praise in the park
this past saturday our intown location hosted praise in the park at georgia state university. it was an extremely busyday because of several factors: we had super saturday (where new members can take all of their classes in one day) with over 85 people signed up at 9:30 am; our school, destiny christian academy, had a golf outing planned for 1pm at alfred tupp homes golf course; and of course praise in the park at 6pm. whew…makes me tired just typing it. lol!!!
of all days we woke up to clouds and a 70% chance of rain. long story short, i stopped by super saturdayto hang with the new members for a moment. shout out to all of our new dwc family and the new members ministry for your support of our vision: loving God… connecting People… and changing Lives.
not long after i left super saturday, it seems like the clouds turned on a faucet and it rained downed cats and dogs (whatever that means). so our golf outing was postponed. it’s a good thing for my opponents because i was really feeing like i had my “A” game. lol!!! but there was still a decision to be made about praise in the park…
about three hours before kick-off for praise in the park it stopped raining. we pondered whether we should still go with it; whether we would still have a good turn-out or should we postpone it as well. about two hours before start time we decided to go with it. normally i don’t like to call names because it’s so easy to forget someone but let me shout out our dream team that made praise in the park a reality:
God: we absolutely could not have done this without Him who is the author and finisher of our faith; the supplier of our strength; and our firm foundation. thank you God for trusting us with this responsibility.
pastor Tyson: who was our lead pastor at intown till he relocated to arizona. even being out of town he still took the time to send us an encouraging email when obstacles started mounting. it was his vision of having worship in the park. i love the fact that he is unafraid to think outside of the box. i think he is my brother from another mother… lol!!! we already miss the heck out of him…
cherie: where do i start? consistent, caring, committed… are a few words that come immediately to mind. she has a keen eye for details. she amazes me that she juggles being a mom to a very intelligent young lady; holds down a full time job in corporate america; will hit the road in a mini van headed to check on loved ones in louisiana and still find time to use her admin gift for her church to operate in excellence. most of what we do she’s the mover and shaker behind it. ok…that’s enuf. i can’t say more about you than the others. lol!!!
pam: excuse me dr. pam… first of all she is working on a doctorate degree. need i say more. i can only imagine what kind of commitment and focus that must take. yet she can always be counted on to present and accounted for. she does not mind asking the difficult questions. every team needs someone like that. when it came down to the 9th hour and a lot of people had to be out for various reasons including kim and i. dr. pam stepped her game up… put on several hats and didn’t miss a beat. thanks for making it do what it do…
minister collins: doesn’t allow excuses (good excuses i might add) to rob him of his commitment to God and dwc intown. whether preaching, planning or playing valet in the parking lot bruce gives his all. he has a true servant’s heart and we are blessed to have him on our team. he has been a part of the twelve team since day one and still running with the same energy and enthusiasm. i hope i have been as much a blessing to him as he has to me. on a lighter note, if i could just get that golf championship belt from him. lol!!!
keenan and jessica: they came along after most of the guys on our team. but you can’t tell by their level of commitment. both of them live in the intown area so i truly value the counsel and intown-insight they bring. because they are relatively new they bring two pairs of fresh eyes to our team. on top of all that they have a company, 75 SouthManagement Group, that shares their expertise and resources with us so far without looking for a check. both of them took the vision and ran with it like it was birthed in their womb. ya’ll are some cool peeps…
bernard: must have read this quote some where: if you are too big for little things, you will always be too little for big things. no matter what the task bernard is willing to jump in with both feet and have a great attitude about it. he has been like that since i first met him. with a title or without bernard doesn’t mind getting busy for the body of Christ.
deacon todd: todd and his family have been unbelievable supporters at dwc/mt. sinai since i became pastor. anybody can jog a short distance but not many people have the fortitude to run marathons. he definitely has the heart and legs of a marathon runner. todd has a calming demeanor that keeps everyone focused and on task. just a side note i think todd was a military general in a former life because of his loyalty and faithfulness. God please send more men like todd….
sabrina: is our resident prayer warrior. all the planning in the world means nothing if it is not first bathed in prayer. in addition to being a prayer warrior i’m starting to see she can be very light hearted and full of fun. it seems every time we meet she has a way of bringing wise counsel and great laughs. i like it because she sings “ole schools” song with me regardless of what key i’m in during our meetings when we get tired of thinking. lol!!!
lanell: lieutenant colonel white… lanell is our logistics specialist. the army has trained him well to think about planning and execution. he has a unique ability to offer his insight and opinion and still be totally sold out for the leaders vision. he also has ministry gifts that we have yet to tap into and utilize. did i mention that he is my frat brother. roo!!!
henry: without henry, there would have been no sound. the bible says, “how can they hear without a preacher?” i might add how can they hear without a sound man? lol!!! it is refreshing to see a young brother who could be doing so many other things committed to Christ and His church. he has some high ambitions and goals. i pray that God will bless you because of your faithfulness to His church.
the names above are members of our twelve team but there were definitely some honorable mentions: minister simmons who took the lead on doing outreach in the park; ron, fulton conuty sheriff’s officer & dwc intown member, took the lead on security and haiston, another brother from another mother, who would jump in deep water to save a friend from drowning even though he can’t swim.
kim and i are absolutely excited to have each of you on our dwc intown team. we thank God that he allowed our paths to cross and that you saw something in us that prompted you to come alongside and do ministry with us. i pray that God’s best will always be yours…
top 10 reasons this is a God move…
this past sunday destiny intown made its much anticipated “spring into destiny” move to the loudermilk center in downtown atlanta. i must admit that i was a little anxious about the move but i believe this is a God move for the following top 10 reasons:
- i believe God opened the door of opportunity for us. Abraham, the old testament patriarch, teaches us that when God gives a green light it is foolish even sinful to sit still.
- the loudermilk center is a great building. it includes 15,000 square feet of space for creative ministries.
- we want to create a space where kids absolutely love come and hate leaving. this building gives us additional space to create space that is designed with the kid in mind.
- the loudermilk is located directly across the street from georgia state university. ga state is the second largest university in the state and God has placed us right in the mix.
- we can still use our phrase: innovative, inviting and intown. still praying how to be innovative and inviting? the problem with being boring, dull and traditional is that the person or organization that is those things is often the last to realize that they are those things. hmmm!!!
- we can continue our passion to do ministry in the marketplace. during Jesus ministry here on earth most of it was done not in a church but in the marketplace. corporate america literally sits in our back and front doors.
- we get to work alongside some wonderful leaders (the twelve) and cool people attending our intown location. you all make the journey much more enjoyable. love connecting with people which is a part of our vision.
- the loudermilk center was a better fit financially. one of the mistakes some planted churches make including us is tying up all the money to pay rent or a mortgage. thus limiting their ability to offer real ministry to people with real needs. ouch!!!
- the loudermilk center has leading-edge technologywhich includes audio/visual tools and wi-fi capabilities. the church is ministering to a tech savvy society and we must utilize every option available.
- i love going places where the ambience is good. this may sound biased but the ambience of the loudermilk is off da chain. it really has a great feel.
we are soliciting everyone’s prayers that God’s will to be done at our intown location. the harvest is surely plentiful. thanking God for this awesome opportunity that He has given us.
first speaking engagement for my first lady
today I had a wonderful opportunity to support Lady Kim as she spoke for a conference. it blessed me on several different fronts. first, i’m enjoying watching her take on the role of first lady of destiny world church. when kim married me not only did she have to become a wife to me but also she was immediately thrust into the role of first lady. talking about adjustments…
all first ladies can attest that there is no instructional manual that ladies receive to help you navigate the uncertain waters of being “first lady.” however, there are plenty opportunities for on the job training. lol!!! while i may be biased i think she is doing a great job. for example she has a compassionate heart… genuinely loves people…generous to a fault and loves to talk. (Lord have mercy- LOL)
secondly, i am grateful that someone outside our church, lady kameshia of thy will christian ministries 
was led to invite her to come and speak for her ”finally!” conference. kim spoke about Esther and how God brought her to a place where she realized who she was and that God had purpose for her life. there are some interesting similarities between Esther and lady kim. on top of all that she used points similar to the the way I use when speaking. she got that from me… lol!!!
thirdly, it was funny to see the shoe on the other foot. last nite as she was preparing for her engagement, all of a sudden i wanted to go out for dinner. after all i’m on a semi vacation. her reply was she couldn’t because she had to get ready for tomorrow. huh??? normally it’s the other way around. but it was good for her to see what kind of pressure i’m normally under as i prepare for speaking. likewise, it was good for me to see how she feels when she wants to go out and hang with her husband not the pastor.
ok. enough of all this formal stuff. about to go out for date nite with my boo. her treat since she was speaking today. lol!!!
love ya baby,
wtp3
10 Commandments of Preaching Engagements
I have been blessed to watch God birth many new minsters in our ministry. Birthing new ministers into the kingdom has been one of my greatest joys. I am very proud and love of all of them as spiritual sons and daughters.I want to be guilty of sharing with them things that I have learned the hard way. So here are some things to remember when accepting invitations:
DO’S
- Do inform your Senior Pastor before accepting any preaching engagements. Be open to his/her council and feedback.
- Do send media packet (bio, professional picture) to the person and/or church that extended the invitation. If you do not have professional looking pictures (church attire, business casual) have some made. Under no circumstances should your picture have friends, trees, kids, cars or living rooms in the background.LOL ! I”m not laughing.
- Do ask if there is a theme, topic or subject matter for the event. In any case always pray and be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Remember you are there to assist the Senior Pastor in his/her ministry.
- Do ask about service times (be on time), expected attire and time allotted for preaching. Remember certain liberties that you may have at home may not exist away. When in Rome do as the Romans…
- Do ask politely about travel and lodging arrangements. This is just so you will know what to expect.
DONT”S
- Don’t ask for preaching engagements. Your gift will make room for you.
- Don’t carry an entourage with you into pastor’s office. Have family and friends sit in audience. It is ok to have an armorbearer to assist you but remember not to be GRAND or OVER THE TOP. This is especially true in places where armorbearers are not utilized.
- Don’t start ministering without first acknowledging and honoring Pastor and spouse.
- Don’t ask for nor expect a particular honorarium amount. Be thankful for any amount and most of all the opportunity. Bishop Paul Morton gave me the greatest advice about honorariums: “Try not live off of your honorariums especially if you have other employment”. Use it to invest in your ministry (books, workshops, cd’s,etc), pay off debt, being a blessing to others etc. Of course this is after you pay your tithe first.
- Don’t extend an invitation or altar call without first getting permission from Senior Pastor. Don’t do anything outside of what you would normally do unless you are asked by Senior Pastor. Admit things that you may not be comfortable with.
Grow 3 Leadership Conference
Having a blast at the Grow 3 Leadership Conference in Hilton Head, SC hosted by Bishop B. Keith Hodges of Gathering of Champions International Cathedral. Teaching from the book, 5 Star Church by Stan Toler. If you have not read this book I encourage you to get a copy and dive in. It pushes the church to strive for excellence in all we do. Here’s one statement from the book, “If business professionals ran their business like the church , then they wouldn’t be in business long.” Wow!!!
One of the things I enjoy other than speaking to God’s people is meeting them. I’ve met some wonderful senior pastors and church leaders who are doing great things across the country. Hope that they have received at least half as much from my speaking as I have received from meeting and being around them. Teaching with Bishop Hodges and Apostle Kito Johnson of Covenant Christian Center. “Iron sharpens iron.”
Kudos to Bishop Hodges and his team who arranged the perfect balanced schedule of class time and recreation. I’m convinced that most people don’t get enough down time. Here’s a thought: Detach daily…Withdraw weekly… Abandon annually… Teaching in the am and golfing in the afternoon. Played at Hilton Head National Golf Course. Lost a lot of balls and any bragging rights but the fellowhip was good:-) Btw, this has to be the golf capital of the world. Courses everywhere…
Cant wait for next years conference. Hint, hint…
