Lessons From a Church Launch: Lesson Three

Strive For Excellence In Everything That Is Done

The third lesson learned from Vertical Community Church's Launch is to strive for excellence in everything is that is done, from child care to how to treat first time guests. Before we can dig into how to be excellent I must decipher the difference between doing something in excellence as opposed to perfection. Perfection means that it must be perfect and nothing is o.k if it is not perfect. Achieving something in excellence is knowing its not going to be perfect, but you're going to strive for perfection and not be perfect is okay. Ministry is not about being perfect, because no one is perfect so why expect a service or church to be perfect.

Vertical Community Church showed excellence in everything they did from setting up to interacting with each other. They set up the facility in a way that anyone would know where to go. When you enter you are shown where to sit and where the children attend either children's church or nursery. Everyone that gave the guests tours were people-friendly, not introverted non-people people. They were full of energy and ready to serve the Kingdom of God. They made sure that their sound was ready and media was functional before service began so when it came time to use it in service it was ready. They made sure the words were on the screen for worship, mics were turned to an appropriate volume. They made sure the service from beginning to end flowed and God was glorified, and did it with excellence.

I will took away notes, knowledge, and wisdom from this visit I paid to Vertical a few weeks ago. One thing that I walked away with and want to share with you is what Pastor Shane did before service. Pastor Shane did a walk-through of the facility about an hour from service time. He walked through every area that was used making sure it was ready for the move of God that would happen. This tactic is one of the many that I've adapted and desire all you reading this to put into practice. To make sure we are operating in excellence begins with the different areas of ministry that occur each service. To conduct an entire service in excellence means that every part of the service is done in excellence.

I learned many lessons besides the three here, but this lesson on excellence is one of most importance. If your guests feel that you don't care about your service/church, they will not care either. Care about your people by caring about how you minister to them, minister in excellence.

Lessons From a Church Launch: Lesson Two

Accept Anyone and Everyone Who Arrive

The second lesson I learned from the launch of Vertical Church is that they accepted everyone no matter what. I've seen in many churches that have a regular attendance after a while they seem to be picky about who comes into the Church for service. I do understand that every church launch just want people to come to their services. This should be the same mentality of every Christian Church in the world. To get everyone in to the service so they can experience Jesus Christ and be forever changed.

I believe the established Churches get complacent and to comfortable, and the moment someone new enters they get agitated. Why? Because this means that they have to get out of their comfort zones and meet someone new, love someone new, plug someone new in, etc. It means that they actually have to get up and be the Church God created them to be. The moment a Church congregation turns away new visitors is the day the Church, in my opinion, begins to decline.

We must rise up away from our compromises and comfort zones the pews and chairs have put us in, and remember what it's like to just want people to come in and experience Christ and not judge them for who we think they are but Love them because Christ loves them. Let's act every Sunday like a Church Launch and everyone and anyone walking through the doors and let God take care of the rest.

Lessons From a Church Launch: Lesson One

Launch Team Needs To Be A Family

To have a successful launch as a church and a functional group of leaders to minister with you must be like that of a functional family. I say functional specifically, because honestly growing up my family was not completely functional. A functional family is one that loves one another through the great times and the tough times. Nothing holds their love back from one another. Also when an onlooker sees "the family" they say to themselves, "that's something I would want to be apart of."

Attending Vertical Community Churches launch this past Sunday, that's what I saw. I witnessed a group of men and women of God working together to accomplish the Will of God, but doing so with love and acceptance. I didn't know anyone there very well, but they accepted me as one of their own throughout the morning.

Those you work with in ministry must not be looked at as just employees or ministry leaders, but people you love and care about. People you are willing to spend time with outside the walls of the church and are pouring into. Your leaders are just as important as those who attend your services, because if they are not built up and empowered, those who they lead will not be either.

We must be the family that people are looking for. Marriage statistics are terrible and people are looking for a group of people they can look to for guidance and encouragement to be who God created them to be. This will never take place, however, if the team you are apart of or lead are not the family, the Body of Christ.

Lessons From a Church Launch

This past Sunday I had the privilege of attending Vertical Community Church. It was great to see one's God-given vision become a reality. As I attend I was able to be there during the set up process and help during the service a little. It was great getting a chance to be apart of their launch and to all there at Vertical, thank you. Thank you for letting me be apart of what God is doing and for not laughing at me when I got in the way or did something incorrectly.

I learned three things watching this amazing groups of leaders prepare for the power of God and also how they reacted to God moving in the service. Over this week we are going to bust out three lesson I believe every person on the face of the earth needs to learn from a Church Launch.

Confession: I Sometimes Second Guess My Leadership Ability...

I know many leaders want to appear that they have it all together, but the truth is sometime I think I stink and do not deserve to lead. You know what thats the best place to be. That way I'm not relying on my own self to lead people to be who God created them to be; it keeps me aware of how much I need God to lead me. I am where I am because this is where God has placed me. I want to let you know that it's ok if you do not feel qualified to do what God has called you to. That insecurity will help us to depend upon God rather than our own ability and talents. Focus on being who God created you to be and when you feel like you are qualified remember who you are in Christ and do and be who you are called to be.

Time to Confess

I have something to confess, I'm not the leader I want nor God wants me to be. At times I am lazy and all I want to do is nothing. I want to make a commitment to all of you who read this, if anyone does. I desire first to be a man of God and second is to be a man of God to my wife. Then and only then will I be able to be the leader He created me to be. Until I make this a model in my life I will be no better leader as Bill Gates is my father. I want to be all that God has created me to be, and I vow to do that God's way because my way will always fail.


-- Be Who You Were Created To Be

Get Plugged In

You can't do it alone. God has purposed you for greatness, and God will place people in your life to help you achieve greatness. When I say 'get plugged in' I'm not just talking about a church or getting involved in serving in a ministry; I'm talking about get involved and join together with great men ad women of God that speaks to your potential AND pulls it out of you. There many that are great at building you up but terrible at challenging you to be more than you are. Put people in your life that will encourage you, challenge you, and help to turn potential to reality. Get Plugged In.

-- Be Who You Were Created To Be

People: Can't Live With Them, Can't Lead Without Them

We need people. Without them nothing gets done and the vision dies. The only way to accomplish your God-given vision is to empower the people God has placed around you to get up and move forward.

It's hard to live with people; they complain when it goes wrong and when it goes right, it's not good enough. Then again, there is no way to lead without them. As leaders we must realize we can not lead Alone.

Let's forget the negative conotations of leadership and focus on casting our God-given vision in such a way that people become a springboard of victory and not an anchor of complacency. We need people and the moment we get them in on how God can use them, the quicker the vision will be complete and they will feel apart of what God is doing. After all isn't it about be unified in Christ anyways?

Amazing People

We come in contact with many people in our lives. In the mix of all those you interact with there is a group that will change you. They are the one who stick beside you and encourage you to be the man/woman of God you were created to be. Who are your 'Amazing People'?

You have to look for this group. They normally will not find them, you have to find them. You find them not by looking just for these people but by loving people and it will all fall into place.

Be who you were created to be but not alone. Find your Amazing People and be built up in community and be who you were created to be.

Mundane or Miraculous

Our lives are one these two, Mundane or Miraculous. What determines this are the choices we make and the risks we take.

Live a little, get out of your comfort zones and become the man or woman of God you were created to be. This will invoke doing things you've never done. If you are not who you were created to be you must do things you've never done.

Focus on God, Not Problems

We all have problems and situations that we have to deal and put up with. But the moment we let God take hold of them He can transform them into something that will give Him glory.

Like King Saul in 1 Samuel 19 he went after David in Ramah and when he got there the Spirit of God hit him and Saul began prophesying; like the servants he sent before after David.

Don't let your problems hold you back from the God-purpose on your life. Let God get ahold of them and the situation change.

Visionary Perspective

How do you see the world? The answer to this question will determine how you live in it. We must keep our eyes fixed on the One who made the world because He knows what to do and how to live.

Our vision must be determined by the God-given destiny that we have. If we go around just living for the sake of living the world will never know Christ. We must follow Christ wholly and never let our gaze leave Him, least we sink as Peter did while walking on the ocean.

Keep you eyes on Christ and follow Him. He will never leave you nor forsake you.

True Leadership

The Cost of Greatness

Being a youth pastor is an amazing opportunity that God has given me, but it doesn't come without battles.  These last few months have been amazing and I can't wait to see what happens next.  We have a lot going on in Reaction Student Ministries and that's Praise to God.  Every minister will have blogs like this telling of all the great things that are taking place in their ministries, but I'm here to say what the cost of greatness is.  

All greatness comes at a cost.  Every area of my life has been hit since I've been a youth pastor (marriage, college, work, me, etc.).  The pain however is worth watching God transform teenagers into the men and women of God they were created to be.  I have learned over the last six months how important time management is and how true the following statement is: "the higher you go in leadership the less rights you have."  

My advice to anyone in ministry is this: "ministry will always be there but the loved ones God placed in your life will not."  Put God first, family second, and let everything else fall into third.  If your life is not in this set up, you are setting yourself up for failure.  

Watching God transform lives is a GREAT thing, but like all great things it comes with a big price tag.  Are you ready to pay the price?

What I've Learned

I have learned a lot over the last few months as the youth pastor of Celebration Outreach Center.  I  learned that teens really like to go to weapon stores in TN, and even more when you tell them not to go into them.  I have also learned that everyone is an amazing, wonderful, loving, best at everything.....to their parents.  I love being a youth pastor, because at the end of the day I get to remember those teens I have now a few months back and see how God has transformed them into who they are today.  That's what its all about.  Its not about numbers.  Its not about the cool events.   Its not even about our Wednesday night services.  Its all about the students and empowering them to change their world, and become world changers.  At the end of the day if that is not what Reaction Student Ministries has done, then we have failed.

That's Me In A Nutshell

This blog is just thoughts that occur to me throughout the day. Moments in life where I actually show signs of life and intelligence. My main goal in life is first be the man of God I was created to be; second the husband my wife deserves; third the type of leader that empowers others to be who God created them to be. I don't want to be famous or rich; I just want to know that God used me to give Him glory and change lives. I love being me and there is no one else in the world like me.