Tim Harlow

Still Growing Crazy After All These Years

They came out with the list of the 100 largest and 100 fastest growing churches in America this week. For the 4th year, out of the last 5, Parkview was one of the fastest growing churches in the country. We were the 75th fastest; it’s the highest we’ve been on the list. Truthfully, the one year in the past five we weren’t on there was the year we were so jammed into that gym that we just didn’t have room.

It’s quite an amazing journey we’ve been on. I don’t know how many churches have been on the list that much. Many churches go through a growth spurt, but we’ve been on a growth geyser for the last ten years.

Is that good? Absolutely. The first church that Jesus and the Apostles established in Jerusalem would have topped the “top 100“ list. It should be a natural outcome of Christianity that it spreads like crazy.

One passage says, “the Lord added to their number daily, those who were being saved.”At our staff meeting on Monday, Lonnie said it’s the 265th day of the year and we’ve had 267 baptisms.

Seems biblical to me.

Is the goal a larger church? No. The goal is more people in Heaven. It doesn’t matter how. More campuses, more churches, bigger facility, all of the above – whatever. Just get more people to Heaven.

This was in my reading in Proverbs this week:

Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done (Prov 24:11)

And Jesus said

“Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full” (Luke 14:23)

So – WAY TO GO PARKVIEW! You will be repaid. God is looking down and loving what’s happening.

We had a very graphic reminder when someone died and was brought back to life in the first service at Lockport. Having a church there, on that day, literally saved his physical life. (see my last blog)

But it was just a metaphor for what’s happening around us every week as Parkview helps to save people from eternal death.

Whatever you are doing as a part of this thing – keep it up. If you aren’t involved, we need you. If the economy is scaring you, great! Remember who is in control. And remember that he LIKES A FULL HOUSE!

Congratulations!

Tim

If you didn't get a chance to check out the video from the Lockport Campus Grand Opening...here it is!!

Grand Opening Miracles

What a fantastic beginning to the next chapter of ministry for Parkview. We had 454 people at the Grand Opening of our new Lockport campus. It was truly miraculous. The best way for you to know about it is to read Brian's blog

There is a video on there you won’t want to miss. Everything went so well. We are excited to see how week two goes and we’re off and running.

During Communion at our 9:00 service in Orland, I got word that someone was having a heart attack and being given CPR at the Lockport Campus. Seriously! So we prayed. It had actually happened in the middle of the drama (which was two dead guys looking down on their funeral). His heart stopped and his breathing stopped. HE DIED. Brian’s wife, Cherie, is a nurse and she started doing mouth to mouth as another medical person started CPR; and after a few tense moments, they brought him back. I’m serious. He would have passed away if he hadn’t been at church! If we started the Lockport campus to save this guy’s life – it’s worth it. I know there are going to be more. They got him going again and started my sermon on “One Month to Live.”

It was appropriate for both campuses, I’m telling you. It really struck me at the Orland Campus, what if this was his last time at church? What if it was his first and last time? Man, the implications.

This is life and death. Perhaps as many as 300 new people got to experience Parkview and possibly church over at a new location that God just up and gave us. It’s amazing. And yet there is so much more to be done.

I’m so thankful that the man is okay (he went to the hospital and then was released). I’m thankful for the people of the Lockport church who saw a new vision for the future. I’m thankful for the CDEA church planting organization that helped us with the transition. I’m thankful for Brian, Kevin, Beth, JoAnn, and Joyce who are leading a great team. I’m really excited to see the Lockport core making things work. It felt like a smaller Parkview when I was there.

Please take some time and give God thanks and praise for all that HE has done.

Tim

Go to Brian’s blog and watch the video, it says it all.

The Big Day!

I’m just giddy. That’s the best word for it. I’m like a 5 year old who starts Kindergarten tomorrow. Tomorrow, Parkview Christian Church is embarking on the first day of the rest of our life. Things will change, opportunities, and problems will multiply; and a bunch of people you or I may never meet will get to find Jesus and tell me all about it in heaven.

Crazy.

I am giddy. I’m excited, because I know we have an amazing set of staff and volunteers - at Lockport and Orland who have done everything possible to make it work. And I know they will continue to make it work, because that’s who they are. The few, the proud…

Did I mention that I’m excited?

I don’t know if I’ll sleep tonight. The good thing is that I will have already filmed the sermon for there (we are using the Saturday night's sermon), so I’ll be covered.

What’s really hard for me is the fact that I won’t be there (AND NEITHER WILL YOU!!!). We have to make room for people that are coming for the first time.

If you want to hear what’s going on, you can listen to Shine – 89.7 tomorrow. Lockport will be the “church of the week.” They will be doing live broadcast’s in the morning.

I found a great verse for the whole thing.

The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the LORD. (Prov 21:31)

Brian says that’s a key verse for him, too. We have spent the money (you should see the place), we’ve done the work (added speakers yesterday to help tweak the sound), and now we give it to the Lord. It’s all His deal now.

Keep praying! And next week and the week after – don’t forget to keep praying for Lockport.

It’s first day of the rest of our ministry.

And don't miss this weekend, either place. The concept of living like you only had a month to live is literally life-changing.

I’m excited!

PT

30 Days to Live - Your Bucket List

Here at Parkview we started a little 30 day experiment we’re calling “30 Days to Live – Your Bucket List.” We’re going through a program as a church from Kerry and Chris Shock and deciding to live like we only have one month to live. It’s quite a liberating adventure. I am not thinking about it enough, or taking it seriously enough, but it is changing my perspective. I’m changing my calendar, and I’m looking at my relationships differently.

Now according to www.deathclock.com I still have 843,913,335 second left on this earth. But I’m trying to live like I only have 2,592,000.

I was reading yesterday in Matthew and wondered how this verse should be taken in light of our little experiment.

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Matthew 24:42-44

Jesus then goes on to tell the famous story of the bridesmaids; some were ready, and some were not. Jesus actually uses quite a lot of language to suggest that perhaps we ought to live this way all the time and not just in a one month experiment. I know it would change things if we could live with the eternal in mind.

How did your retirement fund do this week?

If you had put your treasure in heaven, how would it have done?

I’m just saying… 30 days.

Tim

Pray for Parkview - Lockport’s Grand Opening is this weekend. God is going to bring hundreds of people there this weekend. Many of them don’t have God in their lives. This is a HUGE opportunity for the Gospel. Pray hard.

Dance, Cry, or Just Get By

Jesus says,

"To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.” Luke 7:31

“You are missing out on life – going through the motions!” It’s so easy to do. Life is screaming by – but are you dancing? Are you crying? Or just going through the motions?

We start the series “30 Days to Live – Your Bucket List” this weekend. I’m really excited about it. I hope you are inviting your friends to come to this one. It’s going to be awesome. We have a lot of great stuff going on. I can tell you that it’s already changed my perspective. Start pretending like you’ve only got a month to live and see how it changes you.

There is so much to tell you about.

"One Thing"

I celebrated another birthday last week, not any of the big ones, but each one gives me a chance to pause and re-evaluate. I read the story of the "Rich Young Ruler" in my quiet time and something struck me that I’d like to pass on (to strike you).

“Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. (Mark 10:21)

A lot of us have heard this story many times. And I’m not rich, obviously no longer young, and not a ruler. So I think we usually think about this passage as “that guy’s problem.”

Jesus told him, “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Mark 10:22

I know that wealth was a problem for this guy and can be a problem for any of us. Jesus went on to tell us this verbatim. But I don’t’ have "great" wealth and I really don’t think what I do have is a problem for me.

BUT WHAT WOULD HE SAY TO ME? That was what hit me. If Jesus and I are having a cup of coffee, and he’s looking across the table at me, what would my deal be?

That’s what my birthday musing was all about. What is the “one thing I lack?”

I can’t say that I’ve narrowed it down yet, because I’ve got more than one. We all probably do. But I think if we’re honest – we know what he’d say. Maybe he is saying it right now.

The rich dude couldn’t deal with it. He couldn’t let go.

Don’t get too bummed out about it. Did you notice the phrase right before the statement? “Jesus looked at him and loved him.”

He’s not out to get you – he loves you and wants what’s best. The “one thing” is what’s getting in the way of your relationship with God.

What are you going to do about it?

POPT (Plain Ole Pastor Tim)

P.S. - For those of you who heard my sermon this past week or got a bulletin from the Three Stooges, if you are not serving at Parkview, please make your way to ServingLink this weekend following the 5:00 pm or 11:00 am services. Through a speed dating type environment, you will be able to spend time with people who currently serve in our ministries, find out about available opportunities, and find your place to serve. Like I said this weekend, I need you to get out of your seats and start serving.

Hurricanes

I spent the week at a family reunion of sorts with Denise’s family. All of us (and my parents, also) vacationed together on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We had an amazing week with great weather and had the best time together. You just never know how much time you have left with your family and I believe we should spend it wisely. We had a blast.

But there is an underlying problem that looms under the surface of any vacation along the Atlantic this time of year…it’s hurricane season. During our time we were specifically watching the growth of lovely, little Hanna. Early in the week it started looking like it was heading directly our way. So I went ahead and changed flights back to get out early because I was preaching this weekend, and we continued to enjoy beautiful sunny days all the way through Thursday. We went to dinner Thursday night and came back to find the Weather Channel van in the next door neighbor's parking lot. As it turns out, Jim Cantore, the crazy, goggle wearing, hurricane chaser had rented the place next door and was doing live Weather Channel reports FROM OUR BACKYARD.

We watched all night as they kept going to live remotes of Jim and I’d watch out the back window as they were shooting him right there! The reason? He thought that our area was going to get nailed with potential 20 foot waves!

Cornerstone Knowledge Network Conference September 23rd in Chicago

I have been invited by the Cornerstone Knowledge Network to speak at their conference in Chicago this month. Here is a link to their website Cornerstone Conferences and a brief interview they did with me Tim Harlow Interview.

Cornerstone Knowledge Partners are a select group of building-related companies that specialize in serving churches and was founded by the designer and builder of our current projects, the Aspen Group Aspen Group. Great People!!!

Tim