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I'm calling it SHOCKTOBER.

Ok, so there are around 2.4 billion things that I'm excited about right now.  And I seriously feel like I need to pinch myself just to make sure this is all real.  Here's a taste.

STORY - It happens next week!  Can't wait.  Around 1,700 pastors, communicators, church leaders, writers, speakers, etc will converge for two days to learn and be inspired by an amazing line up of storytellers -   people like Dave Gibbons, Ed Young, Donald Miller, Nancy Beach, Mike Foster, Stacy Spencer, Chris Seay, and others.  The first day happens on Wednesday, October 28th at the beautiful Paramount Theater in downtown Aurora.  The next day will be workshops (sold out!) happening at The Orchard.  Honored to host and be a part of STORY!

CULTIVATE - Seriously, Chicagoland is the place to be in October.  Cultivate is a highly interactive, conversational, collaborative un-conference that's all about church communication.  It's happening the day before STORY.  And the lineup of facilitators is just sick.  Wow.

DAVE GIBBONS - We are honored to have Dave speak at The Orchard's gatherings the weekend following STORY.  Not only is Dave a good friend, but he's someone God has used to impact my life in some pretty significant ways.  I'm thrilled that our church community gets to hear and learn from him!

THE NEW & IMPROVED....ORCHARD - The Orchard has had an extreme makeover!  Through the amazing "pro bono" generosity of fellow Orchard tribal members, Dawn & Keith Baldwin (Aspire One), we have a new logo and amazzzing new website that will go live later THIS WEEK.  I'll talk more about this in a later post...  STAY TUNED!

LOVE.SERVE.GIVE. - It's The Orchard's GLOCAL outreach opportunities this winter.  More about this later as well... But just know that we are going to have some amazing opportunities to bring beauty and hope to people locally in our city and globally in places like Uganda, Thailand, and El Salvador.  

ORCHARD ART INITIATIVE - Too much to type, but The Orchard is turning into an art gallery starting this month.  Our campus will be filled with art from local artists.  Huge dream come true, but only the beginning...

Ok, there's more, but I my fingers hurt and I need to study.  OUT.

Story

A few months ago, my friend Ben Arment called me with an idea about creating a first-of-its-kind experience for writers, communicators, artists, pastors, and church leaders.  The idea was to design a conference where people could learn from some of the most effective communicators of the Gospel today. 

But the best part was that Ben wanted the conference to happen in or around Chicago.  So we started talking venues...and one thing led to another.....which eventually landed the project called "Story" at two incredible venues in the Chicago area:

The Paramount Theatre and The Orchard - both in Aurora!  (For those of you who don't know, The Orchard is the church community where I serve as Lead Pastor.)

So of course, I'm excited!  But the thing that I'm most excited about is the idea and heart behind this 2 day event.  I believe that the greatest story - the story of the Gospel - is a story that deserves to be communicated in the most creative, engaging, and beautiful way possible.  And that's what Story is going to be all about.

Enough rambling...  Let me give you a few details:

Dates: October 28th & 29th

Where: Paramount Theatre (28th) and The Orchard (29th) - both in Aurora (40 miles west of Chicago).

Main Speakers (28th): Dave Gibbons, Don Miller, Ed Young, Nancy Beach, Stacy Spencer, Chris Seay, and Mike Foster

How's that for diversity!?  WOW.

That's a lot to digest and this post is getting too be long, so I'm going to save the workshop speakers for another post.  But it is definitely going to be an amazing group of people who are coming together in October. 

Go to the Story website now. 

And oh yeah - they are also giving away a trip to C.S. Lewis' home in Oxford, England!

Orlando...Austin...Atlanta.....and next, Uganda.

Ok, I'm diving back in to the blog.  It's been way too long.  My lame excuse: I've been running 200MPH since a few weeks before Easter with writing, travel, etc... and blogging just hasn't been that high on my priority list.  Sorry faithful folks.

So anyway...  Rather than try to knock out a bunch of amazing blog posts, I thought I'd throw out a few random thoughts of what's been happening over these past few weeks.  Here we go:

• Easter.  This year's Easter weekend The Orchard was a record-breaking weekend!  Our teams did an amazing job and I think my head is still spinning after a HUGELY successful Helicopter Easter Egg Drop.  All I can say is WOW.  If you missed the video review, click here.
  
  
• Orlando.  Had a great time at Exponential in Orlando.  Exponential is sort of a like a big family reunion (but without the weird uncle and the funky potato salad).  This is actually the largest church planting conference in North America and one that I would definitely encourage all church planters to attend in 2010.  Had fun teaching a session with Gary Lamb (did he really say "wanker"??) and then participating in some great conversations in the Exponential Lounge with guys like Erwin McManus, Francis Chan, Dave Ferguson, Craig Groeschel, Matt Chandler, and others. 
  
  
• Austin. After a couple of days home I found myself in the amazing city of Austin, TX to be a part of Q.  Q is one of my favorite gatherings of the year.  It's small and all about influencing and changing culture.  Think TED format.  Loved connecting with a bunch of friends - both new and old.  People like Kem Meyer, Mike Foster, Jeff Shinabarger, Tim Stevens, Alan Hirsch, Kyle Zimmerman, John Burke, Rick McKinley, Chris Seay, Gabe Lyons, Mel McGowan, Charles Lee, and a bunch of other amazing people. Next year, Q will be here - in Chicago!
  
  
• Austin II.  All I can say is - what a cool city.  And with a slogan that's all about keeping it "weird" what do you expect??  Check out a few photos I posted in Facebook.
  
  
• Jackie Huba.  Writer, Author, Speaker, Blogger, Marketing Guru-ess, co-founder of the Society for Word of Mouth.  Forbes calls her work "the word of mouth gospel."  Anyway....  Had a chance to grab lunch with Jackie while in Austin.  That was worth the trip alone.  If you don't follow her twitter you need to. 
  
  
• Atlanta.  Orange.  It's THE premier and the BEST family ministry conference in the flippin' universe.  Loved being a part of this and having the opportunity to share The Orchard's story and some thoughts/ideas on the topic of navigating change with a room full of Lead Pastors and Senior Leaders.  Just wish I could have stuck around for more than a few hours, but was glad to be able to hang with a few of our staff who were attending and introduce them to some killer Korean BBQ. 
  
  
• Uganda.  In a couple of weeks.  More on this later, but looking forward to getting my heart messed up by this trip. 
  
  
• Study.  It's what I should be doing right now.  So I'm done.  Hopefully back in the groove of blogging.  We'll see.  Thanks for the encouragement folks.

Meet Dave Gibbons!

I’ve gotta be honest... I am blown away at the caliber of people God has surrounded my life with.  I'm serious.  The leaders, pastors, entrepreneurs, creatives, artists, etc... who I've had the opportunity to get to know and become friends with over the years is something that I am so grateful for!

One of those people is a very new friend of mine by the name of Dave Gibbons.  Dave is....umm...let's  see.  Well let me just paste in what Zondervan says about him:

Last weekend I had the opportunity to meet and spend some time with Dave while at The Idea Camp in  Irvine, CA.  In fact, not only did I have the privilege of spending some time learning from Dave, but  SOMEHOW......I also found myself sitting between him and Eugene Cho during a Leadership Q&A  session at Idea Camp!  That was quite an honor... (even though he made me eat this.)

SO ANYWAY....with all that said, there’s two things I want to tell you about:

First...

DAVE'S BOOK.  The Monkey and the Fish.  I read a lot of books, but seldom do I read one twice.  I'm already half way through my second reading...

It’s hard to describe how much I have found myself resonating with Dave’s heart through his book.  Plus, watching how God is using him, not just in SoCal, but also in places like Bangkok, India, London, Mexico City, and multiple other cities, is stretching and challenging me in some unbelievable ways.  (You can read about my visit to NewSong Bangkok here.)

Second...

THE VIDEO.  The other thing I want you to know about is this video interview recorded last weekend by Eugune Cho (who you also need to get to know...).

On a side note, Dave will be speaking at this year’s Leadership Summit at Willowcreek. 

Lastly, here’s some linkage.

Dave’s Blog

Dave’s Twitter
NewSong Church
Buy the Book

Get to know Dave Gibbons folks.

Dim Sum Today

Enjoyed some wonderful Dim Sum with Mike & Kristen Jones and Ted & Kathryn Egly today.  Tried out Triple Crown in Westmont. 

Let's see....  Here's a sampling: Roast Pork Buns, Shrimp Dumplings, Pork Dumplings, Spring Rolls, Shrimp Rolls, Steamed Pork Ribs, Stir-fried Chinese Vegetables, Steamed Sticky Rice wrapped in Lotus Leaves stuffed with Chinese Sausage, Mushrooms, & Pork. 

Sorry, no Phoenix Talons (chicken feet). 

In case you're wondering....  Dim Sum is a Chinese cuisine that involves a wide range of small dishes - similar to Spanish tapas.  You can read more about it here.

Here are a few photos (click for larger images):

 

My Friend Anne!

This is my friend Anne Jackson.  (And next to her is another friend, Jon Acuff - a.k.a. Stuff Christians Like)

Anne just wrote a new book.  It’s called Mad Church Disease.  And it’s one that I seriously predict is going to be one of the most influential books for church leaders this year and beyond.

I’ve gotten to know Anne personally over the past couple of years and here’s the bottom line:

Anne is willing to step out on a limb and talk about the **** that very few have the guts to talk about.

It’s that way when you hang out with her.  It’s that way on her blog.  It’s the same way when she speaks. 

And NOW...it’s most definitely the same with her new book as she writes very openly about a topic that most of us are familiar with (even if you don’t know it yet):

BURNOUT

Folks....burnout is a serious issue.  Especially in church work, where the lines between “work” and “personal  life” are constantly blurred. 

In chapter 5, Anne shares one of the most helpful tools I’ve seen on how to distinguish between “stress” and “burnout”.  She has also included some interviews on this topic with some great church leaders like Bill Hybels, Perry Noble, Mike Foster, Wayne Cordeiro, and others. 

But the best part of the book is where Anne offers hope for health - spiritual, physical, emotional, and relational health. 

Check it out here.

Pre-order it now.  In fact, do what I’m going to do and buy multiple copies for your staff.

Thank you Anne for pouring your heart and passion into this book!  You are a gift!

Minneapolis Food Porn

I could post a bunch of photos of all of our Minnesota friends who we've had the chance to hang out with the past couple of days, but these photos are much, much better.  Ok, maybe not, but still....  It's been a while since I've posted some good 'ol fashioned food photos.

(Click for larger images)

Brunch at Hell's Kitchen, Minneapolis

Huevos Rancheros

Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes

Caramel Pecan Roll

Dinner at Chino Latino, Minneapolis

Nachos Del Sol (Crispy plantain chips...black beans...chorizo, queso fresco & pico de gallo)

Chino Latino Shrip Feast (with five spice pepper salt)

Empanada De Janeiro (Ground beef, olives, & hearts of palm)

Shrimp in coconut red curry sauce with pineapple

Some amazing fish that I can't recall.... 

Kobe beef

What do YOU predict?

So Perry Noble is blogging predictions for 2009.  Here is his prediction for me:

Scott Hodge will discover a way to have coffee fed to him through an IV when he preaches, resulting in a new wave of church growth as people flock to hear twice as much information in half the time.

HA!  We'll see....  Not a bad idea actually.

Now let's make this real interesting....  What's YOUR prediction for me?? 

No, wait.  Nevermind.

Vince's Las Vegas Logo Contest

My buddy, Vince Antonucci, recently announced that he's going to be planting a church on the Vegas strip.  I was in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago, and let me tell you........it could use as many GOOD churches as it can get!  And if you know Vince, you'll know that he's a guy who can pull it off!

Anyway.....Vince just announced a logo contest on his blog.  It's a great idea!  If you've got skillz and you're interested, go there now to read the details.

And btw.....if you haven't read Vince's book, I Became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt, you should pick it up from Amazon.com today!

Catalyst 2008

Wow, what a day.  I'm whooped.  Just plowed through my inbox and now in bed organizing my thoughts for this weekend's teaching at The Orchard. 

Mike Jones and I had a great day at Catalyst today!  We walked away from the final session by Craig Groeschel moved, bothered, and extremely emotional.  The entire day has felt like that to be honest. 

I also walked away feeling overwhelmed, humbled and extremely thankful for the amazing people I've had a chance to meet and get to know in ministry.  I can't think of a time when I've had a chance to see and hang out with so many of them all in one day - at the same place!  People like David Chrzan from Saddleback, Steven Furtick, Chris Seay,  Perry Noble, Craig Groeschel, Bobby Gruenwald, Jeff Shinabarger, Brad Lomenick, Tony Morgan, Tim Stevens, Jon Acuff, Jay Hardwick, Paul Stewart, Dawn and Keith Baldwin, Mark Batterson, Pete Wilson, Dave Ferguson, Jon Ferguson, Pat Masek, Tally Wilgis, Eric Metcalf, Ron Heitman, Todd Wilson, Todd Rhoades, Mark Sweeney, Ed Stetzer, Dan Ohlerking, Anne Jackson, Dino Rizzo, Rick Bezet, Mike Foster, Jud Wilhite, Michael Trent, Shawn Lovejoy, Ben Arment, and on, and on, and on.............

I know what you're thinking...  "Is there some name-dropping going on here Scott?"  Yes, there is.  I'm seriously blown away at the people I get to serve in ministry alongside.  Wow.

Tomorrow is going to be a great day!  Looking forward to hearing from some more great leaders.  And also hoping to meet some fellow Twitter'ers and blogging friends! 

G'nite from Atlanta!