It's working, we're healthy and I love it

Yesterday (Sunday) I had the opportunity to play tour guide to a visiting pastor, his wife and their Executive Assistant.  They pastor a large church in Central Florida that has leased 18 movie theatres for potential off site campuses and they wanted to see how we do it Seacoast style.  They came to the Saturday night service at Long Point and then we made the local circuit on Sunday, visiting Summerville, West and the Annex before making the full circle and catching the end of the last Long Point service and peeking in on the Newcomers Reception.  Some observations:

1. It's working!  On several levels...First, there was a tangible sense of excitement and the unexplainable presence of God at each campus.  The Summerville 1st Touch team is the best I've ever seen, anywhere!  Our guests were blown away by your hospitality...second, they were full...all of them!  Ushers were shoe horning people into the early service at Summerville and the 11:15 at the Annex, West, and Long Point (those were the services we saw)...it's still summer...an usher at Long Point grabbed me and said "This is more people than we've had in this service, ever"...now I don't know if that was a scientifically verified fact, but he was excited anyway...third, there was an even greater sense of interaction to the message at the campuses than in the live services at Long Point.  Understand that I am not putting down those of you who attended Long Point this weekend...that's not the point.  When we left the Summerville campus to head toward West, I asked our guests for their observations.  They shared several, but the first and biggest was this:  "We were absolutely amazed at the response and interaction with the message.  We fully expected the people to just sit and stare at a screen, but that wasn't the case, in fact far from it."  The same scenario was repeated at each campus we attended.  They asked me why, and I could only respond that we scratch our head and ask the same questions...the only answer I could give is "It's working".
2. We're healthy...at least healthier than we were just a few years ago.  I remember standing before the congregation 4 or 5 years ago and expressing a concern...I was preaching 90% of the time and I had a nagging suspicion that that wasn't good for me or the church.  What would happen if I was suddenly taken off the scene...were we building on a personality or something more solid than that?  I asked the congregation to be patient with us as we experimented with using multiple teachers.  We have...and this summer we can all see the fruit.  I haven't spoken in more weeks than I care to admit and the church continues to grow.  I feel great...ready to attack this next ministry season...and the church is better for it.  Geoff, Sherrie, Mac and Shawn have used their gifts in awesome ways and this weekend as I traveled around it hit me that we are no longer dependant on one speaker or even one building for God to build a great church...we are healthy!
3. I love this church!  Enough said...

Greg

Comments

[Geoff]

Sherrie actually spells her name Sherry. If it wasn't your sister-in-law you could probably let it slide :-)

[Sarge]

Welcome to the blogosphere! I look forward to reading your blog, adding you to the blogroll.

[David Russell]

That's an awesome testament to what God is doing over there. Every time I get some "news" from Seacoast I get more and more pumped about multi-site. Thanks for being innovators for the Kingdom!

[Lynda Poe]

I have read through some of your blog and have liked what I have come across.

My name is Lynda, my daughter, Karie Williams, is a fairly new attender of your church. She loves it, LOVES IT! I just wanted to check out who you are and see what you and the church were all about.

I am in Lawton, Oklahoma and have been blessed to apart of a traditional church as well as a home church. The man I fondly call my pastor is an amazing man of God, he was acting interim at the traditional church and is leader of the home church(es) His name is Noel Alsbrook. He spends his life getting Jesus all over everybody he meets.

It is through his example of living Christ out-loud that I am able to break down my barriers and live what I believe day in and day out. Church is everyday with everyone I come in contact with, it is most certainly not a building.

My hope and prayer for Karie is that she learns to live her life out-loud for Christ's glory also. I pray that you empower those around you to allow the Holy Spirit to work in them in ways the shout out who God is in a real and tangible way.

Thank you for being willing to surrender your life to Jesus. May God bless you in unimaginable ways!

Peace

[Kristin Rogers]

I have enjoyed this series on the 10 commandments immensely, as have my teen daughter & husband. Shawn, Geoff and Mac have continued to do an awesome job. We are so blessed to have all this talent at Seacoast! Thanks be to God that Greg could take some time off to do other things and get re-fueled. God is Good!!!

[Don Fort]

Dittos! (not to Rush, but in the same fashion of yeah, what they said). The team at Long Point has been awesome with this series. As Seacoast grows I hope that we can also have messages from Phil Strange, Ron Hamilton, Jack Ward and all the campus pastors. It is exciting to be in a thriving Church. To God be the glory!