January 29, 2025, was our first public worship service at the Siegel Campus. That was just about one year ago. I am extremely excited to celebrate that milestone! The one-year mark is also a great time to reflect. I could write a blog on the “ten biggest mistakes I have made” or the “ten lessons we have learned,” and those would undoubtedly be valuable. However, for readability’s sake and because I am in celebration mode, let's talk about some of the absolute best stuff from this past year.
This is not a comprehensive list. I could cover dozens of things, but again, for readability’s sake, that is probably not a good idea. If there is something you would include that I did not, I ask for grace! If I had written this tomorrow instead of today, who knows what may have been included. It is okay for this to be a snapshot of the heart at this particular moment.
The First Sunday
As mentioned above, this took place on January 29, 2025. This Sunday was both an ending and a beginning for us. It was a conclusion of all the work we put into launching and the start of all that would need to be accomplished to sustain and to grow. It is like a sports team that has clinched a playoff spot at the end of the regular season; we celebrate all that has been accomplished and joyfully look forward to what lies ahead.
It was thrilling to see people coming through the doors that first Sunday. Members who shifted over from Blackman brought family members and neighbors. People who had caught word that a new campus was coming showed up. People driving by who saw the signs for the first time stopped to check us out. It was a significant day for our church. The best part of all of it was experiencing the Lord’s presence throughout that service.
The Ascend Service Day
Ascend is an annual conference here in Murfreesboro for local church youth ministries. This past year, as a part of Ascend, our FSM youth spent an afternoon cleaning up the grounds of Siegel High School. As an extra incentive, a prize was offered to the team that collected the most trash from the grounds. The lengths those students went to clean up the space were amazing! Truckloads of trash were removed, including discarded sofas, mattresses, and more.
Baptisms
Baptisms are a highlight for every church. Each time a person turns to Jesus in faith and wants to publicly declare it is a cause for celebration on earth and in heaven. Baptizing someone at a mobile church adds an element of the unknown to the celebration! At Siegel, we bring the same metal trough that we use at Blackman. In the summer, we place it in the school’s courtyard. In the winter, we put it in the school’s hallway. This past December, we baptized two young people from the Boro. The hose we used was frozen, so we had to run to a member’s house for a backup hose. The water was freezing, and we used a portable immersion heater to make it tolerable. The mobile church hoops are well worth the effort. Family and friends get to experience the loved one’s profession of faith, and the church body gets to welcome our new brother or sister in Christ.
Fourth Fridays
Each month, on the fourth Friday we gather at a local spot in Walter Hill to spend time together and share a meal. Everyone brings whatever they want to eat, and we fellowship. The kids run wild in the open field, we play basketball or pickleball, some cornhole, or board games. This has been an integral part of getting to know one another!
Worship in the Park
Every summer, Rutherford County Schools have two weeks where all activities and buildings are shut down. At first, losing access to our worship location for two weeks seemed like a major hurdle. In the end, it ended up being a blessing in disguise. For one of those Sundays, we met at Richard Siegel Park. We had our worship service in the pavilion, followed by a cookout at the park. Most of our members were there, and even some guests showed up. It is a new tradition I am looking forward to continuing….at least as long as we remain a mobile campus.
Siegel Set up
Every Sunday at 8:00 am, the A-Team meets at the school to transform it into a worship gathering. The team, led by David Baker and Dan Haynes, runs like a well-oiled machine. They get the Siegel Boro and the lobby set up in record time. And they assist the tech team with getting the auditorium where we need it. Most of this is done within 30-35 minutes, which means we have about an hour for prayer and fellowship. Each week, there is a group who meet at 9:00 am to pray over our pastors, the service, and the space. Volunteers gather in the lobby or the Boro in conversation. Even though the setup and teardown can be an inconvenience, it also creates time for camaraderie and deepening friendships.
New People
We have had more than a dozen new families join our Siegel Campus since we launched. Considering that we launched with about 75-80 adults, we have added a significant number of new members! Seeing God bring new people to the church is one of the most encouraging and motivating parts of church life for a pastor. I love making those initial connections and helping them get plugged in. Equally as phenomenal is when I see long-term members invite new people into their lives. Looking for a church is difficult. When you find a community that invites you in and adopts you as their own family, that is breathtaking.
New Connections Among Familiar Faces
I love it when people who have been members of the same church for some time finally find each other. For the last year, I have had people regularly tell me that although they knew someone by face, they had never really talked with them. Now that they have, they are enjoying their new friends. As we have served alongside each other every week for the last year, it has opened many relational doors that we didn’t even know were there.
New Staff
One of the blessings of launching a new campus is that it opens opportunities for more people to use their gifting in the service of the church, for both campuses! At Siegel, that has meant 25+ people serving in the Boro, 10 with the safety team, 10 with the worship/tech team, 15 greeters, and 16 A-team members. That is a large percentage of the campus serving and it takes a lot of coordination. The Lord, as always, provides exactly what we need. That has included adding three additional part-time staff for the Siegel Campus. I have loved serving alongside Emily Mullins (Children’s Coordinator), James Robinson (Worship Coordinator), and Dustin Smith (Tech Coordinator). Their gifts and commitment to the mission are invaluable!
Worshipping Jesus
This is why we do it. Worshipping our Savior is why we gather, why we serve, why we reach out to our neighbors, and why we sacrifice for one another. I am so thankful that God has provided a space for us and the wonderful relationship we have with the school. But we still meet in a school. All the benefits we gain by having our own building are mostly missing. And that is okay. It's okay because that is not why we gather. Meeting in a school, or in a park, or in our very own building does not interfere with worshipping our God. We can do that anywhere. I sit in the front row of the Siegel auditorium every week. I get to sing along with the Robinsons and our worship team as loud as I want. I also get to hear the church worshipping behind me. When I stand on the stage preaching a sermon, I get to see the nods, the smiles, and the note-taking taking place. I see the people in the lobby shaking hands and praying for one another. It is all worship. And I love it the most!
On Sunday, January 25th, we will celebrate the one-year anniversary in our worship gatherings at both campuses. I am going to rejoice in what God has done in this last year. I will also look forward to the year to come. Additionally, I will eagerly anticipate next year’s blog on the 20 Things I Love About Two Years At Siegel!