Honoring Phil Cannon's Service at Clear Creek

It’s impossible to not feel joy in the presence of Phil Cannon. Phil has been with our church family since 2004. We've been so blessed to have him serve on our ministry staff and in those years Phil served as Youth Minister, Servant Leadership Minister, and Children's Minister.

As Phil retires from the roles he has generously served in at our church, we pause to reflect on the ways he has shared Jesus with all of us and many others. Phil was called into Youth Ministry in 1982. He was literally called. Prior to that his ambitions were to be a christian counselor, but instead of taking the next step into that path, a door was shut. As he and Jana prayed for guidance on the next move, the phone rang offering Phil one of the only youth ministry jobs in the state. Not sure what the future would hold, he accepted. Over the years he has served in churches located in Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee. Just like Phil, the list of his accomplishments and milestones in ministry are anything but boring.

He started Celebration Youth Conference in Kentucky which still occurs each fall. He was on the ground floor and on the board for UPLIFT at Harding University, as well as helping start IMPACT at Lipscomb University.  He started and led Teen Work Camps and Summer Youth Camps. He was on the board of Spiritual Growth Workshop and Sonquest in Florida. He began Master and the Mountains, a week-long hiking trip in the Smokies, while serving in Kentucky and continued the tradition with youth groups Georgia, Florida and Tennessee churches, one of which was Clear Creek.

Phil has facilitated discipleship in many ways, cities and states. Yes, his resume is impressive, and from the looks of it, he has earned his graduation into retirement, but more importantly he has built a legacy that is respected and that we all look up to. More than the accomplishments listed, he has touched the lives of many people and continues to do so.

As much as he has led, he has also served. He doesn’t just teach us how to be like Jesus, he has modeled that in every role he’s taken. We thank God for men like Phil who continually point us to Jesus, model His love, and bring adventure and joy to our family here at Clear Creek.