“For
God is not [the author] of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the
saints.”
 
 I had to remind
myself of that today. In pursuit of God’s next step for our family, many
questions have come up. Many of those questions have not been answered, and the
process of living with unanswered questions is becoming taxing. While God will
not confuse us, his plan for us can be a winding path that takes families on a
ride where the end cannot be seen. This does not mean the end is not coming,
but that the ride is not over.
 
So is the case for us. When have come to another fork in the
road. We have prayed for closed doors throughout our journey. God has answered
that prayer; our door to Willow has closed. We have asked for other doors to be
opened for us, two more have. The first I know is not a place for our family,
the second perhaps could be.
 
Doc taught me to “keep the main thing the main thing.” The
main thing in our pursuit of God’s will we glean what he is trying to show us,
and be patient enough to “keep on keeping on.”

God's Presence

One amazing privilege I have happened tonight. There are times here at LU where the spirit of the Lord moves so strong, He changes the face of a service in a moment. It takes a open heart to understand when this happens. Tonight it did. People were saved tonight, not because of preaching, not because of performance, not because of technology, tonight people were saved because the Spirit of the Lord moved among his people.

“Forever author of salvation he rose and conquered the grave, Jesus conquered the grave.”

There have been several times in my tenure here at LU where I have been in a service like this one. I praise God for these opportunities. Not everyone is able to experience the spirit in such a mighty way.

Thank you Lord.

Mid-Month Meltdown

Today, Oswald Chambers wrote:

"We are always looking for justice, yet the essence of the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is— Never look for justice, but never cease to give it."

For a long time now, I have been subconsciously keeping record of injustice. I felt as though I worked really hard and that those around me do not appreciate the work. Or suffice it to say that I don't feel the hard work reciprocated.

I have become very bitter about this.

This passage above, which is just the closing thought from Chambers. Well I don't think I need to say anymore. The passage is pretty much a direct rebuke from God for the way that I feel. The difficult part will be explaining this to anyone else.

Signs of great Leadership

"my role is all about finding high capacity people with great hearts and getting them the resources they need so together we can help people meet Jesus."

Tim Stevens- Granger Community Church

If one is a student of leadership, this man is all over what he should be doing. Let me point out a couple of things.

1. Put the right people in the right seats: "Find high capacity people with great hearts"
2. Empower the people to succeed: "getting them the resources"
3. Casting the Vision: "together we can help people meet Jesus"

These are three of the many steps that make an effective leader. So much other leadership theory goes on top of these three simple things. Is it any wonder, with this caliber of leadership, Why Granger Community Church is impacting people the way it is?

Culturally Revelevant

I was reading Mark Waltz's blog this morning and came across a post that sparked a thought pattern. Mark was sharing a word of wisdom from his pastor.

"We are not helping people convert to our culture; we are helping them convert to Christ."

This brings a major discussion point up. Please understand that my thoughts here are not an effort to shoot wholes in this profound quote. I'm just trying to unwrap the whole thing.

The Pastor here was talking about not trying to convert the lost to the culture of the church I think, but rather convert the lost to followers of Christ. However, the church has a distinct culture. So much so that the local church has to change its ways to remain relevant to the culture of the lost. The major debate right now in the creative church movement is how to remain relevant to the lost to obtain the opportunity to evangelize. But then Pastor Beeson here points out that we are not to convert the lost to the culture of the church. I guess its just a byproduct of Christian living. The same Christian Living that the lost call legalistic. Seems like a no win battle.

I think I'm missing something here...

What does the future hold?

It’s been a long time since I have written. Funny, I think that is how I started my last post.

I am finishing my MBA now. I start my last 8-week class Monday. This is the capstone course in this program, so I anticipate being overwhelmed. My thoughts though ironically are not on the course work ahead of me, but rather on the next academic endeavor I have decided to take. The Doctor of Education degree.

I started looking at what kind of work I can do with this education. As it turns out, I can do anything I want to in higher education or corporate America. I have battled though today with thoughts about self-advancement. my selfishness and ego had to be slapped back into check. I found myself reading discussion posts on a popular church sound oriented discussion board. I often doubt my knowledge level and adequacy to perform the tasks God puts before me. But as I read these posts and the response to them by "professionals", I was overwhelmed not by the feeling that I knew more then them, but that why wasn’t I being put in a position where my knowledge level was recognized. Instantly, God reminded me that if we seek man's approval we will find it, but what matters is serving God and His approval of our actions.

I pray that as I increase my knowledge that God grants me the wisdom to know how to use it and the humility to remain effective.

A New Star

as a proud father, it is my job to boast from time to time on the behalf of my children. Kaylah has been performing at various women's ministry events as of late. Word of mouth advertising is the most powerful form of marketing. The VP of spiritual life, Rob Jackson, approached me and asked if Kaylah would sing in the Campus Church service. Kaylah and Rob's daughter are friends through sunday school at Thomas Road and his wife is acquaintances with my wife through various women's ministry events, hence the word of mouth advertising.

Anywho, Kaylah performed wonderfully in front of nearly 4000 college students. We had a photographer from the school take some pictures for us and they are posted at www.flickr.com/photos/kevinpoole

More to come soon, classes are completed here at the University so time should free up in order to get back on track with this blog. Enjoy the pictures. Video stream to come.

Burden of Responsibility

As we get older, our responsibility grows. i knew that coming to college, getting married, having kids etc. What I never considered was the resposiblity I have in menotrship as a manager of booming adults. Those that work for me are fresh out of highschool in most cases and have no idea of what this thing called college and independence is going to do to them. At a Christian school, it is easy to think that all these kids have their lives in order, figured out, and ready for the next step. It is not until you find a way to their inner emotions that you realize they are like everyone else, scared to death about what is to come.

As a "father" figure and mentor in part to these young people, ironic coming from a 25 year old, I am blazingly aware of my influence on them. some of them I have influenced for the better, and some I have not. It pains me to think that i have lead any of them away from where they should be, and shame on me if I ever think that I am a the prodigal father when they come to enlightenment of their follies.

Pray for me as I work here and as I struggle to be a leader. Even as I am writing this and thinking about my children, i'm terrified of the example I must set for all of them. Only by the Grace of God will I complete it.

Long time no Posts

Good evening everyone. Its been a long time since I have last written. October to be exact. There has not been a sole reason for this.

I did have a moment back in october or november where I doubted if I wanted to blog anymore at all. I have gone through a couple of Job interviews in the last year. Each time, I not intenttionally looking to leave LU. However, we as a family decided to go where God would have us go, no matter where that might be. For reasons we may never know, God chose to close the door each time and has kept us here in VA.

In that time, I have grown alot. I graduated college, started my MBA, continued to grow the technical production department at LU, and paid down some debt to turn around and get backc into it. But in all that has happend in 2005, I have learned about contentment. I better understand my selfish desires and my selflessness as my role as father and husband.

I dont know what is in store for this year. Already some prospects have come up in conversations that may take me on the road more. We at LU are also on the verge of starting this degree for audio engineering and productions as a whole. Sponsorships are becoming available and the ball has started rolling on some other things that would make 2006 a most exciting year.

Pray for us all this year. Kaylah is about one and a half years from starting school, madison is out of control, and work is getting more and more challenging as we grow larger. There is much on our plate this year.

The Business Model of the Church

Permit me to take a spin on this topic, one that may strike controversy but please don’t question my heart.

What is the church’s business model? Can a congregation survive and thrive without being business conscience? I say no, and here is why.

What is the church’s product?

“What?” you say. “A church has a product?”

I propose that a church like any other company has a product. Those churches that are successful have created a business model of sorts around the gospel, every Bible-believing church’s product that is. Think about a church and how it gets its message out. Is this not marketing? Think about how a church finances a new building project. Is this not Financial Planning? What about a budget? Does not a church have fixed and variable costs and variable income based on attendance? Does not a mega church create other revenue streams by having ticketed large-scale productions, donations from TV ministries, Sermon products, and Book sales?

So why then do churches fail? Are they responsible with their money? Some are, some are not. Those who are have huge complexes in which they teach God’s word, but not all buildings last because some churches build on a rock and some one sand, both physically and metaphorically.

A church in its outset should create a business model. What kind of church are they going to be? Are they going to be a family centered church, a seeker-sensitive church, or are they going to be a dead church? Who is the target audience? What is the demographic makeup of the church and is that conducive to the style of leadership the pastor has and the style of worship the church will be conducting? How will the church gets its message out? TV? Radio? Internet? Pod casting? How important is presentation to the pastor and to the people of that area in where the church is located?

All of these questions should be addressed by every church and plan formed in how to achieve the maximum affect through each of these points so as to maximize the distribution of the church’s product, the good news of Jesus Christ.

Why is life so complicated?

The fall was devastating. As life goes on and the faults of human nature become more evident to me, I realize how big of a deal the fall was.

I cannot imagine what life would have been like if man had not sinned against God. We would all be perfect, we would not toil the land, we would not have all of the adverse emotional conditions that sin brought to us. We would still be in the garden enjoying what we were created for, fellowship with God.

But as man became more corrupt, life has become harder and harder. Some would say that life 100 years ago was much harder than it is now. Perhaps physically one could say that. Technology has spoiled the human race all together. Life in hard times was painful, but hapiness came much easier I think. Now hapiness come with to high a price.

Doc the other day had a sermon on being lonely. He was talking about finding hapiness in God because Faith in His will was all that was needed. Relationships with man or woman is not as neccesary for hapiness as the relationship with God. I realize that more now than ever.

At some point in anyones life, there will come a time when it seems as though no man on earth is there for you when you need it. The only person who will never fail you is God. When I am lonely and I have no one to turn to, God is till there waiting. The earthly desires that are sinful in God's eyes dont even give a temporary relief.

So in understanding that God is here with me, and that in my low points, He still has by future planned for me in His best interests, why am I longing for more? Why in my humanity can I not be happy in Him alone?

I sound in this writting like I'm falling apart. I'm not. I just feel like I'm working so hard to uphold my commitments to man without any return on my toil, both from man and from God. So what am I looking for? More money? Love? Recognition? Material items? I dont know.

i have felt the peace of God many times in my life at critical points when I needed it most. I fell right now that I am once again at one of those cross roads, waiting for the next step, desiring more. I pray that I am not searching for this for me, but for Him. Do I already have it and I just cannot see it? If that is the case why am I not happy? Why am I searching for more?

According to the Bible, i have everything that i need for hapiness. I have eternal salvation, and a God that is with me every day even when in my humanity I sin against him. Society tells me that I dont have much; a home, an education, a job, food on most days, and more convenience than 80% of the world, and a ton of debt.If one would compare me to the american dream, I have it. I even have influence in my work, and an opportunity to mentor people, but yet I need the mentorship. I need the encouragement. Do I have a low self esteem? i dont know. Many would say I have leadership, but do all leaders have a high self esteem?

Adults tell adolescents to enjoy the time in their life where they dont have the stress of adulthoofd upon them. Every adolescent refuses to listen to adults. I would love to return to the times i had in early high school. College is supposed to be the best years of your life. For me I fought for it.

God grant me the peace in you that I'm searching for. Guide my steps and calm my heart. Do not allow me to desire the things of this earth, allow me instead to invest my time here on earth for you. Time will not heal the wounds of humanity on my life, only You can. i need more of you and less of this earth.

I really should spell check

I didnt realize how many spelling and sentence errors there were in this thing. I sit a type, and what comes out comes out.

Please ignore the grammatical garbage and search for the real sustance of this blog...me.

Disappointment

People often think of LU or a Church as a safe haven. I submit, it is a bubble. Bubbles are interesting phenomena. Bubbles dont always pop. they can inflate, deflate, stretch, conform, and yes sometimes explode.

Today a bubble exploded again for me. Working at a Christian place, I deal with the same politics that the business world has, sometimes worse here then there, I deal with relationships with co workers, budget deficiencies, policy breeches, and uneducated people who think they already know what they came here, a university, to learn.

Someone decided within the past three days that they needed or desired a mixing console more than Liberty, and took it upon themselves to take that unit home. While theft is not uncommon here at LU, quite the contrary as a matter of fact, I felt as though this act was a direct hit on me personally. It was not, I'm aware of that, however, I fight for this department. I work long hours, I bleed on the job, literally, and I sweat profusley. In short, my job is not always cake.

This hard work over the past couple of years in developing a bleeding department into a functional teaching unit has been a passion of mine and my main purpose for being here at the school. Now that I have finished my degree, it has never been more the case.

A wise man from North Carolina, and a personal business friend once told me: "Kevin, no one will ever care about your department as much as you will." The same man told me fixing inexpensive gear is "like taking a hamster to the vet". Wisdom comes in all shapes a sizes, and I wished that I wish that I had a bit of that wisdom today when I faced this ordeal. Working over 60 hours this week added to this frustration. Perhaps a day off is called for.

Thankfulness

Lord,

I just talked to a dear friend of mine. I wish I coud say the call was uplifting. It was devasting. He has been married a little longer than I, he was married during the conflict in Iraq. The other night he was telling his wife that he had been in contact with an old fling over the phone, had never seen her in person, even given the opportunity recently. His wife in anger told him of an affair she had during the war while in Iraq after they were married.

Needless to say my friend crushed. I'm touched that he called me to vent, though I wish now I knew more of what to tell him. Instead of fumbling, I passed the ball to a Pastor I know.

Two things I learned from this. Marraige is fragile. Even strong couples can fall, but the aftermath is as delicate as the marriage itself. i thank You for this friend. I pray that he is able to come through this, what ever the course of action may be. I pray for his daughter, that whatever the outcome, she knows and understands the love her father, both earthly and heavenly, has for her, and that through this painful time, the healing process and the Grace of God will allow her to love her parents. More importanly, i pray that You restore their marriage.

I thank You for my wife and family, for her faithfulness to me. For my children with whom I could not live without. I'm thankful for my Parents and the sacrifice they have made for each other through the hard times and trials You have placed in their lives.

I need more of You.

Your Son,

Kevin

Apply What You Learn

I can now call myself a reader. Through all of school I could not stand the act, but now I find freedom in it, a place where I attempt to shut the world out and yet understand that world while I read.

One of the books I've read recently is "Never Eat Alone" by Keith Farrazzi. He is a marketing guru who wrote a book on utilizing and developing your personal network. Now in busniess, it is all about who you know and not about what you know. So I tried it out. I emailed a personal mentor of mind who lives here in the burg and asked him, exactly in the manor suggested in this book, if he knew anyone in the real estate industry that he would feel comfortable introducing me to.

2 Days later I had an interview. The man tried to talk me out of it in a vein attempt to test me. I wouldnt give in. He said the first step was to get my license, a 60 clock hour class, and a 65 dollar test. The class is offered at a local school here, not LU.

This is where God's providence comes in. With my benefits at the school, I am allowed to take $1500.00 in classes, per year, in which liberty does not offer. To make a long story short, I couldnt pay for the 290.00 class at the local school, but as it turns out LU is going to pay for it as part of this benefit.

In talking with a couple of friends, I found one that wants to take the class with me, his will be paid for as well by the school.

In this interview the other day, my interviewer O.J. (white guy) told me a story of a woman who wanted to start selling. She had not worked in 32 years, she was a house wife. OJ told her that he didnt hire people in her condition, but she told him that if God wanted her to be a realtor than that is what she was going to do, with or without this company. He hired her.

This woman was a huge success. God has placed this vision and connection in front of me, along with a connection into the largest privately owned realty firm in the US, and an attitude given to me by this woman, If God wants this to happen, then I will follow.

Its been a great week.

Bath Time Rush

P1010475.JPG
Originally uploaded by KevinPoole.

We love our bath time. Just a reminder, you call can view some photos that I have put on line at Flickr. go to www.flickr.com and look for user kevinpoole. Enjoy!

Habits

I have been reading alot about habits recently. Several books have been written that explain what habits effective people have, what habits sucessful businesses have, and what habits those in which society turns their heads at.

With all this reading, one has to think about their own life. Primarily, my reading has changed my thoughts on how people are to be treated, what my relationships with others mean to my life and work, and my personal relationship with my wife.

I have chosen to remove some harmful things in my life, resolved to add some healthy things, and found yet another struggle in life. As if trying to pay the bills when making pennies even after I graduated college, raising a family, loving a wife, and my masters degree wasnt enough, now I'm into reading for recreation, loosing weight, and staying healthy.

More than anything, I have come to love mentoring people to find ways in their lives that they can improve themselves. Most of the people around me are college students, and therefore are here to learn, which makes giving advice and teaching easier, and it allows me to keep myself in check.

Graduation of Joy

This is the season of beginnings. Commencements that is. Frist mine, now Joy, and at Liberty, we have 6 HS graduations that we service. I have sat through many. Large schools, small schools, public and private. This morning at Montrose Christian school, I saw a united class. One of close friendships, memories, and a longing to move on yet not leave the present moment. If every student in America, or the world for that matter, could have the experiences these students had in which personal, meaningful relationships were developed, we would have a much better workforce, a much better society, and perhaps less strife.

Pretty impressive for a class of only 23. Perhaps that says something for small schools and intimate classroom settings.

Liberty University 2005 Graduation

Originally uploaded by KevinPoole.

After 5 years, a lot of money, a wife and two kids, I finally completed the first step in my quest to take over the world!

Mentor

I heard someone say today, "Man, is it hard to Graduate." I empathized with that statement when I heard it, and even after completing my final class period of my undergrad career, I still feel like I havn't finished it all. I think I walk across the stage, I still will not feel completion. Do we ever feel that?

i have never had a professor have such a profound effect on me as I had this semester. At the end of each semester, we as students are asked to evaluate our professors with basic questions and a scantron. In most cases, you have compliants about professors, thier ideosyncricies, their approach to thing, or just how they treat you. This year I met a man who was what he taught, down to the very scripture that he quoted. Not in all of my education have i come across a man who embodied everything that he taught. Moreover, he challenged me to look at things on a personal level such as my temperment, my charcter, my faith, my approach to work and life.

The definiton of mentor is "advisor, guide, guru, counsel...". The definition of teacher is "educator, tutor, instructor. The term professor is a teach that is tenured, and a scholar. This man would not call himself a professor per this definition, and he is too humble, though blunt, to tell you he is a mentor, but the word teacher is an insult I feel. This man is a mentor to his students, not becuase they choose him to be one, but because he embodies what that word means.

While his class challeged me academically, his character challenged me personally, and through this I have been able to pass along to those who work for me his wisdom, experience, service to our school and nation, and hopefully someday his example that he showed to me.

This is what college is about. Great mentors bestowing upon those who pay absorbadant amounts of money, much of which these mentors never see, in order to perhaps absorb an iota of this wisdom these great people hae worked a lifetime to craft and pass along.

Wish there were more like this man at Liberty. Sadly he is one of a couple that I can count on one hand.

Thank you for all that you have done.