Black Friday adventure!

ok, so this was my 1st LIVE exp in a Black Friday shopping event??! and I get the name "black friday"...its pitch black dark, cold, and there were hundreds of folks in lines at 4am to get "the deals"???? 

We decided to bless THEM with free coffee & donuts and while several small groups hit Sawgrass & Aventura Mall, the Men's group hit Best Buy & Home Depot!! (Go Iron Men!), we ladies hit the Toys R Us in Pines. It was soooo much FUN to do that with you guys....thanks for being there, for your hearts & smiles that EARLY to inspire folks. Go Gift Revolution!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Guys!

I will be thinking of you guys tomorrow as I sit with my own "familia" to thank God for ALL HE HAS GIVEN US, celebrate love, one another, gift of friendship, and GREAT food. I don't know about you but we over do it every year & LOVE  it.

Thank you for what you guys do week after week to connect lives. 

Don't forget to intertwine TheGiftRevolution in there some how....25 days to inspire the world!!!

5 Ways Small Groups can get involved in TheGIFTRevolution!

We have 25 days to inspire the World...and here's what you & your Groups can do to get involved!

* Sign up to pray, Lead or Host the Lobby during our Friday Prayer Vigils (email beverly.santiago@flamingoroad.org) today!

* Volunteer in the War Room for an hour (or 2 or 3 !) Make calls, blog, email folks Merry Christmas, every Tues, Weds & Thurs from 6pm-to midnight in Rm 126. Lets make Thursdays the Small Group nights we SHOW UP & take over! (email marc.millan@flamingoroad.org)

* Join an IT book study if you haven't already...inform your groups! (email barby.ward)

* Be a part of the Black Friday Revolutions - Pastor T would like to see groups of folks arrive at the hottest shopping spots this coming Friday EARLY IN THE MORNING AS THEY WAIT IN LINE and for us to bless them with breakfast, or coffee & hot-chocolate in the name of the Rev! Send me details so that I can alert our Video Camera crews! And be sure to take GiftRev cards with you!!!! So far we have groups hitting the Best Buys & Toys R US in Pembroke Pines :)

"IT" Journey started this morning!

What a weekend guys!!! I am still in awe of what God did in our midst at ALL campuses. Did you hear...we broke over 3000 lives on just the 1 saturday service!?!?! 

Love our intentionality & all of you guys who say...what way are we going in this weekend? Lets GO!

Pastor T also launched his "IT" book group this morning at sunrise. We had folks coming in as early as 6:45am to grab a good seat. "IT" was an amazing start...don't miss this 5 week Book Series.

Women Launch Mondays at 7pm in Main Building....Pastor Ricky, our Worship Pastor, launches Weds morning at 7am in Student Building. IT will be glorious!!!

Thank you LEADERS!

Wanted to thank ALL the Leaders who not only partook in our 1st ever GEARS journey these past 8 weeks but also represented & took part in our "Taste of Small Groups" event last night...

You guys showed true COLLABORATION & I am so proud & humbled everyday to be a part of such a diversed & seasoned group of Leaders :)

Thank you for your continued support!

Last GEAR tomorrow night - LEADERSHIP by Pastor Troy!!!

Taste of Small Groups this Weds

Leaders, whether you lead a Connections Ministry for Flamingo or a Small Group...make sure to make it out and represent your group this week at the upcoming "Taste of Small Groups" Event!

Vision - a night of chocolate & a night of giving folks a taste of what your groups look, feel like. It will be a fun social to sign people up to your groups & upcoming IT book studies.

-L

ITs in Doral!

Every weekend I leave Flamingo thinking...THANK YOU GOD FOR WHAT YOU ARE DOING IN THIS CORNER OF THE WORLD...this weekend...I had that same thought as I left our Doral Campus. Here's the fabulous MAG Team rockin' IT out in an acoustic set.

Man, do they have "IT"!

I'm so proud of every Leader that works alongside Pastor A & Sharon week after week to make sure to keep "IT" & grow "IT".

And speaking of "IT", I met with some pretty special Book Study & Small Group Leaders who will teach "IT" soon in our upcoming Book Series "IT". Thank you Mirna & family, Julieta, Derwin, Dan, Lauren, and all of you guys for your ideas, thoughts & for stepping up to LEAD out. Ive seen God doing some amazing things when you CHOOSE. LEAD. CONNECT.

Here for you guys as you run after "IT". -L

I LOVE FRIDAYS!!!!!

My 6 yrs old, Chris, woke up today yelling..."I love Fridays Mami"!!! He loves them because its the last day of school...and he says "we will have 2 family days" :)

I love Fridays because its the day I have to make my house a home...I light candles...turn on some music (today its been the fabulous Diana Krawl CD) get groceries, pull my hair back & just enjoy organizing, cleaning, washing some clothes, catching up with "thank you cards"...but most of all adding those special touches to make our home a safe & sweet haven. There's no better feeling as a wife & mom!

My other thought as I go from room to room is of the weekend and what they now mean to me being in Ministry. I am honored & LOVE my place at Flamingo. We are so blessed to be part of a church that is intentional, relentless, and ever so CREATIVE! This weekend will be amazzzzing....next weekend, HIStoric, as Pastor T reveals the Christmas Series which will inspire the WORLD.

You will want to invite every person, neighbor, family, coworker, HUMAN you know!!!!!

Your RSVP required!

Leaders, we are hosting our 1st ever global "Taste of Small Groups" event this coming Weds evening at Cooper, HBC & Sawgrass (Sunday at Doral). We will have a menu of small groups available, music, and more importantly...Small Group & Connection Leaders.

Please make sure to RSVP to Barby.ward@flamingoroad.org, to confirm your attendance, and confirm location you will be attending. Thanks in advance!

Making a Difference!

The Results! In the words of the Miami Rescue Mission…"Turkeys, Hams and Pies will help feed the homeless on Thanksgiving(Cooper City, FL) --- Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 1st and 2nd, 2008 --- It was an exciting two days as Flamingo Road Church in South Florida challenged its' members to "Flip Us a Bird" to benefit the Miami Rescue Mission/Broward Outreach Centers. During the two day challenge, 615 turkeys, 199 hams and 491 pies were donated to help feed the homeless on Thanksgiving Day!

During the Saturday and Sunday church services on November 1st and 2nd, Pastor Troy Gramling challenged his members to go right after the service they were attending and buy a turkey, ham or pie to donate to the Miami Rescue Mission/Broward Outreach Centers. The response was so overwhelming that one nearby Publix sold all 540 turkeys that they had on hand. Other members traveled to other grocery stores to pick up their ham or turkey. Many people brought more than one turkey or ham and one family came with 10 turkeys to donate! Another family brought $500 dollars worth of Publix gift cards!

The church set up two drop off points at their main campus at 12401 Stirling Road in Cooper City. Their other campuses in Doral, Hallandale and Sawgrass also had collections that were dropped off at the main location. The drop off points stayed busy all afternoon and evening on Saturday and all day on Sunday. 


James Whitworth, Director of the Broward Outreach Centers in Hollywood and Pompano figured the total worth of the donations:



Turkeys 615 ea x 20lb = 12,300lbs x $1.59/lb = $19,557.00


Hams 199 ea x 7lb {avg} = 1,393lbs x $2.54/lb = $3538.22


Pies 491 ea x $6.29 = $3088.39

Gift cards $520

Total Donations: $26,703.61

Whitworth said, "I am extremely excited about the donations because during this difficult economical time, food donations have been down and this will give the Mission and Centers a much needed boost! Rev. Ronald Brummitt, President of the Miami Rescue Mission and Broward Outreach Centers said, "We are so thankful for Flamingo Road Church.

Go God ... Go Flamingo! See more this weekend at one of our campuses....

Balance!?

Leaders...I owe you a few posts this week as I was traveling and away at a Leadership conference this week. Think so much of guys when I'm at these things & take notes so that when we get to connect again....(like at our upcoming SGL Holiday Potluck!)

Because I owe you a few posts...and we are getting ready internally for the most riveting, most IMPACTFUL Christmas series Flamingo & the WORLD has ever seen...in the words of our Pastor T, we are "throwing BALANCE out the window" these next few weeks as we give our ALL to INSPIRE the world!

Here are a few ways you can join the movement:

• Sign up to LEAD an hour of our upcoming 24-Hr Prayer Vigils Friday nights
• Participate in our upcoming IT Book Studies! It will matter
• Sign up to Volunteer in Christmas Series Secret Mission - Rm 126 (email me today)

And this one is just a given....make Saturday Nights your service. Lets leave the Sunday seats & parking spots for that 1st time guest or person just getting to know God. Small sacrifice when you think about what Christ did. Love you guys! Your CP, lili

Welcome our new Global CC!

Leaders...help me welcome our new Global Connections Coordinator & right hand, Barby Zuniga!

As many of you heard, our Clara Millan has welcomed her baby Lucas into the world and will be caring for him full time. We thank Clara for all her dedication & zeal these past 9 months...Barby has accepted the newly upgraded challenge of supporting the Small Group & Connections Ministries Globally. Barby comes to us with many years of Ministry experience & passion, global missions exposure, as well as, creative & writing expertise.

We are elated & blessed to have her join the Team. Expect a call & email from her as we run after Taste of Small Groups, IT Book Studies, Prayer Vigils, you name it! 50, 100, 150

Hope Night a Success!

HUGE shout out & THANKS to all of you who came out to support & deliver a safe Hope Night for kids with special needs. Trunks were more amazing than ever!! Energy & music were flowing...activities corner was fun (even fun for us adults!?) and the COLLABORATION...

a beautiful thing.

You guys ROCKED!

May God continue to use this corner of Flamingo Road to inspire the WORLD!!!!!!!!