How do you create a memorable event? How do you create environments people want to re-visit countless times? How do you create experiences people will stand in long lines for hours for?
This is what my family has now done four consecutive years with our now-annual Good Friday tradition joining 13,000 of our closest friends at the Verizon Amphitheater in Alpharetta, GA for Passion City Church’s Good Friday concert. The reasons we attend this event each year has broad-based implications for all pastors and church leaders hoping to grow a great church.
Sold Out Crowd Of 13,000
The following are 15 Lessons For Pastors Wanting To Grow Great Churches From Passion City Church’s Good Friday Concert:
- Jesus Is The Center Of Everything Passion City Does – Kristian Stanfill’s opening comments reminded everyone we were here to sing about Jesus, focus on Jesus and reflect on the work only He could do – the work of the cross.
- Great Leaders Expect God To Do Great Things – The audience was advised the Passion team was praying for Jesus to do something significant in our lives that evening.
- People Stand In Line For Great Works Of God – We arrived at 3:30 PM, two hours before the gates opened and 3 hours before the concert began. There were already over two dozen people ahead of us in line upon arrival. Once the gates opened, over 5,000 people were waiting as shown in the picture below.
- The line one hour before the gates open.
- Prayer Is The Foundation Of Every Successful Ministry Initiative – Because of our early arrival I witnessed the parking and doorkeeper teams prepare to be deployed. After several minutes of instruction, the parking team spent several minutes on their knees praying before going about their tasks.
- Great Leaders Are Accessible – The venue’s sound booth is located in the middle of the audience. A few minutes prior to the concert’s beginning David Crowder himself walked through the crowd and hung out at the sound booth. He was genuinely happy to spend time with the people and take pictures. I thought, “David Crowder would be a cool guy just to hang out with.”
- Great Leaders Know All Truth Flows From The Bible – The only thing which brings positive sustainable change to human life is the Word of God. Passion City Church pastor Louie Giglio’s message flowed from I Peter 3:18 which says, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.”
- Great Leaders Remind Us Jesus Is Accessible – Louie gave an incredible example of Jesus being a bridge. He said, “Jesus is the bridge to forgiveness and peace.”
- Great Churches Relieve Suffering – The Passion team is indiscriminate when it comes to providing relief. They had a concert goal to raise $100,000 going towards the assistance of the widows and orphans of the 21 Christians beheaded in Syria by ISIS this past February. The funds will go towards their housing, food, clothing, sanitation and education. To be part of this effort text $ Passion to 45777. Ex, $50 Passion to 45777 and you will be sent instructions on how to best contribute. ***Update*** A Passion Instagram post early Saturday afternoon gave the results – $180,362!!!!
- Great Churches Bring Great Refreshment To Their Congregations – As a person who lives and operates in a production environment, it is refreshing and reassuring to know there is nothing I can do to make God love me more. There is nothing for me to prove. Louie reminded us that as Christians, “The verdict is in and we, the jury, because of what Jesus did on the cross, we find you NOT GUILTY!”
- Great Pastors And Churches Call For Great Commitment – In addition to asking the audience for great financial commitment, Louie also presented the plan of salvation eliciting an incredible response.
- Great Churches Are Multi-Ethnic – The concert’s special guests were the Morehouse College Glee Club who brought the house down.
- Great Churches Are Mutli-Generational – Great movements of Jesus are attractive to all age groups. The doorkeepers in my area were two young very nice ladies in their early 20’s.
- Great Churches Build Great Teams – The Passion City and Six Step Records recording team consists of Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Crowder, Nathan and Christy Nockels, Kristian Stanfill and Brett Younker just to name a few. All were in attendance. I have provided at the top of this post a video of my favorite song from the recent Even So Come cd.
Great Churches Are Creative – I hope you attend a church where you often leave saying, “Wow! That was amazing!” I hope your worship services are so memorable you are still talking about it on Thursday. Unfortunately, most people do not. Passion always leaves my family amazed and wanting more. I have provided a picture of the cross hanging above the stage as an example.- Great Churches Generously Resource Their Congregations – Great churches take care of their own. As is their custom, several Passion resources were offered for purchase at significantly discounted prices.
Pastors, do you want to build a great church? Of course, you do. Make Jesus The Center Expecting Him To Do Great Things, Make Prayer and The Bible Primary Foundations, Be Accessible, Ask For Great Commitment, Relieve Suffering, Be Refreshing, Creative, Multi-Ethnic and Multi-Generational, Build Great Teams and Generously Resource Your Congregation. Do these things and just watch God build a great church for His glory.
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