CreativePastors Blog & Podcast

Capital Campaign Update

Last weekend Ed launched our Town and Country capital campaign with a foundational message regarding the biblical principle of firstfruits. It was hard to imagine what could measure up to Skittles, but cantaloupes were equally compelling! (If you haven't had a chance to catch the sermon yet, check it out here.) Next weekend, Ed will build on the idea that true generosity starts at 11% as we go deeper into God's perspective on giving.

A special section of our FC website gives a great overview of how we are presenting the campaign to our church.

Today, FC members are observing a church-wide media fast. During our non-work hours, we are unplugging from our iPods, TVs, DVD players, video games, cell phones, and other electronic media to spend that extra time reading the Bible, praying and focusing on the things of God.

Ed Young Speaking Schedule

The National Conference on Preaching is being held on the Fellowship Church campus this year, and we're having a great time meeting the wonderful church leaders attending. Ed kicked off the conference Monday with the keynote address on “Preaching Creatively.” He packed a lot into that talk!

Ed has such a heart for church leaders and especially enjoys the opportunity to connect with them. He'll be speaking in several locations throughout the rest of the year, including:

May 5:  Buzz Conference, Washington DC
June 12:  Regional C3, Phoenix AZ
June 12-13:  Integrity Leadership Ministries Getaway, Scottsdale AZ
July 20:  Regional C3, Los Angeles, CA
August 8:  Team Church Conference, Tacoma WA
October 2:  Regional C3, Atlanta GA

These should be fantastic events, so if you're in the neighborhood make sure to check them out!

Podcast > In God We Trust > Entangled or Entrusted

Many of us, if asked, would say we trust God. Yet, we often forget that trust is not a static word—it calls for initiation and action on our part. In this message, we discover the power that comes from trusting God. And as we learn what trust looks like on the rugged plains of reality, we will also find the clear path that leads to a new level of definition and purpose for our lives.

To listen now, click on the podcast icon below.

Length 38:51

In God We Trust Series
Many of us, if asked, would say we trust God. But is that all it takes to discover a life of meaning and direction? Through the first message of a powerful new series, In God We Trust, we discover the true strength of placing our trust in God. And we learn how, when we base our lives on those four words, we can find a new level of clarity and purpose.

In God We Trust

CreativePastors

If you have iTunes 6.0, click the link below to subscribe to our podcast. Twenty-four hours after Ed delivers his weekend message at Fellowship Church, it will be downloaded to your computer automatically. You can listen at your computer or take the MP3 with you on your iPod or other MP3 player.

If you don't have iTunes, you can get it here free for Mac or Windows. You can also subscribe to the podcast using other podcasting tools and RSS newsreaders. The feed address is: http://feeds.feedburner.com/cpblog.

FC Capital Campaign Kicks Off

This weekend will be the big kickoff for the capital campaign we're launching at Fellowship Church: Town and Country. It's been five+ years since our last campaign and we're already thrilled by the positive feedback and high level of energy from our first events. We look forward to sharing an insider's perspective with you over the coming weeks, but for now make sure you plan on catching next Monday's podcast. You'll be able to hear this weekend's message, where Ed will introduce the campaign on a church-wide level. Haven't subscribed to our free podcast yet? Here's an easy guide to getting started.

Buzz Is in the Air

The blogosphere is, well, buzzing with talk of the upcoming Buzz Conference! Ed will be joining Mark Batterson, Lead Pastor of National Community Church in Washington DC, as they as they delve into the whys and hows of capturing attention in a white-noise world. The conference aims to equip church leaders and church planters with creative ideas and innovative resources that buzz and will ultimately “compel them to come in.” The conference is just two weeks away (May 4-5), but there's still time to register online. It sounds like a really great bunch of people will be attending!

Podcast > In God We Trust > Holding Pattern

Senior pastor Ed Young takes us on a life-changing journey as he asks and answers some of the most common questions concerning the resurrection. Through this talk, we find that the real source of the questions we ask is really a question we need to answer—where are you with Jesus? And when we learn to answer that question honestly, we will discover the way to safely land at our destination.

To listen now, click on the podcast icon below.

Length 33:37

In God We Trust Series
Many of us, if asked, would say we trust God. But is that all it takes to discover a life of meaning and direction? Through the first message of a powerful new series, In God We Trust, we discover the true strength of placing our trust in God. And we learn how, when we base our lives on those four words, we can find a new level of clarity and purpose.

In God We Trust

CreativePastors

If you have iTunes 6.0, click the link below to subscribe to our podcast. Twenty-four hours after Ed delivers his weekend message at Fellowship Church, it will be downloaded to your computer automatically. You can listen at your computer or take the MP3 with you on your iPod or other MP3 player.

If you don't have iTunes, you can get it here free for Mac or Windows. You can also subscribe to the podcast using other podcasting tools and RSS newsreaders. The feed address is: http://feeds.feedburner.com/cpblog.

Easter Prayers

Ed has often said that as he prepares a message, he is thinking about the seats; who is in them, where they are in their journey, and where they stand in relationship with our Savior.  Each seat represents a life and our church has grown and will continue to grow one life at a time. Today, we took some time as a staff to enter our worship center and pray over individual seats for what God will do in the lives of the people who fill them. As we see those seats occupied during our services, we'll continue to pray for those specific individuals. Ironically, narrowing our focus gives us a better view of the big picture.

Please know that we are praying for you as well. We're lifting up your services and the individuals who will fill the seats in your churches, whether they are in a worship center, movie theater, or high school auditorium. God has given us an incredible opportunity to reach so many - we can't wait to see what He will do this Easter!

Easter Sneak Preview

Want to get a look at what Ed will be teaching this Easter weekend? Check out our pre-release Easter package download that includes an unedited manuscript, a marked manuscript with Ed's hand-written changes, and a rough draft outline of the major points. This message will kick of a brand-new series, In God We Trust.

A Children's Ministry Perspective on Easter

Continuing our effort to provide you an insider's view of our Easter preparations at FC this year, we asked our Children's Department (FC Kids) what they are considering as they get ready for this big weekend. Here's what our Elementary Director, Mitch Corn, had to say:

It’s not hard to get new families to come to church on Easter. The hard part is getting them to come back week after week once Easter is over. FC Kids has realized that a child’s experience at church is our best outreach tool. As we plan our weekend services we take into consideration that kids possess a unique ability to bring their families to church. When kids have fun, feel included, and understand an applicable message from God’s word, they will literally beg their parents to bring them back to church. Stats have shown that parents feel a direct responsibility for their children’s spirituality, thus causing them to feel eager to bring their child back time and time again. Easter is a critical weekend because we see more 1st time vistors than at any other time of year, so we want to put our best foot forward in every area. However we have found that the excellence we offer on Easter must be consistent throughout the year in order to maintain true and consistent growth.

With that said FC Kids has adopted an effective strategy to minister to first time visitors each weekend. Once a family has entered the Children’s area, they are greeted and directed to a special 1st time visitors check-in area where they can receive one-on-one attention from one of our trained volunteers. As soon as we have their family information we offer them a special frequently asked question flyer that will give them vital information about our ministry. This whole process takes less than 2 minutes. We then proceed to walk the family to the age appropriate room of each child, and then the parents are escorted to the worship center. Each child who has come to FC Kids for the 1st time will receive a sticker on their name tag to help staff and volunteers know it is their 1st time. The purpose of the sticker is to make staff and volunteers aware so they can make the child feel especially welcomed. During the service FC Kids maintains an all-kids-allowed service format by only asking questions covered during that service. We never assume any child knows anything. By going above and beyond each weekend, FC Kids assures every 1st time visitor a great experience.

Easter Banner

To build awareness for our Easter services at Fellowship Church this year, we put our facilities to work for us with a ginormous banner covering a good portion of our main building. (To give you a sense of its size, this photo was taken from the very edge of our parking lot - click for a larger image.) We are located in a high traffic area with major highways and a shopping mall right outside the entrance to our campus, so some of our best marketing opportunities occur simply from people passing by. The banner, which is 90 feet wide and 28 feet tall, features the dates and times of our services in a font that is large enough to read from across the highway. Other fun facts:

• The font size is 3,475 point and measures 3.125 feet tall
• The size of the photo on the banner is 25 feet wide by 28 feet tall and was a combination of 3 photos, 4 different textures, and 6 hours of photoshop reworking
• The file was built at 1/5 scale in InDesign

We have to get a permit from our city to display signage this large, so if you're planning something similar make sure to check with the appropriate authorities in your area.