The Highs And Lows

One of the toughest things about ministry is successfully managing the highs and lows. I can't say that I've mastered this. Sometimes I do really well, and at times I do a horrible job. Here are some examples of the highs and lows of ministry that must be managed correctly.

1. One Sunday you are on an emotional high because attendance is strong, and the next Sunday you are battling depression because the attendance was low.

2. One month people love the church and are excited about the vision, and the next month the same people leave the church disgruntled.

3. In one season of ministry, you have incredible momentum, and in the next season, you can't find or create momentum no matter how hard you pray and work. You don't even know why you lost it, but you do know you don't have it.

4. One month the offerings are strong, and the next month they are weak.

5. You feel incredible because you feel like you preached a great message one weekend, and you feel like a loser two weeks later because you feel like you bombed the message.

6. In one season of ministry, you are exhilarated because you have the right team or staff around you. In the next season of ministry, you are deflated because you have the wrong people around you, or you have the right people in the wrong places.

7. One month you are excited because you've got things figured out, and six months later, you are mentally drained because now you don't have a clue.

I really believe that for a minister to be healthy over the long haul, they have to learn to manage the highs and lows successfully. One of the keys for me is I try extremely hard not to let the highs get too high and the lows get too low. I try to stay in the middle as much as possible. I've learned that most of the time, things aren't as bad as you think they are nor are they as good as you think they are. I want to encourage you, my ministry friend, to stay even-keeled and not ride the roller coaster of the extreme highs and lows of ministry. The roller coaster ride of ministry can cause you to crash and burn.

Forgotten God

This Sunday, we are kicking off a month long series called Forgotten God...The Mystery Of The Holy Spirit. I am super pumped about this series. We oftentimes hear about the Father and the Son, but many people are confused, ignorant or scared of the Holy Spirit. This is going to be a life-transforming series. I can't wait for church on Sunday! Check out the promo video!

Forgotten God from People's Church on Vimeo.

Weekend Highlights

1. My Oklahoma Sooners barely won. I'm really not sure how good we are. We will soon find out as we enter Big 12 play this week.

2. My Dallas Cowboys finally got a win. They are too good of a team to have a losing record.

3. The Cooper family did a lot of relaxing and watching football this weekend.

4. I can't believe how much my oldest son loves football.

5. I took my kids outside to ride bikes and play on Saturday morning, and I got eaten alive by chiggers. I got around 12 bites on my leg, and it still itches.

6. My oldest son has developed so much in one year. Last year he couldn't catch a football very well, and now he hardly drops it.

7. I taught my daughter how to ride a bike on Saturday. Of course, with training wheels, but it was a major victory for her.

8. Church was amazing on Sunday. Great worship and Word from God.

9. Troy Martin taught God's Word on Sunday. He did a wonderful job. Troy is a great preacher of God's Word.

10. On Sunday, I led the prayer time, and I was able to receive on Sunday instead of give out. I also got to check out our online experience and offer feedback to make it better.

11. Whenever I'm not teaching on a Sunday, I try to find areas that we need to improve. I am more attentive than normal because I'm not focused on teaching.

12. I am super, super excited for Sunday. People's Church is kicking off a new series called Forgotten God...The Mystery of the Holy Spirit. Oftentimes we hear a lot about God the Father and God the Son, but many people don't know much about God the Holy Spirit. Some are confused about Him. Some are scared of Him. Some are just ignorant of Him. This series is a must-hear, and I am pumped up for Sunday!

Thursday's Download

1. My wife was gone Monday morning thru Wednesday night to a senior pastor wives’ retreat. She had a great time and built a lot of relationships.

2. Thanks to Steven and Holly Furtick and the Elevation Church team for hosting this retreat.

3. I held down the fort at the Cooper house while my wife was gone. Tiffany did a great job lining up childcare so that I could still go to work every day.

4. Whenever I keep my kids a couple of nights without my wife, I gain a whole new respect for what she does day in and day out.

5. Another super night at The Wednesday Connection. People are connecting with God and others. Beautiful!

6. This Sunday is the ENCORE performance of the stomp/dance performance we did this past Sunday. Start inviting people now.

7. My fantasy football teams went 4-1-1. Yes, that's right, a guy came back and the game ended in a tie. I am 0-2 in our staff league.

8. God has been speaking to me more clearly about the future of People's Church. Exciting.

9. We are building the dream team at People's Church.

10. It was so good to hug my wife last night. I missed her so much.

11. I can't wait for Sunday at People's Church. I'm ready to worship God with my church family.

12. I'm grateful for the pastor friends that God has brought in Tiffany’s and my life.

13. It's going to be a great Thursday!

Making A Difference In Our Community

People's Church is passionate about making a difference in our community and around the world. Check out this short video, and see how God is using People's Church to make a difference! It's all about MORE changed lives!

Outreach 2010 from People's Church on Vimeo.

Weekend Highlights

1. I took Tiffany on a date on Thursday night. We hadn't been on a date in a few weeks due to scheduling conflicts, so I was very excited to be alone with my bride. Date nights make me very happy!

2. We had a pretty relaxing weekend around the Cooper home.

3. People's Church was SUPER good on Sunday. Worship was amazing. We sang The Best In Me by Marvin Sapp and From The Inside Out by Hillsong United in the same worship set. I love the diversity of our church.

4. The stomp/dancing performance was amazing. This Sunday is an encore performance, so start inviting your friends and family now.

5. I thought the message went well. I've learned so much from studying for this series. It's been very helpful in my walk with God.

6. We had great attendance and many lives were changed by the power of Christ!

7. I'm grateful for those who come out to our pre-experience prayer meeting at 7:40AM every Sunday morning. God answers prayer!

8. My Oklahoma Sooners squeaked out a win. They have me awfully nervous right now. I'm hoping we knock off the rust before Texas weekend.

9. My Dallas Cowboys stink right now. Come on, boys, and pull it together.

10. I have a chance to go 5-1 in my fantasy leagues this week. I'm 0-2 in our People's Church staff league. Yikes! I have a good team and am putting up good points, but my opponent is smoking when they play me. Time for a turnaround! :)

11. I'm humbled and very grateful to be the Senior Pastor of PC. God is at work, and I'm excited for all He has in store for PC!

Thursday's Download

1. I went 3-3 the first week with my fantasy football teams. I need to do better this week.

2. We had 1300 people at The Wednesday Connection last night. I'm so excited to see our church hungry for relationships and God's Word.

3. This Sunday's stomp/dance performance is going to be off the charts. Seriously, don't you dare miss this one.

4. Invite and bring everybody you know to church on Sunday. You know people who need to experience the life-changing power of God.

5. The Dallas Cowboys need to clobber the Bears on Sunday. One of our staff members is a Bears fan, and I need to have the leg up in trash talking. :)

6. We are in a season of inspecting the areas that are weak in our church. We have identified a weakness, and we are getting it corrected.

7. I absolutely dislike a weakness that happens right under your nose, and you have no clue until things begin to spin out of control. I am grateful that we caught the weakness before it became a major problem, and we are all over it now. Thank you, Jesus!

8. I'm grateful to God for how my kids are growing up with a heart for Jesus. Tiffany and I already see a passion for the things of God in our kids.

9. My two oldest sons are enjoying school. Cade, my 5-year old, has come out of his shell and is really outgoing.

10. I thank God constantly for my great family, my faithful and hardworking staff, my wonderful church family and for abundant life! BLESSED!

Stomp/Dance Performance

You don’t want to miss this Sunday at People’s Church. There will be an unreal performance unlike anything we’ve ever done that you’ll want to invite your friends and family to see!

September Stomp Promo from People's Church on Vimeo.

It's Much Easier

Oftentimes going to the next level requires you to do the hard thing. Over the years, I've observed that many people take the easy road and miss out on all that God wants to do through their lives. Getting to the next level isn’t easy, so many people stay right where they are. It's much easier

1. To play it safe instead of risking it all to follow God

2. To not evaluate the weak areas of your church or organization

3. To pretend like everything is ok, even when it's not

4. To avoid difficult conversations so that you remain comfortable

5. To stay the same and never grow, stretch and get better

6. To blame all your problems on God and never take a hard look at yourself

7. To only talk with people who are where you are or behind you rather than people who are ahead of you and will make you better

8. To be lazy rather than working hard

9. To follow your flesh rather than yield your life to the work of the Holy Spirit

10. To be like everybody else instead of being who God has called you to be

Today, make the difficult decision and go to the next level! God has SO MUCH MORE FOR YOU!

Weekend Highlights

1. It was a weekend of football at the Cooper house.

2. My Oklahoma Sooners stomped Florida State. I was very happy about this.

3. My wife made pot roast for dinner on Saturday. That was some good pot roast. I had it for lunch on Sunday afternoon. I love gravy.

4. We had a great day at People's Church. National poet, Amena Brown, brought down the house. Lives were changed.

5. A very heavy rain storm hit during 2nd experience. It was so loud I could hear it pounding on the roof while I was teaching, and we have good insulation on our roof. It's always a bummer when a storm like this hits on Sunday during worship experiences.

6. We started our live online worship experiences at 10AM, 11:30AM & 1PM. We had some technical difficulties, but we will get them hammered out this week. I'm excited about this new tool that will help us spread the Good News of Christ around the world.

7. After church, I watched football all day. My Dallas Cowboys didn't look good. 3 of my fantasy football teams need a breakthrough tonight. I need a good response from my players on Monday Night Football to win in all 6 leagues.

8. I taught on the book of Revelation on Sunday. I studied for this message more than any other message. It was hard to cover the book in 37 minutes (normally I speak around 30 minutes), but we got it done. There was great feedback, so I think people left with a better understanding of this complicated book.

9. I want to say a big thanks to Chris Hodges and Perry Noble for supplying me with great information on the end times from their series they did a year or two ago. It has been very helpful.

10. This Sunday at People's Church is a can't miss stomp/dance performance, and we will be continuing the series End Of The World.

11. At The Wednesday Connection at 7PM at People's Church, there will be barbeque with all the fixings, and I will be continuing the series Overcoming The Obstacles Of Life. I'll see you on Wednesday night for this event for the entire family.

Big Day

This Sunday at People’s Church is Big Day! We are asking you to invite all of your friends and family to People’s Church this Sunday! Nationally acclaimed poet, Amena Brown, will be performing. Also, both Buzz Lightyear and Woody will be hanging out in the kids’ area. You won’t want to miss Big Day!

Watch It Live

Beginning this Sunday at People's Church, you can now watch the 10AM, 11:30AM & 1PM experiences live at www.peopleschurch.tv. Yes, you get the entire worship experience right on your computer! You get the praise and worship, videos, performances, giving, teaching and response time. When you are on vacation or sick, you can still worship at PC. If you live in another part of the country or world, you can worship with us every week! Let all your friends, family, coworkers & enemies :) know about this new online live worship experience every Sunday at People's Church! GET THE WORD OUT!!

Labor Day Weekend Highlights

1. I had a super Labor Day weekend!

2. My family went to the zoo on Monday. The kids loved seeing the animals, and I loved being with my family.

3. I ate two corn dogs for lunch at the zoo! Good stuff, but not healthy. Then I ate pizza for dinner. It wasn't a good day of food selection. :)

4. I completed my 5th fantasy football draft on Monday night. I want to dominate my leagues. We shall soon see!

5. Yes, fantasy football is one of my favorite hobbies. I love it, and it's one of those things that takes my mind off ministry. I enjoy it.

6. My Oklahoma Sooners did not look good at all on Saturday. Landry Jones has to play better. Come on, OU! We’ve got Florida State this Saturday, and we need to bring our A-game.

7. Church was awesome on Sunday! The Exodus rap performance was out of this world! Pastor friends, I highly encourage you to have Exodus at your church. They will bless your church. Two of the rappers attend PC, and they are faithful and are men of God. Email my assistant at jessica@peopleschurch.tv for their information.

8. Lives were changed on Sunday. That's what it's all about!

9. We had a great Labor Day Sunday attendance. God is blessing our four new experience times.

10. I'm so excited for the powerful poetry of Amena Brown coming up this Sunday at PC. It's not just poetry, it's an experience. Don't you dare miss out. Also, both Buzz Lightyear and Woody will be in the kids’ area hanging out with the kids this Sunday.

11. The End Of The World series is going great. People are learning a lot about what the bible says about end time events and what we all need to do during these last days. This Sunday's title is Snapshots Of Revelations! It's going to be a good one!

12. This Sunday is BIG DAY at People's Church! Let's pack out the place! Start inviting everybody you know!!!

Exodus Rapping At People's Church

This Sunday, in all four experiences, Exodus will be doing a powerful and inspiring rap. This is going to be unbelievable! Start inviting your friends to this unforgettable experience!

Exodus 9-5-2010 from People's Church on Vimeo.

The Wednesday Connection

It kicks off TONIGHT at 7PM! Don't miss the fun! There will be FREE Chick-fil-A for adults, a cookout for Epic students and pizza for kids! I'm teaching a new series called Overcoming The Obstacles Of Life. You will be able to fellowship and get to know some of your church family. There are awesome programs for your kids and teenagers! It's an event for the ENTIRE family!

Wednesday Connection from People's Church on Vimeo.