Shoutlouder

journey's into design… now my brain hurts!

// July 31st, 2008 // 1 Comment » // Inspiration, Leadership, Self-Development

I’ve just spent the best part of two days now working on the soon to be launched website for my Senior Pastor – the beige destroyer himself – Dave Gilpin. (I’ll afford a link here to the ‘not-yet-launched’ site for anyone reading this after about one week from now – otherwise you’ll currently only get the Hope City Church site).

I decided that I’d be incredibly geeky and try my hand at building the site on a Wordpress platform – as is this blog – as it seems everyone is suggesting these days that Wordpress is the latest CMS of choice.

Well for a basic novice who knows how to manipulate the odd-style sheet – I have to say its been a labour of ‘almost’ love. But really pleased at the result – even more so since Dave actually like it!

My designing days have been an interesting development of trial and error since the only design qualifications to my name is a solitary A-Level in Art and Design. It all started with a desktop PC in the church office that had a programme called Corel Draw (version 2 I think – that’s how long ago it was) and some Student Posters that needed making. Before long I was created a few flyers for the church, then a brochure for our training academy, then a website and before you know it I’m a freelance graphic designer earning my own living.

Well – maybe it wasn’t as simple as all that!

The hardest part of all this is presenting the final draft to Dave – as he’s not exactly known for the ‘pastoral put-down’. If he thinks its rubbish then he’ll say it… which I have to say has led to many frustrating and de-motivating moments in my graphic design journey. But – there’s always been a sharpening edge from Dave that doesn’t leave you gasping for air – but instead seems to propel you forward to do better, to excel where you thought you’d reached a dead end.

Most people take criticism falling down – one negative word and you’re out for the count. But I’ve chosen to accept that often my first work isn’t always my best. Whether its a website, a flyer or even a message for preaching on Sunday – my first draft is only the starting point. If you’re involved in any kind of project or task – don’t settle for just ‘winging-it’ on your first attempt. Do your best – then step back and determine to improve on what you’ve just done. 9 out of 10 times you can come up with something better!

So next time you’re feeling the sharpening edge of a mentor or leader – make a decision to allow the sharpening to proceed because it only leads to greater experience and success in your life.

twittering…

// July 30th, 2008 // No Comments » // Blogging, Social Network

OK – it seems like everyone else in the world is twittering except the UK so here’s an attempt to kick off the next fad…

What is TWITTER? well – for all you Facebook addicts – imagine having a site dedicated to your Status Line? Welcome to Twitter – so now you can follow what everyone is doing all day… the good news too is that Twitter can auto-update your Facebook status when you add the Twitter Application … so looking for a simple way to follow your friends, make anouncements, pass on useful info/websites that you’re reading/browsing/watching – then join me on Twitter!

(Word of caution though – if you’re mobile is with anyone other than O2 then it’ll cost a fortune to do SMS updates – so stick with a browser plug in like me or to keep things updated easily and time efficiently)

Let’s set the UK a Twitter…

sunday focus

// July 28th, 2008 // No Comments » // Inspiration, Sunday

It was so good to be at church on Sunday. When I miss a week I really MISS a week. There is just something so refreshing about hanging out with some of the best people in my life on a Sunday morning, worshipping God and getting stuck into something fresh from the Word.

I have moments when I find my brain stepping back and thinking about the randomness of what we do in life. Like – just think how random it is for a bunch of people to turn up at the same place week after week, sing songs to a Karaoke style screen with all but the bouncing ball, listen for 30mins to someone talking (or shouting, or being all dramatic… depending on where you go), then have coffee and go home! That may be over simplifying things – but the truth is that within all that we do here is something really healthy about living a life with a regular discipline of being at church.

I’ve particularly enjoyed the last few weeks in church as there’s a fresh buzz in the place. People seem engaged like never before. There’s an expectancy for God to move! There’s a sense of God’s presence in the worship and people are hearing and responding to the preaching of the Word. We’re within a couple of months of being in our own (and first) building in Leeds, yet it’s more than just the excitement of having a building – God has brought together a real family of people who will do immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine!

I just finished a series (probably – although I may do a couple more) called UNPACKED: Unpacking who Jesus really is! You can read the intro to the series on my earlier post. But this week was part 3… unpacking Jesus who is the Bread of Life (John 6:25-35)- the great Sustainer, the staple diet of every Christian life!

I’m just really determined to see people get a fresh look at Jesus. Too many Christians build their lives on the one revelation of God that they got when they became a Christian. They hang off the words of some preacher for the rest of their lives, one altar call, one ‘light-on’ moment – and yet Jesus is so much bigger than a once in a lifetime revelation. Even Paul, who found himself on his knees on a road to Damascus being greeted by all the Glory of Christ himself, wandered off for a decade to seek to understand this Christ who had revealed Himself before launching out on any ministry.

If we could just determine to know Jesus Christ in a fresh way each and every week or month of our life (I won’t say ‘day’ because you’d never keep that up!) then we’d still only be scratching the surface of who he really is. And yet it is the fundamental question that anyone of us can ask – “WHO DO YOU SAY HE IS?” If the answer to that question originated more than a year ago then I suggest it’s time to seek Him afresh again – cause He’s got a lot more about Himself to reveal… and it’s going to blow your socks off!

why I love pixar…

// July 26th, 2008 // 2 Comments » // Inspiration, Leadership, Megacentre, Movies

I took my son Joel to see Pixar’s latest creation, the unconventionally named WALL-E – about a little robot who is the only surviving robot of a whole fleet designed to clean up the Earth after centuries of rubbish build up. As is expected from such a movie – this accidental hero happens to inadvertently save the human race from growing fat out in space. Quite the topical issue for an America growing fatter by the year.

But thought provoking and meaningful sentiments aside – the movie is quite fun and as usual Pixar stretch the bounaries of CGI having already conquered the insect world (Bugs Life), the human world (Incredibles), the Undersea world (Finding Neo) – they can now add the weightless environment of outer space to their list of clever tricks.

Pixar is to CGI animated movies (that stands for Computer Generated Imagery for all the nerd newbys) what Disney was to the old paint and draw animated movies – the best! (One reason why Disney eventually bought Pixar for their own). There’s an similar passion to break the boundaries, to do something that others haven’t done, to conquer new environments and challenges.

But my real love of Pixar came from watching one of those special features that I found on the Monsters Inc DVD which I’d bought for my son. (There are benefits to being nerdy enough to watch the special features). It was a behind the scenes look at Pixar’s home base in Emeryville, California.

The most amazing thing I saw was not a tightly run, high pressured working environment where everyone existed to meet the next deadline and then go home – but a place where people came to play and not just do all of the latter. The truth is that most of these guys probably do spend their entire lives in and out of the studio, living under the pressure of huge deadlines and big budgets – so instead of living two seperate lives, they brought their lives and their creativity with them! From scooting down the halls, to the pet monkey, to the annual Paper Plane flying competition in the entrance foyer – these studios are a creative bubble of energy and passion all working together for the joy of making new movies.

This is not just a job to these guys – its a way of life for them and they’ve decided to make it an enjoyable one as well as a productive one. I guess thirteen Academy Awards, three Golden Globes, and one Grammy goes to show that their philosophy is certainly paying off!

Right now – we’re embarking on building a Megacentre in the heart of Leeds, following on from the awesome one we have in Sheffield – and I’m determined to above all make it a place where people love to be! It’s granted that some people are going to spend an awful lot of time in the new Megacentre making everything that needs to happen – happen! So I’m given to taking a leaf out of Pixar’s book and choose to bring my life with it… and build a place where people want to be – and more importantly – a place I want to be!

Too many churches feel like dead, stuffy old people’s homes with toilets you don’t want to go near and offices that are cluttered with rubbish and administration. Even the halls are posted from floor to ceiling in random notices, posters, flyers and useless pieces of information that no-one is ever going to read. Since when did you last visit someones home and as you walked into the front lounge there was a huge pinboard up on the wall telling you about where to get a coffee, or how much had been raised in the ‘by a new double bed’ fund and you would rather hold until later than visit the festering room called a ‘bathroom’ that stands at the top of the stairs, but smells from the bottom!

We need to make churches a place where people want to come and hang out – inject something of the coffee house culture into them so that when it comes to closing, you’re having to hang around until people finish because no-one is wanting to leave!

Surely the church of all places should be the most welcoming, the most homely, the most exciting and fun filled place to be. After all – it is the Father’s house… and the Father I know ain’t no stuffy fuddy duddy! He’s the most creative, awe-inspiring, and enthusiastic God you could ever know.

So I love pixar cause it has captured something of the way we are all supposed to live. In a creative, relationship based environment that pulls together, every person doing there bit, to see something amazing done on planet earth! The only difference is that what they do is temporal – but what we do is eternal.

I found the video on You Tube (in 3 parts) so here it is! I hope it inspires you in the same way it did me!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

pastors.com

// July 25th, 2008 // No Comments » // Leadership, Self-Development

If you’re involved in any form of Christian Leadership – particularly Pastoring then let me encourage you to connect with pastors.com and the resources that Rick Warren is providing. His shortlived podcasts – that you can still find on iTunes – are an excellent short series on many different aspects of Pastoring. I’ve found them an excellent way to stir up creative thought and change in my own life.

I now get a regular email through the inbox from Rick’s ministry toolbox which seems to always provide a interesting item or two. It’s not something to live your life by – but when it comes to allowing many sources to provide you with resource and thought-provoking ideas then make sure you add Rick’s stuff to it.

spot the difference…

// July 23rd, 2008 // 1 Comment » // Family

Started thumbing through some old photos of Joel today just to see how alike him and Ania are… The result – well you tell me if you can spot the difference. One of them is on the right and the other on the left (there is a good clue in the photo…)

Spot the Difference No. 1

Spot the Difference No. 2

Post your answers below!