BOLD Men's Conference was awesome this past weekend! Check out the video highlights:

We had an incredible time here in Tacoma during our annual Team Church Conference last week. It was a great opportunity to connect with friends from all over the US, and even some from Canada and the Philippines. We were inspired by great speakers and experienced God's presence in a big way during the Night Of Worship with Hillsong London. It was awesome... and we can barely wait for next year's Team Church Conference!

Take a minute to check out our video blogs from the conference here...

Next summer might seem far away now, but it will be here before you know it. So... make plans now to join us next August for Team Church Conference FUEL.

Always make new mistakes (reads the magnet that is on a board at my desk).

Becoming a great leader includes making mistakes.

As a young leader, I feel as though I live in a dichotomy of observing what it takes to be a genuine and successful leader while constantly being observed to see if I have what it takes to be one. I am in positions of watching decisions being made and decision making; learning and teaching; listening and speaking; witnessing mistakes and making mistakes myself.

Having the courage to stay in the game despite mistakes that are made by people around me or mistakes that I make is a huge lesson that I have learned in leadership. I am convinced that as long as a potential leader is afraid to fail, they will indeed fail every time. I am convinced that unless I approach leadership with a “whatever it takes” attitude (even if that includes miscalculations and misunderstandings from time to time) I will never become the leader that God is calling me to become.

This is a journey that we are on as leaders – from start to finish we must never stop growing and expanding. Successful leadership comes when we take the time to hear from others, learn from their mistakes and each of us as individuals give something back. 1 Peter 3 (MSG) says, “Bless -that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.”

Since I was a kid, I have been attending camps and conferences, learning what it takes to walk in relationship with God. Now, as a leader, those years mean even more because the things I do in my life –the way I live my life –is more than just about me. It is about God’s larger plan. That is why I love this time of year so much in the life of our church. Our annual Team Church Conference is right around the corner, and I am expecting to not only be refreshed and inspired myself, but also to fuel the cause of the local church into business leaders, church members, and church leaders who attend in a couple weeks.

I’m excited to be a part of hosting TC’08 because I am anticipating that this conference is going to reignite pastors and church members to build that which God loves so much – the local church. Even though the local church has never been perfect, I believe God is calling us to step up and take the challenge to advance the Kingdom of God on the planet today –even if it means making a few new mistakes along the way.

One of my greatest passions is the local Church. Ephesians 5:25 shows us that “Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her.” I believe that the Church represents the plan of God for our lives, our communities, and the globe. Within the power and strength of the Church lies hope and answers for a world that desperately needs to know their creator.

I often think about it like this… If all it took to build a great church was beautiful buildings, great music and the right programming…then the Church would be booming! We’d have everything we need, and the House would be full every week. However, I believe it takes something more than all of this to make the Church great (and don’t get me wrong…all of these things are important!).

The truth is that it takes a team of people who are committed heart and soul to the cause of Christ, prepared to rise up in the Luke 2:52 principles of “wisdom, stature, favor with God and favor with men.” In other words, it takes great leadership. It takes commitment & loyalty. It takes Team Church. I’m so excited about our upcoming conference – Team Church Conference. It’s a chance that our team has every year to host people from around the country and the world to come together around one cause – Christ’s Church. We come to build relationships, receive from some of the finest teachers in the world, and sharpen ourselves as leaders.

I encourage you to not miss the opportunity that this conference presents…come be part of all that God is going to do in us individually and corporately during these few days! And come to sharpen yourself as a leader. There is something significant found in being together for a few consecutive days that has an impact on your life. TC08 promises to be an event not to miss!

Above all – let’s never grow weary in this incredible mandate we have to build the Kingdom of God here on earth, and specifically in the Northwest. It is my honor and privilege to serve on the awesome team at Champions Centre…the great men, women and young people who give selflessly of their time and talent every weekend to see people reached with truth and salvation. If you’ve ever wondered if your life would serve a significant purpose…look no further than what you are doing at Church. Your labor is not in vain.

I’m looking forward to a great conference in just a few weeks.

“So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him.”
- Romans 12:1 (MSG)

This weekend at Champions Centre, we’re launching a full-on volunteer campaign for our annual Team Church Conference. We’ve been talking about the value of volunteers and the incredible impact they make in our world. Amazing things happen when we “take our everyday lives and place them before God!”

We love God’s House - and we love it when people are committed to serving with passion! And, there’s a place for everyone when it comes to serving. When we hear the word “volunteer,” we could list many ways others benefit from our work, but sometimes we forget all the ways our own lives are blessed when we give of our time and talents.

Here are a few (ok, more than a few...but worth reading) ways that our lives are blessed when we choose to be volunteers:

1. Being a volunteer offers you a way to serve the Lord where you are planted (Deuteronomy 11:13).

2. When you’re involved in a ministry, you are helping your church advance God’s Kingdom in the earth as His ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:20).

3. Ministry involvement is the way you press toward the mark of your high calling, becoming the servant God designed you to be (Philippians 3:14).

4. Your faith is made visible and alive through your works of ministry (James 2:17, 18). Anyone can attend church, but involvement brings life and shows others what faith means to you.

5. Your own feelings of self worth are strengthened when you’re involved in a ministry team (Matthew 25:21, 23). Just as with any activity, as you begin to excel, your self-worth starts to grow.

6. Ministry involvement will challenge you to self improvement and spiritual maturity. God must do something in you before He can do something through you.

7. When you’re involved as a volunteer, you feel like a part of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12). God understands our need to feel a sense of belonging and by being part of a team, you fulfill this need while also making a difference in others’ lives.

8. Ministry offers a way to serve others (Galatians 5:13). Not only do you serve God while you’re volunteering, but being part of ministry allows you to help others live successful Christian lives.

9. Your ministry efforts will be rewarded in eternity (Romans 2:6, 7). Serving in ministry where God has planted you causes a life of rewards in the present, as well as in eternity.

10. Ministry provides a place for you to work with other believers to achieve a common goal (1 Corinthians 12:18-20). When we work together, we can achieve anything. Through working together with other volunteers, you’ll also become friends with people with common goals and interests.

11. Involvement in ministry moves you beyond the place of hearing into the place of doing the “good works, which God predestined for us,” (Ephesians 2:10). Hearing God’s Word is important, but to do good works, we must get out of our seats.

12. People who stay committed to a ministry team are less likely to drift out of fellowship with God and other believers. If you want to live up to your potential, stay committed by serving God in a ministry team with passion.

So, what about you? How has volunteering blessed your life? We'd love to know...