What an amazing weekend!!!

I almost can’t believe that it is over…Easter has been in our hearts, in our minds, and in our planning for months now and yesterday at 5pm we had our last Easter service for 2007. As weird as this may sound I am a little sad that it is over…scary, I know, but there is just something I can’t put into words about serving at a church on Easter or Christmas…it’s monumental, it’s exciting, it’s life change, it’s just indescribable.

I actually had a hard time going to sleep last night I was still so pumped up about everything, and even still today I have so many “stories” in my head, so many great moments to talk about, that it seems like it is waiting to “burst” out.

I have read through all the other staff members BLOG’s this morning, Pastor Troy, Stephanie, Pastor Sammy, Pastor Brian, and each of them have already talked about some of their Easter highlights, so jump on over to their BLOG’s as well to hear it from their words. I particularly liked Pastor Brian’s #8 on his list from the weekend…

Here’s a few highlights from my eyes…

1) My youngest son, Bailey, served at all the services…Bailey sang in the Kids Praise Team and they did an amazing interpretive dance to “My Redeemer” that had me in the back of the auditorium crying. It was so touching to sit there and watch my son, the other praise team kids, and the kids in the audience participating to with this song and raising their arms in reverance to God! It gives me chill bumps just writing it now…GREAT JOB Charlotte, Jackie, and Kathy for a rockin’ Children’s Easter service.

2) My oldest son, Nick, served at the services as a Check In Host for the Preschool Ministry. We just rolled out (last week) our new automated check in system (called FLAMINGO ONE) and we are training new volunteers and teenagers how to check in the families as they come into the church! He loves computers and has a few “favorites” in the Toddler classrooms (Cooper and Andy) so he volunteered willingly to help out!

3) The Preschool Ministry “Pink Ladies” rocked it this weekend! A few of the girls from the Leadership Team volunteered to be here at all the services, so I hooked them up with the Tie Dyed Pink Flamingo Road T-Shirts (thanks to Espy) and we all wore them this weekend so we could easily spot each other around campus (which worked by the way!). (I am sure I will be posting some pics from the Pink Ladies…we took a few pics around campus)

4) We hit an ALL TIME high in the Preschool Ministry for a holiday weekend…we are right around 950…which is amazing since the Preschool Ministry only has children from 12 weeks – PreK-4.

5) The worship at Cooper City (which I am sure it was at all the campuses…our Worship Pastors are just that good!) was off the charts!!! I “snuck” into the back each and every time they sang “He Lives!”…which by the way, was nothing short of amazing…I was standing in the back cheering you guys on…rock strong Worship Team!!!

6) The First Impressions Team really owned it this year…they were everywhere…every time I turned around there was someone there with a smile and a bulletin…great job Mel N.

7) The Preschool Ministry volunteer team really knocked my socks off this Easter. We had so many people serve for multiple services, make signs, make goodie bags, come in and take time away from their job to help out, and each of them did it with a “Whatever it Takes” attitude…we are so blessed to have some out of this world volunteers!!!

Preschool Ministry Facts…
500 goodie bags for 2/3/4 year olds
200 goodie bags for Babies/Toddlers
1800 white lights
2000 Easter Eggs
1900 Hershey’s Kisses
1200 Bunny Tails packets made
20 bags of Easter grass
40 bags of mini marshmellows
360 Easter Eggs hung from White Lights in halls
32 volunteers in one day putting it all together
6 Walkie Talkies
40 Parent Pagers
only 3 parents that needed to be contacted
950+ in the Preschool Ministry over the EASTER holiday
= one amazingly unforgettable weekend!!!