly asked myself the question: "What were those advertising guys thinking?" Behind the back wheels of the dump truck were mudflaps with the "OshKosh" company name and logo on them. Maybe they were custom printed because the truck's owner really loved "OshKosh" clothing... maybe the dump truck itself was owned by "OshKosh"... or maybe even more likely - some goof-ball out there thought it would be a great way to get the "OshKosh" name out there on the highway. But in my mind, it was just a waste of money.

I'm all for trying something new or different or a little unique. I'm all for taking a risk and even spending money to do it. I'm all for cross-promoting the gospel message so that people that wouldn't normally seek God would hear about his message in unique ways. But, we've got to be smart about the resources we spend as a church. I'm thrilled that the people of Church At The Grove have the desire to use the resources we have on those things that most effectively develop people to follow Jesus and make disciples. It's great to be part of something where faithful stewardship is understood and recognized.

We put our resources into serving the local community (schools, public servants, local needs), we send resources out to church plants around the metro Atlanta region, we are looking forward to Russ' trip to Africa so we can begin to meet some of the needs of the global community. We invest heavily into the Sunday morning environment so people can continue to explore faith at their own pace. And, we try to use resources on things that streamline the ministry that comes out of the CATG office. God has blessed us so far during this first year. We believe that he will continue to bless us in the years ahead if we continue to be faithful stewards of what he gives us.

Free antivirus software

Over the summer, we traded in our home phone and dial-up internet connection for high-speed internet and cellular. It was a good trade, but for the last several months I've been running my computer unprotected. With the dial-up connection, I wasn't too worried... what virus would even bother attacking a computer on a dial-up connection anyway? And, since we got the high-speed, it hasn't been an issue, but I know that the longer I surf the web, the more likely it is that I will get hit with a virus.

I just downloaded "avast" home edition virus software from http://www.download.com/ and I love it. It was free, it works fast (and runs in the background without slowing anything down), and I finally have a little peace of mind for the home computer.

Did I mention it was free? You know I love that word.

The new Hindu temple in Lilburn...have you seen it?

Yesterday, I drove by the new Hindu temple in Lilburn. I must say that it is an impressive building... lots of white stone, hundreds of thousands of carvings, and just a massive structure overall. But, as I drove by, I got this incredible feeling of sadness for the people that will worship there.

I don't know what your understanding of Hinduism is: as a religion, it's pretty rough... and as a way of life, it's a mess. Religion is basically man's attempt to please or appease a god with the idea that there will be some sort of reward if you are successful in doing so. The problem with Hinduism is that there is not one, but literally thousands (actually millions) of gods. There are more than a thousand "official" gods and then every hindu home has their own "version" of gods. Can you imagine trying to please all of these deities?

I am glad that there is really only one true God... I am glad that I get to relate to him as a friend, rescuer, and father... I hope you are experiencing the same simple relationship with God that I have... I pray that you are able to communicate this incredible life we have been given in ways that are simple enough for those around you to understand.

Reality without counseling

When Russ and I speak, we do our best to communicate God's word in ways that are easy to understand and easy to relate to. One of the ways we've seen as effective is to share a little of our own stories and experiences... which is normally not a big deal. However, the "Can We Bring Sexy Back?" series starts in 4 days and I'm getting a little bit nervous. How can Russ and I communicate the reality of God's incredible design for sex and remain conscious of the fact that we are still the pastors of Church At The Grove? In my mind, it's kind of like hearing your parents talk about sex... sometimes you are able to fight off the mental images... sometimes the images never leave and you feel like counseling is the only option. Just Kidding!

I can promise you that the next four weeks are going to be awesome... we are working hard to communicate reality through personal experiences (authenticity without "too much information") and mainly through scripture... I really think you'll be surprised at how much God says about the incredible invention of sex. We are looking forward to this fun, straight-forward, and honest conversation about "sexy". In the meantime, visit www.CanWeBringSexyBack.com for resources and more information. Then, send a link to your friends and neighbors with some sort of a comment like, "I think this church-planting thing is getting to our pastors... are they stupid or something to plan a series like this... what do you think?" Then, when they call you to ask what time you leave for church so they can ride with you, you can be confident that we will do everything possible to talk "reality" without counseling... to be authentic without causing nightmares.

$11 glasses

Last week, my new glasses arrived... I got two pairs of glasses delivered to my house for just over $22 (total).

Check out http://www.zennioptical.com/ if you need some cheap ones... you have to have your prescription handy (and you will probably have to get someone to measure the distance between your pupils), but it may be a great way to save a ton of money.

Are you "connected"?

Russ did a great job on Sunday with the importance of being "connected" to others. As I participated in communion, my brain was not only thinking about the people in the room, but also about the other believers I know that are scattered around the world. I've got a friend in Indonesia, two friends in Japan, and other friends in Asia that are constantly working with people that need hope. I've got friends scattered around the country that are starting churches and ministries to reach people. And there are hundreds of millions of other believers in the world that I symbolically "connect" with when I take communion... we worship, we reflect, we remember the incredible sacrifice that Jesus made... and we celebrate the incredible gift that his sacrifice gave us.

As the faces and names of my believer friends went through my head, I also thought a lot about the friends I have that are still unconvinced. Over the last couple years, I have met a ton of new friends that don't follow Christ... and I love them more than you can possibly imagine. I enjoy hanging out with them, relaxing with them and talking with them... about life, parenting, movies, vacations, and as the topic arises - spiritual things. I would love for my connections with them to eventually lead them to a point where they follow Christ, but I also understand that I have no control over those decisions. All I can do is love them, enjoy their friendship, and "be" Christ in their lives. When I do those things, my "connections" pay off... maybe I will get to see more of these friends begin to follow Christ in the years ahead... maybe not... that is between them and God. My job is to extend God's love to the people in my community so that they will have the best opportunity to explore faith at their own pace... if you're a believer, that's your job, too.

What a morning!

If you missed this morning at Church At The Grove, you missed an incredible thing. We worshipped "in the round," Russ did an incredible job communicating that "Life is too difficult of a journey to do it alone," and we took communion together. "Linked" Sunday was a great way to spend the day.

When Amy and I sat down after we took communion, we really started watching the individuals and couples that approached the tables. It brought tears to our eyes to see the people that were there... people that have recently begun their spiritual journeys... people that, if not for Church At The Grove, would not be exploring faith anywhere. As we sat there, we were overwhelmed with love for all that God is doing in the lives and hearts of people. I hope you are experiencing that same overwhelment as you think about the people that are part of the CATG Community.