Thanks for taking a moment to find out what I’m up to – as you know – I’ve been discussing, designing, and developing Third Places and helping churches know how to implement them as viable ministry tools for nearly 14 years. Over the past decade and especially that last 3 years – conversations and questions from the church about Third Places and their role, responsibility, and real place in culture – have dramatically increased.

In response to this increased need and in an ultimate response to God’s sovereign leading in my life – I’m stoked to share with you that I’ve joined the firm of The Garrison Barrett Group, an architecture and interior design firm based in Birmingham, AL whose client list includes Church of the Highlands, Celebration Church, Church of the King, and Red Mountain Church. In addition, I’m confident that their rich history in designing facilities that house education and entertainment will serve well as we continue to design now for the future of the church.

As the latest edition to the team, I will serve as Lead Collaborator, where my primary responsibilities will include connecting, communicating, and collaborating with clients. I will remain the owner and Idea Engineer of Third Place Consulting – also based in Birmingham, AL – and will add to the design and service offerings of The Garrison Barrett Group in helping churches connect and communicate through cafes, lounges and marketplace solutions.

I’m very excited to be a part of Garrison Barrett; a team with deep integrity, creative imagination, and exceptional design capability. Aubrey Garrison and I share a passion for helping our clients with connecting people, developing leaders, and funding causes and we are already seeing how this relationship is providing more holistic solutions for our clients.

You can always find me here on this website, but I invite you to check out the amazing team I’m serving with now (http://garrsionbarrett.com) . Thanks again for stopping by – and thanks for pouring into the lives of others.

Michael

Watch, reflect, hope, respond……

Maybe you’re like me and you sit, watching television (we can still call it that right?) and you see the upcoming ‘new series’ for a network and you just know it – you can already see pastors around the country calling their design team to start the process on creating a series with the same title of a new show.

This blog post is open for participation – let’s go ahead and save people a lot of time and money.  I’m not saying that churches should not take from mainstream pop culture and use it as a bridge for communication – I do wish however that in our most sincere intentions in imitation that we will not forget to use our God-given Imagination.

Here are a few of my 2010 Church Message Series Predictions (with added subtitles by me just to get your ideas engineering…

From the networks of NBC, ABC, CBS, Discovery Channel, HBO, FX, CW, TNT, and FOX

By Topic

LIFE

Past Life (what to bring with you and what to leave behind)

Life Unexpected (doesn’t anyone know the Greek word for DUH)

Time Warp (yesterdays and tomorrows)

Flash Forward (does you past decide your future more than you future defines your now)

Day One (there’s always a day one)

30 Days (if your plan didn’t make it 30 Days, repeat Day One)

Storm Chasers (do you create chaos because you can’t handle the calm)

Raising the Bar (this one’s too obvious)

LOVE

Human Target (sympathy, empathy, and take someone’s place)

Til’ Death (what part of that did you not understand)

Big Love (in little ways)

My Own Worst Enemy (mirrors don’t always tell the truth)

The Deep End (go where you haven’t gone to love like you haven’t loved)

MONEY

How It’s Made (don’t forget your Source)

Leverage (timing, talents, and truth)

Numbers (have fun with this one, I’m not touching it)

Accidentally on Purpose (the famous lottery question – what if)

WORK

White Collar (dirt comes in all colors)

Undercover Boss (who’s really leading and why)

Shark Tank (know your value and add value first)

The Closer (finish what you start)

Shark Week (tough people can be tremendous assets)

Dirty Jobs (actually go live a day in someone else’s boots)

Chuck (what you see is sometimes what you get)

FAMILY

Royal Pains (you know who you are)

American Dad (man up, speak up, live it up – someone’s always watching)

Brothers (don’t shake, brothers hug)

The Marriage Ref (truth never hurt so good)

Parenthood (don’t make me turn this thing around)

Find My Family (what’s missing and do you want it found)

Modern Family (if you think you’re not dysfunctional; that’s your dysfunction)

The Middle (too much, too little, too early, too late)

COMMUNITY / OUTREACH

The Bridge (a divide, a decision, a Divine)

The Colony (from nothing to something; from something to sustaining)

Community (what part of ‘unity’ did you not understand)

Parks & Recreation (if you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong)

Olympics (this one is too easy)

Fringe (who do you not see)

FAITH / SPRITUAL LIFE

In Plain Sight (close your eyes so you can see better)

Justified (roles, responsibilities, and recourse)

Rescue Me (giving up, giving in, and giving it away)

Supernatural (made up explanations for things you can’t explain)

True Blood (yuck; now tell me why this matters again)

Man vs. Wild (the people, places, and plates we have before us)

Mythbusters (yeah – this one’s coming again)

PAIN

Mercy (why God doesn’t ask you to cry ‘Uncle’)

Trauma (it’s real to me; now somebody help)

Damages (collateral, collective, controllable)

Destroyed in Seconds (stop, drop, and think)

RELATIONSHIPS

Burn Notice (when trust is broken)

Lie To Me (tell me what I want to hear)

Sit Down, Shut Up (two ears, one mouth – any questions)

Men of a Certain Age (boys will be boys; but men should be men)

The Forgotten (generations that went before us)

Deadliest Catch (don’t call me I’ll call you – Never)

Any thoughts, recommendations, or additions?

What do fine wine, real comedy, and great books have in common?  TRUTH & TIMING

I’m thankful to the team at Waterbrook Multnomah for sending me Mark Batterson’s latest book PRIMAL so that I could participate in the blog tour.  I’d like to apologize for not reading it in the time requested – but would also like to use that as the premise for this post.

Like fine wine and real comedy – great books and how they impact our lives are so often about timing; or the “when” we finally pick that book up and read it.  Over the holidays, I decided to stay home alone and spend some time reflecting in detail about the past decade….I laughed, cried, and even laughed till I cried while having conversations with God (world’s greatest listener btw).  Later that night – - I did it, I picked up PRIMAL by Mark Batterson -

I wasn’t through the intro before I was absolutely cracking up to the point of tears – much like I had earlier that day.  Only this time it wasn’t because the book was funny (it is, just go with me here) – - but because Mark had written exact phrases in his book that were in the very conversations that I had had with God only hours before.  I could go on, but you get the point – timing is so key – and God’s ways, thoughts, and even timing are so much better than ours.

I could quote the book until I have carpel tunnel syndrome, but instead let me tell you what I really think::  I think that Primal (2009) by Mark Batterson could and should become a book like My Utmost For His Highest (1935) by Oswald Chambers.  What do I mean by that?  It’s easy – people have purchased, printed, and reprinted Chambers book because it is…. in a phrase – “timeless truths”.  Primal is that book not only for now, but for next and next and next and next generations.

I started reading the book with this blog in mind, thinking “who” should I direct my post toward – and now I have no choice but to say that the only people I think should read this book are those who are still breathing.  I don’t know where you are on your journey, but you need to go to the place where this book will take you. The words penned on the pages of this book are like fine wine and real comedy – they are full of truth and are looking forward to pouring into your life at just the right time.

Thanks Mark – for pouring your heart, soul, mind and strength into this timeless piece of work.

Michael Trent

To purchase PRIMAL:  a Quest for the lost soul of Christianity visit Random House by clicking here.

I’ve spent more than half of my lifetime working in, for, and with churches.  I know I haven’t seen and heard it all; but some days it sure feels like it.  I have always been one to not jump on to buzz words, especially in the church world – because they either tend to show up too late, hang on too long, or have so many meanings that no one is ever having the same conversation anyway.  If you’ve been around this you know what I mean – if you haven’t, raise a glass in thankfulness – your mind is likely more clear than mine.

The latest Celebrity Death Match in the world of church terminology is Attractional & Missional.  By chance you’ve not lived in a cave the past few years, you know that one of the statements you cannot avoid is “We are no longer in an ‘either – or’, but a ‘both – and’ time in history”.  Simply put, we must collaborate to move forward in a healthy and sustainable way.

If you want to read more about Attractional & Missional or Attractional vs. Missional – talk to Google and knock yourself out.  I just wanted to share my observation and working theory based on the ongoing discussions and at times – down-right-arguments that are happening.

The Attractive Church

• Those who call themselves ‘missional’ tend to emphasize mission and downplay ‘attractional’ and claim to be focused on the person and not the numbers – and have been known to talk smack about those who go for the ‘big event’ approach
• Those who call themselves ‘attractional’ tend to emphasize the drawing of people in a larger numbers at a time and have been known to talk some smack about those who don’t try to go for bigger numbers.

My working theory is:

• Attractional Churches cannot become big without being ‘on mission’ – therefore we would not even be talking about them if they were not missional – because if they were not ‘on mission’ they would have no one at their churches and we would not be having this discussion.
• Missional Churches may be on mission by definition but I’d like to propose that it is absolutely impossible for them to accomplish the mission of the church without being attractional – meaning the people are drawn to know what moves & motivates their mission.

Jesus told us the “by this will all men know that you’re mine – that you love one another” – and “we are to reflect Him”.  When we are like Him, reflect Him, and doing what we can to be Him on this earth – We are on Mission and that is Attractive.  Therefore I propose –

THE ATTRACTIVE CHURCH: a church on mission to be attractive; being who God wants us to be – and doing what He has asked us to do by drawing attention on Him and not us.

Let the honest conversation begin…………………….

Pictures simply represent (1) old church used by younger generations, (2) mega-church utilizing facility to reach masses, (3) openness to cram into a bar / nightclub and embrace re-use & mixed-use, and (4) the understanding that we are the church whether in a cathedral, a stadium, a bar, or simply on a couch in a home.

This great short video from PopUrls – Seizing Opportunities video shorts illustrates an important reminder to Think Local.  Whether for business, ministry, or community development – this is a good reminder.

Additionally, Dave Gibbons, in his book The Monkey & The Fish – on the topic of “What is in my hand?” – states:

“This is another way of asking, What has God already given me?  Instead of wishing for and complaining about what I don’t have, what do I have today?  Instead of dangerously comparing myself with others, what is within my grasp relationally, historically, and resources-wise right now?”

Enjoy the video and then check out my friend Mark – who is  really making a difference: Hardly Normal

I don’t know about you, but I am completely surrounded with ideas and opportunities.  Ideas are great, but at some point we must commit to one take action toward implementation.

Maybe you’ve heard the story about The Chicken & The Pig – one day they begin to discuss opening a restaurant together.  As they talk names, the Chicken says – “What about Ham & Eggs”.  The Pig appreciated the collaborative name, but quickly points out that the Chicken can simply be “involved” by laying an egg and then go about his life, while for the Pig a “total commitment” is required – an absolute sacrifice.

So who are you in this story?  Who do you want to be?  Who do you have around you?  How was your breakfast?

Are you COMMITTED?  Or just INVOLVED?