As the Outreach Director at Celebration Church, I have the opportunity to witness first-hand every week how simply loving people can change lives. It is exciting to see and know that God can work through us as a conduit to help people connect with their destiny when we embrace the importance of serving.

Whether it is a position within our Guest Services team every Sunday morning, or leading a missions team to Africa for two weeks, serving makes a difference. At Celebration Church, we feel that everyone should have an opportunity to serve within their vocation and play an active role in changing lives.

The word vocation comes from the Latin word “vocare” or “to call.” It also is defined as a ‘strong impulse or inclination to follow a particular activity.’ At Celebration Church, we believe everyone can serve, and as Parker J. Palmer, a renown author and activist once wrote, is always asking ‘what ought I do with my life?’

The following are three simple ways we seek to engage and encourage our members to become an active participant in serving others here through Celebration Church:

#1 HEAR the CALL

What is it that drives your heart? What seems easy to you that others may find difficult? How do you interact with other people? These are just a few questions that we seek to ask every new member here at Celebration Church. As an outreach department, we believe that a unique personality helps to truly define an individual and where God will use them to make the most impact. As we help our members find their true call and vocation, it makes serving here at our church all the more simple.

#2 SEEK to GROW

This year, we provide our members a ‘spiritual gifts evaluation’ through a class we offer every 4th Sunday entitled, Connect 301. This class is specifically designed to help our members discover their gifts and talents, and help align and connect them with opportunities throughout the church.

#3 TAKE ACTION

Strategically set within our master calendar, we have created monthly church-wide outreach opportunities every 4th Saturday for our members to participate with. With a clearly defined outreach plan and target interest goal, we are able to alert our congregation months ahead of time with how they can get involved with serving and loving other people throughout our city.

The more we keep outreach simple, the more we are able to serve more people!

A peacekeeper is someone who is determined to avoid conflict at any cost. He or she demonstrates their fear of conflict in one of the following two ways:

He or she either fears conflict with ‘subordinates’ because it might be seen as an abuse of authority and result in the end of the positive relationship. A peacekeeper is also someone who fears conflict with a ‘superior’ because it might be interpreted as an attempt to usurp power and result in deterioration or termination of the relationship.

The peacekeeper believes that this aversion to battle is a form of self-protection and preserves the orderly functioning of the organization he or she is in. But (unfortunately) that perception is wildly off base.

The above definition reminds me of this quote I used to hear often growing up: “You can’t cook without a little heat.” As leaders, it is important to remember that God never created us to be peacekeepers, but rather peacemakers. It is not the absence of conflict that makes us who we are, but rather the presence of it that helps shape us into becoming the kind of leaders God desires for us to be.

I’ve always found it interesting that it Mark 4:36-41, Christ rebuked and calmed the winds that were rocking the boat He and his disciples were in by actually calling the winds by their name: PEACE.

He did not say, “Storm, be still.” Nor did He say, “Wind, be still.”
But rather He said, “Peace, be still.”

Nothing can destroy the very life of a church staff and team than for its leaders to be afraid of conflict. Tough decisions do not disappear. When avoided, they often reappear with friends. I challenge you to lean hard into becoming a peacemaker. Make the commitment today as a leader to do what IS right and not what simply FEELS right.

While indeed uncomfortable at times, the end result is a blessing that has no equal: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” – Matthew 5:9

Easter On The Hill News Coverage:
Washington Post | NY Times | Statesman | Fox & Friends | ABC News | ESPN | CNN | Time Magazine

So why go to great lengths to host Easter On The Hill? Here’s one great answer:

Regular church gatherings were easy in those days because at the time my parents had a small congregation. However, activities like these are now a thing of the past for far too many churches. Many people sadly feel disconnected and tend to believe that do not belong, which in many cases causes them to leave the church. This is not how God intended for His children to feel. His Word tells us that “those who are planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.” (Psalm 92:13)

Our desire at Celebration Church is to see people ‘connect with their destiny,’ and truly flourish to become all that God has called them to be. I firmly believe that Godly relationships and kinship play a major part in that connection.

Within our worship department, we always strive to echo that desire to our leadership, and we have been able to develop systems that aid in the process. We have Care Group Leaders that have been placed in position to be a support for our team. If a member has something going on in their lives or has a prayer request, they call their Care Group Leader to inform them, who then forwards the information to the rest of the leadership. If they have to miss a service or a rehearsal, they are asked to notify their care group leader, who will often send an email and provide a phone call letting them know how much they were missed.

This system acts as a means to ensure that no one ever falls through the cracks and never returns without anyone ever noticing they were gone. These leaders are also encouraged to ‘do life’ with their group outside of normal church or rehearsal days. Whether it’s coffee, a lunch date or a fun afternoon of shopping with the girls, giving someone your time and attention lets them know how much they are cared for. We as a body of Christ have to work together so that we can minister His love effectively.

This Care Group system has proven to be very effective and our team has grown stronger because of it.

Life has challenges for everyone, but the more we can reach out and become the hands and feet of Jesus, the more we spread hope and peace to a lost and dying world. For we did not choose Christ, He chose us.

Truth is, climbing is a practiced skill of strength & balance, mixed with a healthy dose of fear & adrenaline. Sounds a lot like ministry, doesn’t it?

As a climber, I had to trust my equipment; things like a harness, a carabiner, a rope & a belay device. As a pastor, I still must trust my equipment. Things like a voice recorder, my smartphone calendar, Evernote & Flipboard. The mental anxiety of trying to keep up with everything (or fearing failure) is exhausting. That is why these are some of my most important pieces. Without them I would fall.

Voice Recorder: I make promises to people all the time – during passing conversations at church, or in hallways meeting with co-workers. I used to keep a notepad for follow-up, but then I’d just misplace my notes! Now I talk to myself in the voice recorder on my phone. I call it my ‘brain’ & I listen to it regularly.

My Calendar: I don’t just use it for actual meetings. One of my favorite therapies is to make a long list of all the things I know I need to do. I write out everything: the big, the simple. (This feels great to me. Out of my head. Onto paper. Relief.) Then, I look at each item one by one & I assign it a time frame: How long will this take to do? Finally, I add it into my calendar as a block of time. This clears my head of the burden & ensures that I get done all that needs to get done.

Evernote: A list-maker of epic proportions. It’s where many of my ‘brain’ notes live for the long-term. I can access it on my computer or my phone & it has saved my life. Really.

Flipboard: I love to read other people’s blogs & Flipboard puts all of them in one convenient place. It’s a fun one-stop shop for all my blog & news-site favorites.

I loved climbing because the view from up top is like nothing else. The risk of going for (and reaching) a big hold on the cliff is so rewarding. Even the feeling of falling & being caught by the rope is worth another go at the route. Hey, it’s risky to trust someone in ministry. It’s hard to reach for a big goal God’s put before me. It’s scary when I slip-up & start falling, but I’ve never died. And neither will you. We are all on belay.

So climb on!

To make matters worst, while we were actually in motion, the speedometer read at a speed much faster than how we were actually driving; appearing to do 95 in a 20 mph zone will most certainly generate quite a few boos from the your kids when dropping them off for school.

So what do you do when the speedometer of your vehicle seems to be out of control? In my opinion, the solution is a simple driving technique that many leaders, particularly those of us who are a part of growing church, may want to utilize whenever we find ourselves in a season where we feel we are moving much slower than the people or things around us. This driving technique consists of only two words:

Keep Pace.

Find a vehicle (or a fellow staff member) close by, specifically one who you can determine is moving in a direction you desire to go, but at a speed that you can also determine is both wise and judicious, and keep pace with him or her. No matter how things may appear along our own individual journeys, it is imperative that we always locate a nearby pace car; a leader in whom we can confidently follow until we are comfortable with the conditions of our own dashboard.

After serving for several years inside several high impact organizations and ministry, I know far too well that driving through life (and ministry) with constant presumption can wear you down completely.

(1) Do you have a dream? A healthy admin dreams dreams.

“It doesn’t matter if it is the dream of the primary leader or the administrative assistant- it’s still a dream. No one has the right to discredit your dream, much less steal it from you. If you have a dream, it’s yours to keep- never give up on your dream,” – Billy Hornsby (Success for the Second in Command).

If you don’t have a dream – get one! No one is going to take the time to dream for you. This is something that only you can do. Joseph was the second in command over Egypt and it was his dream that saved the people from famine. We often look at our roles and do not see the value in them. You might even feel that in order to have any worth in the church you have to have the title ‘Pastor’ – but don’t forget, you are in the ministry. That’s right, you are an ad-minister of the gospel. The day that you see yourself as a paper pusher, instead of a minister, is the day that you will lose all effectiveness for the Kingdom.

(2) Are you sold out for the vision of your pastor? Proverbs 29:18 says that “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Of all the people in your church organization, as the admin assistant to your senior pastor, you must know the vision clearly so that when you speak, you have the voice of your pastor and you speak life to those around you.

(3) Do you have a whatever it takes attitude? In the ministry we do not work a 9 to 5, Monday through Friday type of job. We are often on call 24/7. Be ready to give your church at minimal what you are asking your volunteers to sacrifice. Just as Colossians 3:23 states, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.”

(4) Do you really love your pastors? You must love your pastors for who they are and not just for what their title is. You will soon find out, if you haven’t already, that your pastors are human too! It’s love that will get you through tough seasons. Love covers all the imperfections, misjudgments & hurts. Love gives us compassion, patience, and grace for one another.

(5) Are you organized? You may not get praised for your organization (like the fun creative staff does for an awesome video), but it’s because you keep the church organized that people will come back, receive and give. People who come to your church are likely stepping out of dysfunction and when they step into a church that is functional, it motivates them to come back and to give all they have to the Lord who puts everything in our lives in order.

In the end we are all subject to one authority who guides and directs our life, who gives us dreams, who loves us with an everlasting love and whose patience with us is insurmountable. So give a little more, complain a little less and realize that your place is just as vital as the next.

Truthfully, there is not much we could do without our volunteers, and these people have families and full time jobs that they work and they volunteer in their extra time on top of that. We must not forget to stop and smell the roses. When times get tough and paperwork is piling up, we must remember the precious gifts we have around us; the relationships we’ve made with these incredible people who simply have a heart to serve the house. It is a gift we must not take for granted.

Often times we can get so caught up in our own feelings and forget how blessed we are to have such faithful volunteers that help us every week. And more important than that, we can forget what it was like when we were volunteering; the joy it brings. Not only is it a blessing for us to have the extra help around the office, but it is so fulfilling for the volunteer.

There is such a reward in serving and volunteers have the opportunity to connect, build relationships with people who can get in their world and show them that they matter, and it gives them a purpose. One cannot begin to explain the fulfillment that comes from serving the house and serving people. It allows volunteers to feel like they’re needed and they have a reason for being apart, that they bring value to something and that they are valuable to someone.

In light of all of these moments, our work that piles up on our desk can seem obsolete. It’s so important to remember our faithful volunteers, to take in every moment, to cherish our relationships, and to not forget that by extending an invitation to ‘Volunteer Your Heart,’ you are extending an invitation for others to connect with a purpose.

“Own The Vision.”

My role at our church encompasses many tasks that cover a wide range of ministries. It can be easy to fill up my day with only doing tasks to support the executive office. But I must always remind myself that although my job title reads ‘executive assistant,’ the responsibility is to own the entire vision of the church.

When I look at the church through the eyes of my pastors, they don’t see departments and job duties; they see the needs of the church and care about the vision of our future. The concept of ‘owning the vision’ forces you to a crossroad. You must first decide whether you are fully committed to the vision and direction of your leaders before you can commit to owning that vision.

For us the choice is easy. God’s hand has been so impressed on the vision and future of Celebration Church that even secular politicians and businessmen can’t deny the supernatural blessing we have experienced. As an owner of the vision my mindset changes naturally. I see the church as my own.

I take personal offense to criticism toward the church. I don’t wait to find the department staff member when I see a need; I meet the needs or fill the gap when things are missing. From the pulpit to the trash in the bathroom, there is nothing too big or too small for my attention.

When you own the vision, you own every part of helping to bring that vision to fruition. The walls that often divide others churches fall down easily when you no longer just see your church as just a church…

…but a place you call ‘home.’

Recently, we have focused our efforts towards building our elementary teaching rotation and have found tremendous success. We have grown from five teachers to fifteen teachers within about six weeks and will meet our goal of eighteen teachers within the next two weeks. In addition, most of the teachers we are acquiring are professional teachers or have extensive experience in ministry! Here’s how we did it:

First, we prayed diligently that God would bring the right people to light. Having people who are committed to the vision and mission of our church is of the utmost importance since we are building a team who will communicate the truths of God’s Word. We believed that there were former teachers, children’s ministers and gifted individuals who were waiting to be called into action.

Next, we explored the best of those who formerly taught in Celebration KIDS ministry. There are many faithful people who, for various reasons, weren’t currently serving or teaching. The idea of using their God-given gifts in these areas again was a very appealing thought to most.

We wanted to bring in the highest caliber of people possible. We knew we had to present the ‘why behind the what.’ We weren’t asking people to come fill a spot or serve because we were desperate, we were asking people to connect with their call and be used by God. People have to know that the need is based on the vision of what God is about to do. That’s leadership.

Lastly, we had to communicate that there was a “method to our madness”. We have to constantly manage the tension between having a highly structured children’s ministry and keeping the creative elements and fun factor that our kids love.

Our methodology includes a structure that spells out the non-negotiable elements of teaching. Regardless of the venue, age group or campus we are committed to bring the same Bible story, memory verse, main point & monthly theme.

The madness part comes in with allowing & encouraging each teacher to ‘own’ each lesson. Personal creativity is treasured! Some teachers are so creative when it comes to activities. Their activities perfectly reinforce the lesson. Others are gifted storytellers; keeping hundreds of kids mesmerized for extended periods of time. Still others are just down right fun!! Let your teachers do what they do. If you try to overly regulate every detail, the really gifted teachers may feel too restricted and decide to serve elsewhere.

These are the steps that have helped us develop one of the strongest groups of teachers that we have ever had. We hope these ideas will help you as well.