Something Sweet...

There are days when one just craves some good old ice cream with friends far or near, while sitting on a field of green, green grass. It was one of those days- sorta. My prima Kristy is in Orlando- she joined us with her popsicle. My sister is in Dade county- she joined us with some vanilla ice cream in a mug. And I'm here in Broward- joining them with a little strawberry sorbet. Yup, we are all in different areas, near, far, working & doing life.... but we came together to share some sweetness. I love you girls. You deserved that ice cream all the way!

Proverbs 17:17a- "A friend loves at all times.."
Proverbs 17:22a- "A cheerful heart is good medicine.."

Recap Weekend & a Little More...

Just a quick recap of this past Sunday at Flamingo Road Church Kids Doral. We had record time for setup and tear down. Great job to all the Life Changers who made it possible!
My friend Gio is interning with us until the end of December as our Praise Team Coordinator. She had her first meeting this past Sunday with parents and kids. She recruited several parents to SERVE!!! How exciting!! I actually spoke to a mom today about it and she is so grateful for the blessing the Church has been to her and her family that she said she would serve wherever needed,not just in praise team. Praise the Lord! Love to see God use other people- Gio thank you!!!!
After church, we had our Life Development: Family Movie Day. Though not many families came, this time, God sent the right ones into our arms. Thank you to the Lema's for opening their incredible home of love for our families. There were some leadhers there ministering to other moms. It was off the charts. The kids made 3D glasses, home made mini pizzas, enjoyed plenty of sweets, played, and watched
The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl.
Someone reminded me that it doesn't matter how many people we expect to come out to an "event", sometimes God just sends the right number of folks that need a Hug, Prayer, Encouragement or just some good ole', plain fun. Thank you Jesus for using us- with all our failures, tiredness, etc. Help me and others who have been entrusted with your Sheep to love them and lead them closer to You.
And as I close, FRC Kids Doral is having an Attendance and Friend Contest. At check in, we want our kids to fill out their name on a ticket and drop it in a box. For every visitor they bring, they can add another ticket. They have until November 8th to throw in as many tickets as possible to win the prize. The contest prize: WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE book AND MAX the plush toy. So come and invite! That's all for today. Goodnight! ;)

The G Offering...

At the end of our series Heroes and Villains, every ministry participated in the G Offering? This was our Generosity offering campaign [for lack of better wording]. Here at Flamingo we have a heart for the LOST in this world. We have a huge God vision: 50 campuses, 100,000 people, and 150,000,000 budget. As we all know that to do a lot of things [and sometimes really big things] it takes the M word= money. None of us really like talking about it, or hearing about it. But we were all challenged to give an extra offering [aside from our tithe] to be a part of a bigger picture- to go beyond Me. It wasn't about equal giving, but equal SACRIFICE. Thank you to everyone who gave joyfully and sacrificially.

Well, our kids at FRC Kids Doral blew my mind away. Kids came in with jugs of pennies, $5.00 bills, envelopes with checks of $100.00,and plenty of change. Thank you for the parents that prayed together as a family and obeyed God's nudge and are taking the time to train their kids in an obedient and Godly manner. Our kids contributed almost $400.00 to the G Offering. Way to go FAMILIES!!! God will use everyone's sacrifice/obedience in big ways that we could not even begin to understand. HE is a good God. Our Provider. Our Everything!

What a "I Miss You" can do...

At Flamingo Road Church we just concluded our Heroes and Villains series. Hands down, one of my all time favorites. You can always check the teachings out right here. I was challenged to live a life living and choosing to be a hero rather than a villain. We saw 341 baptism. We had record attendance across the board of 12,000 +. God just is moving so huge. I am grateful to be part of the ride.

At FRC Kids Doral we totally had a blast. And for all those families that missed out---- ahhhh----- try not to again. There is just way to much AWESOME stuff that we are learning from GOD'S Word. How amazing is that!!!

Well, as you read the title to this post, I have a great story from this past Sunday. We are trying to be more consistent in writing "We Miss You" cards & Birthday Cards to our kids. This Sunday one of our little second graders came. [He hadn't been with us for almost 2-3 weeks] Right when his mom picked him up, he stopped and asked me, "Did you guys send me a postcard saying you missed me?" I said, "Yes, we did! Did you like it? Did it make you feel special?" The little boy replied back, "Yes, I loved it! Thank you so much for remembering me."

I cannot tell you what I felt at that moment. You see, his parents are separated. That's why we see him on and off. But you should have seen his face. It's like his whole world just lit up. His mom told me later on that he put that postcard right on his wall and would look at it everyday!!! OMG! I could just cry all over again. I share this only because you never know who may need a little encouragement or acknowledgment- whether YOUNG or OLD.

Happy Early Birthday Heredes.. From Christy Lema...

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FRC Life Development Doral Newsletter...

Here is our second newsletter for Heroes and Villains at Flamingo Road Church Doral [life development]. One day I know I'll figure out how to make it much larger. But for now, just click on the newsletter and it will open a new tab where it will appear, I hope, larger. God is doing some mighty great things at our church, especially at our Flamingo Doral Campus. 18 folks were baptized at the beach!!! Grateful for every "life changer" at every ministry there. Enjoy!


P.S.: PARENTS!! DON'T FORGET TO COME THIS SUNDAY WITH YOUR KIDS. DON'T MISS OUT.. IT'S JUST WAY TO MUCH FUN GROWING CLOSER TO JESUS!!!! ;)

"Recruiting Secrets"...

Read this great article today on "what really works when it comes to recruiting a great volunteer team." - by Ali Thompson. [article, Recruiting Secrets] I wanted to share my notes.

1. An Invitation: "Wideman says that smart recruiters never apologize for giving people the opportunity to serve, bc you're presenting them with the greatest opportunity they'll ever have aside from following Christ. By giving them the opportunity to serve, you're presenting them with an opportunity to move forward and grow closer to God."
You never want to look desperate.. instead think strategically on how to invite people creatively. Give an invitation a party feel. This one is so simple "not easy", but simple: just ask people personally. "People WANT to be asked." Hey, that happened to me!! I was asked to fill in. ;D Lastly, just go out into the crowd. Just like Jesus, "come follow me." He recruited His disciples.

2. Focus on the Big Picture: Never recruit on duty or guilt. Cast vision: your church and ministry. I should be able to summarize that vision in 30 sec. or less. Help people see their service will have an eternal impact. Oh so true!!

3. Redefine your Church Culture: Our role as the church is to equip the people to serve and use their gifts. How can I do a better job of "equipping, assigning, maximizing and encouraging people."

4. Plan Ahead: Assessment. Wideman, "I don't work on the church that I have, I work on the church that I want to have." Measure your approach and Recruit al the time.

5. Build Relationships that last: This is so true. I need to act on that and find leaders that can do the same. Retaining is recruiting. "If they feel like your friend rather than 'just a volunteer,' they'll want to stick around." Make face-to-face contact, especially on weekend services.

6. Share the load: Pour into key volunteers and equip them to bring others on board.

7. Look in unexpected places: loved this story. One child director observed a couple worshiping during a kids worship time in the service. Saw their excitement, director invited them to serve, and they said yes!! Look into teens as well to serve. ---> yes I love that!!!

8. Pray: This was last in the article, but should be first in our daily life. Recruiting is do ne by faith, not by need. Philippians 4:19: "God will supply all your needs."

Hope you get some stuff out of this... If you lead in kids or any other ministry. I know I need to act and act now!