Home Books Links Peopleschurch.tv People"s Church

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Playland

Here are some new pictures of our Playland in our kids' lobby.







































Monday, June 29, 2009

Our New Facility

This is our new main hallway.



Here is our new coffee shop.



Our men's restroom now has flat screen TV's.



This is a view of our women's restroom.





Thursday, June 25, 2009

The New Lobby

Here are some pictures of our new lobby. We now have seating areas, flat screen tv's and plenty of space for relationship building.














Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The New Auditorium

We now have an 1800 seat auditorium.










Tuesday, June 23, 2009

The New Stage

Check out some pictures of the new stage in our auditorium:














Monday, June 22, 2009

Monday's Download

1. I had a GREAT weekend!

2. My wife and I went on a movie date on Thursday night. The movie was horrible, but we enjoyed being together. We went out for dessert after the movie.

3. On Friday morning, we took the kids outside, and they rode their bikes. We hung out as a family the rest of the day and then went on a family date night.

4. Saturday was my birthday. We took the kids outside again to ride bikes. We grilled hamburgers and had a blast at the house. That is my kind of birthday—to be with the ones I love the most.

5. On Sunday, we had a great day at church. Dad Fest 2009 was incredible! Worship was amazing. Eric, Jamie and the entire worship team do a wonderful job. They all have great hearts.

6. We gave away 6 flat screen TV's and 10 recliners to some lucky dads.

7. I thought the message went really well. I love speaking to men about being better husbands and dads. It's a passion of mine.

8. We had over 2400 in attendance in the middle of the summer. With God's continued blessing, we should be running over 3000 really soon.

9. There was a lot of excitement in the building yesterday!

10. Many people gave their lives to Christ! It was the most we've had come to Christ in one Sunday in a while. Probably since Easter! Thank you, God, for washing away sins and giving new life through Christ!

11. The muscle cars on stage looked really awesome. We will post some pictures of the stage tomorrow.

12. This Sunday is God Is Merciful! Thank you, God, for your great mercy!

13. July 19 is the Grand Opening Celebration of our new facility! COME ONE, COME ALL! It's going to be the biggest day EVER at PC!

14. On Sunday evening, our family made an unplanned trip to Buffalo Wild Wings. Yummy wings! Then we went to Cold Stone for ice cream. What a Father's Day!

15. This morning, Cale, Cade and Caris climbed in bed with Tiffany and me. We played, talked and sang songs together. Precious moments!

16. Time for me to crank out some work! I love what I do!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Thursday's Download

1. Sunday at 9am, 10:30am & 12pm is Dad Fest 2009! We will be giving away big screen TV's and leather recliners in every experience. There will be muscle cars on stage and littered all around the PC campus. I will be teaching an inspiring and encouraging message to men! Check out the promo video below.



2. Don't only bring your dad, or dads, bring your kids, but be sure to INVITE tons of people to Dad Fest 2009. Don't be shy, go for it and start inviting people today!

3. Saturday is my 34th birthday. Wow, how time flies by. I love my life and am a blessed man!

4. The new facility and renovation is shaping up nicely. We are 95 percent done with the facility. We have a few more things that we need to get done, and then, we have tons of things that need to be touched up and tweaked before we are totally finished.

5. Mark your calendars today for the Grand Opening Celebration of our new facility and renovation. The date is July 19 in all three experiences. It's going to be the biggest day ever!

6. Be sure to have your dad check out the TV's in the men's restroom on Sunday! I think your dad will enjoy the idea we got from Charleston's and from my good friend Tommy Sparger.

7. My staff and I have been in multiple interviews over the last couple weeks. We are very selective when it comes to hiring. After seven years of leading PC, we have a good idea of what kind of person works best with our team and culture. Plus, we always look for the big three: character, chemistry and competency. The most important thing we look for is a peace from the Holy Spirit!

8. I love my job! I can't believe I get to pastor such a wonderful church!

9. My little daughter had an explosion this morning. I walked out of my bedroom, and the door was open to her room. I walked in her room, and she told me that she was poopy. The kid wasn't playing! Poop was on her shirt, pants, cover and sheets! I haven't seen an explosion like that before! My little girl is powerful!

10. My favorite part of the day is coming home to my wife and kids in the evening. Last night when I got home, I ate dinner with my family around the table. Afterwards I went outside, sat in a chair, watched my kids play and then played with them. The little things in life mean the most! I treasure my family!

11. God is doing some really cool things in my heart! I'm growing closer to God on a daily basis!

12. Folks, don't miss Sunday! Dad Fest is going be a blast, and it's a great way to introduce your un-churched friends and family members to PC!

13. See you Sunday!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Preach The Bible

1. Creative ideas are nice, but it's the Bible that doesn't return void. Preach the Word!

2. My opinion doesn't matter. Preach the Word!

3. The only thing that matters is what the Bible says. Preach the Word!

4. Be careful about saying the words “I think”. It doesn't matter what we think. Preach the Word!

5. Don't use the pulpit to spew your political views. Preach the Word!

6. Don't use the pulpit to retaliate with people you don't like. Preach the Word!

7. Having cool lights, props and stage set designs is really cool. We even use them, but it doesn't change lives. Preach the Word!

8. Being funny while speaking is a great communication tool, but it doesn't change the human heart. Preach the Word!

9. Be sure the points in your sermons are supported with the Bible. Preach the Word!

10. In season and out of season, preach the Word!

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

You Are Making A Difference

When I was in college, I was sold out to God. One of the highlights in college was playing college football. There were many guys on the football team that looked up to me and called me "Rev", but they didn't serve God in spite of my witnessing to them and encouraging them to follow God. I would even drop by some of their dorm rooms from time to time to talk about Christ and answer any questions they had, but I didn't see many of them turn their lives over to God. Many of them continued to live wild lifestyles all through college.

Fast forward this story twelve years: I graduated from college twelve years ago. About a month ago one of the football players and I became Facebook friends. We exchanged phone numbers through Facebook, and then a week or so later, he called me (he lives out of state). I called him back, and my old college football friend was ready to turn his life over to Christ. He told me that his life had hit rock bottom and that he had been thinking about me for the last six months. When he saw me on Facebook, he said he knew it was a sign from God (I'm in tears as I type this). He was scared to call me, but knew he was supposed to call me. Over the last week, I've led my old college friend to the Lord. We have talked and texted many times over the past week. He went to church on Sunday and is totally surrendering his life to Christ! I'm so excited for my friend!

You Are Making A Difference When....

1. You live for Christ

2. You love people unconditionally

3. You teach kids and teenagers about God

4. You volunteer your time at your local church and in your community

5. You spend time investing in others

6. You stand up for Christ even when it's not popular

7. You share Christ with others even though you don't see it making a difference

Blogging friends, you are making a difference!

Monday, June 15, 2009

Weekend Highlights

1. My weekend begins on Thursday night, so I'm going to include it! My wife and I had a really good date night. We spent some time eating, talking and then we went to see a movie. Tiffany, I love our date nights! Thanks for being such a great wife!

2. My two-year old girl just walked into my office and told me that Caser is up. Sometimes we call baby Case, Caser!

3. My two-year old girl is learning how to use the potty! She had her first poopy in the potty last week, and it was a celebration in the Cooper house! Very soon there will be only one child in diapers at the Cooper house and God is good!! :)

4. I love the spiritual climate of People's Church. God is getting ready to pour out His Spirit in an incredible way!

5. The message God Is Healer really ministered to me as I studied all last week. If you need a healing in any area of your life, go to www.peopleschurch.tv today and listen to the message or download it as a podcast. I trust that God will use the message to build your faith.

6. We opened up all the kids’ rooms this Sunday. YEA! We still have some more work to get done before it's completed, but we are well on our way. I think we will be 95 percent done by the end of the week.

7. My staff has worked an incredible amount of hours over the last 6 weeks because of all of the renovations! Thank you team for your hard work, passion for Jesus and heart to see more lives changed.

8. Yesterday, the Worship Team led us in the song Healer. Powerful time!

9. I'm hungry for the presence of God and so is People's Church!

10. The TV's in the men's restrooms looked awesome!

11. The kids’ area design is looking incredible!

12. The Lakers won the NBA Finals last night. I was cheering for the Lakers since the Thunder didn't make the finals. :)

13. This time of year is boring television time for me. I like football and basketball, but I don't enjoy watching baseball! Come on August, and let's get some football action rolling!

14. Tiffany and I are on season 6 of 24! Jack is my new earthly hero. LOL! The dude is ruthless.

15. This Sunday is going to be huge! It's Dad Fest 2009! Muscle cars will be on the campus and on the stage, we will be giving away big screen TV's and leather recliners to some lucky dads in every experience, we will be dedicating babies to the Lord and I will be sharing an encouraging and inspiring message.

16. Invite every man and family you know who doesn't attend church to be at People's Church for Dad Fest 2009!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Thursday's Download

1. The kids and youth space renovation is looking awesome.

2. The 0 to 23-month old area is opening this week. This area is our old kids’ area and check-in area. In the old building, we had 0 to 6-year olds and now it will only be 0 to 23-month olds. NICE!

3. I have a huge passion for kids and youth ministry. God is going to use PC to impact thousands of kids.

4. I have a huge passion to minister to the hurting in our community, especially kids and teenagers. We are going to partner with a school this summer and do some outreach work in the community. This pumps me up.

5. God has really been stirring my heart in a great way about getting our church family more connected relationally and growing spiritually. I can't wait to launch our Wednesday night connection groups in August at the People's Church facility. There will be groups and classes that will help you develop spiritually, relationally and financially. Beginning in August on Wednesday nights, there will be something for the entire family. I'm as pumped up about this as anything in our church.

6. This Sunday I am teaching a message called God Is Healer! Don't miss this Sunday.

7. Dad Fest 2009 is coming June 21. We are going to honor and invest in men big time. Invite, invite, invite people to PC!

8. I'm taking my sexy bride out on a date tonight. I love Tiffany so much! What a woman!

9. There have been several pastors that I know who have had moral failures. This stirs my heart, breaks me and keeps me on my knees. Tiffany and I have had some good discussions on making sure our boundaries are great because we both want to live a life of integrity for the long haul. In the name of Jesus, Tiffany and I will finish the race God has called us to run with passion, integrity and a stronger love for each other!

10. The Grand Opening celebration of the new People's Church facility and renovation will be July 19! This is going to be a super great day!

11. They are cranking out more of our landscaping this week at the PC facility. It's shaping up nicely outside!

12. I'm pondering some thoughts for next Sunday’s inspiring and encouraging message for men.

13. I will be wrapping up Sunday's message this morning.

14. See you on Sunday! Come expecting God to do something great in your life and in the lives of others! Spend some time praying for Sunday's experiences!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Advice On Making It Through Stressful Seasons

1. Get qualified people to help you.

2. One of my executive pastors has a construction background, and he was in charge of the new building project.

3. My other executive is artistic and enjoys the design aspect, so he picked out most of the color with a professional designer. He also oversaw the selection of AVL.

4. Give people latitude to lead with good accountability structures.

5. Injoy Stewardship Services partnered with us for the CRAZY stewardship campaign. They have been a huge help.

6. I am a planner, so I kept my date nights with my wife and my family date nights with my wife and kids. This is one of the things that kept my family healthy during this season.

7. I communicated with my wife that we were getting ready to enter a crazy period of ministry. She already knew it was coming, but it's great for us to communicate so that we are on the same page.

8. I learned from our first building project not to freak out when we miss deadlines. It's part of building. We wanted to move into our new building in the fall of 2008. Then we thought we could for sure be in the new building by February or early March 2009. We didn't move into our new building until the first week of May, and we didn't have any audio, video or lights (we rented it). Our kids’ space has been a mess the last month and the concrete was still being stained. Oh well, life goes on and God is good!

9. Plan some time off when the project is over. The temptation is to keep pressing forward because right after the new building is done, many guests arrive and the church experiences great growth. You have to take some time to unwind and catch your breath. Most of our church will never know how much leadership energy I spent leading our church through a multi-million dollar building project while maintaining my daily and weekly responsibilities. There are still people who will ask me what I do all week. They think I prepare a message on Saturday night and preach on Sundays! LOL!

10. Stay close to Jesus! I can't overemphasize this. Keep your daily bible reading and prayer times going strong. The temptation is to neglect your time with God because everything is so hectic. Don't you dare do it! I've been pretty consistent in my devotional life, and God has given me strength during this season. I LOVE YOU, LORD!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Press Through Stress

The last seven months have been stressful for me. I learn a lot about myself and my leadership during these seasons. I want to share some things that I'm gleaning as this season is winding down.

1. I need to trust God more. Phil 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (NIV) I've done a pretty good job on the prayer and petition part, but I haven't done so well on the not being anxious part. Being anxious doesn't solve any problems, but I still get anxious. I know the root of my problem is that I need to trust my Heavenly Father!

2. I need to do a better job of honoring the Sabbath day during very busy seasons. I know God wired our bodies to work six days and rest one day. I haven't accomplished this lately, and my body feels it. Honestly, sometimes it just seems impossible to accomplish this one. I know I must do better!

3. I need two more really good leaders on my team. I have had to provide a lot of leadership in certain areas of our church, and it has caused me to spend more time, energy and brain power than I should have. Not only does this drain me, but it's not the best use of my time. The Lord is giving me a strategy to avoid this problem in the future.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Weekend Highlights

1. Caris, my little girl, enjoyed her date with daddy on Friday. She ate a donut at Starbucks and drank a kid’s hot chocolate.

2. Cale and Cade really liked the movie Up. Cade was scared of the mean dogs at first, but he got used to them and enjoyed the movie. They said they liked it better than the movie Bolt.

3. I enjoy the kid Pixar movies as much as the kids, if not more.

4. Tiffany and I watched the movie Marley and Me, and my wife cried like a baby throughout the movie. I assured her last night that Marley is still alive and eating better food than we eat. LOL.

5. We had a wonderful day at People's Church. God is in the life-changing business!

6. While I was preaching in the second experience, the front emergency door next to the stage flew open. I MEAN WIDE OPEN! I waited for a couple of seconds for one of the staff members or for somebody to come through the door (that is always locked!!!!). Nobody came through the door, but I got a nice view of how beautiful it was outside. Chris Smith, our Student Ministries Director, sprinted from the back of the auditorium to the front of the auditorium and closed the door. I cracked a joke or two and kept preaching. That was a weird experience to say the least.

7. People are hungry for God.

8. My good friend, Mark Crow, Senior Pastor of Victory Church in Oklahoma City dropped by People's Church yesterday. It was great to have Mark and Jennifer and one of their sons worship with us at People's Church. Mark has had a huge impact upon my life and ministry.

9. It's great to have pastors in the same city working together and supporting one another. I appreciate all of my senior pastor friends more than you know!

10. This was the last Sunday not having all of our kids’ rooms. Six of the rooms have been unavailable the last 3 weeks, but every room will be ready to roll this coming up Sunday. Thank you, parents and kids volunteers, for your patience during this exciting season of renovation. We are going to have so much more excellent space to reach kids and teenagers with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

11. This was hopefully the last Sunday the men's restrooms will look normal. A company is coming in this week and putting in TV's above all of the men's urinals. Men will be able to see announcements, the experience and other fun stuff! We are going after men big time at PC! I want to see thousands of men sold out to God and His kingdom!

12. Yesterday was God Is Compassionate. This coming up Sunday is God Is Healer!

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Thursday's Download

1. Some of our staff and I have been interviewing people this week. We are adding a couple of positions onto our dream team to reach many more people with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

2. I don't like a super-packed daily schedule. My schedule has been really packed lately. I like to have margin in my daily schedule so that I can dream about the future.

3. I prefer my schedule to be filled with prayer and meditation, studying, developing and pouring into the top leaders around me, dreaming and planning great weekend experiences. Almost anything else outside of these things is draining to me.

4. Jessica, the Cooper's new assistant, is doing a great job. The Lord really helped Tiffany and I to find a great assistant.

5. I'm wrapping up Sunday's message today and emailing it to the office.

6. Today, I will be 90 percent done with Sunday’s message, and on Saturday, I will finish the last 10 percent of the message. 5 percent of Saturday’s message prep will be memorizing the message and working on transitions.

7. On Sunday morning around 8 to 8:15 AM in my office at the church, I finish memorizing Sunday's message.

8. On Friday, I'm taking my daughter on a morning date with daddy. On Friday afternoon, I'm taking my boys to the movies. On Friday evening, I'm taking the entire family on a date night. I'm looking forward to family Friday!

9. Hurry up football season and get here. I am a football fanatic. I also love fantasy football. I can't wait. It's a stress reliever for me.

10. Mark your calendars for Dad Fest 2009 on June 21! This is going to be a super fun day at PC! Invite lots of people to come to church with you.

11. Mark your calendars for the Grand Opening Celebration of our new facility and the renovation of our old facility on July 19. This is going to be a great day of celebrating God's goodness to PC!

12. This Sunday is God Is Compassionate! God is burning one thought into my heart to share with you this Sunday.

13. Thank you to all of you who consistently pray for me and my family. Prayer is the key, and we appreciate your prayers! Seriously!

14. Thank you to all of the great volunteers at PC! You all make our church a special place to worship! Thank you for making a difference!

15. It's all about life change!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Leaders....

1. set an example

2. lead when they feel like it

3. lead when they don't feel like it

4. don't make excuses

5. see the possibilities

6. have a positive attitude

7. have followers

8. build great teams

9. serve others

10. own up to their mistakes

11. care for people

12. see the best in others

13. see before others see

14. see farther than others see

15. see more than others see

16. inspire people

17. set the tone

18. get the job done

19. love people

20. obey God

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

What's On My Mind

1. The Bible is so simple and so hard at the same time. Love God with ALL your heart and love your neighbor as yourself (so simple). I'm still working on both (so hard).

2. I don't rest well during busy and hectic seasons. This season is almost over (the building is almost done), and I am going to rest my mind. It's racing 100 miles an hour right now.

3. My wife and I have been talking a lot about how we can help people get more connected and grow spiritually.

4. Planning and working on our Wednesday night bible studies and small groups launching at People's Church in August.

5. I am very grateful for such a great staff. Most of our staff have been around a long time, and I'm grateful for their longevity and commitment to the vision of PC. I'm also grateful that they've put up with me - a driven and crazy man of God.

6. I need to trust God at a greater level.

7. I like to do ministry with people I like. That really is important to me.

8. We are interviewing for a couple of positions, and I'm learning how much I value integrity and loyalty. Those things are big to me. I also value just flat out liking somebody. If I don't like somebody or if I have to work to like them, I don't hire them.

9. I really want to please and honor Jesus. I really love Him! I really want to bring Him glory with my life! These thoughts consume me!

Monday, June 1, 2009

Weekend Highlights

1. It was kind of a relaxing weekend for me and the family.

2. Tiffany and I went on an overnight trip without the kids on Friday. We ate dinner, went to a movie and then went back to the hotel and watched the rest of the Lakers & Nuggets game. Always great to be away with my bride.

3. The NBA Playoffs have been really good. Both Tiff and I have enjoyed watching some of the games.

4. I'm pulling for the Lakers to win it all. I was disappointed that the Cavs didn't make it to the finals.

5. Church was awesome! The worship was great! We did a song in half Spanish and half English! I love the diversity of our church!

6. The message was powerful! My good friend, Lynn Wheeler, spoke on Sunday and did an incredible job.

7. Pastors, if you want an anointed, relevant and great speaker to preach for you, you need to check out Lynn's ministry. We have him one or two times a year, and he always ministers to our church family. Visit www.lynnwheelerministries.com

8. I'm excited to preach God's Word this coming Sunday! God has been stirring my heart the last couple of weeks about how God Is Compassionate!

9. We have had several babies born at People's Church recently! Very exciting!

10. We opened the kids’ playland on Sunday, and the kids went nuts! I'm so glad that our church believes in letting kids have fun in church while we teach them about Jesus! LOVE IT!

11. The kids’ area is coming together. Paint is flying up on the walls, and hopefully this week some of the 3D things will get on the walls. Also, new carpet will start going in the kids’ rooms! PC believes strongly in teaching kids and teenagers about Jesus!

12. The weather was gorgeous all weekend.

13. We are promoting Dad Fest 2009 big time. It's going to be a big day at PC! We are going to have muscle cars on campus and even on the stage! I can't wait to celebrate fatherhood and give away big screen TV’s and recliners to some lucky dads.

14. The audio, video and sound in the new auditorium are awesome! God has blessed us with a great tool to reach more people for Christ!

15. Church family, spend some time praying about what God would have you give to the CRAZY Campaign on Sunday. We are receiving a Special CRAZY Offering this Sunday. We can't out give God! Our faithfulness to God will result in more life change!

16. It's great seeing our church family fellowship on Sunday mornings. The huge lobby area, coffee shop, bistro tables and couches are going to be so good for our church. Relationships are the glue to every church.

17. Get plugged into a Summer Activity Group. What's your hobby: fishing, boating, grilling, sports? Whatever it is, email the church office at shane@peopleschurch.tv and let him know that you want to lead a Summer Activity Group. In your email, include what kind of group you want to lead. You can also sign up to lead a group in the lobby this coming Sunday! Let's build some great relationships this summer!