Set The Bar High

1. You have to stretch people to get the best out of them

2. People have more inside of them than they realize

3. People can do more than they think they can

4. People perform at the level of your expectation

5. When the bar is high, people learn how to work smarter and not just harder

6. When the bar is high, people learn how to work through other people

7. When the bar is high, people depend on God and not just their gifts

8. When the bar is high, people think on a different level

9. When the bar is high, people grow and develop

10. When the leader sets the bar high and keeps the bar high, it becomes a part of the culture

11. When the bar is high, you set a culture of “we can” instead of “we can't”

12. When the bar is high, you are communicating to people that you believe in them

13. When the bar is high, you attract eagles to your organization instead of chickens

14. When the bar is high, you create a team of winners

15. When the bar is high, people expect to win the Super Bowl and not just make it into the playoffs

16. When the bar is high, people approach work differently

17. When the bar is high, people maximize their time

18. When the bar is high, keep people accountable and don't let them pull down the organization

19. When the bar is high, you have to be careful about who you bring on the team

20. When the bar is high, it keeps the organization from being normal because normal is average and average is common

Courageous Trailer

We are kicking off an inspiring and hopeful series on Easter called Courageous, Living The EXTRAORDINARY Life. I can't wait to see all that God does through this series! Check out the inspiring video promo trailer.

Courageous from People's Church on Vimeo.

Weekend Highlights

1. It was a fun day teaching at People's Church. It's an honor to teach God's Word.

2. Whenever I take two Sundays off from teaching, my voice gets tired quicker when I return to teaching. By third experience, my voice was getting a little weary, but I made it through with no problem.

3. I taught about Complaining. This is a message that hit everyone at some level. Lord, help us not to whine but shine!

4. When I start finding fault with all I see, it's time to start looking for what's wrong with me. Complaining is a heart issue.

5. Lives were changed at People's Church.

6. This Sunday is the Super Bowl for churches. It's the most attended Sunday of the year. It's also the Sunday that many people will go to church if they are asked.

7. We pray for a missionary or strategic partner every week at People's Church, but yesterday, I told our church they are missionaries, and I'm praying for them to share their faith and invite their friends to People's Church for Easter.

8. Remember to be at church a little early for Easter so you don't miss the opening performance!

9. I need as many people as possible who attend the 10:30AM & 12PM experiences to attend the 9AM or 1:30PM experience on Easter! Let's make room for those who need to experience God's forgiveness!

10. My dad, little brother & sister drove up from Bowlegs, OK and attended the 12PM experience. They came to my family’s home for lunch, and Tiffany made us a superb lunch!

11. Two of my sons, my dad, my little brother and I went to see the OKC Thunder play the Trail Blazers. It was a good game, but my Thunder lost.

12. The Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball team is doing well. Final Four bound!

13. The men's NCCA tourney is all messed up. I didn't get one team into the Final Four in my bracket! Now I know why they call it "Madness".

14. Who are you inviting to Easter? You can go to www.peopleschurch.tv and send an email invite to your friends and family. Also, follow me on Facebook, and we will be sending out invite cards as well.

15. I'm so pumped up for this week! It's a huge week!

16. We are praying and fasting today through Wednesday for lives to be changed on Easter. The church building is open for prayer on Monday thru Wednesday from 12PM to 1:30PM. Let's seek the Lord together for an incredible Easter!

Thursday's Easter Download

1. Great week of message preparation. The Lord has really helped me to get clarity on the specific direction on each message in the Courageous series.

2. I'm excited to wrap up HUSH with a message on complaining this Sunday. Most of us struggle with this, and the Lord is going to help us in a great way.

3. On Easter, we have a phenomenal experience opening performance. Be sure to get to church on time for the Easter experience.

4. Also on Easter, we are going to have painting on stage during worship, a special song/video and an illustrative message. This will truly be an unforgettable experience.

5. On Easter only, we are adding a 1:30PM experience. I need as many of you as possible to attend the 9AM or the 1:30PM experience. This is the biggest day every year, and we need to make room in the auditorium and in our kids’ & youth areas for all those who will be coming and seeking a relationship with Christ. We could literally have double the crowd on Easter. EXCITING!

6. On Easter only, we will have a junior high experience at 9AM, 10:30AM, 12PM and 1:30PM. Yes, in all 4 experiences, so bring your student to the 9AM or 1:30PM. As always, we will have our kids’ ministry from birth to 5^th grade in all 4 experiences.

7. On Easter, you will be given an opportunity to win one of 2000 prizes. On Easter, you will get more details on how to win one of the 42 inch flat screen TVs and many other great prizes!

8. Don't delay another day; start inviting everybody you know to one of our 4 Easter experiences. This is one time of the year that many people who don't go to church will go if you invite them. If you will get your family & friends to church, you can count on this, we will present the Gospel, and Jesus is going to change lives. Start inviting now! GO, GO, GO!

9. Do not go out of town for Easter. Tell your family to come see you this Easter so you can bring them to People's Church. You don't want to miss this unforgettable experience! Just sayin........

10. We have some awesome prizes for the kids that include a…....(can't tell you)! More details on Easter Sunday!

11. We have some awesome prizes for junior high students that include.......(can't tell you)! More details on Easter Sunday!

12. I have a message burning in my heart for Easter! I can't wait to share it with you and your friends and family who will be attending with you. Titled: Courage to Change! Go, Go, GO. Start inviting now!

13.Next week on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday (March 29 thru March 31), we will be praying and fasting as a church family for our 4 Easter experiences. We will have a prayer meeting at the church in the PCA kids’ room from 12PM to 1:30PM on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday. Please join our staff by spending at least one day praying and fasting for lives to be changed on Easter!

14. The week after Easter, I'm teaching a message called Courage to Dream! We have a nationally known poet who will be performing at People's Church. More details on Easter.

15. Easter is going to be incredible, but so is this Sunday! I can't wait to see my People's Church family on Sunday! I love you all and am praying for you constantly!

Powerful Life Change Story

This short video is about a life that has been radically changed at People's Church. This video will inspire you! I encourage you to invite your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers to church on Easter. I am praying they will be the next life changed by the power of God. A big thanks to one of the PC volunteers, Nick Jones from www.prolifikfilms.com, for his work on this video.

Abraham from ProlifikFilms on Vimeo.

Person Got Hit In People's Church Parking Lot

Parking Lot Safety from People's Church on Vimeo.

Spring Break Highlights

1. I’ve been off from teaching at People's Church the last two weeks.

2. My family went to Nebraska for 4 days to see grandparents, aunt, uncles and cousins.

3. On March 14, my family and I worshipped at a church in Grand Island. It's always fun and interesting to visit other churches. I love God's church and God's people.

4. We played some cards in Nebraska and ate well.

5. We got back home on Tuesday evening and spent the rest of the week hanging out around the house and in OKC.

6. We went to the zoo on Thursday. Fun times.

7. We went to eat at a new pizza place. It was good pizza.

8. I worshipped at People's Church's 3rd experience at 12PM yesterday.

9. I was very impressed by our parking lot volunteers. I don't normally get to see them in action because I get to church so early on Sundays. Great job, even in the snow!

10. Worship and the message from Chris were great!

11. I'm so grateful to have such a fantastic team around me.

12. We got snow the first day of spring in Oklahoma City. I can't believe the weather this winter and early spring. Snow and ice, please go away. We've had enough!

13. I'm excited to be back teaching on Sunday at People's Church. I will be wrapping up our series HUSH!

14. I can't believe Easter is less than two weeks away. It's going to be a HUGE day at PC! Be praying and fasting for God to change lives.

15. I'm blown away by March Madness. There have been some major upsets.

16. I picked Kansas to win it all. This isn't working out very well for me. :)

17. My new pick is Northern Iowa. :)

18. I have had lots of family time the last two weeks. It's fun hanging out with my favorite people in the whole wide world.

19. I'm ready to hit the ground running today. So excited about what God is going to do at PC during this spring season!

20. Take on the day with passion, energy and excitement! 1, 2, 3, GO!

A Great Assistant Lightens Your Load

Jessica Jenkins has served as my assistant for almost a year and is doing a great job. I want you to hear what Jessica has to say about serving as a Senior Pastor’s Assistant in a fast-growing church.

I consider it a unique privilege to be Pastor Herbert’s assistant. When I joined the staff at People’s Church, there was a definite period of adjustment. Working in a fast-growing church environment is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. This last year has been a time of personal growth as I’ve tried to learn how to best serve Pastor Herbert as well as our church. I want to share a few important ways that I try to lighten Pastor Herbert’s load.

1. Protect Pastor Herbert’s time. He receives so many requests and inquiries that it is literally impossible for him to meet with everyone and answer every question. I do my best to help people understand this and direct them to other staff members who can best meet their needs. I also try to answer emails and Facebook messages so that he has time freed up to study for his messages and lead our church.

2. Communication is vital. This has not been one of my strongest qualities in the past, but in this environment, it is a must. Pastor Herbert always has multiple things on his mind, so I strive to have wraparound communication with him on tasks that are completed or in progress to allow him to concentrate on other important things. On the flip side, Pastor Herbert is very good about communicating with me. He is clear with expectations and often looks for ways to turn a situation into a learning moment for me. This form of teaching is invaluable in preparing me to handle situations in the future.

3. Be flexible and upbeat. Things are always changing at People’s Church, so I never know exactly what my tasks will be, but I’ve learned to do what is asked of me and keep a positive attitude. Most people will never understand all of the overwhelming stresses that are on a senior pastor. If I am constantly being needy or negative, this will just unnecessarily add to the stress.

I would encourage any of you reading this blog who are church leaders to have your assistants read this and discuss with them the ways that they can best serve you and your church.

Those Who Make Me Successful pt. 3

At People's Church, I have three people who directly report to me, and they are our Executive Directors. Our Executive Directors run the rest of the staff and the church. Today, I want you to hear from our Executive Director of Ministries, Troy Martin.

The past 15 years of ministry have been an amazing adventure. Over the years we have made a few transitions, and I have learned some very important lessons. I’d like to share a few nuggets on how to leave right and to start well.

Any transition should be a life-giving experience. The transitioning leader must keep a “big picture perspective.” The ministry of that church will continue, so it’s critical to not hinder it by making things difficult or working a personal agenda. You can control only one thing in the transition and that is YOUR attitude and actions. Leave right!

Arriving at a new place of leadership can be intimidating. If not careful, leaders can overcompensate by trying to force their influence by using a position or title to make things happen. Leaders have to remember that influence does not come overnight, but that it takes time. Here are a few insights to help you to gain influence and start well in a new place of ministry:

1. Get to know the key leaders in the church and/or in your specific area of leadership.

2. Learn the culture and core values. This doesn’t happen by reading it off the website. You must be intentional about observing the life of the church, asking a lot of questions and taking a lot of notes.

3. Don’t be a know-it-all! You have a lot of good ideas that you will be able to share in time, but for now, choose those moments wisely. Walk in humility!

4. Work hard!

The Best Volunteer Appreciation Video In The World

This is a video our team put together to appreciate our volunteers. Get ready to laugh!

Volunteer Thank You from People's Church on Vimeo.

Those Who Make Me Successful pt. 2

At People’s Church, I have three people who directly report to me, and they are our Executive Directors. Our Executive Directors run the rest of the staff and the church. Today, I want you to hear from our Executive Director of Creative Arts, Brian Rush.

Seems like only yesterday that it was 2002, and Alicia and I had just moved to OKC to start this thing called People's Church with Senior Pastor Herbert Cooper and his wife Tiffany. It is amazing to look back over the past 8 years and see what God has done. I could spend all day writing about things learned and ways that I've changed, but here are a couple ministry thoughts that definitely go towards the top.

1. Stay the course. Great things take time (including ministry). On average, it takes about 13 hours to build a Honda sedan. On the other hand, it takes up to 6 months to build a Rolls Royce. Now, while I've owned a couple Hondas and they are great cars, they are NOT a Rolls Royce (disclaimer: never owned a RR, never even driven one). If you know God has placed you somewhere, stay the course. Even when it's difficult, even when you're being stretched, even when it's tempting to bail out, stay the course. The longer you invest, the greater the return.

2. Take someone with you. Every day I am reminded that I am not that great all by myself. I've read it, heard people speak about it, am living it out each day and believe it with all my heart: "One of the greatest assets you have is the team you have around you". Literally, the people closest to you will make you or break you. Money, technology, new fads, cool gadgets, you fill in the blank...I'll take the RIGHT people over every single one of them every time. Spend time developing the right people, and you will be amazed at what a great team can accomplish with God's help.

Those Who Make Me Successful

It is true that as a leader those closest to you will determine your success. At People’s Church, I have 3 people who directly report to me, and they are our Executive Directors. Our Executive Directors run the rest of the staff and the church. Today, I want you to hear from our Executive Director of Operations, Josh Brown.

A big passion and vision of my leader (Senior Pastor) is to have People’s Church be one of the best places there is to work in the world. One of my biggest responsibilities as a second chair leader in helping to accomplish this vision is to help maintain the staff culture that my leader has built. One thing I have noticed as our staff continues to grow is how vital it is to hire the right people in the right spots if we are going to keep an exciting and healthy staff culture. Today, I want to touch on a few keys that I have found helpful in pursuing the right people for the right spots.

First of all, I make sure I have my heart and mind fully wrapped around not only the DNA of our church, but of our staff culture. I try and make a conscious effort to think about and refresh my mind with why we do what we do and who my leader has surrounded himself with. Secondly, I don’t shortcut the process. It is easy to want to hurry up and hire, but by realizing it is a process and not shortcutting the process, I am able to make educated suggestions and decisions about a hire. I also involve other staff members in the process. It is helpful for me to get feedback from others in our organization when going through the interview process, especially those who have been involved in our organization for years. They bring a lot of wisdom and insight into whether someone will fit our culture or not. Dig, Dig, Dig. If there is one thing I like to hear from those I interview, it’s “you sure are thorough” and “that was the most intense interview I have ever been a part of.” I try not to assume anything during the interview process. If it raises a question, then I ask it. I have found that most interviewees respect this kind of process. Although it can be time-consuming and rigorous, people get a sense that we truly do care about hiring right, which, I believe, leaves them with a sense of, “they really do care about making this the best place there is to work in the world.”

Experience The Summer Of A Lifetime At People’s Church

Somewhere between falling asleep as a child clutching a basketball with dreams of being an MVP, and actually playing in a championship game, preparation happens. Success in any career requires preparation. Effective leadership in ministry is no different. It doesn’t happen automatically, but requires preparation. The effective leader first takes the time to be a student….to learn, to be stretched and to grow. One of the greatest learning environments to cultivate leadership skills is a thriving ministry. When you are immersed into its life and culture, you will gain invaluable practical experience. This experience builds upon book knowledge and classroom theory. An internship can help to serve this purpose. People’s Church is offering a summer internship that can help prepare you to be a CHAMPION for the Kingdom of God!

Why a summer internship at People’s Church?

*You will learn and grow as a leader.

*You will be developed through spiritual gift inventories and personalized growth plans.

*You will receive weekly leadership and ministry training from the staff of People’s Church.

*You will receive hands-on and practical ministry experience.

*You will get personalized coaching from one of the members of our staff.

*You will be exposed first-hand to the ministry philosophy, values, and practices of one of the fastest growing churches in America.

*You will leave the internship with some tools and insights that will increase your effectiveness for the Kingdom of God.

Email anita@peopleschurch.tv for more information and to receive an application packet.

Today’s blog is from Troy Martin, our Executive Director of Ministries at People’s Church.

HUSH

The Bible says that life and death are in the power of the tongue. That’s a powerful statement! Throughout this series, you will learn invaluable insight about how your mouth is key to your success. Join us on Sunday, March 14^th, as we kick off the new series HUSH!

This weekend is Daylight Savings. Remember to set your clocks forward one hour on Saturday, March 13^th, before you go to bed.

Hush from People's Church on Vimeo.

Weekend Highlights

1. I'm blown away by all of the lives Jesus is changing at People's Church!

2. Hearing the testimonies of how God is changing lives is so encouraging to me.

3. I shared with our church how we are focused on reaching people far from God.

4. I also shared how we are super focused on investing the Gospel into the lives of kids and teenagers.

5. I told PC that we will do anything short of sin to reach people who don't know Christ.

6. I told PC that we are not just called to minister to the already saved.

7. Less than 25 percent of the Oklahoma City metro area attends church. We must open our eyes because the field is ripe for harvest.

8. We are dreaming and preparing to launch more People's Churches across the state of Oklahoma.

9. We are dreaming about having a state-of-the-art youth facility to reach and train more teenagers to be warriors for God.

10. Thank you to all of you who committed to tithe for the first time in your lives. You are putting food in God's house.

11. Thank you to all of you who made a commitment to give over and above your tithe to the CRAZY Campaign. It's all about MORE changed lives.

12. When you put food in God's house, He will put food in your house.

13. I'm excited for our series HUSH. God is going to help us with our tongue. Our tongue is key to a successful and God-honoring life.

14. We had a nice, relaxing weekend at the Cooper home.

15. I miss football. Hurry up, August. :)

16. The OKC Thunder won their 38th game last night. GO Thunder!

17. We took the kids for a special treat at Braum's last night.

18. This is going to be a great week for you! Be positive and go for it!

Thursday's Download

1. My wife went to a Senior Pastors’ Wives Retreat in Las Vegas. She had a great time connecting with some awesome ladies.

2. This was my first time having the kids by myself. It went better than I thought it would.

3. My wife lined up some folks to watch the kids for me during the day so that I could go to work. That was very helpful.

4. The most hectic part for me was in the mornings. One morning I gave 3 of my kids a bath, helped Cale get ready for school, got all four breakfast, cleaned up and got myself ready in about 45 minutes.

5. I've always appreciated and known that my wife's daily job of staying home with our kids and investing in their lives is harder than my job. I confirmed this while she was gone. LOL.

6. This Sunday, I am sharing vision and talking about the future of People's Church. This is a must-attend Sunday to get the inside scoop about what God is laying on my heart for PC!

7. Please be in prayer about 4 things for Sunday: 1. If you're not faithfully tithing, take the step of faith and begin to honor God by returning 10 percent of your income to God through PC. 2. If you are committed to tithing to God through PC, please pray about what God wants you to give over and above your tithe to the CRAZY Campaign for one year. 3. If you are faithfully tithing and are giving faithfully to the CRAZY Campaign, please continue to give offerings to the CRAZY Campaign for one more year.

8. Number four is to be praying about what God wants you to give on Sunday to our special CRAZY offering. We are all giving our very best offering, over and above the Lord's tithe, on Sunday. It's going to be a great day! It's all about MORE CHANGED LIVES! There is so much more for us to do!

9. I'm so glad the weather is better this week. I feel spring in the air, and I’m liking it. It's been a unique winter.

10. HUSH begins on March 14. This is going to be a great series. The Bible says there is life and death in our tongue. Learning how to control and use your tongue is key to your success in life. This is going to be a super, great series for our church.

11. I'm very pumped up for Easter and our April series. Courageous...Living The Extraordinary Life is going to be a high-impact series. We have tons of creative elements for this series. We have tons of special creative elements for Easter! Start inviting people right now for Easter.

12. We are adding a 4th experience time for Easter. It will begin at 1:30PM. Our Easter experience times will be 9AM, 10:30AM, 12PM and 1:30PM. We need as many people as possible who attend the 10:30AM experience to attend the 9AM or 1:30PM experience. We need as many people as possible who attend the 12PM to attend the 1:30PM. We need to free up as many seats and space in the auditorium and kids’ area as possible for all of the guests who will be attending on Easter. Many will be coming to PC for the first time and need to experience God's grace, mercy and forgiveness.

13. So excited for Sunday! Don't miss out on the inside scoop!

The Fundamental Flaw of Leadership

The Art Of Leadership is not something that comes natural for everyone, although some individuals are uniquely gifted to be more successful than others. The one thing that is certain for all leaders is the fact that in order to be successful they will have to over-come leadership flaws. Leadership flaws come in many shapes, forms and fashions. Just think of the leaders that you have worked for and imagine their flaws that caused you and your co-workers heartache. Imagine your own leadership flaws and the heartache that you might have caused others.

There are enough leadership flaws out there that we could fill up a book of flaws and fixes. In my opinion The Fundamental Flaw Of Leadership is not shooting straight with team members and not allowing them to know where they stand. Time and time again, leaders will talk about the ineptness of a team member or department, without talking to that team member or department head about those particular challenges. The even sadder fact is that when these employees are on the ropes and getting ready to be fired or moved to another department and don’t even see it coming.

Leaders have the responsibility of letting people know where they stand. If a person knows where they stand, they know what to fix. As a leader if you find yourself talking about the struggles a team member is having and they don’t know they are having those struggles… you need to look in the mirror, because you are not doing your job.

Again, if you are a leader and are not letting people know where they stand and not Keeping It Real… you are committing The Fundamental Flaw Of Leadership. Give your team member the one thing they need and that’s the right information. Information is not knowledge, however having the right information can lead to having the right knowledge.

What do you think? Is this The Fundamental Flaw Of Leadership? Have you seen this be problematic?

This was a great post by my good friend, Scott Williams at Big Is The New Small.

CRAZY March Madness

Please click on images below to view full size.

Weekend Highlights

1. Another super good Sunday at People's Church.

2. God's presence was so evident during worship.

3. Our Worship Team is so gifted and anointed.

4. The volunteer appreciation video was very funny and very heartfelt.

5. Thank you, volunteers, for serving God and impacting lives!

6. The parking lot video is hilarious. I will show this on my blog sometime soon.

7. Tiffany and I watched last week’s American Idol on Saturday night, so we are all caught up.

8. Sunday's message went well. I really enjoy teaching on relationships. My wife means the world to me and so do my kids.

9. I've heard many testimonies from the Sexual Revolution series.

10. I said GET NAKED in my message yesterday. This is biblical, and if you missed the message you need to watch or listen to it at www.peopleschurch.tv

11. Be sure you plan out some date nights with your spouse. Don't hope to connect with your spouse; plan to connect with your spouse. Make it a priority.

12. Thank you, Tiffany, for shooting a video and sharing your thoughts about sex and marriage with PC. You are an incredible partner! I love doing life with you.

13. I told the church that I'm excited to share vision and what God is putting on my heart for People's Church on March 7. This is a must attend Sunday to get the inside scoop on what God has in store for PC.

14. Tiffany and I are addicted to baked potatoes. We had one on Friday.

15. It's such a privilege and honor to be the pastor of PC! It's unreal that I get to do this full-time! Thank you, Jesus!