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Meet the Team - Todd Cullen

Todd serves as the Campus Pastor of LCC's Hilton Head Island campus. He and his wife, Cynthia, pretty much lead all of our efforts there. They have two sweet kids: Sydney and Shawn. You can follow the exploits of the Cullen Family here. Sydney just began kindergarten this year and that's sort of freaked them out. I've known Todd since he was an eighth-grader in our youth group at Lilburn Alliance Church in suburban Atlanta. I've seen him grow in many ways and really rejoice in how God is using Todd. He is a graduate of Liberty University (Go Flames?!) and has worked in the corporate, para-church, local church, and church-planting worlds. This has messed up his mind as evidenced by Todd being a Miami Hurricanes fan.

What's the biggest leadership lesson you have learned over the past year?
My biggest lesson this year has been in the area of team leadership. If you want to make great decisions, you must be surrounded by the right people. There is no place for insecurity in team leadership, particularly on the part of the team leader. A good leader will surround him/herself with people who are better than them in any given area. I must always seek to get and keep leaders and volunteers who can help make wise and intelligent decisions for the benefit of LCC - HHI.

What is God teaching you right now?
I'm going through a season where God is challenging me on the way that I love my family. He is teaching me what it means to really love my kids and wife! I'm learning that the 1 Corinthians 13-type of love is not for the faint of heart, but it essential to those of us who are completely sold out husbands and fathers.

What are your top ministry challenges?
Our campus' top ministry challenges lie in the area of depth. We have great volunteers who work so hard for the cause of LCC-HHI. We are covered in most areas but we just need more people so that we don't wear out our current volunteer team and leaders.

What are you most excited about?
I'm most excited that the Hilton Head campus now has programming for all ages. We just recently started a student program on Wednesday nights. I'm even more excited that this happened by our second year anniversary as a church campus. God has blessed our campus with an amazing team of leaders and volunteers. We couldn't do it without their tireless effort.

What do you do for fun?
I love going out on dates with Cynthia, playing with my kids (Sydney, five, and Shawn, two-and-a-half - it's always wrestling with that little guy!), going to the beach or pool with the family, following Manchester United soccer and English Premiere Football (that's British for soccer), running, golf, and most recently going to the gym (although that's not often categorized as "fun").

What are you reading these days?
Point Man by Steve Farrar and The Power of Team Leadership by George Barna.

Meet the Team - John Long

John is our Pastor of Technical Arts which means that basically everything we see and hear comes under John's umbrella. He's been at LCC for two years and has really helped take us to levels we had only previously dreamed of. He's also a part of our teaching team. John is married to Denise and they have three great children: Melissa, Rachel, and Bradley. John is an alumnus of Liberty University with an extensive television and ministry background. John is also the only one on staff who - so far - has won an Emmy (although none of us have ever seen it)!

What's the biggest leadership lesson you have learned over the past year?
Leadership is all about recognizing someone's potential and taking advantage of it. A person left in an unfulfilling or unchallenging role is not only hurt by that, but in the long run the organization also suffers. I try to see potential in every person I lead and push them to greater levels. There is a chance of moving someone out of a position they excel at in order to move them into unchartered territory, but that's the great part of being a leader.
    This has played out in real-life this past year when we added another person to our tech team. It took me one Sunday to see her potential for a more challenging position. She was excellent at what she did, but I could see she would not stay fulfilled in her current role, even though we were under-staffed in that area. She's as good as I thought she would be in her new position and we are fully staffed in her old position. 
   Time and again, I've found it actually easier to replace someone who "moved up" to a new position, rather than to have to replace them because they were unfulfilled and unchallenged and simply quit.

What is God teaching you right now?
That you can't coast. You can't just keep doing what you've been doing and expect to be satisfied. God expects us to grow and challenge ourselves. We need to grow in our salvation. That equates, at least the way I see it, to becoming more and more of a servant. Putting the needs of others before myself (Phil. 2:4), turning my ear to wisdom and applying my heart to understanding God's commands (Prov. 2:2), and living a life of purity more and more so that I can grow myself and benefit those around me.  

What are your top ministry challenges?
New challenges. I'm always looking for what's next, what's bigger, what's better. Sometimes I can't see those things. Or there's an obstacle I can't figure out how to overcome. That frustrates me. So, I guess my biggest challenge is patience .. waiting for the next, bigger, and better challenge to come when God feels we are ready.

What are you most excited about?
The team that I serve with. I get so excited every week because each person on the tech team is excited about what they do. They serve with a smile, enthusiastically, enjoying each other's company, having fun, yet being very serious and professional at the same time. I love the fact that they are so committed and enjoy serving on the team. And, to top it all off, they are good at what they do and strive to get better each week.

What do you do for fun?
I like to play golf and fish when I can and hang out with my family. My kids are at the age where they are fun to be around. It's also fun to do the things that I enjoy doing with them, like golfing and fishing. Although these are challenging parent years (ages 11, 13, 15), they make me laugh all the time and that's fun. Now that our kids don't need baby-sitting, my wife Denise and I have a lot more time when we can go out on a date where it's just the two of us. That's fun. There's nothing more fun than to be doing something/anything with someone you love.

What are you reading these days?
Bill O'Reilley's book, A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity. I found it very interesting that an unbeliever can have such close values to us. He's a really good writer and very entertaining. I do have to admit, I didn't finish it. I had one more chapter to go when the library wanted it back!

Meet the Team: Aaron Friesen

Aaron has been with LCC for about a year and a half and leads our middle school ministry, The Awakening (cool website: check it out). We've seen tremendous growth in this important area under Aaron's leadership. Carrie, his wife, and baby girl, Camille, are the two most important ladies in his life. Aaron grew up a NoCal guy and is a graduate of SImpson University in Redding, California.


What's the biggest leadership lesson you have learned over the past year?
When working with middle-schoolers I sometimes feel like I have to do all of this cool stuff in order for them love God and to love The Awakening. So, I'm tempted to put all of my time into doing cool things and forget about the one thing that all students want more than anything else: love. I'm learning that doing cool things is good but exhibiting love to the students shows them that God loves them and The Awakening loves them. Love is the best tool I have.

What is God teaching you right now?
God is teaching me to take time and listen. Sometimes I talk too much when I should be listening.

What are your top ministry challenges?
Finding youth staff who love God and love students no matter what and getting parents to become more involved in their kid's spiritual lives.

What are you most excited about?
I get so excited about the lives being changed and what those changed lives are going to do for God.

What do you do for fun?
I love to hang with my family, backpack, bike, skateboard, wakeboard, snowboard, play music, work out, and play video games.

What are you reading these days?
Just got done reading Save Me From Myself by Brian Head Welch, former guitar playing from Korn. Right now I am reading Jesus Can Save Christians by Rob Bell.

Meet the Team: Clay Cartwright

Clay leads the worship arts ministry at our Bluffton campus. He is married to Andrea and they have three children: Jackson, Jonah, and Alexa. Clay's giftedness and background in music, technical arts, and ministry has been used by God to allow us to reach levels I personally used to only dream about. He is a native of Houston, Texas, and a graduate of Mid-America Christian University.

What is the biggest leadership lesson you have learned over the past year?
Leadership is about relationships. Leadership requires trust, and trust is built over time in the trenches of doing life together. The more I get to know the people I work with - paid and unpaid - the more I know I can trust them and have them trust me. This trust gives us the freedom to get out of a person's way and let them do their job, knowing it will be done with excellence. It also gives us the freedom to get in each other's face if need be, keeping one another accountable, in a spirit of genuine love for one another.
 
What is God teaching you right now?
God and I have an on-going personal tutorial on managing my expectations. I tend to expect a lot from myself and the people around me. It's easy for me to let unmet expectations get me down. I need to continually pursue healthy expectations in my life and remember that I am not what I accomplish, but it's who I belong to - a child of God.

What are your top ministry challenges?
Producing the kind of Sunday morning worship experience that honors God and inspires people requires a bunch of people who are really skilled at what they do. I can't throw just anyone behind the drums or sound board. Finding people who have the right gift mix of talent and heart can be a challenge, and it usually results in us stretching our existing volunteers thin at times. Not that they have ever complained.

What are you most excited about?
I'm not sure where this question is going! I'm excited about the new recording software I just got. I'm excited about the cruise my wife and I are taking to celebrate our 10 years of marriage. I'm excited when my boys are waiting at the front door when I get home to play "pirates" (they don't make fun of my bad Jack Sparrow imitation). Mostly, I'm excited about what still lies ahead in life. The still-to-be experiences that God has in store for me, my family, my friends, and my church.

What do you do for fun?
I'm an outdoors guy. I love camping, hiking, going to the beach ... that sort of thing. I've started a side photography business. I love taking pictures of interesting places or capturing a sweet moment in the life of a child.

What are you reading these days?
My reading these days is usually in the genre of Dr. Seuss or the Berenstain Bears. When I get a chance to read something of my own, it's usually something on history. I recently read a biography of Robert E. Lee which was insightful.

Meet the Team - Rob Jacobs

Rob leads the high school and college ministries at LCC and has served in that capacity (along with a few other ministry areas) for the past nine years. He originates from Dillsburg, Penn., (it has a town clock!), and is part of the famous Jacobs Brothers gospel singing family. Rob's a graduate of Toccoa Falls College and is about halfway through his Masters degree program with Rockbridge Seminary. Rob and his wife, Gina, have three children: Bailey, Avery, and Christopher.

The sweaty, nasty, and bad-smelling photo to the left is Rob while leading one of our recent mission teams to Belize. I could've used another photot, but this is Rob!

What's the biggest leadership lesson you have learned over the past year?
The power to be is the priority over the power to do. We must pursue communion before competence.

What is God teaching you right now?
To find my security in Him alone and in nothing else; to take risks for the kingdom because time is short!

What are your top ministry challenges?
Focusing students to keep the Main Thing the main thing in their lives.

What are you most excited about?
My upcoming sabbatical!

What do you do for fun?
Play basketball and tennis; watch movies; work out; drink milkshakes; open restaurants. (Jeff's note: Rob has been the first served customer at a now forgotten but astounding number of our local eateries.)

What are you reading these days?
A Call to Die (David Nassar); The Power to Change Your Life (Rick Warren); Share (Greg Stier)

Meet the Team - Cynthia Cullen

Cynthia leads the worship and creative arts efforts of LCC's Hilton Head Island campus, along with her husband, Todd. The three of us share an unhealthy fixation for all things Seinfeld. I first met Cynthia when she was a teenager, (not sure which one of us should feel older after that statement!), and have been impressed ever since with her love of family and her love for Jesus. She genuinely seeks after Him and it shows in her life. She shares her life through her two blogs: Cheval Glass and Cullen House. She's a fantastic mom to Sydney and Sean.



What's the biggest leadership lesson you have learned over the past year?
The importance of communication at every level of ministry. We as staff leaders assume that the people we are leading vertically or horizontally are always right there with us. We must realize that with any area of leadership responsibility that we find ourselves in, over-communication is the key to success. Let people grow tired of hearing from you. When there are blanks, people fill them in with whatever they want.

What is God teaching you right now?
God is showing me how much He just wants me to be with Him. I am taking more time to do just that. Not an agenda ... not a plan ... just being with Him and listening to Him as He speaks to me through His Word and in prayer.

What are your top ministry challenges?
Finding professional artists (musicians, creatives), who are willing to give the church a try. Most people at this level have had bad church experiences or do not know how they can contribute. My prayer is that God will send them to us so we can show them what a church is like that loves artists regardless of their background, circumstances, or place on their spiritual journey. I feel called to connect with artists and I deeply desire to help them see how the gifts they have been given by God can be used in ways they never imagined!

What are you most excited about?
The culture that we are creating at LCC-HHI of serving the community, serving each other, and reaching out to artists on our Island.

What do you do for fun?
I love spending time with my family - the beach, the pool, bike riding - anything that we can so together is THE most fun for me right now.

What are you reading these days?
Wasabi Gospel (Wood), Between Wyomings (Mansfield), and Spectacular Sins (Piper).

Meet the Team - Joe Friesen

We have a great team of staff folks at LowCountry Community Church. I want you to meet them! Over the next few weeks, from time to time, I will be letting them share with you a little about themselves.

Today, we begin with Joe Friesen. Joe serves as our Pastor of Mission and oversees our outreach ministries - as he likes to say - "Here, There, and Over There." Joe and his wife, Patty, have been friends of ours since the late 80s and we loved and respected them from the moment we first met. You can scope out his part of our ministry here.

Hey, Joe, what's the biggest leadership lesson you've learned over the past year?
Developing leadership teams is the best way to lead ministry. Instead of micro-managing and trying to keep all the plates spinning by myself, I have found that when I empower a leader to lead a team of others, the event or program runs at a whole different level than if I would have tried to do it all myself. The downside for control freaks like myself is that I don't have control or input on every detail - but the downside is also the huge upside. I have found that a group of people are far more creative and responsive than I could ever be. The other upside is that when an event or program is over, and lives have been impacted, the celebration is much bigger because of all who helped share in the labor.

What is God teaching you right now?
That quiet is good. I am in a chapter of life without children at home so this definitely helps. I have never been good at quiet or solitude, but since my sabbatical this year, I have been practicing times of quiet and reflection more than ever. I have found in the silence that I am comfortable with God. Sometimes I feel He reveals something special, but mostly, it just feels like we are hanging out together - and it feels like we both like it!

What are your top ministry challenges?
Identifying and developing leaders. I have found an abundance of great-hearted "privates" at LCC, but "lieutenants" are very hard to find. Many people are ready to serve, but few want to lead. We need to constantly help people find their "SHAPE" to see if they have leadership potential. This is another advertisement for people to pursue the Core Classes at LCC as you will find out in this process what your "SHAPE" is.

What are you most excited about?
My kids! Aaron and Carrie just had our first grandchild, Camille, and she is, of course, amazing! I am so proud of Aaron as he leads the Middle School ministry at our church. He is a gifted youth worker and a great dad. Our other son, Tim, is getting married next week and we are gaining a precious new daughter. Tim has a couple of college degrees in music and is currently playing wherever he can and waiting for the "big break." Tim is an unusually talented bass player, but more importantly, has a passionate heart for lost people - especially Muslims. Patty and I are very proud of our young men and see God at work in their lives.

What do you do for fun?
I usually end up reading, exercising, playing with my new camera, or waiting to see if someone will take me fishing! I know little about salt water fishing and look forward to some coaching. Patty and I really like to just get in the car and explore. What I think Patty and I enjoy most is having people in our home for a meal and some good stories.

What are you reading these days?
"Tortured for Christ" by Richard Wurmbrand and "Man in the Mirror" by Patrick Morley. Several books about the spiritual discipline of solitude and contemplative prayer, and a variety of historical novels - the most recent was book one of the "A. D. Chronicles" by Bodie Thoene. Other favorite writers are Francine Rivers and John Grisham.