The Malzhan Effect

By guest contributor Pastor Danny Duvall

   As with many pastors, I share four passions: God’s Kingdom, college football, my family and golf. I rarely look at one without seeing the other three. This time of year the first two seem to be on my mind. 

    Stunned by what I just witnessed in college football defaults me to think, could I possibly be seeing the same thing unfold before my eyes in regard to the Kingdom of God? Can a team go from worst to first overnight? Can a once proud powerhouse look up as ask “What just happened?”  The Auburn Tigers/War-Eagles/Plainsmen, who were winless in the conference last year (not to mention having an acute identity problem) just won the Conference championship and will play for the National Championship soon.

   As a lifetime Hog fan, I cannot help but think, “What just happened to me?” Gus Malzhan was passed over as a candidate to coach the Razorbacks this year and then went on to be hired by Auburn. With the aftertaste of what could have been, fresh in my mouth, I realize I am living in the after-glow, better yet the exhaust fumes of what I call, “The Malzhan Effect”.

   The Malzhan Effect for that other team is of course, positive. However, to be “Malzhaned” on my side of the line of scrimmage makes one feel a little black and blue. The Malzhan Effect takes place when the following happens: innovation proves to be “old school” wrapped in a fresh package, home grown talent goes to the other camp and finally, future star recruits migrate to a better system, I have been “Malzhanned” in one of my passions. I do not want it to happen in my other three passions.

    First is the innovation issue. Ringing in my ears are the words from the hill (powers that be) Malzhan’s offense will never work at the highest level of SEC football. To win at the highest level you have to have a power game. Finesse football will never get it done. Power is all that matters. After all, finesse football is merely smoke and mirrors, gimmick and tricks, nothing but a fad. To win at the highest level you have to be Plain Jane line up and run power up the middle on every play. The notion was: Finesse works fine early in the season when the September sun is shining the grass is green and the tuff is secure. However during the cold and ice of harsh weather during the championship drive in late November only teams with a power game prevail. 

    Christian leaders understand finesse church may work for believers during the sunny September of the year but when times get tough it will be churches that have the power that will eventually win in the final championship round. All of that is true, only teams with a power game win in the end. However the “Malzhan Effect” is unstoppable because it may look like smoke and mirrors or lights and videos to some, however it is power wrapped in finesse.  It is power in a new delivery system. The power veer option of  Broyles, Royal and Switzer of forty years ago is not only back, it is back and better. The "Malzhan Effect" takes what worked years ago, applies innovative thought and makes power football work better than Bear Bryant could ever thought possible.  

    The unstoppable Church will get the “Malzhan Effect” working on their behalf. They will spread the field, take what is given them, use inventive thought, yet all alone are doing nothing more than bringing old time power to the Church in ways that are as dynamic as ever. The “Malzhan Effect” means understanding power plus finesse equals wins. It is also smart.

     Second the “Malzhan Effect” takes place when you realize that great leaders are in your back yard, but they go to the other camp because you failed to give them a chance. Sociologist report that  merely 4 to 5% of the population are creative in nature, while 20% have skills to manage and the remaining 75% of the population thrive best when they are carrying out what they have been instructed to do. If that is the case, any organization must understand the 4% will always be discounted by the majority, but they are the future. Corporations with the greatest vision, pay their creators to think outside the box. Many belittled Malzhan because he was “high school not ready for primetime.” To coach or pastor at Hughs High School, in rural Arkansas, is as small time as it gets. With the limited resources of Hughs High School, Malzhan’s  only choice was  to think creatively or lose. To feel “Malzhaned” means to have that empty feeling hit you because you think, “Arkansas already sent Alabama Bear Bryant, surely we did not just send Auburn Bear Bryant version 2.0 because we had no room for creators and out of the box thinkers.”  

    Third and most important, it is not fun to be on the wrong side of the “Malzhan Effect,” when you see future stars migrating to what appears a better system.  After all, recruiting is a big deal! Some athletes are rare talents. Others are system players. Should young people full of possibilities be frowned upon when they see a system that creates running room for them? While we offer nothing but pound and grind? Wins create wins. Success builds success. Systems win wars. Systems trump talent. However talent, heart plus systems are unstoppable. If blue chips are to come our way, we must set them up for long gains. The Bible tells us to be weary of the schemes of the devil. If the devil has systems and schemes I must assume God has better ones. To be “Malzhaned” means to be standing flat footed and saying “What just happen?” while the opponent uses systems to make you think, “I didn’t know I could lose that way.”  Systems alone will never get the job done, but systems plus heart is not to be overlooked. The powers on the hill were right and will continue to be right. To win at the highest level you must have a power game. Malzahn’s offense will be slowed down some day in the future. I just hope when it does, I have eyes to see the next delivery system that will bring power to the game. 

    I have four passions: The Kingdom of God, college football, my family and golf. I just got “Malzhaned in football.” Clearly all the dancing was on the other side of the field.  In my other three passions if I can understand: innovation is merely yesterday’s success wrapped in new packages, keep my eyes open for creators that others discard and provide systems where the next  wave of winners want to commit to then the “Malzhan Effect” will work on my behalf. Who knows with the “Malzhan Effect” on my side I may get a couple of good son-in-laws, a church full of young All-Americans and a golf swing that will keep me out of the woods.

                                                                                                                                                                                           

 Danny Duvall Pastors in Cabot, AR

Mary Delivers Again!

We just wrapped up a 3-week message series called Mary the Mother of Jesus. We live in a predominately traditionally religious area and we thought it would be a great idea to address some of the differences between Evangelicalism and Traditional Religion as it relates to Mary. We promoted it as a series honoring Mary and her role in the gospel story and used excerpts from the gospels that demonstrated things we can learn from Mary - What she said, what she did, etc. We encouraged our people to pass out invites to their Traditionally Religious friends, neighbors, coworkers and family and actually distributed 12,000 invitations. We ended up averaging typical attendance and visitors during the three weeks so our effort to get new people in the door fell short of our expectations. However, I feel good about the fact that our people got a chance to see how you can point out the differences between Evangelicalism and Traditional Religion without being rude or condescending and we had over 100 salvations during the series! 

The thing we focused on most was the extraordinary faith that Mary had. She was willing to lay aside her own plans to carry out God's plan for her life. We must be willing to do the same. She went directly to Jesus with her needs and so should we. However, when bringing her needs to Jesus, she didn't try and tell Him how to meet the need but trusted that His solution would be the right one! 

Although Mary was the one chosen to literally bring Jesus into the world, we all can "deliver" Him to that part of this broken, hurting, messed up world that we have influence over! All we have to do is submit to His plan and trust Him to use us any way He see fit! 

So God Made the Missionary...

Syria: A Call to Prayer

What's happening in Syria is frightening. The fact is, none of us know what's really going on. From Regime to rebels - All of them are capable of unthinkable acts of brutality. Should the USA get involved? I have no idea! I just know we need to pray. Pray for our leaders making the decisions concerning our involvement. Pray for the innocent people in that part of the world that are being victimized. Pray for missionaries and ministries that are there carrying out covert efforts to share the gospel where it is unwelcome. 

Through this entire ordeal the question keeps rising in my mind: "Is this the beginning of the end?" Perhaps this is setting the stage for the return of Jesus Christ and the great years of tribulation. We all need to be ready and we all need to be praying!

The Miley Generation

So many have expressed everything from outrage to pity over Miley Cyrus’ performance at the VMA’s this week. It seems we are unaware that her performance was a wake up call. A look in the mirror. A strong dose of reality! We created this! This shocking performance is a glimpse into the soul of the Miley generation. 

It is a generation that will do absolutely anything for attention! A generation that has absolutely no sense whatsoever of shame or propriety. Why? Because we tossed those values aside long before these children were ever born. We made words like “decency” and “modesty” curse words. Bigoted. Intolerant. So this is what we’re left with.

The great desire of every little girl is to be loved by her father. The Miley generation’s father is so self-absorbed he uses his own children to bring attention to himself. He teaches his daughter that nothing is worth more than being the center of attention - So she’ll do whatever it takes! He is obsessed with pornography and so his daughter strips down to her underwear and bumps and grinds on stage like all her father’s favorite performers. Like Herod, he sits there undaunted as the eyes of his friends feast on the flesh of his own little girl. Soon the voice of reason and conviction will be served up in a pool of blood on a silver platter.  

The great need of every little girl is a mother who will teach her daughter the very virtues we have abandoned. Instead the Miley generation’s mother shops at the teen clothing store with her daughter, trying to live vicariously through her size two dresses, her push up bras and her daisy dukes. She paints her little girl’s face with lipstick and mascara by the age of four and teaches her that worth and value are found in everything external, while everything internal rots away in neglected silence. 

Here’s the wake up call America: Miley has a soul! What we as parents do with the souls of those God has entrusted us with determines what shows up on the stage of life. As fathers, we must come out of the stupor of our sexual addictions and self absorption and be dads again - providers, protectors and leaders of our families. As mothers, we must abandon our worship of youth and be the kind of moms our children need us to be - nurturers, care takers and instructors in righteousness. 

Miley is worth it. God demands it. 

The (Church) Office

I'm doing a series this month at Crossroads called Sitcom. A sitcom is a situation comedy - And we thought it would be a good idea to learn how to find the laughter in every situation. The Bible says it does good like a medicine. 

Our creative team came up with the concept of actually producing a running sitcom for the month of July while we share the series. It's a spoof on the highly successful sitcom The Office. We call it The Church Office. Here's the first episode!

Marathon Man

Well, half marathon that is!

I couldn't sleep tonight and while preoccupying myself, I realized I've got some serious catching up to do on my blogging! So here's the first of several entries that highlight what's been going on in 2013.

It takes a lot of discipline to blog regularly, but even more discipline to train for a 1/2 Marathon. By the grace of God I did just that and entered the Rock-N-Roll 1/2 Marathon in New Orleans back on February 24!

My good friend Scott Holmes (pictured with me here) ran with me and we finished with the remarkable pace of a 9.5 min/mile! (Remarkable for me that is - Much better than I had hoped to do!) Daphne Gaspard, Laura Menard and Jaclyn Garcia also participated and Donna and I enjoyed getting together with everyone in NOLA to hang out before and after the race.

Upon returning home I took some time off from running but I've recently started training again and I hope to run a full marathon in 2014. Running is great for me, it was a lot of fun to compete and the discipline required to train helps me stay disciplined in other areas of my life - Like blogging!

Welcome Home Lindsay!

Finally, the long, drawn-out nightmare is over! 

For those of you who don't know, my nephew & Crossroads' Youth Pastor Jordy Davidson married a wonderful Canadian girl named Lindsay back in November 2011. Lindsay had been living in the States for several years on a Religious VISA. She was able to get her Passport renewed on that VISA and get her Marriage License on that VISA, but in July 2012 when re-entering the States after taking our youth on a Missions trip, Lindsay's Passport was flagged and she was deported on the spot! Needless to say, the U.S. Immigration system is severely wacked! How can a guy who bombs marathons travel back and forth between the U.S. and Russia carefree, but a Canadian girl with a Religious VISA married to a U.S. Citizen who is a Youth Pastor gets flagged and deported?  Don't get me started! 

We've spent the past NINE MONTHS trying to get this girl back into the country!  Imagine being married for eight months and then BOOM - You're separated for nine months!  This couple has shown such character and has demonstrated such faith through this whole ordeal and I am so proud of them!  

Last night a crowd gathered at the Lafayette airport to welcome her home! We are so glad to have our Lindsay back! I can't wait to see how God is going to use this couple as they lead our Youth Ministry TOGETHER reaching teenagers with the Gospel of Jesus Christ! 

Article From Lafayette's Independent Magazine!

CROSSROADS CHURCH WORSHIP CENTER

GOLD: ARCHITECTURE

ARCHITECTS SOUTHWEST

Worship is a multi-purpose word

Evangelicals are multitaskers. Sunday services. Wednesday services. Prayer meetings. Concerts. Conferences. Designing a worship center — at 42,000 square feet no less — that serves as sanctuary, meeting hall, concert arena, café and convention center is a tall order, hence the INDesign Gold Medal for Commercial Architecture awarded to Architects Southwest for their work at Crossroads Church in Lafayette was well-deserved.

Like the INDesign Residential competition, our judges were stingy with the commercial designers, too, handing out just two Gold awards.
The modernist worship center at Crossroads is at once stately and impressive yet austere and elemental. “The objective was to create for them a building that represented their new way of thinking about religion and Christianity. And the building transcended style,” says Architects Southwest’s Steve Oubre, who adds that designing religious buildings begins with sound. “Any time you deal particularly with religious buildings acoustics are very, very important.

“Dealing with crowds and the flow of people is always complicated, and in this particular case the need to have more than one entry way into the building but still have an understandable path for people to work their way in and out of the building was important.”

	Steve Oubre

The 42,000-square-foot worship center at Crossroads Church, Oubre explains, had to meet a multitude of tasks, especially accommodating a 1,500-person congregation with flexible seating in a 9,200-square-foot space that must also readily transform into a flat floor space for other uses. The designers — five from Architects Southwest contributed to this project — also created spaces throughout the facility that, through the use of natural light and materials, magnifies the intimate, spiritual setting.

But Oubre maintains that his firm was just a conduit for the final product: “One of the centerpieces of our work is that it isn’t our work, it’s the work of our clients, and we are the vehicle that carries that work forward,” he says. “This is every bit their building; they participated in discussing their needs and their desires and we were just the medium to bring it across.” — ABiz Staff

Uganda

Last week I took my first trip to Uganda. You may recall that our family visited the neighboring African country of Kenya a little over a year ago which turned out to be one of the highlights of my life! That experience set the bar high for Uganda, but this wonderful African nation did not disappoint! What a warm, welcoming group of people I came in contact with!

My friend Scott Holmes has an orphanage in Uganda. Crossroads has contributed to assist in the expansion of their facilities. I got the chance to see the work in progress and visit the existing home as well. I was delighted to see what God is doing in the lives of these precious Ugandan children and the adults that care for them. Grace Home has 50 children that they are currently taking care of. They house, feed and educate them and provide them with healthcare. In addition to these children, the home also provides an education for another 350 children who would have no access to school otherwise. Simply amazing! The new facility will house 150 children and introduce Christ to a village that is primarily Muslim!

My primary purpose in visiting Uganda was to tour the Watoto Children's Home that my daughter Robin will be working at starting from June - November of this year. Watoto is an incredible ministry rescuing and caring for children who had been sold into human trafficking. Robin will be working in their nursery. Dad was thrilled to find a home that is run with complete excellence, taking every precaution to ensure the safety of those that volunteer with the ministry. I've got to be honest, I wanted to gather up all 48 of those precious babies in the home and bring them back to Louisiana with me!

Full Circle Moment!

We just had the privilege of hosting the National Masters Commission Conference at Crossroads last week! Hundreds of young people from all over America traveled to Lafayette for two days of incredible ministry featuring Jeanne Mayo, Denny Duron and Lloyd Zeigler. These three people have been so influential in my life through the years. What a joy it was to see all these young people get the opportunity to be impacted by the ministry of these World Changers! 

The Conference was such a full-circle experience for me. In 1989 Donna and I traveled to Phoenix, AZ and met Lloyd for the first time. He introduced us to a new program at their church called Master's Commission and told me they were interested in seeing other churches start the program in their cities. In 1991 we launched the first Master's Commission program outside of Phoenix and today there are hundreds of programs around the world! 

Job Security

So after 14 years (this coming Easter) serving as the Lead Pastor of Crossroads Church, the members have voted to elect me as their pastor in an indefinite tenure, which means I won't be voted on again and as long as I do what I'm supposed to I will serve as the Lead Pastor of Crossroads Church until I retire, resign, go home to be with Jesus... You get the picture. Up until now I've been up for reelection every three years. It was a unanimous vote and a huge confidence boost that I am very thankful for. I've never felt insecure about it, but with the things that we are taking on, like planting additional campuses across America, I felt it was important to have this kind of certainty about my role as the leader of our church. 

We are so thankful that God brought us back to Lafayette to serve the most wonderful people in the most incredible community on earth and we can't wait to see what God has in store in the days to come! 

Honored to Serve

Today I was elected to serve as the Presbyter for the Lafayette Section within the Louisiana District of the Assemblies of God. I am honored to be selected and I look forward to serving the churches of our area through this leadership role.

My dad was an Assemblies of God pastor, it is my heritage. My children both feel called to the ministry, so it is their future. I feel such a strong burden to be a good steward of what I've been given and help posture the movement for a positive tomorrow. This sense of responsibility was the motive in allowing my name to be considered for the Presbytery. I pray that God will help me and those I will work alongside to make the decisions and shape the policies that will lead to the greatest spiritual harvest we have ever known!

At the Edge of the Cliff

All this talk about fiscal cliffs is maddening! The grandstanding of politicians on both sides of the aisle is enough to make you want to start a new party and be done with all of them! The very idea that we've gone back and forth on what's required to prevent America's economy from plummeting over some imaginary cliff and in the meantime seen these guys accept a pay raise for themselves is revolting! Who are these people? How can we replace them?

The great news is that God specialized in saving us from the cliffs of life!  Psalm 18:32-33 says, It is God who arms me with strength. 33 He makes my feet like that of a deer; He enables me to stand on the heights (cliffs). Whether it's a fiscal cliff or a moral cliff, an emotional cliff or a relational one - He rescues us! Thank God our security lies, not in the hands of politicians, but in the hands of the King of Kings and the Prince of Peace!