New Series at Fusion  

Posted by Stephen Lowe

This weekend we are starting a new series at Fusion called "Fresh: Reviving Stale Faith" and I can't wait.  I think it's going to have huge impact on people that traditionally see faith as something boring and tedious.  We filmed a promo video for the series as well.  Check it out and don't forget to be at Fusion Sunday for this series.


Fighting your ally  

Posted by Stephen Lowe

I just read this post from Seth Godin's blog and it got me thinking.  Make sure to read the entire post but this one paragraph stopped me in my tracks. (I bolded for effect)


"Years ago, when I had ten people working for me at my book packaging company, one client accounted for about half our revenue. They were difficult, constantly threatening litigation, sending lawyers to otherwise productive meetings, questioning our ethics and more. It was clearly the culture of their organization to be at war. So I fired them. I gave them the rights and walked away, even though it meant a huge hit to our organization. Why do it? Because if we had stuck with them, it would have changed who we were, who we hired and how we marketed ourselves going forward. We would have had a lifetime of this."

In business, I have had to make decisions like this with Vendors, Customers and Partners.  Some people, no matter what the benefit they bring monetarily are not worth the energy, effort and hassle it takes to deal with them.  Sometimes these are the hardest decisions to make but in the long run we always benifit from it.  When we were in the paging business, we had what we called "black hole" customers.  No matter how much we tried, they could not and would not ever be happy.  We could have given them free service forever and they still would not be satisfied.  It took a couple of years into the business to realize that we didn't need every single customer that came through the door and we started shutting them off. 

I think we will always have others that no matter how much we focus and pour into them they will never be satisfied and continue to beat us down until we draw the line.  The other issue here is making sure that you do not become one of these types yourself without realizing it.  Whether you are in business or ministry, if you are constantly in a state or attitude of war with the people who should be considered your ally, no amount of money or benifits you have to offer will be able to overcome this attitude in the long run.  Don't get labeled as a "Black Hole".

Kids in the debate  

Posted by Stephen Lowe

This is going to rub some people the wrong way but, whatever.

Anybody else notice what was missing in the audiences of the debates?  I didn't hear a single baby cry or anyone making a case for why their kids should have been in "adult" debate instead of childcare or citing the fact that they think their 4 year old would have enjoyed it better. 

It seemed like everyone was really intent on Staying Focused on the Big Topics and not wanting to be distracted so they could Hear what these guys had to say that was So Important because this is such a Huge Decision about Who we are Choosing to Lead Us

Seems like some priorities are outta whack, Just my 2 cents.

New Addiction  

Posted by Stephen Lowe

I took the plunge and acted on a offer to get a free book from audible.  I've been kicking around trying audible for a while now, I really enjoy listening to podcasts and thought I might like books as well.  Microsoft just released an update to the Zune software that included audible compatibility so now I am set.  Having never really done the books on tape/CD thing before I wasn't sure what to expect.  So far I love it.  The free book offer was for an audible exclusive called METAtropolis which is a bizarre futuristic sci-fi type of book that is broken into small novellas, each written by a different author.  I haven't read much sci-fi stuff since high school but have thoroughly enjoyed the first part of this book.  I'm excited about listening to the rest of this book as well as delving into some of the other deeper books I'm wanting to read.  Now I've just got to figure out how to fit the monthly fee into my budget :)

Being or Doing  

Posted by Stephen Lowe

I just read this post from Shawn Lovejoy.  It really made me rethink my attitude about Sunday's.  Everyone, especially staff and volunteers should read this and think about what their intentions are going into Sunday.  We are so blessed to have the opportunity to serve the in this capacity, let's not forget why we are doing it and who we are doing it for.

A Taste of Fusiom  

Posted by Stephen Lowe

We are on the Fusion Baby Meal Plan. Basically there is a sign up sheet that is sent around as your new baby approaches and various people from the church sign up to bring you a meal every other day for the 30 days following your new baby's arrival. This plan is brilliant as well as a big undertaking considering the number of pregnant women at Fusion. We were not at Fusion when we had Ethan so this is our first experience with the baby meal plan. We have been a part of potluck type dinners as well as other events that allowed us to sample the excellent cooking of Fusion, but never on a grand, recurring scale like this. So far the meals provided have been stellar. I love the variety so far. Everyone gets into kind of a rhythm of stuff they eat, even if it only rotates every couple of months. I am going to be asking for recipes when this is over so we can continue to cook some of these dishes and enjoy them again. Some of the highlights from the meals we've received already include; A Caribbean pork recipe that was so good I ate it for lunch and dinner for two additional days, it was unbelievable. A coffee cake that was so good it was breakfast by itself for days. Chicken and rice that had more flavor than imaginable, excellent. And, a beef stew and apple cobbler combo that makes me want to become a musician so I can write a song about them.

We are going to be so spoiled at the end of this. It has been such a blessing from the people of the church to supply these meals for us as we adjust to having a newborn in the house. Not having to worry about another meal is a huge relief for me and Stephanie. She wasn't really interested in eating my cooking anyway. I love my church and I love the lengths that they go to take care of people.

First bath  

Posted by Stephen Lowe in

Brennan had her first bath last night. She was much more upset during the bath than she looks here after. She is so easy going, when she does get upset it only last a short time and she is back to her normal cheery self. Check out more pics at BrennanLowe.com.

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Thoughts on Parenting  

Posted by Stephen Lowe

I am reading The Leadership Pipeline as well as Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters and you wouldn’t think they would have much in common but they do. There is a saying that goes something like “Everyone can Manage, Few can Lead”. Being a leader requires you to have a vision for where you want to go, and getting buy in from the people you manage to help you accomplish that vision. Being a leader requires you to be committed to that vision, never wavering even when times get tough. Being a leader requires wisdom that is much greater than what you posses, gaining this wisdom requires time in prayer, study and fellowship with others wiser than you. Being a leader requires courage to make tough decisions, even when that decision is unpopular with the majority.


The same is true of raising children; any random dude can be a Dad, everyone reading this knows how to make a baby (I hope). It takes a lot more focus and effort to be a parent than it does to just have some kids.

You have a vision for what type of person you want your children to be, getting them to catch that vision and work with you towards it is part of leading as a parent.

You have to stay committed to fulfilling the vision for that child, even when outside influences distract you. Your friends, your child’s friends, school, sports, TV, internet; are these things reinforcing the vision or distracting from it?

You have to constantly seek guidance to make decisions through prayer, other parents and even your own parents. Weeding through the information gathered and making the right decision that reinforces your vision is wisdom.

You have to be courageous and willing to make the decision that’s right for you and your child even if it ruffles the feathers other. Even if the “others” are your own children, your friends or even your family.


Since Brennan has come into our lives, I have been doing some reflecting as a parent. Having a girl is definitely out of my comfort zone and it’s made me think about things differently than I do with Ethan. I’m not perfect but I feel like I can interact, lead and model in a way that is easier for him to grasp than it will be for Brennan. I can relate to being a boy and can draw on past experiences of what did and didn’t work for me as I grew up and hopefully implement those in a way that is beneficial. Fortunately, I’m blessed with a beautiful and intelligent wife that can help guide me through the girl stuff. My prayer is that I can be a leader for both my children, not just a manager.

Are you Leading your children, or are you just good at procreation?

About Me

My name is Stephen Lowe. I'm a Christ follower, Husband, Father, Technologophile and Metalhead. This is where I dump my observations and opinions on whatever strikes me as noteworthy. Enjoy, discuss, disagree, I'm cool with whatever.

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