Tom Allen

Yesterday was the day before Easter. A few months ago, in a moment of insanity or inspiration, I'm still not sure which, I mentioned in a staff meeting that we should rent the local football stadium, hire a helicopter and drop a few thousand Easter eggs out of it. Yesterday we did it...with a few exceptions. We dropped 30,000 eggs. We had 15 inflatables. We had games, face-painting, popcorn & cotton candy. We gave away thousands of dollars of prizes. And it was all free. We really didn't have any idea what to expect. I mean, we'd never done this before. Initially, we thought if 1,000 people showed up it would be a success. Then we reassessed and revised our expectations. We hoped for 1500. I don't know how many people showed up yesterday. I know that after the parking team had parked 5000 cars they quit counting. I know that we caused such a traffic jam in Pearland that the Pearland PD had to dispatch 5 units to handle the traffic backups we c...

Whoa! Does that say what I think it says? Yep. That's what I told my folks Sunday morning. The reason we aren't more poassionate about reaching people for Jesus is that we JUST DON'T GIVE A DAMN! I'm sure many were surprised, shocked, offended, disappointed, just to mention a few responses. Just out of curiosity, what's your response? No one walked out, but you could have heard a pin drop. My purpose? To point out that most of us are more offended at the pastor using the word DAMN than we are that our neighbors are lost, dying and being damned to hell for eternity. We're more offended that the pastor cursed than we are that those that we call friends and family are living CURSED lives far from God. Kinda whacked, don't you think? One more thing to think about...who's more offended? You, that I said DAMN, or God, that we just don't give one? Ask God to give you HIS passion for your neighbors and friends and family...

What do helicopters and empty tombs have to do with one another? Seemingly, nothing. So, why would we want to spend thousands of dollars and thousands of man-hours on helicopters, Easter eggs, football stadiums, cotton candy and blow-up bouncy things? (even a mechanical bucking bunny!) That's a great question. One that requires and demands more than one answer. First, we're doing it because we have a mission. Our mission is to introduce real people to a real God. In order to fulfill that mission, we have to meet people where they live. We have to think like they think and be interested in what they are interested in. Lost people in Pearland care about their kids and want the best for them. If we are to fulfill our mission, this is one opportunity to reach them. Another reason we're doing this is because of who our competition is. Our competition is not the church down the street, (although in many of our minds, that's exactly who our competition is)...

Ever play on a team without a coach? I have. You know, a church-league basketball team. Softball league. Flag football. It's not exactly the same as the sports experiences you remember from your earlier years. Back in High School, everyone knew exactly who was in charge. Everyone knew who was calling the shots, determining the strategy and calling the plays on gameday. But, even before that, every day you knew who was in charge of practice. And you knew what his purpose was. Sure, to win games, but also, to make you the best player you could be. After all, that's what makes it possible for him to win games. My playing days are over, but recently I got myself a coach anyway. Not to help me with my jumpshot or put a few more MPHs on my fastball, but to help me be a better pastor. For the past six months, I've been part of a coaching network, along with some other pastors from accross the U.S. and a few other countries. We have a coach whose sole purpose is ...

That pretty much sums me up. Why, you ask? Because this week is Valentines Day. I'm pumped! Can you sense the sincerity in my voice?!?! Not! OK, so, as a typical male, I consider VD (I like to call it by it's initials) a plague on our culture. I truly think it is a communist plot foisted on an unwitting American populace by by Lenin, Stalin, Marx and someone named Hallmark. Face it! We've been duped. We bit the apple. We swallowed the hook. We.....well, I could go on and on ad nauseum. But, I'll restrain myself. Here's my question: Why does the calendar or the florist or the card shop or anyone else, for that matter, have the right to tell us we should be romantic towards our mates this one day a year? Why? Who gives them the right? Of all the unmitigaed gaul. Seriously, someone give me an answer. Well, try this one. Maybe it's because we've failed to do it the other 364 days of the year. Just a thought. Maybe, not even a good one. But, it's a thought. P...

I would rather my children die following God's will, than live rejecting His will. To some that will sound rather harsh and heartless. Nothing could further from the truth. As parents, our role initially, is the protection of our children. " Don't touch that." "Don't run with the scissors in your hands." Don't put that in your mouth. You don't know where that's been!" "Don't play in the street." "Don't hang around with those kids." "Don't drive so fast!" "Don't...Don't...Don't!" "Please be careful!" So, since it seems like our entire function as a parent has been to prtect our children from harm, is there a point where we release them to God to hear his voice for themselves and follow His will for their lives? If this wasn't confusing enough, God seemingly muddies up the waters by telling us things like, "Without faith, it is possible to please Me". I...

To most Christians, that may be the scariest word in the English language. What thoughts are conjured up in your mind when you hear that word? Memorizing scripture? Reading chapter after chapter after chapter of the Bible? Sitting in a circle with a small group of individuals and studying like you never thought you would? Workbooks? Theology? Digging, digging, digging? Maybe a little Greek and Hebrew? Brain cells screaming for mercy? If so, I think you’re in good company. That’s most of our pictures of what discipleship looks like. Now, I want to challenge your thinking. Don’t misunderstand me, those are all good things. I’ve done them all. I’m all for them. They have their place. But, here’s my question for you…Did Jesus make disciples? Duh, that’s an easy one. Next question…Is that how he did it? Uh, well, not exactly. I’m sure they sat around in a little circle from time to time and I know Jesus quoted scripture to them (since he wrote it, I guess that was to be expected). But, what...