johnlaeger.com

Amazing Sunday

Amazing does not even come close to the response from the challenge of this past Sunday.  The emails and phone calls have been absolutely off the chart with people wanting to help and be a part of making a difference.

Individuals are planning on going to their businesses and places of work to ask them to contribute and get involved.  One person is going to be approaching several corporations asking them to help.  Another couple said they are not going to get each other Christmas gifts but will be giving Haiti Christmas Shoe Boxes instead!  And we just got an email from someone who works in a shoe department and has already wrapped about 30 boxes to be made available for people to pick up on Sunday and fill!

The teens are planning on doing a food drive in conjunction with a 30 Hour Famine project timed perfectly with the Food Drop.  And MeadowKIDS will also be jumping in to help!

This Sunday we start collecting the special offering which will go entirely to the Christmas Food Drop.  The goal is $10,000.00.  We are going to go all out and do everything we possibly can to eliminate hunger, at least for one week, for hundreds of families in our community this Christmas.

We start collecting the Haiti Shoe Boxes on November 11.  This Sunday, there will be a few pre-wrapped boxes for you to take home.  All you will need to do is fill them and bring them back.  A link to the instruction and informational flyer is below if you did not get one on Sunday.  Please follow the instructions carefully.  If shoe boxes come in with items not permitted, or not wrapped right - it only creates more work and could potentially delay the shipping to Haiti.

Here are some links you might find helpful.

• Last Sunday's Message
• Video shown last Sunday
• Food Drop 2006 Video
• Haiti Christmas Shoe Box Flyer
• Pics of shoe boxes being opened in Haiti
• More Haiti Christmas Shoe Box pics

Feel free to pass this on to friends and family.  This is not about Meadow.  This is about fighting poverty and hunger in our community and world.

And if you thought last Sunday was awesome, "you ain't seen nothin' yet!"  This coming Sunday is going to be equally, if not more awesome as we celebrate with several people getting baptized.  This Sunday will be one amazing party at Meadow!  If you think church should be quiet, still, solemn ... this would be a good Sunday to stay home!

This is what it's all about

I'm still not in a blogging mood - but I do want to shout as loud as I can in cyberspace about this morning.  God called 2 more people into His family this morning!  As I sat in the parking lot at 6:30 AM this morning.  I turned to Ps. 5:3, "In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."  As I just let that verse bounce around in my brain, my sense of anticipation for the morning grew and grew and grew.  I was especially looking forward to after the service when I would look through the communication cards to see who made the eternal decision to give their lives to Christ.  As I sat down at my desk after the service, my heart was beating fast, I saw two more people - real people - who came into Meadow at 9:30 without Christ and during that hour they gave their lives to Jesus.  At 10:30 - they walked out with Christ!

That is what it is all about.

And the kids ministry?  Whoa...we had more people in our kids ministry than the average church in America has in total attendance!

This has been a great day!

There are some critical issues that are creating more stress than usual - and I am anticipating this week to be one of the toughest.  BUT... I refuse to get distracted!  I will not focus on the stress or the tough issues of pruning.  I will not make a big deal of them.  I WILL MAKE A BIG DEAL ABOUT PEOPLE GIVING THEIR LIVES FOR CHRIST.  I WILL MAKE A BIG DEAL ABOUT PEOPLE DISCOVERING A REFRESHING RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS.

In the last 5 weeks, we have had at least 15 people pray to receive Christ!  Nothing compares to that.  THAT is what I will talk about.  THAT is a big deal.  THAT is what it is all about.

Blogless for a bit

I've been pre-occupied with some pressing issues and haven't had blogging on my mind.  Next few days look pretty crazy too.  It's all good!

Later

God keeps showing up

Yesterday as I thought about the morning, I was feeling pretty good.  Nothing absolutely awesome happened (that I saw).  It was just a really good solid Sunday.  Great people.  Great buzz.  Great ministry.  Things just went really well.

As you can see from the date, I didn't blog yesterday.  I honestly thought, "Hmmm.  I didn't see any waters part or didn't have anyone 'check' the box saying they trusted Christ.  What am I going to blog about?"

Then I read Rachel's blog this morning.  Rather than just giving you a link, here is the entire post.  Thanks Rachel for another reminder of why I totally love Meadow and what God is doing here - even when I may not see it all!

God Is Working Here

Ya know one of the great rewards of my job at Meadow is that I get to see how God is working here in a way that others don't see. I get to see, meet, greet, and talk to each parent that comes through the doors at Meadow...and yes, I really do look each kid and each parent in the eye every single Sunday...I know exactly which kid and even which kids friends belong to each parent and b/c of that, I see first hand how many new families there are each Sunday. I also get to see each new family that comes back the follow Sunday. I get to see the single Dad who comes for the first time when he doesn't have his kids. I get to see the "other" parent show up with the kids b/c it is just that important for their kids. I get to see the Dad show up for the first time, even if he had to be dragged to church by his own parents, so see him show up the following weekend all on his own. I get to see the family walk in the door with all four of their kids lined up like ducks in a row and bright eyed. I get to see the kids jumping up and down b/c they are so excited to get to "church" and I can't get them checked in fast enough. I get to see the joy on the teachers faces when they leave each Sunday knowing that they just might have made a difference in a child's life, they might have just been the one person that sealed a child's eternity. I just get to "see it all" in a way.

I love that the kids love coming here so much that their parent's can't say "no"...and that even IF they are coming "for sake of the children"...it is becomming obvious that many parent's are now coming for themselves!

God is here. God keeps showing up and working here at Meadow every single Sunday. New people are coming every single Sunday. People are coming back for seconds. People are turning their lives over to Christ. People are recommiting in their relationship with Christ. People are growing in their relationship with Christ. People are showing up b/c God is showing up. God is really working here. I wish that people could be a fly on my shoulder for a few Sunday's and see what I see. It is not about traditions or religions, God doesn't care if we kneel, bow, bend, sit, stand to worship Him. He doesn't care if we meet in a multi-million dollar building. He doesn't care if we sit in pews or chairs. He doesn't care if we drink coffee during the service, wear blue jeans, or dresses. It is about you and God! What I also love seeing and I am seeing it more and more...is the relationship building. I love seeing a friend of mine who is a single Dad come each Sunday and every other Sunday alone and he is not shying away just b/c he doesn't come with a wife and kid! My cousin told me that one of the reasons he won't go to church is b/c everyone is so "churchy" and "snotty" that "church people are so hyprocritical, they only accept each other!" He came today and guess what? He said, "okay, so at THIS church, you were right! But I still stand by that 99% of all other churches out there are still living by that standard!" This was the first time he has set foot in a church since Junior High school without it being a wedding or funeral. And if the only thing he took away was that church doesn't have to be "that way" and if just one church that isn't "that way" exists...AWESOME! Do you see how God is working here?

In my readings I cannot stop thinking about this verse.

“ I am about to do something new. It is beginning to happen even now. Don’t you see it coming? I am going to make a way for you to go through the desert. I will make streams of water in the dry and empty land.” Isaiah 43:19

Dave Ramsey at Catalyst

Catalyst is one conference I have always wanted to go to, but have never been able to.  So...I take advantage of those who are there and blog about what they are hearing.  Here is one from Tim Stevens that hit home from a session with Dave Ramsey.  Who's Dave Ramsey?  Check out his web site below.

I like Dave Ramsey. He holds nothing back in helping people with their finances. He shoots straight. Some notes from his Catalyst talk...

• A "steward" is a manager of someone's stuff.
• We are stewards. We manage stuff for God. It's all his.
• We don't own anything. It's not my money, I'm just a manager. It's not my energy, I'm just a manager. It's not my wife, my church, my future, my anything--I'm just a manager.
• Maybe if the people of God didn't have any payments, kingdom of God would open up.
• Only 2.3% of people tithe. Why? Because we don't love Jesus? Nope, because we're broke.
• 70% of people live paycheck to paycheck.
• Prosperity is having the money to do God's will in your life.
• When there is no margin in your life, you will find yourself in deep trouble.
• A pastor told Dave, "In 42-years, I've never had a tithing couple get divorced." I think it's because givers are less selfish, they are easier to live with.
• Five great points
  • Have a Plan.
  • Get out of Debt.
  • Act your Wage. If you spend everything you make, you're a fool.
  • Save and Invest. Rainy days will come. 78% will have a major financial crisis in your life.
  • Give.
• What could the people of God do for the kingdom of God if they were debt free?

This is AMAZING!!!!

I just had Patti look up the number of people who have been baptized at Meadow since we began the church in 1998.  We have partied with over 110 people who identified with Jesus in baptism!!

That is AMAZING!!!

Bold truth about worship (and truth hurts)

The following from SmartPastor.com will rock your world of worship.  It will make you think.  It will make you uncomfortable - but truth hurts.  I don't post this just for fun.  What implications are there for Meadow?  This will take you a few minutes to read.  Better grab a cup of coffee.

Have we been wrong about worship?

Sally Morgenthaler thinks she, and we, may have been.  The author of Worship Evangelism is now wondering if she was a part of something that was not as important as she thought.

At allelon.org, she wrote an article that is quite critical of the contemporary music as evangelism paradigm she helped to create.  Some of her powerful quotes include...

Too many times, I came away with an unnamed, uneasy feeling. Something was not quite right. The worship felt disconnected from real life. Then there were the services when the pathology my friend talked about came right over the platform and hit me in the face. It was unabashed self-absorption, a worship culture that screamed, "It's all about us" so loudly that I wondered how any visitor could stand to endure the rest of the hour.

and...

Were these worship-driven churches really attracting the unchurched? Most of their pastors truly believed they were. And in a few cases, they were right. The worship in their congregations was inclusive, and their people were working hard to meet the needs of the neighborhood. Yet those churches whose emphasis was dual—celebrated worship inside, lived worship outside—were the minority. In 2001 a worship-driven congregation in my area finally did a survey as to who they were really reaching, and they were shocked. They'd thought their congregation was at least 50 percent unchurched. The real number was 3 percent.  (italics added)

Has the relevant music as a church growth strategy made a difference?

As influential as they are, megachurches aren't the whole story of American religion. To get a complete picture of church growth in the 1990s and new millennium, we need to look at overall church attendance patterns. Traditional pollsters conduct telephone interviews and expect people to be honest about their religious practices. According to the numbers gathered this way, we're still at a 40 percent attendance rate. But pollsters who actually do seat counts and take exit polls tell a different story. The average weekly church attendance when measured by actual "bodies present" was at 17.4 percent in 2006, down from 20.4 percent in 1990.6 David Olson of TheAmericanChurch.org remarks, "You'd have to find 80 million more people that churches forgot to count to get to 40 percent."

The bottom line...

...For all the money, time, and effort we've spent on cultural relevance—and that includes culturally relevant worship—it seems we came through the last 15 years with a significant net loss in churchgoers, proliferation of megachurches and all.  (Source article)

I am not citing this article to be critical of the mega church but rather to make us think again about how the latest church growth strategies may not be the best strategies for mission.  Many people have been blessed through the mega churches I am intimatly aware of, but very few have come to new life. 

I think it is arrogant and unrealistic to expect the unchurched to show up because of catchy titles and slick brochures.  We need to be going where they are and building relationships.  Reaching the unchurched happens one person at a time. 

The mega church has its place in the work God is doing in the world, but it may not be what we think it is.

This article may be one of the more important ones in the past few years.  Read it.

Sally Morgenthaler thinks she, and we, may have been.  The author of Worship Evangelism is now wondering if she was a part of something that was not as important as she thought.

At allelon.org, she wrote an article that is quite critical of the contemporary music as evangelism paradigm she helped to create.  Some of her powerful quotes include...

Too many times, I came away with an unnamed, uneasy feeling. Something was not quite right. The worship felt disconnected from real life. Then there were the services when the pathology my friend talked about came right over the platform and hit me in the face. It was unabashed self-absorption, a worship culture that screamed, "It's all about us" so loudly that I wondered how any visitor could stand to endure the rest of the hour.

and...

Were these worship-driven churches really attracting the unchurched? Most of their pastors truly believed they were. And in a few cases, they were right. The worship in their congregations was inclusive, and their people were working hard to meet the needs of the neighborhood. Yet those churches whose emphasis was dual—celebrated worship inside, lived worship outside—were the minority. In 2001 a worship-driven congregation in my area finally did a survey as to who they were really reaching, and they were shocked. They'd thought their congregation was at least 50 percent unchurched. The real number was 3 percent.  (italics added)

Has the relevant music as a church growth strategy made a difference?

As influential as they are, megachurches aren't the whole story of American religion. To get a complete picture of church growth in the 1990s and new millennium, we need to look at overall church attendance patterns. Traditional pollsters conduct telephone interviews and expect people to be honest about their religious practices. According to the numbers gathered this way, we're still at a 40 percent attendance rate. But pollsters who actually do seat counts and take exit polls tell a different story. The average weekly church attendance when measured by actual "bodies present" was at 17.4 percent in 2006, down from 20.4 percent in 1990.6 David Olson of TheAmericanChurch.org remarks, "You'd have to find 80 million more people that churches forgot to count to get to 40 percent."

The bottom line...

...For all the money, time, and effort we've spent on cultural relevance—and that includes culturally relevant worship—it seems we came through the last 15 years with a significant net loss in churchgoers, proliferation of megachurches and all.  (Source article)

I am not citing this article to be critical of the mega church but rather to make us think again about how the latest church growth strategies may not be the best strategies for mission.  Many people have been blessed through the mega churches I am intimatly aware of, but very few have come to new life. 

I think it is arrogant and unrealistic to expect the unchurched to show up because of catchy titles and slick brochures.  We need to be going where they are and building relationships.  Reaching the unchurched happens one person at a time. 

The mega church has its place in the work God is doing in the world, but it may not be what we think it is.

This article may be one of the more important ones in the past few years.  Read it.

Eight Dollar Hot Dog

Must be a day to face the hard truth.  Watching this made me uncomfortable.  I didn't really like it.  Why?  Because it's true.

"Heroes" is coming to Meadow!

I am pumped about the new series starting this Sunday.  You have got to invite a friend to come with you.  The music, the videos, the message - it's all coming together for a powerful Sunday and series.

Here's the trailer - Heroes Trailer.  Send it to all your friends.

Plus...we have gotten a great response from people emailing us about their real-life heroes.  We have started a blog just to post what you are saying about your heroes.  Take some time to read about others heroes and send us your hero and we will add it to the site!  Email to ben@meadowonline.org.

Here's the link to the blog - Meadow Heroes

See ya Sunday!

To RSVP or not to RSVP - that is the question

A few have asked, "Are you sure you don't need us to RSVP for Thursday?"

You don't have to - BUT, it would be cool.  That way I know whether I need to have 20 burgers or 200 burgers!

RSVP by emailing me here.  Just say, "We're coming!"  And let me know how many.

If you are unsure if you should come, let me help you with your decision making my asking you a few questions...

1. Do you need to eat food on Thursday for supper?
2. Do you need your family to eat food on Thursday for supper?
3. Would you like a meal where all you need to do is put food on your plate and eat - no doing dishes and no cooking?

If you answered "yes" - then you need to be here.

See ya Thursday!

Come One - Come All!!!!

October 4, 1998 – our first public service.

This Thursday is October 4 we are going celebrate with something we are very, very good at – hanging out! Everyone is invited to come over to the Laeger’s for a hang-out time and yes – bbq burgers and hot dogs (you think I would have people over and NOT fire up the grill!?).

We'll have a fire going in the fire pit, music playing, footballs to toss around, norwegian golf, and who knows what else will show up! Bring your own yard games if you want!

All you really need to bring is your own buns (the bread kind!) and something to drink. If you want to bring a salad or dessert that would be cool too – but for sure buns and drink.

Grill will be hot and smokin' at 5. We start kickin' everyone out at 7 'cause I got a hot date with my wife on the couch to watch Survivor!

Do you need to RSVP? You can if you want but don’t have to. Just come. Everyone is invited. EVERYONE!!

Need directions?  Here's a map.

Fireside Thoughts

I took today off to just get alone, pray, read scripture, and sort out stuff in my brain.  I need to do this more often.  Just a time to clear my head and make sure I am staying focused.  We are four weeks into a very focused fall and I am totally intent on staying on track and in tune with what God is doing.  I am more committed to seeing people turn their lives over to Christ than ever before!

So...I have been sitting here, in my backyard, with a fire going most of the day, just process and praying.  Here's a bit of what has been running through my brain...

1. Wow!  At least 13 people have prayed to receive Christ at Meadow over the last three weeks!  If that doesn't stoke people up - they are in the wrong church!
2. I am so in love with my wife.  After almost 26 years of marriage, she is even more beautiful and gorgeous and sexy then when we met.
3. Music has always been done with excellence at Meadow.  Our band has always ROCKED!  Moving the music/worship set to after the message has really been clicking.
4. Not renewing the lease on The Commons and the subsequent ending of Unplugged was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made.  But, it just doesn't make sense to spend $21,000/year on 2,000 square feet that is only used 3 hours/week.  That comes out to $135.00/hour.  We rent the entire theater for half that!
5. One word:  MeadowKIDS!  If it ever gets out of how awesome this ministry is - we are in for big trouble with families from all over coming!  BRING IT ON!!!
6. I am really looking forward to starting this new series called "Heroes".
7. Why does God put up with me?  Why does He keep forgiving me?  I would have given up on me long ago.
8. October 28 is going to be a Sunday that is going to jazz everyone at Meadow up!
9. My son is really taking some major ownership and ministry responsibilities at college this year.  I am so proud of him.
10. On Sunday, Nov. 4, we are doing something for the first time ever at Meadow.  I'll clue you in later.
11. The news about Unplugged hit some really hard and there is hurt and sadness.  But I am so impressed with the commitment to our mission by people at Meadow.
12. The email from Rachel about the dad who came to Meadow because of MeadowKIDS - and then he gave his life to Christ!  HOW COOL IS THAT!!!?
13. I am going to stay focused.  I am going to stay committed to bringing messages that clearly explain the good news of Jesus.  I am going to bring teaching that explains the hope and healing that come when Jesus is in charge.  I am going to stay committed to bringing teaching that explains how life is better when you follow Jesus.
14. I LOVE to listen to my daughter sing!
15. I wish more people understood the importance of pruning even when times are great in order to stay focused.  I know it doesn't make sense for most.  I wish it did.
16. I am really enjoying my quiet times - just reading the Bible.
17. I need to get back to the gym.

Helping me stay focused

Yesterday had its major "ups" and major "downs".  And, to be totally transparent, I am as human as any other person (surprise, surprise, surprise) - and I can easily get distracted by the "downs" - even when the "ups" are far more significant and numerous.  I am especially vulnerable on Sunday afternoons and evenings.

Here are a couple of emails I got last night that God used (again) to keep me focused on the main thing.

"Hi John.  I think the service was FABULOUS this morning.  The music was outstanding!  I loved "Go and Be" at the beginning and the worship music at the end was wonderful and even bouncy!  The message was very direct and "on the mark"!  The videos were perfectly placed to give a pause when the message was getting heavier.  It really clicked this morning."

"Hi John - Excellent talk today and to paraphrase Voltare "I will defend my death your right to say it" - regarding being on a soap box about inviting.  Stay up there, we'll catch you if you fall!  How many of us would not be here if not for an invite?"