“Green Houses”: The Inconvenient Truth February 29, 2008
Posted by Steve in : The City, Methods & Strategies, Adaptive Reuse, Energy Efficiency , add a commentAs energy prices continue to increase, I have searched for ways to reduce our cost of energy in our house — I am currently looking at solar power, wind energy and geothermal (although running a 300 foot deep pipe in the backyard doens’t seem feasible in the city) . If you like this stuff, check out Chicago company Aerotecture for their urban windmills! I came across an article that looked at two different approaches to home building and energy consumption. Look over the description of the following two houses and see if you can tell which one belongs to an environmentalist:
House Number One
So I find articles about the direction oA 20 room mansion (not including 8 bathrooms) heated by natural gas. Add on a pool (and a pool house) and a separate guest house, all heated by gas. In one month this residence consumes more energy than the average American household does in a year. The average monthly bill for electricity and natural gas runs over $2,400. In natural gas alone, this property consumes more than 20 times the national average for an American home. This house is not situated in a Northern or Midwestern “snow belt” area. It’s in the South.
House Number Two
Designed by an architecture professor at a leading national university. 
This house incorporates every “green” feature current home construction can provide. The house is 4,000 square feet ( 4 bedrooms ) and is nestled on a high prairie in the American southwest. A central closet in the house holds geothermal heat-pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk 300 feet into the ground. The water (usually 67 degrees F. ) heats the house in the winter and cools it in the summer. The system uses no fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas and it consumes one-quarter electricity required for a conventional heating/cooling system. Rainwater from the roof is collected and funneled into a 25,000 gallon underground cistern. Wastewater from showers, sinks and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks and then into the cistern. The collected water then irrigates the land surrounding the house. Surrounding flowers and shrubs native to the area enable the property to blend into the surrounding rural landscape.
House number one is outside of Nashville , Tennessee; it is the abode of the “environmentalist” Al Gore. House number two is on a ranch near Crawford, Texas; it is the residence the of the President of the United States , George W. Bush.
Alas, this is an “inconvenient truth” for environmentalists who can’t walk the talk.
Background
According to the Associated Press, the Gore’s 10,000 square foot Belle Meade residence (more…)
Great Reminder on Stewardship as a Leader February 27, 2008
Posted by Steve in : The City, Family, Church, Urban Church, Methods & Strategies, The Cultural Conversation, Culture and Faith , add a commentTim Stevens, the Executive Pastor at Granger Community Church is a person I respect greatly, and he has another great nugget of wisdom for leaders of all types concerning how to get a strong financial framework in your life. As I move out of the church business and into my sports-oriented social networking start-up, FanFuego.com, these lessons hit home for me…here are some of my favorite nuggets on maintaining a good financial situation…read the whole article here.
If this is an area of concern for you, you should know that at Park, we have one of the leading stewardship experts in the land named Matt Bell. Check out his website at www.financially-speaking.com and you can subscribe to his excellent Biblical newletters on good financial management practices here.
- Don’t use a credit card for anything you can’t pay off right away. Use a credit card for convenience, but don’t ever pay interest. If you can’t control yourself, get rid of the cards.
- Tithe–I really believe that God blesses those who tithe. I think he keeps the car running longer, the roof from leaking as soon as it would have, and He loves to sprinkle you with raises and added cash you didn’t expect.
- Give generously. The tithe is the minimum. We began our first year of marriage giving 10% of our income and then increased it every year until we got to 20%. The first 10% goes to the general fund at our church. The other 10% we use to support missionaries, give to new building projects at our church, and bless people who come into our lives.
- If you are married, don’t ever make a big purchase without talking to each other. Really, trust me on this. [AMEN BROTHER - I LEARNED THE HARD WAY )
- Teach your kids to handle their money. They aren’t going to learn financial management at school. No one else is going to teach them to be generous. By the time they’ve been out of your house a week, they will have already received 14 credit card invitations. Teach them early.
- Set aside money for fun. Fun with your spouse. Fun with your kids. Fun for yourself (for me, that means buying a geeky gadget on occasion).
- Don’t wait until you have more money to put wise financial management into practice in your life.
Reminder: We are in the Hope Business February 25, 2008
Posted by Steve in : The City, Chicago, Volunteers, Church, Urban Church, Methods & Strategies, The Cultural Conversation, Culture and Faith , add a commentAs we see more and more people step over the line of faith each week at Park Community Church, I was reminded this week in an article by John Ortberg, Senior Pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church that as Christians, we are in the hope business. And as a leader, the one task a leader can never delegate, especially in the church, is hope.
As leaders, we need to be hope leaders, not forgetting our sins and failures but coming to the cross, confessing, learning from it and continually reminding ourselves that we live with hope, under grace. As a leader, we need to surround ourselves in ministry with those who can breathe hope and energy into our lives so we can do the same with those we lead. This may be outsiders or may be your ministry team.
When people see a leader with this kind of vital optimism, who radiates a sense that together we can do what needs to be done, then people tend to decide not to waste their energy wondering about “if” but focus their energy going after “how.”
Check out the article.
Futurephone February 24, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , 1 comment so farAs many of you know, I will be moving back into the marketplace upon the opening of our church’s new ministry center and I am beginning to raise money from investors and put in place the infrastructure for my fifth company start-up. Along with Josh Wright, we are working in our free time to build a social network for sports fans and expect it to launch soon after the church ministry center is opened. But in planning for a social network, the use of mobile phone technology is so pervasive that it will be a cornerstone of our technical offering so that people can keep up with pro athletes, games and freinds all with a touch of a few buttons on their phone.
So I find articles about the direction of mobile phone technology to be fascinating and this week, Information Week published an article discussing the smartphone of 2010, indicating that over the next two years a new generation of mobile processors and faster mobile networks will combine to put the power of a PC onto the smartphone in your pocket. In addition, people will start to see the power of how Internet applications are evolving and how they are tied to mobility. Applications such as GPS-based location and navigation, social networking (good for our company), and Web 2.0 tools will present many opportunities for developers to enrich the devices.
Check it out here. What do you want your phone to do two years from now?
Piper on the Prosperity Gospel February 19, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Weblog, Chicago, Powerful Passages, The Cultural Conversation, Culture and Faith , add a commentI am a big John Piper fan and saw this video on YouTube where he displays a whole lot of energy about the prosperity gospel and its export from the US.
Whoa — go John go! (and everybody get out of his way!)
Convictions About Worship - What are Yours? February 18, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Chicago, Sunday Services, Methods & Strategies, The Arts in the City, Music That Moves , add a commentI recently came across this list of Saddleback Church’s 12 Convictions about Worship and have been thinking a lot about worship in the Park Community Church context as we get ready to move into a new building and begin to explore potential how multi-site locations might further the work that God is doing in our midst.
Here is what Rick Warren says about their worship convictions:
Jesus’ ministry attracted enormous crowds. The Bible tells us that crowds followed him wherever he went. I believe that a Christ-like ministry still attracts crowds today. You don’t need gimmicks. You don’t need to compromise your convictions. You don’t need to water down your message. If you minister to people the way Jesus did, they’ll want to be around your ministry like they did his.
But how do you develop a worship service that’ll minister to those crowds each weekend? It’s important that you figure out why you do what you do before you figure out what your worship service will include. At Saddleback, 12 convictions determine how we minister to the crowds on the weekends. Here’s why we do what we do in our worship services.
1. Only believers can truly worship God.
2. You don’t need a building to worship God.
3. There is no correct style of worship.
4. While unbelievers can’t worship, they can watch believers worship.
5. Worship is a powerful witness to unbelievers if God’s presence is felt and the message is understandable.
6. God expects us to be sensitive to the fears, hang-ups, and the needs of unbelievers when they are present in our worship services.
7. Worship services do not have to be shallow to be evangelistic, and the message does not have to be compromised. It just has to be understandable.
8. The needs of believers and unbelievers often overlap.
9. It’s best to specialize your services according to purpose.
10. A service geared toward non-believers is meant to supplement personal evangelism, not replace it.
11. There is no standard way to design an evangelistic worship service.
12. It takes unselfish mature believers to offer an evangelistic worship service. This is the most important of all.
Here are the original posts with supporting thoughts by Rick Warren at pastors.com here and here. He goes more in-depth into each of his points in the articles, which are well worth reading. What do you think? What are your convictions about worship as we seek to introduce the God of the universe to all people in Chicago?
Best Dunk Ever? February 17, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentThis weekend was the 2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest in New Orleans and this dunk by Dwight Howard has to be one of the top 3 dunks of all time — and one that will be remembered as he threw down the ball from high above the rim…wow!
Chicago: Looking to Plan Out 2008 Best of City? February 17, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Chicago , 2commentsAre you trying to plan out all of 2008, with visits to your family, weddings, vacations, etc but still wnat to enjoy all that Chicago has to offer as America’s best summer city? Well festival season is months away, but you can get a jump on summer plans with this quick look at some of next year’s top crowd pleasers (compliments of MetroMix).
Looptopia - May 2
312-782-9160
May 2: The all-night bash returns in ‘08 to mark the city’s second annual “white night” bash.
Chicago Mayfest - May 16-17
773-665-4682
May 16-17: The 13th annual fest includes beer, food, live music and arts and crafts vendors.
Memorial Day Parade — Downtown Chicago - May 24
312-744-3315
May 24: One of the largest parades in the country with more than 25,000 participants and 250 marching units.
Chicago Turkish Festival - May 28-31
312-933-4635
May 28-31: Sixth annual fest features whirling dervishes, music, folk dance performances, fashion shows, films, art and craft demos, handmade goods, food vendors, kids’ activities and more.
24th Annual Chicago Gospel Music Festival - May 30/June 1
312-744-3315
May 30-June 1: Three-day festival features more than 50 performances from some of the top gospel acts in the world.
“Time of Your Life” - Jeff Recommended February 14, 2008
Posted by Steve in : The City, Chicago, Breaking News, Chicago Fact, The Cultural Conversation, The Arts in the City, Provision Theater, Culture and Faith , add a commentCome on out and see “Time of Your Life, a Pulitzer prize-winning play by William Saroyan performed by Provision Theater Company at the Viaduct Theater at 3111 N Western Avenue in West Roscoe Village. Don’t miss this poetic tribute to optimism and dreams, starring Tim Gregory. A stellar 22-person ensemble cast brings to life Saroyan’s message of spending your life truly living, and Sue and I are going tonight so we can give you a first hand report. It’s already been reviewed by the Jeff Committee and got a RECOMENDED verdict from them.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! - Provision Theater has mounted a masterpiece… a magical evening of theatre… the kind of show that you want to experience again.” - Tom Williams, ChicagoCritic.com
LISTED AS ONE OF THE TOP 5 SHOWS TO SEE NOW
Sweet… Attractive… a postcard of a different time.” - William Scott, New City
“Saroyan’s writing is lyrical… characters, entertaining… there’s a humanity to this play.” - Barbara Vitello, Daily Herald
“Snuggle in the nostalgic comfort… an American classic.” - Mary Shen Barnidge, Windy City Times
JEFF RECOMMENDED!
Slow Day Stats February 14, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentIts a slow day here in Chicago and the weather outside is not very good so here are some superlatives I came across at Wikipedia about my alma mater, the University of Michigan, where I served as a manager of the football team under the General, Bo Schembechler, from 1979-1983.
Program records and achievements
Wins and championships
- Most wins (869) and highest winning percentage (.745) in NCAA Division I-A football history
- The most conference championships of any college football program in any conference (42)
- The most winning seasons (110)
- The most undefeated seasons in Division 1-A football (25)
- One of only three schools with a winning record against every Division 1-A conference, including independent schools such as Notre Dame.
Scoring and schedule
- The largest scoring delta (points for minus points against) in college football history
- One of the highest all-time strength of schedule rating in college football[4]
Attendance and television
- The highest NCAA home attendance every year since 1974, except for 1997
- The largest (non-racing) stadium in the United States (Michigan Stadium, seats 107,501)
- The largest crowd to ever attend an NCAA football game: 112,118 on November 22, 2003, at Michigan Stadium vs. Ohio State
- The longest current streak of over 100,000 in attendance at home (208 games)
- The most televised school in college football history (382 televised games)
Current streaks
- The longest current streak of non-losing seasons (40 seasons; 1968-present)
- The longest current streak of bowl game appearances (33 seasons; 1975-present)
- The longest current streak of games in Division 1-A without being shut out (287 games; last time on October 20, 1984, at Iowa)
Honored pageantry
- The number one sports rivalry: Michigan-Ohio State, according to ESPN’s “10 Greatest Sports Rivalries”[5]
- The best helmet in football, according to ESPN’s “End of Century” Special
- The best uniform in sports, according to ESPN2’s 64 Team Bracket Results[6]
- The only fight song in the Hall of Fame
Signing Day Brings No. 8 Class to U-M February 7, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Weblog, Breaking News, Sports , add a commentMichigan landed another top 10 recruiting class this year, with new head coach Rich Rodriguez only having about 8 weeks to recruit. (Interestingly, I don’t see my friend Joe Riccardi’s Florida Gators (who Michigan beat 41-35 in the Capital One Bowl) in the Top 10 this year…hmmmmm)
Michigan’s class includes standouts such as Houston running back and YouTube sensation Sam McGuffie, offensive linemen Ricky Barnum of Florida and Grand Haven’s Dann O’Neill, defensive backs Boubacar Cissoko of Detroit and New Jersey’s Brandon Smith. Wide receiver Darryl Stonum of Texas, who is a part of the class, is already enrolled in classes and working out in Ann Arbor. While Rodriguez didn’t sign Pryor yet, he did add a quarterback — Justin Feagin — to a team lacking depth at the position because freshman Ryan Mallett transferred to Arkansas.
The Michigan list is here.
Mike Spath, of Thewolverine.com commented: “I was pretty impressed. They haven’t had a signing day quite like this in a while. In 2003 they got three kids to commit on the final day but since then they’ve only had one or two kids the past couple years. This year they got four on Signing Day. They missed out on a couple kids here and there and are still waiting on National Number One recruit Terrelle Pryor. Overall I think they did a great job. Offensive line they’ve got six guys who can come in. The one thing they needed was a quarterback and they got a kid Justin Feagin who looks a lot like Pat White from West Virginia. If they don’t get Pryor they have Feagin, who can compete with playing time with Steven Threet.”
Jeremy Crabtree, of Rivals.com added: “Michigan has to go down as the nation’s biggest surprise ending. They came out and pulled some rabbits out the of the hat. I’ve been a big Roy Roundtree fan. They met a lot of their needs on the defensive side of the ball…Some very talented linemen. It’s a top 10 class for a reason. I liked what they did by meeting their needs.”
Scout.com Top 10 Recruiting Classes List:
1. Alabama .
2. Notre Dame
3. Miami (Fl)
4. Georgia
6. LSU
7. Ohio State
8. Michigan
9. UCLA
10. Clemson
Source: Scout.com
Super Tuesday - Exercise your Most Significant Citizen Privilege February 5, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentFolks,
As citizens of this United States of Americ, we are given the right to elect our government officals. Please take the time to figure out who you want to vote for and THEN DO IT.
ABC NEWS has a good MATCH-O-MATIC candidate matcher that asks a number of questions thaen matches you up with the candidate that best alignhs with your answers. Check it out here.
Tom Brady: The Search for Meaning February 3, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Games, Powerful Passages, The Cultural Conversation, Culture and Faith , add a comment
Tonight, more than 100 million people will watch the Super Bowl in the US, and most expect that the key player for the Patriots will be Tom Brady (a Michigan alum, I might add). Tom Brady, the 3-time Super Bowl champion quarterback of the New England Patriots was featured recently in a 60 Minutes interview with Steve Kroft on CBS. In that interview, even at the pinnacle of his success today, Tom Brady is wondering if this is all there is — click on the picture below to have a look at the video:
“Why do I have three Super Bowl rings, and still think there’s something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, ‘Hey man, this is what is.’ I reached my goal, my dream, my life. Me, I think, ‘God, it’s got to be more than this.’ I mean this isn’t, this can’t be what it’s all cracked up to be.”
Tom is searching for the hole in his life that can only be filled by Jesus. His story of searching (not gridiron success) is my story — after many years, I found that peace and contentment that he is looking for — in Jesus. Check Him out - wrestle with who He is and why He came, and I think you’ll reach the same place. It’s not a 5 minute decision — it is a process — but you have to be willing to explore the claims of Jesus Christ.
Appel, Frazee Out at Willow Creek February 1, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Weblog, Breaking News, Urban Church , add a commentNot sure what is driving this, but last weekend, the Elders of Willow Creek announced that both Randy Frazee and Gene Appel, the two lead pastors, would be leaving Willow Creek. WOW! What a bombshell……The announcement is on the Willow Creek website:
Today the Elders of Willow Creek are announcing that two senior staff leaders have made personal decisions to pursue new ministries outside our church.
This June, Teaching Pastor Randy Frazee will become the Senior Minister of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, where he will teach and lead in partnership with pastor and author, Max Lucado. “After 8 months of prayer and counsel, I believe God is calling our family to expand the reach of the neighborhood initiative to San Antonio,” Randy said. “However, my decision to leave is mostly about family and a simple desire to be around my kids, two of whom are currently living in Texas and a third who will head to Texas for college this fall. “It has been a complete privilege and joy to be a part of the Willow Creek team,” he said. “You can count on our fervent prayers and blessings as we move forward on this endeavor.”
Gene Appel, Lead Pastor-South Barrington, who came to Willow Creek as Associate Pastor in 2003 and moved into his current role two and a half years ago, also announced his resignation from staff. “I love this church,” Gene said. “It has been an enormous privilege for me to serve here, but after months of internal wrestling and seeking the counsel of wise people I trust, I have come to a place of peace and clarity, and sense the nudge to move toward being the senior pastor of a local church again. I’ll continue serving in my role through the Easter season, and then I’ll begin prayerfully pursuing God’s next adventure. I am honored to have been able to serve in partnership with everyone at Willow and I have been forever impacted by this place. I will be cheering you on for the rest of my life.”
On January 17, 2008 the Elders of Willow Creek and Bill Hybels agreed that Bill will assume the role of Lead Pastor-South Barrington in addition to his other senior pastor responsibilities, which include oversight of the Regional Campuses and the Willow Creek Association. “I am honored to assume the responsibility to lead the staff and congregation at South Barrington and I look to God expectantly for what He has planned for us in the future,” Bill said. The Elders fully support the decisions of Gene and Randy, and are grateful to them for their faithful leadership, high character, and inspired teaching.
