THRIVE Leadership

I've had an awesome day today. I was part of our regular Creative Meeting this morning for upcoming services....and then spent some time in prayer with a good segment of our church staff right before lunch. 

Our Church staff members made a decision last week to come together regularly each day this week for prayer. We wanted to pray in unity on several consecutive days....believing God for great things to happen at our conference. Its been awesome to see this group of busy, hard working people stop.....pause.....and take some time to really petition God for something significant at Team Church Conference.

I'd like to ask you to join us in this....to take time every day between now and the conference to stop and pray over this event that is sitting on our doorstep. Jesus reminded us to simply ask when we desire to see something happen. He even tells a parable about a visitor at midnight....which shows us that our prayers can be answered even simply because of our persistence! 

So let's all be coming together this week - leading up to a great conference - and let's believe God for a significant conference next week!

Can't wait for this weekend - its going to be great!

Now I'm off to figure out something for lunch!



Brandon Stewart
pastorbrandon7.blogspot.com

This message sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.

Well, this weekend at Church was awesome. Pastor had an incredible message on T.E.A.M. Church - and the kind of Church Champions Centre can be when we come together. If you weren't able to be here this weekend, this is definately one to podcast! 

We had an incredible time of worship this weekend - and we introduced a new song called "With Everything"...it is a new song off the new Hillsong CD "This is Our God.". This song is incredible - it is a prayer for the Church. It has really inspired me in my personal worship times lately - and I was so excited to bring it to the Church this weekend. People really responded...right from the beginning, the Church grabbed it and really started singing it. It was awesome.

I can feel the excitement in the air, as we are now only one week from our annual conference. We've added some new night sessions this year....we've continued our tradition of an awesome night of worship (Hillsong London this year!)...and we've beefed up the pre-conference weekend with a great Sunday night Rally in Bellevue. I just think this conference is going to be awesome.

We're going to be busy and preparing all week for this event...but let's not forget to stop, pray, and believe God for a great event that will refresh Church leaders, inspire young people, and reach many people with the gospel.

Thank you to all the great volunteers that are already beginning to contribute and help to make this event great - you are the true champions of Champions Centre.

Let's get ready for an incredible conference!




Brandon Stewart
pastorbrandon7.blogspot.com

This message sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.

We're about a week and a half out from our annual Team Church Conference, and the closer this event gets, the more excited I get about what God is going to do in the lives of people that are at the event. I hope you're planning to be there.

The purpose of this conference is to inspire people in their God-given purpose and mandate - to build the local Church, which is the hope of the world. There is nothing we can do in life that is more in line with Christ than to love and build the House of God.

This past weekend I was thinking about the Church, and this verse came to mind....
John 17:1 NIV - "After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed..."

Here we see Jesus praying....praying for himself, the disciples and all that would follow (the Church). This chapter shows the incredible heart of Jesus - and his most passionate prayers the night before he was crucified.  He prayed that his Church would be one...unified in purpose and passion. He prayed that we would truly rise up as light to the world, pointing people toward the One Way. 

My question for you today...
What is your prayer for the church today?  Is it that people would experience freedom?  Is it thankfulness for your salvation?  Is it for breakthrough for people?  Is it that the Church would rise up and deliver hope and answers to the world?

I'd like to ask you to do something. Join me over the next two weeks leading up to Team Church Conference. Spend time in prayer each day, and pray around this topic...."My prayer for the church today is....". Take that topic...pray it out....and believe in prayer with me that our upcoming conference would be a week where Church leaders would be inspired to true greatness.

Share your prayer with me - and let's join together to see the Cause of Jesus Christ move forward in our city.

I hope your signed up to be part of the conference coming up, either as a full time delegate, or as a volunteer. If you need more info on how to get involved, just let me know.

Have a great week guys!

This morning I watched my brother run a triathlon race, while we are here in Lake Chelan. Wow. You've no doubt seen the Ironman triathlon from Hawaii on TV (the full length race), but if you've never been to a race like this in person - I'd encourage you to check one out.  It is so inspiring to see people giving this sport their all, and finishing strong.

My brother ran an "olympic distance" race today, which is essentially a quarter of a full length Ironman. Quite an accomplishment, especially considering it was being finished just before noon in 80+ degree heat!

Being at this race causes me to admire people who also run well the race of life. In the New Testament, Paul referred to our lives as a race, and encouraged us to "run to win.". We all face times and seasons in life that can serve to discourage us - but we should always keep the prize in mind, and run our race well for God.  With the right training, attitude, perseverance and faith, God can do an incredible work in our lives.

On another note, my family is all considering participating in the Nike+ 10k race coming up on August 31st called the "Human Race.". It is a race that will take place simultaneously in 24 cities around the world - our closest race is in Vancouver, BC. If schedules work out right, I'm considering running in it (it is on a Sunday, but in the late evening).  Anyone interested in joining?  If so, let's chat soon - hit me up for more info.

Have an incredible weekend. All of you at home back at Champions Centre, make it an off the charts weekend!  Only two weeks until Team Church Conference. 

I'm getting very excited for our upcoming Team Church Conference, happening in under three weeks (I can't believe it is already that close - this time of year always sneaks up on me!). Instead of sitting here allowing my head to spin on everything I have to do before the conference arrives, I'm remembering why I enjoy this event every year. 

Every year at the conference the teaching is awesome, worship is off the charts, and new relationships are formed and strengthened.

When I look back on my experience growing up in our Church, I can see many defining moments in my life - people, events and experiences that shaped me into the person I am today. Many of these key times in my life we our annual youth camps. These were times where we would take time out of the summer to get away, build new relationships, and worship God with all we had.  And in those times we pursued God, He really did a work in us....corporately and individually.

The most impacting thing about those events....(hold on, folks....this is going to be deep!)....is that I was there.  I was present. I was in attendance at them!  I was impacted by God, but that wouldn't have happened if I was absent.  Its not like I would have had a make-up session if I wasn't there.  By simply being at the camp, I positioned myself to receive something incredible from God.

I hope that you're positioning youself to be part of Team Church Conference (or 252 Conference - whichever applies!).  That week promises to be an incredible time in God's presence, receiving wisdom for our lives. 


Brandon Stewart

This message sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.

It is Tuesday Morning, and I'm sitting in a meeting room here at the Church offices waiting for our weekly creative team meeting to begin (with the typical latte in hand). This is our once a week meeting with Pastor where we come together to strategically and creatively plan our upcoming services and teaching series. (Wow - that was a mouthful)

It is funny to me that I attend a Creative Meeting. As if creativity could be confined to a meeting or an agenda. In fact, we notice our meetings often run long - or the discussion continues long after the meeting has ended. I love this meeting because it feels like I am doing something I was created to do - CREATE!

Genesis 1:27 NIV - "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him..."

As Ed Young has said (countless times probably), we are created in the image of our creative creator! We are created to create! Now, you may not consider yourself a creative person. But I guarantee you that you are fitted from the inside out with creativity - in the image of God.

God also wants to create something in you and I today. In fact, in Psalm 51:10 we see David's cry to God to "Create in me a pure heart, O God...". If we are open and receptive, God wants to create something new in us today!

God, today let me see how I can approach life and ministry with creativity. Let me usher in the new things you want to do in my life, and not become reliant on the past, for that takes no creativity whatsoever. May I bless the world around me with a fresh heart and spirit.

My personal action steps for today...
1. Find a creative way to invest into a young leader
2. Find a creative way to bless someone with a gift
3. Tackle a challenge with fresh passion and creativity.

Thanks for reading this today. I've returned to the blogging world, and you'll be hearing much more from me from here on out...

Be blessed today