10 things you may not know about NewPointe

1. The entire staff meets every Monday morning to pray together and share success stories.

2. The band rehearses for hours upon hours including Wednesday nights as well as Sunday mornings (including a complete service run-through).

3. Most of our communicators actually "preach" their sermons to a small group of people who offer feedback and ideas for improvement.

4. Every prayer request that is submitted on the communication cards is prayed for by a staff member.

5. Once a month Dwight gives a leadership lesson at the all-staff meeting.

6. 100% of the ReignForest murals were painted by volunteers.

7. The most popular smoothie drink at Origins Cafe is the Strawberry Bomb (Extreme Peach is a close second--I like them both!).

8. There are currently over 100 adult small groups meeting in various locations on various days of the week. The #1 way people connect to a small group is through Group Link.

9. Approximately 300 people have completed Starting Pointe since January 2006.

10. NewPointe's average weekly attendance has increased by about 500 since November of 2006. The strategy for reaching people in our communities is called Invest and Invite. Our programming team promises to make each service creative and relevant--so you can invite your friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors, confident that they'll have a great experience. A new series starts September 9 (The Secret Revealed). It's a great opportunity to invest and invite (you can even do it through NewPointe's website).

they're real...and they're spectacular

The authenticity of our sandcastle photos from our recent Florida vacation has been called into question. Someone told me that they heard that we just posed in front of the castles...that we didn't really build them. We just got our photos back from Wal-Mart today and so, for the record: each one of the castles in the photos that follow are, indeed, Bunn family originals (you can see us working on the castles in most of these photos). And just in case you're confused...The Bunnelle family are the ones who pose in front of other people's creations :)

Really, we had a blast building them. Many of you have commented on how you've enjoyed the pics...so here are some more.

"i'm not comfortable in a big church"

I was talking to a guy who's going to be planting a church in Sugarcreek next Spring. He scheduled an appointment with me so he could just come and pique my brain about the area and get get a feel for how NewPointe does ministry. I asked him, "Why Sugarcreek?" His response was basically that his denomination's research indicated that there was an opportunity to reach people in the Sugarcreek area.

So, of course, I'm curious to know what this new church is going to do that NewPointe isn't already trying to do. Who's gonna be reached by this new church that we're not trying to reach? He said those are good questions and that he has talked to people in the area who have stopped going to church. He said he tells them, "Hey, if I lived here and was looking for a church, I'd go to NewPointe." He says the most common response he gets from those people is, "I'm not comfortable going to a big church like that."

Not comfortable going to a big church? Okay then...I guess you won't be comfortable in heaven then. 'Cause it's a lot bigger than NewPointe.

Is NewPointe too big? I don't think so. Hell's too big.

what not to wear

Part 1
I've been asked to preach at a Mennonite church in Millersburg. After asking to be clued in on a few of the details, I finally asked, "What would be appropriate for me to wear when I preach at your church?"

Here's the response: "Oh, you can just wear whatever you wear when you preach at your church."

Jenny was with me. She felt compelled to intercept that one. "I don't really think you want to tell him that."

"Really?"

"Well," I replied, "I wore jeans and a t-shirt to church last Sunday."

Click here to see the response I got from the Mennonites.

"Well, our pastors wear ties."

"That's cool," I said. "I can dig up a tie."


Part 2
Natalie (my 7th-grader) has her first home volleyball game tonight. The coach asked the team to dress up for school today. So the question arose, "What exactly does 'dress up' mean?"

The coach says, "Just wear whatever you'd wear to church."

Natalie's going, "Sweet!" Because, of course, what she wears to school is pretty much the same thing she wears to church on Sundays. But of course, she stepped it up a notch this morning.


So, what about the way people dress at NewPointe? Well it really gets back to the message Dwight shared two Sundays ago. Remember the bridge and the planks? The idea is that we don't want to make it difficult for people to come to church. And believe it or not, there is an I-don't-have-anything-to-wear mentality for some people.

I love the fact that we can say to people who ask the What should I wear question: Jeans are cool. You could wear what you're wearing right now and fit in fine at NewPointe. See, we want to make it easy for people to come to church. We want to eliminate obstacles to coming to Christ. So the whole wardrobe objection...is not in play.

Come as you are. Isn't that the message of the Gospel?

...we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Acts 15:19

sunday's scuds (august 26, 2007)

Dwight concluded the All Access series with a message "All Important." The idea being that everyone plays an important, necessary role in the Body of Christ. He talked about how in our society, people are basically on a quest to be completely independent--to be free to do what they want to do when they want to do it. And, at first glance, this seems to be the way to go, but as Dwight showed us, independence is actually an empty destination. He took us to 1 Corinthians 12 where it shows us that fulfillment in life is not found in isolation and independence. It's found in becoming a integral part of what God is doing. Here are the scuds:

• "To win as a team, each player must be willing to do what ever role is necessary to win."
• "It's amazing to me how sports teams have figured this out but the church hasn't."
• "If you think church is boring then you just don't get it yet."
• "The closest you'll ever get to experiencing Jesus Christ here on earth is for you to be a part of a group of believers who are making a difference."
• "This concept is hard for Americans to grasp because we're a people who want to be independent and autonomous."
• "It's amazing what happens when the body of Christ understands that we're all connected."
• "Once you accept Christ, you are part of the body."
• "All are connected but all are different."
• "The most significant thing that you'll do on planet Earth will be through the body of Christ...because it impacts eternity."
• "People who just come to church and sit are nothing more than spiritual porkers. You wanna grow? Find your role in the body of Christ. "
• "You'll never find peace, you'll never have satisfaction, you'll never find your role in this world...on your own."
• "When any of us get sick, we become self-centered. It's the same way in the church."
• "There are a lot of people doing a lot of things around here that you may never know about. And if they stopped doing it, we wouldn't be able to function as a church."
• "The Bible says that where there's envy and jealousy, there is all kinds of evil. That's what makes a body sick."
• "Wanna sense the presence of God in your life? Find your role in the body."

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1
Corinthians 12:27

i've been simpsonized

What do you think?

i'm tired of people...

Yes, I admit, this post is a bit of a rant.

Here goes: I'm tired of people. Let me clarify...I'm tired of people living for themselves--not doing anything significant with their lives. Not living their lives in light of eternity.

I'm fed up with this 'here and now,' instant-gratification generation.

I'm tired of excuses. "Well, I just don't have the time, my life is so busy right now." Or, "After this season of life, I'll do that great thing for God..." Spare me. It all boils down to priorities. The reality is that most people, and I do mean most people are just self-centered and/or indifferent to a needy, hurting, and lost world.

We've GOT to stop screwing around and begin making a difference! Ask yourself this question: What am I doing for God right now that's going to impact eternity? Or am I just offering up excuses?

People need hope. They need fed. They need healed. They need loved. They need Jesus. And the church is so preoccupied with inconsequential stuff we've stopped being the salt and light the world so desperately needs.

We cannot afford to get this wrong! The stakes are too high! Let's wake up and get busy!

If you've read this far into this post, you may be rolling your eyes or shaking your head. Maybe you're agreeing with me. Maybe you're not. Maybe you're in denial. Keep reading.

If you're not serving...you're just offering excuses as to why you aren't. That's all they are.
If you're not tithing...you're just offering excuses.
If you're not in a small group...you're just offering excuses.
If you're not leading a small group...excuses.
If you're not sharing Christ with your family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors...excuses.
If you're putting off that mission trip that God has placed before you...excuses.
If you're not investing and inviting...excuses.
If you're not helping the poor, feeding the hungry, helping the orphans, the widows...excuses.

Let's quit the excuses and start DOING!

"Well, John, if I could just have more training...if I could just have one more Bible study to prepare me...if I could just take some time to get my spiritual act together..."

Maybe getting your spiritual act together means getting off your spiritual duff and just start somewhere. Do something.

Eternity is forever. Hell is a real place. There is real suffering in this world. We can't lose sight of that! We've got to do something about it.

What can you do? Really. What can you do? The way Dwight puts it is, "What are you doing right now that if God were to die, you'd have to stop doing it?" In other words, what should you be doing right now because God is who he says he is and he's counting on you to be a difference maker?

So, is this a rant? I guess so. Am I upset? Yes. Who am I talking to? Mainly me.

a new season of kidstuf begins this sunday!

When we began KidStuf in its current format (between services, a no-drop-off-zone), we had no idea it would get as huge as it's become. From the beginning we've packed 500+ people in the KidStuf theater. Week one in December was standing-room-only and it's continued to be that way. Later we added a second KidStuf (following the second service) just to accommodate the demand.

Man, KidStuf is a blast! I love the whole philosophy. I love the approach. I love the idea of kids and parents learning virtues together--stuff they can talk about at home. I love the idea of kids and parents laughing together. I can't wait till this Sunday!

This Sunday a brand new season of KidStuf begins. If you've got a kid in grades K - 4, holy smokes, make sure you're there! (I heard a rumor that a certain fella named Bubba Joe was going to be there...I can neither confirm or deny that report. You'll just have to come find out for yourself.)

Don't know what KidStuf is about? Check out this video:

coach, wrong ball

My friend Kyle Miller emailed this video to me. Brilliant.

why NewPointe doesn't do biker sundays

A question I sometimes get asked by my biker friends is, "Why doesn't NewPointe have a biker Sunday?"

Biker Sundays have become all the rage...all over the country. Typically, a church will decide to do one as an outreach event, inviting all the bikers to ride their motorcycles to church for a special service, usually followed by free lunch and a big ride or parade. They're very fun. Very cool. My good friend Steve Combs is one of the biker Sunday pioneers. He's been doing biker Sundays for about 10 years.

I think they're fun, and there's no denying that many bikers have been impacted and forever changed through biker Sunday events. Shoot, we've even ridden from NewPointe to a couple Biker Sundays recently.

So why don't we do biker Sunday at NewPointe? Well, it's because we believe every Sunday is Biker Sunday at NewPointe. Really. See, we've worked extremely hard to create an environment where all people, including bikers, can come to church and not be weirded-out. My biggest hang-up with many biker Sunday events at churches is that for one Sunday (Biker Sunday) the church decides they're going to try and be relevant and connect with real people...bikers. So they do rock and roll music, they wear jeans and t-shirts, they bring a special speaker who can "relate" to the bikers...they basically roll out the red carpet one day a year for bikers.

My question is: why just one day a year? Because here's the reality: even if Biker Sunday is great...and even if a biker really connects with it...even if a biker "gets saved," then what? He's going to come back next week and experience church music, church people, in some cases a choir (wearing choir robes) and usually it's just nothing like the biker Sunday he experienced a week ago.

So what we try to do at NewPointe is create an environment that's going to connect with a biker (or a banker, or a baker, or a broker) every Sunday. We want to be relevant and real next Sunday to. So that's what we do. We want you to be comfortable inviting your biker friends this Sunday, or the next Sunday, or any Sunday. And we're confident that they're going to have a good (and unusual) church experience.

My opinion is that most bikers have negative preconceptions about church. So we get them to come to a Biker Sunday, we do things differently, and then the next week we confirm those negative preconceptions. If a church wants to reach bikers, then why not do those "different" things every week? See, that's what we're all about.

At NewPointe, we love bikers. We love them so much that we've just gone ahead and made every Sunday "Biker Sunday." Wanna invite your biker friend? This Sunday works. Or...how 'bout September 23? We've got a great ride planned for after the second service on that day.

sunday's scuds (august 19, 2007)

Unfortunately, while on vacation, I wasn't able to offer scud reviews. Yesterday was my first Sunday back, so we'll pick things up right there.

Dwight brought part two of a message series called All Access. Here's a bird's-eye view of what he shared: He basically said that most people don't have a problem with God. After all, lots and lots of them show up at church for Christmas and Easter. But, unfortunately, people do have a problem with the church. He shared how, basically, for as long as there's been a "church," church people have made Christianity so complex that people simply write it off as irrelevant and/or confusing. He even showed us how this problem surfaced in the early days of the church, how they dealt with it, and what we can learn from from it.

Here are the scuds:

• "Years ago I told God, I want to be able to pastor a church that I would want to attend. Many pastors lead churches they wouldn't even want to go to."
• "Your system is perfectly designed to give you the results you're currently getting."
• "The church is the only organization where its members give up rights...the members exist for others rather than themselves...when you join, you actually surrender your rights."
• "Popular opinion is that church is for church-people. That would mean that Christianity is only for church-people...that Jesus is only for church people. That's not true."
• "Jesus came to be a bridge...but the church has left slats in that bridge missing."
• "Jesus did not come so you and I can have a cool little Christian subculture."
• "Our mission is to build a bridge that's strong enough to bear the weight of the truth we have to share."
• "Traditions cause us to respond emotionally."
• "What typically happens is that we get hung up on traditions and because of that we end up making it difficult for people to come to Christ."
• "There's nothing wrong with traditions but when traditions are the first, most important thing, we're in big, big trouble."
• "I'm afraid that the American Church is more in love with their traditions than they are with Jesus."
• "Do I value traditions? Sure I do...but not if they stand in the way of people coming to Christ."

Scriptures to read and consider:

• Acts 15:1-31
• 1 Corinthians 9:19, 22-23
• 2 Corinthians 5:13

married life live photos and recap

MLL lived up to the hype (in my humble opinion). It was truly a great night. Thank you everyone who stopped me in the hallways today to share your stories, to laugh again at some of the outrageous events that took place, or just to share how special the evening was for you.

I had a blast! Man, I love Married Life Live! And how cool is it that I have a job that allows me to co-host MLL. Lee Ann Miller was funny and charming as usual. My favorite bit had to be the secret word song game we played with the band. And just for the record, yes, it was a set up. The band had the songs ready in advance (what gave it away, the lyrics on the back wall?).

I think the funniest things are the things that happen that are unplanned. Like the guy mistakenly calling himself Melissa. Like the text messaging game when Mike Conn texted "I think you're hot" to me--VERY funny.

The band rocked it out. They kicked off the night with Huey Lewis's "The Power of Love." They also absolutely nailed Tom Petty's "Don't Do Me Like That." They even mixed in some Beatles, Kansas, Lynard Skynard, and Queen during the secret word song game. Too much fun! Mad props to Jeff, Jody, Denielle, Q, and Phebe. Rock on, guys!

Dave Hartman and Carol Miller were outstanding in the four-part comedy sketch as Mary and Harry in "Married and Harried." Great work, guys.

And Kevin West knocked it out of the park again. Kevin, you're the man. Great insight and a great challenge for all of our marriages. By the way, CDs of his talk are available at the NewPointe bookstore.

The food was tremendous...thanks to Jean Vacha and her crew. The servers? Well, they completely served over 400 people in 25 minutes. Where are the Guinness Book people when you need them?

Thanks Dave Mast and the media crew. Outstanding work. Tech crew, a job well done. Stagehands, you guys were money. Hosts, greeters, ticket-takers, decorators...you are all awesome!

It's always dangerous to start thanking people publicly like this because I'm bound to overlook someone. But huge thanks need to go out to several people in particular:

Teresa Raber. She's literally the one who makes MLL happen. If you had any idea how many intricate details are involved in a major event like MLL, you'd be floored. And Teresa's on top of every one of those details. She's simply the best.

Dave and Miriam Beachy. I'm beginning to think they're super-human. They're the most willing, able, humble, hard-working, gracious people I know. They work so hard behind the scenes. MLL could not have happened without them.

Oh, and here's one more: thanks, Paul Rothel, for the great pics!

Well, I hope you and your spouse got in on the fun. If not, don't worry, there's another MLL coming: October 27. Tickets will go on sale in a few weeks. We'll keep you posted.

groupLink update

If you've been around NewPointe much lately, then you know that Group Link is happening next Saturday (August 25, 7:00 p.m.).

If you're not yet connected to a small group Group Link is THE BEST way to do it.

I've talked to people who, in the past, have been hesitant to come to Group Link. They tell me that for them, it came down to not knowing what to expect or fear that they wouldn't know anybody there and thus...feel out of place. And I say those are legitimate concerns. But here's what we want you to know:

We know that those are you concerns! We are very aware of them. So what our small groups team has done is we've made the whole Group Link experience as simple and accommodating as possible. We'll be there to ease you out of awkwardness right into fun. Hey, don't let that "What-if-I feel-awkward-there?" thinking keep you from coming.

We already know (from online registrations) that there will be over 100 people there, besides you, who will come feeling the same way, with the same kinds of reservations about attending.

What I'm trying to say is: don't worry. We'll take good care of you...and we PROMISE you'll have fun...with no obligation. (At least come for the free macchiatos and gourmet cheesecake)

It's not too late to register for Group Link. More and more are registering every day. You can get signed up right here.

See you there!

some creative stuff from other churches:

Check out what some of my online friends from other churches are doing. Cool stuff...

Granger Community Church is doing a series called The Office...and they created a website to go with it: My Office Secrets

The folks at Lifechurch.tv are doing a series right now called 30 Days to Live. Incredibly creative, incredibly compelling. Check it out here: 30 Days to Live. Make sure you check out the real-life stories. Amazing.

Oasis Church in Florida does church seven days a week at 7 p.m. each night. Each service features a different theme, approach, and leadership. Check out what they're doing at: Seven Nights of Worship

Vineyard of Greater Boston is doing a YouTube contest for it's fall kick-off. Attenders are invited to submit videos that promote the church. Cash prizes will be awarded. Very cool idea. Here's the link: Vineyard Video Contest

And finally, as I was bumping around the 'Net, I came across this Lifechurch.tv video (it's a year old but I thought it was worth sharing):

conversation with a cab driver

We needed a ride to the airport on our last day of vacation. So we called an airport shuttle service. A guy named Darnell came to pick us up. It's about a 20-minute ride to the airport so that gave me a chance to converse with Darnell. I sat in the front seat with him. During the course of our conversation, he asked me what I did for a living in Ohio. I said, "I'm a pastor at a church near Canton...in Amish country. Darnell had tons of questions about the Amish. He was especially intrigued by the fact that my next door neighbors are Amish. Then things got quiet for a moment. After a few seconds of silence, Darnell says, "You're a pastor...can I ask you something?"

"Go for it," I replied.

He said, "When it comes to paying the tithe, should you tithe on your net income or the gross?"

I said, "Have you been reading my blog?" (I didn't really ask him that, but it was an amazing question considering it's coming from a complete stranger and I just blogged about that very subject less than two weeks ago.)

I went on to tell him some of the stuff I shared in my blog post. I told him about the principle of first fruits. I told him that how much a person gives is between that person and God. Basically, shared with him the things I shared here in my blog.

He goes on to say, "The reason I asked is because I'm brand new to all this. I'm just beginning my walk with Christ and my wife and I want to be faithful givers. So we just wrote our first tithe check last Sunday."

I congratulated him on his act of obedience and told him that the Lord will honor that.

He said, "It was so hard to write that check. Because it's a lot of money. And we're not exactly sure how we're going to make it, but we decided to trust God with it."

I said, "Man, that is huge! I'm so happy for you. What a great step of faith and obedience."

He replied, "What you're saying about the tithe is exactly what my pastor is saying. So thank you, I feel better about it now."

He dropped us off at the airport and helped us with our bags. I tipped him well, shook his hand, wished him the best and headed into the terminal in awe of the God-appointment I had been blessed to experience.

u can still get in on married life live

I just found out that there are some tickets still available for this Saturday's MLL. So if you still want in on it, here's what you need to do. Call the church office at 330-602-5600 and ask to purchase MLL tickets and one of our friendly staff will be happy to assist you. Tickets are no longer available online.

We reviewed some of the details and creative elements for MLL today. Man, I can't wait. Don't miss out!

final vacation thoughts

This is it. Today we head back to the Buckeye state. I plan to be at Aqua tonight (7:00 p.m. in the Warehouse...college/singles...I hope to see you there). Our trip has been nothing short of fantastic. Here are some final thoughts/observations:

• Natalie is very good at miniature golf. She tied my score last night.
• Ben & Jerry have a new rival for our favorite ice cream. It's called Blue Bell. We first discovered it a Carrabba's. They have it shipped in from Texas. Florida supermarkets have it in the frozen food section. The homemade vanilla is unbelievable.
• We're using an airport transportation service to get us to the airport today. Which brings up the question: What's an appropriate tip for the driver? I did some research. The answer: usually about 15% of the invoice plus about a dollar per bag if he helps with them.
• We found a great restaurant last night: Mel's Diner in Cape Coral. No, we didn't see Alice or Flo...and it's much nicer than you're everyday diner. We all give it a huge thumbs-up. And the whole family at for under $30. The kids meals were only $2 and they included drinks and ice cream sundaes. What a deal! And none of the kids were able to finish their entree (generous portions).
• We probably hit six thrift stores over the past two weeks. Sometimes when we're out and we see one, we'll go check it out. We found a great Goodwill store last night. Thrift stores are like huge, organized garage sales. Here are some of our vacation finds: I got two pairs of jeans for $6 each. I got a very nice Ralph Lauren button-down for $4. We found a sweet life vest for Andrew to use at the beach for $5. The kids got knock-off Crocs for $3 a pair. I got several CDs for $4 each including Nora Jones, Fleetwood Mac, and Relient K (brand new...still in wrapper). Natalie got an Ambercrombie corduroy jacket for $3. A boogie board for beach use for $2. GAP jeans for each of the girls for $6 each...just to name a few. If you don't shop thrift stores, I'd be interested in knowing why you don't. We don't always find great finds but it's worth it to us to check things out every once in a while.
• Andrew drove his first go-cart by himself last night. No crashes.
• We finished season three of 24 last night. Somehow we squeezed those in after the kids went to bed in the evenings. Season three was good but man, did it leave a lot of questions unanswered.

That's it for now. See you at Aqua...or Married Life Live...or church this Sunday.

NewPointe has been nominated...

In doing some recent web surfing, I discovered that NewPointe has been nominated as one of America's most innovative churches. Here's the list of nominees so far:

Click through to see the plexo

Here's the link: Innovative Churches 2008

yes, we're still on vacation...

...And we're having a great time. Yesterday we visited a very cool waterpark in Naples. It a fun day, and a nice break from the beach. A couple of the waterslides were the fastest and most intense I've ever been on. One of the slides spits you and your tube right out into the lazy river. Others didn't need tubes, they were long and extremely dark, making it impossible to know what was coming next. Andrew was very content just to hang around in the 'tadpole pool.' The whole family got in for about $45. Good deal. Good day.

Below are pictures of our dining experience at Famous Dave's. The platter you see on the table in front of the fam is called the All-American Feast. A slab of spareribs, a whole chicken, beef brisket, coleslaw, fries, beans, corn bread muffins and corn-on-the-cob. And no, we weren't able to finish it. We took some back to the condo and ate it for lunch the next day.


My mom spent the day with us. She lives about an hour away. We celebrated her birthday Famous Dave-style.

Here's a pic of our most recent sandcastle creation. Have I mentioned that we love the beach? Have I mentioned that we like to build sandcastles?

Yesterday Jenny was telling me how often times, people returning from vacation, say, "We had a great trip but it's good to be home and to get back into the routine." She said, "I don't think I'll be saying that. I've enjoying myself too much on this trip." I'd have to agree. But...you can't stay on vacation forever. I'll be back Tuesday...straight from the airport to Aqua. Then it's Married Life Live on Saturday and GroupLink the following Saturday. I'd love to stay here...but I'm totally stoked about what's happening when we get back.

more vacation thoughts and observations

• The place we're staying is right on a golf course...and I don't have my clubs with me.
• We've all managed to stay relatively sunburn-free. Mrs. Bunn stays on top of the sun screen situation.
• I'm not sure if I can visit the beach without building a sandcastle. Am I addicted?
• Took the kids to see Ratatouille a couple days ago. Very good flick. Maybe my favorite Pixar movie yet.
• Ever since our arrival, we've been on a quest to find the perfect pair of Crocs for Naomi. Mission accomplished yesterday. Now we're on the prowl for jibbitz.
• Andrew and I are the family go-cart champs. Our two-seater McDonalds car whupped everybody else's at Mike Greenwell's.
• We set some family goals for this vacation (other than snoobies). One of the kid's goals is to watch the complete season two of the Brady Bunch on dvd. I think they're gonna make it (they watch some of them in the car). See below for some of my Brady Bunch thoughts and questions.
• Jenny and I are trying to watch season three of 24. I don't think we're going to make it. We're halfway through with only five days left. Jack Bauer is either the luckiest person on earth or the unluckiest. I haven't figured out which yet.
• Another of my goals is to read this book while here. All I can say is wow.
• We really liked the church we visited Sunday (Next Level Church). I think we're going back this Sunday. They meet at a local high school. Their approach is similar to NewPointe's. They do a lot of things very well and it's obvious they're committed to excellence. They packed out the school auditorium. The pastor is a strong communicator. The people there were friendly and helpful.

And now, my thoughts on the Brady Bunch:

• Why does Mike Brady call Sam the Butcher "Sam" but Sam calls Mike "Mr. Brady"?
• As great as an architect as Mike is supposed to be...can he not figure out a better solution for his family's house? I mean six kids sharing two bedrooms and ONE BATH!
• I'm pretty sure Mike Brady has his pajamas pressed (I guess Alice does it).
• How do they get so many famous people to visit their home (Don Drysdale, Wes Parker, Joe Namath, Davey Jones...just to name a few)? For our family, the most famous person we've ever had come visit is Dwight Mason.

why building sandcastles is like life

As the kids and I were building sandcastles, it made me think that, in a lot of ways, building them is like building a life. Here's what I mean:

• You have to start with a solid foundation.


• It's not something you want to do alone. It's more enjoyable and rewarding to do it with friends.


• Others may stop to marvel at it...but you know the truth...it could come crashing down at any moment.


• Collapses and cave-ins will happen. They're unavoidable. But...they're always a blessing in disguise. They show you where you need to be stronger. And after you rebuild that area of your castle, you're always better off. You'll be able to take it higher than before.


• Building a good one doesn't take a lot of skill. It just takes time. Persistence. Patience.
  
• A lot of people give up too soon when building. Or they bail after the first collapse figuring, "What's the use?" You have to fight through the difficulties.


• You're never really done building. There's always room for improvements, new features, and new heights.


• You have no control over how long it lasts. Your castle's life and longevity is in the hands of a greater power...in this case, the tide.

more vacation thoughts and observations

It's day 6 of our vacation...I've got some catching up to do. So here we go...

• The car we're driving is decked out with all the bells and whistles. My favorite feature: a GPS. Talks to you and everything. Makes it virtually impossible to get lost. Sometimes I drive the wrong way just to see what happens. The GPS never gets mad at me, it just kindly offers me a new route. If you're shopping for a Christmas present for moi, the GPS is at the top of my list.
• I'd rather eat black licorice than chocolate. It's probably my favorite candy (with Swedish Fish being a close second).
• It took me a while to figure out that the tide patterns are different in August than they are in June. This is very important information for sandcastle-building.
• Currently the gulf water temperature is 88. Daytime air temp: 95. In the evenings, the water is warmer than the air. Weird.
• Our favorite time to go to the beach is around 5 p.m. Less crowded, cooler temps, and we always stay for spectacular sunsets.
• A guy named Joe came and plopped himself down as we were building a castle the other day. Joe is a true beach bum. Tattoos everywhere. Rough, raspy voice. Asked me if I had a light for his smoke. Then he asked me if he could hang with us for a while. Said he enjoyed our company. It totally expected him to ask me for money before he left. I was preparing my speech for how I was going to tell him no. He never did. He truly just wanted to hang. He was nice to my kids. We got to know each other a bit. He's from Detroit...and a Michigan fan. I forgave him. It's too bad that my first thought when Joe sat down with us was, he's got an agenda. He wants something from me. All he wanted to do was hang out with us. I wish more people were like that.
• A family near us at the beach began mimicking our sandcastle-building technique. The competition was on. We smoked 'em.
• There's a big Goodwill store nearby. We like thrift stores. It's like a giant garage sale. I got Fleetwood Mac's greatest hits for $3.99. Cha-ching.

a tale of 14 snoobies

Our family LOVES snoobies (a.k.a snoobahs, schnoobies, and, schnoobahs--all are acceptable). I guess some explanation is in order. Snoobies are more commonly known as Slurpees, Slushies, Slush Puppies, etc. One day while riding around town, Jenny asked the kids which name they prefer for what Speedway just calls "frozen drinks." After running down the list of options, Andrew decided he liked none of the available choices. So he declared, "I'm just going to call them Snoobies." So snoobies it is.

7-11 has great snoobies. Lots of variety (sour green apple, blue vanilla, sour watermelon, whoopie berry, bubble yum, full-throttle, tangerine-lime, orange cream, berry-pomegranate, etc.). And there are plenty of 7-11's here in Florida. So...one of our vacation goals: a snoobie-a-day. Our family usually shares a giant-sized snoobie. Today is day six of our vacation. The next snoobie we buy will be snoobie #7.

It's good to have goals.

the theology of andrew bunn

Andrew at lunch today: "God doesn't have a mommy......so he just has to babysit himself."

vacation thoughts and observations...day three

• Yup. There's a Skyline Chili here in Ft. Myers. Which means...there is a God! We hit it after a day at the beach yesterday. The whole restaurant is decked-out with sports items from the great state of Ohio...including the MVNU banner in the photo. How cool is that...I go eat at a restaurant in Florida and they're welcoming me with a pennant from my college. And...you just can't beat a large 3-way.
• Random beach observation: there are men who still wear speedos. Sheesh.
• If I could figure out a way to build sandcastles with my kids for a living, I'd have to explore that possibility.
• Prior to our trip, the girls and I determined that we were definitely going to go parasailing while we're here. So, while at the beach yesterday, we walked over to one of the parasailing stands to investigate. Our main discovery: $61.23 PER PERSON for a 2-mile ride. Needless to say...no parasailing this year.
• Florida has these little bugs that come out in the evenings called noseeums. They make pool-time a little less enjoyable.

We're having a great time. Wish you all were here...on second thought, no, we don't wish you all were here...then it wouldn't seem like vacation! :)

random vacation thoughts...

The fam and I are on vacation right now. Day three. Here are some random thoughts:

• $8.49 for an Arby's "value" meal at the airport seems like a contradiction to me. Why not just call it what it is: a "No-value meal."
• On the airplane, why not just put some ice in a cup, pop the can open and hand them both to me. Is it really necessary to pour a little bit in the cup, wait for the fizz to go down, pour a little more, wait some more...just so the airline can save half a can?
• The Akron-Canton airport rocks. I love it. Easy to get in, easy to find your gate, not crowded...Atlanta airport...that's a different story.
• Speaking of ATL...world headquarters for Coca-Cola. So you'd think, if they're going to sell Coke in a vending machine at the airport, they'd at least make sure it's cold! "Welcome to ATL, home of warm Coke and the world's most crowded airport."
• It rained our first full day here (Ft. Myers, FL). So it was groceries at Wal-Mart day. Spent $200 there. Jenny tells me that we would have spent that much if we'd stayed home anyway. Hey, ya gotta eat, right?
• Ricos nacho cheddar cheese sauce is the best!
• There's a brand new Famous Dave's here in Ft. Myers. We'll be hitting that this week.
• We plan to visit this church this Sunday.
• My brother-in-law pastors a Southern Baptist church in Indiana. You can find his blog here.
• I love my wife.

the tithe...net or gross?

First off, this isn't a rant or a plea to get more money for the church. Let's be clear on that. I get asked about tithing from time to time so I'm addressing it here in my blog. Here are my thoughts on tithing net vs. gross:

Giving 10% of your income back to God demonstrates your thankfulness to Him for what He has provided and helps you to remember to rely on God instead of on riches.

The Bible teaches the principle of giving first fruits. (Exodus 23:16, 34:22, Leviticus 2:12-14; 2 Chronicles 31:5). What that means is that God's people gave the best of their crops...not the leftovers. They offered God the very best, the very first and finest of their resources as an act of trust and obedience. This principle still applies today. If God is truly #1 in our lives, that fact should be reflected in our finances. It's all God's anyway...we're just stewards of it.

Now, the Bible does not specifically say whether we should tithe off our gross or net income. I'll say this, though, if you're giving off of net income just so you can give less and still "be cool with God," I'd say that's not a healthy perspective. It all goes back to your heart attitude. Are you giving out of reverence for God or out of selfishness for your own wealth?

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

What you give (or don't give) is between you and God. Fortunately the Bible does give us a "recommended minimum": the tithe.

A moment of personal transparency: When Jenny and I were newlyweds, we did not tithe...at all. Several years into our marriage, God began to speak to us about the importance of it. It was the whole, "Hey, am I really #1 in your life?" thing. Our response? "God, we can't afford to tithe right now. Maybe someday when we get some debt paid off...or when our income increases...or, really, when we feel like it, we will." We soon realized that that's the wrong approach. We started giving as a way of saying, "God, we believe you are who you say you are and that you'll do what you've promised to do."

So we began to give regularly. We didn't give 10% at first. We slowly worked our way up to do. But we did see God in action. He's always come through for us.

The tithing principle is difficult to wrap our minds around. It's counter-intuitive. Our tendency to to hoard. God's economy is different. And now Jenny and I have experienced that.

My life verse is Matthew 6:33: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.