A Shout Out to Las Vegas Pastors, Pt. 1
When we came to Las Vegas in the summer of 2000, one of the first things I did was to attempt to reach out to other Pastors and Leaders in the Las Vegas valley. It has been a remarkable blessing. (Young leaders take note: networking with other leaders will be worth 100x the time you put into reaching out. Do NOT follow the example of many leaders of sticking to themselves, believing too much in yourself and your ways and missing the blessing of knowing and learning from others). In fifteen years I have never had a Pastor/Leader blow me off. Even though we came here to plant a church, no one seemed threatened by us or in competition.
So here are some specific praises for specific leaders. I am so afraid I am going to forget somebody! In some but no particular order:
Shane Philip, The Crossing. Shane was speaking at Central Christian on a Sunday morning at their new Henderson campus in the spring of 2000 when we were figuring out if we should even come here and I reached out to him the next week. He took my call and was interested in my life from the very start. His help in understanding how to acquire U.S. government land was critical for getting the property that South Hills Church has today. Shane led my mom's memorial service in 2005. I have picked his brain numerous times and watched with joy as his church started, grew, and then got crazy big. He is a dear friend.
Richard Thompson, Youth With a Mission. Richard embraced our church planting team with enthusiasm and provided incredible data on the Las Vegas valley that they had just completed. YWAM became a huge fan of us and us of them. Richard has been an incredibly close friend and ally in our time here.
John Knapp. Calvary Chapel Green Valley. Actually my relationship with John started a little rocky. He later admitted and confessed to some "territorialism." But John has more than made up for that a thousand times. The week that I resigned from South Hills Church in 2009 I called John and told him and he began to weep over the phone. Deep, deep sobs. I couldn't believe it. How could somebody feel so much of my pain and take it in so quickly to his own soul? I would never forget that in a hundred lifetimes. Later John told me that the Lord had told him to go to lunch with me every week for a year. We did. He encouraged me in so many ways. He's an amazing man, Pastor and friend.
Chris Bennett, New Community Church. Chris too was one of the first Pastors I met in the valley. Chris and I shared deep, deep stuff in our lives early on. When I left South Hills it made sense to attend his church and come under his leadership. Chris was my Pastor for four years. He then entrusted "his baby," New Community Church, to my interim leadership as they moved back home in 2013.
Kevin Odor, Canyon Ridge Christian Church. I tell people all the time that Kevin is the "Bishop" of Las Vegas. He's a veteran. He has a heart for the whole valley. He's a Pastor's Pastor. He leads a massive congregation but in 2009 when I went into the biggest crisis of my life, he made a commitment (along with Richard, Chris, Doug & Mark) to meet with me once a week. He kept this up for a LONG time. Why? "This is what I do," he said. I have learned more about being a shepherd from watching Kevin Odor than anybody else ever. I owe a debt to Kevin I can never ever repay.
Mark Fordney, Young Life. 2007-2009 were some of the coolest years of my ministry life. Dozens and dozens (it seemed like hundreds) of Jr. High and High School students sat in the first few rows of every one of our worship services. We learned that Young Life kids kind of travel in a "pack" and the pack arrived (thankfully) at South Hills Church. The hundreds of students from our own Explode and Ignite group also were there mixing together well. It was a great mix of church/para-church ministry. Mark and Beth have been the dearest of friends to both Sallie and I and we treasure them greatly.
Rob Boyd, Green Valley Baptist Church. Rob and I have built a tradition of saving up some money and splurging on a really nice "luxury lunch" once a year or so. Rob is wise, caring and a more methodical leader than I. Rob has also bought more cars from me than anybody else I think. Those who attend his church are lucky and blessed.
Doug Meye, Grace Church Henderson/Warm Springs Baptist Church. If Kevin Odor is the "bishop" of Las Vegas now then Doug Meye held that honor in our early days on the south side of town. Doug knew everybody, had a GREAT and centrally located facility and was welcoming to us. We did Rob & Missy Hall's wedding there in 2002 when we did not have a facility. Doug & Pat are some of our closest friends. Doug has taken a deep and personal interest in my soul.
Gene Appel, Central Christian Church. Gene was bigger than life when we came to Las Vegas yet he had time for our church. I remember having lunch with Gene in Henderson and feeling so blessed to spend some time with him and hear his story including some of his hurts. When Gene left Central and went to Willow Creek in Chicago I was able to visit him there and walk through his office, Bill Hybels' office and join him in an evening of worship led by Chris Tomlin-- amazing. How come I get so many blessings?
Vance Pitman, Hope Church. Vance and his team came to Vegas six months after us. They did a cannonball into the Las Vegas valley because they had huge Southern Baptist connections and support. Our two churches had offices right next to each other for two years in a professional building. That was fun and crazy and a bit competitive in a good way. Vance is the real deal. We have some great shared experiences including one of the weirdest funerals we did together and a beach trip we took with our kids. On Easter, a month ago, our family attended there. I did not greet him before church and as far as I knew he did not know I was there. There were easily 1000 people in the building for that service. Before I got to my car I got a text from him saying, "Always great to see you here! Happy Easter to your family. Love u bro!" Amazing.
So here are some specific praises for specific leaders. I am so afraid I am going to forget somebody! In some but no particular order:
Shane Philip, The Crossing. Shane was speaking at Central Christian on a Sunday morning at their new Henderson campus in the spring of 2000 when we were figuring out if we should even come here and I reached out to him the next week. He took my call and was interested in my life from the very start. His help in understanding how to acquire U.S. government land was critical for getting the property that South Hills Church has today. Shane led my mom's memorial service in 2005. I have picked his brain numerous times and watched with joy as his church started, grew, and then got crazy big. He is a dear friend.
Richard Thompson, Youth With a Mission. Richard embraced our church planting team with enthusiasm and provided incredible data on the Las Vegas valley that they had just completed. YWAM became a huge fan of us and us of them. Richard has been an incredibly close friend and ally in our time here.
John Knapp. Calvary Chapel Green Valley. Actually my relationship with John started a little rocky. He later admitted and confessed to some "territorialism." But John has more than made up for that a thousand times. The week that I resigned from South Hills Church in 2009 I called John and told him and he began to weep over the phone. Deep, deep sobs. I couldn't believe it. How could somebody feel so much of my pain and take it in so quickly to his own soul? I would never forget that in a hundred lifetimes. Later John told me that the Lord had told him to go to lunch with me every week for a year. We did. He encouraged me in so many ways. He's an amazing man, Pastor and friend.
Chris Bennett, New Community Church. Chris too was one of the first Pastors I met in the valley. Chris and I shared deep, deep stuff in our lives early on. When I left South Hills it made sense to attend his church and come under his leadership. Chris was my Pastor for four years. He then entrusted "his baby," New Community Church, to my interim leadership as they moved back home in 2013.
Kevin Odor, Canyon Ridge Christian Church. I tell people all the time that Kevin is the "Bishop" of Las Vegas. He's a veteran. He has a heart for the whole valley. He's a Pastor's Pastor. He leads a massive congregation but in 2009 when I went into the biggest crisis of my life, he made a commitment (along with Richard, Chris, Doug & Mark) to meet with me once a week. He kept this up for a LONG time. Why? "This is what I do," he said. I have learned more about being a shepherd from watching Kevin Odor than anybody else ever. I owe a debt to Kevin I can never ever repay.
Mark Fordney, Young Life. 2007-2009 were some of the coolest years of my ministry life. Dozens and dozens (it seemed like hundreds) of Jr. High and High School students sat in the first few rows of every one of our worship services. We learned that Young Life kids kind of travel in a "pack" and the pack arrived (thankfully) at South Hills Church. The hundreds of students from our own Explode and Ignite group also were there mixing together well. It was a great mix of church/para-church ministry. Mark and Beth have been the dearest of friends to both Sallie and I and we treasure them greatly.
Rob Boyd, Green Valley Baptist Church. Rob and I have built a tradition of saving up some money and splurging on a really nice "luxury lunch" once a year or so. Rob is wise, caring and a more methodical leader than I. Rob has also bought more cars from me than anybody else I think. Those who attend his church are lucky and blessed.
Doug Meye, Grace Church Henderson/Warm Springs Baptist Church. If Kevin Odor is the "bishop" of Las Vegas now then Doug Meye held that honor in our early days on the south side of town. Doug knew everybody, had a GREAT and centrally located facility and was welcoming to us. We did Rob & Missy Hall's wedding there in 2002 when we did not have a facility. Doug & Pat are some of our closest friends. Doug has taken a deep and personal interest in my soul.
Gene Appel, Central Christian Church. Gene was bigger than life when we came to Las Vegas yet he had time for our church. I remember having lunch with Gene in Henderson and feeling so blessed to spend some time with him and hear his story including some of his hurts. When Gene left Central and went to Willow Creek in Chicago I was able to visit him there and walk through his office, Bill Hybels' office and join him in an evening of worship led by Chris Tomlin-- amazing. How come I get so many blessings?
Vance Pitman, Hope Church. Vance and his team came to Vegas six months after us. They did a cannonball into the Las Vegas valley because they had huge Southern Baptist connections and support. Our two churches had offices right next to each other for two years in a professional building. That was fun and crazy and a bit competitive in a good way. Vance is the real deal. We have some great shared experiences including one of the weirdest funerals we did together and a beach trip we took with our kids. On Easter, a month ago, our family attended there. I did not greet him before church and as far as I knew he did not know I was there. There were easily 1000 people in the building for that service. Before I got to my car I got a text from him saying, "Always great to see you here! Happy Easter to your family. Love u bro!" Amazing.
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