After Day 2 of Master's Commission Staff Retreat

Fun observations after Day 2 of MC Staff Retreat

Nothing beats having a staff truly "for each" other, where you celebrate strengths, shore up weaknesses and major on the majors. We genuinely love and like to be with each other.

We fight for our students and each other.

You can't improve until you are willing to voice what's not working. Hitting the pause button to reflect makes us better. This year was AMAZING, next year will be even more so.

Our calendar is nuts. Balancing the Master's Commission world, with Oxygen's Youth & Young Adult Ministry, the Tabernacle Church, Jeanne's traveling schedule, Cadre and Youth Leader's Coach would cause most to tremble in fear. I remember thinking 3 years ago when I started, "Is this even possible?" Now it's normal. It's made me better and in relentless pursuit of keeping only the things on my plate that no one else can do.

My people observation is that when we hit an area that we are passionate about, our voices change. It's pretty funny, cool and scary at the same time.

Meet The AMAZING Chris Infalt

Chris is flat out amazing. She is pictured here with her husband Dave and oldest son Mike. Here are 10 things you need to know about Chris.

1. Before our Youth Leader's Coach days, she was my friend and will always be. She was my right hand ... and left hand ... at Granger. She encourages me in my writing and to pace myself ... one of which I appreciate (haha).
2. Her and I are hard-to-beat as Euchre partners (if you don't know what Euchre is, you're probably not from IN, IL or MI). Likely because she's worked with me so long she pretty much can read my mind.
3. She is an incredible mom and wife. She has 3 sons I adore and 1 husband that I think the world of, who too watches out for me.
4. If all of that weren't enough, she single-handedly took customer service from about a 5 to a 10 at Youth Leader's Coach. She is the voice, email and smile behind making our resources look good and helping us enter the digital age, alongside the dynamic duo, Brett and Terrence.
5. She puts up with me and all my OCD and perfectionistic tendencies.
6. She is full of grace, grace, grace when life gets the best of me and I can't email or call back right away.
7. She answers my calls, whether it's at 7 a.m. or 7 p.m. (I try not to call after 9 p.m. to be nice). She knows life in Atlanta doesn't always hit "office hours."
8. She preached at her mom's funeral, which, in part, gave me the courage to do my dad's.
9. She is an armor-bearer like no other.
10. She enables me to do what I do, without her I would not and could not.

Just thought you should meet her.

Meet The Assistants

The 3 people you see above, well those 3 people kept my world glued together this year. Learning to navigate multiple ministries at the same time (Cadre, Source/YLC/website, Alliance, Middle School, Childrens Ministry, MC Atlanta 3rd year Interns and the Accounting Department) has been fun, horrible, wonderful and challenging at the same time. Next year, after I empower a few more people along the way, I add on support staff discipleship.

Let me introduce them to you...

Ben - Lead Assistant (4th year support staff) - Some of my fondest memories with Ben have been our late night conversations. He is a quiet giant. Ben doesn't talk a ton, but when he does, everyone listens...everyone. He has huge influence and walks with enormous amounts of integrity. His calm nature brings peace to a room, regardless of the circumstance going on within it. Ben is going to go rock the world somewhere next year doing ministry or playing basketball.

Bridget - She is an administrative giant that might stand 5'2" at best. She knows how I like things done and delievers. Bridget doesn't mind doing the spreadsheets and putting notebooks together...for that I am incredibly grateful. In other words, she understands the glamorous and non-glamorous parts of ministry and is great with all of it. She also makes me laugh, which I am always in need of. She isn't coming back next year, but the girl will always be near and dear to my heart.

Jordan - Jordan loves to do everything I hate, especially phone calls. I think I have a phone phobia, Jordan does not. He always makes me feel like a million bucks by telling everyone he has the "best boss in the world." I thought Jeanne and I loved the Cadre the most, but I think Jordan is in the running. Not once have I ever seen him in a bad mood. He is blasted consistant, which I love and value. Thankfully, Jordan will be back for a 3rd year.

All 3 of my assistants have been AMAZING armor bearers this year. I know they are "for me." They know I am "for them" and will fight for them. They bring peace and joy to my world. I told them at our final lunch together that, with such different personalities, the fact that we still love each other well at the end of the year is incredible. I wasn't sure if I could have 3 assitants without drama, but have had ZERO drama between them and me all year long. They make my day, world and universe.

Meet Master's Commission Atlanta Graduating Class of 2009-2010

I've don't think I've ever invested more spritually, mentally and emotionally in a group of people. Watching them leave, knowing some of them aren't returning, has been painful. The only thing helping me to survive is knowing God has greater days ahead for all of us.

Meet the Interns

The hightlight of my year was my time spent with the interns and support staff (or as the guys call themselves, manterns). Their last official day is tomorrow, when most of them will go off and do ministry in some other part of the country. It will be a sad (but happy) day for me. One of them left yesterday and it nearly ripped my heart out. I guess that's a sign of investment and heart deposit. I am beyond proud of them. If I had the money, I would hire all of them.

Today they gave me the coolest token ever (a machete) with a tag (tied with raffia of course) that reads "Thanks for cutting through the pretenses of ministry and preparing the way for our ministry success. You taught us both the pragmatics and heart of what a God honoring ministry should look like. We are better, stronger and braver becasue your machete has gone before us! THE INTERNS OF 2009-2010

Among other things, I challenged them this year to be grateful people who know what it means to live under authority ... so glad it was, is and will continue to become more and more a part of their dna. They are beyond good, they're AMAZING!