Jason
My alarm goes off at 5:15; clothes are set aside, Chapter-A-Day, cup of coffee, prayer and a couple of reps of reading through what I will be sharing during the worship gathering.
Out the door at 6:15, arrive by 6:30 at Arundel High School – there is almost no traffic. Depending on the time of year, the sun is about to show itself for the first time that day, or it is quite dark.
I park far away from the entrance, walk in with the shirt on a hanger I will change into after all the unpacking and loading up. There are already a few volunteers present breaking down the lunchroom tables and chairs that make this space a cafeteria throughout the weekdays. As early as it is for me, there are volunteers who were at it much earlier getting the two giant trailers from the Annapolis Campus and hauling them here. All told, there is an army of people who contribute to making this mobile campus work.
Brendan
My alarm goes off at 5:00... just a little earlier than Jason... not to brag or anything...
When I show up at the cafeteria, the school custodian is there and has turned on the lights and unlocked the doors to the rooms we’ll be using that day. I set out the snack box (fruit snacks and pop- tarts are biggest sellers), some water bottles, and start blasting our Odenton setup playlist to get the energy going.
Jason
The pace as I arrive is not an indicator of the time it is in the morning. We have a job to get done and there is a rush of excitement, camaraderie and drive. Plus there is a huge purpose behind what we are doing. I help finish tear down tables, meet with the custodian on duty from the school, greet those who are dedicated to being there at the morning’s earliest and
we move our efforts from the cafeteria to the trailers parked in front of the space. We unload the fuzzy cases, chairs, sound equipment, Children’s Ministry, lobby, and heavy materials all carefully packed and placed by people who are gifted at organizing. One particularly difficult piece to wheel out and up the ramp is the Pipe and Drape case; it is long and hard to make the turn up the ramp. Many hands are helping this process. Two of the guys live in the neighborhood next to the school, they walk over and help. Unloading the trailers transitions into cases being unpacked. I start with the Children’s Ministry space. Check-in station, chairs, tables, Large Group space, Nursery. Praying for the volunteers and students. While I am focused on the things I know how to do, there are several different parts of the gathering space, lobby and outdoor signage that are coming together. Cables are being run, curtains are installed, and wayfinding signs are being set up around the high school campus.
Brendan
At this point I’m usually helping on the stage- team setting up speakers, projector screen, lighting, and anything for the band up front. Though I’m responsible for managing the schedule of our setup teams, at this point in the process I’m just a team member following the lead of one of our setup leads who knows the ropes FAR better than I do. The team moves quickly and efficiently, but somehow there’s always time for some good-spirited sarcasm and dad-jokes. This team likes to laugh. One thing that is true of our setup team at Odenton is that they are without question, top-notch. God has really blessed us with the people he has brought. During this time, our production coordinator Ryan Scheerer and the booth-team are in the
back diligently working to get the sound board, broadcast, switcher and lighting computer setup and checked to be ready for our run-through.
Jason
It is clear that this space is no longer the same cafeteria that we first walked into. One of the last things to be set up are the chairs. We do a run-through to be ready for the morning with transitions, music, cues, etc. We are looking to see if the broadcast signal is strong so we can display the sermon from the Annapolis Campus and we are anticipating another great Sunday of worship with those who call the Odenton Campus their church home. The smell of coffee is filling the lobby.
Brendan
At 7:30, we have a quick line-check with our audio engineer to make sure all the mics and instrument connections are working, and at 7:45 the band arrives and we get set for our 8:00 service run- through with Jason and anyone else involved in the gathering.
Jason
After our run-through, we circle up and pray together for the morning. This is essential as we are able to pause for a moment and recognize what is before us. We pray for our church family, for those who might visit for the first time, for our Children's’ Ministry volunteers.
Brendan
Besides our gathering, this is truly my favorite part of the morning. Odenton is a praying campus. That’s true of our staff and of our volunteer team. Many voices are lifted in prayer and after we’re finished, our resident hype-woman Alex Williams brings everybody in for an all- hands-in break.
Jason
Other volunteers start to arrive. Those who will be serving our children and families are meeting with our Children’s Ministry Coordinator, Sarah. Those who will be greeting and connecting are meeting up with Alex Williams. She is encouraging each of them. They are praying for the morning. They are ready for those who regularly attend the Odenton Campus as well as anyone who might be visiting for the first time. Before we know it the gathering is starting, seats are filling up, and worship is beginning. You can hear people responding, people singing, it’s infectious.
Brendan
Just have to jump in and shout out our incredible Odenton worship team here. The amazingly talented Ryan Scheerer is leading our production team in the back and I get the privilege of leading the band. Every member of our worship-team (band & production) is generous, gifted and adaptable. Did I already say we are blessed?
Jason
After our gathering, people are lingering. It’s not because we hope that they will do that, it is just because it is who we are. People want to talk, to share, to catch up. We start the process of packing up and putting things away and there are other hands helping out. Some of them are smaller hands. Chairs are being stacked, cases are being recovered to their trailer storage form. People are reaching their step goals if they haven’t already. The final thing we do as a team is pray together once the trailers are loaded and locked up, giving thanks for protection and the work God did in the hearts of everyone present.
Why do we do this every Sunday morning? Because we are committed to making passionate, maturing followers of Jesus in the surrounding community. Jesus is the hero of the morning! Without Him, this would just be an interesting way to burn calories. Because of the transformation through the Gospel, the power of prayer, the growth found in community, passionate worship, and people using their gifts to serve the church, we are seeing growth and we are excited to do it again when the alarm goes off on Sunday morning.
My alarm goes off at 5:15; clothes are set aside, Chapter-A-Day, cup of coffee, prayer and a couple of reps of reading through what I will be sharing during the worship gathering.
Out the door at 6:15, arrive by 6:30 at Arundel High School – there is almost no traffic. Depending on the time of year, the sun is about to show itself for the first time that day, or it is quite dark.
I park far away from the entrance, walk in with the shirt on a hanger I will change into after all the unpacking and loading up. There are already a few volunteers present breaking down the lunchroom tables and chairs that make this space a cafeteria throughout the weekdays. As early as it is for me, there are volunteers who were at it much earlier getting the two giant trailers from the Annapolis Campus and hauling them here. All told, there is an army of people who contribute to making this mobile campus work.
Brendan
My alarm goes off at 5:00... just a little earlier than Jason... not to brag or anything...
When I show up at the cafeteria, the school custodian is there and has turned on the lights and unlocked the doors to the rooms we’ll be using that day. I set out the snack box (fruit snacks and pop- tarts are biggest sellers), some water bottles, and start blasting our Odenton setup playlist to get the energy going.
Jason
The pace as I arrive is not an indicator of the time it is in the morning. We have a job to get done and there is a rush of excitement, camaraderie and drive. Plus there is a huge purpose behind what we are doing. I help finish tear down tables, meet with the custodian on duty from the school, greet those who are dedicated to being there at the morning’s earliest and
we move our efforts from the cafeteria to the trailers parked in front of the space. We unload the fuzzy cases, chairs, sound equipment, Children’s Ministry, lobby, and heavy materials all carefully packed and placed by people who are gifted at organizing. One particularly difficult piece to wheel out and up the ramp is the Pipe and Drape case; it is long and hard to make the turn up the ramp. Many hands are helping this process. Two of the guys live in the neighborhood next to the school, they walk over and help. Unloading the trailers transitions into cases being unpacked. I start with the Children’s Ministry space. Check-in station, chairs, tables, Large Group space, Nursery. Praying for the volunteers and students. While I am focused on the things I know how to do, there are several different parts of the gathering space, lobby and outdoor signage that are coming together. Cables are being run, curtains are installed, and wayfinding signs are being set up around the high school campus.
Brendan
At this point I’m usually helping on the stage- team setting up speakers, projector screen, lighting, and anything for the band up front. Though I’m responsible for managing the schedule of our setup teams, at this point in the process I’m just a team member following the lead of one of our setup leads who knows the ropes FAR better than I do. The team moves quickly and efficiently, but somehow there’s always time for some good-spirited sarcasm and dad-jokes. This team likes to laugh. One thing that is true of our setup team at Odenton is that they are without question, top-notch. God has really blessed us with the people he has brought. During this time, our production coordinator Ryan Scheerer and the booth-team are in the
back diligently working to get the sound board, broadcast, switcher and lighting computer setup and checked to be ready for our run-through.
Jason
It is clear that this space is no longer the same cafeteria that we first walked into. One of the last things to be set up are the chairs. We do a run-through to be ready for the morning with transitions, music, cues, etc. We are looking to see if the broadcast signal is strong so we can display the sermon from the Annapolis Campus and we are anticipating another great Sunday of worship with those who call the Odenton Campus their church home. The smell of coffee is filling the lobby.
Brendan
At 7:30, we have a quick line-check with our audio engineer to make sure all the mics and instrument connections are working, and at 7:45 the band arrives and we get set for our 8:00 service run- through with Jason and anyone else involved in the gathering.
Jason
After our run-through, we circle up and pray together for the morning. This is essential as we are able to pause for a moment and recognize what is before us. We pray for our church family, for those who might visit for the first time, for our Children's’ Ministry volunteers.
Brendan
Besides our gathering, this is truly my favorite part of the morning. Odenton is a praying campus. That’s true of our staff and of our volunteer team. Many voices are lifted in prayer and after we’re finished, our resident hype-woman Alex Williams brings everybody in for an all- hands-in break.
Jason
Other volunteers start to arrive. Those who will be serving our children and families are meeting with our Children’s Ministry Coordinator, Sarah. Those who will be greeting and connecting are meeting up with Alex Williams. She is encouraging each of them. They are praying for the morning. They are ready for those who regularly attend the Odenton Campus as well as anyone who might be visiting for the first time. Before we know it the gathering is starting, seats are filling up, and worship is beginning. You can hear people responding, people singing, it’s infectious.
Brendan
Just have to jump in and shout out our incredible Odenton worship team here. The amazingly talented Ryan Scheerer is leading our production team in the back and I get the privilege of leading the band. Every member of our worship-team (band & production) is generous, gifted and adaptable. Did I already say we are blessed?
Jason
After our gathering, people are lingering. It’s not because we hope that they will do that, it is just because it is who we are. People want to talk, to share, to catch up. We start the process of packing up and putting things away and there are other hands helping out. Some of them are smaller hands. Chairs are being stacked, cases are being recovered to their trailer storage form. People are reaching their step goals if they haven’t already. The final thing we do as a team is pray together once the trailers are loaded and locked up, giving thanks for protection and the work God did in the hearts of everyone present.
Why do we do this every Sunday morning? Because we are committed to making passionate, maturing followers of Jesus in the surrounding community. Jesus is the hero of the morning! Without Him, this would just be an interesting way to burn calories. Because of the transformation through the Gospel, the power of prayer, the growth found in community, passionate worship, and people using their gifts to serve the church, we are seeing growth and we are excited to do it again when the alarm goes off on Sunday morning.