Creating Space That Works~Prairie Lakes Cafe'

During the past twelve months I have visited a number of new churches, with the intention of learning as much as I can for our own building/relocation project. Through this exposure I have seen some architectural design features that I really like. I hope that some of these elements can be incorporated into our new facility.

During the next several months I plan to post a series titled, Creating Space That Works. I will share some of my favorite spaces. Let me know what you think.

This post I want to feature the cafe' at Prairie Lakes Church in Cedar Falls. The high ceilings, plenty of natural light, comfortable seating, color scheme and table configuration all work for me. A children's playground adjacent to the cafe' make this a natural meeting spot for moms that want to connect with others during the day. Its convenient location off the main lobby make it accessible. One of the things that makes this cafe' unique is that it is completely staffed with volunteer labor! You can click on the picture above to see additional pictures.

Kudos to Prairie Lakes for a creative, well executed design. The Prairie Lakes cafe' is a space that works for me!

5th Tuesday

We had a fun "5th Tuesday Staff Picnic" this week complete with grilled hamburgers and a potluck lunch. And of course no Staff Picnic would be complete without a rousing game of Baggo and croquet! You can click on the picture above to see a short slideshow of our time.

Baggo may look like fun and games, but it's really quite competitive. As a matter of fact, if you stop by the office early enough in the morning you will see some of the support staff practicing their game!

It's great to hang out and serve with such a great group of people. And our staff team continues to change with JoDee Martin leaving to take a teaching position. This month we welcomed Kris Paulson aboard as Communications Director and Judy Greeb as Children's Ministry Administrative Assistant.

We all enjoy our work, but it's times like Tuesday that help us connect as family.

Dell Delivers

By this time probably everyone has heard about Dell's recall of 4.1 million laptop batteries and Apple Computers recall of over 1.8 million batteries. Both of the recalls involved batteries manufactured by Sony. Like Dell, Apple recalled the lithium-ion batteries because of potential overheating problems that could result in a fire. Dell's recall was preceded by the circulation on the internet of a video of one of its laptops spectacularly bursting into flames.

And in case you were wondering, it's a bad deal when your computer goes up in flames. It gives the phrase, "a hot computer," new meaning! I wouldn't want to be working in Sony's quality assurance department right now.

I learned about Dell's battery recall on Sunday, August 13 from a breaking online news story. Dell's recall site was up and running on Monday, August 14 and I confirmed that Jason's Inspiron battery was included in the recall. I submitted an online request for a battery replacement and received a confirmation email from Dell on the 17th informing me that I could expect to receive a new battery within 20 business days. I was impressed, realizing that Dell was trying to process 4.1 replacement orders.

So you can realize my surprise when I received an email from Dell on the 21st indicating that my new battery had been shipped and that I could expect to receive it within 7-10 business days. Now I was amazed.

My amazement turned to shock on the 22nd when the DHL driver delivered the new battery! Wow! One week from first contact to the delivered product. Dell took a negative and turned it into a positive by managing expectations. In a competitive market where so many talk about customer service, but so few actually follow through on their promises, Dell delivers!

Growing Together

Steve Lizzio

Steve Lizzio was with us yesterday and today to help equip our Adult Bible Fellowship leadership teams. Steve is Pastor of Adult Ministries at Hope Church and Founder and Director of ABF Resources.com. We had a great time with Steve this weekend. You can click on the picture above to see a short slideshow of our time together.

Steve has a passion for building community and equipping adults. He probably knows more about mid-sized groups than anyone alive. Today he taught sessions on The Importance and Characteristics of Healthy Mid-Sized Groups, Growing Adult Disciples, and The Ten Deadly Diseases of Mid-Sized Groups.

The thing that I appreciate the most about Steve is not just his knowledge and competence, but his passion for Christ and for helping people grow. Steve's enthusiasm and heart for God are contagious. His stories were engaging and his love for life refreshing. How exciting to sit in a room with 40 other people - learning, sharing, and growing together.

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have a sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply from the heart. 1 Peter 1:22

Who Speaks for Pluto?

Tell me it's not true. In the age of athletes being suspended for illegal steroid and drug use, we now learn that Pluto is not a planet - it has been an imposter all these years.

The resolution of a planet definition, the first of its kind in the astronomical history, was adopted today after days of fierce debate and effectively kicked Pluto out of the planet group in the solar system. According to the new rules for a planet adopted at an International Astronomical Union meeting in Prague, Pluto doesn't make the grade for a planet: "a celestial body that is in orbit around the sun, has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a ... nearly round shape, and has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit."

Pluto is automatically disqualified because its oblong orbit overlaps with Neptune's. Instead, it was defined as a "dwarf planet", but no longer a planet.

"We just gonna kick Pluto out? Who speaks for Pluto? Who's gonna take up for Pluto?,"says Dutch Cummings, Coca-Cola Space Science Center.

So now there are eight. Is nothing sacred? Who will be next? Will Mars be relegated to a cheap candy bar? Will Mercury and Saturn be reclassified as automobiles? Will Earth become extinct? Who speaks for Pluto?

Perspective

We spent two days in Chicago earlier this month. It was just about the only time we could fit in this summer between baseball, summer youth group trips and work schedules. What a fun and refreshing time we had.

We took in the Navy Pier, the Brookfield Zoo, the Hancock Observatory, lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, and a White Sox game. Although the Sox played poorly and lost, they went on a hot streak after the game we went to, winning six out of the next seven games! And of course, no Pagel family vacation is complete without a competitive game of miniature golf. (I won!) If you are in the Chicago area, I highly recommend Lost Mountain in Woodridge. You can click on the picture above to see a short slideshow of our time in Chicago.

It's good to get away occasional in order to spend time together as family. It's easy to get busy and to take one another for granted. Times like this remind me how blessed I am - I have a fantastic wife and four great sons! I've got wonderful friends and a supportive church family. It's good to take a step back for some much needed rest, refreshment, relaxation and perspective.

Alone

A new study by sociologists at Duke University and the University of Arizona indicate that the number of Americans’ who say they have no one with whom to discuss important matters has more than doubled. A trend toward isolation surfaced in the last U.S. census figures, showing that one-fourth of the nation's households (27.2 million) consisted of just one person, compared with 10 percent in 1950.

In addition, the study found that the average American had only two close friends in whom they would confide on important matters, down from an average of three in 1985. The number of people who said they had no such confidant soared from 10 percent in 1985 to nearly 25 percent in 2004; an additional 19 percent said they had only one confidant--often their spouse.

These findings are in keeping with what Harvard sociologist, Robert Putnam, advocates in his book Bowling Alone. He argues that our society’s health is being threatened by the erosion of relationships, networks, and interactions, what Putnam calls social capital. Not unlike financial capital or human capital, social capital is created by human interaction, which is often fostered by clubs, organizations and other forms of interactions. Higher social capital translates into better education, lower crime rates, better health, lower suicide rates and greater productivity.

Social research has its place, but we don't need it to understand that we have been created as relational beings. We have been created for relationship - with God and one another. God Himself is relational, existing in the form of the trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

This is why it's not acceptable for a follower of Christ to "go it alone." We are made for community and connection. And so at New Covenant we provide Living Room (mid-sized group) and Kitchen Table (small group) environments where people can learn, interact and connect with others.

At New Covenant we are committed to become a family of growing disciples. A church that creates space for one more person. A caring community where no one stands alone.

God sets the lonely in families. Psalm 68:6a

Breakfast with the King

Josh and Jon started back to school today, so we celebrated by having breakfast together. The boys selected Burger King for "Breakfast with the King." We had a great time discussing their senior year, college plans and what book we want to read together this year.

The conversation was engaging, the food enjoyable but our environment left a lot to be desired. The restaurant had a leak in the ceiling with some seats being roped off with an extension cord. The decor hasn't been updated in years and there was only one other customer in the dining room. The food was good but I don't think we'll return.

The experience led to an interesting discussion about the importance of environment in communicating Biblical truth. We have been entrusted with the good news of the gospel. Every believer and every church has been commissioned to share this message with others. The message of Jesus Christ matters. However, it's important that we communicate it in an attractive way.

Our methods must be culturally relevant and up-to-date. Our buildings must be pleasant and inviting. Our relationships must be welcoming and caring. Attending to these things creates an attractive environment that doesn't distract from, but rather enhances the communication of our message.

How tragic it is when the greatest message of all time is communicated in a haphazard or shoddy way. The greatest message demands our best. It requires messengers who are authentic, who have firsthand knowledge of the Jesus of whom they speak. Messengers whose lives have been transformed by the gospel. Messengers who are in love with Jesus and daily enjoy breakfast with the King.

Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. John 21:12

The Best Is Yet To Come

Yesterday was my 15th anniversary for being at New Covenant. I arrived in Cedar Rapids by myself on August 12, 1991, prepared to embark on a new adventure. I returned to Syracuse on Labor Day to drive Sharon and the boys to Cedar Rapids. We lived in the the Snodgrass's mission house until October 1 when we closed on our home on 544 Greenfield Street. The picture above was published in the Gazette to announce my hiring.

Wow, a lot has changed in the last 15 years at New Covenant!

• Betty was the only secretary in the office.
• There were three other Pastors, all of which left during the next two years!
• There were two Sunday morning worship services in the Activity Center.
• The church didn't own a computer and there was no email or internet.
• There was one adult Sunday School class.
• Vince Grondahl was the Chairman of the Elder Board and Randy Hartman was the Chairman of the Deacon Board.
• All the church finances were handled by the Deacon of Finance from his home.
• Mark Forstrom was hired one year later as Youth Pastor.

Over all the years, some things haven't changed.

• Donuts and coffee served in the kitchen between the worship services.
• The blue chairs and the four "pillars of the church" in the Activity Center.
• The cute little Angels performing in the Christmas program.
• New Covenant's commitment to the gospel and sound Biblical teaching.
• Kids everywhere!

Over the 15 years I've also changed. I've gained some weight and have added some white hair! I'm hopefully a little wiser and a more experienced servant leader. My job description has changed, and I've served with three different Senior Pastors. And of course, Sharon has been a great partner that has supported me through the years.

It's exciting to be involved at New Covenant during this season of time. We have an awesome staff team, tremendous Deacon and Elder Boards, and a compelling mission and vision for the future. As great as the past 15 years have been, I'm convinced that the best is yet to come!