Hello and welcome to this month's blog post!
This month was filled with many new experiences for me and I have fully immersed myself into the internship and have gotten used to the weekly schedule.
Wrapping up the end of last month, the church held an event called DreamTeam Launch. This is an event where DreamTeam members across all campuses came together at the Perrysburg campus to celebrate the progress the church has made, and cast vision for what is to come. We spent time playing games, eating, worshiping, and listening to a brief but impactful message. This was a great event that set the tone for what the rest of the year will look like for the church.
At the beginning of every month at CedarCreek we celebrate baptisms. This month, during the Saturday night service, I got the privilege of stepping into the tub to help baptize people. This was an opportunity that I never imagined I would experience and I am super grateful to have opportunities like this through my internship. Watching how God has moved in people's lives and seeing them take their next step in faith through baptism was truly inspiring. I can't wait to see how He continues to write their story and I feel so blessed to have played even a small role in their spiritual journey. On Sunday morning, I got to serve alongside the baptism team as a baptism buddy for those taking their next step in faith through baptism. Through this experience, I got to meet several new people and hear their stories. It was deeply touching that they were willing to share their testimonies with me and allow me to stand alongside them on such a special day. I am excited to see where God leads them on their journey and look forward to watching their continued growth. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity this month and to see firsthand how God is transforming lives through baptism.
During the month, I have also had the opportunity to serve alongside the guest services team and prayer team. This experience has shown me how these ministries relate to the mission of the church, introduce people to Jesus and the life changing adventure with Him. At guest services, I learned all about how to welcome new guests. If a new guest comes to the guest services desk, we give them an "I Am New" bag that has a notebook, pen, and water bottle in it. We also have them register in our app and create an account. Lastly, if they don't already have a Bible, we offer them a Bible that they can keep as their own. These are just a few simple ways we help to make new guests feel welcome and comfortable, encouraging them to take next steps and return the following week. Also at the guest services desk, we offer paper copies of our "Living It Out" for the series. This is offered for those who would prefer a paper copy and encourages next steps beyond just attending weekend services. Another ministry I got to shadow one weekend was the prayer team. This is a team of volunteers who stand at the prayer cross at the end of service offering prayer to those who want or need it. This ministry helps people feel cared for and heard. The goal of this team is to provide prayer and help people continue their spiritual journey and grow in their faith.
Lastly, this month ended with a trip to Chicago. The intern class along with some CedarCreek staff spent the past weekend in Chicago. Here, we went to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field, went to the Lego store, tried Chicago style pizza, visited Willow Creek Church, visited Jackie, a friend of CedarCreek's, to work through our Working Genius assessment, and just mainly spent time getting to know each other and having great discussions. I had never been to any church besides CedarCreek, so it was really nice to be able to experience Willow Creek and see how a different church operates. While at Willow Creek, I got to spend time with their student ministries. While this is not the ministry my internship is in, I do serve with students on Wednesday nights at CedarCreek, so I do have a connection with them. I enjoyed seeing how Willow Creek runs their student ministries compared to CedarCreek. Throughout the trip, I enjoyed learning more about my fellow interns and creating better friendships with them. I can't wait to see what the rest of the year brings our group.
Thank you so much for following along on this journey with me and I can't wait to continue sharing my progress with you in the upcoming months.