Tim Harlow

Reproduction

I left church this weekend to join up with my youngest daughter and wife in LA to look at colleges.  Becca is just a junior, but we’re trying to get a jump on this deal. For some reason she thinks that God might be calling her to go very far away to college. Not (I don’t think) because she doesn’t like us, but because she’s ready to be on her own and go change the world. And she will!

But man, did it hit me when I left. I had to come to Austin for a church planting thing. So I had a nice, long, lonely flight to think about how I all of a sudden got to the place in life where I’m going to be an empty nester! And how much I miss my kids.
 
So now I’m in a meeting with the New Thing Network, which Parkview is a part of, strategizing about how to reproduce churches and leaders.
 
And I’m thinking about how glad I am that I’ve poured my life into my children. Now that two of them are out of the house and the last one is flying the coup, I’m realizing that my and Denise’s influence as a believers in Jesus is growing exponentially. And that may/will be more important to the overall kingdom of Christ than anything we do personally. That’s why God gave us these kids in the first place. They will lead and reproduce others who will lead and reproduce others and on it goes.
 
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable (wo)men who will also be qualified to teach others. 2 Timothy 2:2
 
When Denise and I are dead and gone, the ministry of Rachel, Lauren, and Becca Harlow (insert name here) will go on. It will go on with their children and go on through the ministries that they have been involved in.
 
So Bill and I are sitting here trying to figure out how all of that works in the church.  
 
What we do locally at Parkview is incredible. I love the stories and the rapid growth is phenomenal. But if we’re not reproducing leaders and reproducing churches, we will get to the “empty nest” stage and realize that it’s only been about “us” and now we’re done.
 
That would be selfish, and it would be wasteful. There is so much potential and so many people that need Jesus. Why would we just keep this to ourselves? The “offspring” from Parkview will live on long after we’re gone.
 
Honestly, it’s not an easy conversation. But now that my own kids are gone (almost), I’m thankful for every minute that I decided not to be a self-serving person and decided to pour my life into my children. Now they will do the same, and the dream lives on.
 
Tim

 

Losing It

We have our consultant, Carl George, in with us for a few days. He always helps us figure out our next steps with staff, building, etc. One of the wisest men I know.

So we’re sitting there yesterday talking about the maximum amount of people we’ll ever be able to get on our Orland property which honestly is a weird conversation. Because even though we have more buildings to build and more land to acquire, there IS a limit to the amount of traffic we’ll ever be able to support. We can probably still double in size, but that will be all we can handle here without having services every night of the week (which might be an option at some point).  All of this discussion is just a way of realizing that there has to be more sites and many other options of ministry OTHER than Saturday and Sunday at 183rd and Wolf Road.

It’s crazy to think that in 5 or 6 years we might literally be out of options here at this place. I LOVE IT. I love the discussion. The whole discussion was based on the fact that we’ve just jumped another thousand in attendance (again) and we’re still one of the fastest growing churches in the U.S. But we won’t be able to throw dirt and bricks at it forever. We’re going to have to continue to be creative like we were at Lockport. And we need our chapel YESTERDAY.
 
But this conversation stood in stark contrast to the trip I made to Uptown Chicago last week. I visited the Peoples Church, because we’re involved with a homeless ministry there through a very good friend of mine, and our three new Chicago church plants are going to be working with them. One of them will be in the area, and we were looking at the possibility of using part of this six-story, beautiful, old church building for services.
 
   
The really sad part about this church is that it has an auditorium that seats 1500 people and only about 30 worship there. 
 
I wish I had a copy of the picture of the auditorium that hangs in the hallway to show you from 1930. The place is packed; there is not an empty seat.
 
What happens to a church over the course of time that leaves it empty? It’s a good question, because we’ve already got a lot of building here and we’re going to still have more.
 
There are lots of answers. The community has changed a lot in 80 years; the sociology of the situation is understandable. But many churches are able to withstand the change of community and thrive. Moody Church is not far away.
 
Peoples Church still cares about the people around them. There are several ministries that use their facilities – 18,000 meals a month are served from within their walls. God told us to take care of the least of these, and they do a great job. So what’s the problem?

Simply – they belong to a denomination that forgot what church was supposed to be. They have lost their purpose. Jesus said that his purpose was to “seek and save the lost.” And they just stopped worrying about that along the way.

Helping the poor and being nice to everyone and offering a sense of “spirituality” to people is all well and good. But it’s a fast way to kill a church. Because Jesus didn’t come to help people feel good. He came to save them.

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! Romans 10:13-15

I guess the contrast has really struck me. Just because we have too many people to find a seat for doesn’t mean we’re right either. Wrigley Field is usually sold out. J

But I find it really sad that a church would decide that giving a person a meal is good enough. The ministry in the building that we are connected to doesn’t operate that way. We know that giving a person a fish is not enough. But neither is teaching them to fish! We are to be fishers of men.  
 
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers; Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:18-19

So let’s not forget our purpose. We can’t forget to keep the main thing, the main thing. I hate it that so many churches forget their responsibility to care for the poor and the “least.” But we can easily lean too far the other way. If we take heaven and put it in the “urgent” box in our lives, we will realize that one minute after we die – only one thing will matter; WHAT WE DID WITH THE GOOD NEWS!
 
Tim
 
PLEASE get out of the 11 o’clock service! We’re being strangled to death in there.

Crazy Good!

2009 was a crazy year at Parkview.  Actually, every year is crazy at Parkview – the good kind of crazy!  For those of us under 75 years old, the recent economic downturn is the worst financial crisis in our nation during our lifetimes.  Many people faced financial challenges – as did the church.   We held off on some critical hires and cut way back on expenses in order to be good stewards of what God provided.   In spite of these challenges, God did some amazing things at Parkview through your faithfulness and generosity.  Here are just a few:

RECORD BAPTISMS: 749 people followed Christ in baptism at both campuses during November’s Baptism Weekend, with a total of 975 people baptized in 2009!

RECORD ATTENDANCE: What a blessing to be able to reach so many people for Jesus in 2009! 

• Easter Services at both Campuses: 8,617 (a 17% increase)
• Christmas Services at both Campuses: 8,893 (a 12% increase)
• Combined Average Worship Attendance in 2009: 4,727 (a 8% increase)
• Record Non-Holiday Combined Worship Attendance in January, 2010: 6,004

BENEVOLENCE: The Parkview family made a huge difference in the lives of children and families!

• Pack the Backpack: 252 backpacks with school supplies were provided for the children of Parkview single parents, MorningStar Mission, and Elim Christian School.
• Thanksgiving Dinners: Parkview members purchased 220 meals through Angel Food Ministries for Parkview single parents and families needing help, and for Restoration Ministries.
• Christmas Gifts: 276 children from Parkview families had a Merry Christmas because of you!

MISSIONS: 77 Jr. High and High School students reached beyond our walls and served on mission trips in Tennessee, Oklahoma City, and the Czech Republic.  Also, $675,000 was given toward fulfilling the Great Commission through local, national, and international missions, as well as starting new churches. 

LOCKPORT CAMPUS:  Lockport celebrated its first birthday…they’re off to an amazing start!  Consider these statistics:  First VBS (125 children/107 volunteers); Baptism Weekend (101 people baptized); Christmas Services (647 in attendance, a 31% increase from last year); and the Dennis Lee Children’s Event (200 children in attendance, a 100% increase from last year!).

There’s more where this came from but I promised I would keep this brief!  I continue to be amazed at what God is doing in, and through, this place.  I don’t know why I am so surprised.  He has promised that He will be faithful if we just place our hope in Him.  A friend of mine wrote a letter reflecting on the true HOPE that Christ brings:

At this time, the whole HOPE thing gets a lot bigger than the economy and making this month’s mortgage payment. Forgiveness and redemption - Eternal HOPE - trump all my worries on this little orb. This HOPE is built on a foundation that cannot be shaken or even cracked by the forces exerted upon me. Perhaps the outcome of 2010 depends more on where, or in whom, I HOPE than any event - good or bad - that may occur. This is a great lesson for me if I HOPE 2010 will be better.

We have a lot to be thankful for, and I’m really excited about what’s coming in 2010.  I am excited and thankful because I know God will be faithful to His mission to reach out to all of those who are not yet connected to His Son.

As I leave you with a benediction of HOPE from our friend, the Roman writer, I’m praying we’ll be faithful and obedient to His call on our lives this year.  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13

PT

Heaven Is Closer Than We Think

They had a little anniversary\birthday party for those of us celebrating work anniversaries yesterday. Karyn put together a calendar of funny pictures of Denise and I as a celebration of our 20th anniversary here.  I thought you’d like to see what she does in her spare time.
 
 
 I can say that it has been awesome being here and seeing what God has done. We’ve been blessed to be a part of it. But I have to admit, it feels like 20 years some times. That’s a long time and I’ve changed. This was my proverb for the day.
 
The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.  Proverbs 21:29

When I came here I was the strength and now I am “splendor.”J

I was also reminded how it all happened by this proverb today.
 
The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.  Proverbs 21:31

People ask me all the time – how does something like this Parkview thing happen, and I think this is the right answer. We got the horses ready and God won the victory.
 
(Speaking of victory, we had 6100 people in church this weekend – a record by approximately 700. So you could help us get the horses ready for the battle by avoiding the 11am service! We’re crammed in there again. Please think about Saturday if it works for you!)
 
But it all reminds me that we’re all a lot closer to Heaven than we realize. I’m getting older – and so are you.  And then there is stuff in the news that reminds us even more. As the card for your wallet that I gave out last weekend says – IT DOES GET BETTER THAN THIS. I didn’t know how much we’d need that promise.
 
Please pray for the Dunkman family whose husband\father was killed in Frankfort Monday night. It’s just a horrible thing and they need us to lift them up in prayer.
 
I had another family tell me that the topic of heaven was timely because their Grandma passed away on Monday.

And then there is the Haiti situation that we are just digging out of. I have friends there and we have ministries we support there. Everyone I know is okay for now, but it’s a bad deal people. Take the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and add a devastating earthquake and you’ve got problems.

If you’d like to help, please visit Haiti Relief.

All of this is a reminder that this world is not our home – we’re just passing through.
 
When people talk of Heaven, they usually talk about “up.” They point up. The fact that a kid points up when we talk about heaven may sound simple but it’s one of the most significant things you can say about heaven. The word “heaven” has always had the idea of up. It has that idea in the Bible.  
 
Psalm 123:1 Lord, I look up to You, up to heaven, where You rule.

 

Even Jesus looked up to heaven when He prayed.  

 

Mark 6:41 Jesus took the five loaves and two fish and looked up toward heaven and He asked God’s blessing on the food.

 

Heaven is up.
 
That doesn’t mean up in the sense that it’s out there somewhere beyond the orbit of Pluto. Up means higher. Higher than anything we experience on this earth. Up means beyond. Beyond anything that I can imagine on this earth. Up means ABOVE. Who amongst us does not wish, long sometimes to live above the pain that is in this world? There’s something in us that realizes this isn’t right. I should be able to live above this. We will one day. We look forward to that day. That’s where we’ll live for eternity.
 
See you this weekend!
 
Tim

God's Work in South America

I’ll be honest, there are times I just cram trips in because I know I need to get somewhere and I really want to stay home, but I’ve got to do it.  So I’m in South America.  How do you cram in a trip to Ecuador, you say?  Well I knew I had a break because of Casey and Jason preaching (which I heard was excellent) and I really wanted to take a kid with me to make it more worth my time. So Lauren and I and Sean and Kathy headed out for a 4 day trip to Ecuador.  It’s only a 4.5 hour flight out of Houston so it’s not really that bad.
 
What God does when I’m obedient to doing the things I know I need to do, is he shows off. I’ve been to Ecuador before, but this is one of the most beautiful places on the globe.  It is a more developed country than most I visit. And the weather is always perfect. We’re in Quito where it’s always 70 and sunny.  So as you are getting pounded with 7- 9 inches of snow – we’re…sorryJ

Unfortunately we fly back tomorrow (Friday) so I’m hoping we can get back because I have a great message for you this weekend.
 
Anyway, the purpose of our visit is to check out one of our new church plants here.  It’s a church that is running 200 people already and it’s only a couple of years old.  Pastor Jean David is Haitian and was a professor at the Nazarene University here.  Which is where we are staying, and if I can say, the Nazarenes are very well organized here. I love being non-denominational and just working with whoever has it going on.  Down here it’s our Nazarene bros and sisters. As a matter of fact they are very connected to Olivet and have Olivet students down here a lot for school semesters. The connections are just awesome when you start seeing what God is doing. The family of God is so great!
 
Anyway we are very excited about Jean David.  He’s an awesome speaker who travels around the world and he’s a great pastor. Because of his background he is able to reach the Latin and the Haitian immigrants who come here by the droves. They of course asked me to speak at the last minute at their prayer meeting last night and I told them that 20 years ago Parkview was their size, and I believed that God was going to take them on exactly the same path he’s taken us.

And I preached the Prodigal Son\Older brother story and reminded them that church is about those on the “outside” and if they never forget that – they will see miraculous things.

So pray for the church here and the pastor – it is Parkview in a part of the world you’ve never seen. But we will be taking trips here. You’ve got to see this place. It is right on the equator so the weather never changes. We stood on both hemispheres yesterday.  

 
On that one spot the gravity is so much less that I could balance an egg on the head of a nail. 

 
And literally we did the demonstration of water draining and how it goes clockwise on one side and counterclockwise on the other.  Literally on the equator it just goes straight down.  It’s really bizarre.
 
This is also the country with the Huaorani Indians who are the ones who killed the missionaries (Jim Elliot and company) back in the 60’s.  If you didn’t see “Beyond the Spear,” you really should.  God at work.
 
And the Shrinking head Indians are here. 
 And they think Guinea pigs are a delicacy – I ate one last time I was here.  This time I found a picture of a business that delivers them like pizza – IN 30 MINUTES OR LESS. 

 
I can’t wait to see you all this weekend.  Don’t miss this series on 2012 – You Were Promised. Ecuador is cool, but Heaven is going to ROCK.  
 
I might wear Bad Masks from Ecuador for this sermon series.

J

 

But I will be singing Kenny Chesney – you won’t want to miss this deeply theological song.
 
Tim
 

Happy New Year from the Harlows!

Christmas is behind us now.  We celebrated with my parents on Christmas day.

We had 8,893 people at our 9 Christmas Eve services!  It should surprise you very little when I tell you that is another record crowd.  We successfully used the student ministries venue (THE UNDERGROUND) in the basement in one service with 255 people watching downstairs.  It was all very exciting and blessed by God.

The messages I’ve received from so many people tell me that the service was impactful to a lot of people.  It was so fun to be a part of what God is doing here.

On the 26th, we headed to Missouri to spend a few days with all of Denise’s family.

There are two new spouses added to the cousins, so the family is getting bigger and miraculously everyone was able to be together.  Some are in Oregon and one in California with Nashville thrown in - and we’re in Chicago, but we made it all together again.  Who knows how much more that will happen.  It was such a blessing to be together with everyone.  All of us are in ministry so we all had Christmas Eve services and all the extra stuff that goes on in December and that makes it more fun to get together and “chill.”

 
As I look at these pictures and see how much this family has grown up, it reminds me of how quickly things change – and how they may never be the same again.

When I think back over the past 20 years and how much this family has changed, I am also reminded of how much Parkview has changed.  It’s remarkable to see it grow. 

Denise and I want to thank you all so much for all your work for the Lord Jesus in 2009.  We can’t wait to see what God is going to do this year. 

Whatever your New Year's resolutions include – make sure God has a piece of it.  Because what He can do with our “familiy” is going to be incredible.

Happy New Year,

Tim and Denise

O Come Emmanuel

We’ve had great services so far.  Full auditoriums even in the ice and junk.  The service is incredible. If you don’t get to one live – watch it on the net at Parkview Media.

I had a friend in the church send me this note:

“Have you ever really interpreted the exquisite poetry in the song “O Come O Come Emmanuel?”
 
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
 
This is probably the greatest poetry in any carol ever.
 
“It says, interpreted (and not in linear fashion):

God, please be here
Pay for whatever has ensnared me and people like me
Because we are distraught over our impending death and dejected by how alone we are
Until some meaning in our life rescues us, some promise made comes due…
Yes! Awesome! God IS coming to me and people like me.
I wonder how many people hear that melody and those lyrics and are totally oblivious…”

That’s absolutely the meaning of Christmas folks. He hit it on the head. Don’t sing the songs and read the story and remain oblivious!  

God is here.

I was just so struck by the scene of the real baby in the manger with the angel at our services that I was compelled to go back there and be with them for the end of the service.  It wasn’t planned; I just wanted to put myself in that scene.  Somehow, looking at that baby lying there in the straw helped me realize how far down God had to bend to scoop me up.

Merry Christmas to you all.  From the staff, and from the Harlow family – we can’t say enough about how great it is to worship God along side of you.

Emmanuel has come, and may he come again quickly!

Tim