ScottyNeal.com

Some Quick Cool Stuff

Here is some cool stuff that is going on in my head....

• I got the new Moby, and Dave Barnes Albums and I love them both and have been listening to them non-stop.
• We have had 3 people accept Christ in the past 3 weeks.
• We have multiple people getting ready to get baptized in a few weeks at the Theater which is gonna be sweet.
• We are going to receive communion for only the second time in our existence in a few weeks.
• We are having our first Child Dedication coming up.
• We are sponsoring a family film festival at the theater, where every Tuesday and Wednesday morning through the summer free children's movies will be for everyone.
• Tons of new couples have been plugging into Origins.
• Scott's CD has the landing gear down and is getting ready to drop on us soon and we are going to have a CD release party at Origins the week before it drops so you can all get it first.
• The weather is starting to get better.
• Our Tuesday Morning Mens Bible Study is incredible and I wish every man in Dayton and Cincinnati would come to it.
• I met with one of my good friends Lonnie this morning who now is on staff at Origins' sending Church Landmark and God is doing some amazing things there.
• They are doing a series right now called "Moment of Truth" just like we are but neither of us knew the other where doing, I wish we would have we could have shared resources.
• I am praying about us possibly participating in this One Prayer four week initiative. 
• Stacy is pregnant.
• Trystan and Brayden are playing T-ball on the same team.
• My hand is healing.
• We have the greatest leadership from our elders and staff, to our volunteers in the entire world and they all work bi-vocationally.
• God has brought some serious momentum right now and we don't plan to slow down either.
• My heart seriously aches when I think of all the unchurhed people who live in the Greater Cincinnati and Dayton areas which motivates me even more since God has seemed to trust us with over half of our attenders being unchurched previously. 
• My heart beats really fast every time I think about the future God has for Origins.
• I am super excited about our "Hold On" weekend for married couples because God has impressed on my heart some solid stuff and I am going to share some personal things that He has taught Stacy and I in the past 2 years (with her permission of course). 
• We are about to do some serious leadership development at Origins right now to get us ready for what God is about to do.
• I love Origins with all my heart and I am so grateful that God allows me to Pastor this incredible Church that is on Mission together to reach our Cities.

Sneak Peek

Here is a sneak peek from the recent Kemper Sessions.  God is going to use this album in an incredible way for sure, I can't wait for it to release so you all can hear it!  It's crazy to think that some of these songs on this album were first played in my living room.  It is so amazing to watch God bring songs like this out of Scott and him use his gifting for the glory of Jesus.  This is the title song "Run."  I like to think it was inspired by our series "Run" about Jonah last year, but I don't think it was.

Gold Record

I have never been more positive that you never know who is going to show up in one of our services than I am this week.  We had a gentleman come this past week who holds a gold record for selling over a million records with his hit song reaching the #3 spot nationally.  He and his wife visited Origins Sunday, that is really unbelievable to me, I thought I would post about it because I watched Dick Clark last night and this guy was actually on his show( not last night of course).  I plan to ask him what He thought of Scott's performance of "How far we've Come" I thought it was incredible but I still would like to get a professional opinion.

From the Lawn to the Third Row (2 of 2)

I began this blog series by telling you about my experience at the Dave Matthews concert on the lawn at Riverbend which was not so wonderful, but I learned some stuff so it's cool.  I want to tell you now about The Killers concert which was legitimately the best concert I have been to...hands down.  The Killers put on the all-American rock show that was full energy from start to finish with no nonsense which is pretty rare.

The Killers in Louisville Palace Theater:
My sister Crissy (who provided me with all of these amazing opportunities) accompanied me to this concert where we sat in the middle of the third row in an aisle seat.  There was no one in front of me and I had tons of room because it was the aisle.  The only negative thing about the entire night was that I couldn't hear when I left; I actually couldn't hear the next day either. 

They started the concert with a video that was meant to build anticipation and it did exactly that.  They then hit the ground running with their most popular song in which everyone in attendance - so it seemed - knew and sang very loud.  The lead singer was very passionate and interactive with the crowd in such a way that we felt as though he was doing this with us instead of doing this for us.  The guys in the band looked like 90's rock stars as opposed to modern alternative rockers.  They had a wonderful mix of video and lighting visuals that was not overdone and yet still had you appreciating it.  As I looked around the crowd, which I did quite a bit, everyone was enjoying what they were a part of and no one seemed to have their own agenda by doing their own thing and distracting others while they did it.  I actually enjoyed the people around me. 

Here are my general thoughts:

1. There is no absolutely perfect situation.  I was able to sit as close as you could get which allowed me to have a wonderful experience, but I couldn't hear for over a day afterwards. 

2. To provide an amazing experience takes hard work on the part of everyone involved.  Examples: lights, sound, video, stage crew, participants.

3. My sister is amazing.

Here are my specific thoughts: 

1.  By beginning the concert with a significant amount of anticipation and following that by hitting the ground running was genius because of how it engaged the audience.  That is why many times Scott will open a service with a song that is very popular and very secular because it starts us all in the same place whether we are Jesus followers or not.  Most people will recognize the songs. 

2.  The energy that was being relayed from the stage couldn't help but make its way to the rest of the building.  Those guys loved what they were doing and it allowed us to love participating with them while they were doing it. 

3.  A well thought out experience has many elements, but they all compliment each other rather than compete against each other.  They had plenty of video and plenty of lighting, but it complimented the show by keeping the main thing the main thing.  That is why Joel works so hard to see how all that we do can seamlessly fit together. 

4.  We actually enjoyed the people around us.  As a matter of fact, we noticed that many of them had iphones so we were for sure in the right section.  Everyone around us was very aware of us and not just aware of themselves.  There was a sense that this was something we were experiencing together and not isolated from one another.  We even exchanged names and cordial conversation.  This is something that everyone at Origins has a solid handle on currently, but prayerfully, as we continue to grow, we will fight to stay as welcoming and interested in those around us as we are now; it really does make a difference.

5.  Energy is drawn from those around you as well as those on the stage.  At Dave Matthews, the stage was doing its part somewhat - aside from not playing the music we really wanted to hear.  They had the lights and video offerings as well, but those around us were killing any small chance Dave had of keeping us engaged.  During the Killers concert, everyone around us was enjoying themselves so much and because of the close proximity, it was contagious.  That is why at Origins we have been putting pipe and drapes up in the top of the theater.  Room seating dynamics have a great deal to do with the energy that people are feeling while they are in an experience.  Although our goal isn't for people to feel crowded, we also don't want people to feel isolated.  We get energy from each other so why would we want to spread out so much that we can't feel connected to one another and those who are leading us?

So I learned a great deal from both experiences that confirmed in me that we are moving in the right direction at Origins.  It also showed me areas where we may need to tighten up a bit.  One thing is for sure...the experience that people are having will always be very important to us!

From the Lawn to the Third Row (1 of 2)

I recently was the recipient of some good gifts (James 1:17) which were tickets to see Dave Matthews and The Killers.  I went with some friends to see Dave Matthews at Riverbend and I went with my sister to see The Killers in Louisville.  The experiences were quite different and I wanted to share a few reflections that might help us as we continue to create amazing experiences for people to come to know Jesus, and come to know Him better.
Riverbend Lawn: Dave Matthews Experience:
    This was absolutely horrible except that I was with some of my closest friends.  Dave didn't sing hardly any songs that me, myself and I would suppose everyone else wanted to hear.  The lawn was so bad that I vowed to never ever sit on the lawn again - regardless of who is playing.  To start things off in a bad way, it rained really hard for about 15 minutes.  This obviously did what would be expected which was to create mud and wet grass and a horrible aroma of something similar to hot garbage.  We made our way toward the front of the lawn (doing our very best not to get dirty) and tried to convince ourselves that this concert was going to be worth the smell and mud.  As if our start wasn't bad enough, we somehow ended up right in the middle of all the wackos and weirdos who obviously had a one evening pass from the asylum.  We had one guy around us who I guess thought it was really neat to keep falling down in the mud while making out with his girlfriend (she obviously had as much sense as he did.)  Later we watched him plead his case while being walked out by security covered in mud.  It would take forever for me to explain every instance of insanity so instead let me just briefly describe some of the stuff going on: weed smoking in front of us, crazy, inebriated girl beside us being pleaded with by her boyfriend to please stop jumping up into the arms of this really tall guy that was a complete stranger and kissing him, girls in front of us who decided it would be more fun to make out instead of enjoy the concert and we can't forget the guy right beside us that asked me to please not move because he was going to the bathroom.  All this and we ended up leaving early.  Here are my general thoughts: 1.  I will never sit on the lawn again.  2.  Because of that experience, I am more committed to our mission to make Jesus known because He needs to be known more than ever in my opinion.  Here are my specific thoughts: 1. All of us stayed as long as we did because we were with friends.  This means that friends will endure some of the worst things just to be with their friends so we should never hesitate to invite every one of our friends to Origins.  If they are our friend, they would probably at least endure it once just to be with us. 2. The experience is still important because I already decided before I got to the car that I would never sit on the lawn again regardless of who wanted me to (o.k., Jesus, Stacy, Andy Stanley or my Dad could maybe get me to.)  3.  That is exactly why Origins is trying to create a partnership with all of our people because the best way is for two things to work together: your friendships + OC experience = Jesus known.  We try our best to do everything that no one did that night with OC experiences.  We pick songs that are familiar and give out the same Bible that I'm teaching from so that everyone can relate and engage in the experience.  I spent the whole concert being distracted by what was around me because Dave Matthews never engaged me in the concert.  I heard that he played songs later that people knew, but it wasn't worth the wait.  Our host teams make sure that everyone knows that we aren't there just for ourselves and we want to do all we can to show them how important they are to us.  I promise you it was obvious that no one was worried about me and my friends and our enjoyment of the show that night.  So the moral of the story is make sure you are inviting your friends!  We have tons of ways for you to do that (evites, invites, etc....) Also, if you aren't already, make sure you are serving somewhere at Origins because this helps us continue to create welcoming and wonderful environments that show people that we are glad and excited they are there.  Also, don't sit on the lawn at Riverbend!
I learned a whole different set of things from The Killers concert so stay tuned.

What I'm Doing...

Wednesday night I went to the Dave Matthews concert compliments of my sister.  It was for sure not as good as I thought it would be.  The music definitely sounded good, but his choice of songs and sitting on the lawn was less than perfect to say the least.  It's a good thing I was with close friends because I don't know if I could have stayed as long as I did if I hadn't been with them.  I plan to post some reflections about the experience soon so you will see what I mean. 

Trystan and Brayden are starting school so we met with their teachers and dropped off all their school supplies at their rooms.  Stacy will most likely go through her normal mourning period which I hope to shorten by whisking her off to Florida for an adult swim trip.

I am meeting with some church leaders in Springboro about a upcoming event that I am speaking at for about 500 teenagers which I am looking forward to.  I am also revamping the Leadership Team Job Descriptions and getting ready to give them evaluations.  I am trying to finish up an application process to join a Church Planting Network and get ahead in my research for our upcoming series.

I am going to The Beach Waterpark with our children and others from OC Kids this weekend.  Then Stacy and I will be joining some friends and going to the Reds Game.  I think the tickets are on top of the smoke stacks for the game so that should be sweet.

My parents and two of my siblings have been out of town this week and they come back tomorrow.  My dad managed to be at the beach all week without touching any sand, but Brayden and I were trying to convince him to take the plunge.  My brother Tommy and his family were my only blood family representation this past Sunday.  (Guess they are the only ones committed...HA!)

There is potentially some very big news coming soon for Origins.  So the anticipation of this new season that God is bringing us into is making my stomach churn and heart beat fast even as I type this. 

What I'm Listening To

On Fridays I thought I would start giving a "What I'm doing" blog - so here is the first.

If you have been around me at all in the past week or so you have probably heard me mention how much I like the new Lifehouse CD.  Well, it is for a good reason.  In my opinion, the CD is incredible and I am drawn to two of the songs in particular.  The first is "Whatever It Takes" because that is for sure how I feel a relationship is truly going to reach the fullest of its potential.  The second song is "Storm" and this song is quickly approaching the top of my all-time list.  This may be because for whatever reason it resonates with the past year of mine and Stacy's life.  I have been listening to a little Jack Johnson on the side as well, but mostly Lifehouse.  Get the CD.  I promise, you won't be disappointed.  I may write a couple posts next week to clarify why these two songs mean so much to me personally.

In other music news, my potential surf instructor/possible friend, Jeff Kapusta, had a funny thing happen in their music department this past week so read it here and prepare to be entertained.  Scott is so easily distracted anyway so I can't even begin to picture what kind of stir this might cause at Origins.

Guest Blog: The Guys

Hey, so this is Scott Kemper.  I just wanted to let you guys know a bit more about the band.  It consists of Will Doggett (electric), Juan Dugan (bass) and Kyle Cummings (drums).  These guys are absolutely amazing!!!  They've been with us for the summer and I just wanted to let you know a bit more about them.  Juan is a professor at Liberty University and finishing his Grad work.  Kyle is a Jr. at Liberty University and plays drums for the Liberty Campus Band.  Will Doggett is a Sr. at Liberty and in the Campus Band and will be moving to Cincy next year after graduation to work for Origins Church...(jk...but I hope so!)  We are all having an amazing week hanging out with the best Pastor ever: SCOTTY NEAL!!!  So we will all be at Origins together one more week then all the guys go back home : (   We (speaking on behalf of the band) have all enjoyed being with you guys (Origins) this summer.  I hope if you're reading this that you will let the other band members know how much you appreciate them.  See ya Sunday!
scott kemper

New Song

Scott wrote a new song this past Saturday and it is brilliant!  He sang it to me on the way to Virginia, and I am going to have him to do it this Sunday.  I am really excited for all of you to hear it.  In other music news, this will be the last weekend that Scott's camp band will be with us so please make a point to express to them how much you have appreciated how they've used their gifts to minister to us this summer.  The electric guitar player's name is Will, so make sure you let him know that you are expecting to see him back soon because I'm pretty positive that God is leading him and his soon-to-be finace' to Cincinnati to be a part of Origins.  I was able to hear these guys lead worship tonight for the teenagers in Virginia and I don't know if we realize how blessed we are to be led in worship every week with such quality.  Their hearts match their talent and that is so amazing to me.  I am looking forward to being with them all week.