I love the people I get to work with. As Access has grown, God has blessed us with the opportunity to hire several staff members. I just thought I’d take a moment to publicly appreciate them. Access people, you should take a moment to express thanks to them to. These guys work really hard to serve you each week!
Elisabeth Burns – Impossible not to start here. You believed in this before I did. You drew maps of possible locations for Access on the back of an envelope before I felt God leading us this direction (I should listen to you more often!). You’ve not only believed in this church, but have sacrificed and prayed with me that God would use us to make a difference. This church, and the hundreds of lives that have been changed, have your fingerprints all over it. Thank you for helping make it beautiful. (PS – Lis is about to unleash a new blog that might rock your world! Stay tuned.)
Jay Graffam – This guy has been one of my absolute best friends since the first day of college 10 years ago. We’ve dreamed of creating a church, like Access, since the early days of school. Working with him has been an answer to prayer. I somehow convinced him, when we were a very small church, to move down here, with his wife, two boys, and another child on the way. Get this. I convinced him to move down here from Virginia for $300/month. That’s faith. It has paid off in a huge way. Thanks for having the courage to risk to see God do something amazing in and through your life and the lives of your family!
Mike Burns – I have such a difficult time imagining ever doing ministry without Mike. For over 10 years, Mike and I traveled together, speaking at churches and camps. He was with me when we started Access in my living room, and has been an encourager and unbelievable team player the whole way. His creativity and humor help to constantly shape Access into what it is. Thank you for continually putting our mission into practice, for putting others first, and for working so hard to make Access a creative, life-giving kind of church!
Lauren Frazier – I love and admire the way you love kids. My own personal ministry started by working with kids. There is something so beautiful about seeing a kid really understand that God actually loves them. You amaze me with your creativity. One of my great joys is listening to parents tell me that their kids have come home and ACTUALLY are excited about what they’ve learned. I love the stories about kids who have taken your message and put it into practice. You’re doing such a great job. Thank you!
David Jackson - David is another one of the “living room” guys. He was one of the original 15. David somehow heard about what we were planning to do before we even started. I remember sitting on the tarmac on a plane heading home from New York, listening to his voicemail expressing interest in joining with us. I never knew it would come to this. David’s love for people is so evident. The way he helps our church connect through Small Groups is so significant. Thank you for helping us shape lives in smaller communities!
Jordan Rippy – You and Kristin have made such an impact on our church. You are, without a doubt, the most talented worship leader I’ve ever met. Truthfully, what I appreciate about you even more is that you are true worshippers. When I asked Jordan what he wanted his title at our church to be, he said Worship Pastor, simply because he loves to pastor people – to really care for them. That says it all for me. Your love for God and people is so evident in our times of worship, plus DANG you guys are so good.
Carol Rose – Carol is one of our newest additions, but she’s been with Access for a long time. Carol stepped into a role a few months ago as our Volunteer Coordinator. I really appreciate her love for people and the fact that she’s not just trying to “fill slots” on Sundays, but rather helping people understand why we do what we do. I love that people matter so much to her. Thank you for the way you help us create environments that are welcoming to everyone… because people matter to God and us!
Michael Salas – Dude, I’ve never met a young guy with passion for God’s Word like you. If our teenagers get nothing else from you, I hope they catch your desire to really know God. Like what I said to Lauren (soon to be Mrs. Salas!), I love hearing stories from parents whose students lives have literally been changed because of what you’ve modeled for them. Thank you for being such an example to all of our students at Access!
Terry Virts – As a parents of two kids under the age of 3, a Preschool Director is one of the most important positions we could hire, because they’re responsible for teaching our kids… my kids! You’ve changed the way we minister to kids. Joey LOVES going to church on Sundays. How many parents can say that? Thank you for partnering with me, and dozens of other families, to minister to our kids!
Thank you to my amazing team. These are the people that facilitate Access being the beautiful, life changing, expressive kind of church that it is. Take a moment today to thank these guys for everything they do for you and your family!
