Go to WWW.TYNEAL.COM to find me!

I’m moving…. my blog!

My new blog will be at www.tyneal.com. The move allows me to add more features and potentially reach more people with my blog!

You can receive it in several ways:

- By Bloglines.com : just add the URL – tyneal.com

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- By Email Subscription:
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Thanks! I hope you Enjoy!

What is canyoneering? Basically you repel and climb around in various canyons and hike trails along the mountainside. The largest canyon we repelled down was close to 100 ft!

Special thanks to Dean and Ashley Criswell for making this possible!

Enjoy!

Ok, I’m curious… What has Facebook done for you? Has it added to your life, experiences, relationships, etc. Or… has it drained all personal interaction from your relationships and been a huge waste of time at home and work? What are the pros and cons?

By the way, we (Grace Point Church) have been trying to use our Facebook page to continue the conversation in the Grace Point community throughout the week. We want to hear stories about what God is doing in the lives of GPers and help them interact with others!

Here are some numbers & facts:

- The Grace Point Church Facebook page was created on January 6th, 2009.

- We have over 200 fans as of this post.

- Of our 200 fans: 53% are male, 47% are female.

- We have an average of 50 views per day.

- On the page you can: View GP videos & pictures, read announcements, interact with staff and other GPers, link to blogs, and experience several other cool features.

- We can message all of our “fans” any important updates or announcements.

Check out Grace Point Church’s Facebook page HERE.

So what are your thoughts on Facebook? Do you use it? Why/Why not? What about the uses for a church? Is it beneficial or just a fad? Your thoughts please!

Say goodbye to your paperback Bible and hello to YouVersion! Well, maybe not completely…

YouVersion, developed by Lifechurch.tv, is an on-line Bible community that allows you to read multiple versions of the Bible, bookmark verses, have a daily reading plan, journal, and read what others are saying about a particular verse! Not only can you access it on your computer, but you can also get it via iPhone, Blackberry or any mobile handheld device!

Here’s a screen shot:

30 Day Experience:

I’m going to put my paperback (actually fake leather) Bible up for 30 days and use nothing but YouVersion! During this time I’ll only use my laptop and iPhone to read the Bible. I’ll keep you posted. Maybe you can try it with me? If so, go to YouVersion and search for my name (Ty Neal). What if this causes you to read the Bible more? This could be a great thing! Let me know if you’re in!

Enjoy!

Enjoy!

Here’s my second post of Catalyst highlights.

Craig Groeschel: Senior Pastor, Lifechurch.tv

I was taught and I thought…

1. I was taught and I thought that church should be a safe place.

- Learning that it should be dangerous!

- We’ve invited people to a safe God. We’ve invited people to have a better life.

- Luke warm pastors build luke warm churches.

2. I was taught and I thought that I should build my ,inistry and my church.

- Learning to build His Kingdom! Big difference!

- How can we unite churches and not divide.

3. I was taught and thought sucess is found only in big numbers.

- Learning that the score card has changed!

- If I blame myself for the decline, I may take the credit for increases.

- Redefine the win!

- No such thing as a mega church. We are all small churches with a big vision.

- It’s not the number that we get in the door, it’s the number that’s outside the doors that matter.

3 Lines a believer crosses:

Line #1: I believe in the Gospel to benefit from it. “Get out of Hell”

Line #2: I believe in the Gospel and contribute comfortably.  Minor serving, minor contributing, etc.

Line #3: I believe in the Gospel and give my life to it. Yes!

Tony Morgan: Strategist and Blogger

I had the opportunity to have lunch with him and about 30 others. I got a free and signed copy of his new book Killing Cockroaches while I was there.

Here’s what Tony had to say:

1. We can preach the Gospel, but does anyone hear it? Romans 10:14

- Culture sometimes does not understand the way and words we are using.

- We can present the Gospel in new and creative ways.

2. The primary role of the church is to help people find their ministry. Eph. 4:11-12

- The church has focused on programs and education that has made Christians smarter.

- We need to get people to focus on the Great Commision.

- Tasks vs. Empowering Leaders. We need to empower!

3. It’s not the churches job to make disciples, it;s disciples job to make disciples. Matt. 28:18-21

- Disciples make disciples.

- Do you have a clearly defined path for people to become disciples? (great question!)

Tony also talked about when to leave a church (from a staff perspective)

- Can I support the vision 100%?

- Can I be me 100% in that ministry?

Enjoy!

Just finished Larry Osborne’s new book 10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe.

This is a great book that could possibly save believers a lot of heartache, confusion and pain! In this book Larry Osborne debunks some popular Spiritual myths that can potentially have devastating ramifications in the lives of believers. Here are the 10 “spiritual urban legends” he debunks:

1. Faith Can Fix Anything.

2. Forgiving Means Forgetting.

3. A Godly Home Guarantees Godly Kids. (my favorite!)

4. God Has a Blueprint for My Life.

5. Christians Shouldn’t Judge.

6. Everything Happens for a Reason. (another favorite!)

7. Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide.

8. God Brings Good Luck.

9. A Valley Means a Wrong Turn.

10. Dead People Go to a Better Place.

I highly recommend this book! Get it HERE!

Enjoy!

The GP Staff recently attended the West Coast Catalyst Conference this past week. We had the opportunity to hear some of the best pastore and worship leaders from around the country! Here’s some of the highlights from the speakers.

Andy Stanley: Lead Pastor, North Point Community Church

Leading In Uncertain Times

- Uncertainty is why we need leaders – it’s job security.

- Uncertainty is not an indicator of poor leadership.

- “I will always be uncertain, I’m certain of it.”

- God gets maximum mileage out of uncertainty.

- Two things that are crucial during uncertain times: Clarity and Flexibility.

- It’s OK to be uncertain but not to be unclear.

- In times of uncertainty, pull back to the original vision.

- Clarity trumps uncertainty.

- Flexible: Plans change, the vision remains the same.

- In times of uncertainty, plans change a lot.

Guy Kawasaki: Founding Partner, Garage Technology Ventures

Innovation in any Organization

1. Making Meaning – Make the world a better place, end bad things, make things better.

2. Make a Mantra – Come up with 2 or 3 words that describe your organization.

3. Jump to the Next Curve – Be ahead of the curb.

4. Roll the Dicee – Deep, Intelligent, Complete, Elegant, and Emotive.

5. Don’t Worry, Be Crappy – Get it out there and listen to consumers. It’s OK to have a little crappyness. (not sure if i totally agree on this one!)

6. Polarize People – Have a target! Better for people to love or hate it than be indifferent towards it.

7. Let 100 Flowers Blossom – This is the “not intended” audience.

8. Church Baby, Churn – Keep getting better.

9. Niche Thyself – be unique AND valuable.

10. Follow 10, 20, 30 Rule – Presentation should consist of 10 slides, 20 minutes long with a 30 point font.

11. Don’t Let Bozo’s Grind You Down – Watch out for naysayers!

I’ll post more later.

Enjoy!

Check out some pics:

Enjoy!