We would love to have your feedback about this year’s EXPO! Just click on the link below and take just a few minutes to tell us how the EXPO went for you this year!
EXPO Afterglow!
It is Sunday night after the EXPO and I am so 
gratified at how things turned out this year! Once again Gophers showed up, ministry leaders showed up, and the SGT family showed up!
So many people have to come together to make the EXPO happen. My Administrative Assistant, Anna Choy, starts it off in May, methodically getting things in order. That process continues even until the day after the EXPO. We try to “wake up” the “EXPO brain” around that time too, making sure everyone knows the date of the event.
But really, August is ground zero for the EXPO. Calls to Tim and Rebekah Hoppe, David Rivera, and Jason Newell are important at that time so we can think about tweaking the set-up, recruiting Gophers, and planning the food menu. We start lining up the Variety Show in August as well. By this time most all of the ministry leaders have checked in, considered their booths, Blue Light Special ideas, etc.; special guests are usually secured by that time.
August is also time for the big blue EXPO banner in the main lobby which draws attention to sign-ups and the EXPO itself. By the end of the month the EXPO stencil is on the front and side entrance sidewalks
Set-up day—the day before the EXPO—is key! Without a good set-up plan and Gophers to execute the plan, there would not be an EXPO. Tim’s plan, Anna’s planning, and David’s availability make this possible!
Set-up-day evening is for ministry leaders! It’s when they set-up and get their exhibits ready (although this year several pushed it to Sunday morning! Hint hint!)
This year there were new ideas, new approaches (like the Home Missions Doll House, a different set-up and approach by The Center and also SGT Kids). There was also new variety—like Tony Carrozzo’s Exotic Snakes and Pastor Rich’s Missions Gadget Table. We also added Naomi Pierro’s show, a Mr. Softee truck, and the SGT Welcome App. And we began acclimating Maureen Arasmo to the Variety Show Emcee role.
I love it when the first service releases and the Exhibit area floods with the SGT family! From that point it’s busy for the rest of the day. The floor gets energized again when the second service lets out. For me, though, EXPO is constant trips between the office and the Exhibit floor, announcements in two services, all the while taking in the spectacle of the EXPO; the busy-ness of it. Talking to our people, checking in with various exhibits, appreciating our special guests, knowing all the time that I have to get focused on the Variety Show. (Among other things, I feel pressure because I try to open the show with comedy but I don’t really announce that I’m going to do stand-up comedy: it’s too much pressure!) Naomi’s show was great today and so was the Variety Show.
In the end, people come together and what we experience is the Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle at its best. No church is perfect. But you would be hard pressed to find a church with people who care more than the people involved in the ministries of SGT!
Thanks to all who played any part of this year’s EXPO! See you next year on September 16! (Save the date!)
Erin Sands: A Great Addition to the EXPO!
I just found out that we are going to have Erin Sands at the EXPO! She is part of SGT but you may not know about her business. Erin is a Culinary Nutrition Expert who does nutrition consulting to teach people how to use food to promote health and prevent disease. She has a lot to share about her own journey into wellness as well as many other insights into parenting and child-rearing.
You can find her this weekend at table B-5.
You can learn more about her at her website!
How the EXPO Makes a Difference!
The EXPO began when Pastor Zarlengo asked me to create a way for you (SGT family) to learn more about all the ministries available at SGT. This would meet the double need of helping people get involved (which brings about relational connection as well as opportunities to serve others), but it would also help people discover ministries that could help them. As a result, God gave us the EXPO! The EXPO definitely meets these needs, but, along the way, we have discovered that it meets so many others as well.
Glad to meet you!
I remember, at our first EXPO (this year is our fourth), there were actually ministry leaders who met each other for the first time! It brought about a great opportunity for ministry leaders to fellowship together and even coordinate ministry together.
Bring Your Ministry Shopping List!
Last year, I met a brand new family with children spanning several age groups who used the EXPO to take the opportunity to seek out the various ministries relevant to their family! That’s what the EXPO is all about!
Fun!
The EXPO also gives us a chance as a family to eat together, play together, laugh and be entertained together. Our youth ministry, The Center, and our children’s ministry, SGT Kids, always have great activities. The EXPO Variety Show is always a blast—this year we have an added show featuring Naomi Pierro and friends. And who doesn’t like a photo booth?
Honoring Selfless Leaders of Ministry
Every year I am so proud of our ministry leaders and their teams! For me, the EXPO is an opportunity for those of us who work behind the scenes to find some way to serve these leaders and honor them for all the energy they put into serving others all year.
Come! Participate!
Come to the EXPO this year and participate in as many things as you can. Eat the food, attend the shows, and go by the tables and be amazed (as I am) at the wide variety of ministries we have at SGT!
Welcome to the EXPO Blog Site SGT Family!
The EXPO is only seven days away! Here are the reasons you should plan to be at SGT ALL DAY LONG next Sunday, September 18…
First, it satisfies one of the goals of our church’s Vision Statement: “To CONNECT with one another in fellowship…”
The EXPO is a full and fun opportunity to connect with others at SGT and to enjoy great food and fellowship. Since food makes fellowship more fun, here’s the menu from the EXPO Cafe:
Grilled chicken with roasted peppers, prosciutto and topped with mozzarella, accompanied with a port wine Demi glacé served on a bed of roasted garlic smashed potatoes. Eggplant rollentini- thinly sliced eggplant, stuffed with pesto angel hair pasta. Topped with homemade marinara and melted mozzarella. And a salad.
Wow! Right? Now, fun also makes fellowship more…well…fun, there will be loads of that as well!
You can get your picture taken at the Happy Faces Photobooth, chase down the EXPO Blue Light Specials that will be happening from 1 until 3 pm, try and keep up with all that the Center (SGT’s youth group), the Royal Rangers, and the SGT Kids will be doing, AND DON’T FORGET The EXPO Family Variety Show at 3 pm! Plus, there are always lots of great giveaways at the ministry booths!
The second way that the SGT Ministry EXPO satisfies SGT’s Vision Statement is by helping to create an environment where you can to experience “the transforming power of the Holy Spirit through…serving in ministry!”
The EXPO is the perfect time to discover ministries that can minister to you and your family, and also to discover ministries you can become a part of! For those who come to the EXPO from other churches, the ministries represented will serve to inspire them to reach even higher heights for the Kingdom of God. This year’s special guests include:
Prizes! Prizes! Prizes!
This year at the EXPO, there will be two great opportunities to win prizes!
First, the EXPO Blue Light Special! Too young to know what that is? Just run to the flashing blue light. Run to the light!!
The EXPO Variety Show will feature a “prize throw”! (Must attend to figure out…)
Did I mention the EXPO Family Variety Show?
Some special things are being planned for sure. I can tell you that Donald Trump will be there! What more do you want? Want more? THERE’S GONNA BE MORE!
The Bottom Line? You can afford to miss a moment of this year’s SGT Ministry EXPO!! I will see you there…
