
Weekend Teaching Series: This is My Story (1-off)
Sermon in a Sentence: Student stories that demonstrate the power of God, changed lives and the hope we have in Him.
Service Length: 59 minutes
Understandable Message: This weekend was all about stories – we asked students to share their stories in a unique mix of formats. A couple of them were on video (check them out here and here), others were live, one was done with a song and displayed silently on screen. The message was clear – our stories have value, and Jesus gives us hope. The challenge at the end of the service encouraged students to share their story with someone (like a small group leader) who would care for them.
Volunteer/Student Involvement: This weekend an adult never took the stage – and I loved it! We had good volunteer involvement in the crowd and greeting, but this weekend was run completely by students. A student owned the program, coordinated testimonies, orchestrated all of the moving pieces and pulled it off. A great team of students jumped in to serve – the band, lights, camera, sound, skit, testimonies, editing, dress rehersal, graphics and more – it was all done by them. Super cool – and a nice break for the adults the weekend after Thanksgiving, too.
Element of Fun/Positive Environment: The environment was welcoming and positive, though we didn’t have too many typical fun elements. We did had a fun preview trailer for the “Grelf” Christmas video series we’re doing, and the hosts of the weekend set things up with announcements as well. We also brought back the LifeHouse skit - it seemed to fit so well with the stories we were telling. We kind of jumped pretty much straight into the content for the sake of time/feel/direction.
Music Playlist: What I’ve Done (Linkin Park cover), Overcome, This is My Story, Desert Song
Favorite Moment: Lots of great moments, the favorite for me was at the Sunday 11:15am service – Mariah, one of the students who shared her story, celebrated her 1-year birthday of being clean today. We surprised her (and the crowd) with cake for everyone to join in and celebrate with her. So cool – I’m beyond proud of ALL of the students that shared this weekend. Wow.
Up Next: Christmas Series (week 1 of 3)