Closing Out 2006 reflections (LONG POST)

2006 was an incredible year for me, our family, and Palm Valley Church. It was a year of some great high’s and great low’s, lessons learned, growth opportunities, huge celebrations, strengthened relationships, and so much more. Here’s some random recap thoughts from the past year…

• Having a baby girl is incredible. After 3 boys (whom I love madly), this little girl has stolen my heart. I never could have imagined the difference. She’s daddy’s little girl, and I love that. Can’t believe she’s almost 1!
• I think I grew more as a leader this year than ever in my life. Made some very tough decisions (which I’d make again), but often felt alone on an island, even though I knew I was doing the right thing.
• I’m addicted to life change. I love watching people who are far from God enter into a relationship with Him. I saw a lot of that this year at PVC, and it reminds me every time why I do what I do.
• I’m thankful for some great pastors whom I count as mentors…Rick Warren (changed my ministry vision 9 years ago), Ed Young (Ed was there for me in a big way this year, thanks!) and Don Wilson (one of the most awesome pastors I know).
• I’m thankful for other pastors I’ve counted as friends…Gary (who is a brother to me, I’d do anything for the guy), Troy, Scott, Trev, and Steve. It’s fun being in the trenches with others who have like vision!
• I’m thankful for some new pastor friendships this year: Perry is like a long lost brother, I just love the guy. He’s got huge vision, and the conviction to live it out. Tony is simply strategic, and I love the wisdom he shares (my favorite blog hands-down), this Tony whom I think is way too cool (one of the funniest guys I’ve met), and Tadd, I can’t wait to see what God does at Pine Ridge this year.
• My favorite teaching series this year…Snapshots of the Savior (who is Jesus?), and Made, which was a very unique and I think life-changing series, and Don’t Fight Naked; just loved the title.
• I love the staff at Palm Valley Church. I’ve seen so much growth in each of them this year; and I love being in the office every day. Very few people know how much work it takes to have a portable church of 2,000, but this crew gives everything they’ve got. I really do love you all!
• The office gals at PVC are incredible. They make the office fun, and they spread joy to everyone. I swear the FedEx and UPS guys look forward to stopping at our place just because of the reception they get.
• I’ve got two incredible assistants. Julie’s been with me for 7 years (started as a volunteer) and has the most incredible heart; she’s a true friend. This year I hired my adopted mom, Kathleen, and that’s been awesome. She’s challenged me incredibly, and has taken our team to the next level. She also knows how to keep me in line
• I feel younger at 37 than I did at 27. Losing 50 lbs and establishing a healthy work-out routine has brought me more energy; and I just feel better.
• My 3 boys make me laugh constantly. They’re incredible, and I love being their dad. I can’t wait to see how they impact the world for Christ. I pray they’re fearless!
• I think I became a better story teller this year; which has made me a better preacher. I want to help paint a picture with each message that people can visualize; this helps the message apply and stick longer!
• I realized I need to pray more. I often allow the tyranny of the urgent to crowd this out. I want to hear from God more than anyone else!
• I need to say no more. I get involved in too many things at Palm Valley that aren’t a best use of my time. I need to delegate and trust. By nature I’m a control freak. I need to focus on the things only I can do at the lead pastor.
• I love people who get it. There are so many awesome people at Palm Valley who live by vision and mission, not by selfishness and comfort. It’s a blast to lead people who are focused more on what God wants to do, than what they want for themselves. I especially love older people who get it, and Palm Valley’s full of them, and they’re truly leaving a legacy of faith!
• At the referral of Tony and Perry, I’m reading “Integrity” by Henry Cloud along wtih the other lead staff. Just started, but already challenging.
• Buying an office was a great decision. it’s provided more space and saved us a ton of money, as well as making us more functional. Wish we’d done it sooner.
• Releasing staff is very tough (more on this in another post). I had to do that this year. Each time it was absolutely the right decision for Palm Valley, but I love each of them, so it was hard personally. Never expected the attacks that would result, but it taught me the price of leadership is costly.
• I’m grateful to be the pastor of PVC. Every time someone calls me pastor, it touches my heart. It’s not a title I take lightly (or use often), it’s a privilege. I want to be a great shepherd and leader; it’s a passion in my heart. I never want to forfeit this title through my actions (or inactions).
• Looking at year end #’s this week, Palm Valley had our lowest % growth in 6 years (12% attendance, 10% giving), which is still a great year, but may have been our most significant spiritual growth. I feel like God is preparing us for something BIG in 2007.
• Our Legal Trustees made some huge decisions. I’m thankful for a team that leads with vision, and not fear. When it comes down to budgets/legalities/and the sort, this team always goes back to the vision of Palm Valley Church. I’m thankful I don’t have to do politics. Politics kill churches.
• I need to invest more in the staff. We have a young staff, and they deserve my time and mentorship. I’d go to war any day with these guys & gals; but it’s my job to help prepare them.
• Speaking at RidgeStone Church was cool. As I said, I love Gary, and seeing what God is doing there was a blast for me. They’re going to reach their community for Christ, and tick other churches off in the process
• Visiting NewSpring was off the hook. They’ve grown from 3,000 to 8,000 in the past 18 months; and they flat our rock. Perry, Jason, Lee and their team have insane unity, and God’s blessing is all over that church! They get me excited about building our building.
• Andy Stanley is a flat out leader, and I soak up anything he writes/teaches. A personal highlight of the year was hearing Charles (his dad) teach at the drive conference this year.
• Favorite song of the year: Tell The World by Hillsong United.
• Favorite book of the year: Execution by Larry Bossidy. Every leader should read this. Thanks to Paul Smiley for recommending it.
• Favorite Date: working out with Lori. It’s the best, and cheapest dates we’ve ever had. We talk, work out, and just have a blast.
• Favorite memory: my kids learning they could call me on my cell during the day. I love that they call me over and over just to say “I love you”. Defnitely not good for productivity, but they matter more to me.
• Favorite trip of the year: 7 day caribbean cruise in June. Got to go free (did a guest speaking gig). Lori and I had an absolute blast.
• Favorite bonehead of the year: couple who left our church because I went on a cruise. They don’t think a pastor should live that kind of lifestyle.
• Favorite message I taught: Light, on Christmas Eve. I think it was the best message I’ve ever given. Heard some very cool stories of life change after the service (and I’m talking major life-change).
• Message I wish I could have another shot at: Week 2 of Don’t Fight Naked, got sidetracked and went negative. God used it as a wake up call in my life.
• Favorite TV show of the year: Prison Break, without a doubt!
• Regret: my golf game’s horrible. No time to play and it’s fallen apart. I’ve Got to change that in 2007.
• Favorite movie of 2007: The Pursuit of Happyness. I only saw 2 moview this year, and the other was DaVinci Code.
• Fun time: Went with some friends from our church to the Raiders – Broncos game in Denver. You know I sported my Raiders gear (Stabler throwback) and walked tall in their stadium. Who cares that we lost
• Favorite Restaurant: Grazie at Verrado. Best salad and pizza ever. Eat there now if you haven’t already.
• I love my wife. After 13 years Lori still makes me giddy when she’s with me. I love holding her hand. I can’t believe she’s with me. 4 kids and looking so beautiful. Makes me laugh constantly (she’s clever like that). Best mom I’ve ever seen. She makes me a better person. She supports, and sacrifices for, my vision for Palm Valley Church. I love being with her. She’s a gift from God. She’s superwoman!

Well, that’s probably enough for today Those are my thoughts from 2006, I’ll follow up soon with some vision I have for 2007.

Sickness

Our whole family has been sick this week. The kids have ear infections and colds. Lori and I have sinus infections as well as colds. We all have Pink Eye. Many are running temps, the baby has double ear infections, it’s chaos at the Rohlinger household.

We’ve started on the drugs, so we’re hoping to get better soon. Please pray for us. In retrospect, it’s probably good I’m not preaching this weekend!

Christmas Services Were Awesome

I was blown away by what happened at Palm Valley this weekend, and it reminded me of the potential we have to reach this community for Christ! We had nearly 4,000 people attend 4 services. Beyond that…

• the service rocked. Our creative team did an incredible job putting together all the elements that made the service.
• Derrick is really growing as a worship leader. I’m stoked that in just 7 weeks I’ve seen so much out of him; I’m pumped to see how he grows in 2007.
• Our volunteers went above and beyond. We were fully staffed across the board for all services. It was awesome to see the parking team, greeters, campus hosts, childrens, ushers, refreshements, etc…all doing such an awesome job; and having a blast doing it!
• I loved the message I taught, but I got tired of hearing myself by the fourth time
• It’s fun to have Lori on stage with me, she’s a blast.

I’m so fired up for 2007, I can’t wait! With no services this weekend, I’m chomping at the bit to start the “Good ‘N’ Angry” series on January 6th & 7th. If you live near Palm Valley, you don’t want to miss this crucial teaching series. If you attend PVC, make sure you bring people with you who don’t know Christ, they need to hear this!

Merry Christmas

I want to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas. I pray that you have a wonderful day. To all who attend Palm Valley: thanks for being so incredibly kind and generous to Lori and I and our children.

I truly love leading Palm Valley Church, and as I look back at 2006 I realize how special this church family is. I look forward to an awesome 2007 together!

“I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” –Luke 2

Congratulations RidgeStone

Just got off the phone with Gary, and he was jazzed. RidgeStone Church had nearly 900 people this morning at their Christmas services. That’s about 40% more than their normal Sunday attendance. I’m pumped for “the Stone”, and all God is doing in and through them. Here’s a few extra thoughts…

1) Gary got hammered (by other Christians and pastors) for the rap video they did. But know this, anytime you try something for God that’s different than the norm, you will be hammered. A lot of churches didn’t do anything dangerous this Christmas, and they didn’t reach anybody.

I saw some blogs slamming Gary, and they’re all written by pastors whose churches aren’t growing. I’m proud of Gary for knowing why he does what he does, and having the conviction (guts) to do it. Gary, I got your back, bro!

2) RidgeStone reached a ton of people this week who wouldn’t have been in any other church today. Most churches worry about what Christians are attending what churches, Gary and his crew are committed to reaching people for Christ. I’m pretty sure that the people who invited Christ into their lives today at RidgeStone will be allowed into heaven.

3) We’re all in this together. Churches are not competing against each other. We’re competing together against the world, seeking to bring people back to Christ, and to life through him.

So Gary, and all you other crazy church planters, keep doing insanely dangerous and uncomfortable things to reach people for Christ!

Mexico Missions Team

This week Daniel Conner, our High School Pastor, is leading a team of students on a trip to Rancho Sordo Mudo, Mexico. During their stay the team will be repainting the school maintenance facilities, doing some landscaping, and most importantly loving on the kids in the school. The team brought down Christmas gifts for all the kids and the school staff.

For more information about the school visit their website at www.ranchosordomudo.org. Please pray for the team this week as they share Christ’s love with others.

Extending Our Reach

After posting this blog last week, I received an email from a friend questioning my quote of Acts 1:8, specifically the word “then”. This was an error. I was writing from my thoughts and application of this passage, and misquoted.

My belief regarding mission, and the application of this passage, remain the same. They are born from a study of this passage, the book of Acts as a whole, and the spread of Christianity in the first 100 years.

I would never want to twist/misquote Scripture, it is divinely inspired, and we must remain true to it. I appreciate the brotherly accountability, and seek to always remain above reproach in not only my lifestyle, but the teaching of the Word of God, and leading Palm Valley Church.

I’m often asked about our missions focus, such as: “what is our focus?”, and “how much do we budget for missions?”. My answer is simple: we’ve focused our mission ideology on Acts 1:8, and every dime we spend as a church is on mission. We’re focused on being obedient to what Christ told us, “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, then and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”. What does this mean to us?

For the first 5 years of Palm Valley Church we focused on reaching our community for Christ. We focused all our attention, resources, creativity, people towards reaching our neighbors with the good news of a relationship with Jesus Christ. This has been, and always will be, our first and primary focus.

Beginning this year we began to “extend our reach”, and began focusing on reaching cultures around us that are different from the culture of Palm Valley Church. This fall we have sent dozens of volunteer teams to Phoenix Rescue Mission to serve and share, the Indian reservations of northern Arizona to reach children and their parents, delivered Christmas to 150 families of prisoners in the west valley, provided 200 care packages for soldiers in Iraq, sent teams to Mexico, and are preparing teams to return to Louisiana to help with people effected by hurricane Katrina. This week we have a team of 20 teenagers in Mexico (more later) helping a church reach their community.

It has been very cool to see Palm Valley Church begin to reach “Judea and Samaria”, In the future we will extend to reach around the world, and that excites me. We’re working on plans right now to build churches in Sudan and India, as a part of building our campus in the west valley. But it all comes back to me that we must first and foremost reach our community for Christ, or are efforts to extend our reach outward is really empty

Light

This weekend at our Christmas service we’re focusing on “Light”. Our creative team has developed an incredible service. The music is off the hook, with some songs you would not expect on Christmas Eve. Tonight we shot video of people in our church talking about the difference Christ has made in their lives. I really believe this will the best hour of each of our holiday seasons.

The verse I’ll be teaching from is John 8:12…“I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” I’ll be talking about the difference in darkness vs. light, and how to walk in the light of a relationship with Christ.

If you attend Palm Valley, you need to invite everyone you know who doesn’t know Christ. We all konw a ton of people who are living in darkness w/o Jesus. Bring them with you this Christmas to one of our 4 services. I promise they’ll hear the good news, and be given an opportunity to invite Jesus into their heart.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to help people meet Jesus!

Invest & Invite

I’ve taught often, and encouraged repeatedly, that each person in our body has the role of investing in the lives of people who don’t know Christ, and inviting them to come hear about Him.

I love to hear stories of how that’s happening. Over the past few weeks, I’ve met a ton of people at Palm Valley who were invited by friends to come, and now have invited Christ into their life. Even heard of a waitress at a restaurant who received an invite card with her tip (a good tip), and now she and her husband are attending Palm Valley regularly.

I have been convicted in a huge way of a few beliefs recently (not new, just affirmed in my life experience)….

1) The vast majority of people in our community don’t know Jesus through a personal relationship.

2) The vast majority of people in our community are open to Christ, but turned off by religion and their experience with church.

3) The vast majority of our community will give Palm Valley Church a try if they are personally invited by a trusted friend who invests in a relationship with them!

So let’s get busy investing and inviting!

West Coast Style

Sure Gary and his crew have mad rap skills, but as I mentioned a few weeks ago, the west coast isn’t giving it up to the east coast. So Michael Gray, our Communications Pastor, gave me this link to show everyone the mad dance skills I possess. Enjoy…

Greg, the dancing elf here…

Don’t be jealous that you don’t have these kinds of moves, I’m sure you’ve been blessed in other areas!