I Love My Church

If you attend Heartland Church you know that Pastor Dan is currently doing a series called "I Love My Church." Well, I love my church!! And, no, its not just because I am on staff!

I love Heartland Church for most of the same reasons our partners do -- the unbelievable worship, the excellent children and student programs, the insightful messages, and so on. But, let me mention a few things that personally stand out for me -- in no particular order.

1. I love our Lead Pastor. Pastor Dan will be the first to tell you that he is not perfect, which is one of the things I love about him. But, Dan loves God and he loves people with all his heart. To me, that is the best compliment you could ever give any man or woman. I will also be eternally indebted to PD for dragging me into the ministry -- although some days I want to smack him for that too! Enough said.

2. I love our staff. We have a great team that just wants to serve God with excellence. I am particularly indebted to our executive team -- Pastors Dan, Sherry, Dave and Dusty. God has stretched and tested me many times over the last three years. But, He also surrounded me with this group of incredible people (including my wife Pam, of course) who are determined to see God's purpose for my life fulfilled. What a blessing!

3. I love our congregation. Time and time again visitors tell us how welcomed and loved they feel while visiting HC. That feeling they have while they are with us is not an accident. The reason for it is simple -- our congregation genuinely loves people and does an incredible job of showing the love of Christ to everyone who walks through the doors of Heartland Church. On a personal note, I just want to say thank you to our partners for your support and encouragement, and for embracing me as a pastor at the church. You are a big part of the reason that I can't wait to get to church on Sunday mornings.

Let me say one more thing about why I love Heartland -- and its a big thing. We are a church that does not want anyone to settle for a casual relationship with Jesus.

Last week Pastor Dan focused in his message on the first of our four goals for our HC partners -- "Take Your Next Bold Step". Taking your next bold step is our way of asking our partners to diligently seek to know God's purpose for their lives and then to have the courage to submit to His will. For some, taking the next bold step may mean making a decision to put their faith in Jesus. For others, it may mean volunteering as an usher or working in the nursery on Sunday. For others, that next step might be becoming a full time missionary or going to Bible college or seminary. It might mean starting an inner-city ministry, working with the homeless or fighting human trafficking.

Heartland Church has been in Carrollton now for a little over a year and a half, and I think it is time for the church itself to take it's "next bold step" as well. In part, that next step for HC means expanding our parking and facilities to allow for our continued growth. And, I believe those projects are really important -- especially because they impact our ability to prepare the next generation to serve Him.

But, expanding the parking and facilities doesn't mean that much at the end of the day unless Heartland Church is able to impact the world around it. And, impacting the world around us -- in Carrollton and beyond -- is not just the responsibility of the pastors and the staff. It is the work of the Body of Christ; which means you. In other words, the simple truth is this: that Heartland Church cannot take it's next bold step unless you take your next bold step right along with us. We are in this thing together.

I hope you are ready Heartland partners. If you're not wearing them already, put on your seat belts!!

I love my church. How about you?