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Tim, Transitions, & Meadow

Tim Armstrong is and has been one of my best friends for over 15 years!  If there is anyone who knows me, my personality, my leadership style, the ups and downs of my life – it would be Tim.  I can remember sitting down with him over 11 years ago and saying, “Tim, I am going to start a new church and I want you to do the music.”  And the music at Meadow today is largely due to Tim’s leadership and influence.  I can remember times when he has been a great encouragement to me both personally and professionally.

 

However, a few weeks ago, we met and decided it was time to end our church ministry relationship.  (Emphasis on “church ministry” as our relationship will continue.)  This was a difficult decision and one that both Tim & I knew was inevitable.

 

Tim and I both are absolutely in love with Jesus.  We both love HIS church.  We both want to see people discover and enter into a refreshing relationship with Christ.  We both believe passionately in the role of music and the arts in ministry.  However, over the past few years, our approach to leadership, methodology, and the strategy to accomplish our vision have been drifting in different directions.  And different means just that … “different”.  It doesn’t mean right vs. wrong, inferior vs. superior, or strong vs. weak.  (And anyone who implies “different” means something else is only trying to create division in Christ’s church.)

 

Tim and I are not mad at each other (although you still won’t find me hugging him!)  Our friendship will continue.  I even envision inviting him in occasionally to be our honored guest worship leader.

 

I know some of you are thinking, “Okay – but what REALLY happened?”  Ummm…nothing else.  And if you have doubts – just ask Tim or me.  However, you won’t hear anything other than what you heard from Tim on Sunday and are reading here.

 

I would ask that you pray for Tim, Patti, and the girls as they take the next step in their journey of serving Christ.  Also pray for Meadow and our leadership as we do the same.  Please understand that we are committed to a strong and excellent music ministry and have no intention of pursuing anything but the absolute best.  Plans are already in play to seek a worship leader who will join our Meadow staff and family and take our music to levels yet to be experienced.

 

God’s kingdom will grow because of this.  Meadow will grow because of this.  Tim and his family will grow and be stronger because of this.  Their best days are ahead of them, and Meadow’s best days are ahead.  I can’t wait to see and experience what God has in store for them and for us!

 

Here is the audio of Tim's announcement today...

Tim's Announcement

Down with Boring Church Services!!

One of my biggest fears @ Meadow is being boring, irrelevant, and out-of-touch.  Too many churches and pastors have mastered the art of taking the greatest news in history and making it boring, complicated, irrelevant, and confusing.

If you don't regularly go to church...it is highly likely because of this!

You can help me stop this...at least @ Meadow.  We do not want to be boring or irrelevant or out-of-touch with real life today.

I am looking for anyone who wants to help me brainstorm on the front-end of our services and my messages (there is plenty of talk on the back-end - but by then its too late to change it!).  You will help me think through WHAT to say and talk on, HOW to say it, and what CREATIVE THINGS can we use to help it stick (music, videos, pigs, goats, dancers, lightsticks, guest appearance of ZZ Tops, etc.)

Who specifically can be part of this?  ANYONE!!  (That means YOU!)

You can be a current attender @ Meadow or not.  You can be brand new to Meadow or not.  (In fact, I encourage anyone NOT from Meadow who doesn't go to church, or anyone newer to Meadow to be a part of this.)

You DO NOT have to know a lot about the Bible.  You DO NOT have to know a lot about the church.

It will involve getting together to brainstorm.  There will be food (probably bbq something).  There will be tons of fun.  And most importantly, you will have a major impact on keeping me and Meadow relevant, non-boring, creative, and fun.

If interested or have questions, email me @ john@meadowonline.org or FB message me.

PUMPED about our kids and teens!!

I have never been so pumped about what's happening with our kids and teens.  Things are cookin', brewin', and gearin' up for MAJOR happenings...

"Solid Rock Cafe" is an upbeat musical our kids will be performing on Sunday, May 10 for Mother's Day!  There will be upbeat music, fun drama, and loads of kids!  The cast is made up of all kids from pre-school through Club 456!!!  This is going to be AWESOME!!!  Thanks in advance to Alicia Vigness for running point on this and helping the kids get ready to ROCK!!

"Sports Life Camp" is a summer time for our kids of high-energy sports, creative programming, and outrageous fun!  Dates are still being determined and final decision on this will be in the next few weeks.  Check it out at www.sportslifecamps.com.

"Spring Reign" on Wednesday, April 29 for all teens!  This is a high-energy event at Northwestern College in Roseville.  Music, worship, and "The Chalk Guy" - a comedian who travels the world getting covered in chalk dust, making people laugh in sharing the love of Christ!  Contact Tim Cline for more info on transportation.  ttcline01@hotmail.com

"The Youth Room & Meadow" - is taking on a MAJOR facelift and it is looking awesome!  If you have a few minutes - ask one of the teens to give you a tour and explain what else they have planned!

Whiteboard frenzy!!  I walked into the conference room last weekend and saw the whiteboards filled with notes and brainstorms and goals and objectives and plans - ranging from mission trips to concerts to values.  The leaders of our youth ministry had just spent all day talking and training about what it will take to move our teens to the next level and beyond!  THIS IS SO COOL!!!

"This is a football."

The setting was the first day of the Green Bay Packers’ Training Camp, many years ago. Their coach, Vince Lombardi was already a living legend.

Bob Kimbrell tell the rest, quoting from his Book on Management:

All the players knew that at the first team meeting, the legendary coach would waste no time getting straight to the point. Many of the men, half Lombardi’s age and twice his size, were openly fearful, dreading the encounter.

The coach did not disappoint them, and, in fact, delivered his message in one of the great one-liners of all time.

Football in hand, the great coach walked to the front of the room, took several seconds to look over the assemblage in silence, held out the pigskin in front of him, and said, “Gentlemen, this is a football.”

In only five words, Lombardi communicated his point: We’re going to start with the basics and make sure we’re executing all the fundamentals. . . .”

There are fundamentals of growing our faith and possessing that "awe" of what Christ has and is doing in our lives.  The neglect of executing these fundamentals is what produces Christians who are complacent, apathetic, critical, and numb to living out the high calling of God.  Of course, no Christian would ever actually admit to being complacent or apathetic or critical or numb - but I know too many who are an absolute mess in their faith and are "de-sensitized" to the things of God.  Sadly, many are even what we might call "leaders" in the church.  The mess they have made of their lives can be traced right back to the neglect of executing "ALL" the fundamentals.

It seems that we Christians start off with gusto, energy, and a thirst for growth and an commitment to the fundamentals.  But then, we come to a point where we think we have out grown the need to execute "ALL" the fundamentals and we set them (or some of them) aside because we want to go "deeper".

We cannot neglect executing the fundamentals!  It is the fundamentals that take us to the depths of faith and a fuller understanding of Christ and His plan for us and the church.  "Depth" is the result of commitment to the fundamentals.  "Depth" is the dessert after a healthy and solid meal of fundamentals.  Trying to go "deep" without executing the fundamentals is dangerous.  A Christian who says they want to go "deeper" without executing "ALL" the fundamentals is as ridiculous as me saying I can play football at the same level as the pros because I have read all about passing, running, blocking, tackling, etc. - but I am not and haven't been executing the fundamentals.  "Depth" to this Christian is only a bunch of blowing smoke making other Christians cough and choke!

And just as Lombardi walked into the room filled with "pros" and said, "Gentleman, this is a football.", I believe God looks at each one of us - especially those of us who think we are "pros" (but I would never really say I am a "pro") - and He says, "Christian, this is the Bible."

Bottom line... you have got to read and study the Bible.  Let me say that again.  You have got to read and study the Bible.  And you have to do it outside of church and outside of your small group.  YOU WILL NOT GROW and YOU WILL NOT GO "DEEP" without spending personal, alone time reading and studying the Bible.

If the only Bible intake you are getting is on Sunday mornings and/or at your small group ... you are NOT "deep" and never will go "deep".  You will not be "fed" and you will not go "deep" by only coming and hearing a 35 minute message at church.

Maybe you need to start getting up 15 minutes earlier and before you rush out the door...sit down, open up your Bible, read, ask God what He wants to say to you, and then just listen.

Here's a suggestion...start with Ephesians 1 & 2.  Read that and make a list of all God has done for you.  Then go back and read it again and think through that list.  Spend the whole week on just these two chapters.  Trust me...you let all of that sink in, and you will be fed full and start to discover what "depth" really is!

Meadow Easter Simon

What a great morning @ Meadow!  Every Sunday is Easter for us, but today was really off the chart!  This is just a small part of our fun and charged up celebration.  We got this idea from Granger Community Church.  People loved it!

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Live right now … 12 people are reported killed and 20-40 hostages in Binghamton, N.Y.  These people are good people and don’t deserve this.  Why is a very bad thing happening to good people?  This is only added to the tragic events of the past several weeks, such as:
• A 5 year old girl beheaded by her brother as police are attempting a rescue.
• A pastor gunned down while he stood in the pulpit preaching.
• A young woman gunned down after responding to a Craig’s List ad for a nanny.
• A crazed gunman walks through a small town shooting and killing.
• 8 killed and 3 wounded as a gunman walks into a nursing home and opens fire.
• 6 dead in a shooting in a California home – 3 of the children.

Why do bad things happen to good people?  It’s not fair.  They don’t deserve it.

Closer to home…
• You walked into work recently and were told your position has been eliminated.
• You were diagnosed with cancer.
• Your landlord has been foreclosed on and you are being forced to leave.

Why is a bad thing happening to you?  It’s not fair.  You don’t deserve it.

This Sunday, I will answer this question.  It may be the most asked question by both Christians and non-Christians.  And it is a question that most churches avoid, because it is a tough question.  We will tackle it face to face this Sunday.  Plus I will talk about what you can do to be strong and not lose hope when bad things happen to you or to someone else.

This Sunday.  9:30 AM.

We are a “church in a movie theater” and meet @ Marcus Movie Theatres in the Shakopee Town Square Mall.  Highway 169 & 69 in Shakopee.

www.meadowonline.org