Sunday Rumination (3-16-08)

Hey Element Church! Well, three services was a SUCCESS! I don't know if it could have gone any better for the first time. The last couple of weeks have felt we were re-launching a new church. It's great to have the other venue and totally opens up more space for us to grow as a church. Here are my ruminations on the day.

--- WE MADE IT! lol The slogan at the office lately has been "If we make through this weekend..." It's been go big or go home lately at Element. Scheduling three consecutive MAJOR events on the same weekend is crazy. My staff has permission to shoot me if I do this again any time soon.

--- Friday we had a GREAT time at our volunteer appreciation banquet. We had a great meal, great fellowship and great entertainment. We opened up the floor for people to share testimonies and I was blown away at what some people said. God is so good!

--- 4, 1, and 8. Those are the #'s of hands I saw raised in our three services of people who prayed to receive Christ today. I love offering Life to people. It's what we're all about.

--- 386 in church today! Second service was packed. I'm a horrible guesser at how many we have in church. I was sure there was over 400. 386, 5 months. STILL blows me a way.

--- I only get to be involved in worship one time now during first service. I don't know what the other two were like but the Holy Spirit was SO heavy during first service today. People were very engaged and it just seemed to click like no other Sunday. I love when God chooses to saturate a room with His presence. He did that today.

--- My voice held up. PTL! I drank some hot tea with honey yesterday a couple of times, and drank LOTS of water yesterday and today. In fact, my voice felt great all the way through. Thank you for those of you who were praying for me. I seriously could feel my voice stay strong when I thought it might give out.

--- E:coustic from beginning to end went great! THANK YOU so much to those of you who have stepped up to serve in there. The team for e:coustic today was GREAT! I left our normal room to oversee e:coustic set up. Those guys rocked it out today. In a couple of weeks they'll be on their own running that thing. Except for a few minor hiccups, set up and tear down went GREAT over there. It was so cool after 3rd service to walk across the hall and it was ALL put away correctly. GREAT JOB TEAM!

--- The transitions went pretty smooth between the services. I ended 1st service and got to 2nd service as they were singing the last song. We then had a 2 1/2 minute sermon illustration video. By the way, the e:coustic room looked great. Very simple but very cool!

--- Two guys from the worship team closed out first service with a song for offering, we played a song off itunes for 2nd.

--- As I was getting to the end of my message in 2nd, I could not remember for the LIFE of me what time I needed to be done. It's a good thing I ended when I did cause I was making my way across the hallway and Adam comes running out "YOU'RE ON DUDE!" I ran into our e:worship room and changed out microphones, ran down front, got my notes and my podium in place almost exactly when the illustration video ended. It was close! WAY close! BUT WE MADE IT!

--- I LOVED third service preaching today. VERY relaxed. VERY comfortable. VERY prepared. LOL I think I about had my sermon memorized by then.

--- Props to my boy Adam who is doing a great job timing out our services. Also, props to Adam who stayed up nearly all night getting footage of the egg drop to show a highlight video today at church. I'll put that up as soon as Google video approves it.

--- Props to Grant and Curtis. Those boys stepped up their game in the three services as well today. Curtis is now doing announcements in the two of the three services. Grant is organizing 2 first impressions teams and closed 2nd service for me. Grant is also becoming the pastor people can connect with following the two services that I cannot. Wow, craziness!

--- I seriously LOVE our staff team. I say this a lot, but I hope you guys realize how GREAT those guys are. Unbelievable.

--- It was very weird telling the same jokes and stories three times. A couple times I said in my mind "Have I already said this to these people?" Apologies if I repeated anything. I actually really enjoyed preaching three times. I know, I'm a sick person! To me, it was easier to go three consecutive times, than to preach once and have to wait. Weird!

--- EASTER THIS SUNDAY! If you're an Elementer you need to invite someone to Easter services. I hope we pack that place out! We are doing a VERY cool illustration this Sunday and hopefully we'll be pulling off one of the most powerful dramas I've ever seen.

--- I was wacky in 3rd service. The energy was very high in that service. I was all jacked up with energy from already preaching 2 times. There is not much that gets me higher than preaching. I LOVE IT! I hope it shows. Be funny if I love preaching but no one wanted to listen.

--- Be praying for us as we're looking at another building option this week. If it worked out this would be a semi-permanent location but we'd no longer portable. It would service us for the next couple of years, depending on growth levels in the church. Portability in church is exhausting. Without some MAJOR superstar volunteers coming early and staying late we could not do what we do.

--- Well, thanks to Katie Sab and I enjoyed lunch by ourselves and have the afternoon to ourselves at home today. That means un-interrupted nap time, which is where I'm headed. If I think of anything else I'll post more later.

I love Element Church! Thanks guys.

Following Christ,

Jeff