the sticks

The Next STICKS Event @ CHURCHPLANTERS.COM 2010! Let's blow it up.

2009-09-21T10:00:00.006-04:00

THE STICKS is honored to have been invited to do a pre-conference workshop gathering for the VELOCITY CONFERENCE from CHURCHPLANTERS.com

The line-up is SICK for the main conference [which by the way is ONLY $72 for 72 hours starting THIS MONDAY...so get on it.] The pre-conference workshop will be on day 1 from 9-12pm, and the main conference begins @ 1pm.

Hold on...here is what our team will attempt cover at THE STICKS pre-conference:

1. HOW TO DO A LOT WITH A LITTLE. [little staff, little leadership, little money, little faith?]

2. HOW TO GROW YOUR CHURCH WITH LAY VOLUNTEERS AND BI-VOCATIONAL LEADERS/STAFF. [it can be done, and done well!!!!]

3. HOW TO KEEP MINISTRY IN A PLACE WHERE RELEVANCE MEETS REVIVAL. [you can sit around all day and strategize about the best methods, but if it is not driven by the spirit...you are destined to fail!]

4. THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES AND ISSUES OF ATTRACTING STAFF, DEVELOPING LEADERS, AND OTHER STRUGGLES IN RURAL AND HARD TO REACH PLACES.

5. Q and A PANEL SO YOU CAN BRING YOUR QUESTIONS AND GET PRACTICAL HELP TO WHAT IS HOLDING YOU BACK.

Here is the team that will be there to serve and connect with you:

Greg Oraham [thriving multi-site church of 2K in a S.C. town you've never heard of, pop: 8K!]

Dave Anderson [from failed church plant, to thriving, growing church of around 400+ as a bi-vocation pastor in Alabama]

Charles Hill [launched 4 campuses from a rural town of 2,800, now planting in the rocky soils of Utah].

So glad that an amazing team of people have stepped up to lead THE STICKS into the future to minister to those in small to medium sized towns and hard to reach places so they might have a BIG IMPACT for the KINGDOM!

Check out all the other details about the pre-conference workshop HERE. Stop on by, and be prepared to do some serious networking and be ready for some fresh vision and inspiration. Who knows...maybe we can get some big name dude to stop by and donate some money to your church...maybe, just maybe.

I do know that we will be stealing some of the amazing equipment from Mountain Springs church [that's one STICKS tip...big churches don't miss a piece of equipment or a stray motion light or 2... ;]

We're Back.

2009-09-10T11:40:00.005-04:00

After an up and down first year [2 amazing events, and 1 canceled event]...THE STICKS is still at it! We all do this on the side, and we all do this will no budget or staff...welcome to the church right?

We are putting together a GREAT TEAM of leaders from across the country who will continue to lead this movement and are excited about sharing the struggles, joys, victories and sometimes defeats that we all share in small to medium sized towns and hard to reach places.

Our goal is SIMPLE:

To TEACH OTHERS how to DO A LOT with A LITTLE. Because those who are in small to medium sized towns and hard to reach places, know that this is a challenge! We have little funds, little leadership, little vision, little encouragement, little support, little help, little ______________, you fill it in.

And along the way, we have built some amazing relationships and learned so much from our time together, and this will carry on into eternity. We have met some of the TOP LEADERS in the country...you know who you are.

You might never write a book, or speak at conferences. You will not have 9 minutes on the NINES, or featured in a magazine or whatever. You are simply FAITHFUL. And you are MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

We LIVE to tell YOUR STORY! Thank you.

Can't wait to share what God is doing in the hearts of leaders around the country.

Our next event is tentatively scheduled for February, 2010. Details to come.

What say YOU?

WE ARE STRIPPING IT ALL OFF FOR YOU in the sticks.

2009-07-03T10:21:00.004-04:00

Ummm...yeah. The gathering is stripped down. That would be more palatable, even though Dave has been working out at a special retreat in Mexico, so it is rumored.

This gathering is all about YOU. We simply desire to REFRESH, ENCOURAGE, REFUEL, and possible SEED some FRESH WIND into the place that GOD has CALLED you.

Yep...the CONFERENCE FOR NOBODIES as Dave has labeled it.

We'll even help get you here...yep. Full deets on that HERE.

Here's the agenda:

WHAT? // We are hosting a FREE Sticks Conference Round table on Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

WHERE? // Hartselle, Alabama [2910 Highway 31 NW
Hartselle, AL 35640-4271] hosted by CrossPoint Church.

WHO? // YOU! YOU! YOU! Facilitators will be: Charles Hill, Dave Anderson, and a special guest that is still being confirmed.

SCHEDULE? //

8:30-9:15am // Tell us about YOU!

BREAK

9:30-10:45 // Session 1

BREAK

11:-12:15 // Session 2

12:15-1:15 // WORKING LUNCH THAT IS OUR GIFT TO YOU!

BREAK

1:30-2:30 // Session 3

BREAK

2:45-4:30 // OPEN PANEL Q and A

COST? // Bring yourself. Need help? let us know.

We will be talking about whatever YOUR agenda is in a special Q and A brainstorming session plus 3 "directed" sessions on various subjects that are pressing for those who are in small to medium sized towns and budgets. Do you have questions about casting vision, staffing, budgeting, church planting or multi-site?

How about youth and children's ministry, bi-vocational ministry, leadership development or spiritual development/assimilation process? Bring them...let's encourage and equip each other.

And we'll even throw in the HEAT and HUMIDITY for FREE...you can send a thank you card later...no worries.

Registration is easy: Hit me and say...strip me down, I am in: [chazzdaddy17@gmail.com]

FREEEEEEEEEEEE STICKS ROUNDTABLE GATHERING and we will help you if you need it...

2009-06-30T14:34:00.003-04:00

You heard right...

My co-conspirator in the STICKS round table, DAVE ANDERSON, just made an offer that you can't refuse...

Check out the details HERE.

See you July 7th for a time of gathering in HIS presence and seeking HIS glory and asking for HIS leading in the places where HE has called us.

The Sticks Round Table is a place where REVIVAL meets RELEVANCE.

2-3 Pre-Set Sessions, and the rest of the agenda is YOURS!

yes...

2009-06-15T13:04:00.003-04:00

we are still here and alive.

thanks to @loswhit people started talking about all things STICKS again...so that prompted us to let you know where we are right now.

some big news coming...so WATCH for it, especially if you are in the Southeast.

don't forget we are all VOLUNTEERS in this thing, so we took some time off lately after the big Southeast regional let down.

but small towns still need the love of Jesus...so we are firing it back up with some potential initiatives we are working on to network small town pastors.

How to grow your church to 93 people in a bi-vocational role and other ramblings.

2009-04-25T11:12:00.008-04:00

Guest Blogger: Dave Anderson is Lead Pastor at Crosspoint Community Church in Decatur, Alabama.

I'll never forget my first church plant. God called us to "the fastest growing city" in America. We lived in the "fastest growing county." We went to an Ed Stetzer Church Planters bootcamp, crafted our mission statement, designed mailers for our relevant church, opened our bank account and published our web site. And of course we practically memorized Rick Warren's book - "Purpose Driven Church".

We were going to be the next successful church plant. Anyone should be able to plant a church in those conditions!

A year later we shut it down having never had a service. It was painful.

The call of God was clear though. The location just changed. Back to our mid-sized town of 50,000 people. This time in the bible belt where its easier to find a church than a liquor store. No people, no money, no support organization. Just the painful reminder of what its like to fail.

Six years later as a bi-vocational pastor with about 120 people I thought - lets do something our town has never seen. I quit my job, moved our church from a rented building into a movie theater hung out door hangers and rented billboards and planned my next great sermon series and thought - we'll explode. That almost happened! We "relaunched" our church and grew immediately to 178 people.

It wasn't long till we pushed through growth barriers and hit 93 a few months later.

Discouraged and nearly defeated, I went back to work full time wondering if we might have to shut down yet another church "plant" and I began to ask God - "what's wrong and why can't a church grow in Decatur, Alabama?"

16 months later, on Easter Sunday 2009, while working 40 hours a week as a government contractor, The Crosspoint Community Church had 580 in attendance!

How you ask? Find out at THE STICKS CONFERENCE. I will be leading a break-out specifically designed for those in bi-vocational and smaller churches that will help them navigate the challenges that are faced in those unique contexts.

With God anything is possible in any town of any size and any church of any size for any pastor. Are you going to sit there - or register now?

Dave Anderson is Lead Pastor at Crosspoint Community Church in Decatur, Alabama.

One on One with ED STETZER about SMALL TOWN AMERICA.

2009-04-20T16:40:00.006-04:00

That title says it all...check out our dialogue with Ed on the podcast to the right. Huge thanks to Ed for all the time and effort he has given to us out of his extremely busy schedule.

You can meet Ed and a ton of other small to medium size town practitioners at THE STICKS CONFERENCE in 3 weeks! Only $99. We want to IMPACT your TOWN and your HEART, not your BUDGET!

NEWSPRING SECRETS...with TONY MORGAN.

2009-04-06T10:38:00.003-04:00

ok...they aren't top secrets, but I pushed as hard as possible to get the D/L on NewSpring and other leadership insights that Tony has picked up over the years. From Easter plans to assimilation, to breaking barriers in a small town...we try to cover it all in a few minutes in the podcast in the right sidebar...

These are some of the amazing topics and insight that we will be learning from each other at the STICKS gathering...coming in 5 weeks! The next Speaker Podcast will be with ED STETZER...and if you have any questions you have been dying to ask ED...hit me and I will try to work it in!
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...are you in a small to medium sized town looking for a gathering that will help facilitate true networking and learning for YOUR context? We have a limited number of seats...so GET AT IT SOON!

2 minutes/35 seconds @ the STICKS...

2009-03-28T00:00:00.002-04:00

Take 2 minutes and check out what you missed at the MIDDLE AMERICA STICKS conference @ Brand New Church.

Good news is that there is 1 more coming...with Perry Noble, Ed Stetzer, Tony Morgan, Gary Lamb, Greg Oraham and many others...and once we are out of tickets...we are out. Check it. [thanks to @patricksprague]

The Sticks Middle America Roundup from thesticks.tv on Vimeo.

The Sticks Middle America Impact

2009-03-20T09:12:00.006-04:00

The best way to explain what happened at the Middle America Sticks is to not explain it ourselves. Listen to just 1 of the amazing stories from last week:

"Thank you man!Many people have vision but never live it out. Having it is easy but living it............that is another story. I want to thank you for investing in the lives of our leadership. For all the hard work, for the sacrifice that you and your wife and kids laid on the cross, so that guys like me and our teams can be discipled to bear much fruit for the kingdom of God. God has changed my life so much. He has not only given me vision but passion as well.

I know I go by lion chaser, but sometimes man I just feel like climbing a tree instead of jumping into the pit. You know what I am talking about. This is not about what is easy, this is about what is necessary for the kingdom to grow.The vision and passion was caught by our team in this past two days. That would not have happened if we had not gotten to be a part of the Sticks. You, your wife, and kids are in my prayers man! Keep living it for Jesus, and helping out pastors like myself to live it as well."

Enough said.
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$99 Lambinator Super Early Bird ends this weekend. Get on it for the Southeast Regional with Gary Lamb, Perry Noble, Ed Stetzer, Greg Oranham, Tony Morgan and Charles Hill. $99? Not a typo for eternal impact.

The Sticks Main Session #3: Rick Bezet [New Life Church - newlifechurch.tv]

2009-03-18T12:29:00.001-04:00

The Sticks Main Session #3: Rick Bezet [New Life Church - newlifechurch.tv]

THE STICKS DAY 2 ::LIVE BLOG:: TIM STEVENS [www.gccwired.com]

2009-03-18T10:24:00.001-04:00

The Sticks Main Session #3: Tim Stevens [Granger Community Church - gccwired.com]

2009-03-17T16:01:00.003-04:00

The Sticks Middle America Main Session #2: Geoff Surratt [Seacoast Church - seacoast.org]

THE STICKS MIDDLE AMERICA LIVE BLOG NOTES...Session 1: Dwight Mason: New Pointe Church [www.newpointe.org]

2009-03-17T08:04:00.002-04:00

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=c3944cc332" &amp;gt;The Sticks Session 1: Dwight Mason [www.newpointe.org]&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-16T23:36:00.003-04:00

Just finished all the details and programming walk-throughs for the STICKS MIDDLE AMERICA...all I can say is that I am blown away. BRAND NEW CHURCH has BROUGHT IT big time.

I can't wait to see it LIVE and up-close. Thanks to the STICKS team and BNC staff and VOLUNTEERS for all their hard work. It has paid off.

Shannon O'Dell and his crew are amazing...just a look at their building is enough vision to send you on your way to take new ground!

We kick it off tomorrow...@ 9. Don't miss the first minutes or you will be sorry.

Get ready to be blown away in a place where RELEVANCE MEETS REVIVAL...
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New Schedule for both Days [had some speaker availability issues]...

Main Session : 9-10:30
*break/networking*
Breakout : 11-11:45
*Lunch*
Breakout: 1:15-2:00
*break/networking*
Main Session : 2:00-3:45
*break/networking*
Main Session : 4:15-5:45

Important News from THE STICKS!

2009-03-15T15:46:00.003-04:00

Still time to register for one of the most amazing experiences you have ever [OK...enough of the bad marketing...you know what you are in for...] Ready to have your world shook up? It's going to happen in the middle of nowhere this week. Not registered yet or waiting until the last minute? We do have space for WALK-UP REGISTRATIONS...GET ON IT!

For those attending...this might be worth the price of admission: we are hosting a PRE-CONFERENCE informal Q and A round table discussion with the BNC staff and other speakers who are there early! It will be @ BNC from 6:00pm to 7:30pm...don't miss it! That is where true learning, networking and fellowship takes place.

We will pre-register you as well and you can SKIP THE LINES!

The BNC staff and Shannon O'Dell has worked their butts off to make this one of the most amazing environments you have ever seen before! BNC is one of the premier churches in AMERICA of ANY SIZE, hands down.

It all goes down in 2 days...if you aren't able to come because of $$$$$$$$$$$ don't even think about it! E-mail us and let us help you: info@thesticks.tv [we don't have a ton of funds...but we want EVERYONE to come who wants too and not let resources stop you!]. Call it our special stimulus package. [congrats to Charity and Eddie who won free tix...use them well and bring a CREW!]

One other news note: They will be serving lunch for a small fee so you don't have to leave the church if you desire. I am sure sweet tea is on the menu. Scared to ask beyond that when it comes to southern fare :) Actually this is a kicking catering company whose owners that attends BNC. I am told they are amazing.

See you in THE STICKS...RAZORBACK STYLE...we leave in a few hours to head to the land of OZ...or was that Kansas? A place where RELEVANCE meets REVIVAL.
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and if you didn't see the line-up for the SOUTHEAST regional coming in May...are you kidding me? The LAMBINATOR SUPER EARLY BIRD ends next SUNDAY. Get it HERE.

oooooooooooops.

2009-03-10T18:50:00.002-04:00

the most recent podcast was with RICK BEZET. We suck.

Tim Stevens is on in a few days.

Rick could beat up Tim anyway.

a few moments behind the scenes with TIM STEVENS

2009-03-10T18:38:00.008-04:00

check out the fresh podcast we just tossed with the one and only TIM STEVENS...1 week and you can see him live at THE STICKS Middle America!

Get on it!

podcast is on the right hand side half way down on this page...we like to hide things around here. [thanks @mstake007 for the engineering] give him a twitter shout...he is a total rooooooooookie.

oooopsssssss. read this.

i think we broke tokbox today...

2009-03-04T17:15:00.003-05:00

WOW...either tokbox was broken by us small town crazies today or they can't handle our dial-up modems :)

Had a crazy, but fun time today with many folks today as we gathered on-line. So glad that we are not using tokbox at the STICKS...but talking face to face and growing together. Handled topics like: transitioning church/worship styles and wars/breaking into smaller town culture, and a variety of other issues.

Can't wait...2 weeks and we will be blowing up MIDDLE AMERICA at BRAND NEW CHURCH. Just heard of a group of 20 that is registering...that would be a new STICKS record.

BRING IT.

STICKS NEWS!

2009-03-03T11:18:00.003-05:00

2 weeks until MIDDLE AMERICA is rocking the STICKS! World-class leaders and pioneers in both small town ministry and multi-site will be gathered together in an intimate setting for a time where REVIVAL meets RELEVANCE! Think on the power of that phrase.

We extended the EARLY BIRD RATES through the time of the conference in response to the needs of the economic conditions at your church. And yes, small gifts of gratitude are welcome. REGISTER HERE!

Free on-line gathering TOMORROW! Check the deets HERE. And JOIN US ya crazy.

We are so honored to be serving you pioneers on the front lines of small to medium sized towns in America [75K or so...] some from much larger...we are praying that GOD will use this gathering in HUGE ways as we take the gospel to the world. [that was pretty churchy...but we mean it!]

If we can serve you in any way, please let us know: info@thesticks.tv [and no, we have no ties to rich investors...to save you an e-mail :]

And if you have not checked out our host church BRAND NEW CHURCH...you are missing out. 2 weeks and counting...

multi-site in THE STICKS.

2009-02-25T09:13:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we hosted a free on-line gathering for small town ministry leaders...check the deets HERE...will be doing 1 more next week.

I can't believe all the people who are considering multi-site in small town America! It dominated the topics.

So...don't forget this. One of the PIONEERS of multi-site, Geoff Surratt [author of THE MULTI-SITE CHURCH REVOLUTION] will be with us at THE STICKS. And so will veterans: Shannon O'Dell, Tim Stevens, Charles Hill, Dwight Mason, and Rick Bezet all run multi-site at their churches in different stages. [Dwight is kicking his first one this fall].

Check the bio's HERE.

It's going to be a multi-sitepalooza amoungst other topics for small town impact in an intimate setting where real ministry meets your real questions, needs and concerns. A place where relevance meets revival!

Less than 3 week...get on it.

on-line HOOK-UP for small town crazies.

2009-02-20T11:40:00.007-05:00

At THE STICKS, we are all about SERVING YOU as we journey this crazy world of small town ministry together!

We are hosting a free video gathering on-line next WEDNESDAY, March 4th, @ 3pm [est]

over at Brand New Churches with SHANNON O'DELL and team. We

No need to have an account, JOIN US HERE: http://www.tokbox.com/?targetConf=jlaqi6lfd4qg1suf&server=fms02-lon3.tokbox.com/tokbox&cs=t

As many of the conference speakers from the STICKS MIDDLE AMERICA REGIONAL we can round up will be there, and the most important voice we are inviting is YOURS! We want to hear from YOU!

We will be discussing small town ministry issues, MULTI-SITE issues and a ton of other things that YOU will bring to the table. And best of all, it's FREE! Come and join us...but only if you are a RADICAL, SOLD-OUT, SMALL TOWN CRAZY!

[big town people welcome as well, but just warning you in advance.]

We will also be giving away FREE TICKETS to THE STICKS...can't beat that.
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great registration prices continue @ the sticks. get on it. now. really.

Check Out this MESSED UP Driver.

2009-02-18T00:00:00.002-05:00

This is what I have done as a leader so many times. How 'bout it? Ever fallen asleep at "the wheel?"

But then again in THE STICKS...you just go grab another spare car from your neighbors front yard and you're back in business.
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early bird ends this WEEKEND! get on it.

You ain't seen nothing like this before...

2009-02-17T00:00:00.001-05:00

By now, many of you have heard about Shannon O'Dell and the incredible work that he and his people are engaged in at Brand New Church. All we can say is that it is nothing short of a huge God story. Campuses, ministries, power and prayer like no other from a church in a town of 407.

Only God. Shannon and his team have put on an amazing experience together with our Sticks team. As a matter of fact, they have crafted much of the experience and you will fully see, feel and view up close what drives this church to continue to grow from a traditional baptist church of less than 200 to the thriving church or over 2,000 today.

We are all jacked about March 17-18th in Bergman, Arkansas. New sponsors and people like you are signing up to join us as we speak...this is not your typical "DO THIS TO GROW LIKE WE DID CONFERENCE." I can't even put into words what will happen as we gather.

I also can't explain what happens when you are with some of the best leaders and thinkers in America [yourself included] in an intimate setting without a huge crowd that you can't even walk through, much less interact with? What other conference offers that kind of interaction? You read right...that is off the chain interaction, learning and inspiration.

Get in on it now...early bird rates fly away in only 6 days!

Check out a bit of what Shannon [who by the way FINALLY has a BLOG!] and the BNC team are up to in this vision piece. May God INSPIRE you to new heights RIGHT WHERE HE HAS YOU NOW. Don't try to be something you are not. Don't try to be BNC or any other of your favorite places. ALLOW GOD BREATH INTO YOUR SOUL. You wouldn't be pouring it out in a smaller town if your calling wasn't sure.

And remember this quote from TRENT KIRKLAND: "We are ministering in a town of 5,000, but we try not to act like it." Powerful.

BNC Vision Video 2008 from Zach Gilliam on Vimeo.

help us spread the love...

2009-02-16T11:36:00.004-05:00

Grab the STICKS button on the right and also join us on FACEBOOK and become a fan of THE STICKS...

That is if you care about small to medium sized towns being ROCKED for JESUS.

Help us spread the word that will change pastors, volunteers, and leaders for LIFE!

JOIN US NOW AT TWITTER: @thesticks
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early bird ends SUNDAY! GET ON IT HERE.

and yes, the additional discount is still up there from earlier this week due to technical issues with our google checkout account, so enjoy an extra bonus until we get it figured out later today or tomorrow...[it's an extra $20 off, and really, we would have changed it back after our 1 day sale that people took advantage of. and REALLY, once it's back to the original rate it's supposed to be, our extra fun sale is done. ohhhh, the joys of technology in THE STICKS!]