I had a great time last week with the folks of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale (CCFL). Pastor Geoff, who has an incredible reputation there, did a wonderful job of putting together a weeks-worth of meetings and appointments with their excellent staff. My goal in visiting CCFL was not to visit a large church, but to visit a healthy church. Let me say, mission accomplished. Here are some observations:
- They are very outreach oriented. Everything they do, on and off-site, has an evangelistic flair. This starts in the pulpit, as Pastor Bob’s messages seek to resonate with where people are at.
- They are very servant oriented. Every staff and volunteer I talked to or observed gave me the impression they would bend over backwards to help the people they were trying to reach.
- They like being together. People literally saved places in line to wait for the sanctuary doors to open on Wednesday night, running down the isles to get the front seats. The place literally crawls with people hanging out in every nook and cranny the church facility has to offer.
It was a wonderful time. Special thanks to Pastor Bob Coy for taking the time to meet with us and answer questions. I came away with renewed vision in many areas, including media, internet, small groups, outreach, hospitality, worship, preaching, and other minitries.
As Geoff put it, “the trip was a 10.” Thank you for your prayers.
Nate
