Another month complete!

October has been a great month in the Art's ministry, filled with two big services. At the beginning of the month I had the pleasure of producing our 30-year anniversary service! Can you believe that CedarCreek has been around for 30 years?! The service was filled with a beautifully filmed documentary that captured the story and purpose of the church. For those of you that have been around since the beginning of the church, how much did you love getting to worship to Sing Sing Sing again!? And what better way to wrap up our 30-year service then with baptisms! We experienced 5 baptisms at the Whitehouse campus that weekend! Over the entire 30-year weekend, CedarCreek as a whole experienced 87 people dedicate their life to Christ that weekend! Which brings us to a total of 639 baptisms at CedarCreek just this year alone (not counting November!) Last year we had a total of 443 baptism at this time. This puts us 44% ahead of last years baptisms at this time, how incredible is that! In the middle of the month, all of us interns planned a trip to visit Cedar Point for their Halloweekend..... As someone who DOES NOT enjoy being scared, I was very grateful for Lori letting me borrow her light up necklace to keep the scary people away from me..... Wrapping up this month with one of my favorite services, Halloweekend! I produced the service at the Whitehouse campus again this year, but DID NOT set off the fire alarm this year!! VICTORY!

We went on a few other fun trips this month besides Cedar Point. Cindy Casey lead us on a day retreat at the 5-7-7 foundation were we did an in depth study of the six spiritual disciplines. We got to spend time together with all of the interns and our mentors, but more importantly we grew stronger in our faith! We took a trip to the Huntington Center towards the end of this month were we got to learn from Jason Jones. He works with a company called Live Nation, where he gets assigned to different shows and touring productions being their production manager. We got to see what he does and who he gets to work with, and also got to ask questions about how his life at CedarCreek influences his work there.

Can you believe that we are already in the month of November? You know what that means..... CHRISTMAS IS HERE!! You might be thinking that we have to get through thanksgiving first... but lets be real here.... IT IS CHRISTMAS TIME! The central team has already been planning and working on the Christmas services for months, and now it is our turn to start prepping. Alexa and I have been talking multiple times a week about Christmas. So as far as I am concerned, turn on the Christmas music, bake those snow flake cookies, and put up those lights! Because in the words of Mariah Carey... "IT'S TIMEeEeEeEe!"

This month I have been working in strengthening my skills in programming the software we use for lyrics and slides on the screens at the campuses. I have been asked to step into programming this for the entire At The Movies series! I also recently stepped in to learning how to program the lighting for all of CedarCreek. It has been an exciting journey and I am looking forward to growing in these skills through out the rest of my internship!

This month I am celebrating quite a few things! First, I am celebrating the success of all of the Super Awesome Special Services! We made it through 30-year and Halloweekend without any projectors dying or in ear packs falling into toiles (If you know you know...)! Second I am celebrating my growth, spiritually and as a leader! This internship has given me multiple tools and opportunities to step in and grow, that way I can help others grow in the same areas! Third, I am celebrating Mia. Mia is someone that hasn't been to church since they were young. I invited her to our 30-year, and Halloweekend service, and now she is rearranging her work schedule to make sure she can come to church on the weekends, and high school mid week on Wednesdays!

I would appreciate prayers for the following!

• Finishing my first semester of college strong
• Making it through this busy SASSY season without any major sicknesses
• Growth in my leadership, and spiritual practices
• Allowing God to use me to grow others in their love of Jesus Christ

This Months Song: Breakthrough - Red Rocks Worship

VERSE 1

VERSE 2 

CHORUS

VERSE 3

BRIDGE

Can you believe 70 days have come and gone already?!

September was filled with so many great memories and events!

Ben Snyder, Lauren Snyder, Cody Scroggins, Cindy Casey, and all of the interns took a trip to Chicago! Our first stop was at Wrigley Field, where we witnessed the Cubs win against the Cardinals. From there, we went and visited the famous Cloud Gate, more formally known as THE BEAN! We spent some time walking around downtown, where we got some snacks from Garrett's Popcorn and the doughnut shop next door. On our way to the LEGO store, we found the Chicago Harry Potter shop! We didn't even know there was a Harry Potter shop in Chicago! On our way out of the LEGO store, Cody may or may not have gotten us lost in the mall when we were on a time crunch to eat at Gino's East.... 

On Sunday, we visited Willow Creek Community church, and met Jackie Glass at her house, where we worked through our different working Genesis. I found out that my two working geniuses are tenacity, and inventive. Also known as IT.... get it..... IT..... I'm in production..... It's funny!! Meaning that I have a strong ability to come up with ideas and problem solve, and strive to get things done. While we were at Jackie's house, we met Joyce and Tobias. They have been married for 16 years and have 2 children. They lived in a different country when they felt God telling them to go help plant and support churches around the world. They helped plant a church in London and Florida, and helped support many other churches throughout their journey. Joyce and Tobias came to the United States to visit for a few weeks, and then COVID hit, and they have been here ever since. Their story helped me, and many others, understand that you will learn obedience by taking the path that God lays down for you. That you can not be at the center of God if you are trying to plan your future. You have to always trust him and his plan, and attempting to change it will only lead you further away to God. There was so much more to their story that I couldn't do justice to by writing it down. To say that we left Jackie's house inspired and motivated to bring people closer to Jesus is an understatement.

We left early Monday morning to come back to Toledo. But instead of watching a show or reading a book like most people do on the ride home, we all talked. We talked about everything we experienced during our trip, and the current and future state of the church.

Overall, the trip was so much fun, and we all had so much fun spending time together over the weekend 

This Month's Song: Move Of God - SEU Worship

VERSE

We've come for a move of God - What does it look like for God to move within your life?

We've come for the Holy One

All we want, all we hunger for is You - Where in your life do you feel hungry for God right now?”

We've come with expectant hearts - Where in your life are you excited to see God move?

Undone, knowing who You are

Lord, we long for what only You can do - What is something in your life that you’re holding onto or worrying about that only God can change or do?”

Holy Spirit come like

Make us desperate,

tear our idols down - What are some Idols that are blocking us from getting closer to God?

We're repentant, this is

still Your house

Yeah, You meant it when You said

You'd pour Your Spirit out - How is God pouring his spirit into you?

So we sing Holy Spirit come like

CHORUS

like fire on the altar

Fresh wind blowing through

We're gonna stay here

until we encounter You - Where have you recently encountered God's presence?

Make us an offering - What do you feel like you need to offer up to God today?

make us an upper room

We're gonna stay here

until we encounter

BRIDGE

We need a move of God - Where do you think that you NEED God to move in your life?

We need a move of God

We need a move of God

We're hungry, we're desperate

Lord, open the Heavens

We need a move of God

We need a move of God

We need a move of God

We're hungry, we're desperate

Lord, open the heavens

Hello all!

Top 3 GLS Takeaways:

1. In order to be a great leader, you have to be an ALLY...

• A- Ask
• L- Listen
• L- Learn
• Y- You take action

But in order to be an ALLY,  you have to EARN it...

• E- Establish a healthy environment for all to participate
• A- Alignment, how does our company strive?
• R- Rally the troops! 
• N- Navigate

2. Did you know that only 3% of life's problems are dangerous? That 3% consists of lions, tigers, bears (oh my) and death. The remaining 97% of life's problems are mindset-related! Planing is just visiting the future and taking notes for when you get back.

3. The 4 laws to get along and connect with people in the workplace.

1. Value Visibly → Respect people’s time & ideas.
2. Communicate Carefully → Be clear, thoughtful, and pick the right channel.
3. Collaborate Confidently → Focus on impact, not extra meetings.
4. Trust Totally → Foster honest conversations & informal connections.

During our Tuesday intern classes this month we have been learning the difference between 3 different types of leadership.

1. Leading up - Leading by supporting others
2. Leading Laterally - Leading by bringing everyone on the same level
3. Leading down - Leading by giving tasks and motivating others to do things that might be out of their comfort zone

One of the other big things we talked about is the power of great questions. Asking great questions is what helps you become a better leader. "Questions are not a sign of weakness; it's a sign of wisdom. Your willingness to grow reflects on your willingness to learn." - Craig Groeschel

Currently, in my internship, I am learning the process of setting up and programming a weekend service. This month I have been working with Sean McGee on how to set up Propresenter for all of the satellite campuses. Propresenter is the software we use to display everything you see on the screens in the auditorium on the weekend. Next month I will be working with the central lighting designers on the programming of the lighting for the weekend.

Thank you to some people who I have been working with, and who have been encouraging me along the way of my internship. The internship director, Lauren Snyder, Mentor Trent Paul, and Supervisor Matt Gorey. But most important, YOU!! It is your help and support that makes it possible for me to bring people closer to Jesus and the life-changing adventure with him!

This Month's Song: Make Room - The Church Will Sing

VERSE

Here is where I lay it down
Every burden every crown - What burden or crown am I holding onto that I need to surrender to God?
This is my surrender
This is my surrender

Here is where I lay it down - What area of my life am I still trying to control that I need to lay down to God and let him take control?
Every lie and every doubt - What lies or doubts have I been believing that I need to surrender to God?
This is my surrender

CHORUS

And I'll make room for you - Reflecting on your schedule will show what you truly value. What does your schedule reveal? Have you made room for God in your schedule? What habits or distractions do I need to let go of so I can put Jesus first?
To do whatever you want to
To do whatever you want to

BRIDGE

ENDING