My New Camera from Paul Haugen on Vimeo.

On August 6th I blogged.  It was a good post about Steven Curtis Chapman being on Good Morning America.  Apparently, I thought it was my difinitive work and so I stopped blogging.  That’s about to change.

The real reason for the lul is my increased work load and fatigue.  I have been in training for the big run in October, producing weekend services and preparing for a big gig this weekend, all while my wife has been out of town on various trips; it’s been crazy.

However, what’s a blog for if you can’t use it to share all of that with the world (or at least the 4 of you who read this…hi mom!); So I’m back.

I’ll be putting up a more content in the coming days, starting with the announcement that we’ve won a spot in the Chrisitan Music Awards finale on Saturday August 23rd.  It was originally slated to be at the Save Mart Center, but instead will move to Warnor’s Theatre downtown.  It will be televised on the Gospel Music Chanel (I’ll find out when) and should be a blast. 

Sorry for the long absence, and come back tomorrow for some updates!

Here’s how it went down:

1) Luke Mundy used Twitter to direct message Micah Foster and ask what they were doing last night.

2) Micah calls me and says “wanna hang out with Luke and Sara?”

3) I say yes and the result was a great time!

So, all thanks to Twitter, the @Fosters, the @Mundys and the @Haugens all met up and had a great time.  Most of us had never met each other, but because of Twitter and blogging we all seemed to know a ton about each other.  Last night was just part of the process of filling in the “twholes.”

Seriously, you’ve gotta try this!

It has been far too long since I have updated!  I just started producing weekend services and my first two weekends were Father’s Day and the start of a new series called, “The Invisible World,” which featured major upgrades, like a center screen and the use of hazers.  Aron Strong has spearheaded this thing, running tests, organizing crews to build and hang the screen as well as working with me a ton in the stage design arena for Father’s Day and figuring out what our “Inivisible World” looks like.   It’s been pretty fun working with him on all this stuff!

Needless to say, life has been busy!  Since my vacation begins today, this post is not an announcement that I will resume updating faithfully, but rather a whistle wetter, as when I get back I’m going to have some great pics and videos to show from this past weekend’s service as well as our worship night that was amazing, and my trips this week.

So bear with me a bit and by all means, hang around!

the blog might be a little quiet over the next two days as I’m heading out with most of our worship and arts team to take a solitude/songwriting retreat.  It’s going to be cold and rainy at the beach which is perfect wheather for me.

 I’ll try and update with pictures as we go, but who knows what internet is like.  huh, I’m getting away for two days, so maybe I shouldn’t blog…nah.

Carlos over at Ragamuffinsoul is getting the ball rolling on this thing called Creative Chaos.  He’s asked us to share some creative things that we’ve been doing.  Here’s my take.

I’m reaching back a little far, but last summer we did a six week series called, “Heroes.”  It was a series on the Holy Spirit, who He is and what He does, and we based it around the idea of the TV show; ordinary people with an extraordinary power inside them. 

Our Video/Dram director, Kevin wrote a 6 week miniseries where we were able to watch people grow and change as they embraced the Holy Spirit in their lives.  We built and entire city on stage and watched it change and become renewed over the course of the series and I wrote a song to end the series. 

The coolest thing about the series was that it was one of the times where our department got to completely work together.  Instead of bringing seperate elements, we all had to be on the same page and we all worked together to make this thing happen.  Actors, set designers, musicians and Dave and Kimberly MacNeill who did the preaching.  It was one of the toughest, and at the same time creatively fulfilling things we’ve done since I’ve been here. Â

Hi, I’m Paul.

I use Twitter.

Some people think “Twitter” sounds stupid (Christa).

They’re wrong.

Here’s how Twitter works.

What are you doing?

Okay, so here’s the big news… Clovis Hills is going public!  

Staff blogs are up and running and there will be some major changes to this site!

Here’s what you can expect:
1) more video content! We’re talking behind the scenes of worship at Clovis Hills as well as a glimpse into my life. You may be thinking, “Paul, why do I care about that?”  Well, let’s be honest, if you didn’t care, you wouldn’t be reading this right now.

2) Some new categories. I’ll be doing regular worship confessionals where we talk about what went down during each week at Clovis Hills and what songs we’re doing, how they’re going and hopefully, here from you on whether or not you like them I’ll be doing a new segment that I’m calling “Pimp my volunteer” where I highlight one of the many volunteers at Clovis Hills that make this place go.

3) You’ll be hearing original music and seeing performances of those songs soon.  We’re working on original stuff and will be getting to do more of it coming up soon and so this is going to be the spot to hear it first.

4) Also, there will be more interaction with other bloggers on staff at Clovis Hills as well as those of you regular attenders and volunteers who blog.  This is going to be a place where we develop community and connect in exciting ways.

5) The biggest change is that this site will no longer be up.  I am moving to blogs.clovishills.com/paulhaugen.  Put it in your favorites, get the RSS feed and keep up to date with what’s going on.  There’s a whole new look, new posts already up and some exciting stuff ahead!

I know there are some of you (Dana) who are saying, “I waited 8 days for this crap.”  Well, sorry about that.  I didn’t quite expect all of the hullabaloo surrounding this countdown.  I’m not leaving the church and Jenn is not pregnant, I’m just changing up the look of the blog!  

Thanks so much for your understanding, and I look forward to seeing what happens through the new site!Â

Well here it is, a new look, a new title and lots of new content.

This is The Open Door, a place to see a little bit more of what goes on behind the scenes with worship at Clovis Hills and a place to get to know me in a way that just isn’t possible on weekend services.

I’m going to be giving you all a reasonable amount of access into my life, my passions and my quirkiness and hopefully in return I’ll get to see some of yours.

My prayer is that this place becomes a community that laughs together and grows together and that as Clovis Hills gets bigger, staff blogs like this as well as the blogs of so many volunteers can help keep us small.

If you want to know about my life, just ask me. I’m fairly open; what you see is what you get. If we can eliminate all of the pretense and disconnect that comes from being a part of a church our size, then we can just get down to the business of getting to know each other and walking through life together.

Come one come all, this is the open door!

drumroll please…