Super Bowl Sunday

This Sunday, February 13th, folks will be partying all around the United States as we celebrate one of our biggest unofficial holidays – the Super Bowl. And yes, I’m pretty excited that my Bengals no longer carry the “Bungles” label. Feel free to wear your favorite team’s jersey this Sunday. You bet I’ll be wearing my orange and black Bengals shirt.

We’re also going to have a party at church as we celebrate the completion of our auditorium remodel and reopening. Aren’t the new seats great?! By the way, every other row has seat arms that can raise to give you more room. And yes, the cup holders are coming. We’ll have our regular services at 9 am and 11 am.

Free Food

We’ll have lots of food and fun after each service. There’ll be regular meals for purchase and free Krispy Kreme donuts and kettle corn after the 9 am service and free hot dogs and pretzels after the 11 am service. 

Family Entertainment

There will be lots for the kids to do. The rock wall will be open for climbing. We’ll have inflatable obstacle courses, slides, and yes, an inflatable axe and football throwing option along with 9 Square and a kids train.

A Service Opportunity

We can use some help to make this party special!  Sign up here to serve after one of the services. 

This month, our Kids Team is hosting a food drive for our city as they put compassion into action. Please bring non-perishable food items to our Kids tent in the outside courtyard.

Trevor DeVage Speaking

And to top it all off, Trevor DeVage, our new Lead Pastor, will be teaching as we continue our series Playbook. Trevor will be unpacking the Beatitude – “Blessed are the meek.”

See you this Sunday!

Glen Elliott

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I’m in my 23rd year here at Pantano, and there has never been a new year with so much change and a profound sense of a new beginning. I believe God has timed everything to help us start 2022 fresh and new. 

New Digs!

Our remodeled auditorium is almost done. The carpet will be finished this week, and the theater seats will hopefully be installed at the end of January (due to supply chain issues; we have temporary chairs set up)! We are installing the sound, lights, cameras, and video wall this week. We’ve moved the Café back inside. Since holiday break has ended, let’s all reconnect this Sunday as we start a new year and launch a new teaching series!

New Lead Pastor

Pantano has its 9th Lead Pastor – Trevor DeVage. Trevor will be with us the next two Sundays! Trevor and I are in a season of transition from now until the end of May. I’ll continue to lead and teach as the Campus Pastor until Trevor and his family move here in June. Trevor and I will be developing my new job description this spring that will take effect this summer. We’ll officially install Trevor as our new Pastor on Sunday, January 16th, and he’ll be teaching that day.

New Teaching Series

This Sunday (January 9th), we’ll start a new teaching series called Rooted. “Rooted” is our church One Word for 2022. It’s based on Colossians 2:6-7, and I’ll be sharing what it means for us. I’ll also be asking you to prayerfully identify your One Word for the year based on the idea of “rooted.” I really like how Jeremiah uses the rooted metaphor; take a moment to reflect on these verses:

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8

A New Beginning

Michael Goodwin has been hired as the new Lead Pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church (Alvernon/Pima). He starts on January 10th! I’m so excited to launch Michael to help Emmanuel be a life-giving church in a part of town that so needs Jesus. Our Elders will be ordaining Michael this Sunday, affirming our confidence in his call, character, and gifting. Pantano will continue to partner with Michael to help him thrive in his new role. 

And Some Things Never Change

There’s lots of change and new things at Pantano these days. But, some things never change. Over the holiday break, I reflected on how amazing you are, Pantano. When I say that, I’m talking about YOU. I’m so proud of our church! You are generous! You serve our church, each other, and you serve our community in amazing ways. You faithfully give so we can to accomplish the mission God has given us. For our Christmas Eve offering, you gave $95,888 to support the Tucson Homeless Work Program. Wow! That’s incredible! Thank You! I’m so grateful to be able to serve with you all. 

Glen Elliott

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With Christmas, the auditorium remodel nearing completion, and a new Lead Pastor confirmed, we’ve got quite a few new things coming. I know change is challenging for many. But these changes are leading us to an exciting great beginning for 2022 and beyond. Here’s what’s coming so you can keep track…

December 2021

THIS Sunday (12/19) – Our volleyball court, used for our overflow during our auditorium renewal, will be closed to complete the remodeling. Our overflow is moved to the Student Union for this Sunday only.

6 pm Christmas Eve Service at the Tucson Convention Center. Things to remember:

• Check out our FAQ webpage for all the info you need.
• Parking is free, but might be limited as other activities are happening simultaneously. Carpool, use public transportation, and for sure, arrive early. See this map for parking areas onsite.
• The City of Tucson requires masks to enter the arena.
• All those attending will pass through security to enter the arena. TCC prohibits bags that are larger than 14″ x 16″ through the security zone, and please note, there is a Clear Bag Policy. There is a clear bag exception for a guest if it’s a diaper bag or needed for medical purposes. 
• Yes, you can watch live online on our website, Facebook or YouTube!
• Before the service, there will be a live steel drum band, photo booths, stilt walkers, and cookies and water in the breezeway entrance.

Sunday, December 26 – No Sunday Services

There will be no Sunday services the day after Christmas. To give our staff and volunteers a break from this busy season and allow them to rest and spend time with their families, we’ll be closing our offices from December 27 to December 31, 2021.

January 2022

Sunday, January 2 – Special Prayer Service

• This will be a special prayer service at 9 and 11 am. We won’t do a typical Sunday service as the auditorium technology will not be fully set up. We’ll meet as families in the auditorium, receive some instructions, then spread out across campus to pray. We’ll have several prayer stations with QR codes to receive prayer ideas at each location (the codes are scannable with your phone camera). The Café will be open when you are finished praying, and we’ll have an online option for this special prayer service as well.
• Starting January 2nd, there will be no 1 pm service in person or online until we reach capacity in our other venues.

Sunday, January 9 – First Sunday Service in the Remodeled Auditorium

This will be our first regular service in our newly renovated auditorium. We’ll kick off the new year with our focus as a church for 2022, and our new Lead Pastor, Trevor DeVage, will be with us on campus!

Sunday, January 16 – Auditorium Remodel Celebration and Trevor DeVage Preaching

Today, we’ll formally celebrate our auditorium remodel! We’ll have Eegee’s, Krispy Kreme donuts, and the rock wall will be open for the adventure-seekers! We’ll officially pass the torch to our new Lead Pastor, and Trevor will give his first message. 

Glen Elliott

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There’s been a lot to beat us down these last couple of years. Covid related issues, racial conflict, political polarization, and more. It’s been a tough couple of years at Pantano as well. We’ve had more than usual staff turnover (like the rest of the country!). There’s no systemic problem here, as each person’s departure was unique. But that change has been disheartening, and it has especially affected our students. Relationships are important! Then, add that during Covid I announced our search for my successor. More unsettledness. Then, add the disruption of remodeling our auditorium…lots of challenge, change, transition, and uncertainty. That’s not good for a church or any group of people. But today, I’m so encouraged. Here’s why…

Serve Our City

This Sunday (November 14) is one of the best Sundays of the year. It’s Serve Our City day. Over 1000 folks have committed to serving all over Pima County. 11 other churches are joining us, and there’s still time to sign up! Find your place to serve by going to https://pantano.church/serveourcity/. Remember that we will not have regular Sunday services as we’ll be the church out in the city.

Auditorium Remodel

Our auditorium remodel is coming along well. The construction crew did their final cement pour this week. It’s all looking good for us to use the new room in January. But please pray, as our biggest concern is that the chairs arrive with enough time for installation. Shipping concerns are a challenge for everyone! By the way, you can help us pay for the remodel by giving to our Building Fund – Room for More at https://pushpay.com/g/pantano. And, we’ve got some great things planned for January to start the new year better than ever!

New Lead Pastor

We have a very promising candidate who has been enthusiastically endorsed through all the interviews that are a part of our process. We’ve carefully vetted him. Keep praying, as we will likely make an offer this week. It’s not done, but we are close. I can’t wait to introduce my successor to you. I’m so excited and encouraged!!! I’ll be giving you an update and more details soon. 

Christmas Eve Service

I’m also so excited about our Christmas Eve service at the Tucson Convention Center (December 24, 6 pm). I love that we’ll all get to be together for one service! We are inviting the city, and we’ve got some ways to encourage our guests to begin a journey of faith. Plan now to invite your friends, family, and your “one” to join you. You don’t want to miss this. 

I can also add how exciting it’s been to see and connect with so many new folks who are visiting Pantano for the first time each week. I’m encouraged that God is bringing us through a season of challenge and change! 

Glen Elliott

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WHY?
We are finally starting the auditorium remodeling project! Before I get into the details about the necessary moves to make this happen, I’ll explain the WHY behind the remodel; the carpet is 30 years old and beyond repair, the pews are breaking, and more importantly, we need to fix the dangerous slope. But, there’s a more significant reason; We want to have a facility that is welcoming to not only those who follow Jesus but to those who have yet to connect with God through Jesus. Like Jesus, our focus is always on those who are yet to step into faith. Target and other retailers remodel their facilities every seven years. Those who didn’t, like Kmart and Sears, are out of business! Churches don’t have to be fancy, but those who fail to keep their facilities up find they can’t connect with new folks.  

Coop Court
We will be holding services during construction! Starting this week, we are configuring Coop Court (the indoor cafe prior to COVID) for our worship experience. We are putting in wires, lights, sound, and a stage. Seating will be on the flat floor. So, Coop Court will not be open for the next two weeks and until we all meet there on August 29th (when we’ll close the auditorium, as that’s when the demo starts).  Until then, we’ll continue to meet in the auditorium and Volleyball Court. Beginning August 29th, we’ll offer overflow seating in our Volleyball Court with an extra-large screen to view services in that area if you arrive late or want more physical distance. 

Lobby
Our lobby will remain open and available during services.

Restarting Our 1 pm Service
We will also be adding our 1 PM service time again! May I encourage you to consider our 1 pm service to make more room for others, especially guests, at 9 am or 11 am? The 1 pm service time is an excellent option if you like to sleep in or if you want to take advantage of the cooler morning hours to get work done around the house. 

Café, Kids, and Students
Our Café will be extending its hours and will remain open up until the 1 pm service. Students will not be holding services during the 1 pm service time, however, our Kids Ministry will be offering nursery and preschool for kids ages 0 – 5 years old. 

Online
Our online services will continue to be available for all three service times, as well as on-demand throughout the week.

Updates
You can go to our remodel webpage to see what the project will look like when it’s finished. We’ll keep this page updated with any new information. You can reserve a pew if you’d like one for your patio, to make a kitchen table nook, or however you would like to use one! Visit https://pantano.church/remodel/ for more information.

Change is never easy or fun. But this change will be worth it. Thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation!

Glen Elliott

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Vacation

I’m starting this summer by being on vacation. I got to take my granddaughters to a water park in Scottsdale, and Jolene and I got out of town for a few days just by ourselves! I’m doing some major projects around the house (painting, kitchen, etc.). I’m also doing major motor work on my ‘92 boat. If I can get my boat motor fixed, I hope to spend some time at the lake! I’ll be back at the beginning of July refreshed with lots of new energy. I’ll be taking a break with my blogs until July. 

Auditorium

The current auditorium hasn’t been remodeled or improved in over 30 years. We are overdue for an upgrade. We are getting permits now and hope to start in July. It will likely be a three-month project that includes: 1) A stepped floor with lighting versus the horrible current slope. 2) Theater-style chairs will replace the pews – some of which are broken. 3) New carpet. 4) A unified room that connects with the current courts and much more. During renovation, we’ll convert Coop Court (the basketball court) into our temporary auditorium. More details will be coming. 

The Reich Family

Josh and I have had several discussions, and we agree that Josh will thrive as a lead pastor. Josh applied for the Lead Pastor position here at Pantano and had conversations with some other churches. Josh was not selected to be an active candidate for the role at Pantano. While Josh has many strengths, including his teaching, there were other factors that were a part of that difficult decision. 

Our sovereign God has provided what appears to be an excellent opportunity for the Reich family. Josh has accepted a lead pastor role at Community Covenant Church in Massachusetts. There are so many amazing and miraculous things about this opportunity. So, the Reich family is getting ready to sell their house and move to the east coast on or around Father’s Day. Josh’s last teaching will be on June 6th. Josh and Katie have done an excellent job here at Pantano, and we’ll greatly miss them. Keep them in your prayers as they make this significant transition.


Thank you for your continued prayers and support for Pantano,

Glen Elliott

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March is here, and in my mind, that translates to Spring has arrived. Even though we are in a drought, somehow, the weeds are starting to pop up at my house! This is a good time to give some updates, and look forward as Spring approaches here at Pantano.

Lead Pastor Search 

Please remember that we are not in a hurry to find my successor. We will be prayerfully careful in our process and selection. Please pray for the Interview Team and Elders as they do the initial work, which requires lots of time and is not an easy process. Once we find my successor, there will be a period of overlap, which could take a year or so. So, you won’t see any real changes until possibly sometime in 2022.

Let me clarify again that I’m not retiring. At 65, I’m not done in ministry. I’m just looking for a change of role. I will give my successor the freedom to determine what that role might look like after I pass the baton.

The Interview Team and Elders are well along in the interview process of the first round of candidates. They started with six candidates. We have recently received five new candidates that the Slingshot Group vetted, and the Interview Team is just getting started with those candidate profiles. We are not releasing the names of any candidates at their request and for their well-being.

Engage One Series

This Sunday, we launch a new series that I personally believe is one of the most important that we’ve done in the 22 years I’ve been at Pantano. Why would I make that huge statement? Here’s why: About 85% of Pima County doesn’t go to any church. Most of our neighbors are post-Christians, meaning that they lack an understanding of who Jesus really is or what the Bible and the church are all about. Except for a few Atheists, most are not against God; they just don’t know him or have a relationship with him. They are unlikely to visit a church, and COVID has made it even more unlikely that folks will want to go to a church building. 

So we have to go to them. Our mission and purpose is to love people to Jesus, launching passionate people to make a difference. In this series, we are unveiling a year-long effort to equip and prepare our church to intentionally engage those not connected to Jesus. Starting Sunday, I will introduce this idea and share with you some of the tools, resources, videos, and courses we’ve been developing over the last year.

Auditorium Upgrade

We need to fix some things in our East Campus Auditorium. The carpet is beyond repair. Many of the pews are broken, and we can’t fasten them to the floor. The floor has a terrible and dangerous slope, and the list goes on. For years we’ve tried to push the proverbial can down the road, but we’ve come to the place where we need to make some changes. We are in the process of planning so we can’t give details yet, but once we decide and commit to a plan and have permits, I’ll let you know more about the details, timing, schedule, and cost.

Easter – April 4

I love to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus! This year, we’ll have four Easter Sunday services, both in-person and online, at 7 am, 9 am, 11 am, and 1 pm. We are using a reservation system (choose a service here) for in-person attendance to ensure that none of our services are too full and provide safe physical distancing. Sign up now!

Glen ElliottSubscribe: https://pantano.church/blogsubscription