G-Team

Church Conferences

2010-03-11T07:52:00.000-08:00

The last couple of weeks I have experienced two church conferences. The first @ Mountain Lake Church in Cumming, GA called Velocity and the other Unleash sponsored by New Springs Church in Anderson, South Carolina. Both were well organized, inspiring and motivating. Unleash was sold out with over 3,000 registrants; Velocity was sold out with around 900.

Let me give you my take on New Springs Unleash Conference. This was my third time to attend Unleash so I pretty much expected to be blown away by the tech, music, facility and volunteer teams. And of course in the general sessions, Perry Noble was going to be good but in your face. The breakout sessions for Campus Pastors & Multi-site church were deficient. As a new Campus Pastor looking for ideas, encouragement and inspiration, I received none. For some reason I had sense that the breakout leaders, who were New Springs Campus Pastors were just disseminating information about how they were making it happen. Not where are you guys and what can we do to help you? Therefore, I walked away at the end of the day wowed but not changed!

Then there was the Velocity Conference which was all about serving Christ. Giving of yourself. Being a servant! Emulating Christ! The general sessions were inspiring, worshipful and humbling! Why wouldn't they be with such servants of God like Rick Warren, who came to the conference on his own dime. You could not help but feel the heart of Christ when he shared his vast experience in ministry. The Pastors of Mountain Lake Church and founders of Church Planters, Shawn Lovejoy & David Putman set the tone for the conference by pouring their hearts out in the first general session. The breakouts were informative, relevant and intimate. Unlike the Unleash breakout leaders, one sensed that these leaders had a definite heart to serve and give their all. I left Velocity feeling that I had encountered Christ and learned an immense amount of knowledge to help propel me as new Campus Pastor.

For my money I'll take Velocity over Unleash anytime!

God Has Something to Say!

2010-01-15T10:04:00.000-08:00

Beginning a blog with an apology is usually not a good way to start, but that is what I need to do this time. So....Here goes. " I apologise for not posting a blog for over a month. However, in 2010 I resolve to be more diligent and endeavor to post twice per month!" Now that said, let's get on with my comments.

Blogging is not one of my favorite things to do! Yet I know that it is very therapeutic and freeing. Sometimes it is even beneficial to folks who read it. There could even be some enlightening information. (lol) Part of my problem is that I think I must have some revelation knowledge or some profound philosophical viewpoint before I write a blog. God is beginning to help me to realize that He speaks to each of His children in specific ways and that there are times He wants to share some of it with others. So, I guess my point is that we are God's mouthpiece and if we do not speak up and speak out, the world around us will not hear some of the unique things that God has placed in out hearts.

Speak up, God has something to say!

Say It!

2009-11-25T13:42:00.000-08:00

Pastor Marty preached a sermon today admonishing us to say it! Say thank you! Compliment those who are special in your life.

I'll start by saying, "thank you Shirley"! Thank you for complimenting my ministry for over thirty years. Thank you for being my very best friend! Thank you for being there through the good times and the bad times. You are indeed a treasure.

Thank you Marty & Stevens Creek Church for giving me the opportunity to pastor the Grovetown Campus. I am having the time of my life watching God turn ordinary people into a dynamic force for good!

Thank you Stevens Creek Grovetown Church for your heart of compassion! Observing you give of yourself and your resources over these last few months has been awesome.

Lastly, thank you God for what you are doing in the lives of the Stevens Creek Grovetown Church. Marriages have been salvaged. Broken hearts have been mended. Souls have been baptized and saved.

Thank you for a life giving church!!

Movie & A Meal

2009-10-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday following the service the G-Team came together to enjoy a meal and celebrate what God has done! We gathered back in the auditorium to watch a slide presentation of the various events and services that we have experienced together over the last few months. It was really a rather emotional moment as we all watched before our eyes the formulation of a church: Stevens Creek Grovetown. Many if us wiped tears of joy realizing that God had taken just ordinary folks and had put together a extraordinary team, an army of believers who have already impacted the Grovetown Community for the Kingdom.

Then, we headed to the school cafeteria to enjoy a scrumptious BBQ meal catered in by Rick & Diana Cutright and my wonderful wife, Shirley. It was neat to watch everyone interacting and enjoying one another. We had originally thought about taking the event to someones house, but readily concluded that the team was just too big for that. Well then, we thought perhaps a park. Couldn't find a park close by with a pavilion. Hence the school cafeteria. I was thinking it would be tough but we would make it work. You know it was nothing fancy but those cafeteria digs worked just fine. It actually matched the style of this rugged service oriented G-Team!

Indeed it was a fun time for all! Thank you Lord for allowing Shirley & I the opportunity to lead such wonderful people. God be glorified through our every endeaver is my prayer!!

Launch Day

2009-09-18T03:46:00.000-07:00

Entering the Grovetown High School parking lot on our launch day took on a completely different feel than at any other time. This time it was for real. A brand new church was about to be birthed! Stevens Creek Church Grovetown would officially commence services for the Grovetown Community. The G-Town sign team had already put signs up lining the drive. There were already smiling greeters at the front entrance ready to do their part for the day. For sure, there was incredible energy in the air. What did God have in store for us on this historic occasion?

What was in store was nearly 50 brand new families attending the Creek for the first time; 97 children with 70 G-Team members. All total, we launched with 358 people. After months of advertisement, prayer, team building and hard work, the day pretty much came off without a hitch. I watched as God took a team of willing hearts and turned them into His church! Awesome!

In Good Times & Tough Times, God Is There!

2009-09-04T06:16:00.000-07:00

August 2009 has been a blurr. So much has happened that I was unable to blog the whole month. The first week of August my ailing 83 year old father had a stoke. Shirley & I drove to Ohio to be with him. His doctor indicated that with the prostate cancer & now the stroke that dad had just a few weeks to live. The words were numbing! My father was going to die? Not this soon after my mother's death!

Well, before we left Ohio we got dad set up in a nice convalescent center and got the ball rolling to bring in Hospice Care. We left hurting, but knowing he was in great care. My siblings & I kept in close contact so we could monitor his condition. His condition worsened, so my sister Kaye, who lives in Tampa, Florida and is an RN. jumped on a plane to be at his side. It wasn't but about ten days on August 22 that my father went on to be with the Lord! Mind you, I know he is reunited with my mother & rejoicing with the angels, but I didn't want to let him go. We wanted him to live at least until Christmas. However, God's ways our not our ways so we must trust and know that He works all things for the good.

On August 28th the Sturgell family was confronted with having an another funeral; just six months after my mom succumbed to a stroke and went on to her reward. Dad's funeral was wonderful celebration! Here was a great Christian soldier that was the epitome of Christian. He lived the life; so much so his life preached his funeral. "Lord give us more soldiers like Archie Sturgell!!!"

Of course my church family the Creek both Grovetown & Augusta has been unbelieveably supportive during this trying time. The Sturgell family thanks you from the bottom of our hearts!

In the midst of all of this, the Stevens Creek Grovetown launch has been going full throttle. The G-Team has stepped up big time. We are one week away & most everything is in place. This past week we added the last major peice to our staff. Cliff Jennings joined us as our Worship Leader. Wecome Cliff! I know that God helped us sort until we got the right man. Looking forward to getting our worship on at Grovetown Creek, September 13th...

Vision Service

2009-07-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

What an exciting Vision Service we experienced at our new church campus the Grovetown High School Fine Arts Auditorium. My, my, my was there ever a great spirit of worship!!! Great building, nice crowd, excellent band, excited singers and inspirational speaking. Pastor Marty certainly expanded our minds & touched our hearts with a vision for Grovetown and beyond.

I am so thankful for the competency of the G-Team. You proved on your first major test that you are ready for the challenge. Accolades to all who helped in preparation for the service. I can't wait to see what God does in the next few months!

Free Water Anyone?

2009-07-11T12:26:00.000-07:00

The city of Grovetown couldn't believe the G-Team was giving out free water. They actually tried to pay us. Little did they know that their welcoming smiles & at ta boys were all the payment we needed. We distributed 1000 bottles of water in less than two hours. Amazing! Indeed this event was a real team builder!! The G-Team is coming together.

The G-Team Has Arrived

2009-07-06T13:49:00.000-07:00

The G-Team arrived in force this past weekend for Independence Day. I was extremely proud of the mammoth task we completed. We passed out over 1500 SC G-Town cards; blew up & passed out over 400 helium balloons and gave out 600 blow pops. This was our first team adventure and we passed the test with flying colors.

I'm proud of you G-Team!!!

2009-07-03T13:07:00.000-07:00

Two Kids in a Candy Shop

2009-07-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

Kevin & I spent the morning walking through a typical Sunday morning experience at Stevens Creek Grovetown. We started by driving up to Grovetown High School on Chamblin Rd. imagining signage along side the road pointing people to something exciting. Then as we got closer to the school entrance visualizing smiling Grovetown Creekers at strategic points. Driving into the entrance we started plotting out where our parking team would be positioned. By the time we got to the entrance of the fine arts building were both like two kids in a candy shop!

Once inside we started laying out the look as you entered the doors: banners with "Love God, Love people, Serve the world", in the middle of the hall a banner saying Welcome to the SC Grovetown, a resource station, kids check-in, hospitality center with fresh brewed coffee, friendly faces smiling & greeting!!

Into the auditorium next. Oh my! Kevin turns to me & we say, in essence, can you believe that God has given us this state of the art facility? We could see 400 people exalting our God on September 13th . Yep, two kids in a candy shop knowing God is really up to something big!

Orchestrated by God

2009-05-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

I'm reflecting on how God has directed, orchestrated if you will, Shirley & I throughout our 40 years of ministry. Grew up in a church that was extremely gifted in music ministry. We sang & traveled with the church youth choir learning at a very young age that God moves & changes lives through music. As a young boy I felt the call to music ministry so therefore I pursued Him with all my heart. At first I wasn't called directly into full-time music ministry. Actually, I pursued & acquired a Bachelor of Music Education Degree. No I did not go to Lee. I received my degree from Wright State University. Shirley & I got married young & had are first born, Todd while I was still pursuing my degree. Upon completing school I became a junior high chorus teacher.

Four years later I entered full-time ministry as Associate Pastor of the Philadelphia Church of God in Dayton,Ohio. I was mentored by a tremendous man of God, P.H. McSwain, who took me under his wings showing me the ropes of ministry. During my ministry in Dayton I became a licensed minister in the Church of God.

Being an Associate Pastor was good, but it was not my passion. I wanted to be totally music. God granted my desire. In 1978 Shirley & I accepted a position in Orlando, FL as the Minister of Music & Head of the Music Department for the Orange Ave. Church of God. There, I developed a school of fine arts utilizing instructors from University of Central Florida. Little did I know that God was preparing my future business Music N Motion. Had a glorious four years in Orlando and then God sent us to the Lakeland, FL to the denomination's second largest church in the state.

Notice I said, sent. Lakeland was a time that God was polishing the stone. Work schedule was sixty hours a week. No family time. Not good. However, I did learn all about theatre production from a theatre pro who attended the church. Also, learned how to organize and handle a large music department.

We were in the wilderness (Lakeland) for just a year and half then God answered our prayer allowing us to go into the Promised Land, Inverness, Fl. In Inverness God allowed our ministry to fully blossom in partnership with the Lead Pastor, Larry Powers! Our boys, Todd & Ben honed there music ministry skills in a church environment that was innovative & free. God allowed us to build our dream home on a beautiful lake. Terrific place to raise a family! Probably, we could have retired from there, but God was orchestrating again.

Next stop Tampa, FL. We were hired in 1989 by the largest church in the state, University Church of God. This church had an attendance of over 2,000; a TV ministry & great stature in the Tampa Bay community. I know we were in God's will when we moved to Tampa to minister to His people at the University Church. Little did I know that God had brought us to bring peace to a troubled church. Three years God was teaching us to trust Him. "Walk by faith & not by sight." In March of 1992 there was a change in pastorate at University. All staff members were asked to resign there positions.

So, here I was without a job. Had moved my family from paradise, a near perfect position and now this. God was still teaching trust. During this time of refinement God helped me to build a business from scratch with no capital. In just three months Music N Motion, a mobile school of fine arts was up and running with nine school contracts. Now that's simply God's favor! My first year salary almost equaled my previous salary with University. Music n Motion was truly a God thing. Remember God equipped us in Orlando"for such a time as this." Our business grew exponentially through 2004 at which time we thought it healthy enough to run on it's own. Shirley & I had two grandsons in Augusta that kept drawing us north. We made the decision to move to Augusta, be with our grandsons & become a Creeker.

Become a Creeker alright. God has orchestrated this symphony in our lives and has brought us to Grovetown, Georgia to play the Coda of our lives by being the Campus Pastors of Stevens Creek Grovetown. Shirley & I have been apart of some great moves of God, but what is happening at the Creek right now, in 2009 is the most incredible move of God we have seen in our lifetime. Stevens Creek, let's move with God!

G-Team

2009-04-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

Well here we go. I have just joined the world of blogging. Have no clue what I am doing. As promised though, I have started a blog so I can journal to keep the G-Team abreast of the incredible ride God is going to take us on!! Already it's amazing how HE has worked in our behalf. We have a most incredible worship site secured; the new state of the art Grovetown High School Auditorium. We have great working relationship with the School Administration. Just a little over two months in we over 30 families willing to help grow the Grovetown campus. Staffing is progressing on schedule. What we need now is lots of home campus support and loads of Creekers willing to give six months of service to the Grovetown Campus. JOIN THE G-TEAM!!!

Early on in our process, Kevin & I had the opportunity to establish a good relationship with Penny Jackson, the Grovetown High School principal. We assured her Stevenscreek was coming to Grovetown to serve. Matter of fact, we went so far as to tell her we would bring an army. Well, she is taking us at our word. She wants us to provide a cookout for the new faculty on May 21st. We're talking serving 150 people. G-Team here's our opportunity to make a lasting impression. I pray God goes before us and continues to show us favor!