Robert Pooley

Here's a question for you... it may be a little deep... I don't know when you are reading this.  Maybe you just came in from work.  Maybe you are surfing the web, or checking facebook, or twitter just before bed.  Maybe you have just been at that meeting for that thing with those people... or maybe you have been sitting around waiting and wondering... is Robert ever going to update his blog?

 

Whatever the situation is... here's the question.  What would you do if you were really going to change the world?  Ok, before you get all excited to see what I'm going to say next... remember, I can't answer this one for you.  The question is, "What would YOU do if YOU were really going to change the world?"

 

A couple of years ago I watched a piece of an interview with rock star Madonna (ugh... insert personal groan here) and she was asked a question... it went something like this.  When you were younger you wanted to take over the world... do you still?  Her reply, No, but now I want to help to change the world.  Good answer.

 

But that also provokes another question.  Is world changing simply for the Madonna's, the Brad Pitt's, The Bono's, and if we want the church involved, let's send Rick Warren.   Is it simply for those folks?

 

I think, if that question were posed to us, we would say, "No, everyone can change the world."   And I would say, "I think you are absolutely right."   So now, my next question is this...  What's your plan?   "My what?" you ask.    What's your plan?  How are you going to do it?   What would you do if you were really going to change the world?

 

Listen, I understand, you are still reading on with that slight hope that I'm going to answer this somehow for you.   Wrong.  The question is yours. "What would YOU do if YOU were really going to change the world?"

 

Here's my challenge this week...  Wrestle with that one and drop me a line and let me know what you think...   Again, I understand... you will probably close this post and forget about this... its cool...  its really what most people will do.   I mean, we are much too busy to try to think about changing the world.   I mean, really, there are people for that, isn't there?

 

Isn't there?

 

Isn't there?

 

Someone?

 

Let's rock the world together!

Oriole Beach Elementary Blessing

Every year at Coast we reach out to help Oriole Beach Elementary School, with whom we share a property border. In the early days we filled back packs with school supplies.  But several years ago, we learned from the Principal that there are lots of kids who come to OBE, whose families struggle to make ends meet financially and the kids are the ones who are suffering.  So about 4 years we began to receive a special offering that we called, "The OBE Blessing."  

This year was no exception, and today we presented a check to the Principal and Assistant Principal.  See the picture below with Scott Welch, my administrative assistant presenting the check.  

Dawn Alt, the Principal, told me how they have been able to use the checks to buy clothes, shoes, glasses for a girl who could not see, bunk beds for a family with six kids who were sleeping on the floor, and food for kids who would have nothing to eat during the break times like Spring and Christmas break, because they would not be able to get the free food offered by the schools.

I want to say thank you to all the people of Coast who gave unselfishly to make this happen... You guys rock!!  And thanks to Oriole Beach Elementary for a commitment to children that goes beyond just education.  I think we make a great team!

Time to Update the blog

 

Ok... I get it...  I need to update my blog a little more often....  So here is something that inspires me everytime I think of it. 

Mark Batterson wrote a great book In a pit with a lion on a snowy day, and it he states the lion chaser manifesto... here it is... let it inspire you today.

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don’t let what’s wrong with you keep you from worshiping what’s right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze a new trail. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don’t try to be who you’re not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away.

Wrestling

Had a great opportunity to have some intriguing conversations with a couple of ministry leaders today... and figured I would just ramble some of my thoughts, in no particular order.

• (Talking about the church at large, not Coast, but the entire body) Wondering if in our effort to throw off the shackles of religion, that we have somehow lost the concept of our lives intersecting with the cross?
• Galatians 2:20
• As Christians, we can not make God love us any more or any less because of the things we do.  And we are under grace.  But are we living lives that show that we have been crucified by Christ?
• One of my friends mentioned the term "Salad bar Christianity."  Meaning that we approach Christianity like a giant buffet and we just choose the things that seem to interest our appetites... and we avoid any thing that seems unpleasant.
• Crucifixion of self... is painful... but necessary.
• Jesus is not my homeboy.  He is sovereign Lord.
• Do we approach our day to lives with the thought that our old self is gone, and we have given our life to Christ... which means that we live sacrificially, putting others ahead of ourselves?
• Do we realize that our lives are to reflect Christ to the outside world?
• We may be the only view of Christ that some people ever see... if that is true, does Christ in us make us different than the world around us... not just in the way we love and accept... but also in our attitude towards sin?  Oh, and not the sins of others, I'm talking the attitude toward our sins. 

Just some interesting thoughts...  If you know me at all, I am not a fan of religion, and I have such a high view of grace. But that has to be tempered by the idea that when we say yes to God our lives no longer belong to us...  We have said to Jesus, "I give you my life.  Be the Lord of my life."  In that case we should be about doing the work of Jesus in whatever place we find ourself.  School, work, neighborhood, etc.  We should not be concerned with our convenience, and our comfort, but with our character and with becoming who Christ made us to be.

This is some of the stuff rattling around in my head after a couple of interesting conversations.  There is more, but this is probably enough for now...  Do you wrestle with this kind of stuff?

Family Fun Day

Our family fun day was a tremendous blast last Sunday.  The crowd was amazing...  the food was great... the Band "Wildwood" did an awesome job.  We baptized 5 people...  Lots of folks had fun going for rides on the boat.  It was a definite home run!  Below are a few baptism pics.

Serve Magazine

I had an opportunity to contribute an article to Serve Magazine this month.  Serve is an online Ezine put out by Steve Sjogren and Ken Glassmeyer.  It was a huge honor to be asked to be a part... you can read the article here.

Blank page

My blogging has been a little slow these days...  Seems most of my blogging has become micro-blogging, twitter, facebook, etc.  So it actually seems a little odd sitting down at my blog and looking at a blank page. 

I like the idea of a blank page... It means that anything is possible.  I could sit down and have an amazing profound thought... it could be the genesis of a book idea... it could be something that might be silly that could make me or someone else smile... it could be an encouraging word at the right season.

The thing about a blank page though, is that it will stay blank until you begin to write something.   Until you begin to team up with the Holy Spirit and put your thoughts down on paper...  nothing happens.

I think our lives are very similar.  God presents us each day with a blank page and says, "Ok, put pen to paper.  Write the story of your life.  I will guide and you lead you in every stroke of the pen, if you let me...  let's get started."

And what an adventure it is to follow after God's plan... and to live the story He has written for our life.  I want to encourage you today... don't go to sleep with your page still blank.  Live the story.  Follow God.  Live passionately.  Be a life that someone would enjoy reading about.  Its all in your hands.  What will you do with your blank page?

Rambles on a day off

• Vicki is at a hair convention in Orlando... so Leanna and I have been kicking around with no one to keep track of us....    :-)
• Actually we have had fun, but we miss Vicki.  Today we split a McGuire's cheeseburger... wow, I almost can't imagine not splitting one of those.  They are huge.... and really good.  And the Senate bean soup... mmmmm!
• Then we went to see the Juan Sebatian De Elcano, a tall mast sailing ship... it was amazing.  I can't even fathom climbing up to the crow's nest.  Jack Sparrow I am not.
• Yesterday at Coast was a great day.  I kicked off One Prayer with the message that God is our Father and I busted up some of the myths that people have about God.  The band was kicking!  The crowd was down just a little bit, but not the normal dip we experience the first week after school is out.
• This week for One Prayer we will hear from Steven Furtick...  And the message is God is great!  Steven is a wonderful communicator... I am really looking forward to Sunday.
• We have started the renovations to our Children's area...  Going to be a massive improvement.  The entire process should take about 3 to 4 weeks.
• I found out today about a pastor friend of mine who experienced a moral failure.  My heart goes out to him and to his family and church.  He is broken, and repentant, but understands the consequences of his action will be stepping down from pastoring the church he planted.  I will be praying for all of them.  I am really grienving for them.  I know that God will be with him and help him as we begins the healing process.  And my friend, if you read this... please know that I am here for you if you ever need an ear.
• All of this is very sobering... and a reminder to me about how quickly the devil can take you out if you let your guard down.  Thanks to my accountability partners... to my elders... and the wonderful intercessory prayer team who continually keep me covered in prayer. 
• There is much work to do at Coast... it will be a busy summer... with lots of amazing things happening.  I am looking forward to our upcoming connecting events...  a cook out and baptism...  a fish fry...  and more...  Going to be a great opportunity to build some friendships.
• Tomorrow is one of my favorite days of the week... Staff meeting day.  I love our team... They are incredible...  Great hearts...  powerful ministries.
• Going to relax tonight and watch an old James Dean movie with Leanna...  "Rebel without a cause."    By the way, this doesn't describe me...  I am not without a cause.  There is no greater cause that you can give your life to than the cause of Jesus Christ.

Good Stuff

Ask the Lord your God for a sign whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.  Is. 7:11

We must continue to pray and wait for the Lord until we hear the sound of His mighty rain.  There is no reason why we should not ask for great things.  Without a doubt, we will receive them if we ask in faith,  having the courage to wait with patient perseverance for Him and meanwhile doing those things that are within our power to do.

It is not within our power to create the wind or to change its direction, but we can raise our sails to catch it when it comes.  We do not create electricity, yet we can tap into it with a will that will conduct it, allowing it to work.  We do not control God's Spirit, but we can place ourselves before the Lord out of obedience to what He has called us to do and we will come under the influence and power of his mighty breath.


Can’t the same great wonders be done today that were done many years ago?  Where is the God of Elijah?  He is waiting for today’s Elijah to call on Him.


The greatest old or new testament saints who ever lived were on a level that is quite within our reach.  The same spiritual force that was available to them and the energy that enabled them to become our spiritual heroes are also available to us.  If we exhibit the same faith, hope and love they exhibited, we will achieve miracles as great as theirs.  A simple prayer from our mouths will be powerful enough to call down from heaven God’s gracious dew or the melting fire of His spirit, just as the words from Elijah’s mouth called down literal rain and fire.  All that is required is to speak the words with the same complete assurance of faith with which he spoke. 

Attributed to Dr. Goulburn, Dean of Norwich.

Top Ten List For Ministry and Life Management

I don't remember my source for where this came from originally, but it is good stuff. I have made a couple of small changes.  Enjoy!

10.  Account for your time

How did you spend your day? Write it as you go and evaluate how you did at the and of the day. Now look for ways to improve and ask yourself, "What am i going to do about this tomorrow?"  Always be looking for ways to improve.

9. Plan your time offensively

Act like your time belongs to you! Learn to say no to things you don't need to do. This is so important. 

8.  Keep your priorities in order

Remember, if you don't have priorities you can't keep them.  

7.  Delegate to the faithful

What are you doing that someone else can be doing? What is it that only you can do?  Learn to recruit and recruit and recruit.  Share the joy of serving with others.

6.  Plan for interruptions

When everything is said and done, there is more said than done.  Things don't always happen the way you plan them.  Keep margin in your life for the unexpected.

5.  Respond rather than react in a crisis

There is more than one side to every story.  In church work there is usually about 36.  Do your homework  Its ok to say I'll get back to you, I don't know a smart answer.

4. Don't procrastinate

Do what you can do now... don't put it off till later. Really.

3.  Get some help

Make some phone calls, network, read a book, listen to a cd or podcast.  Get a mentor.  Don't try to reinvent the wheel.  Learn from others.

2. Plan for growth

Remember people follow people with a plan.  Have a plan for spiritual growth, organizational growth, and numerical growth.

1. Pray

Things happen when we pray that just don't happen any other way!  Make time to pray

A Question for Dino Rizzo

Just finished reading Dino Rizzo's latest book Servolution. I picked it up while at the ARC Conference last month.  First of all, let me say I really respect Dino. He's the real deal!  When he writes about serving, he's writing about something he understands and does...  This isn't theory, he's speaking from experience.  The book servolution is filled with amazing stories, but beyond that, it is a practical tool for establishing a culture of serving in your church, and practical ideas for serving. I think everyone involved in ministry should read chapter six.

Dino, has the nickname Father Teresa among the folks at ARC...  I like that.  At Coast we have a huge heart for serving others... and two people that have influenced us more than anyone else have been Steve Sjogren and Dino Rizzo.    One of the things that I really appreciate about Dino and Healing Place Church is the way they work with other churches in their area to serve their community.

I had the opportunity recently to ask Dino about that.  Here is my question to Dino and his response.

How is the best way to begin to network with other churches to make a difference in our community?

Robert, thanks so much for being a part of the tour.  Coast has been such a great ally for us at Healing Place Church.  You’ve blessed us over and over and I just wanna say thank you again.

Partnership is so huge for churches who want to truly make an impact on their community.  It just means doing stuff together, laying down egos and logos and just working together to meet needs.

Often, it seems like there’s some confusion about what to actually do when serving our communities.  It think the way to work together to serve your community starts with beginning to see yourselves as part of the community.  Join in.  Engage.  Listen to what’s being said, what people are doing.... Get out in your community, and keep your head on swivel and your ears wide open.  It’s likely that you’ll find that it is less mysterious than we may have expected.  Needs become obvious when you’re looking for them.

For example, yesterday one of our police officers was injured in the line of duty.  We visited him and took a meal to him and just served him.  It wasn’t a huge question of discernment - it was just a common sense response to a need.

And while we’re looking for those needs and opportunities to serve our community, we should also keep a continuous radar on how we can partner with others in our communities (churches as well as other organizations) to meet those needs.

I think you’ve found this to be true yourself there at Coast - once you begin to look for needs and ways to partner, you see that they’re all around you.

 

Thanks Dino for taking the time to share some ideas and strategies for working with other churches in our community to reach out to those in need in our community.  If you would like more information on Servolution, you can go to their website here or you can order it here at Amazon.com 

 

I highly recommend this book... It will help start a revolution of serving in your church.

 

 

Channnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

I thought this was pretty cool  Gary and Beth Hodges, our worship leaders, were at the Exponential Conference and told me how they intrdouced Francis Chan when it was his turn to speak...  Too funny. Enjoy!

Monday Rambles

• Great day at Coast yesterday...  Talked about "Damaged Emotions" in our "Leaving the House of Blues" series.  Have gotten lots of comments telling me how God worked in people's lives yesterday...  Yeah God!
• We dealt with the three biggies that wreck our emotional stability... Guilt, Grief, and Grudges.
• The message should be up on our website within the next day or so.
• Hard to get a gauge on the two services yet.  Yesterday looked like a pretty even split in numbers between the two...  with maybe a little more at the first service... (I haven't seen the numbers yet.)
• Great to see all the teens at Coast last night.  Jordy and Kara do an awesome job. I'm very excited about the potential of this group.
• What's up with the local youth sports leagues having ball games on Sunday mornings?
• There is so much work to be done over the next few months at Coast...  Head spinning just thinking about it.
• Growth is good... but also challenging...  Working on structure to sustain growth.
• Just finished reading Geoff Surratt's book "10 Stupid things that keep churches from growing."  The Bad news:  I have done some of them.  The good news: I haven't done them all... and the ones I have done, we have already started to get a good handle on them.
• The book was a great read!  I thought it might be a repackaging of the same old ideas... but Geoff really has a fresh look at the issues with workable solutions to making a difference.  At the close of every chapter he does an interview with a pastor to get their perspective, and then adds questions so that you can work through the issues with your staff.  I highly reccommend this book for pastors and church leaders.
• Getting ready to start Dino Rizzo's book, "Servolution."  Should be awesome.  Dino and Geoff both have a wicked sense of humor.
• The church looks kind of cool right now...  It has guitars hanging all over the stage for the "Leaving the House of Blues" series.
• Looking forward to staff meeting tomorrow... lots to work on...  We are moving forward with everything in us.
• One last reminder...  There is no greater cause that you can give your life to than the cause of Christ!

All Access

Just got back from the All Access Conference sponsored by ARC.  Thought I would share some of my thoughts and highlights.

• First off C3 Church in Clayton NC were amazing hosts... out in the middle of the boonies, and running thousands, these folks have a tremendous servant heart.  Their pastor Matt Fry kicked off the conference witha  bang.
• Pastor Rick Bezet said that C3 is so far out of the way, that to get there you drive until you get lost and its on the right.
• The worship all week was tremendous.  Some times you see bands who are out being rockstars... Not at C3... it was obvious Jesus was the rockstar... and we were there to give him praise.  The speakers were amazing all week... but so was the worship.
• On Monday night after the meeting I was interviewed on a live internet taping...  Was great being able to share my thoughts about ARC with others.
• Dino Rizzo kicked off Tuesday with a strong word on longevity.  The 3 key words were Honor, Honesty, and Humility.  Humerous would have fit in there too... Dino is an amazing communicator.  His new book "Servolution" was just released... He has such a servant heart that the ARC guys call him "Father Teresa."
• Greg Surratt was next...  He and Billy Hornsby are the poppas of ARC.  Right now, under their leadership, ARC is planting a church every 3 to 5 days.  Amazing.
• Greg exhorted us to base our preaching on the simplicity of the gospel.  Its the gospel that changes lives.
• Chris Hodges spoke next... always powerful... always straight to the point.  The ARC guys call him the total package and he is...  His church is the fastest growing in America right now.
• Ed Young Jr. spoke later that evening.  It was like something off of comedy central... except that one minute you were laughing, and the next you were thinking... what a powerful point.
• Ed said that ministry is brutiful.  Part brutal and part beautiful.
• All of the speakers were very transparent about some of the hurts they have experienced while in the ministry... which was good for a lot of these young church planters to hear.
• Ed told us that Betrayal happens during defining moments in our lives... and then told his own story of being betrayed.  He said that after a betrayal we can choose to break down or break through.
• Wednesday started with a great word by Pastor Rick Bezet.  He said he used to be Rick Bezet pastor... now he is simply known as "Kris Allen from American Idol's pastor."
• Ed young Jr spoke again on creativity.  I had heard some of this stuff from the Buzz Conference a few years ago, and from reading Ed's book, the Creative Leader... but it was still good.
• His rant on crazy people was worth the expense of the whole conference.
• Joe Champion and Stovall Weems rounded off the day...
• The day finished with us praying over all the new church plants that are scheduled to start in 2009.    It was extremely moving.
• Had a blast twittering throught the conference.  If you want to follow me on twitter, you can at www.twitter.com/robertpooley
• Again thanks to Matt and Martha Fry, and all the folks at C3 church... and to the ARC for a great time of refreshing.

Line in the Sand

"What's that?"  He asked.  "It's a line in the sand.  If you cross over it you are on my team, and if you don't then you are on their team." 

I was thinking this week about the childhood thing of drawing a line in the sand that someone would have to cross over.  We have probably all done it.  Here's the line and stepping across means....  whatever... but it was always a commitment. 

Commitment is such a weird concept in our culture today.  Nowadays commitment simply means that I am committed as long as I am committed.  And if truth be known, we are very careful.  We've learned a lot since our childhood.  So we take great caution to not be around those situations that cause a line to be drawn in the sand.

But there's a problem, isn't there?  I mean aren't lines drawn in the sand every day?  At your table at the restaurant you overhear, "I don't believe in Christianity.  I don't believe that anyone in their right mind could be a Christian."  What just happened?  A line was drawn in the sand.  Are you bold enough to cross it?

Sitting with a group of parents at a basketball game, one makes the comment, "I am sick of churches... they are all the same... none of them have the anything to do with Jesus."   A line has been drawn.  What do you do?

In a doctor's office waiting room, a patient emerges, shaken and crying.  They walk over to chairs, and sit down with their head in their hands and cry.  Do you cross the line in the sand to bring them the comfort of the Holy Spirit who lives in you?

Everyday of His life, Jesus crossed the lines in the sand.  It was something He thought about.  It was a natural outpouring of who He was.  He couldn't stop it.  He was who He was.

What about you?  Every week opportunities to cross the line come your way.  How do you handle them?  Do you look the other way?  Do you think that it's ok because somebody else will jump up to the plate?

We need volunteers in.... we are looking for worker's in this ministry...  we are looking for people with a heart to....  

These are all lines in the sand...

Dare to step out....

Let's Rock the World together!

Servolution - Swenson Park Outreach

Here are some pics from our last Servolution event.  These were from our Easter Egg Hunt at Swenson Park... Over the years we have teamed up with the Swenson Park Homeowners and their ladies Auxillary to provide events like this. 

Thanks to everyone who helped in all of our Servolution events... A lot of lives were touched.

Easter Sunday Wrap Up

• Wow!  What a day at Coast today!
• The place was packed... first service was full.  Second service was beyond packed, we brought in almost all the chairs we could get our hands on... people were  packed in. 
• I don't know the numbers yet, but it was definitely an amazing crowd!!
• Again... dont have the final numbers yet... but lots of decisions were made for Christ today!
• Have I said Wow?
• The band was amazing today... they absolutely rocked the place... and then took us intimately to the cross in worship.  I worshipped both services... and could listen to those guys over and over again.
• Sherri sang with the band today, the Chris Tomlin song, "I will rise."  Now, I will be honest... I had heard the Tomlin version of the song and it just didn't do anything for me.  But the Coast band, with Sherri singing made that song work... It was powerful.
• Great job Band!!!
• Enjoyed preaching the Easter message today...  Both services were fun... looking forward to doing more...
• Huge buzz of excitement in the church today.
• I just want to say this, "Our children's ministry teams are the real deal!"  Camp Coast and our preschool ministry rocked the house today.  The kids had an absolute blast.
• Our new series, "Leaving the House of Blues" starts next week...  I can't wait... going to be an incredible series as we talk about dealing with depression in our lives.
• Great comments today... I literally feel like it was our best Easter service ever!
• Our Coast volunteers are the absolute best...  I just can't believe how good they are at what they do...  What a team!
• Had a great time with friends for Easter lunch... This is one of those days when you just realize how blessed you are...
• Ready to chill...  I have a little of that post-Easter burn out....  Going to take it easy for a day and then we are going to hit it twice as hard this week.
• I love what I do!

Blogging?

Not so much...  been a little crazy... best place to catch me is on twitter or facebook....  But not giving up my blog just yet...  Looking for a fresh wind to blow... and maybe a new blog design...  who knows?  Anyway, hope to be blogging again soon.

Sunday Wrap Up

• Today was a really great day at Coast... Great energy, and not a bad crowd considering it was the start of Spring Break...
• The Band started the morning off with a bang...  loud, aggressive and full of praise... then into some amazingly intimate worship.  Loved it. 
• Jourdan Pace sang the Miley Cyrus song, "The Climb...  It was unbelievably good on a lot of levels... first off, forget the fact that its Miley Cyrus, this is a great song, and its number 5 on itunes right now. 
• The message of the song went hand and hand with my message today...   
• The band nailed it, and Jourdan took it to a level that is even better than Miley in my mind.  Great job Jourdan.  Trust me, you are going to be hearing a lot from this girl.. Only 16 and what a voice.  She got a standing ovation. 
• I am loving the SHIFT series...  Today we talked about the most common ways that our enemy will come against our thought life and we talked about the type of thoughts that we need to be thinking. 
• I actually yelled a little bit today during my talk...  Believe me, I am surprised as you are... but the truth is, this is a subject that I am very passionate about.  This message will be up on the Coast website soon. www.coastcommunity.org  By the way, I almost never yell...
• FUEL is going to be exciting tomorrow night.  Happens at 7PM in the auditorium at the Coast campus.  We are going to be announcing some major changes coming up.  I want to tell you so bad what they are... but you will have to wait till tomorrow.  I can tell you this, its going to be incredible and will take Coast till a whole new level.
• One more week and we will be adding another service at Coast.  Very excited about this. 
• Went to Marble Slab after lunch today...  all I can say is, "Mmmmmmmm"
• The next few months at Coast are going to be incredibly busy... and I am so ready for it! 
• Did I mention that I am very excited about the new changes coming to Coast?
• Our post Easter series, "Leaving the House of the Blues" will deal with overcoming depression and starts April 19th. Everybody has either dealt with depression themselves or knows someone who has.  This is going to be a very timely series and is going to set some people free. 
• Again, loving all the new faces at Coast each week.  Its great making new friends!! 
• I love what I do, and Sundays are just so much fun that I am already counting the hours till its Sunday again. 
• Alright... time for the Sunday paper, a little bit of Nascar, and a nap! 

Sunday Wrap Up

• Great day @ Coast...  The threat of rain didn't seem to keep anyone today.
• The church was packed... We are going to have to get creative over the next few weeks to get everyone in until we hit double services.
• Lots of great new faces today... met some awesome new folks.  I can't wait to get to know everyone... 
• Still missing some of our folks who have moved away recently.
• Started our "Shift" series today and I believe everyone will be thinking about their thinking this week.   You had to be there to understand.
• The message today should be up on the Coast website in a couple of days. www.coastcommunity.org
• The band rocked it today... like always...  Man, I absolutely dig our worship team.
• Energy level was good... but not quite as high as usual...I'm thinking everyone is still adjusting to the time change.
• I felt like I struggled a little bit connecting today...  Got lot of great comments after the service... but for me...  had a little bit of a tough time getting started.
• Really laid the ground work for where we will be going over the next couple of weeks with this series.
• Tons of teens will hit the Coast campus tonight to play volleyball and get in the word together.  Jordy, Kara and their team do an amazing job every week with Coast Student Ministries.  We still have a ways to go... but our Student Ministry team is making huge progress.
• Also the the ladies's minstry is going through the book of James together.
• You can't change your life, until you change the way you think.  You have to have a shift.
• I wanted to call this series "Shift happens."  But chickened out.
• The stage looked great today... hopefully we are going to be some massive changes to our stage in the next few weeks.
• We are adding double services starting on Palm Sunday.  Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me to have to add a third service almost right away.  Crazy...
• I love what's happening at Coast... and I love our people...  Life is fun!
• God is doing huge things at Coast right now... it really has been fun to watch!