Decisions That Define Your Church

Decisions determine our destiny. Like it our not, our lives are the sum total of the decisions that we make. Every day we live in the wake of the consequences of our choices.

I want to share some thoughts about decisions that define our church.

Decision #1 - Deciding Who Decides

There are hundreds of decisions that are made in a church every week: financial decisions, strategy decisions, staffing decisions, ministry decisions, facility decisions and the list goes on.

At PCC, we understand that God is the leader and that God has chosen to lead through leaders. That's the Scriptural pattern. As the leader of PCC, I have chosen to lead through two teams of people: the Staff and the Elders.

In my opinion and experience, collaborative-team leadership is more effective than unilateral-dictatorial leadership. It allows you to get the perspective of other leaders and than filter that information before making the decision. Sure, not everyone is going to agree with every decision that is made. But then again, that's why God raises up spiritually mature leaders that make decisions based not on what is popular or easy, but on what is honoring to God and His Word.

If you want to help make decisions in the church - become a leader. If you want to lead - the first requirement is being willing to follow.

NBDC Graduation

Yesterday New Beginnings Day Care graduated their very first class of students that are moving on to kindergarten. Congratulations graduates! You all are awesome.

I want to thank Dr. Janet Shelton and her staff for providing an excellent education and environment for the children of our community to grow socially, spiritually, intellectually and physically.

These first 5 graduates are off to a great start in life. The Bible says, "Don't despise the day of humble beginnings." This school and our children are full of phenomenal potential and will accomplish great things for God! I look forward to many more graduation ceremonies in the future and watching these kids grow up!

Leadership Principles #3

#3. Your Pain Threshold will determine your Growth Threshold

Yes, growing churches are led by growing leaders. But all growing leaders carry a serious amount of pain. Don't be naive and think that just because a pastor has a large church that their life is a bed of roses. Here's what I mean.

It's painful when ...
+Your church outgrows your ability to know everyone and you feel like a jerk when people meet you in public feel like they know you as their best friend and you barely recognize them.
+You pour your life into people and you watch them blow up their marriage and ministry.
+Critics misrepresent you and your church just because it grows.
+You have to fire a staff member because that's what's best for the church
+People leave your church because it got "too big." You can know everybody or everybody can know Jesus. You can't have both!
+Some of your best friends chunk their moral character and then blame the ministry
+You have to make serious changes in order to help the church grow to the next level and people get mad and hate on you.
+You take some audacious leap of faith to reach people for Jesus and you fall flat on your face. But you'd rather do that than settle for a comfortable ministry and take home a paycheck every couple of weeks.
+You confront people who aren't with the vision and you hold them to a high standard.

Listen, I love what I do. But it's hard. Ministry is tough. And many pastors are not willing to face the pain of change and therefore sacrifice maximizing the full potential of Gods ultimate plan for their ministry. How much pain can you take?

Leadership Principle #2

2. Growing Churches are Led By Growing Leaders

The growth of a church is greatly determined by the growth of the leader. When you are growing, your church is growing. Conversely, when you are not growing, your church will not grow either.

Here's the wrong question, "What can I do to make my church grow?"

Instead, here are some growth questions I ask myself all the time:

-how am I growing in my prayer life? how's my quiet time - am i spending regular time in God's presence and in his Word?

-how am I growing in my marriage? what am I doing to grow my relationship with my kids?

-how am I growing as a leader? what models of ministry am I studying? who's coaching me right now? who am i investing in right now? what books am i planning on reading this month? what conferences will i attend or watch online?

-how am I growing as a communicator of God's word? what am i doing to be a better preacher?

Leadership Principle

I wanted to share leadership principles this week to help sharpen your leadership IQ. Here we go:

1. Do for ONE what you can't do for ALL

Often times leaders are reluctant to do anything when they cannot do it for anyone. This is a recipe for mediocrity in your organization and it will ultimately remove the leader from the very things that they need to be close to.

Here's how I apply this principle:
*I went and visited a church member in the hospital this morning even though I can't visit every member. I did for one what I can't do for all.
*I will perform only 5 marriages this year but that's all. I'll do some, but not all.
*I once gave a staff member a car who was in desperate need of transportation. I can't give all my staff vehicles, but I was in position to give one to one of them.

These are just a few examples of how this principle works. Don't let the naysayers and the masses determine what you do. Do for one what you can't do for all.

Resurrection by Rob Bell

Check out this Rob Bell video on the resurrection. Rob is one of the most creative communicators in the church today. Listen closely to the content of his message - it just might change your life.

Weekend Update

Here are some highlights from this past weekend at PCC:

+I took the weekend off and spent some time with my family while recovering from a bout with laryngitis.

+My friend and former NASCAR driver, Rich Fogel, shared his story of life in the racing community. You can listen to his story here. Thanks Rich! You did an amazing job.

+We had a guest worship leader, Mark Evers, from Reading, PA. I listened to the recording and Mark and the band sounded great.

+The Creative Worship Arts Team did an amazing job with the creative elements. The stage looked awesome. My favorite element was the actual back end of a race car built out of the right stage wall. Wow! Great job guys. You rock. Oh - and I loved the band and singers all in the pit crew jump suits. And the fact that you actually have The King, Richard Petty's, signed door handing from the pipe grid is stinkin' cool too.

+Many people made decisions to receive Christ this weekend! Go God!

+The Saturday night service is still going strong. Thanks everyone for being faithful to attend this service.

+My son, David III, and I went to the race on Sunday. We flew up to the track in a helicopter and had pit passes. What a blast. David still wants to be a motorcycle racer when he grows up though.

+I spent some time with Chase Mattioli, a driver in the ARCA series (a step below the NASCAR Sprint series). What a nice young man and future star in NASCAR. I'll certainly be praying for him as he races next weekend up in Michigan.

+Glad to be back in the office this week after being out sick last week. Still got a lot done from home though.

+Really busy week ahead. Facing another surgery tomorrow though. Please remember me in your prayers.

This Weekend at PCC

This weekend we kick off a brand new teaching series at PCC called "The Race." My good friend and former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Driver, Rich Fogel, will be sharing his story of life on the track. You don't want to miss this weekend. Rich has an amazing and inspiring story. I can't wait.

The Creative Worship Arts team did an amazing job with the creative elements for this series. The entire church is totally NASCAR'd out - wait until you see the stage decor. Crazy cool.

So, don't miss this weekend and don't come alone. Be sure to bring a friend. You won't regret it.

Book Recommendation

My friend, Dick Hardy, recently released his new book, 27 Tough Questions Pastors Ask. This is a must read for those in the ministry trenches. In his easy-to-read style, Dick lays out road-tested, practical advice for just about every situation ministers face, such as:

+the 7 things church receptionists do to turn people away

+how to define and deal with staff disloyalty

+the 3 foundational elements necessary for a church to grow

+6 reasons to copy another church

+and much more.

If you need some sage advice in ministry, read the book or better yet, call Dick and talk to him one on one. He has a great ministry called The Hardy Group where he helps pastors with everything but preaching. I've talked to Dick on several occasions about real life issues I've had to face and I always come away with a fresh perspective and a positive set of next steps to take. Thanks again Dick for all you do!

New Staff @ PCC

This past weekend I announced that our current student ministries pastor, Matthew Davis, will be transitioning to our executive team as the Development Director. He will be overseeing all of the discipleship and spiritual growth ministries - ie., Membership, New Believers Class, Assimilation, Pastoral Care, Benevolence and Community Groups.

PCC began a nationwide search for a new youth pastor 6 months ago and we are excited to introduce you to Andre and Mandy Anderson and their 6 month old son, Isaiah. Andre and Mandy are currently living in Chicago and will be moving to Pocono in a couple weeks to join our church family as the new Student Ministries Pastor. They are a a fun-loving couple with a passion to reach this generation for Christ. Please keep the Anderson's in prayer during this time of transition.

Parking Lot Paved @ PCC!

Typically I don't get too excited when it comes to brick and mortar stuff in ministry - i.e., buildings, parking lots, etc. Why? Because those things are simply tools to reach people. The ministry begins and ends with people. It's all about people. However, like it or not, love it or hate it - it does take money and material assets to do ministry.

So, today I'm really pumped up about the fact that PCC's parking lot is getting paved. For the past year, we have been in our building and didn't have the money to pave the parking lot. BUT, because of the faithful givers at PCC - we accomplished yet another milestone of our ministry. PCC - I want to thank you for your generosity and continued commitment to reach this community for Jesus. This physical building we have built with God's help is a statement to our community that we are here to stay and that we do things well - all the way to the finish. So, be sure to be here this weekend. But come early, because the paved parking spaces may already be taken. : )

No Limit Living

The Race

Here's a copy of the video our Creative Team put together for our upcoming series called "The Race."

Weekend Update

We had another great weekend at PCC. Here are some of the highlights:

*Alvin Slaughter was amazing. What a humble man of God! He operates under a great anointing of God. So great to have him with us for the weekend.

*Each of the services were totally different. Alvin just flowed with the atmosphere which I really appreciated.

*Alvin's son, Sean, did an awesome job ministering through rap. His rap on parenthood was so timely with our series. Thanks Sean. Looking forward to having you back soon.

*The weather was HORRIBLE. It was so foggy you couldn't even see the church building from the parking lot. And it was raining on top of that.

*We still had a great attendance with almost 2000 people and 50 first time guests.

*What's more, almost 50 people made a decision to follow Jesus.

*I'm so totally psyched up about our new teaching series starting in June called, "The Race." I'm actually going to the Pocono Raceway tomorrow on video shoot for the series. It's going to rock.

*We had a great lunch with Alvin after the services on Sunday. Tony, our PCC chef, made some delicious homemade meat loaf and mashed potatoes (Alvin's favorite). Thanks "T". You are da man.

*We had 182 volunteers servine in ministry on Sunday. We were down about 15% but those that were here covered all the bases. Thanks for doing such a great job PCC volunteers!

*This weekend we conclude the Parenthood series with a message entitled, "What Ever Kid Needs From Their Parent." You don't want to miss it. Don't you dare come alone either. Invite your friends.

*I'm so pumped up about the future of our church. This is only the beginning PCC! God is on the move.

Alvin Slaughter @ PCC!

Speak the name Alvin Slaughter and visions of dynamic worship songs and lively praise tunes rush to mind. The Dove Award and Stellar Award nominee has been a pivotal part of the growth of praise and worship in the Church. The former lead male vocalist of the multiple Grammy Award winning Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir is known for his cross-cultural songs and a smooth blending of gospel and contemporary Christian music, creating a style that's uniquely his own.

You're invited to experience ALVIN SLAUGHTER as he shares his music and talks about his new book, "Reinvent Your Life" at Pocono Community Church. This will be a powerful event for the whole family, so please invite your friends! Space is limited, so please arrive early!

We look forward to seeing you there! Service times are this Saturday @ 6pm, and this Sunday @ 9:30 & 11 AM and 12:30 PM Spanish Service. Alvin will only be ministering in the English speaking services.

Sunday's Coming!

In life, you have to laugh at yourself. If you don't, you'll end up going crazy. To me, this video post is hilarious as it pokes fun at churches like PCC. What makes it so funny is that it was produced by a church that shares a similar ministry style to PCC. So, for all you pastors out there, have a good laugh.

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

Weekend Update

Here are some highlights from PCC this past weekend:

*The "Run for the Red" marathon was Sunday morning which means they shut down the highway in front of our church. So, we had to cancel our 1st Sunday morning worship experience. They had 800 plus runners this year since the race is now a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.

*Our 10am service went extremely well considering most of the volunteers couldn't even get into the church until about 20 mins before the service started. It was a herculean effort by our staff and volunteers to pull that service off and I was so proud of how everyone worked together. PCC volunteers rock!

*We had almost 400 people in our Saturday night service. I'm loving Saturday nights at PCC. It's a really laid back vibe - people show up in shorts and sandals and hang out before service in the cafe and lobby. Love it.

*Rachel did an awesome job singing for the first time at PCC. She is a teenager who recently gave her heart to Jesus in our student ministry. She has an amazing story and she has such an amazing voice. Thanks Rachel! God is going to do great things through you!

*The Parenthood series is going well. We've received so many stories of how God is healing entire families and bringing people back together. Go God!

*I preached on Luke 15 and The Prodigal this weekend and there were 48 people who gave their heart to Jesus and decided to come home! That's so cool.

*We've had reports of numerous physical healings take place since our Healer series. In fact, we've had 3 documented reports of cancer patients being declared completely healed. That's a miracle!

*One of the members from the worship team, Lori, led worship Saturday night. Lori, you were great! Thanks so much for letting God use you at PCC. Can't wait to you lead again!

*ALVING SLAUGHTER is coming to PCC next week! He will be ministering at all of our English speaking services. Be sure to bring your friends! Pastor Emilio will be sharing a special message for the Spanish service.

*Our NEW SERVICES TIMES go into effect next weekend - Saturday at 6pm; Sunday at 9:30am, 11am, and 12:30pm (Spanish).

*I'm totally psyched about our new series starting in June called THE RACE. It's going to awesome.

MBWA

The power of a leaders presence can never be underestimated. Just showing up and rubbing shoulders with those you lead makes a huge statement. Many leaders want to isolate themselves from their staff or organization and only talk with those they summon. I think that's a huge mistake.

There's a management principle I came across some years ago known as MBWA or Manage By Walking Around. MBWA is an effective way to keep your finger on the pulse of your organization and those you lead by simply cruising through the office and saying "hi".

When you offer your time as the leader to your staff and make yourself accessible, it's one of the greatest gift you can give. Don't wall yourself in. Make time for those you lead - even if it's only a quick stroll.

If you are the key decision maker in your organization and yet remove yourself from the context and community of those that your decisions effect - it will hamper your ability to make wise choices.

As a pastor, this means I walk slowly through the crowd on Sunday mornings and greet people in the lobby and spend as much time with people as possible (of course, this becomes increasingly difficult with 5 services a weekend. So I can't do this every service, but I can do it at least once a week.) As a boss, that means I walk through the office and greet the staff and ask them about their family.

So don't hunker down in your office all week. Get out there and get your MBWA on.

Ignite 2010

To all my pastor friends and church planters out there that read my blog, I wanted to let you know about a one-day conference coming up called Ignite 2010.

My friend, Jeff Leake, is hosting this roundtable for young pastors in the NE area. Jeff has done a phenomenal job the past 10 years planting churches and developing the MCM Network of church plants and church planters in the Pittsburgh & Philadelphia area.

If you are thinking about planting a church or going multi-site, you should definitely attend this roundtable.

To register or for more information, go here.

Thanks Jeff for your leadership and vision for the Kingdom.

Weekend Update

Mother's Day weekend at PCC was great! Here's some of the highlights from my perspective:

+My wife, Bekah, did an amazing job preaching the Word! I married way over my head. She's not only a great wife and mom but an awesome communicator.

+The 15 year old daughter of our worship leaders (Derek and Nadeen), Kaela, sang an amazing song. What an anointed young woman of God. I'm so proud of you Kaela.

+It was so cute to have my daughter Kate sit with me on the front row during the 4th service as she watched her mom with wide eyes preach the Word.

+We celebrated Mother's Day with sushi and ice cream tonight.

+It was so much fun to give away gifts to moms in each of the 5 services today. The Bible says to "give honor to those whom honor is due." We owe so much to our moms.

+The Spanish service was off the hook today. The worship was so inspired and Marisella did a great job preaching. So excited about what God is doing in our Spanish ministry.

+We had 256 volunteers in ministry today. So thankful for all the volunteers that make PCC such an awesome church!