2025-2026 Interns

What’s going on?! It is great to reconnect with you all on this journey.

It does not feel like a lot went on during this month, largely due to how QUICK it really has gone by. I believe you all can relate, but it feels like time is outrunning me at the moment. Hopefully that means I am enjoying my time that much more haha! Some things did happen, though, and I would love to share them with you.

First off, we had a day trip that was practically a spiritual retreat, where Cindy Casey led us through a discussion on spiritual disciplines. Out of the six presented to us, I was challenged to more intentionally pursue the discipline of journaling, as a means of spending time with God and ultimately processing my thoughts and emotions. The spark for this began when Cindy challenged us interns for the next 7 days to write down 10 different things we are thankful for, at the beginning of the day, meaning that I wrote down 70 different things I am thankful for over 7 days. Once I realized how this practice put me in a positive and grateful headspace, while also helping me grow closer to Jesus, and I got used to the rhythm of sitting down and writing in the morning, I then made the decision to transition into daily journaling in the morning. So, since then, I have journaled every single morning, basically for the whole month of October. I have come to find that journaling is simultaneously a time of therapy, meditation, and prayer with the Lord. Being able to identify my shortcomings, as well as where God is clearly moving in my life, and to do that every single day in a tangible way has been quite life-giving.

Next, the finance team got the opportunity to help care for some attendees at CedarCreek. We set out to identify people who had given significantly (3+ gifts, $1,000+ total) over the course of 2024 to CedarCreek but had yet to give to the church in 2025. Then, we sent a list of these people to their respective campus pastors, based on their listed home campus in our Rock database. The campus pastors then sent out a care communication to these individuals, checking on their livelihood, encouraging them to get plugged back into what is going on at the Creek, and offering any prayer they may need in their lives right now. Out of this, we received a response from an individual who was going through a rough patch, who really appreciated our concern, and even requested some prayer for their situation. To see this direct ministry opportunity, especially coming from the finance team, was so joyful and inspiring for us, because we do not always get to see how our ministry has a boots-on-the-ground effect on individuals.

In the middle of October, I got the opportunity to go to an event called Man Camp down in Cincinnati, hosted by Crossroads Church, with my Thursday night men’s group that I attend. My brother Noah invited me, and it was a great experience. Our crew had 13 men, we tent camped all weekend, talked around a fire, played some games, listened to some messages, had some worship, and got to experience the whole thing alongside 4,000+ other men. The worship under a huge tent with 4,000 people was truly a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience, and I have a photo of it attached to this blog post. Many guys had breakthroughs, which was the theme of the weekend, and it got capped off by many people getting baptized in the pond right before we left! Some guys and I from our group have already signed up again for next year! Now, our men’s group on Thursday nights seems to be growing quickly, and I am so excited for the ways God is moving and introducing us to a new family almost every week we meet!

I’m continuing to serve on the parking lot team at Perrysburg, as well as the vocal team at West Toledo. I am meeting new people all the time and am grateful for the people who have continued to help me get plugged in to what God is doing in Northwest Ohio. Jesus has a unique way of bringing me on the lifechanging adventure with Him, as He also does with you. The sooner we choose to fully surrender to His Will and step into adventure, the more fulfilling our lives will be. Again, I am so thankful for all of you and the ways you have been uniquely wired to help people like me, who are in a stage of life where they must rely on the generosity and kindness of others to make it through. By the grace of God, though, people like you continue to step into that calling and make sure that the younger generation is equipped to be impactful leaders for Christ in this broken world. So, know that your role is very valuable, it is unique, it is appreciated, and God, your heavenly father, is smiling down on you, more than you’ll ever know. Thank you for saying yes to my invitation to join me on this journey, where Christ can be glorified in a fresh new way! Have a great day!

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

1 Corinthians 4:20 “For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.”

James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

Hello! I hope you have all had a great month!

First, I want to say thank you to the multitude of people, including you, who have helped me improve and continue to be successful this month!

Right before September began, all the staff got to help with our DreamTeam Launch event, where we help celebrate and provide vision to all our volunteers here at CedarCreek Church. The evening consisted of encouraging messages, prayer, worship, and sending the team off into the community to carry out the Great Commission. The attached photo shows me greeting people at the door of the event!

I am becoming accustomed to the typical rhythm of the finance department, which usually centers around counting giving and creating reports to be sent out, among other things. Mondays are busy for the finance team, but it is typically the most consistent day from week to week. I have had some other tasks as well, like: assess communications sent to first and second time givers, create a quarterly giving report, shadow operations of the logistics department, review audit reports, view a webinar on generosity and stewardship, come up with ideas on implementing stewardship principles within staff culture, become acclimated with staff culture values, analyze a report on how Christians are handling their finances across the USA, research scripture on giving and generosity, help lead Monday morning count team, lead a devotional for the count team, lead journal questions at the beginning of an intern class on Tuesday afternoon, review other financial reports, etc.

Also, maybe the most exciting thing this month is that I joined the DreamTeam for the first time! I have had two weekends when I helped greet people in the parking lot at the Perrysburg campus, and I had one weekend where I got to shadow the arts team at the West Toledo campus. For the arts team, I am a vocalist, so I sang some backup vocals on stage, and am looking forward to more opportunities for that in the future.

To cap off the month, the interns are taking a trip to Chicago! I am writing this blog prior to our trip, but I know that it will consist of great conversations, a Cubs game at Wrigley Field, some dinner reservations, The Bean, a visit to Willow Creek Church, coaching from The Table Group for our Working Geniuses, and adventures in a van.

Romans 15:13

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Galatians 5:22-23

Colossians 3:23

May you all be blessed!

Hello to you all!

Where do I begin? I think to say that my life has completely changed its course over this last month would be an understatement. From all the new people, new rhythms, new work environments, and new experiences, life is changing for the better. As some of you may know, I just finished my 4 years of undergrad, so this is my first year in the full-grown adulting phase. CedarCreek has made this transition quite enjoyable.

At our intern class once a week, we have been doing a deep dive on what it means to be a great team player, a great leader, and how to effectively communicate. In my specific role in the finance and business administration offices, my supervisor Bryan Dickman has been doing a great job exposing me to all their operations, providing me the space to ask great questions, the time to occasionally get some hands-on experience, and the intentionality of giving me valuable feedback. 

In my personal life, positive change has been sparked by a few things. Firstly, my mentor for the intern program is Rick Watson, and he has helped motivate me and give me valuable advice about life overall and how to establish effective habits in my day. I am now on the journey of establishing a quality morning routine because of Rick's mentorship. Secondly, the interns, along with most of the church staff and some members of the public, recently attended an event at CedarCreek called the Global Leadership Summit. The attached image on this blog shows all of the interns who attended the summit at the Perrysburg campus (apologies to Gabby, who was at the Findlay campus watching the same conference). At the summit, one point from Craig Groeschel's message stood out to me and helped spark life change, similar to Rick. He talked about keystone habits, which are the little things that, when done correctly and consistently, will transform your life and leadership over time, resulting in many other positive things. For me, this change was to consistently make time to read scripture right before bed. This has transformed my ability to be at peace at night and to calm my mind before I sleep.

Our finance department helps to impact the efficiency of operations and management of resources within the church. We may not be the people you see greeting you at the door on the weekends, but we help the church run well, which in turn helps our guests encounter Jesus in a more powerful way, guests like Angela. Angela just got baptized at the West Toledo campus. She is stepping away from the life of chaos and addiction that she has known her whole life. After a teenage pregnancy, abuse from loved ones, substance abuse, and the death of her mother, she finally decided to look for belonging in the right places, starting with her mother's bible. When she surrendered her whole life to Christ, everything changed! With the help of the Lord, the community of fellow believers at CedarCreek, and our Kids/Student Ministries, she is looking to break the cycle of toxic generations in her family and help lead her 4 children to a life lived with the Lord, just as she is living now! Praise God for Angela and people like her!

With your support to CedarCreek, you help make life-change like Angela's possible. Thank you for choosing to be a part of the story that God is writing, and thank you specifically for choosing to be a part of my story. The generosity of the church and the grace of God have fueled revival for generations, and it will not stop now! May the Lord be with you always, and may the Holy Spirit empower you to carry out His will for your life today. Have a great day!