Sunday

This is probably going to end up being an awkward blog post. I'm just putting that out there. So if you read it, and you think "boy, that was an awkward post" you can't say I didn't warn you. I'm just going to see where this ends up.

Today I took my brother to Port City Community Church for the first time. He's in town, and that's what I do on Sundays, so it doesn't seem like a weird thing. The thing is though, that a year ago I was constantly looking for an excuse to skip church, and this would have been a perfect excuse. I really only went to church because my wife went to church, and it was an important aspect of her life. I wanted to be a good husband, to support her interests, but there really wasn't anything in it for me. Just less than a year ago, I agreed to tag along with her to the new church she had been going to, PC3 as the cool kids call it. I walked in to Roland Grise middle school, took my seat, and was blown away. For the first time in my life I actually felt something while sitting there in the old wooden auditorium seat. Something was happening in that room that I couldn't just write off. Since that day, I've gone to nearly fifty services at PC3 and I can feel real change happening in my life. Everything about PC3 fits with what I needed at the time. Their mission statement says it all: "Reaching people and helping them walk with God." That's it. That's what everything comes down to. It's not about rules, negativity, status, whispers, attendance sheets, etc. For most people, it's a continuation of their walks, for me, it was about taking those first awkward steps. For once I felt like it was normal and almost expected to have questions. It was okay to feel some doubts, to feel lost when looking through the Bible, to be unsure what to do next. The important thing was all about taking those steps, and that's what I've been doing. Those steps may have been awkward, and I may not have known where exactly I was going, but after eleven months of walking, I can look back and recognize the progress I've made.

The best part, for me, is that I've gotten to the point that I can actually participate and give back. From the first service, I was taken aback by the professionalism and creativity of the church. I wasn't sure where everything was coming from, I guess I kind of assumed there was some kind of Ikea for churches where you could go and find cool bulletins, video, maybe a bassist and some stage lights, a message or an entire series, but quickly I realized that not only was most of what I was experiencing done in house, but it was actually done by volunteers! Impressive is a total understatement. I was drawn to the production team from week one, but spent nearly ten months working up the nerve to actually put my name out there and step up to the plate. Last weekend was my first experience running a studio camera during the service and it was awesome. I've watched the playback and definitely have some room for improvement, but it's so nice to feel like I'm contributing to something that is literally changing my life. I spent a long time being a skeptic, and the knowledge that someone may walk in those doors for the first time and I can have a small part in helping them take those first steps that I had taken nearly a year ago, well, it's pretty amazing. I'm so glad and thankful to have that opportunity.

Besides the staff of PC3, I owe a great deal of gratitude to my wife, Kristen (who had been praying for this change in my life for over five years), Chad Brewer, David Crowder Band, my entire small group and the PC3 Production Team. Hopefully you all know the impact you've had on my life. Thank you to you all.