We get letters...we get letters...we get lots and lots of letters...

Ok, how many of you read that title and burst into song? Let me see your hands. Yes, yes...and yes. I see those hands. You watched too much TV in the late 80's.

This morning, our vast editorial staff sifted through the voluminous mailbag and pulled out a letter from a reader. For whatever reason, we have decided to answer it.

hey randy...
i was wondering if you could maybe devote a post to what exactly you do as marketing director at ihop? i'm just curious... :)

Now upon cursory examination, this letter appears to be an innocuous inquiry into my daily doings, and while there remains a possibility that it could be a prodding, antagonistic letter (So what on earth do you do!?!). However, I think otherwise, so here goes.

I'm an intercessory missionary.
This is non negotiable. More than anything else, I'm called to help maintain a perpetual solemn assembly before the Lord. IHOP has been doing this with 24/7 worship and prayer since 1999. I am in the prayer room between 12 and 20 hrs a week.

I lead the marketing team.
Comprised of two designers, one marketing coordinator and myself, this team works closely to provide design for all printwork for the Missions Base. This team was assembled before I came on the scene, so I can take little credit for their excellent work. I do have a Powerbook, which allows me to appear to be a contributing part of the meetings, but in reality, most of what I do is nod thoughtfully and say "mmm-hmmm" when they're talking.

I try and edit some of the words around here
Rarely in the history of Christendom has a more verbose people gathered. This means we generate a lot of words. I try my best to edit the email blasts and other written pieces emanating from IHOP, which varying degrees of success. Somewhere, my high school English teacher is finding this very, very funny.

I ponder the realm of new products.
"Products" is probably not an accurate word. "Tools" works better. These are things that we export across the US and around the world for use by pastors, intercessors, etc. My latest project has been Omega , an 8 week DVD course on eschatology.

I sit in a lot of meetings.
Having served on a church staff, church planted, and eventually leading outreach and church planting for VCC, IHOP locals assume that I might have something to contribute to various teams, so I sit in the strategy room a lot, drinking coffee and discussing long range plans with people. I have an iPod so they assume I'm a techie. I have been published so they think I'm a writer. I have funky glasses so they assume I'm funky. All this means I get asked my opinion a lot. Who could ask for more than this?

and with that, we hear our outro music...Letters! We get letters...letterrrrrrrs!