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Wrapped the Real Change Campaign series today. It’s been a fun 5 weeks as we’ve sort of gotten our feet under us as a church. Biggest crowd we’ve ever had today but we cheated with about 20 or so folks here who are about to launch a church in the Halls community in Knoxville (numbers still to come in but I think it was still the biggest crowd we’ve ever had even without them).

• Spelled out what it means to become a partner (our term for member) at Arrowhead. If you’re interested in more info, plan to attend one of our Partnership Events either Tuesday 2/9, Thursday 2/18, or Saturday 2/27.
• Talked to 3 different people after the service who just want to volunteer to do anything. So thankful for the awesome people the Lord is sending to Arrowhead.
• Songs were Solution (Hillsong United), Blessed Be Your Name (Matt Redman), Beautiful the Blood (Fee), Jesus Paid It All (some old guy…ha), and Savior King (Hillsong United). Maybe the best day of worship we’ve experienced yet.
• Showed up this morning to find one of our kids rooms in a huge mess. Adding to the setup load is never good but big thanks to Chad B. & Hux for getting it ready.
• We have to figure out how to make some space, so come ready to take a little survey next week. A 3rd service is looking like a necessity before too long. We must make space for people to take their next step with Jesus.
• Heard last week and shared today that a regular attender at Arrowhead turned down a date with Peyton Manning when she was at UT right after she started dating the guy that is her husband now. I know this guy. Bad move.
• Go Colts. Everybody have a great week!

Don’t miss the final installment of The Real Change Campaign on Sunday at Arrowhead. We’ll be talking about how you can commit to partnership and everything that means. It’ll be a huge week in the life of our church. I’d hate for you to feel left out! (ha…see yesterday’s post for the humor)

Monday Ben Arment posted this comment from Seth Godin about Twitter:

“We check Twitter because of our fear of being left out.”

Ouch. If you are on Twitter, is there any truth to this in you? There is in me. I don’t want to be perceived as out of the loop relationally or with what’s going on in churches all over the world. To some of you, the latter will seem silly, but it’s true.

(If you don’t Twitter, ask yourself the question about how much you check your Facebook. Same truth applies…)

Last week I talked about knowing your audience when you send a product into the public arena. This is true for churches, businesses, educational institutions, and everyone else. You can make your own application if you aren’t in church world for this principle, but I also think the opposite can be true.

Arrowhead is a church with a specific target. That target is unchurched young adults. It doesn’t mean we don’t want to reach anybody else or other segments of the population aren’t welcome, but we think what we do is a good fit with unchurched young adults.

So, when an older individual or couple plugs in, that’s a miracle! It means he or she (or they) think young, but they have life experience. That’s invaluable to us as a church as we seek to reach our community. Or, it means they don’t think young but see the value in reaching the next generation. That’s invaluable too.

If you attend Arrowhead and you don’t think you fit the mold, we love you! Thanks for doing what you do to reach people of all ages with the gospel.

Snow day! Still a good one. Had about half our people for week 4 of the Real Change Campaign.

• Real change requires real leadership. We introduced and approved 6 elders for Arrowhead. We’ll leave the ballots open for another week so we can give everyone the opportunity to take part regardless of ability to make it to church in the snow.
• Biblical leaders must possess Biblical character, fulfill Biblical purposes, and submit to Biblical accountability.
• It is a big deal to me if you are a part of Arrowhead that you would take time to watch the message online this week. I want you to know what we believe and do about the structure of our church.
• So grateful for the 5 other guys who will serve alongside me as elders. I’ll take some time to introduce them on the blog over the next few weeks.
• Songs were Solution (Hillsong United), Let God Arise (Chris Tomlin), Mighty to Save (Hillsong United), and Holy is the Lord (Chris Tomlin). We like to alternate HU & Chris Tomlin. (And I like to make comments about it on my blog because Tyler R. hates it when I do! Every church in America that’s less than 10 years old alternates them too!)
• Next week we’ll lay out a ton of info about how you can join Arrowhead through partnership. It’s gonna be a great week. Hope your ice melts before then!

After a year and a few weeks in existence, it’s time for us as a church to clarify how Arrowhead is led. That’s the plan for this Sunday in week 4 of the Real Change Campaign. We’ll define what we mean by eldership and affirm 6 guys as spiritual leaders in our church. Hope you can make it.

Before you do anything in public there’s a helpful question to ask: Who’s watching, listening, reading, observing, etc.? Everything we do has an intended audience. If you’re a student writing a paper, your teacher is the only audience you have to concern yourself with. If you’re a factory worker, your boss may be the person you concern yourself with, but your audience is the consumer. Everything we produce is to be viewed with lots of different sets of eyes. Choosing to just do something and not worry about the consumer isn’t wise.

Church signs never cease to amaze me. They continually have insider language on them, not to mention the jokes that aren’t funny even if you do go to church (exposure to the Son prevents burning…wow). People: everybody who drives by your church can see that thing. Why do you have it? Communicate with it in a way that everybody can understand.

We try to ask ourselves this question at Arrowhead a lot, and we’re not perfect at it.

We ask it about Sunday mornings. Of course, the audience of worship is God, but our music, teaching, graphics, video, welcome areas, kids ministry, and everything we do are viewed by lots of eyes. We want those things to be sensible to people who come to Arrowhead every week, but our primary audience is people who are disconnected from God. We want to help them take their next step. Church should be understandable to people because God wants to be understood. He can’t be explained, but His love can be understood.

We ask it when we advertise. We ask it when we serve in the community. We don’t always get it right, but I think it’s a helpful thing to keep in mind.

So, consider your audience for the product you make or service you provide. Better yet, ask someone from that audience what they hear. What you say isn’t nearly as important as what they hear.

In an age where nearly everything is visual, I can very easily get sidetracked from reading. There is real value to my eyes passing over words on a page, and not just on a screen. This is primarily true because Christianity has a book, and that book is very important! It’s also true because it’s scientifically proven that reading has effects on our brains for focus and clear thinking. I can tell the difference in my ability to think and even to communicate when I am disciplining myself to learn through reading. There are so many great classics in our faith that you can never really exhaust them. And, there are many genres of books and articles that add value to our lives. Just read something - and preferably nothing related to the National Enquirer or anything with the letters t, m, or z. (Some of you won’t get that, but if you do you catch my drift!)

I have to re-energize my reading every year. Just wanted to remind you too.

Way too late, here’s the recap from yesterday.

• Great day as usual. I was expectant about what the Lord wanted to do through the message, and there was a great response. Real change requires real power. Too many of us, myself included, live in our own power when we just don’t have to. Real change can’t be sustained through hype, effort, or methods. Living in the power of the Holy Spirit begins with surrender, continues with obedience, and concludes in eternity.
• Two more people began following Jesus!
• Hands went up all over the room to say “I need more power to change or for what I’m going through.” God will give it.
• Songs were Your Grace is Enough (Chris Tomlin), Glory To God (Fee), Your Name (I don’t know…sorry), and Give It All (Daniel Harper).
• Every couple weeks God gives me this realization that people are absolutely busting their butts to make this church happen. I wish I could list names here, but there are too many to count. I’m so grateful for the people I get to do ministry with.

Have a great week!

Tired of experience the same old life? It takes real spiritual power to see real change. The great thing is that Jesus has provided it. This message will continue to lay the foundation for the next two weeks of the Real Change Campaign when we dig into leadership and partnership. Join us Sunday at 9:30 or 11:00 at Rose Center.