Blake Bouldin

Blog Break

My family and I are heading for Panama City, Florida for a much needed vacation.  I have decided to leave the cell phone, computer and any other reminders of what I do behind for a week.  See you on March 31st with some incredibly exciting news.  Don't miss it!!

It's all about people far away from God

Today was a great day!  The staff and a few dedicated volunteers showed up at the High School to set up for tomorrow's Easter Sunday.  Was is it easy?  You gotta be kidding me!  We were moving tables and chairs,  carrying sandbags and pipe and draping, putting signs up and picking up trash.  It wasn't easy!  But it was worth it.  It was worth it because Jesus Christ rose from the dead!  I mean if we were there setting up for a concert I wouldn't feel the way I feel tonight.  If we were there getting ready to honor a dignitary of some sort, I wouldn't be as excited as I am.  But what we were doing as we labored for 3 hours on a Saturday afternoon was preparing a High School to be a place where people will meet Jesus.

You know when I read scripture one of the things that becomes so clear to me is that Jesus got excited when people far away from Him got a chance to meet Him.  He was all about reaching people.  That is what I want WCC to be about.  I am not in to being known as the church with the best worship band or the best sermons or whatever.  I want our church to be known as a church that, above and beyond anything else, is about finding people who are destined for eternal separation from God and leading them into a saving relationship with Him.  This process starts when people like we had today take time away from the busyness of life and focus on what's most important.

I know God knows my heart.  I have been praying all day.  My prayer is that tomorrow as we celebrate the risen Christ, those in attendance who don't know Him yet will meet Him.  That's what Easter is all about.  Tonight I am grateful that we have people who care enough to help make tomorrow a day that won't soon be forgotten.

Random Thoughts

I am sitting here watching Belmont University play Duke feeling exhausted.  We moved again today and even though "Two Men And A Truck" showed up to help us with the heavy stuff, it was still a long day.  Thank God for my wife Angie who showed up to help sort things out.  I don't know if it is because I am ADD to the max but when it comes to sorting out the minutia of where everything goes, I struggle.  Angie, on the other hand, can step in and get the job done.

A special thanks to Jody, Joey, Rob, Ron, and Locke.  These men showed up last night in a torrential downpour and helped move stuff.  All day long yesterday I thought no one would want to come help with the move if it rained and boy was I wrong.  These guys poured in (pardon the pun) like it was sunny and 80 degrees.  Thanks to my peeps for all the hard work.

Spring break started today for my kids.  I am glad that they get a break, but what I am really looking forward to is spending a week in Panama City, Florida at our favorite hangout.  I am planning on just vegging out for a solid week.  No shoes, no shirt, no problem.

Still praying that Easter will be a huge day for our church.  I hope everyone who reads this blog will pray that God will use WCC to help people far away from God come to know Him as their Savior. 

Belmont is playing Duke tonight.  I hope they win.  Gotta go watch.

Easter is coming!

Things around the office have been insane!  We are moving our office to 1101-A Airport Rd. near Indian Trail due to the sell of the land.  Today the staff has been loading boxes and going through everything we have.  I am amazed once again at how much we have accumulated in 2 years at the house. 

Just a reminder.  Easter is coming!  As I said  last Sunday, Easter is one of those rare occasions when people are more receptive to going to church. As a result, I hope you will make every effort to invest and invite a person you know who needs to hear a message of hope that has the potential to change their life.  Don't miss this opportunity! 

OK, time to get back to work.  Talk to you soon.

Unleashed Thoughts.....Part II

Yesterday I began blogging about several mistakes that Perry Noble, Pastor of NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC said he made while growing his church from 8 people to reaching thousands.  He listed five key mistakes and yesterday I blogged about 3.  Today I will finish with the last 2.  Here they are.

Mistake #4: God would say something hard and he wouldn't say it.  In other words, God would lay something on Perry's heart that he knew was right and that he knew needed to be said but he was hesitant in saying it.  Believe me, I know how this feels.  There have been numerous times over the last 7 years that God has dealt with me about specific issues, but because I was afraid of making someone mad or because I feared that someone would leave I did not say it.  This is one of those mistakes I really regret.  When God speaks into the heart and life of a spiritual leader, I believe He does it for a purpose.  Most of the time His purpose is centered around wanting His leader to deliver a specific message at a specific time for a specific reason.  When, as leaders, we abdicate that responsibility, not only does it disappoint God, it also takes away potential blessings.  You see, God wants the very best for His people and while His message doesn't always provide the listener with a warm fuzzy feeling, what it will provide is a peace and assurance in their lives that only comes from being obedient. When God wants a leader to share a hard truth with a group of followers, not sharing it is one of the biggest mistakes we could make.  I was glad to hear that such a great leader like Perry struggled with this too.

Mistake #5: I didn't preach on money. Now you would think that a church that has done as much as NewSpring in such a short amount of time would have heard money sermons out the wazoo.  Not so.  Perry said that he hardly ever preached about money when he first started.  I can relate.  I don't know what it is when it comes to money.  I mean preachers will stand up and speak about almost any topic in the Bible with passion and fervor but when it comes to money we treat it like the plague. I have made that mistake but do not want to continue to make it.  I want people to hear me say loud and clear that when it comes to money, God expects us to be generous.  After all, He was generous enough to allow His Son to die an excruciating, humiliating death so that we could receive a gift we didn't earn and definitely don't deserve.  Not only that, when we we give generously, the Bible makes it clear that we'll reap what we sow.  Not talking about money is a mistake! Money needs to be talked about and I plan on talking about it more and more.  And here is the bottom line.  If that makes you mad or frustrated, it's probably because you're not giving. 

Unleashed Thoughts.....

Last Thursday I went to a conference put on by NewSpring Church in Anderson, South Carolina called Unleash.  NewSpring's Pastor, Perry Noble did a great job in sharing with a bunch of hungry Pastors about some of the mistakes he has made along the way.  Five mistakes he said he made stand out like a sore thumb to me.  Today I will comment about 3. 

Mistake #1: When people want to leave your church, begging them to stay.  We are living in a culture where people are leaving churches in epidemic proportion.  I sat with two preachers today and both talked about people who have left and are planning on leaving the churches they are leading.  I think it's ridiculous.  I mean, it's one thing if the people that leave churches are leaving and never plan on attending another church ever again.  But in most instances, that is not the case.  No, in most instances people leave a church in search of something better for them.  I guarantee you this isn't the idea the early church had in mind when it talked about the concept of being "fully devoted".  Never the less, I have, and apparently so has Perry Noble, from time to time, asked people to stay.  This is a mistake.  I have learned in 7 years of leading WCC, something Perry reiterated with his statement,  and that's when people are ready to leave, let them go.  Trying to convince somebody that they should stay in a church just because you are scared of the consequences of them leaving only prolongs the inevitable.  Today they want to leave because the music is too loud.  Tomorrow they'll want to leave because you have piped and draped the back of the auditorium.  Let them go.  Someone asked me recently when does a church reach a point when it quits losing people so quickly.  This was my response.  When the church and Christ followers quit worrying so much about who they are trying to keep rather than those whom they aren't reaching, that is when the back door begins to close. But until that happens, when people want to leave, I am with Perry, let them go.

Mistake #2: Apologizing for the vision.  I can remember going home one Sunday afternoon and receiving an e-mail from an 18 year teenager criticizing the vision that God gave me to reach Weddington.  I could not believe it.  It cut like a knife.  And yet, I apologized.  Looking back I wish I would have just let it go.  Now I know that God doesn't give every church planter or pastor the vision that they may have.  But here is what I do know.  When a Pastor is willing to take pay cuts, endure criticism, sacrifice his family and consistently watch people bail, there has to be more to it than just a whimsical dream that he has conjured up.  He must really believe it's God's vision.  As a result, apologizing for that vision is saying God must have been wrong.  That's wrong!!  In my case, I have asked God for forgiveness for apologizing for the vision He placed in my heart almost 10 years ago.  I have also made the commitment that I will never again apologize for that vision.  And here's the best part...I haven't. I won't!!

Mistake #3: Not being who God created me to be.  Ha..anytime I hear a Pastor say this I can relate.  Here are some of the people I have tried to be over the last 7 years.  Don Bouldin, Andy Stanley, Rick Warren, Gene Appel, Mike Breaux, Ed Young Jr..  Anyone who has done ministry right and experienced some degree of success I have tried to mimic in some form or fashion. But, here is what I have found.  I have got to be ME!  And better yet, I am a better and more convincing leader when I am leading from what God has placed in my heart rather than trying to copy what God has put in someone else's.  Further, just because God has chosen to bless one leader for leading in a particular manner does not guarantee that He will bless a copy cat.  One of the hardest things any aspiring young Pastor has to figure out is who he is and who he's not.  I think I have finally figured that out and I am so grateful.

I have 2 more mistakes I will comment on tomorrow.  Stay tuned!!

Strong Responses About Robbing God

I just got back from a conference called "Unleash".  Boy do I have a lot to share.  The only problem is I just don't have the time.  One day away left me with a whole lot of catching up to do.  Monday and Tuesday I will blog about what I learned while I was down at there.  Today I will leave you several responses from Tim Stevens, Executive Pastor at Granger Community Church in Granger, Indiana. Recently, Granger did a series on TITHING and here are some of the common issues that were raised from the congregation during this series. The way Tim responded is not only Biblically on point but just down right STRONG!  I appreciate this kind of leadership.  I hope you do too!! 

·        "It is so hard to tithe on my limited income." Anyone who has lived a portion of their life with very little money, and another portion of their life with ample amounts of money--will tell you that it is much harder to tithe when you have lots of money rather than just a little. Money has a way of getting entangled in your values as it increases and materialism is the fastest growing cell in your heart. Start when you have nothing and see what God does in your heart and through your life.

·        "I'm really tired of this church talking about tithing." In 22 years of ministry, I've never once heard a tithing person complain that we are talking about tithing. Those who tithe have experienced the blessing of God and the freedom that comes with obeying God, and they want others to have that same experience. Whenever someone tells me they are tired of the church talking about money, it's like they have a flashing LED sign on their head that says, "I rob God!" Really, you should just lay low and go stealth. Quit advertising your hard heart.

·        "If I won the lottery and got $10 million dollars, I would give $1 million to my church." No you wouldn't. If you aren't giving God 10% of your income now, there's not a chance in the world you would give 10% if you struck it rich. You are a God-robber, and God-robbers don't suddenly get generous when they get rich.

·        "I've made some bad financial choices and can't tithe until I get back on track." I love your honesty. So get back on track. Sell your house. Downsize. Get in a financial education class. Drive an old beater. Live on beans and weenies. And do everything you can to get back on track and tithing so you can get in the flow of God's blessing!

·        "I don't tithe to my church cause I'm not sure I trust all the decisions they make with the money." Then find a church where you trust the leaders. Not a church where you agree with every decision they make, but a church where you can believe God to work through the leadership that is in place. Quit sucking off the things you like about the church while withholding your tithe or sending it somewhere else.

Unleash Here I Come

Tomorrow morning my dad, Mark Patterson and I will be heading to the Unleash Conference in Anderson, South Carolina.  NewSpring Church and their pastor Perry Noble are in charge.  I have been to a ton of conferences in my day but this is my first time to Unleash.  Here are some things that I hope I receive from the conference.

A Fresh Perspective.  Sometimes when you are in a position of leadership it is hard to "see the forest from the trees".  I found myself in this position more than I would like to admit.  I am praying that hearing from guys that have been where I am and done what I have done will give me some ideas that expand my perspective.

Encouragement.  It's lonely when you lead.  Unless you are a leader, you won't understand.  I think some people's perception of leadership is that it's all fun and filled with exciting adventures.  The truth is it's hard and often times a very lonely place.  I am hoping tomorrow that Perry will speak words of encouragement into my soul.

Friendship.  I am so excited about being able to go down with my dad and Mark.  In case you don't remember Mark, he was the guy with the long goatee that preached for me back in January.  Anyway, spending time with him and Dad on the way down and back should be fun.  I am also looking forward to seeing some of my other pastor friends and catching up on their lives when I get down there.

Inspiration.  In case you don't know, NewSpring Church is a church plant that in just a few short years grew to over 12,000 members.  That is incredible growth and it is due in large part to a committed group of people and a great lead Pastor in Perry Noble.  God has richly blessed this ministry and now they are blessing others like me.  That inspires me and I can't wait to hear Perry talk with boldness about what God can do in the ministries and communities of all the leaders who are attending.

I hope if you read this blog you will pray for me and the guys who are going.  Pray that God will use this time to do a work in all of our lives.  Pray that we will have safe travel.  Most of all pray that God will fill my cup so that I can come back and fill yours.

Thoughts from a 16 year old Christ follower

My sixteen year old daughter Brianna was asked to write a paper about what she thought about Christianity.  This is what she wrote.  I thought it was very provacative and insightful.

Maybe it is because I have grown up in church, or maybe it is because I hear about it in the news all the time, or better yet, maybe it is because my dad and my grandfather are both pastors of local churches, but the fact of the matter is that I have been subject to Christianity every day of my entire life.  From the day I learned to talk, it has always been, "Pray before you eat," and "Have a quiet time," and "You better not use God's name in vain," and all of that has been fine with me.  It wasn't until I grew up a little and noticed that everyone was not like me, nor did they believe the same way I did that I started to investigate why in the world anyone would turn away from the only religion I ever knew.  As soon as I started to look, it became very prevalent that people of the Christian faith are the antithesis of what they are truly supposed to be, and if I was on the outside looking in, I would want nothing to do with the so-called Christians of today.

Christians have, over the past years, isolated themselves from the rest of society.  They have made their own radio stations, bookstores, schools, bumper stickers, organizations, clubs, and the list goes on and on.  From their eyes, it is a great thing; it keeps their kids sheltered from "the dangers of the real world," and it keeps their family focused on the most important thing, a relationship with God.  Yes, I would agree that this relationship is important, but what good does a Christian do if they are sheltered in this "bubble" of Christianity so that they cannot reach the people who need it most?  The Bible says in Matthew 28:19, "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."  This clearly shows that the followers who are so wrapped up in keeping to "their kind" have been misled, and should maybe refer back to their main source of reasoning for some real answers.

Some people of the Christian faith have the wrong idea of how to raise their family, therefore giving those looking in the wrong image of all Christians.  Some people who raise their children in orderly ways, putting heavy rules and regulations on all of their children's actions, give the impression that if you are part of this religion, you can have no fun because you have to follow a set number of rules.  Frankly, Christians will set ridiculous rules for their families, making all of us look like plain idiots.  My philosophy is to just let a kid be a kid, let them do what they want to do, but guard their actions and monitor what they are doing.  Putting crazy restrictions on a kid because you think it is "in God's will" will only make the child look ridiculous in the whole scheme of things, and a parent cannot shelter their kid forever.  If a child is pushed to do all of the so called "right things" as a kid, they will be likely to rebel as a teenager.

Non-Christians get the wrong impression of followers all the time because of the things they hear in the news or the things they see with their own eyes.  Recently when Heath Ledger was killed, a so-called "church" protested that "God hates fags, " and "Heath is in hell."  This is something that personally upset me the most because it is something that everyone can see, and it is totally the wrong impression of a Christian.  I Peter 2:17 says, "Respect everyone", and II Peter 1:7 says to show, "brotherly affection with love for everyone."  No matter who you are, a Christian's job is to accept you, and people have somehow become so caught up in the religious lifestyle, forgetting the true meaning of being Christ-like.  People become so caught up in the "image" that their actions become worse than those who they are protesting against in the first place.  The Bible says in Matthew 6:5, "When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on the street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them.  I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get."  This clearly shows that being a Christian is about sharing truth with others, and it is not about building yourself up, but about building others up and bring more people to God.

If only non-believers could look in at Christians and realize that not all of them are the crazy, Bible beating, ridiculous clothes wearing weirdos that they are known as, maybe some people could start to realize that maybe this religion is about love and acceptance and forgiveness.  It is only when that stereotype is forgotten and someone, ironically, shows Christians the light that things will actually change, but until that day, the same things will be going on in our world as they are today.

Holy Huddle's

  "Few religious leaders or churches have any idea what it's like for an outsider to try to break into the holy huddle.  Most churched people have been so immersed in the church world that they have completely lost touch with what it is like to come through the church door and try to fit into a place that has very distinct habits, language, goals, events, titles, architecture, traditions, expectations, and measurements."  George Barna