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Top Ten Reasons to Be at Meadow for Easter

#10 You can come to both services (8:30 & 10:00) and make up for not going to church last year on Easter.

#9 No "church coffee" in skimpy white styrofoam cups. You can have real gourmet coffee in big cups and it's absolutely FREE (there's not even a "donation" basket!)

#8 You don't have to pretend to be perfect to attend.

#7 You will finally experience church in a movie theater personally rather than wondering if what others are saying is really true.

#6 Cupholders and stadium seating. When was the last time you went to church on Easter and had cupholders and stadium seating? (If you are a "pew" person - the church down the street has plenty of "pew" room.)

#5 You don't have to go into debt to buy Easter dresses or flower hats for your kids.

#4 If you sit on the front row, you might see the sweat run down the side of Tim's face (gross!)

#3 It gives you a short break from the family rebellion - ummm, I mean "reunion".

#2 You can wear your faded blue jeans and t-shirt. If you wear a neck tie you will be the ONLY one!

#1 Live band with real guitars, drums, keys, and subwoofers - playin' music that will ROCK you not bore you!

1450

Just got home from an AWESOME night at Shakopee Showcase!  We had a GREAT team of Meadow volunteers there.  Thanks to Dave, Bonnie, Kim, Tim, Pete, Val, Wayde, Rich, Rachel, and Patrick.

We gave out 1,450 bottles of water as people walked in the entrance!!  It was so cool to walk around and see everyone holding bottles of water with our label on them that said "Meadow Spring MAX...Invigorating Faith".  At our booth, we talked with a lot of people about Meadow and I know I spoke with at least 3 families who said they were going to come this Sunday!

THEN...check this out...when I got home, I turned on the local public access channel televising the Shakopee City Council Meeting.  (I turned it on because my daughter was there for a school project.)  At the end of the meeting, one city councilor commented on Shakopee Showcase and thanked the council for being out there.  THEN...here's the kicker... another councilor asked, "I wonder how many people attended."  The mayor said, "Well, how many bottles of water were handed out?  That was Meadow Spring right?"  Then they looked at my daughter and said, "Maybe we can assign that question to Jessica."

Thanks to Y-Not Promotions for all they did in helping us out.  If you are looking for t-shirts, pens, personalized labeled bottled water, or any other promotional item - you have got to give them a call.  They do it right!

Raw Video of Shakopee Apartment Fire

Here is a 6 minute unedited home video of the fire and rescue.

If you have questions, ask.

Proud to be a Shakopee Firefighter

Shakopee Apartment Fire Rescue

This is video of an apartment fire early this morning.  This apartment is 2 blocks from our house.  Although I was still too sick to make the call, I was awake the entire time listening to the scanner and pager and all the radio traffic.  Plus I was praying.  I could tell by the radio traffic that this was critical.

We pulled three people from the apartment.  One man is still in critical condition.

Here is the local news website notice.  Three Rescued from Apartment Fire

I am so proud to be a Shakopee Firefighter.

God is Making His Move at Meadow

“Thank you, not just for my enjoyment of your style here being fun, practical, realistic, and down-to-earth, but for others, for hopefully change in the way people think of or go to church.”

This is just one comment from a Communication Card yesterday – evidence that God is making His move at Meadow.  If someone needs more evidence that Meadow is alive and well and making a difference, check this out.  Over the last three weeks…

·         At least 4 people have become Followers of Christ

·         19 have made commitments to get Bibles and read the book of John

·         34 have made commitments to memorize the weekly “23” verse

·         27 have made commitments to invite friends when they come to Meadow

And this doesn’t count those who have responded to praying, numerous notes on Communication Cards about praying for friends and family to find Christ, and other comments about growing in a new relationship with Christ.  (If you have a story of how God is working in your life through Meadow, I would love to get an email from you telling me about it!)

We are only six days out from the greatest single day of reaching people who are far from God – Easter.  I believe Easter is a time for those of us who are Followers of Christ to celebrate the resurrection, BUT EVEN MORE THAN THAT – Easter is the day God raises the likelihood of our friends and family who are far from God of coming to church more than any other Sunday all year long.  The question I have for you is “Are you making the most of this opportunity?”  So many are just one invitation away from coming to Meadow and finding Jesus.  YOU are the one to give that one invitation.  If you don’t invite them – no one else will!

Who will you be inviting and bringing with you to Meadow this Sunday?  Remember, we are having two services – 8:30 & 10:00 AM.  (And don’t be one second late or you will miss out on an awesome start to the service!)

One more thing…a week from Sunday we are starting a new series called “Meadow Spring MAX”.  Check out this 30 second video and use it to invite friends!

Meadow Spring MAX

Still Sick

I haven't been doing much blogging (obviously).  In fact, I have pulled back from just about everything except essential stuff.  I just can't kick this thing.  I am tired of resting.  Tired of waking up in the morning and feeling weak.  Everyone is telling me it just needs to work its way out of my system.  A close friend in the medical field said they are seeing this stuff hang on from 3-6 weeks.

If you think of it, I would appreciate you praying that I will lick this.  It really is no fun.

Got a quote?

I am working on a marketing piece for the local newspaper and to be handed out at the Shakopee Showcase next week.  I want to include quotes from normal people (not abnormal people like me) about Meadow.

If interested in sending me something - email to john@meadowonline.org

Here are some questions that might direct you in what to say...

1. "Why do you think Meadow is refreshing?"
2. "What is different about Meadow?"
3. "What do your kids say about MeadowKIDS?"
4. "Why would someone want to check Meadow out?"

As big as a football

Doc gave me some new pills.  They are as big as a football and he said should pretty much take care of anything attacking my body.  I just took one.  But I'm not feeling better yet.

At least they're red.  Red is cool.

Today

Between the time change of losing an hour and me still not feeling great - it has just been a funky, wierd kind of day.  I actually felt great when I got up, but my energy lasted about 30 minutes and then I was shot.  Attendance was down - the time change always has an effect and the whole community is getting clobbered with the flu and colds.  It has been a really tough winter.  Oh...and I lost track of time when I was teaching and went WAY over.  No excuse for that.

Other than that - a good Sunday.  I had a great talk with one gentleman after the service who is going thru a tough time and we had several people respond to the invitation to pray again.  God is moving and altering the hearts of people.  This is always cool to see and be a part of.

I can't believe that two weeks from today is Easter.

Core Training - canceled

I'm feeling a bit better today, but still not up to doing much.  I have canceled our monthly core training tomorrow.  I hate to do this, but the most important day of the week for me is Sunday and between now and then, I don't want to do anything that will jeopardize my strength.

When to pray for me

On a day when I would love to have more people praying for me (and the rest of the staff for that matter)...this post by Perry Noble came.  I don't post this here because I am feeling sick.  This is prayer that goes beyond just being sick.

Sometimes pastors - me included - have a hard time asking anyone to pray for them.  So take this post as from my heart.

When to Pray for Your Pastor

No margin today

I still feel like I got hit with a Mack truck.  When I feel this way, I have no margin or tolerance.  My patience is gone.  The smallest, most trivial things get under my skin.  I start seeing problems with everything and have a solution for all of them and people need to solve it my way right now.

I am in the office and we have staff meeting later.

Pray for the staff.

Forces of Mediocrity - Seth Godin

Seth Godin says so much that can be directly related to Meadow.  This post is right on.

The Forces of Mediocrity

The Pit of Personal Debt

Something that literally screamed out at me as I was thinking through what is holding followers of Christ back from living the full and abundant life that Jesus promised...personal debt.

I really believe people at Meadow want to tithe - but there is so much debt from credit cards, car loans on cars that are losing their value by the second, even mortgages on houses purchased depending on two incomes and overtime, and other consumer debt.

I believe it is our responsibility as a church to address this.  It is not a matter of tithing.  TITHING IS ONLY 10% OF THE PROBLEM!!!  There is another 90% that we are blowing and then regretting!  Unfortunately, once you sign that credit card receipt or car loan - you are committed!  They expect to be paid back - WITH interest!!

I believe becoming completely debt free is possible.  Just imagine the stress on your marriage that will be gone when you are debt free.  Imagine the freedom you will have to have fun without charging it and thinking in the back of your mind you have to pay it back next month with money you hope you will have.  Imagine the impact you can have on the kingdom of God and this community if you have the not only the money to tithe but to give over and above to those opportunities that come up?

I am exploring a plan that will attack this monster of debt head-on this fall.  I know it doesn't help you with this month's credit card bill, but hold on - this is going to save a lot of marriages and empower the church!

Feeling crappy & great!

Okay...I am feeling really crappy right now.  My entire body is one big ache.  Anything I drink or eat tastes like old coffee.  I feel like my sinuses are about to burn up.  I have 4 bottles of drugs sitting here on my desk and none of them say "miracle" on them!

But...I am feeling great.  Great about beginning the process of putting a definitive strategic plan together for the church.  Today, I worked on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and barriers and then put all that into a matrix grid to start identifying possible strategic steps we need and can take.

I am also working on a more comprehensive understanding of this community.  Not an understanding based on hearsay (we Christians are great and thinking we know what is itchin' in the minds and priorities and habits of the unchurched) - but an understanding based on thorough research.  This will be very, very cool.  Plus there will be others involved with this process.  This is not going to be something I sit at my desk and just do.

God has given us a ton of outstandinging days since that first Sunday in June of 1998, but the best days of Meadow are still ahead!  Fasten your seat belts friends!  We are going for a ride!

Faith and Pain

In light of our current series, I found this post my Mark Waltz extremely relevant.  Make sure you read the comments as well as his post.  Just let it soak in.

Worth Remembering: Faith, Loss, and Pain

Ewwww. Gunk.

When the doctor says, "Open wide and say 'ahhh'."  And you open wide and say, "Ahh".  And then the doctor looks down your throat and immediately says, "Ewwww.  Gunk." - that's not good.

I am thankful for medicine - which she gave to me liberally.  For the next few days, I will be taking drugs, drugs, and more drugs.  It is just amazing that God created man with a mind to make these things that go into my body then search and destroy the bad dudes that are making me hack and creating the slimy mess hanging and dripping in my throat.

She also said, "Don't worry.  This is not a pattern of something you will get every year."  I think it was supposed to make me feel better.  But it didn't.  I am still coughing and hacking and feeling like I have 72 snot covered leaches clinging to the back of my throat!

Marketing Thought

For "23" we did not do any kind of mailing.  Not even an "in-house" mailing which we usually do for every series.  Aside from an advertisement in the local newspaper, we depended entirely on the internet, email, and our own people inviting friends and family.  The place was full today.  And there were A LOT of new people!

This does not mean we will not do any more direct mail pieces.  But we had a great group today.  I'm not sure we would have done any better spending several thousand dollars sending out a junk mail piece.

Powerful Morning

The impact of this morning and any other Sunday is determined by what happens Monday-Saturday.  However, what happened this morning was a real God-thing of a start.  There is a homerun and there is an in the park homerun.  This morning was an in the park homerun.

The band was right on.  There was an extremely focused message throughout with the worship, performance songs, videos.  I feel good about my message.  You can listen to it here.  23: Where Did God Go?

But...the most powerful moment was at the end of my message when I asked anyone who was facing adversity or who wanted to receive Christ to just stand.  I have never done anything like this before.  It was totally amazing as people started standing.  First just one.  Then another.  Then more and more.  It was a real God thing!

What a great first Sunday to this series.  God moved in and changed lives this morning at Meadow.

I totally love this church.

Clockbuilding not Time Telling

I'm reading "Built to Last" again (or would that be "still"?).  This time, I am taking it a lot slower and really letting it permeate my brain.  Blame it on my old age, but the number of books I read is no longer a goal.  I want to get a grip on a book and let it soak in.  "Built to Last" is one of the books.

Here are some statements from the chapter "Clock Building not Time Telling", and my thoughts regarding my leadership and Meadow.  I have A LOT to learn still - more now than I thought I did a few years ago.

The premise of the chapter is it doesn't take a charismatic, high-energy leader to build a visionary company (or in our case, a church).  Studies have proven that it is not a matter of building a church around a great idea, starting a church with a great idea, pursuing a great idea.  The key is to build a great church.  The church is the goal.

• Having a great idea or being a charismatic leader is "time telling"; building a company that can prosper far beyond the presence of any single leader and through multiple product life cycles is "clock building."  Can Meadow prosper without me?  I'd like to think it can, but I think there are more aspects of Meadow that depend on me and "my" vision.
• We had to shift from seeing the company as a vehicle for the products to seeing the products as a vehicle for the company.  Meadow can't exist to "do" ministry and programming.  Our programming exists so Meadow can become the church God wants it to become.  Seems like a trivial thought, but I think it has huge implications the more we let it soak in.
• The builders of visionary companies were highly persistent, living to the motto: "Never, never, never give up."  But what to persist with?  Their answer: The company.  "Be prepared to kill, revise, or evolve an idea, but never give up on the company."  If you equate the success of your company with success of a specific idea, then you're more likely to give up on the company if that idea fails; and if that idea happens to succeed, you're more likely to have an emotional love affair with that idea and stick with it too long, when the company should be moving vigorously on to other things.  Meadow cannot be an "idea" and we can't get stuck in one "idea" that works.  (Take our style of music or even meeting in a movie theater.)  We have to build a church - not an idea.  Building a church will mean killing ideas that work, revising ideas that work and don't work, evolving ideas that work and don't work.  Nothing is sacred.  Nothing is set in stone except the church.
• Consider this crucial shift in thinking - the shift to seeing the company itself as the ultimate creation.  If you're involved in building and managing a company, this shift has significant implications for how you spend your time.  It means spending less of your time thinking about specific product lines and market strategies, and spending more of your time thinking about organization design.  This totally nails me.  I am an idea person.  I think ideas.  I am always thinking about the next cool marketing deal we can do to create more buzz and grab the attention of more people.  But, I need to make a shift in doing more thinking about organizing our structure, building and training leaders - not the next latest, greatest idea or cool, edgy thing.
• As the study progressed, we became increasingly uncomfortable with the term "leader" and began to embrace the term "architect" or "clock builder."  Even at Meadow, as much as I try to be clear, the term "leader" so often carries with it this mytic of someone who is super spiritual, capable of repeating deep theology, and can get up in front of people and command a charismatic presence.  I like the term "architect" - not that that is what we will call our leaders, but it might help to use that term to help create the environment and purpose and role of leaders at Meadow.