We Have Lost a Great Man

There are few people in life that come into our world, make a difference, and then for some reason or another, are gone. Yesterday I lost one of those people in my life. A good friend and church member, Ben Oder, died yesterday as a result of a heart attack. The world is a less better place today.
When people were fighting the changes I was making to bring health to the church, he never did. He proudly supported me, and knew that God was in the things we were doing. He served faithfully, loved unconditionally, and believed that the greatest days of our church were in front of us. He was a man that all Pastors dream of having, and are impossible to replace. I won’t even try. He was placed in my life by God’s hands, and I will never forget this amazing man of God. He changed my life, and for that I will forever be grateful.

Sunday Unwound

I honestly do not know how to describe today. After spending about 11 hours at the church yesterday working with an amazing group of volunteers, the energy in the place was palpable. We cut a window out for our new guest services area, un-mounted and hung two screens, put in a new coffee bar, kids check in area, set up 130 new chairs so we can now seat 200, and completely cleaned out our storage trailer. All in one day! So here are my thoughts on this morning:
* With all the changes it was cool to see people looking around like a kid on Christmas morning. I kept hearing “look at that,” or “did you see this?” It created energy that had an anticipatory vibe. February 1 is coming…
* Had some new families as a result of the billboards. (Hard to believe since they had only been up for three days.) I got to meet them, and when I asked how they heard about us, they said they saw the billboards and then checked the website. Makes all the marketing research worth it. February 1 is coming…
* The GenesisKIDS department had 16 kids. Awesome. Can’t wait to see how many kids will be here on February 1…it’s coming….
* While the place looked empty because of all the new chairs, today was one of the largest non-event days. We will have them full on February 1…did I mention it’s coming?
* Arron and the band did a stripped down acoustic set, and it was really great. The song, “I Offer My Life,” was probably the best of the day. People were connecting to the song and ultimately to God. Connecting people to God is exactly what we want to do…even more so on February 1! It’s right around the corner…
* It is humbling to do what I do. Still have a hard time believing that of all the people in the world, He called me to lead this group of people on an unforgettable faith journey.
* Our church started a corporate 21 day fast today leading up to February 1st. Hearing the things that people are fasting is really neat. Some are fasting Facebook, Starbucks (not me, I am not that “spiritual,”) meals, secular music, and all kinds of things. Me? Brenda and I decided that we will have our whole family involved. Each night at 8:30 we shut off all tvs, video games, etc and all pile in the living room for 30 minutes of God time. We will do it a little different each night and allow the girls to reach God in their own way. Tonight, Mackenzie made a prayer list and Cadence drew a picture of the manger scene (complete with Wise Men. When I asked why one was outside the stable, she said “So he wouldn’t step on the chickens!” my bad…) Brenda and I read the bible for a little while, then I read with the girls out loud, then we all prayed as a family. Each taking turns praying for our family, the church, and the city. Fasting does not always have to be about food. It’s about replacing some “normal” parts of life with God time. Try it! Join us as we prepare for, you guessed it, February 1.

If you haven’t figured it out, February 1 is a huge day in the history of Genesischurch.tv. It is a day that God has ordained for us to make an even bigger impact on Tallahassee than we already have. I am excited, our church is excited, and I hope you are too! Go out this week and Know Christ…and…Make Him Known!

Big Announcement at Genesischurch.tv!

Shifting gears is part of life. It is about knowing when to make the right changes that will propel you into future success. Genesischurch.tv is at a place that we need to shift gears for long term success. It is an exciting time in our church’s history as we move forward and I want you to get ready for another amazing part of our faith journey. So here is a couple of the announcements that were made last night. First the bad news…

Pastor Phil Harris has accepted a position as Associate Pastor, serving alongside his brother, Kevin, who is the Senior Pastor. This is an incredible opportunity for Pastor Phil, and one that did not come except by prayer and fasting. Getting the opportunity to serve God alongside of your brother is rare, but this is more of a God thing than a brother thing. In Pastor Phil’s words “It’s a God thing, and to not go, would be a thing of disobedience.” There are no words that could attempt to describe the size of the whole he is leaving us with. He is not replaceable, both as a leader and a person. He will be missed, yet his new church will be blessed more than they know.

Now for the GREAT NEWS…

Effective February 1st, 2009 both the Midtown and West Campuses will merge and become one massive church! We will begin meeting at the West Campus which from now will be referred to as the Blountstown Location. This exciting merge will provide a enormous list of positives, and while I will not try to list them all, here are few:

1. It’s a God thing. Pastor Brian was awaken in the middle of the night a few weeks back with a God led plan. This move will allow us to do way more now than we have been doing in ministry. We will no longer just be keeping the doors open, but will have the ability to empower and resource you to be the church we are meant to be.
2. We will have combined resources and equipment. With two campuses fully operating, we will be able to make our already excellent experiences truly remarkable.
3. We will have a leadership surplus. With amazing volunteer teams at both campuses merging, we will be able to expand and do more than we ever could before.
4. It’s a financial stabilizing move. No one is exempt from the economic times that we live in, including churches. By letting go of the annex and the midtown rental location, we will be able to cut one of the biggest parts of our overhead. This cut will allow us to retain all current staff members and if nothing else changes some surplus that we can utilize to minister to our community.

Some of you have a ton of questions right now, but let me hit the ones that many are asking:

1. What happens to me? I am going to become the Executive Pastor of Families as well as a teaching pastor. I will head up discipleship, oversee the leaders of GenesisKIDS, continue with all counseling duties, share in some of the teaching responsibilities with Pastor Brian, and help in the day-to-day operations of the church. Many of the things I have already been doing, but now it is on a much bigger scale. I am excited about this role and my ability to help Genesischurch.tv be all it can be.
2. What happens to Arron? Arron will be utilized as a vital part of our Sunday Experiences as well as continuing to lead the Diverge Band. He will also be utilized in our Fuse College ministry. I will let him speak or himself on the subject, and you can do that here.
3. Is there enough room for both campuses plus all the new people we are expecting as a result of the marketing plan? I hope not! We will open the doors with 2 services and be ready to go to 3 within weeks. After that, who knows, maybe a Saturday night service…

These lists could go on and on, but for the sake of brevity I will close this out. If you have questions, comments, or concerns you can leave them here or email me at ben@genesischurch.tv.

Make no mistake, this is a God thing. We are not backing up, we are not regressing, we are doing the right thing at the right time of our journey. We will come together on February 1st and begin to be what God wants us to be: a church of influence in a city that desperately needs it. So go out this week and know Christ…and…MAKE HIM KNOWN!

Fred Allen Quote Of The Week

“What’s on your mind, if you will allow the overstatement?” —Fred Allen

Priceless…

If you don’t get it…exactly.

Sunday Unwound

I have decided that in 2009 I am changing my blog stuff a little. In the upcoming weeks, this site will be getting a much needed facelift, and that will help keep it fresh. Another change is that I am reworking the famous “Sunday Rewound,” into a new section called “Sunday Unwound.” I usually write this late on Sunday evening when I am unwinding from the day. I am thinking a rehashing the day, so instead of just being a rundown of what happened it will also include some of my thoughts about the day and the church in general. I hope you enjoy the added content.

• I was so excited about what I was going to teach that I didn’t sleep well last night. That made this morning a little slow, but after a little (okay, a lot) of coffee I was ready to go.
• I listened to the song “Remedy” on the latest David Crowder CD on the way in and it made me cry. The song just hit me, and messed me up all morning. Check it out, and listen to the words, they are inspired.
• The transformation of our church facilities is really coming along. The “B” Building is really sharp and almost complete. When I pulled in I was excited about the new colors and look. Can’t wait for the front building to be done.
• It was great to see most of our college students back. They bring an amazing energy to our morning experiences. We are not the same without them…
• Had a bunch of new first time guests today which is exciting, but even more so are the ones that came back today after visiting 2 weeks ago. We will grow this church one person at a time. (That is until Feb 1 when we are believing for alot more!)
• God is working some amazing things out in our church. Still can’t believe I get to do this for a living.
• I spoke this morning on Personal Growth in 2009. It was challenging to those that want to grow deeper in their faith journey. To everyone else, it was probably boring. Oh well…can’t please them all…won’t even try.
• I made the statement “if you tell me you do not have time to pray, I won’t believe you.” I wasn’t trying to be mean, I was being real. We need to pray. All of us.
• I also said that giving was not optional nor can it only be given when “you have the money.” It is wrong to murder, even if a person annoys you, right? God’s directives do not come with clauses. We do them because it is the RIGHT thing to do, even when it is not the easiest thing to do.
• I want to see you live life to its fullest. I want you to be in the will of God. I want you to see your purpose fulfilled. Growing with God this year will get you closer to those goals.
• Everyone needs to be at the Annex on Thomasville road this Wednesday at 7:00. Pastor Brian will be unfolding the plans for our church and you will not want to miss a very amazing, important announcement. One of our core values is change, and change is coming…get ready.

I would like everyone who reads this to keep our staff in your prayers this month. We have a lot to do in a very short amount of time, and will need God’s directions in some very tough decisions we have to make. We love you and are so excited about what God is doing in our church. He truly is amazing…

New Years Day Thoughts

So the New Year is upon us and that means a time of reflection for most people. We look back on the good and bad of 2008, and then forward to 2009. What will you do better? What will you do more or less of? What does God have in store for you this year? SO here are some thoughts about life, Genesischurch.tv, and yes…me.
• 2008 was a year of stretching for a lot of people. I watched people go through some of the toughest economic times I have ever lived through. Things seem to be getting better (gas prices are down) and we might have lived through the worst of it. God provides for those who are faithful.
• I am anxious to see what is in store under the leadership of our new president. Yes I said OUR new president. Whether I voted for him or not is not the issue. I will support the man in his office. I will pray for him to have wisdom, patience, and guidance as I have for the last few presidents. Will change really happen, we will only see.
• Genesischurch.tv is a lot like Tallahassee weather. If you don’t like it, stick around it will change! We have seen more change in any one year than most churches see in 20, and it is not over. As we grow in numbers and influence, be ready for God to continually change us into what He wants for us to be. Some of our changes have been a direct result of God’s plan for us, and some of our changes have been as a result of what has happened to us. Our story is not over, it’s still being written and I am honored to be a part of it.
• Okay for me? What are my resolutions, you ask? Well, here we go…
• I am going to take people up on babysitting this year. People have offered, and Brenda and I politely decline, but that will stop. We need to spend more time together. I wish I could say we have date nights, but in reality, we have none. Yes we have family nights a lot, but a night for just her and I, never. I know how many people are about to bash me, but hey, I am changing it now. So if you are a competent adult that wants to spend a few hours with three amazing kids, let me know!
• I will FINISH my Doctorate this year. I am so close that I can already hear people calling me Dr. Liles. Gonna be weird, but in all honesty, most people won’t call me that because I won’t tell most people. Except Brenda, she will address me as Dr. Liles around the house! It has been a long, hard process. If I would have known it was going to be this hard, I am not sure I would have started.
• I will read more books of my choice this year. Don’t get me wrong, I read, but mostly has been textbooks and research books. I did get to read a few good books last year, but not enough. I enjoyed “11 Relationships…” by Sweet and “Tribes” by Godin probably the most. Thanks to Josh Lane for the hookup on the Godin book!
• I want to expand my musical library. I have all kinds of music, but I am ready for something new and challenging. Some music I listen to because I like to music, some because I like the depth of lyrics, but I am ready for something that will really challenge the spiritual depth of my soul. The last CD that really did that was Jeremy Riddle’s release “Full Attention.” There has been a ton of great music in the last few years by United, Fee, Tomlin, Foreman, etc but I am ready for something to move me. Something to challenge who I am as a Christ-Follower.
• I will stop yelling at the TV during Kentucky Wildcat Basketball games…as much.
• I’ll try to stop laughing at stupid people…as much. Maybe its not their fault they are stupid, uh oh, I think I just became one. HAHA I just laughed at myself.
• (This one has been given to me by Brenda.) I will cook her a meal from the Carrabba’s menu twice a month. I wonder if I took her to Carrabba’s on one of our date nights if that would count? Double up, baby!
• I will blog more often. If I go a little too, long between posts, I hear about it. Honestly, I appreciate it. I guess I did not realize that as many people read my teachings, thoughts, and ramblings. I have had wonderful stories from leaders who read and get a new idea or some encouragement, or just a laugh, and for that it is worth it. Thanks for all the comments and emails, they keep me going.
• I will continue my workout routine that I restarted this week. Yes I hurt, but I feel better about myself.
• And Last but not least, I will seek God on levels I never have before. Everyday I will strive to know Him more than I did before, and then allow Him to mold me into the person, husband, father, and pastor that He wants me to be. After all, isn’t that really all we should strive to do?

Okay, have a great day and let’s make 2009 a year of personal growth, church explosion, and spiritual depth! Buckle up and hold on…