My favorite things about being a pastor at Impact

My favorite things about being a pastor at Impact Church:

- Being the first one to hear a hidden story that someone has kept secret right up to the moment they muster up the courage to tell you.

- Being in a Life Group on our first night of this last series and having a person introduce himself to the group by admitting he's been sober for 6 days and just got out of a detox facility the week before.

- Being able to preach wearing shorts and flip flops.

- Seeing people who don't know much about God getting plugged into serving instead of waiting until they "know enough" or are "good enough".

- Seeing old people act young and young people act old.

- Seeing all generations unite together to ascertain what couldn't be achieved by one generation exclusively.

- Watching lay leaders become pastors of each other in the flock instead of relying on the "professional pastor".

- Worshipping with a band each week that "Jams for the Lamb" with humility and quality.

- Having a children's ministry that creates an experience for kids that excites them and educates them all at the same time.

- Seeing our student ministries catch the vision that they are the church of today, not the church of tomorrow.

- Knowing that Life Groups (little churches) are meeting all over a 20 mile radius each week to talk about God, each other, life and the Word.

- Being a part of a culture that values honesty and humanity without compromising morality and integrity.

- Seeing people flooding into church that aren't all cleaned up, but are strugglers looking for truth just like the rest of us.

- Being a part of a church that welcomes in people who smoke, chew, drink, swear, and smell.  People who are covered with tattoos and smell of booze for some reason know they can come to Impact and be loved, not judged.

- That said, I love that we are trying to help people out of hurts, hang ups and habits that steal, kill and destroy the life (and Kingdom) Jesus came to usher in.

- Seeing people who wouldn't normally get along or get together finding common ground at the foot of the cross.  Everyone is equal there.

- Seeing people baptized and hearing them tell their stories of redemption.

- Getting to serve with a ministry team of Christ-followers who lay down their lives for the people in their ministries, but aren't afraid to go outside their own job description to help another staff member in their ministry.  Love that!

- Seeing the churches in Lowell come together to pray every week for the community to be awakened to the ever-present love of God.

- Watching the gospel get to where it belongs...outside the church and into the streets.

- Getting to preach to and lead the best group of Christ-followers a pastor could ever ask for.

I'm so fortunate to do what I do and be in the position I am.

"In everything give thanks for the this is the will of Christ Jesus concerning you." - I Thess. 5