Free Thought Friday: Creation Museum

Yesterday the pastoral staff of Horizon and their spouses were invited to go to the Creation Museum in Northern Kentucky. Chad Hovind our Senior Pastor actually led their chapel service/staff meeting to start off the day. He did very well. The Creation Museum is run by Answers in Genesis and their CEO is Ken Ham. Ken is usually out speaking around the world but he happened to be in town and met with us and even ate lunch with us. By the way, the lunch was awesome and the conversation wasn't bad either. If you didn't know Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum are both very controversial in the church and outside the church. Why? They believe the Earth is about 6,000 years old and not billions of years old. The take the Bible to be literal starting in Genesis and ending in Revelation. They have as much science to back up their beliefs as other people have science to back up that the Earth is billions of years old. I was even taught in Seminary that this theory is out there but not to take it seriously. After visiting you have to take it seriously and at least ask questions.

So what did I think? The museum itself is very well done. I mean very well done. The environment is incredible. They have a special effects theater that has chairs that shake, water squirts on you, and wind blows in all directions. It is as nice of a theater that I have been in. They use technology very well. Their videos are top notch. I could have a whole month of if not 2 months of Sign Wednesdays out of it. Of course some are excellent and other will be made fun of. The use of space in the museum is very innovative. The have a planetarium that is killer as well and I am not a big planetarium guy. The use of plasma screens was great. Needless to say but I really enjoyed it.

It is hard to grasp their belief of a young Earth because we have been taught that the Earth is very very old. I believe though that you will at least question the age of the Earth once you go through and I think everyone should go through. It is well worth the money and well worth the asking of questions. I will leave you up to whether or not you believe in a young Earth or an old Earth.

Here are some pictures that I took and there will be many more to come:

Sign Wednesday: My Own Signs

I have been asked in the past to post some of my own signs to Sign Wednesday. Well, with my new iPhone, I was taking pictures and just happen to catch a couple of signs that I created. Both signs are printed on a HP5500 printer onto polyester fabric. Check them out and let me know what you think of them. Criticism is welcome and expected.




By the way the signs are promoting our VBS alternative called Smash Camp and Centri-Kid which is a kid's camp. You also see in the picture a nice shot of Fellowship One check-in that we use as well.

2 Min. Tuesday: Seth Godin

If you want to know more about Seth Godin and his genius go here.

Ministry Monday: A Full Week Ahead

I love being busy. I used to think that if I wasn't busy then I wasn't be an effective minister. I am glad I got over that and so is my wife, but there are times that I really enjoy the challenge of a full schedule.

This week is one of those weeks. Here is a breakdown of my week starting with yesterday and highlighting things that aren't in my normal schedule (believe me you don't want to see the normal):



Sunday- went snow skiing with my Senior Pastor, Chad Hovind. Just the 2 of us and nothing says fun like a sheet of ice covered in "SUGAR".

Monday- Start a new series in elementary called Zooplosion by Elevate. This means set change and I am printing off a 30'X8' backdrop onto polyester fabric and having it sewn together. I will take pictures and post them.

Tuesday- Sit down with our lead person and redesign the children's and youth spaces in our new church. I love doing this but it is a lot of pressure that I put on myself.

Wednesday- Our couples' small group is meeting at our house and I am leading it. We are currently doing the Treasure Principle study. I really need to get out of debt so that I can give more.

Thursday- Our staff and some of our wives are going to the Creation Museum here in the Cincinnati Area. Chad is leading their staff meeting and we get to go through the museum for free and have lunch for free. If you don't know about the Creation Museum then go to their website and read about it. I am really looking forward to this.

Friday- Speak at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy for their elementary chapel. I am doing a talk on Mephibosheth. I love Mebo and the fact that no matter who you are, you are always invited to eat at the King's table.

Saturday- Going to a high school play to support some of our students. They are doing Music Man and for high schoolers they are excellent and I don't use that word lightly.

So there it is a full week of ministry ahead of me. I just pray that I don't get to busy to listen to God this week and to make my family a true priority. If you pray for me I would ask that you pray the same thing.

What are you looking forward to this week?

Mac Conversion, Step # 1: iPhone

I hear that once you go Mac you don't go back. After much prayer, research, and just wanting to be cool I am making the conversion from PC to Mac. Now I now that many of you will call me nuts and the rest of you will say welcome to the club. And in fact owning a Mac product does make you feel like you are in a club. Even if that product is just an iPod nano. . . There is just something about paying to much for technology that puts you into a club with a secret handshake. I bet all of you PC owners out there didn't even know that there is a secret Mac handshake. I would tell you what it is but I would have to take $2000 from your pocket and give you something cool in return. I know most of you wouldn't like that.

After deciding to make the switch, I knew that I was going to have to have a conversion process in place. The first step in the process was an iPhone. Here are some great pictures of my new friend.









You will notice that in the second picture that I am still using T-Mobile and not At&T. Yes I bought an unlocked iPhone off eBay. I am one of the 2 million users in the United States that is using the iPhone on a network besides AT&T. That is right, 2 million. Am I proud that I am using it on a network that it is not intended? No, but when your place of employment only uses one carrier, I didn't see the need to carry 2 phones around and waste a lot of money. This was my main struggle to begin with and why it has taken me so long to get this phone.

So what do I think of my new friend? Let me just put it this way. . .

Days of importance in my life:
1. The Day I accepted Jesus Christ
2. The Day I got married
3. The Day my kids were born
4. The Day I got my iPhone

By the way I got my friend on Thursday and have been playing with it ever since. This is the main reason I haven't blogged since Wednesday. It makes you want to use it. Unlike phones I have had in the past, it is great to use. The interface is wonderful and very easy. My 3 year old, Patriot, loves it because it is so easy to use. He has already dropped it on a hard floor and it made it. I am sure it will make that trip many more times before it is all said and done.

The pros:
1. The camera on it is great. I was very surprised by how good it really is.
2. The YouTube feature is incredible. My boys watching Sesame Street anytime is worth the price of admission.
3. It works well, very well as a phone.
4. The internet interface is the best I have seen on a phone. There are some of its features that I would love to have on my laptop.
5. The iPod interface just makes you feel cool and being able to rent movies is huge.
6. iTunes in your pocket. Is that iTunes in your pocket or are you just happy?
7. The keyboard is very easy to use. Have you seen the theme of easy.
8. It is unlocked so any sim card will work in it.

The cons:
1. No video camera. Not that my last phone had a good one but it would be nice to have one.
2. I can't figure out how to send a picture to my wife's phone so that she can use it as her wallpaper.
3. You can't use the YouTube player and send it to your TV like you can videos from the iPod portion of the phone.
4. It doesn't sync with Google contacts. That is where I had all of my info stored and I had to transfer it to Yahoo so that I get all of my contacts on my phone. That was a hassle.
5. I bought a unlocked iPhone and can't update it until they come out with another hack.

So there you have it. I have a new friend that they call iPhone and we are getting along really well. Now onto the second step of the Mac conversion. I will let you know later what that step is going to be. If you could go MacBook Air for work or iMac for the home which would you do?

This is more important than Sign Wednesday

Last night I found out that one of my mentors passed away a few months ago. This man was absolutely incredible and I am very sad that I missed his funeral and missed being in Dallas. I am not the best in keeping up with people who mean the world to me and John Weber meant the world to me. John was the chaplain of the Dallas Cowboys for many, many years. John was my first contact in Dallas before I ever moved there thanks to a mutual friend. We would have coffee very frequently over my 5 years while living there. He took me under his wing and taught me about being faithful and what it meant to be an encourager. John made one of my dreams come true when he let me minister along side him with the Dallas Cowboy's players, coaches and staff. Yes I know that I am late in saying goodbye to an amazing guy but John you will be missed. I know that you are enjoying heaven and I can't wait to be there with you someday. I am really blessed to say that God had our paths cross even if it was just for 5 years. Thank you for being an inspiration to me and to the world.

Here is a very nice video tribute to John.

2 Min. Tuesday: No Video but thoughts

This should still only take you 2 minutes of your time. Sorry for no video today but technical issues are stopping me. I love technology and hate it all at the same time.

Now to what was said on the video that you may never see.

"Today was going to be for one Roger Clemens but I don't think he is worth it. Roger you are not believable and I wish you would just cut the crap. You did something wrong and we all know it. You could be like your good friend Andy and you would have looked a lot better. So today my time is for Andy Pettite. Andy I am glad that you are a Christ-follower, but as you know you are then held to a higher standard. I know none of us are perfect and we all need grace. That being said I really didn't like your answer when you were asked if you were a cheater. The answer should have been yes. Just like you owned up to your sin before God you should have owned up to this as well. Yes God knows your heart and even knows your motives but it was still sin and still cheating. I thought you handled this situation the best a man could but I really didn't like the answer of no. I hate that you have to show your sin to the world and I wouldn't want to be in your shoes for that fact, but know that you have a fan even if you cheated. To Roger Clemens you are not bigger than the game or our government. I hope one day you find that out. This has been a 2 min. Tuesday and I am Matt McKee."

Ministry Monday: C3 and FCKids

This week there are 2 huge conferences at Fellowship Church. They are called C3 and the FCKids Conference. As many of you know I worked at Fellowship for 5 years. I look back on that time as an incredible experience and a true blessing that God gave me. I loved working there and I still love the people there. So this week my prayers are for the staff and volunteers of Fellowship. I know you guys are working yourself to death this week and these conferences are going to be incredible. I wish I was going to be there but I can't. Who knows maybe next year. . . Until then, keep up the excellence, and know that you are being prayed for.

Sign Wednesday: Valentine's Day Alternative

Are you having trouble trying to guess what your loved one wants for Valentine's Day? Well I am here to help. I know that some of you are thinking stuffed animals, but don't go there. Jessica backs me up on this one. Some of you maybe thinking about chocolate or roses but come on. Those are a little boring don't you think. This year I want you to think romantic dinner by candlelight. Splurge on this love holiday. Treat your mate the way they want to be treated.

This message brought to you by:



I went tonight to go take a picture of the local White Castle but had to settle on someone else's photo because they had already changed the sign on me. What's up with that White Castle? Valentine's Day isn't until tomorrow and today is Sign Wednesday. Don't you know?

I've got that sick feeling and could use your help

Sorry for those of you who have tuned in for 2 min Tuesday. I left church on Sunday and have been sick since. In fact, Jessica and I both went to the doctor yesterday and got a prescription for our illness. So tune in next week for another installment. I hope it is as good as it is in my head. That could just be the medicine. . .

If you are the praying type then lift one up for my family and I. This is the first time that Jessica and I both have been sick like this. We both just want to lay down on the couch and not get up. Of course our 3 year old and 1 year old will not have that.

On a totally different note. . . I am becoming a big fan of Codeine. Is it time for more cough medicine?

Date Your Wife Now!

First, a big thanks goes out to Jessica's parents but especially her mom for keeping the boys last night. Jan you really are a blessing and I appreciate you more than I say.

Let me just say that Jessica and I do not date enough. We have been married for 8 years and have been off and on about the whole date night thing. I know that it is my responsibility as the husband to make sure this happens and I have been lazy at times but this weekend I got it right. You see Jessica and I celebrated Valentine's Day early this year. We took just one night away from the kids and had a blast. It was as if we were truly dating again. You don't have to spend a lot of money. You do have to have someone watch your kids. Other than that, get creative and have fun.

If you have not dated your wife in a while take this week and schedule time to do so. I am sure she deserves it and I know that both of your will enjoy it. I mean seriously, dress up and go out to a great restaurant, buy chocolate, and laugh. That is what we did and I can't think of a better night.

Jessica, I love you! Thank you for loving me.

Tech Thursday: Google Apps

Google Apps has been around for a little while now but is just now making some traction within the business world. Here is a nice article about the new Team Edition of their apps. It has a nice video to go with it. Hat Tip to Mashable for the article.

Why is this important? Our church staff just switched to Google Apps. As a non-profit it was free. It is hard to pass up Google and Free. Especially when we were paying $400 a month on outsourcing e-mail. Now e-mail is free for us and we get the added bonuses of Google Docs, Calendars, Talk, and Start Page. This means that all of our pastors and support staff are Googlefied. (OK, maybe not a word but still say it out loud and it is fun) No more worries about getting e-mail at home or not being able to access their calendar or the churches' main calendar. All of our staff can do that from anywhere. It is much easier to access this information from our cell phones as well. Now that Google supports IMAP as well, it is easy to set up GMail in Outlook if someone just has to have it instead of the web version.

This transition hasn't been flawless but even our non-technology people are doing well just after a couple of days. Thank you Google once again for leading in a way that helps out non-profits and gives us cutting edge tools to do our work.

Sign Wednesday: A Horrible Slogan

Below is a video that I took with my phone. So please don't expect great quality. I wouldn't listen to the sound either because all you will hear are my windshield wiper blades going back and forth.

Now that you are all hyped up on the excellence that is this post enjoy the video and the comments that will follow.




Did you catch their slogan? If you didn't it said, "We were here before you were born 1822." It's hard to make something like that up. Now this is a restaurant that is close to my house that just opened back up after being closed for the last 6 months. In fact, in the last 3 years this place has been under new management or featuring a new restaurant inside several times. My family ate here 2 weeks ago to see what the new changes were like. Needless to say, but the food was not great and it became comical on how many times our waiter got our orders wrong. I don't know that we should have expected much though. Nothing says good food like, "We were here before you were born 1822" even though we just opened for the 27th time. If you are ever in the Cincinnati/Mason, OH area and find yourself near this place just say to yourself, "Nice sign but I think I will pass."

2 Min. Tuesday: The Super Tuesday

Today is a big day in our nation because of all the primaries that are going on right now. Who is going to be the next president? I really don't know but I do have some questions and comments for all of the candidates today. Enjoy this week's 2 min. Tuesday.

Ministry Monday: Thoughts after the Super Bowl

Here are the things that I'm glad I didn't even have to think about last night.

1. Whether or not we should cancel church because of the Super Bowl. Does Sunday night church work anymore anyway?

2. Where the Super Bowl party was going to be. 50 inches of HD is all you need to know.

3. If there was going to be enough food. I love my family.

4. What volunteers were not going to show up because of the game. Seriously you do you have church on Sunday night?

5. The video/entertainment that was going to play during half time so that I could justify it being a church sponsored event. Did you through a Super Bowl party that the church payed for? Do you think it worked? What was the purpose?

6. The topic of conversation. When friends and family are around it is nice to be yourself.

7. Checking e-mail, voice mail, or any other technology to see if my boss was calling.


The things that I did think about.

1. Shaq as a jockey is really funny. That was my second favorite commercial.

2. What's up with Bill's sweatshirt? Why did Reebok go out of their way to make him a special one for the Super Bowl. The old gray one is just fine.

3. The Audi commercial rocked. A Rolls grill in the bed was incredible and I drooled a little bit. That was my favorite. Can you drive that car and be a pastor?

4. I can't believe how well the kids behaved. That was a real treat.

5. Doritos and chocolate go better together than I realized.

6. The microphones that Aikman and Buck were wearing looked really bad. They make smaller ones that work just as well.

7. I can't believe THE GIANTS WON!