When it comes to organizational leadership, I’m a pretty big nerd. I love hearing how a coach runs a team or how a CEO leads a Fortune 500 company. Hearing the details of their day-to-day operation and decision making begins to show the culture behind the product. The details reveal how seriously the organization takes their mission and how much they value what they do.

I was reading Exodus 24-27 this morning when – to be honest – I hit a patch that I began thinking to myself, “This is pretty stinking boring.” It was in Exodus 26-27 when it starts laying out in excruciating detail how they were supposed to build the Tabernacle and everything in it. Everything down to the materials used and what artistic emblems would be embroidered on the curtains is given.

I literally stopped and asked out loud, “Why in the world is this in here?!” And then it hit me: because the details matter! As Exodus carefully lays out exactly what God wanted in his house of worship, we begin to see how much God values our worship and giving Him our absolute best.

That’s why at OneLife we try our hardest to dig deep into the details. It’s why the band practices, and volunteers come to VIP meetings. It’s why we have trainings for volunteers, structure our worship services with intentionality, and carefully plan everything from each individual sign to the kids rooms and even down to each row of chairs.

Because details matter.

And in those details we display to our God how seriously we take him and how much we desire to offer him our absolute best.

Check out this awesome guest post from OneLife Kidz Director Cris Patterson. Then get involved making a difference in the next generation!

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As I look around at my to do list, it seems neverending. As a multi-tasker, I sometimes tend to start lots of projects and not finish them. But this season of my life has been different. God has handed me a position of leadership that may seem overwhelming to most as I take on the leadership of OneLife Kidz.

To me it is a dream come true, a welcomed challenge, and most of all a time of growth and drawing near to Him. As the Halls building was completed last month, I could have focused on the exciting transformation of our Onelife Kidz area with all the murals being painted, projects being completed to help us stay organized, the awesome curriculum plans, and making sure we had everything we needed in order to launch.

But the focus I believe God wants for us is this: What is so different about OneLife Kidz? Why would families come back? Is this the best hour of the week for the kids? So as we start this new journey as a multi-site church, what will our culture be for kids ministries? Will families be impressed by the enviroment? The logo? The freshly painted walls? Or will there be more to it than that?

In order for our ministry to be built with excellence and a strong foundation, these things won’t matter as much as the one thing that matters most: the condition of our hearts. Will families trust us? Will they see Jesus in us? That is what will make OneLife Kidz a success – you!

Families come to OneLife Kidz and get connected to life change. A mom drops off a crying baby only to come back to a smiling face. A dad leaves his elementary kids in a shy, quiet state to find them excited about church. That’s why a huge difference can be made by rocking a baby, coloring with toddlers, teaching a bible story to preschoolers, and dancing/singing with Elementary kids, because it is much more than that!

But this difference is so much more than one hour on Sundays. It takes a team of focused players who are all-in and believing our vision of leading kids to become fully devoted followers of Christ! If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines, waiting to get involved at OneLife, there may be no better place for you than in OneLife Kidz. From checking in families to rocking babies to hanging out with older kids to pressing buttons on the Kidz Tech Team, there is a place for you! Find out more by emailing me at cris@onelifeknox.com or by talking to the pastor at your location.

The best is yet to come in OneLife Kidz! Come be a part of it with us!

One of the fastest growing ministries in our church is the elementary age of OneLife Kidz. A couple months ago we enlisted Cris Patterson to lead this area and it has taken off! With that growth comes the need for more people who will step up to help lead these kiddos.

But leading in OneLife Kidz is about MUCH more than just volunteering! It’s about…

Investing. More than any other area of our church, this age group is primed for an investment. The things they learn on Sundays will stay with them for a lifetime. The relationships they build with their adult leaders will shape them for years to come!

A Team. The most amazing thing I’ve seen happen in this ministry is an incredible team of volunteers be raised up. They have fun together. They work hard together. They become friends together. All centered around the vision of making a difference in the lives of our kids.

Multiplication. A volunteer in OneLife Kidz is multiplying themselves in a way that will not be fully understood this side of heaven. Just imagine leading a child to Christ who will then lead many others to Christ throughout his or her life. The time spent with them changes more than just one life. It changes countless lives!

If you are interested in learning more about how you can be involved with our elementary kiddos, make sure you are a part of the Volunteer Interest Lunch this Sunday. It’s a free lunch after the second service in Suite 102 of the OneLife Office. You’ll hear about the vision and direction of OneLife Kidz and how you can get involved. You won’t have to commit then and there, so please come and hear more!

Email volunteer@onelifeknox.com RIGHT NOW to RSVP!

You know that feeling when you’re about to buy a car, so you get to drive whatever you want?! Only fun, no commitment – not yet, anyway. That part is coming. But for now you get to shop around and enjoy the benefits of all those different opportunities.

We’ve created that same experience for new volunteers at OneLife. We do this because volunteers are a core part of how we do Sundays! From the time you enter the parking lot to the time you leave the property, we make sure you are encountering one of our great volunteer teams. And not just so you can have a good experience, but so we can make sure you are being pointed to becoming a disciple from the minute you arrive to the minute you leave. Because this has become such a huge part of our culture, OneLifers who are looking to get connected often want to know how they can become a volunteer also. If that’s you, then Test Drive was created just for you!

Test Drive exists to fulfill the two reasons that we find most people want to begin volunteering. First, they want to meet others in the church! Test Drive is a once a month event the first Sunday of the month that we use to gather together everyone who is interested in volunteering. Second, most people just want to know more about what volunteering is all about! Who doesn’t want to know a little more about something before jumping in? Test Drive gives us the opportunity to share our vision for volunteering, our culture, and all the opportunities we have.

So if you are sitting on the sidelines and are ready to jump in to making a difference and getting to know other OneLifers, we would love to have you at Test Drive! The next one is Sunday, April 1 at 11:00 am in Suite 102 of the OneLife Office. Don’t worry, if after attending you feel like you aren’t ready to take the plunge, that is ok! This is just your opportunity to see what’s out there.

If you are interested in attending Test Drive, email volunteer@onelifeknox.com soon so we can get you in on April 1. We can’t wait to be serving with you!

At some churches, anyone can be a part of the worship team – and that’s not a bad thing! But at some churches like OneLife, musicians are asked to audition first. If you’re from a background where anyone can be part of the worship team, you’re probably wondering why a church like OneLife would even have auditions?  ”You can sing, right?  Well come on you’re in!” That’s what we are used to hearing growing up in many churches, but here at OneLife we want to be intentional with who’s on our worship team and here’s why.

We believe God deserves our absolute best and excellence as a church and as individuals. Just like not everyone who likes to teach will be called to preach, not everyone who likes music is called to be a worship leader. And that’s what all of our musicians are – they are worship leaders. We strive for a distraction free environment and an easy place to worship, and that’s why hitting the right notes and singing the right words are – believe it or not – not what is most important to us. What’s most important to us is that we get the right people in their sweet spot of ministry, no matter where that may be. Not everyone will land a spot on the worship team but it will hopefully open your eyes to see where else in the church you may be being called to or somewhere else you would like to serve. And for others, you will find your sweet spot as a worship leader on our team.

Auditions for OneLife worship are coming up on March 20, next Tuesday night. If you’re interested and haven’t contacted worship@onelifeknox.com then do that today to get more information about what you’ll need to do. We’re excited for this next season of ministry and getting new musicians whose hearts are tied to OneLife Church and the kingdom.

So if you are a musician who goes to OneLife Church and wants to get involved, we would love to see what you got!