The very activity that gets a leader’s blood pumping when a ministry starts can actually block the flow as the ministry grows.
By nature, leaders are addicted to activity. I’m no exception. In the early days of Elevation,
I was all up in every detail, all the time. And I loved it. The endless buzz of activity and the ability to have input in every decision stoked my entrepreneurial fire.

But as Elevation grows, my highest and best use is consistently changing.
These days, I can often add the most value by staying out of the way rather than being in the mix. It’s counterintuitive, I know. But I’ve seen so many ministries stall out because the leader couldn’t morph into what was needed next.
In a dynamic ministry (or business, or family), those of us charged with leadership should constantly evaluate our contribution.
Are we fighting today’s battles with yesterday’s weapons?
Are we committed to effectiveness or simply addicted to activity?

Today I spent a moment reflecting on the resilience of the staff and volunteers at Elevation Church.
The things they accomplish week in, week out, in 2 portable facilities, are remarkable-borderline miraculous.
They don’t make excuses. Ever. Whether it’s using grinders for the Easter service opener without making the fire alarm go off or packing out a 1pm service to make room for guests at optimal times… they deliver, every time.

It fills a pastor with unshakable courage when those in the fight with him refuse to back down, regardless of what they’re up against.
This kind of support wallpapers a pastor’s mind with confidence that nothing is impossible with God.
The reason I’m able to be so bold and audacious as a leader has little to do with my faith in my ability. It has everything to do with the team that I’m a part of.

I’m very proud of you, Elevation staff and volunteers. And today, I just wanted to let the blogosphere know it…

The best thing we could think of to make the audio blog better this week was to add more people. So instead of the usual 2 or 3 people, we brought in a crew of 6 for this one. Pastor Steven leads the audio blog, Vision Flows from the Top Down, and we all share some of our thoughts on how this has happened at Elevation.

Understanding and passing the vision down from the top may be one of the best things we do as a church. So carve out 20 minutes and grab a pen when you’re ready to listen. Enjoy!

… Over 4800 people attended worship experiences at Elevation this Easter Sunday.
Most importantly, over 500 people accepted Christ as Savior on this landmark day.
All glory to Jesus!

Notable: We were nervous kicking off our new 1 pm service today at our Providence campus… would at least 200 people would show up to achieve critical mass? Over 700 people packed the house at 1 pm… proving once again, our Elevators will do whatever they have to do to make room for our first time guests to hear the Gospel. And that’s just one of the reasons I’m more proud to be your pastor than you will ever understand.

How can I express appropriate gratitude to God for over 500 people placing their faith in Christ today? I’ll tell you this much, after the final service, I fell on my face with my wife and several staff members and gave all the glory to God.
He’s the only one to blame for what’s happening here. It’s so beyond us.

To my Elevators: we’re making history together for the glory of God. Thank you for giving so much-so consistently-to see Jesus lifted high in our city.
P.S.-Trash cans and grinders beat the heck out of Easter lilies and cantatas, don’t you think?

To all of my pastor friends and Ground Level guys… I’m so proud of how God moved in your churches today all across the country. We are living in a special time with unprecedented opportunities. Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus and stay hungry… the best is yet to come.