Sunday Reflections
08/19/07 06:56 PM
Well, it's Sunday night, I'm back at the office
writing a few visitor letters (we keep having new
people each week), uploading my sermon on the web,
and reflecting on the day. Jeremiah and the
students are outside getting wet and messy as they
close out the Summer with their "Summer Funeral."
One of the things we've been working on in our Sunday morning worship service is transitions - the flow from song to song, getting up and down from the stage, the music in the background while people are speaking, and even the music we play during the welcome, greeting time, and communion. It might seem like small details to many, but believe it or not, each week in our Creative Team meeting we go through every detail of our service. We try to be very intentional in what we do. We are constantly looking to improve. And each and every week there is a lot to work on, but I believe our hard work is paying off. It's not about the "production" or excellence for the sake of excellence, it's about glorifying God. It's about Jesus and lifting Him high and clear and doing everything in our power to provide an experience that points people to Him and communicates a dangerous, life changing message.
That said, sometimes it's so easy to get distracted by the details of everything that happens on Sunday mornings. And that doesn't even include the different ministries, people who forget to show up and do whatever it was they were supposed to do, people who are ticked off about something and need to tell you about it 5 minutes before the service starts. I know - it sounds like I'm saying that this whole church thing would sure be a lot easier without people! That's not what I'm saying at all. People are why I'm in Ministry. But when I do get distracted I take a few minutes, quiet my heart, and just tell God how much I love Him, how blown away I am by His grace, and that today more than anything else I want it to be all about Him and about someone coming home.
We continued in our series, "Just Walk Across the Room." We talked about living in 3D - Developing Relationships, Discovering Stories, and Discerning Next Steps. One of the highlights for me today has been reading through the "Next Steps that Mattered to Me" cards that people turned in. We'll be posting them on a bulletin board in the Welcome Center. They're very inspiring and a great reminder that we need to be praying about the next steps we can take with the people God puts in our lives. It was also cool to have a couple of friends from Camp Edisto in the service (Hey Britanny & Morgan!).
Janet had a Children's Church Training and Demonstration before church this morning to introduce some new material and recruit volunteers. She sent out letters, emails, and personal invitations. She's really been working hard in Children's Ministry this Summer - trying to build a team and prepare for growth. If you're interested in the front lines of Ministry and want to make an eternal impact, talk to Janet about serving in Promiseland.
Well that's about it for now. As soon as Student Ministry is over my daughter is wanting me to "leave quick" so we can get home to watch the sing-along version of High School Musical 2. If you have teen or pre-teen girls - you can relate to my pain.
One of the things we've been working on in our Sunday morning worship service is transitions - the flow from song to song, getting up and down from the stage, the music in the background while people are speaking, and even the music we play during the welcome, greeting time, and communion. It might seem like small details to many, but believe it or not, each week in our Creative Team meeting we go through every detail of our service. We try to be very intentional in what we do. We are constantly looking to improve. And each and every week there is a lot to work on, but I believe our hard work is paying off. It's not about the "production" or excellence for the sake of excellence, it's about glorifying God. It's about Jesus and lifting Him high and clear and doing everything in our power to provide an experience that points people to Him and communicates a dangerous, life changing message.
That said, sometimes it's so easy to get distracted by the details of everything that happens on Sunday mornings. And that doesn't even include the different ministries, people who forget to show up and do whatever it was they were supposed to do, people who are ticked off about something and need to tell you about it 5 minutes before the service starts. I know - it sounds like I'm saying that this whole church thing would sure be a lot easier without people! That's not what I'm saying at all. People are why I'm in Ministry. But when I do get distracted I take a few minutes, quiet my heart, and just tell God how much I love Him, how blown away I am by His grace, and that today more than anything else I want it to be all about Him and about someone coming home.
We continued in our series, "Just Walk Across the Room." We talked about living in 3D - Developing Relationships, Discovering Stories, and Discerning Next Steps. One of the highlights for me today has been reading through the "Next Steps that Mattered to Me" cards that people turned in. We'll be posting them on a bulletin board in the Welcome Center. They're very inspiring and a great reminder that we need to be praying about the next steps we can take with the people God puts in our lives. It was also cool to have a couple of friends from Camp Edisto in the service (Hey Britanny & Morgan!).
Janet had a Children's Church Training and Demonstration before church this morning to introduce some new material and recruit volunteers. She sent out letters, emails, and personal invitations. She's really been working hard in Children's Ministry this Summer - trying to build a team and prepare for growth. If you're interested in the front lines of Ministry and want to make an eternal impact, talk to Janet about serving in Promiseland.
Well that's about it for now. As soon as Student Ministry is over my daughter is wanting me to "leave quick" so we can get home to watch the sing-along version of High School Musical 2. If you have teen or pre-teen girls - you can relate to my pain.
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