One of the behind-the-scenes changes happening at Suncrest right now that I am excited about is that we have finally gotten our first Apple Computer. We took the plunge as part of the launch of the Suncrest East so we can have the best quality message videos to show at our new campus. In the picture below we’re in process of installing Final Cut Studio, an industry-standard video editing software package… after watching a bit of the intro/training DVD, I am even more eager to see how this new tool will help us create new media. Thanks to visual tech Jeff Gettemans for helping to get everything set up!

If you’re interested in video (filming, editing, etc.) at Suncrest, let me know, we’re building a team and kicking off some learning opportunities soon.

Two days ago my daughter was born… I updated people on the labor via Facebook, the first announcement was sent out by email, and within 24 hours I had a video edited and posted on YouTube. I love this digital life… and that St. Anthony’s in Crown Point has wi-fi…!

-Kevin

OK, maybe not, but this is very cool:

Gearwire (a top-notch online audio technology magazine) recently interviewed our own Mike Ward about his role as sound engineer at Suncrest, and you can find several videos here: http://www.gearwire.com/search/node/suncrest. Thanks to Gearwire for the great interviews, humor, and link love to Suncrest’s site. Mike works at Studio Chicago and has used his professional knowledge to continually make our worship experiences better. So glad more people can benefit from his expertise with these vids! Thanks Mike!

BTW, note the odd guitar player in the background of some of the stage shots. What a funny looking guy.

That’s the haul Patti just brought home from her first baby shower…  she made out like a big balloon-shaped bandit! This picture does not include a stroller(!) that was ordered for us and a nice little stack of gift cards. Lots of awesome kids books, too. Thanks all for your generosity, and to my east campus compatriot Julie Coons for throwing it for her! We even got two diaper cakes! Mmm… diapers….

Ok, the time has come. With the launch of the East Campus coming in a few months, and an intense desire to stimulate the economy (the tax rebate check finally came in!), I’m looking for the perfect electric guitar (well, perfect for me anyway). Here’s some of the thoughts I’m mulling over:

1. How much $ is good stewardship to spend on a guitar? The last thing I want to do is waste money that could be spent elsewhere, or pay for a “brand name,” and at the same time I want an electric that will satisfy my needs for a loooong time, possibly for the rest of my life. It seems like there is a signifigant drop in durability and construction in sub-$1000 guitars– I’ve noticed this in my ‘72 tele custom I’ve been playing the last five years (new bridge, new tuners, and I still wrestle with intonation on it). With a daughter on the way (in one month!) there is the combination of “I need to get this now, if I ever will” and “wow, babies are expensive, I need to save!” I feel like my Taylor 310CE acoustic was the right “level” of guitar for my worship leading needs, would love to find a comparable electric.

2. How nice is too nice for a “gigging” guitar? I’ve done the portable church thing before (and love it!), and hauling a guitar in and out with other equipment, the ever-present danger of kids playing around the stage, etc., can be hard on an instrument. I want a guitar I can beat on without guilt and not have to worry about… too much. I’m tempted to get something that already has a few “dings”, maybe off ebay.

3. What is an “easy” guitar? I know it is all about tone, but a close second for me is simplicity. Does it stay in tune (all the way up the neck)? Is it set up well… or if I need to make adjustments, how easy is it? Is the tone consistent across the frets and strings? Does it buzz or hum in certain situations? With my level of skill, I need a guitar that makes it easier for me, rather than having issues I need to “play” around. I’ve modified guitars in the past, but really want something that fits my needs with its stock setup (with the exception of strap locks).

4. I love semi-hollows! I’ve been borrowing my father-in-law’s Rickenbacker 330 and fell in love with the tone (and neck size)! Decent semi-hollows tend to be on the pricey side, but I’m looking beyond solid-bodies anyway.

5. It has to have interesting inlays! I’ve never owned a guitar with anything but dots marking the frets… that must change!

So far I’ve checked out:

-The Taylor T5 — loved the idea of an all-in-one hybrid, but the models I played had noisy pickups… and I would prefer an electric bridge rather than an acoustic one. Also really needs separate outputs so the acoustic and electric sounds can be processed separately.

-Epiphone Les Paul ultra II — appreciated the concept (chambered Les Paul body, with decent acoustic tones and separate outputs), but I played one fresh out of the factory box that had a short in an output jack. May have just been one bad one, but seems typical of more affordable instruments.

-Taylor Solidbody custom — Really liked it (playing one in the picture above). Did I like it enough to pay $2400? Still something I am processing… and even with a chambered body, still not warm as a true semi-hollow.

-Gibson ES-127 Classic — liked this one, too, although the neck is a little thick for my taste. Still in the running.

Still need to check out:

Reverend Manta Ray — Price seems too good to believe (obviously not made in the US, unfortunately)… only problem is trying to find a Reverend dealer close enough to try one out!

Gibson inspired by Dave Grohl DG-335 — Way out of my price range, and I don’t like the colors (black or blue are the only options), but the original Trini Lopez model it is based on hasn”t been made for a long time!

If price were no issue:

Gibson Custom inspired by Johnny A. Semi-Hollow!

Anyway, when and if I finally find the right instrument, I’ll post about it here! Let me know if you have any suggestions or experience with any of these models!

To fill that delightful room with baby stuff, we are registered at Target, Babies R Us, and Guitar Center. (Ok, maybe not that last one… yet.) Although seriously, this may be the best baby shirt I have ever seen.

And yes, the name is Evangeline (was inspired to it by a song, not the LOST actress, in case anyone thinks we’re that obsessed with the show)… we’ve been loving the name for years, knowing we would always use it for a girl if we ever had one. Her middle name is still eluding us… Anne (initials E.A.R.)? Lynn (Patti’s middle name)? If you have any suggestions, send them my way!

Can’t wait to meet her!

The exponential conference last week was fantastic. There’s a lot of practical use to the conference (I came home with a brain swollen with ideas), but really, just being in the midst of so many church planting staff and supporters is almost intoxicating… I couldn’t help but think all week, “the world is going to change next year, because of what God will do through these people!” The last time I went to the National New Church Conference (in 2002, I believe) it was a completely different beast, with an attendance of a few hundred (and it was similar the following year when Suncrest hosted it, as Greg’s blog mentions). Now the conference pulls in thousands and thousands. What a change in the world of church planting! As Ed Stetzer mused, what was once what looked on as a job for pastors who couldn’t find a job anywhere else has now been acknowledged as the front line of God’s work in changing this world (that’s a paraphrase of his thoughts and mine). Exciting times, that were definitely worth the wait!

Anyway, a few more musings about the conference:

1. The church is finally truly reaching out to the cities, rather than just the suburbs. Planting orgaizations are realizing that changing a region starts with changing the city, even if it takes more resources and time. I recently was able to visit Reunion Christian Church in Boston, and it was incredible to see how they are showing God’s love in that city (and how strikingly different “urban” ministry is from suburban, practically… I’ve never had to drive 20 minutes to find a parking place for worship rehearsal!). I heard several organizations at the conference making specific plans for reaching our cities, including Chicago.

2. Vince Antonucci. I was able to catch a sesson with him during the conference and am currently reading his book I became a Christian and all I got was this Lousy T-Shirt. His ministry is a call back to religion-less Christianity, and he has an incredible sense of humor; one of the sharpest and “down to earth” speakers I’ve heard in a while.

3 . I met Rick Warren. It took me a while to answer all his questions about leadership, but I think it was useful for him. Ok, so maybe we just shook hands as he greeted the crowd at the newthing dinner Wednesday night– but that handshake spoke volumes!

4. Some great quotes from the Conference:

“Church is a tag-team sport- when you walk into church, you tag us, our creative team, to create an experience where you AND your friends can grow closer to God spiritually. When you leave, I tag you to share that faith with people within your sphere of influence.”- Mark Batterson

“God is uncivilized, and calls uncivilized people, and he calls them to do uncivilized things.”- Vince Antonucci

“There is something in the way we do church, our ecclesiology, that keeps us from being who we should be… Christology lies at the heart of the renewal of the church!”- Alan Hirsch (the Forgotten Ways just jumped to the top of my “must read” list!)

Looking forward to next year!