The Blake Man and Me

Going into Thanksgiving, I was having a tough time decompressing.  We’ve got a ton of projects going (Anthems, staff transition, a second campus, etc…).  If you’ve been around me anytime at all, you’ll find that I don’t like open loops or unfinished things in my life- even though I manage to always have a few lying around.

Anyway, by Wednesday night, I had probably annoyed everyone around me as I tried to nail down loose ends and still work at our budget post-Strategic Team meeting looking forward at 2009.  By late Wednesday, I was ready to fire my computer across the room out of frustration with my inability to put that thing away whil I was going into a couple days of rest.

Thursday morning hit.  Kelly got up with the kids and let me sleep (I returned the favor today).  Then, we headed to my parents’ house where the festivities began.

In total, I watched 3 football games, rode bikes with my dad and Blake, played Taboo and “Either Or,” monitored my Fantasy Football teams, watched the girls play with Max (Phil and Marcella’s dog),  played video games, ate too much food, and talked about what we were all thankful for.

My mom said she was thankful for her mom.  My grandma’s birthday was yesterday.  It was also the same day she died.  So, Thanksgiving had some special significance for my mom.  I loved listening and sharing.

I loved all the pictures we walked away with too.  I especially love this picture of the Blake Man and me watching the Cowboys game.  I was sitting on the ground.  He would occasionally come and put his arm around me and chack out the game…very cool.

There is much to be thankful for…plenty enough to be thankful that I can put away the stuff in my hands so I can enjoy what God has put in my arms.  If you’re sappy, you can check out some of the other pictures we took of yesterday on Kelly’s blog here and here and here.

Thanksgiving

I’m thankful for:

• Jesus – He saved me.
• family – they love me.
• friends – they willingly are seen with me.

There’s a lot  in which to be thankful.  What about you?

How much change do 550 people have?!

December is the month we focus on Global Mission.  We have a HUGE project in the making.  Last year, we raised $20,000 for a church plant in Austin TX and Weston FL as well as Children’s Cup in Swaziland.  We’re shooting for the same goal this year.  But, we’re using that money to produce an album, distribute the album to 500 churches, schools, and youth groups in 100 CD cases, and in turn raise $500,000 for global mission.

The first project in December is “change to change the world.” We’re asking everyone at Life Pointe Church to bring their change jars, buckets, etc… and bring them to the altar on Sunday, December 7th.

We want maximum participation…don’t know what that is.  But, we want it.  Some people will have small collections.  Some people will have 5 gallon buckets.

If you were to guess, what would you say is the amount that all of us will/can bring on Dec. 7th?  Any guesses? I’m curious.

I’m also curious what the bank will do when we put all that change in the drive through container to make the deposit.

Sunday Wrap-up

• By the time our last service is over, it is difficult for me to crank out a full wrap-up.
• So, here I am on Monday rehashing through the weekend.
• Tom Sterbens was exceptional and really hit home for a lot of our people.
• During the 9:45 and 11 AM service, at the close of his message, I could hear people throughout the auditorium crying.
• God did something special in each service as we tackled the issue of forgiveness.
• One person caught me in the hallway and said, “I’m releasing at least 21 people.  They have my forgiveness.”  Awesome.
• Last night, we hung around for a while in Plantation Key and got to know some really great people.
• LPC-PK is really coming together.
• The LPC originals are becoming a smaller and smaller group.
• We continue to have new families every week.  This crowd is rapidly becoming a church.
• LPC-PK is also getting very close to being run by a totally new crew.  I’m loving it too.
• We’re tweaking things out there.  But, I am incredibly happy with how things are going.
• I had to show off after service playing Guitar Hero by totally dominating a young buck to “When I Was Young” by the Killers.
• Looking back on this weekend at the spiritual/relational dynamics, I can see us developing a new leadership development track at LPC.
• I’m looking forward to having Tom back down soon.
• I think we struck a chord that resonated in a big way.  I think I want to dig a little deeper there and see what God might be up to.

Saturday Night Thoughts: The Sick and Twisted Edition

I’m not speaking tomorrow.  My good friend Tom Sterbens is, which is going to make for a real treat tomorrow.  But, tonight you’re stuck with my deep thoughts. I’m left with some abnormally relaxed Saturday Night Thoughts.  Whatam I thinking right now!??!

ANSWER: This is seriously sick and twisted.

Next Steps

Every Sunday, we work to help people take next steps.  This is certainly one of my favorite I’ve seen come through our office by way of connection card.  What’s your next step today?

Why I’m Not Blogging As Much

I’ve been getting some emails asking what’s up with the regularity of my blogging.  Here’s the deal:

• I’m busy.  When I’m busy, I pull my resources into my core responsibilities.
• We added a second campus.  It’s one heck of a great place.  We renovated the space in 3 weeks, launched a campus on almost zero notice, and have a good family coming together.
• It looked like our LPC-PK campus leadership was in place.  But, it didn’t come together.  We’ve got some great things happening with that team.  The children’s ministry director (someone that’s been with us since almost the beginning) is in place. They work in Islamorada and are going to be a great fit.  Other campus positions are coming together.  The campus pastor for that location is in the works.  I’ll announce it when its time to announce it.  In the meantime, the Plantation Key campus is getting our good attention.
• We have a HUGE Christmas/Missions project getting ready to roll out that is going to be bigger than anything we’ve ever attempted.
• All of this is taking place while a member of our senior leadership team and our children’s pastor are leaving.
• Take that and add it to the fact that this weekend is our Strategic Team meeting.  We’re preparing budgets, projections, and making some pretty big decisions.

That’s why I haven’t been blogging like normal.  Still, I’ll have time to watch the Miami Hurricanes whip GTech tomorrow.  And, I’ll be all set for an awesome weekend of activity!…can’t wait.  Things will get back to normal soon enough.  Of course, we’ll have to mess with normal and get back to our normal abnormal so we feel normal.  Excuse me now.  I’m fairly confused and ready for bed.

Peace.

Saturday Night Thoughts

• Went to the vegetable market today and came away with some loot.
• The girls rode horses.
• I’m avoiding the NASCAR traffic.
• I’ve yet to been run over by two three hundred pounders on a moped like last year.
• I’m looking forward to Jonah’s Prayer tomorrow in Homestead and Plantation Key.
• I’m not looking forward to telling people that Paul and Annie are leaving Life Pointe.
• I’ve got some other news I’m sitting on…some stuff I’m really looking forward to sharing…just not tomorrow.
• I’m about to put the kids to bed and relax for a while.
• I’ve gotten a few emails about the Key Largo Reporter article and the Free Press article.  I’m happy with the way the articles turned out.
• Now, excuse me.  I’m going to slice a pineapple and enjoy the rest of the night.

The Key Largo Reporter on Life Pointe Church

New church for a new generation

‘I’m trying to cut through the bull,’ pastor says

BY DAVID BALL

dball@keysreporter.com

Posted – Friday, November 14, 2008 12:00 AM EST

Life Pointe Church opened its doors for the first time in Plantation Key on Sunday, and Pastor Travis Johnson admits his approach to Christian service might not appeal to everyone — at least at first.

The services start at 6 p.m. and begin with Starbucks coffee and bagels. A video message and announcement plays while the congregation snacks and chats.

Then, the lights go down and a live band rocks out with a few U2- or Coldplay-inspired songs of worship. It’s loud and energetic, Johnson says.

After the set, a different video leads into the particular message of the service. On Sunday, Johnson focused on the book of Jonah and its message that God can give second chances.

During the sermon, members of the audience interact with Johnson by sending questions via text messages, which appear on the video screen.

By 7:15 p.m., the service is over and members retire to the “café” to watch Sunday Night Football.

After the service, Johnson and other church leaders post photos and blogs at websites like Myspace, Flikr, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, which allows members to chat and share their thoughts on that week’s message and events.

It’s a new church for a new generation, Johnson says, and he hopes it catches on.

“I’ve not had really good luck with [attracting] folks from other churches because what we do is fairly out of the box,” Johnson said. “I think if you’ve been burnt out with church, had a bad experience with church or church people, I think there’s a pretty good chance you might like this.”

Johnson, 35, formed Life Pointe Church in Homestead in 2002 and soon noticed members that were driving north from the Keys to attend.

This year, Life Pointe Church took over the building oncee occupied by Plantation Key Church of God at 161 Pearl Ave., bayside. It can be contacted at (305) 247-0889 or visit www.life-pointe.com.

It was a great, friendly atmosphere,” said Key Largo resident Joel Cossio, who attended the first Keys service on Sunday.

“Travis takes the scriptures and he can relate them to modern times, and I think that is something that’s important for this generation,” he said. “With the music, the worship has a kind of emotional connection to the Holy Spirit.”

Upper Keys musician Tom Simpson played with the band on Sunday and said he will likely be back many times for service.

“Anybody coming in, I can’t imagine how they would not feel comfortable no matter what the denomination,” he said. “But it’s a little contemporary. If you want the old hymns and the old traditions, it might not be the place for you.”

Johnson said he formed the church out of his own frustrations at what he saw in many Christian churches that he had attended.

“I always loved the message, but I really struggled with the fact that I didn’t fit in and some of what I saw didn’t reconcile with the message Jesus taught,” said Johnson, whose father was a pastor at a church in his hometown of Homestead.

Johnson said he chose the name Life Pointe Church to describe what the church could mean for its members

“I think we all face these critical life stages,” he said. “A point being a specific place or a point on a map or a point that juts out into water, almost like a crossroad would be in life.

“Every place we are has a critical point, where God has something unique for us to do. We want to be that intersection or point on the map for our members.”

Johnson said he wants his church to be enjoyable, challenging and to “shake things up” for members who have found that other churches have become complacent with their message and offerings.

“I just see the politics, the things people get in fights over like what color the carpet was in church. It’s focused on just the wrong stuff,” he said. “I’m trying to cut through the bull.”

The live music creates an emotional connection to the sermon, he said, and the media and technology are used to compliment or amplify the message, not convolute them.

“The arts or technology, that’s got to compliment the message, that is, Jesus Christ laid his life down for dysfunctional, really jacked-up people like myself. That’s core to what we do,” he said.

Johnson said he had more than 100 people at his first service on Sunday, which he said is a good sign for his long-term goal.

“I’d totally like to dominate all of South Florida with the gospel of Jesus,” he said. “I want to make it hard for people to go to Hell from this place.”

originally posted at: http://www.keysnet.com/life/story/37340.html

We’re Saying Goodbye to Good Friends

Paul broke the news today on his blog (it takes a lot for him to blog, by the way). He and Annie are leaving SFL and the Life Pointe Church leadership team effective at the end of this month.

I hate saying goodbye, especially to good friends like these guys.  I’m not going to repeat the details surrounding their move.  You can read what they’re off to do here.

But, I do want to let you and them know that I’m appreciative for their good work, their dedication to Jesus, their love for their family, their excellent friendship, and their commitment to the Mission of Jesus.

Take a second to let them know how much you’ll miss them.  And, while you’re at it, ask Paul to blog more so we can keep up with him and his tribe after they’ve vacated South FL!

Plantation Key Launch Pics

Last night was a heck of a lot of fun.  75% of this campus (121 yesterday) is new to Life Pointe over the last month.  That’s awesome!  Check out the pics from the launch service here.

Sunday Wrap-Up: Plantation Key Launch Edition

• Great day!  Check out what Ritz and Kelly, and had to say on their versions of the Sunday Wrap-up.
• But, Chris takes the cake with two Sunday wraps: The standard Sunday Morning Tossed Salad and the brand-spanking new Sunday Life Pointe Church Plantation Key Lime Pie.
• Now, on to my thoughts:
• First, I feel healthy (no sinus issues), which makes speaking four times much easier.
• Second, really great things happened.
• Julio Berrones of 91.9 Call FM fame led worship in the three Homestead services.  He was great.
• Jesse and Reina were out for the morning.  Reina was at the hospital.  The doctors were doing tests.
• All the tests came back great!  It was a big answer to prayer.  God is good.
• We kicked off our Jonah series, which was enjoyable.
• Apparently, I cracked on TBN one too many times (the TBN jokes are probably getting stale) and I made a joke about HO-sea.  God told Hosea to marry a hooker, not me.  So, don’t be too upset.
• Anyway, the “HO-sea” part was unscripted and was unique to the third service- perhaps it was one too many coffees…not sure.  I don’t know where it came from.  But, it took us all a while to recover and move on.  We made it through though.
• Those comments pushed someone over the edge and they dropped me an anonymous note that I shouldn’t do that.  FYI: sign your anonymous notes.  I’m a big boy.  I put my name on my stuff and own my words.  You should do the same.
• Something got into our Homestead folks today. The text Questions were hilarious. (I’ll list them later)
• We had a few that were deep, revealing, and good.  I love being able to hear what is going on in the hearts of our people at real time during the message.  The answers can be challenging.  But, so far, so good.
• Lives are being challenged.  Jesus is changing lives.  That’s exciting.
• I’m not sure what our total numbers were today.  I would estimate Homestead in the upper 400’s. The 11 am was really solid.  We could handle some of you guys moving over to the 9:45 or 8:30 service.
• Plantation Key had 117 people tonight, putting us in the neighborhood of 600 pretty decent people gathered to get a little closer to the Revolutionary Jesus.
• Paul had the quote of the night.  He said, “We want you to serve.  We want to turn over the keys to the joint as soon as possible.”
• Every area has already begun turning over the keys…love that.
• We are going to rock the place.  But, we are going to do it as a family- everyone of us serving and taking ownership of the mission, “Loving God and man with reckless abandon.”
• The Q&A video, the message video, and the audio will be posted up tomorrow.
• I’m looking forward to catching up on the other wrap-ups to see how things went down for everyone else.

Saturday Night Thoughts

• For the past two Saturday nights, I’ve felt pretty horrible.
• I feel great tonight.
• I feel especially great because after about 3 weeks of hounding from 8th grader, Tyler Zubek who lives across the street from me, I finally relented and tried to ride a “Rip Stick.”
• Not only did I make it, but, I didn’t do so badly for a 35 year-old cat. I can shred a ski slope.  As a kid, I could skateboard pretty well.  I’ve roller bladed at 60 mph hanging onto the back of a Mazda Miata in college (bad idea).  And, now apparently, I didn’t bite it on a Rip Stick.
• I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.
• Jesse won’t be leading worship tomorrow.  Reina is going into the hospital tomorrow for some tests.  Let’s pray for them.
• Julio of 91.9 Call FM fame will be filling in. I’ve known this cat since he was just a little guy whose favorite show was “The Little Mermaid.”
• I have butterflies over the Plantation Key launch.
• I’ve had a few newspaper interviews this week.
• There is a group of guys that I’ve come to really enjoy that have told me they’re all going to be there…excited about that.
• I’ve re-committed myself to who we are.  It isn’t negotiable.  We’re not building a coalition.  We’re building a church.
• We’re absolutely obsessed with reaching people who do not know Jesus…not looking to replicate a church that you used to go to.  We are who we are.
• Now, my wife has hooked up some seriously good salsa.  So, I’m off to sit on the couch and get a little fatter.   Peace and see you tomorrow.

Top 10 Ways to Deconstruct a Team

1. Don’t consider your team.  Expect them to bend around your needs.
2. If they have an opposing idea, trash it.
3. Be condescending.  Talk to them like they’re stupid.
4. Act smarter than them.  That way you won’t have to deal with input from the underlings.
5. When all else fails, blame a lack of commitment.
6. Delegate tasks instead of responsibility.
7. Don’t trust them with the keys.  Don’t treat them like owners.
8. Be dishonest or partially honest.  Don’t worry, the truth won’t catch up with you.
9. Avoid tackling problems.  Close your eyes and hope issues will go away.
10. Fail to believe that vision is boss.  Do what is convenient instead of leading with the end in mind.

Being the Church

Eric Geiger shared some great thoughts about what you do if you don’t like Christ Fellowship.  Great stuff and a great reminder of what the Church really is.

• The Church isn’t an isolated and exclusive group that meets at a particular address.
• The Church isn’t a social or political movement.
• The Church isn’t a bunker or a fox hole, a defensive unit to keep the holy ones safe and the world out.

The Church is what Eric pointed to.  The Church is a HUGE global family pursuing a revolutionary Jesus in every language, by many tribes, and through thousands of Christ-faithful expressions.

So, in the heart of Eric’s original post, I want to point out some great churches in Miami-Dade, Broward, and the Keys that I am thankful for and some of my thoughts about why their special to me:

Christ Fellowship – Eric Geiger, Jorge Molina, and Jeff Reed have been real friends to Life Pointe.  I’ve grown to love these guys a ton.  I feel that in many ways, CF is a sister church to Life Pointe.  This is something that has happened over the past year and a half when CF – Homestead opened down the street from our Homestead campus.  Homestead and Life Pointe are better as a result of these guys.

Miami Vineyard – Kevin Fischer is a great leader and another friend who I don’t get to see enough of.  Kevin is a coach in some ways to me…someone I can celebrate wins with and who gives great advice.  When I need a fresh perspective, I shoot over to Miami Vineyard for a Saturday night service.

1st Baptist Church – Key Largo – I don’t know a lot of the pastors and churches in the Keys well yet.  But, I get to hang out with Charles Rosenbalm, senior pastor at FBC – Key Largo a little every week.  I’ve really enjoyed that…can tell he is a really good pastor with a good church.

Calvary Fellowship in Miami Lakes – I’ve never attended a CF service but, some of our guys have, especially about 3 years ago when we were getting ready to launch in the theater.  I appreciate Bob’s friendship and the passion he has for the Gospel.

Flamingo Road Church – Flamingo Road really pushes the boundaries to reach Broward county and beyond.  Troy, Raul, Matt, Heredes, and their crew have been real friends.  Flamingo Road is a great church.

Cooper City Church of God – Dwight Allen and the Cooper City COG is a favorite church of mine.  They do things quite a bit differently than our crew.  But, this is another church that feels like family to us.  Dwight is someone I look up to, who has given me some great advice, and who believes in what we do here.

The Pursuit Church -Matt Mehaffey and his gang are going all out to establish a great church in Pembroke Pines.  I met Matt while he was preparing to move down from Indiana to start the Pursuit.  He has a big heart and great focus.

InDependence Church – Nathan Griffis is my friend.  InDependence Church in Weston, FL is a church that we helped sponsor as they were getting off the ground.  Church planting is hard work.  Nathan and Harmony keep it real as they move forward.  This is a really great church in west Broward.

New Testament Church of God in Perrine – Pastor James Walden and this church are really special to me.  As life has gotten busier, I’ve not been able to spend time with these guys like I’d like to.  But, Pastor Walden has known me since I was 13.  In a lot of ways, he’s like a dad to me.

LPC-Plantation Key: Who We Are & Aren’t

Life Pointe Church – Plantation Key is already turning into a really great campus with some really decent folks.

The feedback we’ve gotten from Sunday has been very good.  Some people have jumped in with both feet.  Others are understandably sitting on the sideline checking things out.  Some are well wishers.  Some have been waiting for this for their whole lives (and didn’t know it).  Some people are watching to see if we’re for real, if we’re going to last, etc…  Yep.  We are.  We’re in it for the long haul…no matter what the cost.

That’s who we are.  Here are some things we are not though:

• Perfect. If we were, we wouldn’t be in the “church business.”  Because we aren’t perfect, we desperately need Jesus and understand that the world is in the same boat with us…in need of a Savior.
• Always prepared. We are always ready.  But, we’re never fully prepared.  God looks at our availability and asks, “Will you go?”  We always want to respond with an affirmative.
• Spineless. We are who we are. If you don’t like it, then tough.  Honestly, I don’t want a bunch of people whose spiritual gift is criticism on board.  I’ll tell you upfront to take a hike.  We are not the church for everyone.  Unfortunately, I’ve gotten a couple comments that people won’t come here because we have a staff member that is a minority.  Man, that’s asinine.  I won’t say anything beyond that…though I’d like to.  We don’t stand for everything.  But, we will take a stand and draw lines in the sand.  We’ll fight for the mission of Jesus all day long.
• Reserved. Everything we do is fairly in your face.  We intentionally try to shake things up…not for the shock factor.  But, because I believe the American Church is largely complacent.  We have more Biblical knowledge than what we put into action.  I don’t like that…want to personally turn that upside down.
• Anonymous. We’ll let you sneak in and “watch” for a while.  But, Jesus came to serve.  He calls us to serve.  So, if you hang out at Life Pointe long enough, you’ll be asked to get in the game somewhere and somehow.
• Boring. We love to have fun.  The Gospel of Jesus is invigorating.  It changes lives.  We’re going to push the limits of what is normal.  Whether that is a 9,000 person Moonlight Easter Egg Hunt, a Christian Metal/Screamo Concert, getting kicked out of public parks after Baptizing close to 200 people at the Beach, or a primary church service on Sunday night, church in a movie theater (Homestead), or a hope to make it “Hard for people to go to hell from S. Florida,” we’re going to take a swing at it.

So, we are who we are and we make no apologies for it.  People who are curious about Jesus and would like a church experience that cuts through the Bull will fit right in.

I’m Thankful Today

I’m thankful today for the privilege to live in America.  I watched a bit of the election results last night and this is what I saw:

• the peaceful transfer of power,
• a repudiation of some grave errors and sins we committed as a nation in the areas of race relations with the historic election of Barack Obama,
• a decisive victory, which hopefully means that we won’t have to deal with the divisiveness we have experienced over the past four years.

I am a pro-life voter, an admittedly single-issue voter who winces over the last 35 years of unrestricted, wholesale aborting of some 40 million real and precious human lives at the hands of 5 activist judges.  And, while things may not have gone like I wanted them to in the general election or the primaries for that matter, I now have a new president-elect in Barack Obama who will be my president and who I pray will receive strength and wisdom from the Lord in his decision-making and protection in his service (Romans 13:1-6).

While, I generally totally avoid political discussions publicly because of the risk taken for the cause of the Gospel and the potential alienation of people from the Gospel, this is a large moment that I’d like to weigh in on.  Last night was a historic moment.  And, I’m very thankful for that today.

Pictures: Life Pointe Church – Plantation Key Preview Service

Preview Service Slideshow

Sunday Wrap-up: Plantation Key Preview Edition

• I’m tired and not tired all at the same time.
• I’m tired from the four weeks of non-stop prep (and four messages today).
• I’m totally hyped up from how today went.
• Life Pointe Plantation Key started off with a bang.  It was a blast. 112 experienced it.  Some were from Homestead.  Some were well wishers from other churches.  Some didn’t have a church but found a home at Life Pointe Church – Plantation Key (these are the crazy, awesome people we want to hang with).
• I met a ton of really great folks who seemed to click really well.
• I have a pile of cell phone numbers and connection cards, reconnected with some old friends, met new friends, and had a lot of people say, “I want to serve.  What do you need?”
• The vibe of the place was great, typical Life Pointe attitudes in the crowd, and we held nothing back.
• Now, on to some really special “THANK YOUs:”
• To everyone who served, thank you.  You were unreal.
• There were a lot of guys and gals who poured a lot of time into today (renovations).  Thank you.
• But, there is one guy who poured his heart and soul into this:  Tom Little.
• Tom has been driving up to Life Pointe from Key Largo for a year and a half.  He put daily work into the campus for four weeks getting the place ready.  It simply wouldn’t have happened on this timeframe without him.
• God has been working in this guy in a big way.  It really showed up in this project.
• Tom, I have a passage for you: James 2:18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” I say, “I can’t see your faith if you don’t have good deeds, but I will show you my faith through my good deeds.”
• Thank you for demonstrating your faith through generous acts for the Keys.
• Now, this Sunday at Plantation Key (the Launch) is going to be big.  People are going to invite their friends.
• From there, we’ll be building a church that has an aggressive posture toward S. Florida.
• I’m looking forward to that.  We’ve got some good days and some challenging days ahead of us.

Saturday Night Thoughts

After working with a crew of 25 or so volunteers today in Plantation Key getting the campus ready for tomorrow’s first service, I have a few thoughts:

• I’m tired of not feeling so hot…haven’t been able to shake this head cold for over a week now.
• Still, I can’t imagine feeling tired doing anything else.
• I really love ministry.
• Ministry is a privilege.  I can’t believe I get to do this every day.
• Life Pointe Church – Plantation Key is simply the coolest little place around.
• The auditorium is really nice…still going to tweak it up a bit (changing wall color, seating, etc…).  But, it is really nice…love the candles and lighting.
• I am going to close out the night in the Cafe’ watching Sunday night football.  That’s a good space that will facilitate some new relationships.
• The kids area is off the hook!
• The vibe is very “life pointe” but permanent.
• But, what is going to really make this place shine is the people…people who serve generously.
• I can’t believe how many people have been willing to throw their hands into this launch and make it happen in such a short time period.
• Tom Little, Zech Hinkle, Rafael Ovando, Tim Buchanan, and Joseph Bulger went over the top to serve in the middle of the week when time was scarce.
• There are too many people who came out on Saturdays to mention.
• Our staff has given up time off to close this out.  These are some really decent folks.
• Our DNA includes service, mutual submission, generosity. Thank you for showing it!
• I’m looking forward to tomorrow…big day.
• One thing that really fires me up is that tomorrow night, a good friend that I had the privilege of baptizing about 3 years ago is going to be reconnecting with our church.
• That makes the launch in the Keys totally worth it.
• The campus team is really beginning to come together…I think we don’t have a clue about what’s coming.