Christmas Eve Recap ... at The Creek

I grew up in a wonderful, healthy environment in the Upstate of South Carolina. I attended a mill village church where we looked forward to celebrating the holidays. I always remember "Christmas Sunday" because the church gave out bags of fruit and candy to the children and elderly. It was a big day. We had our own traditions, but there is one thing that we just never did and that is, celebrate the holidays with a Christmas Eve Service. In fact, I have never attended a Christmas Eve service before we initiated them at Stevens Creek.  

In the mid 1990s, I followed the inspiration of Willow Creek Church in Chicago and introduced the Christmas Eve service at our church. It began with a single service reaching a little over 100 people. We discovered early on that there is something very, very special about joining together and celebrating Christmas Eve.  


Through the years, this service has grown into a much anticipated service. There are more un-churched people in this service than in any other service during the year. They are there to hear the message of the nativity. Along with that message, many of them are there to hear April Sturgell sing "O Holy Night". For the last fourteen years, April has concluded the service with the singing of this traditional carol. There is no one that compares to April on this song. This service is filled with heart-felt programming produced by Todd Sturgell and his team. It's amazing ...year after year.  


As you may know, this service has grown from the original single service a multiple service format. At Christmas Eve 2009, we had four services (three at Stevens Creek Road and one at Grovetown High School). Our combined attendance for these services this year was [b]2,136[/b]. People were everywhere. The miracle is that our auditorium seats 500 people. We had people in chairs and offered a video venue that was filled in two of the services. It was an amazing time. The Christmas Eve service ushers in Christmas for me.  

Patty and I were talking about this service on our drive to Cleveland, TN on Christmas day. We could not ever imagine not attending a service on Christmas Eve. In neither of our family traditions did our churches offer Christmas Eve services, but now having experienced it, we don't want to go back.  


On a side note, people are very generous on Christmas Eve. We collect an offering at this service. We ask people several weeks in advance to consider giving a gift at Christmas to Christ and His Church. People responded and are still responding to this special offering. This year's offering is in the neighborhood of $120,000. That set a Christmas Eve offering record. Honestly, it came the right time.  

This year has been a good year, but like most churches, Stevens Creek has been affected by the economy. We launched Grovetown and expanded the staff to accomplish this missionary endeavor and we ended the year needing an infusion of cash. We thank the generous people at Stevens Creek for their continued support.  


If you are reading this post and your church does not celebrate the holidays with a Christmas Eve Service, let me be one to encourage you to do so.

Proud of my Alma Mater on NBC's Sing Off ... Lee University

This past week our family has anxiously watched each round of NBC's Sing Off. When the Voices of Lee made it to the Top Three, our hearts swelled with pride.  Now the nation knows what we have known for many, many years ... that God has raised up a small Church of God University to make the world a better place through music. The director of Voices of Lee, Danny Murray, has helped shaped young voices for over thirty years. I can remember as a freshman on campus being a member of one of his choirs.  Danny has the ability to take people with little talent and make them sound good and as NBC has discovered, Danny has the ability to take people with good talent and make them great.


When you look at the landscape of Stevens Creek you will see Lee Alumni throughout our church.... Todd, April, Kevin, Melissa, Ann, Sharon and the list goes on and on. We have three students presently at Lee, my daughter, Sarah, is a senior at Lee this year, along with Wes Lutes and Paige Lutes. 


Back to the Voices of Lee, what you may not know is that Stevens Creek's, John Tyler Black, traveled with Voices for four years while in school and just left the group last December to join the team here at The Creek.    Here's one more thought ... you know how people own shares in a business... did you know that Stevens Creek is a share-holder in Lee University.  Seriously.  So, when you see Voices of Lee on NBC, you can say "that's my group."


If you are reading this before midnight on Sunday, December 20th, then take time to vote for Voices of Lee on NBC's Sing Off. You can call or text your vote in right now...1-877-674-6403 or text 3 to number 33088.

Trauma ...

This week has given me a new understanding of the word traumatic.  I just left the Medical College of Georgia Shock Trauma Unit where I was with two separate Stevens Creek families who have had accidents this week that have resulted in spinal injuries.  What are the odds that one congregation would have two students in accidents in the same week that would result in these sort of injuries? 


The first accident happened on Stevens Creek Road on Tuesday night.  It was raining very hard when twenty-two year old MCG student, Courtney Claxton was involved in the single car accident. It's a miracle that Courtney survived.  She underwent surgery on Thursday to stabilize her broken neck.  She will have a second  surgery on Monday to finish the procedure.  Courtney needs your prayers.  After she recovers from this, Courtney will be transferred to the Shepherd Spine Center in Atlanta for rehabilitation.  Please pray for Courtney  and her parents, Charles and Gail Claxton.


Last night, one of our high school students, Austin Robinson, was warming up for a motocross race when his bike accelerated and he landed on his back. His spine was injured and he had surgery this morning at 7:30 AM.  Austin came through the surgery and should make a full recovery.  Please keep him and his parents, Billy and Robin Kelley in your prayers.


Both families have strong faith and are believing that God is going to bring them through this. Let's join in prayer with them.

God@Work

In the midst of a tough economy, God is doing a work that is truly more than we imagined. On November 18th, we baptized 82 people at our Stevens Creek Road campus and then the following Sunday, we baptized 6 at our Grovetown Campus. This brings the total water baptisms for this year to just over 150 people. We are humbled by the grace that has been extended in our community. This year's baptism doubled the number of baptisms that have taken place in any calendar year in the past 22 years.

I believe that this move of God is a result of an expanding heart for lost people. We started last January by asking people to come forward and write the name of their lost friends on the glass walls in our auditorium. Today there are hundreds and hundreds of names there that we pray over. In a few weeks from now, we will clean off all of the names and start 2010 praying new prayers for those who are headed to a Christ-less eternity.

As you move forward into the coming months, strategically consider ways to expand your congregation's heart for the lost. These are trying times and we have a message of hope. It's time to reach out.

~ Marty
martybaker@stevenscreekchurch.com

Motivating Volunteers You Lead

I ran across this blog post from Michael Smith. It's very interesting to those of us who lead people.  Here it is...


Just recently I was able to listen to my boss, Mark Marshall, give a presentation on "Motivating Volunteers You Lead." In that talk he listed four questions that every volunteer you lead is asking. The questions are:

• What am I supposed to do?
• Will you let me do it?
• Will you help me when I need it?
• Will you let me know how I am doing?

Not only are the volunteers within the organization asking these questions but also anyone you lead.


From the very beginning of trying to fill a position and throughout a lead/follower relationship, paid or volunteer, any leader would be wise to keep these questions near and refer to them often.  The questions can help us who lead to:

• Communicate the expectations of the task.
• Empower those assigned the task.
• Support  the volunteer or staff when help is needed.
• Stay out of the way when we are not needed. 
• Evaluate honestly the performance.

Are there other questions that should be added to the list?

Should a pastor be the largest contributor?

Recently, I was involved in a pastoral discussion concerning pastoral stewardship.  Today's blog is addressing that conversation.  It's not necessarily directed at Stevens Creek. It's purpose is to encourage pastors to expand their leadership base. Here goes. It has often been said, "the speed of the leader, the speed of the team." I believe in stewardship. I practice it and I promote it every possible chance. I have always been faithful to bring the tithes and offerings to the Lord. I am of the opinion that you cannot give offerings until the tithe is given. Now, am I the largest giver at Stevens Creek? Maybe one day, but not today and truthfully not in my 22 years as serving as pastor. Yes, even in the borrowed living room with 24 people, I had tithers that gave more than I did. Here's my point ...  if the pastor is the largest giver in the church then that church will not be a strong financial ministry. Here's why. If the pastor is the largest contributor, then that church is either paying him too much and cannot grow the ministry (I doubt that is the case in most situations) OR the Pastor has not learned the secret of "leading up" and challenging people of greater means to support the work of the Lord. If you are going to grow a strong church, then the Pastor has to lead up. The pastor has to be able to cast vision to people who have resources that can help fund the ministry. If you are only reaching people at your same financial level and below, then you will not have a balanced church. Doesn't the book of Acts say: The promise is for you and your children and  for all . We must reach all sectors of people. This means that you will reach some that live like you live, some under-resourced and some more resources. Today, I may be in the top twelve to fifteen givers at The Creek. I really don't know. There have been times that I have been in the top seven, but those were the days that the church was not as strong financially as it is today. I would love to be in the top spot, but only if I could do that with money outside of the ministry. That's probably not going to happen any time soon.  I don't play the lottery. I don't have any books to be written. I don't have a long list of speaking engagements. I don't have a cash cow in my back yard. So for now if Stevens Creek is to be a strong financial church, I have to continue to cast vision and ask people to give.   I am honest when I look at the congregation and say, "I need your financial support."  Without faithful givers, we will not be able to accomplish the mission that Christ has called us to.  It takes everyone ... all of us... bringing the Lord's tithe to His church. When we do this, His ministry will thrive. For pastors that may run across this blog, my challenge to you today is to ... lead up. Marty martybaker@stevenscreekchurch.com

What Happend in the 11:30 AM service today?

It’s 4:15 PM Sunday afternoon and I just woke up. I typically crash at 3:00 PM every Sunday.  I use to lay on the sofa and nod off and catch a nap. But, these days I pull back the covers and dive in the bed.  Like I said, I just got up. The house is silent because Patty is in Atlanta and Samuel is at a youth function.  I thought that I would use this as a time to de-brief about what happened in the 11:30 AM service (10/25/09).

If you were not in the 11:30 AM, you will not understand this post. If you were in that service, you will know exactly what I am talking about.  In a nutshell here it is:  The Lord was present to save.

Let me unpack that a little bit. As most of you know, I have been serving The Creek for nearly 22 years.  Today’s 11:30 AM service was unlike anything in the modern Creek history.  For those that were not there, I will try to fill you in, but honestly I do not remember everything that was said. The words were not mine (I know that sounds strange to some of you…oh well).

On a practical level, I preached the same message in all three services.  It was a message focusing on the Great Banquet parable that Jesus taught in Luke 14.  I felt good about the message going in.  Earlier in the week, Dave helped me craft the talk.  He has helped some in the past.  This week was a little different.  Todd and Dave met and had a number on new ideas for me to use.  It’s hard for me to use someone’s ideas, so I ask Dave to talk me through it.  He did and got up to leave. I said, “Wait a minute. We are going to write it out with you here.”  We did and the sermon was 60% done on Tuesday afternoon.  I worked on it a few hours on Thursday and two or three hours Saturday morning. 

It was a good message…not a masterpiece but something I was looking forward to sharing. I was able to take a drive up to Greenwood by myself on Friday and had some extra time praying about the service.  I felt good about the day.

I went to the Carolina game on Saturday evening and got home around midnight. I do not like ESPN Saturday night games.  They are too late for me. Games are something that gives me one-on-one time with Samuel so they are worth the investment.  I woke up this morning feeling good. I expected to be tired and moving kind of slow, but no so.

I got to the church a little after 7:00 AM and started going through the message.  I felt good about it and was excited to share it.  I was a little nervous about the table on the stage because I did not know how exactly I was going to use it.

I sensed the Lord in the first service and that made preaching easier than normal. The first service came off like a second or third service would normally.  It felt natural. Todd encouraged me to reshape the ending because I was not clear enough when I talked about the empty chair.  I thought that was good advice so I went into the 10 AM service with a desire to make the ending clear enough so that people would be personally challenged.

The 10 AM felt good.  By this time, I am usually getting a little tired and sometimes I have trouble staying focused. It’s harder than you think to preach three times in a row.  Many times in the third service, I have to concentrate to stay in the game.  My mind wanders.  As the music started in the third service, my mind drifted a little bit.  I started thinking about next week’s message, my schedule for the next few days and so forth.  As we worshiped I refocused my thoughts and started to pray for the people in the service.

My prayer soon turned to intercession.  I started praying in tongues fervently.  Now, I do this as a normal practice, but this was different. It was as if the Lord was praying through me in a directed manner.  You know when you pray in tongues, your spirit is praying but like Paul said, your mind is unfruitful.  As I am fervently praying, I had this thought, “Most people in this auditorium would freak out if they knew what I was doing.”  As I write this, I am smiling because that is funny to me.

I stepped up to preach the message with a desire to communicate it in a way that would touch many people. I wanted it to be better than the previous service.  It went well.  I felt as though the Lord used me and I did what I was supposed to do.  Todd sang and I closed in prayer. As I said, “Amen”, I sensed that the Lord was not finished with the message.  I paused at that moment. 

It is important to respect spiritual moments.  Pause and see what the Lord is doing in the room.  As I waited for a few seconds, the Lord prompted me to call people to be saved.  I thought, “Lord, I just said that.”  To be obedient, I reiterated the call to salvation.

Well, that’s about all I remember right now.  Words that I did not write started flooding my mind. I could not speak them fast enough. It was truly like the Prophet Jeremiah wrote … a fire in my bones. As I write this blog, I cannot tell you what I said. I remember challenging people to making a decision to follow Jesus to making him the LORD of their lives.  I also remember feeling that it was urgent that someone needed to change today. I had to convince them that life was short and that it was time to change directions.  There was urgency like I have not ever felt in our modern Creek history.  There was a call to stop playing church and starting walking in the truth. I remember going back and forth begging people to repent.  The flow of words slowed down and I gave a second call to faith.  This time I knew that I had everyone’s attention.

We have a problem at Stevens Creek and that is, when I go to close a service people start moving (getting Bibles, purses, etc). This often hinders me and others that are spiritually seeking.  Today, however, NO ONE was moving.  They recognized that we were in the presence of the Lord.  I asked people to raise their hands if they want to repent. Thirty, forty or fifty people put their hands up in the air.  It was amazing.  I honestly believe that people were saved today.  Some of these individuals may have prayed a prayer before but today I think that prayed this one with great sincerity.  I think they touched God.  Again, it was amazing.  I am so appreciative of what the Lord did today.

Here’s what I know. I can pray and preach good sermons and some people will make a decision to follow Christ. The Lord can come in through the power of the Holy Spirit and preach a five to ten minute sermon after I have already preached one and get scores of people saved.  That’s how it works. I say it frequently, “We need the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.” We need the power of the Holy Spirit in our preaching. He can do more than we imagine.

As I reflect on today’s events, I am honored to have witnessed a “move of God” at Stevens Creek Church.  I believe that we snatched some people from the gates of Hell today. I believe that Jesus worked miracles in our services … all four services not just the 11:30 AM.

As I left the stage, I looked at Todd and said, “Well, I guess that won’t be shown on television or the web.” He said, “I don’t know. We might need to show it.”  Here’s what we will do. As we review it, we will pray to see if that was a specific word for that particular service or if it was a word for a larger audience. If it is for a larger audience, we will put it on the web.  I may hesitate to put it on television because it is the meat of the word and many of our viewers can only handle milk.  We have to be sensitive to our target.

I pray that this is the beginning of a new move of the Lord at Stevens Creek.  If these individuals that raised their hand to make Jesus Lord tell their friends what happened and then their friends come and find faith, we are on the road to revival.  Be praying that God does exactly that.

Speaking of prayer, pray for me tomorrow morning as I begin on the message, “You can have a new life” for this coming week.  As you know, Ruby will be with us.  I want this to be a life-giving service for our friends.

Be blessed and have a great week.

Sincerely,

Marty

martybaker@stevenscreekchurch.com

MSN Mentions The Creek ... Responses to Article Not So Nice

Earlier this week MSN ran a story about the expanding use of bank cards in America.  In this article they briefly mentioned Stevens Creek.  As you read the article, you will see that there are nine new areas that are using electronic funds. Only one of the nine areas focus on the church, but if you read the responses you will see that most of the comments ignored the other eight areas and focused on the church.


When Patty read those comments, she said, "Marty, does that not bother you?"  Honestly, it doesn't at all.  I realize that people are quick to post things on Internet boards and very seldom do they think through the process before they post. These folks probably don't understand the Bible and definitely do not understand how a church operates. If I am ever given an opportunity to help them see the big picture, then there is a higher possibility of them coming around. Now, having said that, I realize that there are some folks that just do not like me or the church. They may never like me, but one day they will change their mind about the church. They will bow their knee and say, "Jesus is Lord." They will come to know that Jesus loved the church so much that He gave His life for it.


These negative comments came up in our staff meeting this week.  Wes busted out and said, "Just google Marty's name and you will see a whole host of negative comments about him."  Oh well.  That's life.  Here's what I know...most of those folks don't know me and the ones that do know me shouldn't be writing their negative thoughts on a board, but should come face-to-face.

Jesus taught that we should address issues one-on-one. If that doesn't work, then gather a couple of people and go to the individual and if that doesn't work take it to the Elders of the church.


Here's another thing that I know... Genesis 50:20: You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is not being done, the saving of many lives.  I have learned through the years that God brings good out of the bad.  Speaking of that, after this story ran, a mega church with a national television ministry called Patty's office and said, "We read the negative posts about you.  We are interested in a quote for kiosks at our church."  Go figure.

Here's the article.  As you read it, you will notice that it is barely a mention, but sometimes it does not take much to get a conversation started.

Now even God takes credit cards

From churches to courts to Salvation Army kettles, more and more places allow you to keep your cash and pay with plastic. These 9 might surprise you.

No cash in your wallet? No problem. Today, everything from Salvation Army kettles and churches to DVD rental vending machines and subway systems will gladly take your plastic -- and more are coming on board every day.

Retailers and service providers are moving very quickly toward easy, rapid on-location payment systems. It's all about convenience, speed and ease of use. And for some businesses, that means an extra perk: People who pay with plastic tend to spend more than they would if cash were their only option.

Here are nine everyday places where plastic has replaced cash:

1. Government offices

You've been able to charge your federal tax payment since 1999, but did you know that in many locales you can now post Junior's bail with your credit card? Then, if you like, you can use the card to pay his court fines.

2. Churches

Once Junior has been rehabilitated, he can get his own credit card and go to church, where a kiosk will process his tithe. Marty Baker, the pastor of Stevens Creek Community Church in Augusta, Ga., designed a card reader for his church in 2005. He and his wife, Patty, have sold the technology to 115 other nonprofits through their company, SecureGive. The kiosks can process debit and credit payments or debit transactions only. "Some churches have a problem with the credit card aspect," says Patty Baker, "and we respect that. . . . But it's really only a handful of them." Baker says donations and donor networks are increasing. "People who don't think about bringing their checkbook to church now have an option."

3. Vending machines

Now you can use plastic to quench your thirst, download games or buy a DVD from a vending machine. ClearSky Mobile Media launched its first integrated mobile download station in 2004, while Sony kiosks with robotic arms premiered in malls in 2006 -- all of which accept plastic payments. MasterCard, meanwhile, made Coca-Cola available by credit, with 7,500 vending machines outfitted with readers in 2007.

4. Air travel

You might have to skip cocktails on your next flight unless you have some plastic. Nearly all major U.S. airlines accept credit. In fact, most require it for in-flight purchases. American Airlines, Southwest and United are among the newest cashless converts, while Continental, Delta and US Airways accept both cash and credit. The cash-only holdout is Northwest, but Delta has purchased it, so expect credit there as well. Tip: Kids flying solo (and other passengers without credit) can typically purchase vouchers for drinks or meals at the ticket counter.

5. Photo-printing kiosks

Remember when you took your film somewhere to be processed and then waited three days? Well, for several years now, photo-printing services have been available either through the Internet or through a kiosk at a retailer, and you can pay by credit card. Prices are reasonable with services such as Snapfish, which offers prints for 9 cents each.

6. Salvation Army kettles

This year, even Santa may take your credit card -- if he's ringing a bell and standing next to a red kettle. In 2008, Salvation Army chapters in El Paso County, Colo., Dallas-Fort Worth and Plano, Texas, became the first in the United States to provide bell ringers with credit card kettles.

"The number of contributions made was relatively small," says a spokesman, Maj. George Hood, "but the bright side was that the average gift was higher, between $15 and $20." More markets will be tested in 2009.

7. Fast-food restaurants

Burgers, subs and fried chicken all can be had for plastic. "Quick-service restaurants have all begun to accept cards within the past 10 years, really beginning in earnest over the past five years," says Christine Elliott, a vice president with American Express.

Some customers may think it's a bit embarrassing to charge two items from Burger King's dollar menu, but plenty have done it.

8. On your phone

With the iPhone's Inner Fence application, even you can accept credit cards. If you want to sell jewelry at the fair or open a booth at the local flea market, this is your chance. It will cost you $50 for the application, plus $15 per month for a payment gateway service and $10 per month for a customer-service processing system. Maybe you should start that dog-walking business after all.

9. On the road

You can also use credit when you travel by road or rail. "During the past decade, Visa has worked to expand acceptance in a variety of new locations... bridges and tolls, parking meters, auto parking lots and garages, taxicabs and limousines," Visa spokesman Ted Carr said.

The Chicago Transit Authority, which already accepts credit cards, is looking at "smart" cards with computer chips allowing them to be used for transportation. The cards would also work anywhere else a credit card is accepted. And the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority wants to implement a new contactless fare payment system.

With contactless cards, you don't insert, swipe or hand over the plastic. Just tap the card, and you're done. MasterCard launched PayPass in 2002, Visa has payWave, Discover has Zip, and American Express has ExpressPay. Retailers are slowly gaining interest. In 2009, Home Depot, Sports Authority and Circle K joined in.

This article was reported by Manya Kaczkowski for CreditCards.com


Link to article: http://bit.ly/3c7hFH

Are You Relationally Intelligent?

All of us have times in our lives that we need some help in the relationship department. Yes, sometimes we are not as smart as we would like to be when it comes to dealing with others. If you want to sharpen your relational skills, read the newest book from one Stevens Creek Church's own, Steve Saccone. We are proud of what God is doing through Steve and Cheri and of course little Hudson (who just turned one). Go to Amazon.com and get Relational Intelligence today.

Guess Who's Coming to The Creek on November 1st? Ruby Gettinger

This past summer Patty and I were watching Oprah re-runs on our DVR. Oprah highlighted three of the biggest reality television shows of the season: The Little People, John and Kate Plus Eight, and Ruby. Now, I had heard of the first two, but I did not know about Ruby. Her interview with Oprah caught our attention, so we set our DVR to record all of the episodes of Ruby on the Style Network. We became instant fans and by the end of the summer, we had watched most all of her shows.

Ruby's story is very interesting. At one point in her life she weighed 716 pounds; today she is down below 330 pounds. The show chronicles her weight-loss journey. It is very interesting and inspiring.

As Patty and I watched the show, I noticed several things. First of all, it was evident that Ruby is a Christian. In fact, there was one show where they had Ruby praying at the altar of The Sanctuary Church in Savannah. Patty and I smiled when we saw this because we know her pastor, Larry McDaniel. Pastor McDaniel was my pastor when I was in college. Later on Patty's sister and brother-in-law (JT's mom and dad) was Pastor Larry's Minister of Music when he served the North Cleveland Church of God before moving to Savannah. Well, long story short, we connected with Ruby, maybe because we had two degrees of separation. As we watched the show, we figured out that Todd and April went to Lee University with some of the folks on the show, so that gave us a three degree separation from Denny and Jeff.

Ruby has a new book out, "Ruby's Diary: Reflections on All I've Lost and Gained," and she is currently doing a book tour. In the last few weeks, you may have seen her on Fox News, NBC Today or Rachel Ray. Last week, I called one of the staff pastors at The Sanctuary in Savannah and simply asked, "Is Ruby the real deal?" They said, "Yes and her story is inspirational."

I called and Ruby is coming to Stevens Creek Church on November 1st. I had already turned in the title of the sermon that day and it is, "You can have a new life." Wow! This let me know that God was at work to bring a real life story to illustrate this message. It's going to be great.

Invite your friends, your work associates, your neighbors and your family to come to The Creek. Do it today.

Ruby Gettinger to Speak at The Creek on November 1st

Do you remember what happened October 1, 1995?

Have you noticed how our seasons of life are often time-stamped around a particular date? In my grandparents generation, you could ask them, do you know what you were doing on December 7, 1941 and they could tell you. For those non-historians reading this post, December 7 was the day that Pearl Harbor was attacked in the Pacific. That day shaped a generation. If you were to ask my parents, what they were doing on November 22, 1963, they could tell you? That was the day that JFK was shot and killed in Dallas? In recent history, one could point to September 11, 2001 as a day that changed history.

Do you know what you doing on October 1, 1995? Most of you cannot remember that particular date, but I can? It's not a date that is written in your history books, it's not a date that many people remember, but on it's a day that helped shape my life and ultimately helped shape the life of our church?

On October 1, 1995, Todd and April Sturgell joined the staff of our church. They were practically newly weds, not even old enough to rent a car, but they came to us with a raw passion to do church in a different way. They came to us with an innocence and purity that echoed through their music. When I heard them sing, I could sense the presence of the Lord in them.

In those days, Todd was a little intimidated with this new church gig, but he was determined succeed. He came with an open attitude and a willingness to learn. He came with a strong work ethic and an even stronger personal set of ethics. In fact, in fourteen years, his integrity has never been in question. He was and still is the real deal, honest, straight-forward and focused.

Todd and April did not come on staff to change our church, but they have. They have led us into a deeper understanding of worship and shown us how to live out what we believe. Their creative insight has opened our eyes to new ways of seeing God. They have taught and trained people to serve alongside of them in the ministry.

Todd's leadership gifts have helped to direct our congregation in significant ways. He was the first one to push for Grovetown. He has an understanding of where we are, but an eye on the future. Not only has he shaped our congregation, but he has set an example in our denomination. Recently, he was named the national "Minister of Music" of the year, but that title does not reflect the true influence he has over the young students that flow through Lee University and our denomination.

Today is October 1, 2009 ... it has been 14 years since Todd and April Sturgell join our staff at Stevens Creek. I am so thankful for their ministry, but most of all, for their friendship through the years.

May God bless them with His grace and abundant blessings.

Sincerely,

Marty

Granger Community Church Adds SecureGive

The giving kiosk is spreading across America. What was once just a Stevens Creek Church concept is now helping churches reach their stewardship potential. Just recently Granger Community Church added three kiosks. To promote this technology within their church, they launched a very cool ad campaign. Take a look.

3 Ways to Give | Giving Kiosks from Granger Community on Vimeo.

Using Teaching Team at Church

The calling to preach the word is one of the most humbling tasks that a person can be given. To know that you are responsible to "rightly divide the word of God" and do it in a creative and compelling manner can be daunting.

For me, preaching is not easy. In fact, it's tough. I pray over and labor over the messages that I am called to give. It's has gotten somewhat easier with experience, but hear me, it's never easy.

There's nothing like preaching the last service of the day (8:30, 10:00, 11:30) and walking off the stage knowing that you have given the Lord and your congregation your best effort and also knowing that in your weakness, the anointing of the Holy Spirit makes the difference.

I have been serving the congregation at Stevens Creek for nearly 22 years. I have learned during this time that I am not the only voice for the church. Yes, I have directed the vision of the church, but God has blessed us with capable communicators to preach the vision.

I started Stevens Creek, but Stevens Creek Church outgrew me soon after that day. The church has grown because God has caused it to grow and because there are capable, competent, God-anointed people leading the charge.

One day you will log on to Actscelerate and hear that I have transitioned from this life to the next. When you read that post (hopefully not in the near future), you can rest assured that the ministry of Stevens Creek will be strong and will press forward. There will not be any frantic calls to the overseer saying, "What's going to happen at The Creek?" He will say, "I think everything is in order. Just pray for them."

Before this post sounds like a good-bye letter (which it's not), let refocus on the purpose of this note. The Creek is strong because it is centered in God's word and it is a life-giving ministry. God's word is communicated in a way that people understand it and can apply to their lives. As I said earlier, I have a teaching team in place.

In the olden days, I thought that I had to do all of the preaching, but maturity tells me that when you have competent communicators around you, it's prudent to develop them and thus multiply your ministry.

Our teaching team features Dave Willis. He is a graduate of Georgetown College and has a Masters Degree in Communication from the University of Kentucky. He teaches part time at Augusta State University. Presently, Dave is 30 years old. He is a master communicator. It is not uncommon for me to send Dave my sermon a few days before I preach it for him to help me craft it.

Next, we have Kevin Lloyd. Kevin attended Lee and as you know is out of the North Rome Church of God. He has served at Maranatha in Baton Rogue, LA and Forest Hill COG in Mobile, AL. Kevin is a great preacher. He knows how to build a bridge to the audience. He touches people not only spiritually, but emotionally too. He always has a few one-liners that people think. They take it home with them and remember it. I have been out in the community and met people who said, "I remember when Kevin preached..." They remember what he says and that's powerful.

One of the most prominent members of our teaching team is not necessarily a teacher. It's Todd Sturgell, our worship pastor. Todd typically preaches on the main stage once or twice a year, but he has as much influence on what is communicated and how it is communicated as anyone else (I may have a little more influence ... sometimes). One several occasions, Todd has chosen the sermon series that we use. He has a spiritual sense about him and he has an urgency that helps all of us stay focused on the mission.

Preaching is hard work and it demands great attention. I did not turn the pulpit over to these guys initially or because I am tired and getting old. They were developed over time. They grew in their calling. Pastors need to guard their pulpit. I had lunch recently with a guy that attends another church. He said, "Marty, you need to tell out pastor not let people in the pulpit that cannot preach." I told my wife that story and she responded, "I know. My un-churched hair dresser attended that service and said that it was awful and she did not go back."

Here's what I know. If you are not confident in your own calling and abilities, then you do not need to use a team teaching model. If you are insecure, don't use team teaching. If you have to be the star or the prophet, don't use team teaching. If you want to be a short-term pastor, don't use team teaching. If you never want to go on vacation without worry, don't use team teaching. Don't use team teaching if you want your congregation to be bored with familiarity.

Using a team teaching approach is NOT for every church; it is for Stevens Creek. Team Teaching allows us the freedom to open a campus in Grovetown and then who knows where .... maybe in Aiken County, South Augusta, Greensboro, GA, Greenwood, SC or even Cleveland, TN ... now wouldn't that be something?

These are just some thoughts to mull over....

Enough for now.

Marty

Do Something Different

Here's some follow-up thoughts from yesterday. So many times our problems take center stage in our lives and basically that's all we see. We have issues like: too little money, too little time, not enough attention from our spouse, locked in a dead-in job and etc. We focus on these issues so much that they grow larger and larger until they dominate our view of the world. That's all we see. Our world revolves around our problems and sometimes we convince ourselves that we are the only ones with problems like this.

Open your eyes. You are not the only one with issues. We all have issues. We all have challenges. If you would spend as much energy on finding a solution to your problems as you do on complaining about them, I believe that you would discover a whole new world. I don't mean to be unsympathetic, but it irks me when people have a possible answer right in front of them and they don't act on it. They talk about it, but they never do it. The Bible says that mere talk will lead to poverty. You don't have a money problem, you have an idea problem. It's time to start thinking new thoughts.

How do you think new thoughts? What are you listening to? Listen to something different. What are you reading? Read something different. You cannot do the same thing over and over and get different results. If you want something different, then do you something that you have never done.

Most people are stuck in the same place because they are scared to do something different. What are you afraid of? God has not given you a spirit of fear. Instead, he has given you a spirit of power, love and self-discipline. Use what you have. The answer to your problem is right in front of you.

Stevens Creek Goes Multi-site

It's official ... Stevens Creek Church is a multi-site church! Now I am sure that some of you are scratching your head and saying, "What is a mult-site church?" Well, a multi-site church is one church that meets at multiple locations. Churches began to use the multi-site church model in the mid 1980. In fact, Dr. Paul Walker, the long term pastor of Mount Paran Church of God brought this idea to our state way back then. Times have changed since Dr. Walker helped pioneer this phenomenon, but the heart is still the same and that is, to create life-giving worship experiences in as many areas as possible so that lost people can be found.

Churches do multi-site in different ways. Some churches transmit the message by satellite to multiple locations, some churches have a rotating teaching team and others use video technology to communicate the message at a later time. The multi-site movement is sweeping America. Here's an example, in 1990, there were 10 multi-site churches.By 1998, that number had expanded to about 100. By 2008, there are an estimated over 2,000 multi-site churches across the US.

I have been watching this movement develop over the last several years. God has placed us in an association of churches called the ARC and they specialize in raising up life-giving churches. Many of these congregations are multi-site churches and one, in particular, is leading the charge in the movement and that one is Seacoast. Their pastor, Greg Surratt preached at the Creek several months back. He, along with Billy Hornsby, have helped coach our church through this process.

Last year, we made the decision to move Stevens Creek to a multi-site model. Kevin Lloyd, along with our Grovetown campus pastor, Steve Sturgell, went to work preparing a launch team for Grovetown. Along the way, some people have said, "Why Grovetown? Why would you need to open up a campus there?" The answer to that question is simple: there are people in Grovetown who are headed toward a Christ-less eternity. These people matter to God and they should matter to the church.

On September 13, 2009, we launched. After months and months of planning and praying, Stevens Creek Church opened up a new campus in the Grovetown High School Auditorium in Grovetown, GA. The opening service had 355 people in attendance.

It was a great day. I am so appreciative of all of the people that set up and tore down, the people that invited their friends, and the people that donated money to make this dream a reality. A lot of work has gone into this launch, but the real work now begins. It's time to invite your friends to The Creek and let's pray together that your friends will hear and receive the life-giving message of Jesus Christ. I look forward to seeing this campus expand to two services ... now, wouldn't that be cool.

I was asked, "Marty, what are you praying today?"

Earlier today, I received an email that asked me what I was praying for today. It made me think and encouraged me to write it out. Journaling is a good way to help you focus your prayers and stay attentive as you talk to God.

If you are like me, sometimes prayer can be a challenge of focus. Yes, I pause to pray and then a thousand other things come into my mind. One solution is to have a note pad. Write down the things that you need to do (get an oil change, call the doctor for child's check-up, and so forth). Also, you may use that same note pad to write out your prayer.

So, what does my prayer journal look like today. On a broad scale, my prayers are often focused on my family and my work. I am sure that I am no different than most.

I pray that God will touch my children, Stuart, Sarah and Samuel and help them find their purpose. I pray that they are filled with the Holy Spirit in a way that captivates their attention and ignites a passion for Jesus and His church.

I pray for Patty that she would be able to inspire church leaders and encourages stewardship at the churches that she serves across America. Practically speaking, I ask the Lord to help her technically ... that the software remains secure, that her programmers complete the transition to the new server farm, that the integration with Fellowship One be completed this week, that God will protect her as she negotiates new contracts and expands her work here and potentially into Canada.

I pray for Stevens Creek Church ... that our hearts would be burdened for lost people, that we would be open to a greater move of God's spirit, that we would be passionate about creating healthy systems for people's spiritual growth. I pray that God will bring the right staff members so that our church, our Grovetown campus, and future campuses can be spiritually vibrant and healthy.

I pray that God will raise up tithers so that His work can be fully funded and that Stevens Creek becomes the most generous place around.

For me personally, I pray that my heart remains tender and that I keep the passionate fervor that I had as a 14 year old when I was called into the ministry.

I pray that God will help me be the best Dad possible and not take myself too seriously. Help me to balance work and home-life.

I pray that God will give me discernment so that I will be able to see what He sees and lead accordingly.

I pray that increases my ability to lead.

I pray that God allows me and Stevens Creek Church the opportunity to shape the future of the Church of God denomination.

As you develop your own list, please remember that prayer is a two way street. It involves you talking to God, but mainly God talking to you. Be quiet before the Lord and listen to His voice. When you do this, you will take your next step in faith.

Staffing a Church for Effective Ministry

As most of you know, the fuel of any effective local church is the people in the pews. People, who are filled-up and overflowing with the energy of God, create excitement which often leads a church into new seasons of growth. So, as pastors, how do we equip and inspire people? We do this through staffing whether paid or volunteer.

Staffing a church for growth is one of the most important responsibilities of any lead pastor. People often marvel at the growth of Stevens Creek and wonder what's the secret. Well, you got to know that The Creek is not an "over night" success story; it's close to being twenty-two years old. (Whew ... I must have been a kid when we started it ... Ha. Ha. It seems like yesterday.)

What's the secret? Vision is always key. You have to know what God has called you to do and then learn to communicate it in a way that people with grasp it.

Your first group of people that you have to train in visionary leadership would be your key influencers...Elders, then your volunteer and paid staff. You do this by painting a picture of what church-life could be like. You take them to see life-giving churches with life-giving systems (you can't grow a large church without a system).

I am sure that some folks look at our church and say, "Marty, if I had your staff, I could grow a large church." That's probably true. I am an average “Church of God-Joe” from a mill town in the Upstate of South Carolina. We have been able to grow, because I have surrounded myself with people who can do things that I cannot do. The church outgrew me a long time ago. Without great volunteers and staff members, we would not be where we are today.

So, how do you staff your church for effectiveness? First of all, you need people who are called by God and anointed in their work. There is no substitute for the anointing of God. The anointing is what turns a performance into a ministry moment where God breaks in and touches someone’s heart. If a person is not called or anointed to do the work, then the conversation about joining our staff is over. I believe that a person needs to be called to carry out the vision of your local church. A staff member should never join the team with his or her own agenda. They are there to carry out the larger vision of the ministry. Calling is key.

Next, a person must be competent in what they are called to do. Like I said, I hire people who can do what I cannot do. If two people can do one thing, then one person is not needed. Granted, when we were small, I helped lead the music. In those days, the Lord’s anointing made up for some of my vocal inability. Several years ago, Todd Sturgell, our Creative Worship Pastor, was preparing to go on vacation and he could not find a fill-in. I casually told him that I led the music before he came and that I could lead it when he was gone. He laughed and said, “Marty, you led the music when we were running a hundred people. If you start leading again, we will run a hundred people.” We both laughed … because it was the truth. A person may feel that he or she is called to a certain ministry, but along with that calling they must have the skills to carry forth the ministry for that particular congregation. Needless to say, the music ministry at The Creek outgrew years ago and I am so glad it did.

A person has to be competent, but along with competence, there has to be chemistry for a staff to be effective. This is huge for me. If you do not have chemistry with me, you will not be on my staff or Elders. Chemistry is the building blocks of unity. When a church has unity, it opens the door for the power of the Holy Spirit to move. Don’t ever underestimate the power of unity. In the early days of our church, I had an elder that was working against me. I sat him down with another staff member and confronted him and ultimately removed him. His response was simple: “I did not think that you had the guts to do it.” Those people who are not with you are against you. You can’t move a church forward with leaders who are against you. Someone has to go … either you or them. Life is too short to live and work in conflict. I honestly believe that the effectiveness of Stevens Creek flows out of the love and unity that is present in our leaders. There’s a great chemistry because we have the same vision … to love God, love people and serve the world … and we enjoy being with each other.

Having chemistry does not mean that you will never have conflict. On occasion we have conflict, but the love and respect that we have for one another pushes us to resolve the conflict. Todd has been on staff with me for 15 years. We have struggled through some tense meetings before. There have been days that he probably thought, “Would you let me run my department.” Okay, I’ll be honest; he probably thinks that more than I want to admit.

Recently, we have both been passionate about a few areas. We both want to see progress, but our solutions have come from two different spectrums. On more than one occasion we have closed the door and said, “I know that we have different ideas about this issue, but are we together?” Real chemistry does not mean that everyone has the same views, but that we respect each other as we work out the details. Chemistry is so important. Don’t underestimate it’s value.

When I was in graduate school, there was a line of thinking that said that the Pastor should not be “friends” with his staff. He is the leader, not their friend. That, my friend, is the way to grow a small church. Real friendships enable tenure and tenure provides a stable foundation for growth. Like I said, I have chemistry with the people that I work with, but in these days, I don’t work side-by-side with everyone on staff. How do we accomplish the chemistry aspect? We pass it down. Each department must strive to keep harmony in their work groups. Stevens Creek has grown past the point where I personally work with every staff member.

A funny thing happened on a recent Sunday night. We had a staff and families dinner at my house. I was running late to the dinner because of an Elders meeting. When I walked in my house, it was packed with staffers and their kids (around 60 people in my house). Sitting on my sofa was a staff member that I did not know. That was so strange for me. I thought, “Oh well, this is a different day. Let’s eat.”

One more thing about chemistry and that is, if someone would say to me that I am here to serve God and not you. I would respond immediately, “Clean out your desk. Your ministry here is over.” The staff and volunteers must rally around a common dream and a common vision. If someone tries to develop a vision outside of the Pastor’s vision, then he must go. I know this to be true in two ways. First of all, when I was a kid and was serving at another church, I thought I knew more than I did. I made life for Stephen Conn challenging. He let me go. Ultimately God’s will was done, but the process of it all was not honoring for me or him. I apologize to Stephen for any of my stupidity. In the last twenty-two years, I have learned from my mistakes and hopefully created an environment that is life-giving and one that produces long-term team members.

Today, the challenge of adding staff members at Stevens Creek continues. We have been in hiring-mode for some time. We are staffing for our new campus that will open up on September 13, 2009. Please say a prayer that God will provide the right team members that will train our members to do the work of the ministry.