2012 in the Rearview Mirror

Sunday, January 6, 2013

When you’re in the middle of the fray it’s often difficult to see what kind of progress you’re making. That’s why it’s helpful from time to time to take a step back and review the ground you’ve taken and celebrate the wins! After all what gets celebrated, gets repeated! So here are some of the ministry highlights that I experienced in 2012!

1. Multisite & Merger

Being a part of leading through the transition from one campus to three campuses and a church merger has been one of the most exciting opportunities I’ve ever had to lead through. To read more about it follow this link.

2. Fast Growth

It was an honor to have Sun Valley Community Church recognized by Outreach Magazine as one of the top 10 fastest growing churches in America this year!

3. Baptisms

We baptized 382 people this year on the Gilbert Campus and two of those were my oldest daughters. Big moment in the Alexander house!

4. Student Ministry

More Students went to camp this year than ever before in the history of the church!

5. Children’s Ministry

The Elementary Ministry has grown by 12% this year! We’re continuing to reach young families!

6. Outreach & Volunteers

We mobilized more than 2,000 people to serve in local outreach through quarterly Community Impact Weekends! The word “Community” in our name actually means something!

7. Small Groups

Small Group Bible Studies increased by more than 50% this year! Life change happens best in the context of relationship and I love the fact that more people are getting connect with each other centered around God’s Word!

8. Generosity

We discovered that 82,000 people in Maricopa County don’t know where their next meal is coming from and we decided to do something about this Christmas. To read more about it follow this link. The goal was to fill 5,000 boxes of food between all three of our campuses. I was thrilled when I learned that the Gilbert Campus filled more than 4,500 boxes of food this December to combat hunger in our own neighborhood (and we blew past our goal by the way)!

Within a 10-mile radius of the Gilbert Campus there are 880,000 people who don’t go to church anywhere. So while we’re nowhere near done, I’m excited about the ground we’re taking!

I’d love to hear about the ministry wins you experienced in 2012! Leave a comment!

Posted in Leadership

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a real life story: ray and amy branton

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Every parent has hopes and dreams for their kids; first steps, sports, college, on and on they go. But what happens when you realize that those dreams will never materialize? This is the incredible true life story of some friends of mine who I’m in a small group with. Their story will encourage you, inspire you, strengthen your faith, may make you cry a bit, but will certainly help you love Jesus more.

Posted in Family, Spiritual Formation

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a large church in the phoenix east valley is looking for a small group pastor

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Mission Community Church an incredible church located in the Phoenix East Valley, has begun their search for a Small Group Pastor. Mission is a contemporary and fast growing church that is committed to building a culture around Micah 6:8, “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

If you or anyone you know is interested in this role please email a cover letter and resume to Check out the job description below.

Posted in Staffing

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where god does his best work

Monday, January 17, 2011

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth and everything in them he didn’t do it alone. He did it in the context of perfect relationship with Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Check it out for yourself and you’ll find language like this, “Let us make man in our image.” When God established the nation of Israel you’ll find God saying, “I will be their God, and dwell among them.” In the first chapter of the Gospel of John you find this phrase, “The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.”

Look through out the Scriptures and you’ll find that God has always done His best work in the context of relationship. And since we’ve been made in His image, like Him, we’re also at our best when we’re living in the context of relational intimacy. We were made for it. We chase after it. But why does it seem that so few people ever actually experience it? Genesis 3:8-10 may speak into this a bit. Adam and Eve have just sinned for the first time ever in the history of man kind, and this is what happens next:

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” Genesis 3:8-10

Think about it for a moment. Before this moment man had never been afraid of God before, man had never run from God before, and man had never hid from God before. But ever since this moment we’ve been running from God, and from one another. It creates this awful internal conflict inside of us, because the very thing we long for is the very thing we run from.

So, a simple idea, and a simple question…if God does His best work in the context of relationship, are you missing out on God’s best work in you?

Here’s a short video that may get you thinking a little more about it…