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back in the saddle

Last Sunday evening, three of us from Mountainview Church flew from Denver to Tulsa.  Jim (senior pastor), Rick (executive pastor), and myself.  We spent Sunday night in Tulsa and drove the next morning to Joplin, MO.  We spent Monday and Tuesday interviewing potential new staff people.  Apart from the interviews, what I enjoyed most was the interaction between the three of us.  We spent a fair amount of time traveling in the car and just talking about the present and future of our church.  It was good to bounce ideas, share feedback, and dream together.

As the newbie on staff, it was nice to have time to participate at this level.  Many of my fondest ministry memories are connected to team experiences.  At one point while I was serving in Walnut Creek, we had two other full-time ministers, an administrator, and a part-time staffer.  My greatest joy was getting to work with great people.  Dave, the involvement minister at the time, is an extremely talented, thoughtful, and thought-provoking person.  Hiring him was one of the best decisions we ever made.  Our youth minister, Chris, and I would take ping-pong breaks and have throw-down matches in the teen room.  Every now and then, I would catch a break and beat him … and watching him lose was worth losing myself!

There are times when we must serve solo and I have a great admiration and appreciation for pastors who wear multiple hats.  I have been that pastor in several of the churches I have been privileged to serve.  It’s often a lonely job.

It’s a joy to be a part of team working towards a common goal.  As we interviewed the different candidates, I appreciated how each of us had a slightly different angle or perspective.  It’s helpful to have an extra set of eyes and ears.  And since my LASIK surgery, I’ve lost a set of eyes  🙂