Facebook’s cultural axioms are all over the place. There are banners, t-shirts and signs reminding everyone of these axioms. Here are a few:
1. Done is better than perfect.
(At Facebook, there is a bias toward action and grace toward making mistakes. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It needs to get done.)
2. Stay focused and keep shipping.
3. Move fast and break things.
(Interestingly, this is contrary to the research in Jim Collins’ lastest book “Great by Choice” which talks about the value of consistency and steady plodding. I’m not suggesting we have to pick one. I just wonder if moving fast and breaking things competes with consistency and steady plodding?)
4. What would you do if you weren’t afraid?
5.Fortune favors the bold
6. Code wins arguments.
I found this particularly helpful. The intent is this: instead of debating ad nausem the validity of an idea, build a prototype. Test it out. Write the code and react to what you build instead of debating a theoretical argument. Interesting.

Facebook discusses two types of customer insights:
1. Engagement insight: Why do people care about your brand?
2. Social insight: Why would they tell others about your brand?
(Church leaders – simply replace brand with church in the two questions above.)

Facebook is focused on their potential customers in addition to their current ones. Mike Lage put it this way, “Facebook has 900 million users. There are 7 billion people in the world. We have a long way to go.”

Finally, I have a new appreciation for the word: “Hack.” Prior to this visit, I thought hacking meant breaking into someone’s network. At Facebook, the term Hack is revered. Hacking means pulling people and resources together to build and then ship an idea. It’s not brainstorming. It’s brainstorming
plus doing. That’s hacking. Facebook is famous for having “all-night hack-a-thons” or a week of hacking. Again, they have an immense desire to move fast and keep shipping. Simply coming up with a good idea is not a win. Making ideas happen is the win. In fact, the place where Mark Zuckerberg spends most of his time at Facebook preaches the value of hacking. It’s pictured below.

All that said, which of these lessons from Facebook is most helpful for you?

1.  Music Charts
Our music director Matt Adkins has put together three music charts which includes our two openers for Good Friday and Easter Sunday along with a hymn medley we did during communion.

2.  Good Friday Title package.
Here is a link to this stop-motion title package.  Feel free to download it and use it. Just note that we played live underneath the video so you will want to create a music bed for it. If you would like to contact the artist, Aaron Harris, leave a comment below and we will get you connected!

3.  Easter Sunday opener.
Here is a link to the opener. Our aim was to create a song that first-time visitors were familiar with and leans into the celebration of the day.

4.  Hymn Medley.
Matt arranged this medley of hymns which we played during communion Friday night.

5.  Good Friday Opener.
We spent a lot of time thinking through how to open the Good Friday service.  We had an idea that we weren’t completely sold on so we decided to shelve it for another year. Instead, we went with a more simple approach: http://vimeo.com/40885604.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment and I’ll be happy to answer.

Thanks!
Lauren Espy
Service Programming Director

Jeff

Dana Wilson from Gwinnett Church on Vimeo.

Bobby Collazo from Gwinnett Church on Vimeo.

Gwinnett Church Easter Highlight from Gwinnett Church on Vimeo.

Here’s the 411 on what you need to know: 

Good Friday starts at 7 pm at the Gwinnett Center ballroom where our services were held when we started there. No childcare for Friday. 

Easter morning will feature two worship experiences with teaching from Andy at 9 am and 11 am.  Both services will offer Waumba Land and UpStreet. Transit nor InsideOut will be offered on Easter Sunday. 

Our prayer for our community and for Gwinnett Church is 2 Corinthians 5: 20, 21.  I would copy the verses here but instead I’m going to ask you to look it up!  :-) 

Thank you to all who serve and give to help make this happen.  

It’s going to be an incredible weekend. 

Jeff 

Candy Stines from Gwinnett Church on Vimeo.

Lynn Larrazabal from Gwinnett Church on Vimeo.

Enjoy,

Jeff

Terry Johnstone from Gwinnett Church on Vimeo.

Marlene Hedges from Gwinnett Church on Vimeo.

To that end, we would like to offer you an opportunity to respond to the tornadoes and other storms that hit the South on March 2. Look below for options to give or serve locally.

Give

For financial donations, we are partnering with one of our strategic partner churches,  Rock Point Community Church, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. They are leveraging their network of small groups and community relationships to distribute gift cards to people in their community from Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowe’s.

If you would like to contribute in this way, please send a gift card from one of the stores mentioned above to:

Rock Point Community Church

Attn: Justin Park

7997 Shallowford Road

Chattanooga, TN 37421

Please be sure to include the denomination of the gift card. Also, feel free to include a note of encouragement or prayer for our friends in Chattanooga.

Serve

As many of you know, Paulding County and the town of Dallas were the local areas hit most directly. We are partnering with West Ridge Church, whose West Paulding campus meets at an elementary school that suffered significant damage. They have been quick to mobilize people and resources to serve their community. Additionally, their county commissioners have asked West Ridge Church to coordinate a workday to help local residents on Saturday, March 10.

To participate in their workday this Saturday or to learn about additional volunteer needs, please see their Storm Relief blog or call their storm relief direct line at 678-792-4488.

On March 17th, we are partnering with our friends at Cross Pointe Church for the Dave Ramsey Simulcast. This is a great opportunity to once again hear from one of the leading experts on personal finances.

Tickets are $39 each and can be purchased online here: http://www.daveramsey.com/live/simulcast/

The event will be held in the worship auditorium at Cross Pointe.

Our hope is that each of us at Gwinnett Church would be on the pathway to financial freedom. This event is a great step in that direction.

See you there.

Jeff

We wanted to take a moment and update you on the fun times our UpStreet and Transit kids have been having!

Two weeks ago 91 of our elementary aged kids along with their small group leaders descended on Dave & Buster’s and had a BLAST!! Here are a few pics to prove it:

Then last weekend, all five North Point Ministries’ Transit environments came together for Walking Wisely Weekend at North Point Community Church. Over 2500 Middle School students and 520 small group leaders stayed in host homes throughout Atlanta.  They spent the weekend learning and talking about character and what that looks like in the life of a middle schooler. WOW!!!

Fun fact-they had to order over 1000 pizzas…

Thank you for all that you do to make these environments possible for our students where they can grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ.