Archive for October, 2009

BAF San Marcos

Posted in Leadership, Multi-Site on October 29, 2009 by johncatkinson

If you follow my blog you probably know that we are trying to start 6 campuses in 6 months. That process has begun, but we also had some unfinished business at one of our existing campuses. For the last three days myself, Pastor Dave, Pastor Joey, Pastor Randy, and some awesome volunteers from San Marcos have been burning the midnight oil installing all new media at the UPACC, which is a building on the Campus of Texas State where BAF San Marcos meets. It was three long grueling days, but well worth it, and I’m really happy with how it turned out.

This was by far the most difficult install the multi site team has ever done. We’re trying to be good stewards, so up to this point, we have tried to find buildings for our campuses that will hold about 150 in worship, and have room for supporting children’s ministries. These buildings have all been around 6000 sq ft with 15 ft or so ceiling heights. This has worked well for us and we’ve been  able to continue to grow these campuses with multiple services while not killing the budgets. The UPACC however, has seating for 350, 35 foot ceilings, and a sloped floor with fixed theater seating. This made for an interesting few days because of course everything we were doing was being done over the top of fixed theatre seating and 35 feet in the air. We had a lift designed to work over seats, and it worked well, but it took forever because it had to be rolled back into the aisle every time we moved it, and good grief did we ever move it a lot. Of course the stage created the same problems for screens and lighting so the team really worked their tails off on this one. It’s important to know that all this work was being done by a MS Director, 2 Campus Pastors, a Worship Pastor, and a handful of volunteers! Pretty crazy mix for sure :)

Really proud of everyone on the team because they really did some amazing work on this one. This weekend at BAF San Marcos, video, lights and sound will be at, as our friend  Pastor Ed Young Jr says, “a whole nutha level.” I’m really excited for the team at BAF San Marcos and me and Pastor Joey will be heading back up there Sunday to make sure everything is working as we planned it. By the way, who in the heck is the idiot who came up with the idea to start a campus three hours away? Oh yea never mind, I think that idiot is me:)

John

 

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One Seriously Proud Dad

Posted in Uncategorized on October 16, 2009 by johncatkinson

IMG_2352All blessings from God are great, but nothing comes close to the blessing of God in the lives of our kids. In a world where teenagers lives are falling apart, and we see it in our church all the time, my 17 year old twins are living out their faith each and every day. The one on the left (Cory) is on staff in the Element Student Ministry as a Worship Leader and has a calling on his life to ministry, the one on the right (Cody) is part of the Element Student Ministry leadership team and pours his heart into it with all he has. Both are sold out to reaching broken and hurting students for Christ and model servanthood in ways that challenge me all the time!

I thank my God each and every day these two amazing young men. I love them with all my heart and am so proud to be their Dad. Thank you God from the bottom of my heart!

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The BAF Multi Site Vision

Posted in Multi-Site on October 14, 2009 by johncatkinson

Over the last 18 months we have started 4 new multi site campuses in small towns around CC and I’m so excited to say all are doing really well. I know starting 4 campuses that fast sounds crazy, and frankly it is, but the cool thing is God just kept showing up over and over, and always right when we needed Him the most. But here’s the key, the provision was always found in the pursuit of the vision, not in the planning for the vision. Faith started 4 campuses not BAF, and every one of me team would wholeheartedly agree. I’m constantly being asked questions about how we pulled it off. Questions like, how did you pay for it, what’s your system, do you have written job and ministry descriptions, how do you staff, and tons of other questions, and sometimes I kind of feel bad because I don’t have a ton of stuff I can send people, but honestly, there really isn’t a system per se. Don’t get me wrong, I have a fantastic team of leaders who I would stack up against any leadership team in the country, we make plans, and we try our best to carry them out, but when I try to explain exactly what were doing, most people look at me and wonder if I’m completely crazy.

So today I’m here to confirm some suspicions and answer some questions! Based on the last 18 months, and the current vision in front of me, I am indeed crazy, probably not a big surprise to most of you, no I can’t really explain in a clear concise way what our system is because it’s evolving and changing faster than I can write it down,  and yes we are really planning on starting seven more campuses in the next six or so months, and no we don’t have the money or people to pull it off. Some leaders would frown on that, and frankly I completely understand why, because I would be the first to tell you that what were doing really doesn’t make much sense, but I can also tell you it’s working.

So for all of those who are asking how we’re doing this, here’s the BAF Multi Site system as best I can explain it, and I’m not joking here, our faith is bigger than our common sense and skill! Thats pretty much the entire BAF Multi Site plan. For the last 18 months we have stepped way, and I mean way, out in the faith zone and started four campuses with not enough money, not enough people, and not a real clear plan. To be honest, we didn’t have a clear plan because we had no idea how to do what we were feeling led to do, but what we were sure we had was a word from God, and He came through every single time we needed Him, and is some huge ways. Here’s why I’m so excited to be called to carry out this vision, Pastor Bil has committed two hours of prayer a day for a year now, yes I really said every single day for a year he has prayed two hours, and in that time God has told him to keep starting campuses, so the BAF system is this, we’ll move forward and continue to figure it out as we go! I can tell you this, it sure is easy to follow a pastor who has spent two hours a day in prayer for a year asking God for His vision and provision!!!!

John

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A Big Vision

Posted in Uncategorized on October 6, 2009 by johncatkinson

Life in the Multi Site ministry has been crazy, but man has it been fun. In the last 20 months we have started four new BAF Multi Site Campuses and all are doing really well. A lot of people would be ready to sit back and take a rest, but Bil’s on fire for Multi Site and he’s spent over 200 hours in prayer asking God what He wants us to do. In his prayer time Bil is absolutely sure God wants us to push forward with a huge vision and just trust Him with the money, people, and places. So that’s exactly what we’re doing.

In this vision we have seven locations where we want to put BAF Campuses, and we want to do it in a very short period of time. Part of what we are doing in the process is restructuring the entire Multi Site Ministry. I’m very excited about the vision in front of me because it will challenge me to take my leadership to a whole nutha level! I’ve never done what is in front of me, and that  excites me. The cool thing about this vision is, it makes absolutely no sense and just couldn’t happen if it wasn’t from God, but Bil has prayed over 200 hours about it, so we’re going to trust God and move forward with it. Man I love that crazy faith zone!

I’m really excited about all this but trust me, there are times when I look at the size of this vision and wonder what God was thinking when He chose a guy to lead it who walked without his Son for 37 years, has no seminary training, or any church experience at all prior to coming to BAF. But for some reason God chose me to lead this thing, so I’m going to have to trust He knows what He’s doing :)

As we pursue this big vision I am so thankful for the amazing team God has surrounded me with, because without them, I couldn’t even come close to pulling this off. This is an amazing group of leaders who without exception have this vision deep in their hearts. Jason Curlee, Dave Cotham, Rudy Garcia, Randy Bryan, David Flores, Joey Davila, Kyrah Hopkins, and our newest Campus Pastor for the Westside whose name I don’t want to reveal until he’s had time to tell his family and friends. This is one seriously amazing team and I cannot put into words how thankful I am for each of them!

It’s going to be a crazy ride so if you’re reading this and you’re a part of BAF, we need your help. Get in contact with us and we will find a way to get you involved. This will take a body of believers joining together as a team to start all these amazing campuses where people can gather to experience the life change that only comes from a relationship with Jesus. We need you on our team.

John

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