ACC - Leadership Online

(by guest blogger Allison Bies)

One of the most encouraging aspects of the Upward Basketball and Cheerleading league is seeing people serve according to their God-given design. This happens to be one of ACC's core values!

Many volunteers are needed to help the program run successfully. People of all ages help in a variety of ways. Some serve behind the scenes, and others are in a more public role. Spiritual gifts of service, administration, leadership, evangelism, and teaching are very much at work during the entire Upward season.

Here are some of the ways people help:

- Coach
- Instructional referee
- Time clock worker
- Concession stand
- Collecting Awards Program donations
- Transportation for our Awards Program entertainer
- Set up and clean up
- Coordinating cheerleading routines
- Explaining the gospel to children
- Presenting halftime devotions
- Supporting children on game days
- Prayer
- Advertising the league
- Evaluating players

Upward provides a way for people with different talents, abilities, and spiritual gifts to jump in. Volunteers can serve one time for a few hours or all season long. Basketball enthusiasts or those with no knowledge of sports work together. I myself lack a strong grasp of basketball's technicalities!

Finally, many volunteers are from ACC, but some do not attend our church. I see Upward as a community ministry and great picture of the body of Christ working together to lead families to God. This is a clear illustration of the spiritual gifts described in Romans 12:4-8. Many people who serve came to ACC through Upward, so it's awesome to see them giving back to the program.

Saturday games continue through March 13 with our Awards Program on March 14. Please come by to watch a game, support the concession stand, and cheer on the players!

Looking Upward,
Allison

Check out this video from The Skit Guys. They're outstanding at what they do. I'm so thankful for their ministry! The video is long, but definitely worth your time. Hope you'll watch it.

Grace,
Chris

“Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:10b

This past Sunday I briefly mentioned three reasons why we should honor one another:

1. Each person at ACC is created in the image of God. That means every person is inherently deserving of being treated with dignity and respect.
2. Each person is our brother / sister in Christ. We are family.
3. Each person has a unique contribution to the local body of Christ known as ACC. That means that every person is important and needed.

In keeping with my challenge to you to specifically honor someone at ACC this week, I’d like to select a few people to honor right now:

1. Kimi Straus – a true prayer warrior for our church and for me personally, she goes out of her way to send me encouraging cards and words of exhortation.
2. Jim Volz – whether he is blowing snow, replacing light bulbs, unclogging the downspouts or a myriad of other little projects, he is quietly working behind the scenes to help maintain our building and grounds.
3. Janice Barnet – she maintains our food pantry – stocking it, rotating out the expired food, keeping it neat and orderly. She is always faithful to the task.
4. Glenn Pederson – heads up our tech team, overseeing scheduling, routine maintenance of the equipment and helping train new volunteers – he’s been doing this for years now!
5. Carol Rech – sees to it that we have coffee and refreshments ready to serve every single Sunday! She also willingly heads up any church-wide eating events we might have.

These are just a few examples of selfless, largely behind-the-scenes kind of people at ACC. The truth is – our church is full of people like this; people who volunteer their time and energy on behalf of others and Christ’s kingdom. I could go on and on as I think of key volunteer ministry leaders like Melissa, Anne, Adrin, Su, Jim, Alison, Jamie, Carol and Bob. For every name I mentioned there are probably 3 or 4 other names I could have mentioned. Thanks to each one of you who faithfully serve at ACC. I appreciate you more than you could know – Awana workers, growth group leaders, Sunday school and nursery workers, ushers, greeters, Oasis and Pit Sop leaders, musicians and vocalists, techies, all the Upward crew – everybody serving – I love you man!

How about you? Who would you honor for their ministry among us?

Peace,
Dave

The past 2 weeks haven't gone according to plan. I don't mean that in a bad way, just that my calendar/appointment book and what actually happened look very different. This has caused me to think a lot about one of my favorite songs. Here are some of the lyrics:

Well this day's been crazy
But everything's happened on schedule,
from the rain and the cold
To the drink that I spilled on my shirt.
'Cause You knew how You'd save me
before I fell dead in the garden,
And You knew this day
long before You made me out of dirt.

And You know the plans that You have for me
And You can't plan the end and not plan the means
And so I suppose I just need some peace,
Just to get me to sleep

Table for Two written by: Derek Webb
Caedmon's Call, Album: 40 Acres

I don't know about you, but I find tremendous comfort in the sovereignty of God...knowing that God is in control. Nothing is a surprise to Him. Everything happens on schedule.

Grace,
Chris

1. I really like To Kill A Mockingbird. I am currently reading it again – I bet I’ve read it 25 times.
2. My next book is The Courage To Be Protestant – comes highly recommended by a friend.
3. How did curling get to be an Olympic sport? Does anyone really understand the rules??
4. I am ready for spring – the snow is getting tiresome.
5. Today is my father’s 85th birthday. I respect him more than any man I have ever known. Happy Birthday pops!
6. I really need to improve my prayer life. I have become lazy, inattentive and disorganized with my prayers.
7. April 17 and September 1 – two days that I already know I’ll be sitting in Wrigley Field!
8. It is really hard to effectively coach 1st and 2nd grade boys in the game of basketball. Herding cats sounds easier.
9. I’m looking forward to going to Honduras April 24 – May 1 with the team from ACC. I wish I spoke Spanish though.
10. My recommendation for a most excellent restaurant for breakfast? Check out Rise and Dine (www.risendinecafe.com ) on Milwaukee Avenue – just south off Dundee in Wheeling. They have awesome food and a great fireplace!
11. Christ is at work changing lives. I see it all over the place. It is exciting to watch. I need to pray more.
12. My wife got mad at me for sharing in my sermon yesterday that she can tie shoes with her toes. Oops! Now she’ll be upset that I blogged about her special talent.

That’s it. I’ll stop there.

Peace,
Dave