Tory Farina

I forgot one great thought...

I forgot to share with you something that was told to me about starting something from nothing. I was told that Entrepreneurs live in a delusional world...

• They think there project will be easier than it really will be
• They think that it will be faster growing than it initially is
• They think that it will cost less than it actually does

The interesting thing about this is that the fact that it is harder, more costly and with less results initially drives you to work harder and to push the envelope of innovation. It is like a train that is slow to get going but once it is going it charges forward. It was true for me. And so have the results been. We raised more money prelaunch than I originally expected and we now have a healthy vibrant church. But in the early days it felt like it was just E and I selling a dream that would never be. It is and we are so Proud of what God has done.

Year 1 in retrospect...

The first Year was full of nervous anxious OH GOD what have we gotten ourselves into feelings.

My favorite memory was when I would tell people that we were going to meet in the movie theatre. We were meeting in a warehouse building owned by a family we knew who at the time wasn't even apart of the church... (Later they would be a core reason why we had such great community that year.) Ron the theatre manager must have thought I was nuts when I asked if we could rent the theatre. We worked out a contract and set a date to start meeting in the theatre. That first Sunday in January we all showed up to the theatre I think including children there were 25 of us. I remember speaking and noticing Ron come and peak in I think he must have laughed inside because the 250-seat theatre had so few heads in it.

On that Grad opening Sunday, two years ago, I was a nervous wreck. I wasn't thinking straight I hardly slept I kept looking out the window to see if anyone would show up. We had sent out a mailer and had been out in the community but it was January and a cold January at that. To our amazement 130 people showed up. WOW! I remember seeing Ron peek in again and seeing his face drop as he looked at the drastic difference from that 1st pre-launch service.

That year was a huge education. I had to learn how to be a pastor, preacher, businessman, leader, boss and visionary. I had grown up in the church my whole life as a pastor’s kid. I understood the church world inside and out and had sat at dinner tables for years while older wiser people shared their wisdom and insight. But doing it is a million times harder than knowing the theory behind it. I had to learn how to communicate on a weekly basis, how to manage volunteers and work from the spare bedroom of your home. In Your weakness He (God) is made strong and He can do exceedingly and abundantly more than you can imagine.

God showed up and people started coming and finding "Life". We had people comment that we did great "Karaoke" others said that they didn’t fall asleep and that made them come back. But what really mattered was when someone told me that when we leave High Point we just feel something different... We are a spirit lead church and we want the Holy Spirit to be evident and working in all we do! I love that!

Lessons learned in the first year...

    * Practice makes perfect... ill let you know when I stop practicing
    * Doing it right means that you often have to do it over again... I wrote messages two and three times a week to get them right
    * Ruthlessly critique what you do
    * It is worthless if God isn't in the mix!
    * Don’t live on the ups and downs... They give you a false sense of reality... live on the averages.
    * Ask a lot of questions of people who are bigger and better than you
    * Don’t check your email before bed or before a service you risk distraction
    * Enjoy the journey because it is what really matters
    * Pray like it depends on God and Work like it depends on you!
    * Be you and be real
    * Laugh a lot
    * Get away from it all in regular rhythms
    * Creativity comes from Rested mind an body
    * Find people who are the best and ask them to help! You have a team that Rocks and you get to build the dream together!

Year one I spent a good nine months with a lump in my throat. I thought it was heartburn but it was stress. I don't have that anymore very often. God has been very good and I have had a great education along the way. Thank you all who hung in there with E and I we value you and we know that it has been amazingly worth it.

2nd year thoughts... part1

I want to share with you a few thoughts I have been having about what I have learned and am learning... I love what Pastor Rob used to tell me when we were preparing for the church plant... "I just old everyone the first few years... Just hang in there Ill be a better leader, preacher, pastor in five year..." E and I started this church pretty young. We were 25 when things really got going. I felt completely overwhelmed and inadequate. (Just the way God wanted us.)

Pre-Launch... 2005... This was a crazy time for E and I. I remember trying to pitch the ARC that we were up to planting and succeeding. I got flustered in Baton Rouge because there were all these self-confident, cocky, amazing pastors who wanted to plant as well. The lead team was sitting in front of E and I as we presented and of the 13 of them 5 are in the top fastest growing churches in the nation. They all had done what we were trying to do and were amazingly successful. Intimidating to say the least. I got sick... either it was the Creole cooking we were having that week or my nerves... But I found myself talking and making no sense and I could feel E looking at me like what is your problem. I left the meeting immediately and lost my etuffee.

Lessons learned...

   1. People are more forgiving and understanding when they see that you are taking risks and stepping out in faith
   2. Every opportunity has something that can be learned from it
   3. Don't eat strange foods when you are meeting with people that can control your future
   4. Get around the best and listen
   5. Pray like crazy! Work like Crazy
   6. Fear of failure is a great motivator
   7. Time is a great incubator and immediate is not always the best... often a god marinade gives the best flavor
   8. Ask people for something and they just might give it to you... ARC gave us almost $40 grand to start High Point
   9. If you are stepping in a God direction failure is harder to accomplish than success is
  10. People are looking for a leader to fallow even if that leader is still a work in progress... Often being apart of the growth process enders people to the leader and his/her vision... people want to be apart of something that they can get there hands dirty with and have a part to play in creating that vision. That is the beauty of building a church. We all have a part to play... the lead pastor is just doing his part of Gods greater vision for the church universal and the people in the church are doing there part to fulfill the pastors vision of the church local. God has given us a big vision to accomplish!

I will share with you my thoughts on year 1 in another post... I am so excited for year Three! God is going to take us to an amazing place for his Glory.

What a weekend!

Saturday I went to My favorite restaurant with E and gift cards! Awesome!

Sunday... What a great Sunday! We had an amazing crowed on the coldest Sunday of this winter... E thought no one would show with Kids but you guys must have been feeling a little stir crazy because our kids areas were bumping! We are on a journey and I want to lead us as a church to a place where we are confidently walking in the direction God has for us.

I talked about Putting the plan in place this week... 

Have you started? I sent an email off this afternoon to a friend who is going to help me develop and chip away at the micro dreams I am wanting to accomplish. Don't let to much time go by.

Sunday Afternoon... I don't want to talk about it... I am so bummed Brett and the boys didn't make ti to the super bowl. He just didn't play they way he had been.

Let me know some of the big goals, dreams and prayers you are working towards... Write them here and lets celebrate together.

Mr. Peterson is a daddy

Terry Peterson has lead our 6-11 year olds for the past two years. He is a work horse doing a fantastic Job. He and his wife Claire have been trying to have a baby for a while now and here is what I just received from him.

"A little early but good news none the less. Grace Pamela Muthoni Peterson was born 11:10PM on Jan. 14th. Mom is recovering from a C-section and will be going home tomorrow. Grace is getting the finest care available at Children’s Hospital St. Paul where she will be hanging out for another 5-6 weeks while she does her last month of development outside of mom. She is healthy and breathing on her own at 3lbs, 14.5ozs so we are working hard to get the house ready a month early and looking forward to bringing her home."

Thank God! He is Good. Congratulate Terry when you see him on Sunday and I am sure I will have a picture soon.

The funny thing is the couple leading our 3,4 and 5 year olds the Stitts are also about to have a baby! We will grow one way or another!

Computer Issues pt...? one hopefully final update...

If you remember before Christmas I told you my computer was having issues... then I told you I tried to fix it and moved all my data to an external drive and restored my computer t factory settings. At that time the WD backup drive I used frizzed out and I thought I lost all of my data. Two Years worth of messages and pictures gone. That was not a good day!

Today I tried to connect it to my mac and guess what? It was there. All of it fine. My pictures and documents were a little dusty but no worse for ware. Thank you Steve Jobs for making a computer that Rocks!

Found It!!!! Love IT!!!!

Packers @ 5:30 at the Frozen Tundra!

I am so excited to see a team that at the beginning of the year looked mediocre play for the chance to go to the super bowl. Here is how I want it to play out. Snow! Lots of snow! I want it to be a close game but packers pull out the monster win in the fourth quarter. Then I want New England to win because How fun would it be to have the Undefeated team play in the big game the est Quarter back to play the game. then I want The packers to win and Brett to ride off into the sunset of retirement on his big block of cheese.

We  will see. If the embedding of the video doesn't work heck out the video at this link... Nfl.com

Big things Ahead!

God uses people in there humanity to accomplish his Supernatural work. I am not always sure why he uses us but he does. God is doing something powerful at High Point. The next few months are going to be better than ever. We are going to grow as you bring your friends family and loved ones t experience a "Life Giving Church". Connection groups start in February and our Two Year anniversary is two Sundays away.

Don't miss it we are going to have food and cake and enjoy getting to know one another this week in the theatre.

BIG LEGS AD

I need your help. Last night on "Idol" there was a monster.com ad. It was a guy with huge legs walking through town and then taking an elevator to the center of the earth. Did you see it?

I howled with laughter! Seriously whoever comes up with this stuff is amazing. I give even bigger kudos to the person at the ad firm who was like... "yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

I want the ad. I can not find it anywhere.  I want to use it Sunday and share it with all of you. Help me find it.