It’s been a while since I gave you a Blount Campus update. As most of you know, we are opening our second location in Blount County, an area about 25 minutes from the Faith Promise Pellissippi location. Over 300 people have said they will make that location their home when it launches this fall.

So, what’s been happening:

• The Lease Agreement for ~25,000 sq. ft. has been finalized and executed
• The construction documents are nearing completion to create a worship center that seats around 300 people
• The tenant separation wall that divides our space from the Fowler’s Furniture space is nearing completion
• The store front is being transformed to create a new entry into the Faith Promise side of the building

Wayne Burress, Campus Pastor for Blount has been busy and we expect the location will open some time this Fall, immediately requiring 2 worship services. Would you pray for:

• God to use Faith Promise Blount to transform the community
• People to experience a “Come As You Are” church that will change their lives
• A smooth construction process that will begin in the next 2 weeks
• Wisdom in creating a budget and staffing plan the first location

Where we see people as distractions, Jesus saw them as opportunities.

That’s right. Jesus saw them as the opportunity to serve, heal and give witness to His Father. However, we get so focused on the tasks that we forget about the balance of relationships.

So, I shared 3 prayers that I am praying for our teams out of Matthew 9:36-38.

1. I’m praying they’ll have Jesus’ eyes.

• Jesus focused on the people, not the processes. Processes are important, but ministry is about the people.

2. I’m praying they’ll have Jesus’ heart.

• Jesus had compassion – he got so sick at their state that he was moved to do something about their need.

3. I’m praying they’ll trust Jesus answer.

• Jesus said he would provide the workers to reach His people.
• We get overwhelmed in the harvest because we put our faith in fixes instead of the Father.

People become a distraction because we need them to do what we need instead of listening to their needs and doing ministry together.

I’m praying you will keep from getting distracted.

Seriously, this sermon series can change your life by helping you deal with your family history or your current family drama. Don’t miss it beginning this weekend at Faith Promise, or catch it online.

We have 6 Easter Experiences beginning tonight – all of them are exactly the same. Here’s the schedule:

• Friday, April 2 @ 7pm
• Saturday, April 3 @ 5:30 & 7pm
• Sunday, April 4 @ 8:30, 10 & 11:45am or Online at 10, 11:45am & 9pm EST

Can’t wait to see you at one of them!

There were moments of frustration and moments of sincere faith. It had to be God’s hand at work if it would be successful.

And now, we hope to announce the location this weekend.

So, will you pray that all the details are finalized this week? I can’t keep this secret much longer!

Production times are:

• Thursday, March 25 @ 7pm
• Friday, March 26 @ 7pm
• Saturday, March 27 @ 3, 5 and 7pm
• Sunday, March 28 @ 9:45 and 11:45am

Invite a friend who needs to be confronted with the reality of God and His purpose and plan for their life.

It’s that night each year that you lose an hour of sleep. So, before you go to bed, don’t forget to set your clocks ahead one hour. Then, you’ll be on time everywhere you go on Sunday!

• Sacred Storm & The Mystery of the Empty Tomb (March 25-28). Then, Easter. We’ll see over 12,000 people worship at Faith Promise over those two weekends!

• Finalizing the new entrance at FPC (hoping to have it finished for Easter). Check out the plan: FPC – Roadway Improvements.

• Our All-staff Retreat, April 18-21 at The Cove in Asheville, NC. We’ve asked two other churches to join us: Graystone Church and The River Community Church. It’s going to be an awesome time led by Jenni Catron, Dan Novak, Pastor Chris and me.

• The LIT Conference, April 29 at Faith Promise. 4 awesome leaders, 1 awesome price – $89. You can register HERE.

What are you looking forward to?

Wayne, Angie and their family have been at FPC for several years. They have served faithfully in our ministries and last fall when I told Wayne that we believed he may be God’s person for the next FPC campus, he almost passed out! They sought God as a family and yesterday he started as the Blount Campus Pastor. Check out the video intro from this past weekend.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Welcome to the team, Wayne. It is going to be awesome serving together!

However, I have learned one thing over and over again: I can trust my pastor. Chris Stephens, the Senior Pastor of Faith Promise, is a great friend and confidant. Yesterday, he shared with the church that I often push him and challenge him in areas, and I do. But, I want you to see another perspective: he allows me to push him and challenge him. Several years ago I was sharing with another Senior Pastor about Chris’ willingness to let me challenge him. That pastor’s reply: if someone on my staff challenges me, they will probably not be on my staff for very long. What a leadership tragedy.

So my question for you pastor’s: can your staff trust you? Here are a few ways that Chris has earned my trust.

• He has always held Scripture as the highest authority. One time I worked for a Pastor who quoted from the “1st Book of Momma” more than the Bible. My pastor has never shied away from issues confronted by the Bible. He always deals with things from God’s perspective.
• He has allowed me to read his journal. A few years ago God was telling us to do something as a church. It became obvious of the direction and as we looked to make the necessary changes, Chris handed me his journal. For months he had journaled daily that God would reveal Himself in the situation. He showed me in his journal (after we made the decision) where God had spoken to him days before we made the decision about the direction. What a huge trust builder!
• He shares his God-moments, publicly. My pastor is always talking to me about what God taught him in his quiet time. This past weekend, he shared with with the church an area where God had convicted him. He had already shared that area with me, but he didn’t stop there. He told everyone. Do you have God-moments to share? Do you share them?
• He NEVER publicly contradicts my leadership. NEVER. He has talked to me behind closed doors about things that he would do differently. We have agreed to disagree about things he would change that we have not changed. He has wanted to hire staff that we did not hire because I did not feel like they were the right people. BUT, he has never publicly contradicted me in an area where I am leading. WOW – this is huge!

The list could go on, but the real question is: Are you a pastor who can be trusted? My pastor has proven to be trustworthy. He has my back, he supports my leadership, and most importantly, he is a spiritual leader in my life.