I feel safe in saying that of all the staff that requires the most of my time, the Creative Arts would be them. We have a saying at The Gathering which is “It’s all about the weekend stupid!”

The Creative Arts staff consists of Scott Windham (Scotty) who is the Director of the CA team. I borrowed him from The Miracle Theatre and never gave him back.We also have Ashley Wiley (Choir Director) and her husband Guy Wiley (Technical Director) as well as Casey Smith (Media) and Chip Auten (Praise Band). Every one of them are A team players! We also have a great team of Graphic Designers that work hard to help us pull off the weekends.

Everything you see each and every weekend during our services was creatively designed with you in mind. We call it The Gathering Experience. The CA staff put in long hours to make sure everything is on go for the weekend service but they could not do their job without their hardworking team of volunteers. The praise team, which includes the praise singers and the band, is AMAZING and our choir, well you just have to hear them to believe them. They are AWESOME! As a matter of fact every volunteer serving in the CA does an OUTSTANDING job!

 If you are looking for a place to serve maybe the Creative Arts Ministry is for you. Remember, the weekend is the place to be at The Gathering!!

Thank you Creative Arts staff for a job WELL DONE!

gene

This week I want to brag on the Maintenance Staff at our church. David McMahan is Manager of our Facility & Grounds and Ernie Hnilica carries the title of Custodial Engineer. Ernie, with the help of his sweet wife Colleen, does an AMAZING job of keeping our building spotless. David oversees the overall maintenace of our church facility and makes sure our grounds have the “Disney Look”. We simply could not do what we do with excellence without these two staff members. By the way, they can’t do it either without their wonderful team of volunteers!

With 5 services each weekend and the building being used every night they have their hands full. Their volunteers are a vital part of the ministry here at The Gathering. If you are looking for an area of ministry to land in and serve then the Maintenance Team is the place to be.

Thank you David and Ernie for a job well done! Your volunteers are the BEST!! 

gene

Over the next several weeks I’m going to be discussing the Importance of a Great Staff. First I want to say a big thank you to all of our volunteers, we could not do it without any of you.

For some of you that may not know this we now have:

22 Full-Time Staff

6 or 8 Part Time Staff (I Think I’m Right on this one, could be Wrong)

One of my favorite books is “Good To Great” by Jim Collins. My favorite statement in the book is “The Key to a Great Business is Getting the Right People on the Bus”

First on my list is my Administrative Assistant, Mrs Nola Johnson, she helps make my life so much easier. One of the greatest realizations you will come to very quickly in ministry is you can’t do everything alone. I’m constantly talking about and seeing every week, how much the church has outgrown me. Does it bother me that I can’t take everybody out to eat? Does it bother me that I can’t meet with everybody? Does it bother me that I can’t be in everybody’s small group? Does it bother me that I can’t counsel everybody? Does it bother me that people leave our church because it’s not what it was when our attendance was 200?

A BIG FAT YES!!!

Terri Danis who is in charge of Life Development at our Church told me this past week we have had 643 first time visiting families this year alone!

One of my main responsibilities is to be physically, spiritually, emotionally, PREPARED to FEED the FLOCK every single weekend in FIVE services, Six this weekend, the Men’s Bible Study.

Another, is My Family.

Another is to take the staff to the next level of growth for the entire church family.

Mrs. Nola, as she is known, helps me to keep my life on schedule in so many ways. I would almost quit the ministry without her. She has been truly sent by the Lord.

Mrs. Nola thank-you for being His servant first and in helping me in advancing the kingdom.

Like we say all the time, “Nola it has been a joy working with YOU in HIS KINGDOM”

gene

It is time that we, “Go Forward”

Forward and Not Backwards

Forward in our Walks with God

Forward in our Marriages

Forward in our Business

Forward in our Giving

Forward in our Serving and Loving

Forward as Dad’s

We are going Forward, “We NEED YOU”

Bible Study and Barbecue Dinner this Sunday Evening

6:00 PM (Food)

7:00 PM (OLD TIME PREACHING) All Barrels Loaded!!

See you there

gene

I have an exciting announcement!  This summer we are going to be involved in a world wide church experience!  Hundreds of churches from all over the world are coming together this summer to participate in a series called One Prayer!  This series has the potential to unify the church of Jesus Christ all across this country and possibly the world.  This will be an experience that will be remembered for years to come.  Don’t miss this series and be sure to stay plugged in because this summer at The Gathering will truly be A Summer to Remember! 

Grand Canyon 2008

The Lord is so Good to me!! One of the greatest honors on this planet is to be a Father. The week of Mothers Day we are going to kick off a series for the family and I can’t wait to do some awesome tag team teaching with Karen on Parenting.

You will not want to miss this series.

gene

I just heard from Amanda Auten, our Nursery Director, that 53 children have already signed up for our Annual Baby Dedication!

(We are Praying for over 100 this Year) Let me encourage all Moms and Dads to participate in this fantastic weekend. We love Mother’s Day weekend at The Gathering. In I Samuel Hannah dedicates the prophet Samuel as a child to the Lord. This is a fantastic weekend to invite all of your family and friends to church. You need to sign up ASAP for your child’s picture. The photographer is one of my personal favorites, you will not be disappointed, that I promise you.

Things are really rocking at The Gathering. We have some exciting things planned for the families this summer! We are calling it, “A Summer to Remember”. It is jam packed  full of exciting things starting with Mother’s Day and going all the way to Labor Day weekend.

This summer is going to be, I believe,  the greatest summer yet at The Gathering. It will rock!

Don’t forget that if you play golf Coach Phillip Fulmer, UT Head Football Coach, is Partnering with The LORD’S Child for our 1st Annual Golf Tournament.

You Guys are the Greatest People in the World to Pastor.

gene

Over the next several weeks it seems as if there are just a lot of major decisions coming up for our church. I would be greatly misinforming you if I did not tell you that I really would covet your prayers as your pastor. It seems as if the church more and more just keeps outgrowing me and the entire staff.

I want to say that words could never convey how grateful I am to the Lord, for the Godly Men, that he has given to The Gathering to help us with so many decisions that we face everyday at the church. Today was jammed packed with so many decisions. I did not arrive home until late the last two nights. Laying here in bed writing this post I just wanted to say to all the men in our church, “I COULD NOT DO IT WITHOUT YOU”.

There are too many to list your names, but I do not tell all of you enough, “A Big Thanks”.

Going to Bed

gene

P.S. Behind every great man is a greater woman.