Sandy Gibbes

10 Things to Learn From Chick-Fil-A - Pt. 1

2011-09-30T09:30:00.000-04:00

I love me some Chick-Fil-A. In fact, I think if you don't then you should really question your salvation. Ok, not really, but dang its good. I was thinking about my experiences (nearing a billion maybe?) at "The Chick" and was evaluating what the church could learn from this fine dining establishment. Hear are the first 5 of 10 that I thought of:

A Great Product. Been eating there for 2 decades and can count on no fingers the times I didn't like it. The Church has the BEST PRODUCT on earth in Jesus! Treat it as such! (No I am not belittling Jesus to a product....I hope you know where I am coming from...sheesh)
Consistency. No matter where I go, there is a consistent feel about the experience. As more churches go Multi-site, and even those that aren't, are you consistent with your attenders or confusing?
Leadership Development. I went to Clemson, which is apparently a pre-requisite for operating a CFA (kidding....sort of). But the thing I love hearing is the development that takes place, from the stores to the Corporation. The church should be doing the same thing. By the way, if you want to learn DIRECTLY from Dan Cathy go to BackstageLeadership.com and you can learn from a ton of people.
Community Involvement. I feel like I am always hearing or seeing something that is Sponsored by CFA. Golf Tournaments to Food drives, it seems they are ALWAYS involved. The Church should be the same. ACTIVE in the community in which it is located, evaluating needs and attempting to meet them.
Honesty. For me this is a big one. I can honestly say that in my years of experiences, I have had MAYBE three experiences that were less that outstanding, and it was never because the food was bad...it was perhaps in incorrect order. But never did they get upset. They just admitting the mistake and corrected it, even giving me coupons for MORE CFA. Makes me wish they'd mess up more often :). The Church is run by people, therefor it will make mistakes. The best we can do as a church is admit that and correct it when we do - and have the GRACE to share with people when THEY mess up.

More to come....what are your thoughts? What other places are doing things we can learn from?

Building Effective Communication - Part 2

2011-09-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

**This is a continuation of a post I wrote for Casey Graham at GivingRocket.com. To read Part 1, click here.

2. Reverse YourPerspective

This can be huge and isprobably the most important. Many times (more often than not) we evaluate anddevelop strategies based on our own perspective. In other words, we makedecisions based on what we "think" that ouraudience/church/family/friends needs or wants. "Hey let's go do ‘this’because it’s what they need/want". But how do you really know? You haveto reverse your perspective. Get away from an insider mentality andactually get into the minds and hearts of the "end users". You dothis by doing one thing. Asking.Embrace the awkward moment for a second a get over it. Get input from those INyour church (non-staff) and especially those OUTSIDE yourchurch (Believers and Non-believers). You NEED to ask those outside yourwalls "What do you think about us, honestly?" and "What are weas a church saying to you as a community right now?" If theresponses are honest, they will startle you I'm sure. And better yet, they willchallenge you on the way you communicate your message. Who do they say you are?

3. Stay Fluid.

This one is pretty simple. Culturechanges and so will your communication strategy. It will change because youraudience will change. You will change. Your church will change. People willcome and go and the city and town that you are in will change - hopefullylargely due to the fact that you were part of the change. But you have to beattuned to your audience and be in a constant state of evaluation. Be open to risk and reward will be open toyou. The only thing that you can't change is the Truth of the Gospel.

These are just a few things that Ihave learned over the years and have been able to be a part of in ministry andin mainstream. If you aren't sure what you are communicating, let me know and Iwill try to get you in touch with those that can help. I know architecture,branding, and design, so I may be able to help as well - but if not, I'll helpyou get in touch with the right people along the way. Just email me at sandygibbes@ls3p.com or hit me up on Twitter @sandygibbes.

Athens Church Open House

2011-09-26T16:18:00.001-04:00

Come Join us for the Open House at the home of North Point Community Church’s latest venue. If you are heading to Catalyst, come early and check it out, so you can hear:

Dave Benham, Sandy Gibbes and the architectural team from LS3P talk you through the power of an effective master plan.
Brad Leeper from www.GENERIS.com tell you how to prepare your church for a season of passionate funding.
The team from Cogun will teach you how to avoid the 7 Deadly Sins of Church Construction.
Because Sean Seay, Lead Pastor at Athens Church, will coach you on how to prepare your team for expansion

WHEN: Tuesday October 4th from 10-2:30

WHERE: 10 Huntington Rd, Athens GA 30606

There is a $25 charge to cover materials and lunch.

No matter where you are with church facilities, you DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!

Athens Church: OPENING DAY

2011-06-15T08:40:00.004-04:00

Below are some images from opening day at Athens Church, a church I designed and our most recent project completion. I was a GREAT day to say the least and the church loves the facility. We have really enjoyed working with the North Point community and are excited about the next one.....

Front Entry. It's hard to imaging that this was an old Wal-Mart. A little creativity and implementation can go a long way:

Lobby area. "The Foundry" is the student ministry area. In Phase 2 this will become part of the cafe (as of now):

Worship. AC now has a 1260 seat auditorium that they can call their own:

View from the back row prior to worship starting:

Guest services area:

And there was an Andy Stanley and his crew. They liked it too.

There are more images if you care to see them over on our Facebook page.

If you are a church and would like to tour the facility or if you have questions in general, hit me up and I'll try to help.

Building Effective Communication - Part 1

2011-06-01T08:43:00.002-04:00

I design buildings. Specifically, buildings for churches. However, the more I work at this I realize that there are many churches that begin the facility design and construction process missing one key element. Eventually in our process, I will ask the question on the idea of what this building needs to communicate and many times that question leads to the deeper issue: Communication Strategy. And many churches (large and small) have no idea where to begin.

What you need to realize as a church is that EVERYTHING you do communicates SOMETHING, from web to bulletins, from signage to facilities – a message is being communicated. Having a focused, clear and specific strategy will help change the culture of your church in a healthy way, from everything to involvement, to mission, brand implementation and definitely in GIVING. So here are three things that may help out with developing a strategy:

1. Identify Your Audience.

I don’t speak French. And I sure as heck don’t understand it. So trying to communicate a message to me in French would probably be a bad idea, right? The same thing goes for your church. The first step to effective communication is identifying who you are speaking to before you even develop what you are going to say and how you are going to say it. This is VITAL when you are sharing something as profound and life-changing as the GOSPEL. You can have the best theological sermon with an abundance of cross references to Spurgeon and even to someone as relational Andy Stanley, but if you don’t know your audience it may not be the most effective way to communicate. If I asked you who you were trying to reach, you would probably say “The people that don’t know Jesus”. Yes, that is great. So is (hopefully) every other church. We know this and we get it. But SPECIFICALLY, who are you reaching? Is it a 35 year old male with 2.5 kids, a dog and a hell-bound cat? Know WHO you are trying to reach and it will help you find effective ways to communicate TO them.

** This is a re-post from a guest blog post I wrote for my good friend Casey Graham with GivingRocket.com. If you are a church and you are not partnering with GivingRocket, you need to do so NOW.

Price vs. Cost

2011-05-24T09:14:00.005-04:00

Sometimes the simplest way of executing something is NOT the wisest. Here is an example:

Imagine John. John works for a larger corporation who has made the switch to cloud-based computing. Now all of John's software is on the cloud. Hooray.

The problem is that it's not always available, because someone else is on "his" software. And the cloud gets bogged down due to activity.

So, is it more wise to buy another licence for John to have it on his computer (larger up-front price) or do you let John bang his head against his desk waiting for the cloud to become available and increasing his frustration and making him less productive in the long run, increasing your COST of operations?

I understand efficiency. I understand that there is a price that comes along with it.

But you have to weigh PRICE vs. COST in your decisions you are making.

Sometimes the lowest price ends up being the greatest cost.

Athens Church - UPDATE

2011-05-19T17:43:00.004-04:00

Some photos from the most recent trip to Athens...its changing everyday and we worship for the first time in the new facility on June 5th!

Front the back of the stage:

Student Lounge (Phase 2 Cafe):

Entry into Student Space:

Main Lobby with Auditorium entrances on sides):

Upstreet Room:

WaumbaLand Large Group:

Looking forward to the first service! Stay tuned!

** I would love to hear some feedback or answer any questions!

Look Up

2011-04-28T16:06:00.005-04:00

This past Easter was awesome. My wife (Andrea) and son (Sawyer) went down to Columbia, SC to my hometown to be with my parents for Easter. For the first time in about 8 years. Every year prior I was either working or volunteering at NewSpring Church, so when my parents called and I talked to them - well, we had to go.

One of the highlights of the trip was being able to attend Sunday services at Trinity Cathedral, the church I grew up in. Its an Episcopal church dating back to the early 1800's and on the other end of the spectrum from NewSpring (style-wise). But let me say that I love this church. Not only is it the church I grew up in, but (to me) architecturally it preserves a sacred element of 'church'. There is a nostalgia and feel to the space that I will and can never forget. Recently, the church underwent a massive renovation that was very well done and just emphasizes the feeling even more (see image at top).

This picture is of my son, Sawyer, checking out the ornate ceiling and its lanterns that have all been redone. He's 14 months old and he was quiet for two hours during church, a lot due to the space and wonderment of the whole experience.

But what I love about the image is it reminds me that we are all children of the Lord and that the only way for us to seek comfort and peace is to look up and onto Him and him alone.

¹²But to all who did receive him,

who believed in his name,

he gave the right to become children of God

John 1:12 (ESV)

Process: Clarity is Key

2011-04-26T17:43:00.005-04:00

Your process has to be clear. I created this image to show the the outcome of any project, task, idea, being defined as a "WIN" relies heavily on the clarity and experience of the process.

That clarity comes from clear communication and the setting of expectations; when those are avoided, extra steps create themselves, creating a roller coaster experience that leaves you more nauseated than enamored, and the outcome - both experience and product - usually sucks.

In your area of ministry/mainstream/approach, which line do you find yourself on? In many cases - maybe even most cases - less really is more.

Athens Church - UPDATE

2011-04-15T11:27:00.011-04:00

Just a few images of the construction at Athens Church, and new 1200 seat venue that we designed for the North Point Strategic Partner. I'd love to hear your thoughts...

Above: VERY wide angle shot of the auditorium from the center of the stage.

Above: Main Lobby Area, Guest Services, and Transit entry at left.

Above: WaumbaLand entry in backgound, with a post of encouragement.

Above: WaumbaLand large group, with a volunteer driven wall mural.

Above: New Steel Canopy (Industrial) at front entry.

First Service is June 5th and we couldn't be more excited to almost be done! Learn more about the project at AthensILoveYou.org.

What are your thoughts?

Athens Church - Getting close!

2011-04-15T08:12:00.010-04:00

We're getting really close. Cogun, Inc., is finishing up construction of a new worship facility design LS3P/Neal Prince designed for Athens Church. The thing I love about this project is the idea of transformation that is taking place and how that concept carries through to the actions and events that will be taking place within the building in the years to come. Old becoming new.

Below is a picture of the old. A Wal-Mart turned Steve & Barry's.

And from there we transformed the space to the new:

What you see here is one part of the lobby area with the guest services area and entrances to the auditorium on the sides. The two bright lights in the middle will be covered up by a fabricated steel plate with "Athens Church" cut from it, and the light will glow around the edges. There are also some large drum pendant type lights that are not yet in, but they will enhance the space.

As you can see, this "Wal-Mart" is being radically transformed into a space where ministry will take place. The first service is scheduled for June 5th and I couldn't be more excited for the church and the city of Athens.

**I couldn't convince the church to keep the "More Savings" on the side of the building...but oh the irony. Oh, and thanks to Richard Chancy for the photos!

Great Church Resources

2011-01-05T10:03:00.007-05:00

If you are a church pastor, staff member or ministry leader, I want to point you to a few resources that may help you as you carry out your ministry. Check out these guys and let me know if you have any questions:

The Change Group - My friend Casey Graham is founder of the Change Group, helping churches with making financial decisions, planning, consulting, etc. Put it this way - you need to work with him and the Change Group. You and the church will benefit from it, promise.

LS3P / Neal Prince Architects -A national firm that has helps churches with facilities and strategic planning. Having worked with and designed facilities and spaces for Elevation Church, NewSpring Church, Athens Church, and almost 300 others, they are the best in the business at what they do and with with over 200 in the workforce, they can handle all size and types of projects.

Backstage Leadership - My friend Greg Darley starting this initiative to help young leaders get coaching and more in-depth, personalized, one-on-one leadership sessions with people like Michael Hyatt, Gabe Lyons, Pete Wilson, Mark Batterson and so many others I can't even list them all. You need to sign up yourself AND your team for the next semester. You can do that here.

SouthUrban Design - Graphic design helps the Message. Plain and simple. But sometimes you can't hire and designer and your volunteers might not be able to do it. SouthUrban exists solely as a ministry to ministries in this regard. From logos and series branding to campaign material, you can get it all done here.

UNLEASH Ministries - Having worked at NewSpring, I know that they try to do everything with excellence - and that includes helping other churches. With collateral, conferences and coaching, NewSpring is on a mission to serve, encourage, and equip local churches and pastors. You should really take advantage of this...

These are just a few resources out there for your use, what other ones have you found to help you do your ministry?

He Leads. We Follow.

2010-12-22T08:27:00.006-05:00

One thing that I find interesting about little kids (and my son does this) is their inherent ability or reaction to follow. Now, I am sure that they eventually outgrow this reaction (except my son, he will always be a perfect angel, right?). But when a child is fresh into walking right - and right before the "cry-over-everything" threshold, there is something instinctive that they possess: the unquestioned, uninhibited reaction to follow.

Where mommy goes, she goes. Where Daddy goes, he goes.

I was sitting in Panera down in Dallas, GA about to meet a client and a mother walked by to throw away her trash. A few seconds later, this small creature of a child (a cute, not ugly creature I mean) walked by, stopping right beside her mother, looking up at her. Then off her mother goes with the child right on her heels - as if tethered to her by some invisible rope.

It made me remember the SNL skit with Mike Myers and Nicole Kidman. The one where he is the little boy, tied to the Jungle Gym and breaks free after eating a chocolate bar and drinking a Pepsi. Whatever, you can Google it later.

Anyways, something about seeing that kid in Panera made me think of how Christians are to be with Jesus - right on his heels. Tethered to him.

Mark 1:17 "Come, Follow Me," Jesus said.

We go where He goes. Check that, we go where He LEADS.

HE leads. WE Follow. Not the other way around. I forget that sometimes....

Perry Noble is CRAZY

2010-11-30T08:53:00.009-05:00

Yep, I said it. Perry Noble is crazy. Off his rocker. Out of his mind.

And I love it....

Because consider this:

"If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you."
2 Corinthians 5:13

So there. Yes, I stand behind what I said and I thank God that there are people like Perry, Steven Furtick, Francis Chan and..well...I guess I thank God for the complete lineup of the NewSpring Leadership Conference. Which you can (and should) check out here.

I am thankful for people that are willing to do what others aren't. I am grateful for people like Greg Darley who are crazy enough to write a book because they are called to do so. (You should buy this one by the way)

And personally I am thankful that I get to be crazy in redesigning and redefining sacred space. I love the Church and I love architecture, and the fact that I have a job where I get to do both is, well, crazy.

How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?

2010-11-30T08:39:00.003-05:00

With Christmas just around the corner, my parents dropped off our Christmas tree yesterday and the wife and I couldn't wait to get it up and decorated. With this event comes probably the most important decision of the holiday season - that is, how do we decorate it? White lights? Colored lights? The lights that bubble and look ridiculous? And what about the awful idea of tinsel?? (although I hear it helps with TV reception)...

So that leads me to ask you, how do you decorate your tree? Is there anything outrageous or a crazy tradition that you partake in?

** The most absurd idea may get something...(ie: Pumpkin Spice Latte?)

Strong. Made Stronger.

2010-11-05T09:49:00.008-04:00

Great things are in store for Neal Prince. Over the last year, we (specifically in the worship design realm) have been able to go from a regional studio (serving primarily North and South Carolina) to a national firm, serving churches from California to New Jersey. Our vision has us being able to take the talents we have been given to serve the church not only in our region, but also internationally. We have already begun that process by cultivating relationships in Europe, but another opportunity has come up that will expedite the process for not only the worship design studio but the firm as a whole, expanding our one office to six offices, with two of those being in major hub cities of Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina.

As of now we are merging with LS3P, an architectural firm with a culture and vision that matches that of Neal Prince. It's exciting times for both firms, who are independently strong, yet stronger together.

Personally, I am excited about what this will do for the church, allowing us to serve churches all over the world through the cities of Greenville (SC), Columbia (SC), Charleston (SC), Charlotte (NC), Raleigh (NC), and Wilmington (NC).

If you are with a church in need of an architect (or if you know of a church who is), let us know. We are here to serve you.

We are excited about this opportunity, and we look forward to whats ahead.

The One Debt You Should Keep

2010-10-12T06:19:00.006-04:00

With all the economic craziness that has gone on over the last few years, one of the greatest things to emerge has been people and organizations that have taught people lessons in money management and budget. People Like Joe Sangl and Casey Graham. Now, I am not an economic guru by any means, and I am proud to say that my family is free of all consumer debt (Thanks Joe), but I ran across something while reading and wanted to share:

8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.9 The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Love. It's the only debt we should hold on to. And everything else will work itself out. I am not one for cheesy things, but I really think this is true. Whether in edification or discipline, accountability or encouragement, love holds true. Love is truth.

May I never be debt free.

Starbucks Gets It Right

2010-09-13T14:25:00.012-04:00

I recently traveled to Annapolis, Maryland, to begin our design process with a church in the city. I have to write on Annapolis and the church at another time (both are amazing) but I wanted to toss out this little gem that we came across. Now, I am normally an advocate for the little guy, the coffee shop next door, the underdog, and all of the other cliche statements you could use, but in this case....Starbucks, you got it right.

This store is actually a retrofit of the basement to the Maryland Inn, one of Annapolis' most historic and well-known inns, hosting Presidents and other high-ranking and popular public figures since the 1700's. More interestingly though is the fact that the basement of the inn (now Starbucks) is the end of a tunnel stretching down to the bay, in which they used to move slaves into the inner city.

A place that housed one of the most controversial issues in our nation now is used to bring all people types together, over coffee.

....check it out:

The 6 Month Sawyer!

2010-08-27T18:35:00.006-04:00

Here are a few pics of Sawyer at 6 months...man he's growing!Yo Sawyer, what it is man.....

The Exit Plan

2010-08-26T09:14:00.005-04:00

A church client contacted me the other day, and was in a panic. They had just found out that their contact at the local school in which they were meeting was moving on to another job. Good for him, not so good for the church – because he was their only advocate. Within hours they found themselves being told that their contract would expire at the end of the year, and that it would not be renewed.

They were being kicked out.

Fortunately for them, a member of their church owns some warehouse properties that he is going to let the church use until they can find something more permanent or decide to build on their recently purchased land. But it got me thinking, “How many other churches could potentially be in this same scenario – and not even KNOW it?”…..

You’ve all heard the quote: “If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.” It’s found in Proverbs, and many coaching types have spoken this truth into their team members. And its done so because its TRUTH.

I think that working with schools, movie theaters is great and an awesome way to partner and impact the community. But planning to stay in a facility like this on a permanent basis (ie “We are going to be a movie theater church FOREVER”) could be a failing plan, because someone else is in control of your house indefinitely. I am not saying that every church should go out and build a brand new facility. (If anything I would promote “Adaptive Re-Use”). BUT, regardless of your church being permanent or portable, you should have an exit strategy.

Give the organization you are working with a timeline or timeframe in which you plan to use the facility and a time that you estimate moving on to something else, whether it’s a new build or just another location.

If you don’t have an exit strategy, start talking about it and develop one.

NewSpring Church - The Green Room

2010-08-25T15:15:00.008-04:00

A while back I (through Neal Prince Architects) was asked to help design a new space intended for first time guests for NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC. Here are a few shots of the outcome (thanks Adam Kring!) I would love to hear your thoughts...

Sawyer

2010-04-13T10:29:00.007-04:00

Here are a couple of pics of Sawyer. He is growing like crazy...

Community Church

2010-03-22T12:14:00.007-04:00

I love how the church of today is really desiring to push the threshold of cultural and societal impact. I am thrilled to see churches wanting to and actually DOING something different to reach the communities that they are in. One of the models that we are working with a few churches all over the country on is the idea of church as part of a development, where the church isn't some isolated Jesus Island in the middle of nowhere, but actually part of an intentional design and land use plan that creates and promotes community. We've all seen the LIVE, WORK, PLAY model unfold in the last decade, but for the most part there is one element that has been left out that we are beginning to see implemented. WORSHIP.

And why not? Why shouldn't the church be strategic in implementing itself into a planned urban development? Why not be the developer itself? Why not create a campus that doesn't just call itself a "community church" but instead actually generated community and provides a "More-Than-Just-Sunday" space to cultivate that community, with parks, shops, the oh so famous Third Places...heck, why not have 8th places? What if your auditorium acted as a community arts center or concert venue on Fridays? ("But our auditorium is sacred....." Oh yeah? More sacred than taking Jesus to people?)

Although I love the idea, it isn't for every church because every church's vision is unique. But if you vision is simple to reach people by whatever means necessary, well, this idea may just be those means.

Athens Church

2010-02-23T09:01:00.006-05:00

There are many points over your career where you just pause and say, “I love what I do.” If there aren’t those moments, you probably aren’t doing what you were created to do.

For me, working with Athens Church has been one of those points. From the beginning I could tell that these guys were passionate about the city that they are reaching, and that they would go to whatever lengths to accomplish what God had called them to do. One thing I love about the team is the engaging atmosphere that they work in. It is not a lead pastor with a bunch of “yes” men but rather a group that pushes each other and stretches ideas beyond the original thought. They work together and have each other’s back no matter what, so that the church is better off in the end. I can’t wait to see the final product and to see Athens Church reach the city of Athens like it’s never been reached. Lives will be changed and I can’t wait to see it happen…

Hey, if you want to see more images of our most recent design for Athens Church, go here.

My Little Man

2010-02-17T18:10:00.010-05:00

Here is one image of our new little man....Sawyer Gibbes....More to come...

Red Headed Step Child

2010-02-09T08:43:00.005-05:00

Nope, not a fire station. Not a staff lounge or poker room, although it would serve as a pretty great one, I think.

It's actually NewSpring Church's (www.newspring.cc) new maintenance facility on their Anderson Campus. We designed it recently, after being approached about designing a building that stood out, yet blended with the campus, and didn't cost a ton of money. You know, that whole stewardship thing.

A few things I wanted to share about this project is that no matter how large or small a project is - there must be a design concept that carries it through. And that just because you have a need for a maintenance facility doesn't mean you put up a metal shed. You don't treat any space as a red head step child. Every space - no matter the size - deserves to have design intention, to the smallest of detail. Hey, God treats us that way - he knows every hair on our head. So if you are a designer - or really no matter what you do - put the effort into what you do, down to the smallest detail. God is in the details.

It also helps with the guy you are working with at the church (in this case @jonmcd) has a great design sense and understanding. If they treat small facilities this way, I can't wait to see what they do at the other campuses...

Testing the waters

2009-06-17T17:42:00.003-04:00

Hey so I am done with school and Andrea and I are back in Greenville. So, with that being said, I was going to try and see if anyone is still out there in blogville. I understand that now Twitter is taking over the world so perhaps no one reads anything. And given then fact that i have not blogged at all in the past 300 years, I doubt anyone will read this. Am I wrong?

Hit me up and let me know you are out there! By the way, I will be writing a lot on architecture and the church soon. Too many ideas in the brain to NOT write down, no matter if anyone reads it or not!

I am alive.

2008-09-18T23:41:00.003-04:00

I am alive I promise, just working my butt off. Please let me know how you are doing and hey, if you want, come to Charlotte and visit us! I will write soon...maybe next week...when I actually have time to blog.

Hope all is well with everyone! (ie - tell me how you are doing)

Precedent

2008-08-28T20:21:00.008-04:00

Finding case studies for any architectural project is an interesting process. This is one of the preliminary case studies that I am looking at and I thought I would share. This is the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuggart, Germany. Here is a photo of it...you can click here to see more if you want.

Our New Home!

2008-08-28T11:12:00.005-04:00

Yes, that is correct, Andrea and I have made it big. We have another home. Well, sort of. It's about 48 square feet, but man what great real estate! It has high ceilings, a great view, free power and wi-fi, a small closet/locker. More shelf space than we have in Greenville, and TONS of natural light!!! Check it out, we now "own" a studio space!

This is actually my studio space for the next year where I will be working and hopefull cranking out some pretty neat-o stuff. Pray for me, I will need it over the next few months!

Google Maps has nothing on us.

2008-08-18T15:52:00.004-04:00

Two weeks. Thats right, we have officially been here two weeks, although it doesn't really feel like it. But I have to say that the dust is starting to settle and we are finding ourselves becoming more familiar with the city and the ways around and through it. I am beginning to see this as home, even if it is for ten months.

One of the things that made this possible was Elevation Church this past Sunday. Andrea and I went for the first time and I was instantly taken back to the fall of 2001, when I first started going to NewSpring. Well maybe not then, because there weren't that many people back then. This Sunday there were a ton of people, but you get my drift. The days when NewSpring was meeting at AC/AU and doing the whole portable thing. Quick hits on the experience at Elevation:

1. Pleasantly surprised when Pastor showed up. I thought it was going to be video. His message was fresh and uplifting. Challenging and encouraging. Cutting and healing. A paradox in many regards.
2. Andrea quoted this on twitter from Pastor.
3. The T-Shirts are awesome. Holy cow. My birthday is in November (Whit!).
4. Worship. At Independence it was lead this week by Mack Brock. Loved him with DSB and love him at Elevation. Way to go Mack!!
5. Great experience, worth the 40 minute drive from the Apt. Can't wait until next week!

Oh, our Home Group from NewSpring is doing something killer this week. I will see if there is some way to post what we do to the web. (eh, Mr. Blankenship?)

Welcome to Charlotte!

2008-08-12T14:56:00.005-04:00

Charlotte. The Queen City. Our new home.

It has been one week since J&A Moving Guys (thats Justin "Mohawk" Land & Alden "Teddy Bear" Ellis) got us into our apartment...or excuse me "Luxury Apartment Home" as my landlords call it. I must say it was a little culture shock at first but we are really getting settled and feeling like we have a home again. Some of the highlights of the past week include (in no particular order):

1. Moving out of Greenville and moving in here! We will miss you G-Vegas and we'll see you soon.
2. There is a Par 3 golf course in the complex. Only three holes but enough to get my fix.
3. The local restaurants. Zen Asian Fusion in Dillworth. HOLY COW. All need to experience this.
4. Seeing Rhett. I really missed him...and his family.
5. Heading to the mountains of Little Switzerland to see my parents and Andrea's parents. Read about it here on Andrea's Blog....which is awesome by the way.
6. Our new MacBook Pro! YES it is awesome and I confess that I have used it 99% more than the beautiful Andrea. Sorry dear :)
7. The Olympics...the French talking junk and having it throw in their face. I think Phelps is half dolphin...or I guess half shark would be more appropriate.
8. Going to UNCC campus and getting my ID. THAT was weird...especially because everyone else looked 10...ok ok I know I look 12 but hey, its more than 10.
9. Phone calls from people just calling to see how we are doing!
10. Shannon from Elevation commenting on Andrea's blog welcoming us to Charlotte! Really great and shows the character of the church!

Man its only been a week and I have to tell you that we are really liking Charlotte. It's a "tad" larger than Greenville and a "tad" more expensive....but dang its fun.

SO for all of you in Charlotte, what are some of the BEST places to visit, eat, hang out, etc? Any and all help would be appreciated!!! And if you are coming to Charlotte and would like to hang out, HOLLER AT US!!!

Get your church MILLIONS of dollars!

2008-07-31T11:02:00.003-04:00

So I have an idea. So many times you hear churches and their leaders complain that they don't have the financial means to do their ministry. Well that is first of all bogus. You don't need money to do ministry.

BUT....I have found a solution.

The Dark Knight.

Somehow I think the church can learn from this "fundraiser". This move is currently 18th on the all-time movie list (in gross earnings) at $324,299,793. Yes that number is correct. But you may be thinking to yourself, "Hasn't that movie been out for only two weeks?" The answer is No. Its been out less that two weeks. To put it in perspective, that movie (if it was an hourly employee) would be earning $3,118,267 an hour, if "He" worked 8 hours a day, every day.

If a church could make and produce a blockbuster movie, not only would it engage culture, but could generate tons of deniro to put into the kingdom. And blockbuster doesn't = money. There have been GREAT movies with small budgets.

Do you think its possible for something like this to happen?

Oh Canada! What the.....???

2008-07-30T13:30:00.003-04:00

What the junk are the Canadians up to, eh? Pajamas in the Olympics? Yes that's right, these are what they are wearing in the opening ceremonies....and what they are wearing to sleep when they are done.

Chalk one up to the mounties for another terrible idea. Yuck.

Customer (dis)Serivce

2008-07-30T09:24:00.004-04:00

What stinks about this topic is that it probably resonates with 99% of those who read it. But honestly, where has "Customer Service" gone? It's probably hanging out with Waldo or Carmen Sandiego... Or 2 Pac for that matter.

Recently in our move to Charlotte, I have experienced some slightly less than pleasant run-ins with customer service. The apartment complex that we are renting from has a phone number to call to get in touch with them. I have called numerous times (over ten) and NOT once has someone picked up the phone. A message is left and I am called back, usually days later.

Duke Power? how about an automated menu that last for about 10 minutes of pressing options until you finally get to a service rep....only to be greeted by 20 minutes of elevator music. "Para espanol, toca numero dos." I may not have minded it so bad if the music was a little better....say Tom Jones or something. Or if they didn't "refer" me to the webiste that was just as bad.

Charter in Greenville actually got FINED because their service was so bad. I think that the reason why some companies have bad service is because they just don't care. And they don't care because they are the only option. Ie - monopoly. And that just stinks.

But I think there is a little hope on this front. Recently Andrea purchased a domain name from GoDaddy.com and was actually called by a representative to see how things were going. Sydney actually had the same thing happen. THAT is customer service, to go out of your way to assure the customer that they are working with the right people.

Silver lining - learn from their mistakes and don't allow it to happen in your company or church.

Home Group + thoughts from 1 Peter

2008-07-24T09:43:00.003-04:00

Last night I would have to say that Home Group was pretty stinking awesome. Not only did we have incredible food (Fried Chicken, Mashed 'Taters, caprese, and BANANA PUDDING) but the discussion was awesome and very eye-opening.

We have been discussing 1 Peter and last night we were on Chapter 3. This chapter speaks a lot about the temperament of marriage, and the roles for the husband and wife. But also talks about salvation through Jesus. But the thing that stood out to me was these final verses to close out the chapter:

18For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19through whom^[d] also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge^[e] of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

Baptism doesn't save you, but being "baptized" in Jesus does. Being born again and making "the pledge of a good conscience toward God". I love the fact that this passage doesn't reference something tranquil and peaceful like baptism as we know it, but rather it references a FLOOD. A violent, powerful, forceful flood. I think that is WAY more accurate a description of being baptized in Jesus. A violent cleansing and renewal of the spirit.

Just a thought.

Free Chains

2008-07-22T11:39:00.001-04:00

I read this on Jay Hardwick's blog and just needed to post it here....

Did you know that there are 2.5 million sex slaves worldwide, many of whom are under the age of 18?

Neither did I.

A great friend of mine, Greg Darley, and a team of people have responded to this grave injustice by creating an initiative called Free Chains. Free Chains is a collaboration between individuals, churches, musicians, artists, business owners, moms, dads, athletes, and students to end child sex trafficking.

What is child sex trafficking?

Sex trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act is under the age of 18 years.

Where does it happen?

Child sex trafficking happens everywhere. According to the report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Trafficking in Persons: Global Patters report, April 2006: children are trafficked in every country. Countries considered "very high destination" countries for trafficked victims include Belgium, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States.

An estimated 200,000 American children are at risk for trafficking into the sex industry.
Atlanta is recognized as the top city in the US with 14,000 sex slaves.
1/3 of all US runaways end up in the sex trade within the first 48 hours of leaving home.
1/5 of all pornographic images on the internet are of a child, 55% of all child pornography on the internet originates from the U.S.
The average entry age of prostitution is 12.

What can you do?

With an issue so big, where do you start? The vision of the Free Chains Campaign is to provide simple and tangible ways for you to be part of the solution...Buy a key chain. Buy and wear a t-shirt. Donate towards a Safe House. Donate towards an investigation and prosecution to stop trafficking. Host a party to make your friends aware. There are tons of ways for you to get involved.

A child trapped in sex slavery is the epitome of the least of these. What are you going to do? Go to the Free Chains to be a part of ending this injustice.

Mac vs. PC - The Great Debate

2008-07-22T08:06:00.003-04:00

Hey peeps. I need some help.

As far as computers go, tell me what you think about the Apple/Mac vs. PC debate. I am really wanting a Mac (and worked on them for the time I was at NewSpring) but I already have a decently fast PC. So...

Is it worth the money to invest in a Mac ?
What can anyone tell me about Bootcamp or Parallels?
Where is the cheapest place that I can get a Mac?
Have you had any drawbacks from them?

I just would like as much insight as possible before going and dropping 2500 on a compy.

Thanks!

The Big 28

2008-07-06T13:31:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday Andrea! This weekend has been the celebration of Andrea's birthday. So its more of a BirthWeekend than a Birthday. And given the 4th of July holiday, it worked out this year that we got a three day weekend, woo hoo! The festivities went down as follows:

FRIDAY - Spend the day hanging out by the pool with the cousins, and sister/brother-in law combo. Burgers and swimming....and good fun. Friday night consisted of late night latte and Fireworks downtown Greenville. There had to have been at least 150,ooo people there. The fireworks were really amazing and a great way to end a Friday...

SATURDAY - Starbucks. Skinny Cinnamon Dulce Latte. Mmmm Good way to start the morning. We were going to go to Carowinds for the birthday extravaganza but rain was the forecast for the day, so we delayed that trip until we move to Charlotte. Instead we opted to just chill out and sleep in with the Starbucks. Hung out and watched "Kill Bill Vol. 1" in the afternoon in preparation to our dining for the night- Chophouse '47. Filet Mignon. Cheesy Potatoes. Holy cow. Honestly the next best thing to Ruth's Chris...which makes it's Greenville debut soon I hear.

SUNDAY - Who knew, Starbucks two days in a row. Then to the Greenville Campus for run through. That campus is going to be awesome and is so close to being open for everyone! One Week!

A great weekend to say the least.....Andrea is napping and I am blogging and working on our one Year Anniversary Trip....we are going to New York City for a few days! Can't wait!

Happy Birthday Andrea! I love you more than anything in the world! I love you!

Send Andrea some birthday love here.

Is it Wrong?

2008-07-02T11:20:00.002-04:00

... that I drink Port City Java instead of Starbucks?

... that like my wife, I watch the Bachelorette?

... I find myself looking up in every building I go into?

... really want to go to Yankee Stadium before they tear it down, even though I am a die-hard Red Sox fan?

... that I am really loving my job more and more each day?

... that I laugh at people when they do stupid stuff, like the woman that stuck her straw in her nose accidentally and then looked around to see if anyone saw her?

... that I don't blog super duper consistently?

... that I am really going to miss Greenville, and the free box seats to Greenville Drive games?

... that I hate cats?

... that when leaving my wife this morning, I really felt my heart saying to me "You are going to miss her today."? Yeah it did...and no it's not wrong.

Have a super day.

In Awe....

2008-06-20T18:05:00.003-04:00

Today has been an interesting day to say the least. I played golf for a little going away thing for Michael Brown....who happens to be a potential client also in the months to come. But afterwards I came home and really was put in my place as to how I am doing as a husband. My wife, Andrea, is the person I value the most out of anyone. ANYONE. Or anything for that matter.

Fridays are our days and I love these days...although I don't think I show it enough. And as I type this we are getting ready to go on our date night....anyways, I say that I am in awe because my wife has really grown a lot in her spiritual dependency on the Lord. She is really doing awesome and I just really wanted to say that I am REALLY proud of her. She is amazing and I am thankful to have her support me as I go to school. I am proud of the fact that she is blogging. She is SUCH a GREAT writer and a really great graphic artist....look out for a website soon.....

All this to say that when it comes to being a husband, I have a long way to go.... When it comes to being a wife, my wife is awesome.....Praise God for real.

Thoughts on Thoughts...

2008-06-18T13:29:00.002-04:00

Here are some thoughts I have been having:

- I would like to act. I do it on Sundays at church, but I would really like to be in a large theater or a movie...but funny stuff like THIS. Can you help me out?

- My wife is a dang good cook. She made peanut butter icing from SCRATCH. You should ask her for one.

- I really really really like Golf. Andrea makes fun of me about this. She laughs at how excited I get about going to play. And yes, outfits are essential. PGA Tour? Um, No...but how fun.....

- I REALLY want to go see Coldplay in Atlanta in November.

- I get more excited about UNCC everyday.

- I feel like an infant in my walk with Jesus! And this is GOOD!

- This video has changed my life.

- The line above this one is a lie...I am sorry.

- Have a great day!

WHAT???

2008-06-12T22:23:00.001-04:00

I thought this was incredible. I hope you do too.

Prayer Please

2008-06-09T08:28:00.001-04:00

Hey guys, if you could please pray for my best friend Darrell. His father past away yesterday due to brain cancer. I would really appreciate it.

Thanks!

Indiana Jones FORE!

2008-05-27T11:58:00.003-04:00

Watch out! You may find yourself sucked into the "Docta Jones to you, lady" hoop-la. Let me save you from the agony.

Andrea and I went to go see the fourth (and hopefully final) part of the Indiana Jones movies and I left wanting my money back due to the following reasons:

1. He's old and the role doesn't fit him anymore.
2. Too much CGI.
3. Aliens? please.
4. The ending. I won't spoil it but man, really?

Yes I am critical of this movie. Because I remember going to see the others in the theater and they we GREAT. More on plausible storylines and plots than computer imaging. Anyways, if you like the old movies, you need to enter this with a REALLY open mind. If you don't really care about the new style, then it may be good.

Andrea and I didn't like it, but I hope you do. Apparently we are in the minority.
Oh well, such is life.

Does anyone know of a good movie to see to redeem ourselves? I heard IronMan was good....

Communcation is Key

2008-05-16T09:26:00.001-04:00

In the context of what you do, how do you communicate to your client? Or if you are a church, how do you communicate to your congregation? I think if we neglect to evaluate HOW we communicate (as well as the what, when, etc.) then there may be a good chance that our target audience will drown.

Just some thoughts.

Have Fun Annoying your co-workers!!

2008-05-14T08:24:00.001-04:00

If you want to get on your co-workers nerves, then turn up your speakers and go here.

Funky Dreams Are Great

2008-05-13T08:39:00.006-04:00

Recently I have been having some strange dreams. I guess they are strange, maybe not. I have been dreaming about....work - which based on the ideas of the two words doesn't seem to make sense. I don't think most people dream to work. UNLESS. Unless you absolutely love what you do.

I have heard Perry talk about waking up in the middle of the night, or just simply not being able to go to sleep at all, because his mind is always thinking about the next step for NewSpring. I am sure T-Mo stays up sometimes thinking about church strategy. I KNOW Alden stays up thinking about Hawaii...wait...I mean...ministry in Hawaii. Anyways...

I guess what I am saying is that you DREAM about what you are passionate about. God has revealed a lot to people through dreams. I think he is confirming that I am doing the right thing by being in architecture and working here. But I will be honest, I feel like a dork. I mean I dreamed that I was doing a renovation to my old high school down in Columbia. Hmm, maybe I should call them.

So what do you dream about?

God of This City

2008-05-13T08:31:00.001-04:00

Man this was awesome...

A Strange Top 10 List

2008-05-12T16:06:00.005-04:00

So I have read in a few places that business cards are becoming a little passe. Well, really just more along the lines of unusable. Tony has his thoughts to share here. But I was wandering around the internet, reading some design sites - any type of design - and ran across this article about the idea of making your business cards useful.

So I came up with a list of ideas on my own for those little trinkets of paper:

10. The Obvious - Build a house of cards out of them.
9. Make your own deck of playing cards.
8. Use a stack to fix a wobbly table.
7. Really small postcards.
6. Make that cool motorcycle sound on your bike....or on this.
5. Pass them out for business...wait how did that get on here?
4. Use them for holiday gift wrap.
3. Try to sell them at a trading shop
2. Mail them somewhere random.
1. Cut them in half and offer them as coasters for midgets.

All though these may or may not be fun, I would rather someone just hand me a ten dollar bill.

Just....wow

2008-05-12T08:23:00.002-04:00

So yesterday was Mothers Day and NewSpring Church celebrated it again in typical NewSpring fashion. I say typical, in that I mean it was off-the-wall awesome and unpredictable.

If you want to read about it go here, here or here.

But you know I was thinking this morning, Jesus had a mom. What do you think Mother's Day was like for her?

Jesus,"Happy Mother's Day mom."

Mary,"Thanks son. You're the best. No, really, you are."

Jesus,"Oh yeah? Well thanks mom, you're not so bad yourself. Oh and I got you some things."

Mary,"What that?"

Jesus, "Forty thousand fish, a bazillion loaves of bread, and I accidentally turned all the water to wine, but hey, at least its not seltzer water. Oh and I am going to save all of humanity by the way.....Happy Mother's Day."

Man he set the bar really high. All my mom gets is flowers.

Jesus is the man...

Old vs. New - Part 2

2008-05-08T10:02:00.001-04:00

This is a video that Washington Avenue Church put together to show their congregation about where they are going and the renovation that they are going to do to their existing facility in order to reach the people of their community. There are great things in store for that church!

Woops.

2008-05-06T07:36:00.002-04:00

So I was reading my blog and noticed that it looks like I was saying that the movie and Perry's message were snoozers. Ha. Not in the least. Both were awesome. I was saying that I was going to sleep at that point during the day. I am stupid and have not yet mastered the way's of Blogging like the guru master himself, T-Mo.

Monday Morning Meat

2008-05-05T08:07:00.002-04:00

Here are some highlights of the weekend:

1. Friday. Andrea and I did yard work. Mowed the grass. Killed the ants. Then got clean and went out to Augusta Grill. I ate venison, which is deer. Yum. Watch "It Happened One Night", 1934 OSCAR winner for best picture. Good film.

2. Saturday. Started early with the peeps from Neal-Prince. Hands on Greenville. I love serving with people, like my wife. We cleared an entire waterfall. And found scorpions. Killer. Corona's Mexican for lunch. Nap. Hang with neighbors. Go to see "Made Of Honor". And yes, it IS a good movie. Zzzzzz.

3. Sunday. Head to Washington Avenue Church for design presentation. They clap. I leave to go play golf with father-in-law, crunkle (Crazy Uncle) mark, and crousin Ryan. Good times. Shoot 81. Not bad. Off to NewSpring for some church. PERRY brought it.....again. Zzzzz.

I am very thankful for the church I attend. The quality and level of excellence was and is always amazing. I am thankful that I was able to work there for two years, because I wouldn't be where I am now without them.

Seacrest out.

Old vs. New - Part One

2008-05-01T15:53:00.007-04:00

So I have been working on a design for Washington Avenue Church over the past few weeks and its been a very challenging project. Taking an old baptist design and converting it to a more contemporary feel has bee awesome. The above picture is the current sanctuary. And the image below is what I hope it is to become. Just a concept, but a really neat idea:

The thing I love about it is that its a stewardship issue. Instead of tearing down the building and constructing a new one at ten times the cost, they are adapting and converting, which seems the obvious "christian" thing to do. (Get it? Converting?). Anyways, the church staff is on FIRE and really has a great vision of extending into the community instead of trying to get the community to extend into them.

More images to come after the weekend....when the church gets the reveal!!! Woo hoo!!

Date night, Bang Bang and Netflix

2008-04-18T07:51:00.004-04:00

So on Wednesday Andrea and I went out on our date night. Usually this occurs on Fridays, but alas, there is a wedding tonight (Woo hoo Lanna!) so we moved it to Wednesday. Anyways, we love to go here but we mixed it up a little and decided to go to another incredible place in Bonefish Grill. Holy cow it was dang good. An appetizer called Bang Bang Shrimp is something everyone should experience. Its a little spicy but sooooo good. We were actually both stuffed after that (....and maybe a little from the bread). I mean it, cancel your plans one night and make the drive. Its worth it. On a side note, I had an interesting experience there that I hesitated to share, but oh well. I had to use the restroom and while in there a man was "standing" next to me and decided to...how do I say it.....well...he decided to toot. No, it was more like TOOOOOT. I had to bit my lip....and hold my breath. But it didn't ruin the incredible night with my lady.

Also, we have made the decision to join Netflix. We love movies and realized that Blockbuster was beginning to love us more. But no more. The main reason we decided to do this is because Andrea and I want to see every movie that has won Best Picture. So we are starting from the beginning with "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1932ish winner). Should be interesting.

GCC Plays Simon

2008-04-15T14:32:00.001-04:00

So I think this is probably one of the coolest things that I have ever seen. WAY TO GO Granger!!!

Those aren't Horses......those are coconuts.

2008-04-12T13:50:00.003-04:00

Last night Andrea and I went to see Spamalot. We were given tickets by her parents for Christmas and have been eagerly awaiting Holy cow, my sides still ache. Having seen the "Holy Grail" (and owning it I might add), I knew somewhat the premise for the play, but the additions to make it more for the stage were amazing!! all I have to say is that if you are in a city where this is showing, you better GO. From "Patsy" banging coconuts together to make the horse noises, to killer rabbits, and even the Knights Who Say.....well all I have to say is they broke out in modern day diva songs. Man, its hilarious. The adaptation was brilliant and had everyone in the audience rolling. Half way through the show, Andrea and I decided that if for some reason I begin acting, then that type of show is what I will be in. Something that makes people laugh.

What I thought was so brilliant was that they added elements that connected with the audience, even incorporating well-known names from Greenville (ie - Mayor Knox White) into the show. They also pulled an audience member up from stage and ended the play with her and the whole audience singing "Always Look On the Bright Side of Life".

Of all the Broadway plays that Andrea and I have seen, this is one of my favorites and I would say that everyone needs to see it.

D.I.P.

2008-04-11T11:45:00.005-04:00

This is a Design In Process for a church that we are working with. I was just doing this to get the idea from my head to the computer. Right now it looks like a train station or something like that because there is no building behind it. In the end, it will attach to the side of the existing buildings, which I have not modeled yet. Anyways, this is what I am doing now with my life, and its fun, just to be honest. If your church needs a face-lift, or new building, or anything, just holler at me and we can hook you up. What do you think?

Home Group, Chicken, and Me.

2008-04-11T08:29:00.004-04:00

I assure you this is no movie title. But, man, what if?... Anyways, last night we had home group at the McD's house and I have to say it was really a great time. Andrea made this chicken casserole that was off the chain. She made it for 12 but the 8 of us that were there almost finished it. DANG IT WAS GOOD! Also, they got a puppy named Libby and she is awesome. She reminds me of Layla when she was a pup. Hopefully Libby won't grow up and eat their house.

They thing that I was reminded of last night was kind of an echo of something that hit me Sunday. Although I really love what I do, I really miss the atmosphere of the NewSpring staff and especially seeing my best friends everyday. But the Lord has done so much for me and I think he knows that. He has given me an incredible wife in Andrea that I could literally spend EVERY second with of every day....oh wait...I get to! But also He has given me an opportunity to minister to the people of NPA and serve them there.

For those of you at NewSpring, you are awesome. It is amazing where the Lord has taken you the last 2 years, let alone the past 8. I can't wait for our kids to be a part of something like it....and no we are not pregnant...yet.

The Breath of God....smells refreshing

2008-04-10T13:19:00.004-04:00

Yes folks, thats right, just two sprays of heaven and your breath will sing with the Angels! Believe in God INSTANTLY!

Unbelievable....literally. Talk about putting God in a box...err....bottle.

This is stupid.

Queens, Architecture, and Steak

2008-04-07T16:40:00.005-04:00

So I was pretty absent from blogging lately, but I am vowing and rededicating to be consistent again, again. Plus, Andrea has begun blogging and I can't let her out-do me, am I right fellas? (No Sandy you are an idiot, but please go on...)

Anyways, things have been pretty crazy as Andrea and I try our very hardest to not fall into ANY set pattern in our newly married lives (sarcasm). As most of you have read and if you know me at all you know that I love design and especially architecture. Well back at the end of November when I left NewSpring Church to come to Neal Prince, another can of worms was opened.....Grad School. The step needed to becoming a real life architect.

So, after the applications process has fallen away, we are going. And we are going here assuming everything works out logistically. Yep, we're planning on heading to the Queen City...ok I have to stop for a second...how can it be called that if Andrea lives in Greenville? (And all of God's children said.....Awwwwwwwww)

So pray for us as we begin to take a step into a area we don't know, and into a place in our lives in which we are unfamiliar. Fortunately the Lannings are the nicest hosts in the world and made us feel at home upon our visit.

Oh and pray for us also because the in-laws are bring over steak tonight. Lord, thank you for cows. They are fun to eat and fun to tip.

Welcome Mrs. Gibbes

2008-04-07T09:10:00.001-04:00

Well everyone, its official. My wife is now blogging and has started with an embarrassing picture of me. Go figure...go check out her blog here.

On some side notes, things have been really busy here, but I will keep everyone updated soon! Check back later!

Cutting the Cheese

2008-02-28T16:05:00.002-05:00

You know, as crude as it is, every time I watch this a can't stop laughing.

Basketball, Tigers, and family

2008-02-28T11:45:00.003-05:00

Last night my father-in-law Alex and I attended the Clemson basketball game against Miami. I would have to say it was a pretty incredible game. In the first half, Clemson couldn't miss a shot, it was amazing. And the hustle that they played with would have allowed them to beat virtually any opponent. The ended the half up 41-24.

Then the second half came.

I was amazed at the different style of game that they played. The hustle was a minimum, and the intensity and defense wasn't there. And as a result, the blew the lead (21 points) and allowed Miami to not only come back, but to take the lead.

Why? Its because they got complacent and played defensively instead of offensively. Had they maintained the focus and drive, it never would have been close.

I think the Church can learn from this. To never lose the intensity and focus, because then it leads to complacency. Heck, we can all apply that to our lives no matter where we work.

Don't get complacent and don't stop until the job is done.

Oh, and in case you are wondering, Clemson won and Alex and I had a great time. Although, I really missed my wife.

Charlie bit my finger - again !

2008-02-26T14:47:00.001-05:00

It seems that even children with British Accents are hilarious.

Reece's Pieces

2008-02-25T16:58:00.002-05:00

Burgess, a guy in my office here at Neal-Prince, just put out a bowl of Reece's Pieces.

These are my weakness.

Pray for me

... and may the Lord forgive me for the gluttony I am about to commit.

Bad Movies, Killer Dogs, and Sleep.

2008-02-25T15:36:00.003-05:00

Here are a few thoughts from the weekend:

- Vantage Point = GREAT idea. POOR movie.

- Saturday was beautiful here in Greenville. Andrea and I walked the dogs to the park, only to find it occupied with people that Layla (my dog) would have viciously attacked with her tongue. They are fortunate.

- Sunday. Slept in. Watched LOST (Wow!). Went and did some window shopping/people watching at the mall with the wife. Then to church. Perry preached 'real good'.

- Trying to figure out where we are going to go on vacation this year with Darrell (totally my BFF from college) and Baylis (his lady). We are thinking St. Lucia unless someone tells us to go somewhere else.

Need your help. I need to see another movie to redeem the theater. Any recommendations? Also, where should we go on vacation?

UNLEASH 2008

2008-02-21T11:34:00.004-05:00

So it's official. Neal-Prince Architects is the first ( and I think only) corporation that is going to UNLEASH. And I say why not, there is so many things that I think church leaders can can teach corporations. You always heard of the "mega-churches" being run like corporations, in in most cases thats a good thing...but why not the other way around? Why couldn't a corporation (especially one in our field) be run like the church? I guess it honestly depends on what "church" means to you. But just think...what would it look like?

I love the leadership breakdown here at NPA, it really reminds me of when I worked at NewSpring. Especially in our motto.... "Never Stop Looking for A Better Way".

Perry used to always say that "if you do what you've always done, you'll get what you always got."

Thats the same no matter who you work for.

See you guys there!!!

What up

2008-02-19T16:41:00.003-05:00

Hey anyone who may be actually checking out my blog even though I haven't posted in a really long time!!!

yeah sorry about that. I have been really busy here at work. But all I have to say is that I am in the works of redesigning the webbbbllog so check back periodically.

I am dedicating this blog to posting items that make people laugh and feel encouraged. If you see something that does this, let me know at sandy.gibbes@gmail.com

gracias.

The rain is WHITE?

2008-01-17T10:55:00.001-05:00

Yes it is SNOWING in South Carolina!!

But don't worry, tomorrow it will probably be 80 degrees, sunny with a slight chance of a snow again by the end of the night. The weather here is stupid. Yes I said it, s-t-u-p-id.

By the way, I am writing this from work while my wife is at home watching Fresh Prince of Bel Air re-runs. Oh the humanity.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2008-01-04T09:16:00.001-05:00

Ok okay I know. I'm a little late. But all I can say is that I have been a little busy and blah blah blah. So I am sorry for not posting (for the little of you that read this blog) but I will try and do better in the coming days. So life after NewSpring has been busy. Well for a few weeks I pretty much did nothing but read, and not leadership books or anything like that this time. I got on a good fiction kick, reading a lot of books by David Baldacci. Kinda like Grisham but more political thriller conspiracy theory novels. Does that make me a nerd? So I read 3 or so novels and then began working on my portfolio (the image above is a sample of the work I did in school). Andread (my smokin hot wife) and I went to both families for our first Christmas. It was amazing. For New Years we ventured to ATL to watch my Tigers lose in the Chic Fil A bowl. Good game, just the wrong Tigers won.The 2nd of January I started back here at Neal Prince Architects. Man this place is awesome and has changed so much since I worked here 3 years ago. I have been working on getting refamiliar with CAD (what we draw with) and also working on some theory about church buildings and how they can be an integral part of the influence of the church. The Church isn't a building, but if you are going to have one and put God's resources into it, why not get the best designed building out there to help draw people to him? So yesterday 5 of us sat in one of the conference rooms and just brainstormed on how we as architects can help churches, from buildings to masterplans to just thinking through design processes. So thats where I am after 3 days. This is such a God thing that I am here. I love what I do and can't wait to get more into it. More to come later.

How are you?

EXTRA EXTRA!! Big News!

2007-11-19T08:25:00.000-05:00

Don't you love those style of headlines? It usually means that something BIG is going on and this instance is no different. And to set one question to rest right now, no we are NOT pregnant (but that would have been awesome).

So here is what is going on:

Over the last several months (Since July 9th to be exact) God has really been showing me some things on a frequent basis and showing me that He is has great things in store for His people and His Church. I came on staff here at NewSpring January 1st of 2006 as the High School Pastor over FUSE* and have since moved into a position more suited for my gifts in Design. Graphics is not quite architecture, but more in the ballpark than preaching. However, one thing that I have learned up to now is that although I enjoy Graphic Design, I definitely don't love it. What I do love though is architecture and the church. This became apparent to me this past summer when some things started changing and I found myself designing the youth building for NewSpring. Tell me you see the irony in all of this? As I spent a few weeks sketching, talking with Jon McDerment and the architects via Jon, I felt a since of joy and peace all at the same time. Then I would go back to my desk and have my passion shadowed by my job. Not a good situation which can really lead to frustration.

It was about this time (in July) that I got a call from an architect in Greenville who wanted to get lunch. Now I had been out of architecture for about 2 years, so this was strange. Significant thing to know about this: this architect was the man I wanted to study under since I was in 7th grade and the lead designer at a GREAT firm in Greenville. After a few months and lunches, I agreed to join them at the WFX Conference in Atlanta (You can read about it here if you want). While there, three statements were made that have stuck with me. The first and most important was from my wife Andrea who -within the first 10 minutes of the conference - said,"I have not seen you work and be this alive in six months". The second came from the two architects I was with - people I greatly respect - who said,"You're a natural". And the last statement was about employment. But MAN, how great is our God?

All this to say that through months of prayer with my fiancee-then-wife (I love you babe), friends, family, and counsel from those that I respect, it is very evident that this is what I need to be doing. Every prayer and situation (both good and frustrating) has led me to this realization and to quit working at NewSpring to pursue architecture again. I have job offers, but this is something that even if I didn't, I would still leave to pursue it. It's just too evident and I can't ignore it. So I am going for it. I really believe that God has a PERFECT gift that he intends for us to use, and architecture is mine.

So, now I go back to being a volunteer, probably in the children's ministry where I started. God has great things in store for me and for His Church, even if that means my ministry isn't executed within the church walls.

28 Years Later

2007-11-15T09:34:00.000-05:00

Well yesterday was my birthday and I have to say that it was pretty great. Some of the peeps that I work with at NewSpring all went to lunch at Fuddruckers and Alden "made" a hat that I had to wear, but I won't tell you what it all said on it.....but it was embarrassing. I got the phone calls from family and friends throughout the day reminding me of how old I am. 28. Wow.

After work, my incredible wife Andrea took me out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Greenville, Augusta Grill. I love that place and would highly recommend it if you are in the Greenville area. And then afterwards we went and hung out with our friends Jason and Kristin, who had picked up the final gift from my wife....a CARROT CAKE from Brick Street Cafe in Greenville. The BEST carrot cake you can get. Anyways, it was a great birthday and thank you to everyone that made it so. Especially you, Mrs. Andrea Gibbes :)

Strategy vs. Vision

2007-11-13T10:51:00.000-05:00

Hey I just wanted you to read this from Stephen Furtick about vision and strategy. I think it is very insightful.

By the way, anyone that goes to Elevation, I want a t-shirt like this one that Daniel is wearing. Man those are cool and my birthday is tomorrow. Whitley, no pressure or anything.

A Few Random Things....

2007-11-12T13:18:00.000-05:00

So I heard that Tony made a comment on his blog about how Andrea and I missed out flights. All I have to say to you T-Mo is that I will trade the ability-to-read-an-itinerary for two more nights in Maui anytime. Tony, you should miss your flight too if you know whats good for you....

Also, there has been many questions as to what our new space backstage is going to be called. As of right now, the front-runner is The Ghetto, but if you would like to submit a name, we would all greatly appreciate it. In my opinion, its better than Cubeville - the place from whence we all came. Maybe we can just call it that - "Better Than Cubeville"......

On another note, my fantasy football team had a major blowup last night. Adam Vinatieri missed two field goals that would have one it for me....please pray that Bobby Engram (from Camden, SC baby!) will pull through for me tonight on Monday Night Football.....

Speaking of Football, I would really like to go to the Boston College v. Clemson game on Saturday. Does anyone feel led by the Lord to give Andrea and I tickets? HD is nice, but this is one of the biggest games for Clemson since 1981!!! Come on people, hook a brother up!!!

Hope all is well, back tho the land of graphics.

One last random thought, does anyone ever miss "Saved By the Bell"??

Diamond in the Rough

2007-11-06T16:17:00.000-05:00

So yesterday I was cleaning off some files from my computer and found this jewel of a video that we made at Clemson to promote a fall retreat. I have posted it on YouTube but you can't blog it yet for some strange reason. So click on the link to watch it and let me know what you think....

New Digs

2007-11-01T09:54:00.001-04:00

So this past week, some of the NewSpring staffers moved backstage to a new office area. This was mainly because our staff is growing to stay on pace with the growth of the church. But I was thinking that a space like this deserves a name. So, with that in mind, here is where you come into play. Give me a name idea. The photos are a little bad, because they were taken from my phone, but perhaps they will give you some great inspiration to lead you to a great name. The winner will get a great pat on the back and a sign posted over the door entering the space.

Good luck to you all and Godspeed.

WFX Y'all!!!

2007-10-28T10:28:00.000-04:00

So this past weekend (well, Wednesday through Saturday) Andrea and I went down to Atlanta to attend the WFX Conference. In case you are wondering, WFX is the Worship Facilities Conference and Expo where church leaders can go and see what the latest and greatest technology is available for reaching people. I didn't really know how big it was until I got there and realized that over 4500 people were attending this thing, from all different areas. Church leaders, techno geeks, AVL (audio, video, & lighting) reps, and....you guessed it....architects. I went down there with Neal Prince + Partners Architects, whom I worked with for a few years. It was great spending time with those guys and also meeting people from churches all over the country. Really neat to see that so many churches are growing and needing to build. Also neat to see how many churches are going multi-site. Over all, a really great experience.

One of the coolest things that I got to see though was the "double key-note speaker" set up with Andy Stanley of NorthPoint and Craig Groeschel of LifeChurch, both are incredible communicators - probably the most genuine I have ever seen - and you can just tell they both love what they do and are unique and sincere. But one of the most intriguing things that I heard the whole week was something that Craig said during his message. He said this phrase:

Limited resources + increasing passion = exponential innovation!!

I thought it was interesting that it was a conference on facilities and he pretty much said something that would imply that they aren't necessary. And you know what? They really aren't as necessary as we make them out to be. But I think what was meant by the statement was that although they are nice and can be used as an INCREDIBLE tool to reach people, they aren't the answer. They are just a part of a means to and end. With rapid growth facilities may seem to be the answer, but in reality they are only PART of the means to and end. Great stuff.

I will try to see if WFX will post the messages online and keep you updated.

New Tunes

2007-10-23T09:17:00.000-04:00

I went out and bought two new cd's yesterday and I must say that I think that I got two good ones. "Cease To Begin" by Band of Horses is a really mellow sound. You would like them if you like bands like The Shins or American Football. Anyways, check them out somewhere like iTunes or Amazon. The other cd is called "The Alchemy Index" by THRICE....they are not so mellow. But still 100% pure awesomeness and one of my favorite bands out there. If you love Jesus, you will love their lyrics even if you don't love the rifts. Anyways, check them out.

What are you listening to?

By the way, my wife and I have been married One month as of yesterday.

Carry it out peeps!!!

2007-10-22T10:05:00.001-04:00

This past week we started a new series called "The Perfect Kid". Its about parenting. You may have seen the promo video I posted recently. Anyways, there are a few initial things that I appreciate about the series. Obviously, one being the fact that I am learning scripturally what the bible says about being a parent, even though I have no kids. It has already taught me a great deal. If you want to check it out, go here . Another thing that I appreciate is the fact that Perry admits that he has no idea what he is doing, which is comforting because I don't have kids and I am already nervous! But his type of honesty is really the thing that has lead me to this post. So here goes.

Over the past few months, I really feel like the Lord has been telling me something that I have consistently been trying to implement into my life. And that is to live a life out of conviction. In other words, practice what I preach. And in talking to some peeps that aren't involved in the church, it seems that this (hypocrisy) is one of the main driving elements that turns people away from the church as a whole. You know, when pastors or church members will preach (or yell sadly) from the stage about how people should live their lives, but then turn around and do or have been doing that same thing? Yeah, not good. Now I understand that not ONE person on this earth is even CLOSE to perfect, but there is a certain standard that WE AS CHRISTIANS HAVE to hold ourselves to in order to reach the people that need Jesus and also TO MAKE HIM FAMOUS.

But here is one thing that has been tugging at me. It seems that so many times its only the large things that are brought to light, like the affairs, the addictions, and pornography. But I think that for Pastors, Church leaders, and Christians in general there are little things too that we overlook that can be hypocritical. Like telling a congregation, youth group, or Christian friend to reach people for Jesus, yet we are too scared to talk to our own neighbors about him. Or asking people to be generous by giving aways their possessions - from money to cars to homes - and we ourselves don't exemplify that. Or something as simple as just not loving people. Conviction isn't for us to just tell someone how we should act, but its REACTING to what God has called us to do/change/act on. We have to live lives of conviction...especially church leaders and pastors. There has to be the consistent balance of preaching and action. There just has to be. We have to try and practice what we preach. Walk the talk. Or whatever cheesy cliche you want to use....

Let's be Romans 12:1.

The Perfect Kid promo

2007-10-22T10:00:00.001-04:00

Well for some reason once you get married, everyone expects kids. So, why not have the perfect kid? Congrats to Andrea for her big screen debut! I love my wife.

Mwaaahahahahahah

2007-10-15T17:01:00.000-04:00

MWWWAAHHAHAHahahahahaha.....ha.........No silly, my hands aren't that big.

5 Things I Learned From Maui

2007-10-08T14:09:00.000-04:00

So I haven't been married all that long. Its only been two weeks and 3 days. However, I have learned a few things thus far having been on the honeymoon and back home for a little bit. Here are five things I have learned:

Plan your own Honeymoon. Don't use a travel agent. they may book you non-transferable tickets and not tell you. Then, if you happen to miss your flight because you were under the impression your flight was leaving at 5pm instead of 3pm, you get to purchase NEW tickets because the one's that he/she booked you are actually worthless, and he didn't tell you that. Plus you don't really save any money by using an agent and you can usually find equal if not better deals on the internet. Any clue as to what happen to us?
Waking up next to your spouse is the greatest thing ever and gets better every day. Waking up and seeing that the person you love is actually still there and didn't have to go home.
Food Tastes better in Maui.
Ruth's Chris is the best steakhouse in the world.
Everyone should try surfing at least once in their lives. Andrea surprised me with lessons while we were in Maui and it was one of the COOLEST things I have ever done.

These are just a few nuggets that I took away from the honeymoon. I hope all is well with everyone! Here's a question for some of you?

So if you are married and have any advice, what would you give to me or anyone seeking it?

HOORAY MARRIAGE!

2007-10-08T09:04:00.000-04:00

First I have to say that marriage is the best thing in the world.

Secondly, I have to say that there are so many things that are going through my head right now that I doubt I will be able to post too much because I am still trying to sort things out! BUT MAN things are great. The wedding ceremony was awesome, from Andrea literally knocking me over because she was so BEAUTIFUL walking down the aisle...to Alden actually containing himself and NOT protesting the marriage - thanks A! The reception was stinking awesome!!! NuSoul was our band from the ATL that ABSOLUTELY ROCKED it out. Everyone was jumping and dancing and carrying on. Especially my uncle Stewart...for those of you that were there...well...I hope you enjoyed the show. The food was unbelievable. Then you had one of my Best Friends Darrell getting his dance on with my mother. I guess that was...nice? Anyways, the reception was flipping awesome!! Thank you to everyone who made it to the wedding, and for those that didn't you missed a GREAT time...but thank you for all of your prayers and support!!!

By the way, we went to Maui on our honeymoon and I am still speechless....

I have been married a long time now, just over two weeks. So, in the upcoming days I will be posting on some things I have learned from marriage thus far. Thanks for everything people!!! And Leslie White, see? I posted for you...I am still alive!!!

Speechless

2007-09-17T13:44:00.000-04:00

I mean, I don't know what to say, but some people just don't need to sit next to each other. Courtesy of my sick friend Darrell.

AWAKE.

2007-09-13T15:27:00.000-04:00

So growing up, I always loved the smell of coffee in the morning. The problem was that I hated the taste. I mean who enjoys hot, bitter, dirty water? No one. Or so I thought.

I then became an addict. In college I braved the architecture studio for hours on end, sometimes going the whole night without sleep while working on a project. I once went 72 straight hours to meet a deadline. I got an A. But I tell you I couldn't have done it without the beloved brew.

Well coming this September at NewSpring Church, we want to share this sweet blend of goodness with you. So rise and shine, its time for you to WAKE UP.

By the way, whats the best way to prepare coffee? Black? Cream and Sugar? Iced? What do you think?

WHAT TIME IS IT?

2007-09-13T09:23:00.001-04:00

Its GameTime. This past weekend we launched our new series and capital campaign called "GameTime". I have to say that from a graphic standpoint I am pretty pleased with the outcome of what we have produced as a communications team. From the vision piece (Playbook) to the commitment event (Blitz) to just the look and feel, I am pretty pumped up (Like Joe Sangl!) about what God is going to do in this series and with the funds that he raises through NewSpring Church!!!

One thing that I am loving right now is that not only do I get to brand GameTime with Tony, Chris, Sarah, and Skye on the Communications Team, but I get to work with Jon McDerment in the facilities area in helping design the Kids and Youth buildings. (For those of you that don't know me, I used to be an architect!) Being able to help Jon has really helped quell my architectural design obsession!!! Funny how God brings you back to your gifts huh?

Anyways, I hope that you have a chance to make it out to NewSpring for this series. The atrium and stage are awesome looking!! (Way to go Joel and Skye and everyone else that helped!) Make sure you swing by the GameTime website sometime and look around!!

Oh yeah, the most important thing. I ONLY HAVE 10 DAYS UNTIL I GET MARRIED!!!! PRAY FOR US, I AM A LITTLE ON EDGE AND GETTING REALLY NERVOUS/EXCITED!!!

One more for the record books...

2007-08-31T13:41:00.000-04:00

In life there are many discussions that leave us greatly changed. Some for the better, and some for the worse. And within those discussions, there are some that occur again and again. Last night, while driving home from Justin and Rachel Land's house (SIDENOTE: there was a Pounce Party....a killer card game that is super intense and all should play) I noticed something that reminded me of one of those convo's that keeps occurring time and time again. One that has a great impact on one's spiritual well-being. What conversation is that you ask?

The Church marquee.

Oh yes that is right, the wonderful world of church marquees. A timeless happenstance that I am passionate abou.............wait....er...no. Anyways, on the way home I passed one of the small local town churches and read this:

"The Bread of Life never goes stale."

I smiled, but then immediately was reminded of another one that I saw about this same Bread. It read: "The Bread of Life is Low Carb." Now unless the gates of heaven are narrow, then I wouldn't worry about this one.

Anyways, there have been many a GREAT marquee in my day, from bread to "Prophet Sharing Plans" to "Board Broken, Message Inside". But surely there are many that I have never seen, but I would love to know what they are.

So what are some good ones that you have seen? Or why don't you go create your own here.

Each For The Other - Chapter One

2007-08-22T08:41:00.000-04:00

So last night Andrea and I began a study of a book called "Each For The Other" by Bryan Chappell. Bryan is the president of Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis and a pretty smart dude. The time that I got to spend with Andrea last night was awesome, and it is something the we have decided to do in out marriage, to have (at least) one night dedicated to spiritual growth and study. Anyways, it was incredible and the book is pretty good as well. So I thought I would share a few nuggets that I took away from the first chapter, entitled "A Man's Responsibility: Servant Leadership" :

"The husband who will not lift a finger to serve his spouse may claim he is exercising the prerogatives of headship, but in reality he is abandoning his biblical responsibility."
"Headship receives biblical support only when governed by godly purposes and practices."
"... the head of the home is Christ's chief representative there, the wife and children should better know the love of their Savior through the head of the home."
"A husband should submit his own life to God before he requires submission from anyone else. The true head of the home bows before God, asking to be the man God desires, interceding for the welfare of the family, and petitioning for love, wisdom, and strength that with make God's grace evident in the home. Only when a man humbles himself in these ways can he give a proper account of his headship to God."
The head of the home stands before God on behalf of his family and he lives before his family on behalf of God.
Everyone who is filled with the spirit serves others sacrificially.

This last one got me good because I view it from the opposite perspective, that when we are NOT serving othes sacrificially, then we are not FILLED with the Spirit. Now, I know that may seem extreme, but it was really challenging to me to CONTINUALLY BE FILLED and SERVE SACRIFICIALLY.

By the way, only one month from today and I will be getting married.

IRONY

2007-08-21T14:55:00.000-04:00

So I have been thinking a lot about the concept of subtle irony. And here are a few things that I find ironic in life:

braille dots on drive-up ATMs.
SHIPS carry "CARgo" and CARS carry "SHIPments."
Forrest fires started by wooden matches.
IRONY has nothing to do with IRON.
The fact that PUDGE is teaching elementary school students at Church.
________________

So the last blank is for you. What are some other things that you find ironic or those little cliche statements that would fit here?

Hope all is well.

Take That to the Bank!

2007-08-15T10:54:00.001-04:00

I am finding it hard to describe this. But I tell you what, I want some insurance!!!! Take that to the bank! YEEEE HAWWWW!!

Hello, I am a nerd.

2007-08-09T15:59:00.000-04:00

Now before you just haphazardly agree with me that I am in fact a nerd, please let me explain. And if you can't wait for the explaination, go to point #4.

Today we were sitting in our all-staff meeting here at NewSpring, which is always interesting because it seems that there is always a new face on board here. Bottom line is that I love these meetings because of a bunch of reasons and I always take away a lot. But here are a few reasons and things that I took away today:

God is at work. In these meetings, you always get to hear what God is doing in all the different areas of ministry within the church. From kids, to youth, to the care team, GOD is at WORK all over the place and lives are being changed!!! In fact, if YOU have had your life impacted by NewSpring in ANY WAY, let us know here.
It amazes me that with a staff of this size (75ish) that the interacting and relationships are SO incredibly close. It seems that EVERYONE relates to each other and owns the relationship in some way. I think a healthy staff leads to a healthy church and eventually to healthy ministry. (I think I just slapped myself in the face with that statement.)
Can you say growth? This weekend we had 7,447 total attendance, which was a 2,108 person increase (39.5%) from the same weekend last year. I have become very aware of how easy it is to get comfortable and acclimated to what is going on here. But today REALLY put in perspective of how for God has brought us but also HOW FAR HE IS GOING TO TAKE US!! All I have to say is hold on to your hats Greenville and Upstate!!
This is the last thing that I wanted to share and the reason I said that I was a nerd. As we were meeting and sharing stories, for some reason a quote from the late (and great) architect Mies van der Rohe came to mind. I know it may seem nerdy but he was a genius. Famous for his buildings and for his quote "God is in the details." Now, he was talking about architecture specifically, but as I was listening in our meeting to the happenings of the different areas, I KNOW that his quote applies here. God is in the details of his church.

Relentless effort and attention to detail by the leadership, staff and volunteers in pursuit of the calling of God - along with the sovereignty and power of God - make his Kingdom grow. Down to the detail of dirt on the floor.

Thank you all who volunteer at NewSpring and at any church that is pursuing Jesus. Thank you for carrying ou the details to make Jesus FAMOUS!

Hurry Alex, please hurry.

2007-08-09T11:53:00.000-04:00

I couldn't agree more with this.

GAMETIME

2007-08-08T08:47:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a busy day. A great day, but busy. The Communications Team has been really working to get the GAMETIME materials together and I have to say that it has been an interesting process. But it has come together pretty smoothly I must say. The new logo, thanks to a mixture of help from the Bens and our in-house peeps, has REALLY come a long way. But one of the things that I REALLY love about it, is that it really reminds me that we are approaching one of the most sacred elements of the human life.....college football.

Another one of the elements for GAMETIME is the tagline, "Are You In?" and (again) I love this. I think that it says so much and is a challenge for all of us to get of the bench and get in the game. Because if you are really honest and think about it, you are either in the game or on the bench, there really isn't room for anyone to be in between. If you step on the out-of-bounds line... well, you're out. Whether you are at NewSpring or any other church, I hope you will be challenged in someway to get involved with your church and use the gifts that God has given you to help out.

So, Are you in?

Where are YOU from?

2007-08-02T12:20:00.000-04:00

So I have really been enjoying blogging lately and I have apparently been getting "hits" from all over the place. Which kind of sparked my interest as to where everyone is from. If you will notice over to the immediate right, I have a poll with a few options. If you don't fit within the specifics, please leave a comment and let me know from whence you are posting.

Ok more randomness to come later. Peace out.

Wild Wild West

2007-08-01T13:55:00.000-04:00

Please don't let me know that when you saw the title to the post, your thoughts went immediately to the "great" film starring Will Smith, or the "hit"single that coincided with the film.

Whatever the case may be, here is the cast photo from this years Summer Blockbuster. I love the photo, reminds me of Ghost Town in the Sky, the greatest theme park east of the Mississippi. Ok, maybe not the greatest. But they do have a "state-of-the-art" chairlift. Woweeeeee!!

Hairspray

2007-07-30T08:57:00.000-04:00

This weekend I went to see a movie with my wonderful fiance Andrea. Well, I can say thing with full confidence, the movie "Hairspray" is really a good movie. Now some of you have heard the term "Man-Card" before. Its like your Members Only card (not the jacket) that all men carry around and when they do something stupid, they have to turn it in, drop their head, and then hope that one day they will get it back. Now, what a person can do to lose it varies, but its usually saying something dumb, doing something dumb, or going to something that is seen as less manly, like Hairspray. You can only get it back by wrestling a bear in the wild. Or a cougar. But regardless, I have to confess that I enjoyed the movie. But then again, it could have just been the company :) . 53 DAYS!!!

The 2nd Greatest Day

2007-07-28T10:15:00.000-04:00

Although it is raining here in SC, it has never been brighter. Today is a great day, but not the greatest. Today is one year with the love of my life Andrea Martin. Today is the 2nd greatest day ever. Maybe the 3rd actually if you remember the engagement....but anyways you get the point. The GREATEST day, however, comes in 55 days. And in 55 days, her name will be Andrea Gibbes. 55 days until the wedding. I love you more than life, Andrea. Thank you for letting Jesus be seen through YOU. Wow you are amazing.

55 days. Praise Jesus.

Gret righting

2007-07-25T09:42:00.000-04:00

This was on the internet the other day and I just felt compelled to post the irony. I added a little tag-line to help you see...hope you laugh, I did.