Happy New Year!  I hope all who read this enjoyed a wonderful time over the holiday of time with family and loved ones.  It is always a special time of year.

A number of years back, P. Craig implemented the idea days off for the staff the week after Christmas.  We still did weekend services, but the office was closed.  This is always a great time of recharging, getting things done that got put off during the Christmas season and prepping for a new year.

With a rested mind and body, I woke up this morning ready for our first weekend services of 2016.  I always treat Saturday like a work day because it really is.  The morning is mine – the rest of the day is His.  We have had Saturday night services at GFC since back in the strip mall in its second year.  I am used to working Saturdays.  And honestly, if I wasn’t a pastor, I would attend Saturday night.  Less crowds, the courtyard, and no traffic.

So what does my day look like?  I get up around 6 am.  I do my devotion, my daily reading and any correspondence that is needed.  By 7:30, I am in the car for my class workout at my gym, Fit Personal Training.  After class, I come home and eat and take care of “piddly” things around the house.  Even though I am not a “speaker” at church, I “flip” at noon.  Flipping for me is when my mind begins to think about the services.  I will begin to run through the order of the service, the things that I need to check on and the people involved.  Many times, I will be praying through all these details and situations asking for the Lord’s presence.  Services are like a weekly NFL game – if you take it for granted and you don’t put the time in, it shows.  You do the work during the week and allow God to lead you through the weekend.

By 2:00pm, I am getting cleaned up and at the church by 3pm.  I have found that I do better if I am at services two hours before.  I will walk around the campus and greet some of the staff and volunteers – all the time, looking at the campus to catch details or things I need to know. By 3:30, I am in the sanctuary listening to the Praise and Worship team go through their songs and watching the slides on the screen.  When P. Craig arrives, we have our weekly talk about our weekends and life stuff for a few minutes.  Then we prep the service and any changes.  By 4:30, I touch the ceiling of the south entrance and go into the foyer to stand at the stairs and greet.  Has that changed much since moving into the new building in 2006.  No, it hasn’t.  Ironically, I still get excited to see what God will do in weekend services.  It really is like gearing up for the big game – when you know people are going to have the opportunity to have a relationship with God, what better feeling is there?

So, does all that make a difference?  I am not a speaker, a singer, a musician, or a skilled tech on the camera, lights or sound board.  I am a behind the scenes component.  One that prays that God will reach the one who needs him that day.  One that is grateful for every volunteer and staff who work so hard. One that wants that first timer to have a great experience.  One that is humbled that God uses us to reach a city that needs Him so desperately.  So, does it make a difference…I know it does!