Seriously….It’s Free

Every year various groups and organizations stand at the intersection of Johnsburg Rd, Chapel Hill Rd and St. Johns Road in downtown Johnsburg and ask the community to make donations to their organization or cause.

Instead of asking our community FOR SOMETHING, we would like to GIVE SOMETHING to the people in our community for FREE!

On Saturday, August 28th from Noon to 2:00 pm we will be handing out free water bottles!  Yep, it is that simple!

We believe that “Small Things Done with Great Love Can Change the World”. We are going to go out and bless our community by reaching out and giving away free stuff while planting seeds of hope, acceptance, and true freedom.

If you are available from Noon to 2:00 pm on Saturday, August 28th and would like to be a part of the team handing out water bottles, please contact the church office, or fill out this REGISTRATION FORM.

Let’s BE THE CHURCH

Dear Meadowland,

If you were here on Sunday, you heard that we have an OPPORTUNITY to BE THE CHURCH and meet the needs of some families in our community that are in need of School Supplies for their children by partnering with one of our local food pantry partners.

All you need to do is pick up some of the following items and drop them off at the Church.  Let’s BE THE CHURCH, and make this happen!  Scripture tells us in James 2:14-17 that we are called to not only identify needs, but to also take ACTION by PROVIDING for them.

This is not an ask for you to empty your back account, or sell your house and live in a foreign country for the next 5-10 years (although that may happen), this is simple ask to take a trip to the grocery store (let’s be honest, you will go there in the next two weeks anyway), buy some of the items on the list below and bring them to Church with you.

Over the next two weeks, I am asking everyone who is a part of Meadowland Church to do ALL that you can to help us serve our community by playing your part in this effort.  I BELIEVE that as we step up to BE the Church, the needs of these Children and Families will begin to be met and through our generosity, people will meet Jesus and our community will experience lives BEING changed (2 Corinthians 9:6-15).

We will be collecting the following items until August 15th:

• Crayons
• Glue Sticks
• Folders
• Pencils
• Pens
• Backpacks
• Elmer’s Glue
• Pencil Boxes
• Tissue
• Index Cards
• Notebooks

I LOVE Meadowland Church.  Let’s BE THE CHURCH!  Can’t wait to see what happens!!

Sunday Rewind 4.25.10

- Reading through the communication cards and prayer requests this morning, it is clear that Jesus is moving in the hearts and lives of the people who make up Meadowland Church!!

- I absolutely loved the fact that it was raining this Sunday as we studied Matthew 7:24-27!!

- We have been studying the Sermon on the Mount here at Meadowland Church since the first Sunday in January.  This Sunday (May 2nd) we will begin a new series called “What Now?” as we study the last verse of the Sermon on the Mount!  You do not want to miss this!!

- Every single one of us is building around something in our life. What are you building?  How are you building it?

- We build things in our lives based on 1. Where we invest our time  2. Where we spend our Money and  3. The Habits we Form in our lives.

- Jesus promises us in Matthew 7:24-27 that there will be STORMS in our lives.  The rains WILL COME, the wind WILL BLOW and the floods, WILL RUSH IN.  Are you ready for the storms of life?

- Jesus says the difference between  STANDING and FALLING has everything to do with your FOUNDATION!!

- The Wise Man BUILDS by hearing GOD’S WORD and DOING IT.

- The Foolish Man BUILDS by hearing GOD’S WORD and NOT DOING IT.

- This Sunday we had a guest worship team “Cyrus Jones” lead worship this week. It was great being able to give our entire worship team a week off!

- Seriously, you DO NOT WANT TO MISS this upcoming series!  I BELIEVE God wants to do BIG things in the hearts and lives of people.  Do whatever it takes to be here this Sunday!!

- Meadowland Church- I love you and am honored to be your Pastor.  I am so excited to take our next steps on the Journey Together!!

How To Make Sure Church is Boring by Perry Noble

Perry Noble posted this on his BLOG this morning and I had to repost it.  Church should not be boring, the gospel should never “get old”, but if you were looking to make Church a little boring, Perry has 8 steps to make it happen!!

How To Make Sure Church is Boring:

I know some people do not agree with me…but I FIRMLY believe that church should not be a boring place…because…

• The Bible is NOT boring–the teachings of God’s Word are more relevant and exciting that anything on the planet.
• Jesus was NOT boring – to see His life lived out in the Scriptures AND to see WHO HE IS should inspire AWE, not apathy!
• Our message is NOT boring – Jesus was DEAD, came BACK TO LIFE and offers us the same opportunity, to cross over from death to life and be reconciled to God–THAT’S FREAKIN AWESOME!!!
• The Book of Acts is NOT boring – there is NOWHERE in the book of Acts that ritual replaced relationship!

If the tomb is empty, Jesus is alive and HOPE is possible then HIS church should reflect that.

BUT…if you want to make sure your church is boring, here are Eight Simple Steps…

#1 – There has GOT to be apathetic leadership – Seriously, the leaders in the church MUST be obsessed with not rocking the boat and pursuing personal comfort!

#2 – There CANNOT be a desire to reach people far from God! Seriously, new birth can bring excitement to a church, which is NOT what people in pursuit of boredom desire.  SO…don’t focus on the Gospel…instead teach lots of history lessons and talk about things that very few people actually care about.  This will keep people far from God away from your group of people, thus not messing up the chemistry in your holy huddle.  WHATEVER you do…DO NOT talk about the Gospel…it changes people!!!

#3 – DO NOT call for ANY type of commitment from ANYONE–EVER! People MUST be allowed to come and go as they please…and must NEVER be made to feel uncomfortable under any type of circumstances.  If people begin responding to God it will increase the excitement level, which cannot happen in a boring place.

#4 – Always be predictable. Do the same songs at the same times, pray the same prayers and make SURE that people can look at their watch at any point in the service and know exactly what’s coming next.

#5 – Make excuses when things are done poorly! WHATEVER you do…do NOT address the obvious issues that are right under your nose.  In fact, if you will simply criticize any church or ministry that IS seeing success it will take the attention off of your dysfunction and allow you to maintain the current state of your church.

#6 – PLEASE make sure not to make ANY type of references to culture in your church services. If you want to have a boring church then you’ve GOT to make people believe that the lives they live Monday through Saturday and then the life they live on Sunday are two separate things.  You cannot teach that Scripture speaks to culture…because if people begin making that connection then they will begin to experience what Jesus promised in John 10:10" href="http://biblegateway.com/bible?version=31&passage=John+10%3A10" target="_new">John 10:10!

#7 – You’ve GOT to allow people to pretend that their lives are perfect! Seriously, if someone has a problem then you must either put them out of your church OR tell them to act as if they are perfect.  If people begin to bring their junk to your church and Jesus begins to help them work through it and they get delivered from it…your church cannot maintain its boring status.

#8 – You MUST focus on the external and NOT the internal. Make the way people dress the MOST important issue…and the way they LIVE a non-issue!!!

10 Reasons Why I Am Pumped For 2010

It is about 8:00 am on Sunday Morning, and as I pray and review the message for this morning (which is going to be like nothing I have done before) I can’t help but be excited about Jesus and what He is doing in and through Meadowland Church. 10 Reasons Why I am Pumped for 2010:

1. Jesus is Leading Us.  Last year God moved Meadowland Church in so many ways.  While some of the changes were unexpected, God showed up in huge ways and we cannot wait to see what else He will do this year.   Jesus is the Senior Pastor of Meadowland Church.

2.  Our Leadership. A year and a half ago, Meadowland Church experienced a HUGE transition in leadership.  In the last year and half God has grown our staff from within our Church and I am PUMPED about our team.  In case you did not hear, we have a new staff member…..more on that this morning!

3.  Direction. We are going to be talking a lot about direction at Meadowland Church in the next few months.  We are not a Church who claims to have it all figured out.  Our best philosophy is to boldly, wholeheartedly follow Jesus wherever he leads us.  We LIVE and DIE by the Word of Jesus.

4. Spiritual Growth. I am praying that 2010 will be the year that we as a Church experience more Spiritual Growth than any other year!  Jesus is doing incredible works in and through Meadowland Church.

5. Church Growth. If you have been around Meadowland Church for the last few months, you know it has been crowded and that is AWESOME.  While we continue to work through out space issues, we have to stay focused on reaching our community for Christ.  We want to seem even more people reached in 2010.  To quote Rick Warren- “The church that is content with not growing is saying to the rest of the world “You can go to hell”. WE ARE NOT THAT CHURCH!!

6.  Personal Growth- One of the things I am really excited about is a Coaching network that I will be attending this year.  I got accepted (Yes there was an application process) to a Coaching Network hosted at New Spring Church in Anderson SC that is taught by Perry Noble.  I am dedicating to being a life long learner and can’t wait to see what God has in store for me.

7. Preaching Calendar. I am THRILLED with our Preaching Calendar this year, mainly because this was NOT my idea.  Last year we did a study called “On Location” and during that series it became CRYSTAL CLEAR that God was leading us to study the Sermon on the Mount.  Today, we begin that study and I cannot wait to see what Jesus is going to do!

8. We Got Problems. We are broken, fallible, fallen people following Jesus. We do not have everything figured out, which leaves a HUGE amount of room for Jesus to show up and lead us.  I celebrate the fact that we are the church “messed up” people go to!!  If you have hurts, habits, baggage, mess up daily, fumble the ball and consider yourself a screw up – WELCOME TO MEADOWLAND CHURCH – No perfect people are allowed!!

9. Changed Lives. Jesus has been doing some AMAZING work in people’s lives this year.  We have seen people go from darkness to life, we have seen people healed (Yes Jesus still Heals people), we have seen broken relationships restored, marriages strengthened and so much more.  I believe we sill more changed lives in 2010….and that gets me out of bed every morning!

10. Growing Family. Saved the best for last.  I CANNOT WAIT, to meet our second Child who is affectioned called Baby Reardon #2.  I am so thrilled for Shane to be a big brother, and can’t wait to meet our next child June.  I love my family!