johnlaeger.com

"It's a...a...a...a..."

Here's an email I got from someone at Meadow.  This is absolutely so awesome!  The enthusiasm of kids!

So...for my kids, they really only know one "church"...the movie theater.  So on Friday we were at the mall and my daughter saw a "theater" and goes, "look Mommy, let's go to this church, it looks just like ours!"....funny enough right?  Except then later in the day we were at a stop light and on the corner was a "real church" (right???) and there is a big cross on the front of the building and my daughter goes, "Mom, LOOK!  There is a cross on that building. It's a...a...a...a... well, not a church, it is, well...I don't know what that is...there just must be God people in there!"

I just love doing church in a movie theater!

A very, very, VERY great day!

The pictures below are totally awesome.  The first one is from our very first launch team service on the first Sunday of June, 1998.  Taken in the elementary school we started in.  The second one was taken today - 10 years later.  Taken in the movie theater.  If you click on each pic, you can get a larger view.

What an outstanding morning!  I just love this church!

And if the morning wasn't awesome enough.  I went fishing and caught 5 nice bass ... 15", 15", 16", 16", 18".  That's 80" of Minnesota bass!

Ahh...a great morning in church and a great evening on the lake!  Does it get any better than this?!!

I am soooo impressed

I am so impressed with our volunteers and their spirit of "whatever it takes".  I wouldn't trade them for anything.  We had MAJOR adjustments today with meeting in the theatre due to an early opening and showing of Indiana Jones.  But, our volunteers set up and pulled it off like pros!

It was a really good Sunday.  Everything - set up, music, message, kids ministry, 1st impressions, tear down ... everything REALLY went well today.  Largely because of our volunteers.

Thanks!

BTW...if you missed the excitement and great morning, you can listen to the message here.  For the entire service, you will need to watch the schedule for Channel 15 in the next couple of weeks.

This Sunday Just Got Even Better!

As if this Sunday was not already going to be a lot of fun - let me add a fun twist to the morning.

Late last night I got word from the theatre that we will only have 15 minutes to tear down the kids' ministry theatres and wing!  I said, "No problem.  We can do it.  Let me give our Director of Children's Ministry a quick call - who happens to be in the hospital having a baby."  WRONG!!!  I did not say that!!!  To be totally honest - I FREAKED OUT!!!  As good as our volunteers are in tearing down (and they are REALLY good) - 15 minutes is not enough time.

After I took a deep breath and got my salvation back (I think I temporarily lost it with my sudden outburst of FREAK.)... God reminded me of Romans 8:28.  (Why does He always do stuff like that?  You'd think He was trying to teach us to depend on Him or something.  Sheesh!)

Everything is going to be fine.  No...wait - everything is going to be GREAT!  With a few flexible adjustments, all ministry will happen on Sunday.  God has something He wants to teach us through this and I believe He is going to do something really awesome because of it!

Here's the plan.  Everything will be down the same theatre wing.

• Nursery - will be in Theatre 1.
• Preschool - will be in Theatre 2.
• Elementary - will be in Theatre 3.
• Main Service - will be in Theatre 6 (as usual)
• Coffee & Bagles - will be available before the service but not after.

So...get here early.  Especially if you have kids.  It will take a few more minutes to check them in.  If you are on the Set Up Team, First Impressions Team, or MeadowKIDS Team - please get here early.  This is going to work, but we will be making adjustments on the fly Sunday morning.

Thanks for being flexible.  Satan probably thought he had a great idea to discourage us.  Nope, we are going to have some fun with this.  It is going to be a GREAT Sunday!

Don't ya just love it!

We're Moving! (This is NOT an April Fool's Joke)

This is NOT an April Fool's Joke.  We are moving!  And no, this is not the HUGE announcement I have been talking about lately ... here and here and here.  Moving is minor compared to what I will be announcing on April 27th.  Here's the deal...

The last several Sundays we have experienced a wonderful "full feel" in the theater.  This has been awesome to see so many coming to Meadow and hearing about Jesus!  But what we don't want to happen is people coming in, having a difficult time finding a seat, or having to crawl over someone - and then not coming back because it felt too full!

Truth is...we were only 55% full the past few Sundays - even though it felt fuller.  But you see, the easiest places to sit and the first places to fill up are seats closest to the sides in the upper section - which make it "fee" fuller than it actually is.  There are plenty of seats in the middle and in the lower section.

So...this Sunday we are asking you to move.  We want you to move toward the center of the theater and/or down to the lower section.  We HAVE to make it easier for people - especially guests to find a seat.  YOU are the key to making this work or making it not work.

I know this will require some major faith for some of you.  And it will mean stepping (or would that be "sitting") out of your comfort zone and sitting somewhere you may have never sat before - but trust me...you will be fine.

If you notice someone come in and they have that look on their face of "Dude, where in the world is a place I can sit?"  Do the awesome Meadow Spring thing and help them find a seat.  Do whatever you need to to help them easily find a seat!

Is this cool or what!?  I love this church!!

Our "Norm" is "Different" to Others

I got a very cool email today from an attender at Meadow who got an email from a friend she had invited and who came yesterday.  Here is a portion of that email...

"It's much different than what I'm use to and will take some more getting use to, though I do plan on going next week - I have to at least see how this series goes!!!  The energy was so positive that alone was refreshing.  And like I said - everyone was so nice!!!"

Not only is this a very cool email and says A LOT about Meadow, how we do church, and the great people who come - but what grabbed my attention is the statement, "It's much different than what I'm use to and will take some more getting use to..."

What we (those of us who come to Meadow) have to continually keep in mind is that our refreshing ministry is very different to most people who come for the first time.  And I mean different in good way.

Remember the first time you walked into the movie theater to go to church?  What was going through your mind?  What were you expecting?  What were you thinking and feeling when you saw the canopies out in the mall atrium?  What went through your mind as you registered your kids and watched them disappear into a room that was overflowing with energy?  What about when you walked into the theater and saw the stage, the stage lighting, the drums, the keyboard, the guitars, the amps and speakers all set up, and the huge image on the screen?  Then the band kicked in with a song that is so not what you were expecting in church.  (This is definitely NOT what you saw on Saturday night when you came to the movie!)

All of this and more contributes to being "refreshing" - BUT... while it is the "norm" to us, it is very different to guests...a good different.

It is very impressive, but what makes it very impressive and what helps to alleviate any stress or hesitations - is you.  Keep helping people.  Keep serving people.  Never forget your first time at Meadow and what would have helped you enjoy it even more.  Then - just do that with anyone you see who you haven't met.

Meadow IS different

I have been thinking A LOT about Gary Lamb's post Allow Me to Rant.  This so nailed it on the money of why Meadow is so different from every other church in our area.  Now, keep in mind I said "different" not "better".

It is in our DNA to not be a cool, cutting-edge, contemporary church that appeals to the preferences and desires of the Christian looking for a cool, cutting-edge, contemporary church.  It is in our DNA to be a church that understands, connects with, and gets real serious, intentional, and aggressive in reaching the person who does not have a personal and refreshing relationship with Jesus.

And I will be flat out honest and say a lot of people have left Meadow - good people - because of this difference.  There is not a week that goes by that I don't see someone in the store or around town who "used" to go to Meadow and now goes to another church - usually a cool, cutting-edge, contemporary church that has a great ministry to Christians.

Our programming is determined by our DNA.  Our music is determined by this.  Our marketing is determined by this.  Our messages are determined by this.  What we do, when we do it, how often we do it, why we do it ... is determined by this.

For example...when you come to Meadow - you will be clearly challenged to change your behavior to line up with the teaching of Jesus.  You won't hear a bunch of stuff you can pack in your brain so you can pass the "Are You Smarter Than The Average Christian" test.  You will hear a simple message - probably with ONE focus point (not 3 or 5 or 10 points that you will forget before you walk out the door).

You will be seriously challenged to:

• Make it a top priority to invest and engage in relationships with people who are far from God.  And invite them to Meadow.
• Serve the church and the community in ministry - not just come and sit.
• Be in a small group where you will be held accountable in how you apply God's truth in your family, your work, your marriage, your relationships.
• Make Sunday services top priority because that is THE KEY single time each week when more disconnected people come looking for genuine love and acceptance and trying to make sense of God.
• Give God your very best and the very first of your time, your money, and your energy.

When you come to Meadow, you might meet:

• Couples who are living together
• Men and women who are on their 2nd, 3rd, 4th marriages
• Men and women who smell of alcohol
• Teenagers struggling with eating disorders
• Adults and teens involved in a homosexual lifestyle
• Men and women who don't believe in God and question His existence
• People who are negative toward the church because of a past experience
• Blended families that have come out of messy divorces that still create problems

And let me be very clear ... all of these people and their friends are welcome at Meadow.  We want them here.  We want them to feel free to explore Christ, discover Christ, begin a relationship with Christ, and align their lives up with His refreshing (not boring or heavy) teachings.  We want them to discover that life with Jesus is better than any other life imaginable.

Again...this does not make us better - just different.

Tough Decision - We are NOT going to build

This one is not a real shocker after all we have been through the past 5 years.  I have talked about it, but am putting it in writing.

Actually, this is not a tough one for me or most people at Meadow.  It is for anyone who is looking for a church with its own building.

Read this post and you will understand a major reason why.  This totally rocked my thinking and should cause EVERY PASTOR, CHURCH LEADER, CHURCH ATTENDER to stop and think REALLY hard about any kind of building expansion or raising funds for a new building.

Read This Before You Build

We are staying in the movie theater.

Theater Advertising

Roger Blackmore pastors Grace Church better known as "Church at the Movies".  Roger is so right on in many ways.

Check out this 30 second advertisement they have done which will be shown before every movie for six months in the theater complex where they meet - which is a 9 theater complex.

Theater Advertising

Now...I would like your input.  Email me and let me know if you think something like this would work at Marcus Theatres where we meet as one more way to NOT be invisible.

Church Road Trip - The Crossing

The Crossing in Elk River is less than an hour away.  They meet in a Marcus Theatre like we do.  Eric Dykstra is the lead and founding pastor, and he is leading a church that is making an impact on hundreds of lives.  Maybe my biggest observation - and to be honest, it was a major disappointment - is that the Marcus Theatre they meet in has the exact same psychodelic carpet, same color scheme, same neon lights, same color of seats, same, same, same...dude, I feel their pain.  Marcus is a great theater for us to meet in, but the colors are totally crazy!  Why do theaters choose colors like this?

So...in spite of the carpet, the seats, the turquoise blue (I think its turquoise blue)...God is moving in and through The Crossing.

A few random observations...

Their graphics and tools they give out for invites.  Instead of using larger "flyers" like we do, they use smaller business card size cards that, as I think about it, would be a whole lot easier and less threatening to hand to a friend to invite them.  The verbiage and text is extremely "street" talk.  I did not see or hear much "churchy" language at all.

They run two service time slots.  One at 9:00 AM and one at 10:30 AM.  One service at 9:00 and two at 10:30.  The two at 10:30 would be similar to our "Meadow Live" and "Big Screen Cafe" except both of their services are in theaters.

They have their entire ministry down just one of the two wings of theaters.  They have worked out a deal with Marcus that allows them to have this "later" service time slot.  The second service gets done just minutes before movies start showing, however Marcus starts their first few movies down the wing that is not being used by the church.  Pretty cool.

They are also able to do storage underneath the screens.  All their sound equipment, children's equipment, etc. - they are able to store in the theater underneath the screen.  This has to be a great help in set up and tear down.

All in all - good morning.  It is always refreshing to check out how God is moving in another church.  I always come back with fresh ideas - but I also come back with a greater passion for Meadow and gratefulness for what God is doing here.

Bikes, T-shirts, Rockin' Music, Ribs, Chicken, FUN!!

First day of our Free Ride series.  Obviously people forgot it was summer.  I mean - "Everybody" is supposed to be gone - right?  What were they doing at Meadow?!  Sheesh!

And aside from the fact we had to move the volunteer appreciation picnic indoors due to weather and the caterer forgot about our order and was over an hour late - even THAT was a GREAT time.  But then anytime you put BBQ ribs and chicken together with people from Meadow, you got a winning combination that bad weather nor late food can spoil.

What a GREAT day!  I totally LOVE this church!

Worship Production Set Up - These Guys are Good!

One more post then I am heading to bed...

Check out this video Ben and Dave did showing how we set up the theater every Sunday.  It stops just short of when we turn all the lights off and only the stage lights are showing.  This is a cool video and these guys are good!

90 Minutes in 45 Seconds

Survey Says...

Survey results are done and some conclusions drawn from the survey we did last Sunday.  This is going to help take us up a notch or two in effectiveness.

I put the results and conclusions together here at "Uncensored".

It will take you some time to read through it with thought and prayer.  I encourage and invite you to comment, ask questions, suggest other conclusions that I may not be seeing.  This is for those of us who want to continue seeing God rock this world through Meadow.

Keep in mind that these are very raw and uncensored notes.  It is basically my notes to myself and to the staff in somewhat of a chaotic organized form.  Read it like you would read someone's rough draft sketches that need refining & review.

Again...you can leave comments and questions on this.  I encourage it.

Later!

Always So Impressed

What an awesome morning!  I just don't think the band can sound any better but every week they totally impress me and keep taking it up a notch or two.  And once again in Unplugged, Paul did his thing on the keyboard that few others can do.

As I walked out of the theater at 10:40, Dave met me and said the theater is opening up at 11!  We had 20 minutes to completely tear down and be out of there!  And WE DID IT!!!  And we did it with flying colors!  I am so impressed with our people and teams!  It was a real test of our new case system we implemented a few months ago and I think that is what made it go so smooth.  THEN...after we were finished and standing with sweat just dripping - we were told by a theater employee, "Whoops.  We forgot to tell you that the times we said were wrong.  We are not opening at 11."  WHAT?!!!  But, really, its no big deal.  Just goes with the game of meeting in movie theater and I wouldn't change it for anything.

We also did a survey today on what attracted people to Meadow, what brought them back, and why do they attend the venues they attend.  The numbers have been tallied, but I am still looking at the data to figure it out.  I will try and post some of the numbers later today.  Early thoughts are that this is EXTREMELY REVEALING and will have an affect on some things we do, don't do, need to do.

Bottom line...I just love Meadow Spring!  There is no other church or place I want to be!  It's like I have a front row seat - no, I take that back - I am in the very game of God changing lives!

Later...

ROTFLMBO

Okay...this email that came in today just has me totally rolling on the floor!

"Yesterday while visiting in your community I happened upon the church notices in the local newspaper. In the course of my reading I came upon the ad placed there by your church. I read the three criteria that were listed (No perfect people allowed; No offering plate passed; And no making out in the back row). The last condition absolutely floored me. This is a statement in a church notice???!!! I consider this to be incredibly tasteless, inappropriate, and highly questionable. Were I looking for a church home, I would not for a minute consider one with such a blatant and outrageous message in its advertising. You would do your congregation a favor by removing the "no making out in the back row"; sentence from your ad."

So...whoever you are, we will make one exception... You, and only you CAN make out in the back row. We will even reserve a section just for you and you can makeout all you want. (Just keep the sounds of swapping spit down so the others who aren't making out can listen to the great music and the relevant message!)

Maybe if churches and "church people" would lighten up a bit, smile, have some fun, and really live out the joy that comes with a grace relationship with Jesus - there would be more people in church, hearing the message, enjoying the experience, and knowing a refreshing (not stuffy) relationship with Jesus!

Sheesh!

Great 1st Sunday of Religion Break!

What a great start to this new series!  Big Screen was full.  Unplugged was full.  The theater was full (well...at least the top section - we need to get more people to sit in the lower section - how, I'm not sure yet.)  Here are some pics from today.  They show the stage set design we were able to do with our new HP plotter.  Click on each pic and you will go to a larger image.  I hope to have some pics from Unplugged, Prayer Chapel, and MeadowKids soon.

The Future is NOW at Meadow

Dynamite blog post by Dave Ferguson on what church facilities will look like in the future.  You can read the whole post here.  Here is a part of that post...

We have seen an increase in spending on church facilities in the last 15 years without a corresponding impact.  In 1992 the church spent $3.5 billion on facilities and last year the church spent $9.5 billion while the average number of people in church has decreased!

• All facilities make a theological statement.
• We need church facilities that thrill the community…not fight against the community! We need to build facilities that people really want in thier neighborhood and that city of officials will embrace because they are obviously good for the community.
• There is an abundance of wealth creation. There is money to do whatever you want! 
• We have a whole bank of introverts that the church has not honored by forcing them into spaces that manipulate how they connect with people.
• We need facilities that draw the creative class (leaders / artists).  To attract artists we need to create spaces that are “leading tones” and not “resolution”.  A “leading tone” is musical score that is incomplete and it draws you in and causes you to respond by finishing the “score” yourself.  A “resolution” is the ending of a musical score, it is complete and finished.
• “We shape our buildings and then our buildings shape us.”  There are all sorts of unintended consequences that occur when you move into a facility and in particular your first facility.

I have an amazing amount of respect for Dave and his insight.  He and Community Christian Church are on the leading edge of multi-site and multi-venue churches.  BUT...as I read this post I couldn't help but think... "Dude...what is being described is a movie theater.  And we are doing church in a movie theater.  The future is NOW at Meadow.  I just love doing church in a movie theater!"

New Posts

Just put a new video on www.ChurchInAMovieTheater.com.  These guys are totally awesome.  The whole PC vs Mac deal is starting to get a bit overdone - but in this one Tim, Jim, and Adam do a great job!

I also am officially listed on the "Blogroll" on the Shakopee Valley News web site.  It will be interesting to see what kind of responses I get with this - especially since I have opened up comments on this blog.  Like I said a few days ago, I started a new blog just for this purpose.  One focused more on community engagement than church and pastor engagement.  Some posts will be duplicate between this blog and that one.  Some will be totally different.  Here are the links...

Shakopee Valley News

Random Banter of a Revved Up Rev

Debut - Church in a Movie Theater site

Inspired by other churches that meet in movie theaters and their creativity - today we launched a site that will be simple and focused just on getting the word out about being a church in a movie theater.  The intention is to get this link out to anybody and everybody as one more step to try and break down the barriers which may be preventing 70% of our community from coming to church.

Check it out at www.ChurchInAMovieTheater.com

Keep checking it out now and then.  We already have more ready to go!

Pics - Church in a Movie Theater

Totally awesome day!  First day of our "Married but..." series and every venue was full, music was SMOKIN, set up and tear down went great in spite of new some new stuff.

Here are a bunch of pics taken during set up and sound check before people started showing up.

The Atrium right outside the theater for our welcome center and tents.

Unplugged Video Venue.  This is our coffee shop environment venue.  This is not a portable veune.  We lease this space 24/7 in the same mall the movie theater is in.

Big Screen Cafe.  This is our newest video venue.  People sit around tables in the theater lobby and watch the service via live video feed from the theater on at 50" big screen tv.

Meadow Kids.  Nursery occupies half of the theater lobby.  Preschool and Elementary are down a wing of theaters.

Meadow Live.  This is our live venue in the largest theater of the 11 theater complex.  Keep in mind these were taken during sound check.  Give it another 45 minutes and this place was full!

Theater Wings.  One wing (6 theaters) has Prayer Chapel, Meadow Live, Starting Point, and our future Traditions video venue and Pulse video venue.  The other wing (5 theaters) has our preschool and elementary.