Billy, Al, and Steve hanging with a cow?

So I love sports, and I love competition.

As I grow older, one of the aspects of sports I’m coming to appreciate more and more is the teamwork that’s involved in team sports.  I’m also coming to appreciate the idea of team in every aspect of my life.  So for the next several afternoons I’ll be sharing some of the favorite “teams” in my own life.  Some of these are actual teams, and some of them are, shall we say, metaphysical teams (if there is such a thing) that exist to better an aspect of my life that is lacking.

Today’s favorite team is my fellow leaders at Fellowship Church.  They consistently impress with me with their desire to improve and to see people connecting and growing in a relationship with Jesus Christ.  They work together and we’ve seen great results here in central Massachusetts because of their hard work and innovative style.  I love the stuff God is accomplishing through this team, so please allow me to introduce them to you:

Steve Blumer:  The administrative genius on our team, and getting better every day.  This dude has his stuff together and you just know he loves the church and what we’re about.  He’s totally different from me and yet, somehow the same.  (hmmm, that was deep)  He’s done an amazing job at the role of Family Ministries director, and over the next 6 months will be transitioning into being the executive pastor of the FC.  I believe our church will be 100x’s better when that transition takes place.

Billy McGuiness:  Billy has just recently transitioned from our First Impressions director to the new Fellowship Web Campus director.  If you’ve checked out FC TV in the last 3 months, you’ve seen a lot of the amazing work he’s done to transition our church into the 21st century through the web.  I love what Billy brings to the table in sacrifice, excellence in web development, and just being a team player.

Al Dancy:  Al has been a close friend of mine for years now, and as soon as I took the lead pastor role at Fellowship, he came on board to revolutionize our Sunday morning programming.  He’s doing that now with his relevant style, his creative imagination, and his desire to see God move wherever he’s serving.  When Billy and Al get together though, watch out – there are going to be some laughs all around.

Jeff Campbell:  Jeff is our resident progressive thinker, or as he would put it “deep thinker”.  He has grown more in his faith than I have seen anyone ever grow in the time I’ve known him.  He’s the introvert of the bunch, but his leadership over our life group ministry speaks for itself.  This guy also communicates on Sunday mornings when I’m out and about, and sometimes when I’m still in the building.

Pam Watson:  She has no blog or web site, but in some ways, this newest member of our team is more experienced and prepared for her new role as the First Impressions director than anyone else I’ve mentioned, myself included.  She loves Fellowship Church, having been here since 1998 (about 7 months longer than me), and has a desire to see people feel like this place is their church home when they come in.  Her experience as a project coordinator of the UMass medical school Standardized patient program will help in her endeavor to unify her own guest services team to accomplish the mission God has given them, so that maybe one day they will be her favorite team!

So that, my friends,  is one of my favorite teams!

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This last Sunday the unthinkable happened, and it scared me.

We had just gone through an amazing service focusing on the story of God, and the music had been great, I felt comfortable with the message God had given to me, and the energy in the room was awesome.  Al and the band were finishing up their last song, “All we”, which was rocking my face off (Thanks Darren).  The music silenced and people cheered when up onto the stage walked a young lady who had been sitting towards the front and who had come in by herself.

I can tell you this now because she eventually told me, but at the time I had no clue who she was – she had very little church experience and only then had attended Catholic churches.  She had told a few people that she was looking for something more.

I noticed as I preached that day that she rarely made eye contact, so I had no idea what she thought about the service, the music, or my message.  So it would be an underestimation to say that I was nervous as I watched her walk up the front stairs and take the microphone stand from Al.  Here’s what she said:

“Most of you guys don’t know me. Tina and Steve do, that’s why I’m here.  I just had tears s come over me, and now tears again. (wipes her face)  Let’s just put it this way, I have 3 upcoming rock concerts I’m going to that, you know, you pay for, big names like the Dropkick Murphys, and I didn’t even know these guys were here (pointing to Al and motioning to the band), (Scream/cheer from the audience, so next phrase is unheard), …but all I need to do is come here on Sundays and come to a concert!”  (she turns around and shakes Al’s hand, and he gives her a hug)

I talked to her after the service, and she clearly loved what she had just experienced.  She filled out a card and signed up for just about everything we have,including wanting to know more about life groups, getting involved in service, and most importantly, she writes that she started a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Sometimes I wonder if trying to focus and reach a younger generation with the gospel of Jesus Christ is worth it because (my mindset):  “If we just slowed down a bit or put some more piano in the mix, older Christians would come too.”  And then I realize…

I’m not a manipulating salesman who does this for the money. I do this because I’m called to reach people like Kirsten, who one day found herself on stage in front of a large group of people she didn’t know, thanking them for their input into her life that day.  And I do this for Phil, a 20 something first time guest this last Sunday.  Phil came as a guest of a member of our church, and who called her up Sunday afternoon thanking her for bringing him to Fellowship Church.  Phil hadn’t stepped foot into a church for about 10 years, since he last left the catholic school he attended then.  And I do this because of the group of 50 and over friends who made their way to my office on Sunday morning to pray for our service and to ask God to work in the lives of people that morning.

And we’re called to reach people like Kirsten or Phil so that one day they will grow to be Christ followers like Garret or Keith and Dawn or Steve or Ian and Katie or Al, Billy,Jeff or Pam, all of who are maturing in the Lord and who understand that we are not a part of the Kingdom of God so that we can start programs to make church people happy, but to reach and teach other people to grow in Christ.  This ensures that the real church of Christ will last far beyond my time here on this earth.  Nothing makes me more excited than this!

And it’s why I exist.

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Pam and her sons Brandon and Jimmy (not shown here) have been a vital part of Fellowship for 10years now

Pam Watson has been around Fellowship Church longer than almost everyone here except for one other member.  She has a heart for God that has stretched back some 25 years ago when she became a follower of Christ in Eastern Pennsylvania.  Besides a brief stint living back in PA in 2002, Pam has been proud to call Massachusetts her home forover 10 years now, and Fellowship Church her home church

Pam says, “The one thing that keeps me coming back to FC are the people.  When one member hurts, the rest of us hurt too.  When a need is presented, those that can lend a hand, money, or their heart do so without any questions being asked.  The only motive is to show people that we at FC are real and practice what is preached.  People that reach out to others at FC are never in competition with each other….they serve because HE served and they team together to make what needs to happen, happen.”

Pam is no stranger to serving either.  She has almost done every ministry possible during her time at the FC, including cleaning, children’s ministry, administrative duties, and Sunday guest services.  Currently she leads a small group every other Tuesday for older members of Fellowship and is a part of a Thursday small each week.

One of the funniest things Pam has seen at Fellowship Church was the video on the topic of love produced by the FC production team.  Here it is:

As far as the person who has influenced her the most:  (This was not coerced, I swear!)  “Ok now for the person that I have watched grow since I have been a member at FC.  That person would be our Sr Pastor, Marty Holman.  Ten years ago he came to this church as a young man who simply had a desire to serve the Lord.   He was our worship leader and was the person in charge of doing all that was needed to be done in the church building.  Ten years later he has become our Sr. Pastor, a husband and a man that still has a desire to serve the Lord but does so now seeking God’s face continually and wanting nothing more than to please his God by encouraging his sheep to grow in their relationship with each other and their Savior.  He has always loved people….but has had to balance his desire to fellowship with preparing messages and searching the scripture to teach all of us what is TRUE in God’s word versus what tradition teaches.”

Actually, Pam has been a huge influence in my life, and people like Pam, are the reason why Fellowship Church continues to follow God’s vision even years later!

Let’s give it up for Pam!

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