Today

Summer didn't just start for LHC and our family. It launched.

First, One Prayer is off and running. I'm so grateful to Craig Groeschel for the whole One Prayer initiative and his leadership in this effort. And, for his message last week. And, of course, Ed Young just flat brought it this weekend. If only Ed were a little more passionate!

This week, I'm with the LHC high school students for Road Trip 2008 in Copper Mountain, CO, while Julie and the kids are spending time with her sisters and their kids at the beach.

Now, I love living in Austin, being a Texan and all that goes with that. But, I gotta tell you, it isn't all bad waking up to 38 degrees and needing a long sleeve shirt. Yesterday, the high temp. was 71.

Last night was our first service of the week. Having just disembarked from a 24-hour bus ride (made longer by a 3-hour mechanical problem in Amarillo), the students were whipped tired, but they were great and God is definitely moving. Be praying for this time that God will use this week in a powerful way in each of our lives.

And, to everyone who has prayed, worked, and given financially so this week could happen: THANK YOU FOR BEING THAT KIND OF CHURCH!

One Prayer

This weekend, we're going to hear from the leader of the One Prayer movement, Craig Groeschel. Craig is the pastor of LifeChurch, which is based in Edmond, OK and has locations across the nation.

Craig is one of those people who just get it. But, beyond that fact, he is anointed by God with an amazing capacity for vision, leadership, and integrity. He really may be the poster child for Jesus' charge for his followers: "be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."

As you might have guessed, Craig's sermon is entitled, "God, Make Us One." I've already seen it, and it is so encouraging and challenging--I'm grateful that what God gave to Craig is going to be a part of the LHC fabric going forward.

For just a taste of how far the reach of One Prayer has spread, go to the One Prayer website and join the conversation.

First Lessons from One Prayer

As we kicked off One Prayer last weekend, we also kicked off the era of sermon delivery via video in our church. Below is a sampling of some of the feedback we received on the video thang:

"I wasn't sure about watching the sermon, but it was great. Once it started, I was into it and forgot that it was video."
"I realized that unless I'm in the first couple of rows, I watch the screens anyway."
"It looked like Mac's eyes were two black holes--I couldn't see him."
"It was little distracting when he looked off to the sides and wasn't looking in the camera."
"I was surprised, but that works."
"I had been hesitant about being a part of LHC Downtown in the fall, but now that I've seen it, I'm in."

There is a learning curve to this and we're on it. In addition to learning from other churches nationwide that have used this strategy, we learned a few thing through this weekend (and will no doubt learn more as we go):

1. Video works. The idea of a sermon on video is tougher to describe and accept than it is to actually experience.
2. We need to improve our lighting so that the image is consistent, specifically uplighting.
3. The image that we used Sunday was produced at 24 frames/second, which is closer to how film appears, vs. video which is 30 f/sec. 24 f/sec. gives you a cool texture and is more artistic if you're shooting say a music video or a creative element to use in the service. But, for the purposes of delivering a sermon, we need to use 30 f/sec. It gives a more immediate, clearer HD picture. Both are shot and projected in HD, but you lose a lot of that at 24 f/sec.
4. The audio quality was OK--and OK is not our standard.

It's going to be a kick in the pants to see how God uses this in and through LHC in the months and years to come. If you're an LHC member, thanks for being a part of it and praying for your church (and pastor). If you're not, thank you for praying for us and the people that God is going to reach through us.

One Prayer, Pt. 2

One of the most powerful components of the One Prayer season of ministry is the opportunity we have to play a key role in planting new churches in some of the most remote corners of the world. The locations for these new bodies of Christ are:
*Cambodia
*India
*Sudan
*China

Collectively, those nations are going to be home to 500 new churches. That's 500 new outposts and beachheads for the love and hope of Christ in places where love and hope are desperately needed.

This is the kind of focused, intentional, and uniting work that would not be possible without technology bringing together over 1,100 churches representing more than 736,000 people in weekly church participation.

What is your One Prayer for the Bride of Christ?

One Prayer, Pt. 1

It's finally here: the message series ONE PRAYER kicks this coming weekend at LHC (most participating churches will begin the weekend of June 7-8, but we're starting a week earlier because of our sermon calendar and summer camps that were already locked and loaded when we were invited to participate in One Prayer). The series is based on this premise: If you could pray one prayer for the Church, what would it be?

Big question, isn't it? What would you pray if you could pray one prayer for the Bride of Christ?

One Prayer is a series of messages that over 1,100 churches worldwide are preaching through in the month of June. Those 1,100+ churches represent more than 750,000 people in weekend attendance. I've never heard of Christ's Bride pulling off this kind of unity of purpose and practice at one time--EVER. I'm so grateful to Craig Groeschel of LifeChurch for having the vision, obedience, and leadership to bring this ministry to the world.


We'll kick off this series this weekend with my prayer for our church and the Church at large: God, Make Us Magnetic. This message is one of 60 that all 1100+ churches have available to them for this series.

In the weeks that follow, we're going to be challenged, blessed, and encouraged by some of the greatest communicators and leaders in the church today. I know that sometimes going to church falls off the radar a little in the summer. But, you will miss so much if you miss any of One Prayer. Be praying with us and for Christ's church. When you remember that the Church is the hope of the world, it kindof