(Staff Appreciation Series)

Mike Morrow has been on staff at The Ridge for close to 30 years! He has served alongside me for all those years.

At one time, Mike did not attend church. He was invited to play basketball in our gym at our old church on Brooks Street. Because of that, he decided to attend a Sunday morning service. He invited Christ into his life in one of our services and has never been the same.

After volunteering in many different ways for over 10 years at our church, Mike was invited to join our staff. He sensed God calling him to do that, so made the transition from the corporate world (Cummins). He has been on staff ever since.

Here are five of the many things I appreciate about Mike.

1.     Mike has integrity. Integrity will make or break you in the ministry. Never once have I even questioned Mike’s integrity. What you see is what you get with Mike. There’s no pretending. He is honest. You can trust Mike. If he gives you his word, that’s all you need. Mike doesn’t care who gets the credit…he only cares that the vision of The Ridge moves forward.

2.     Mike is incredibly gifted. Mike works behind the scenes as the Operations Pastor, so you often don’t see how gifted he is. He can think strategically as well as anyone. His attention to detail is unparalleled. He oversees our finances with remarkable efficiency. He insures that our facilities look fantastic. He manages our support staff so effectively. He is gifted artistically and can make/build about anything. For example, the concepts behind our amazing stage designs often come from Mike!

3.     Mike is loyal. Loyal to God. Loyal to his family. Loyal to me. Loyal to our church. No one buys into our vision more than Mike.

4.     Mike cares. He cares about people who are far from God. He cares about his relationship with God. He cares about his family. He cares about excellence. Do you see something done with excellence at The Ridge? If so, Mike probably had something to do with that.

5.     Mike has been a great friend to me. Mike has “hung in there” with me for almost 30 years. He’s had my back. He has stepped in and supported me at times I needed it most. He is someone I can always talk to about almost anything.

The next time you see Mike, let him know how much you appreciate him, too. It would not only encourage him, but he deserves it.