Every Sunday morning, hundreds of the cars that pull into the Seacoast Church Mount Pleasant Campus parking lot bring first-time guests. But once they arrive, they are oftentimes unsure where to go. Michael Johnson, as part of the New Here Dream Team, is always on the lookout for these guests.
Michael and the team try to make sure people are greeted with a smile, and know where to go and what to expect. Every week, Dream Team members walk new people inside, direct families to Kidscoast, and help individuals find good seats in the Worship Center.
Love God, Love People
Back in 2012, Michael noticed that many people were intimidated about getting involved in church. So he began working with Seacoast staff to develop the Inside Track program to help people learn more about Seacoast and get connected. Once the program gained traction, he turned his focus to making new people feel more comfortable walking in the doors, and finding a place to belong.
That led Michael to help form the New Here team, where he’s been serving for most of his 12 years at Seacoast. Michael believes that ministry is a calling to love God and love people, not just with words, but with action. “We are not called to simply go to church, but rather, we are called to be the church.”
…for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. – Philippians 2:13
Balance Of Serving and Receiving
Raised in a non-denominational church in a small town in Southwest Louisiana, Michael learned the joys and responsibility of serving in the local church by leading worship, teaching classes, cleaning the church, and doing service projects in the community. “When you give of yourself, the Holy Spirit renews you in all facets of your life,” Michael said. “As the church body, we should endeavor toward the balance of receiving from the Holy Spirit and each other, as well as being the hands and feet of Jesus by serving one another.”
The New Here team tries to live this out each week. A few years ago, when a new family arrived unsure if Seacoast was for them—a feeling compounded by riding a trolley to the church entrance like in an amusement park—the New Here team made a good first impression at drop-off, easing the family’s concerns. Now, the family attends regularly and the father is integral to the Seacoast parking team. Becoming a part of the Dream Team, he says, helped make Seacoast feel smaller.
Thanks to Dream Team members like Michael, people who are brand new to Seacoast can find community in the local church, and discover why God prompted them to step through the doors that first Sunday.
Thank you Michael, and thank you to all of the Dream Team for making a difference!
Next Steps:
1. If you’re new to Seacoast, or just haven’t connected yet, consider joining Inside Track to learn more about how you can make a difference in the church.
2. If you’re ready to start serving, join the Dream Team at your campus.
