Momentum Christian Church

LOST

Ever lost your car keys somewhere in your house? Ever lost your cell phone knowing the battery was dead? Ever lost your kid among the numerous clothing racks at the mall?

If so, you know what God means when he says that his heart beats for things – scratch that – people who are lost, wandering, searching, or scared. He wants the lost to be found…

• Student Ministry Cookout Jul 16 - 6:15-8pm

Mo Events

Mo News

Mo Media Coverage

Mentions of Momentum have been popping up all over! One ad is right in your own theatre seat, so to speak. Next time you head to the movies on a Saturday night, come to the Cinemark in Valley View and you can see a cool advertisement (what other kind would it be!) for Momentum while you munch on your popcorn and wait for those hour-long previews to start. Momentum is also stretching all the way to the east coast now. Dan Smith got a mention in a recent New York Times article that describes the new Web site, GodTube.com. The article explains that GodTube is a YouTube knock off for the Christian set, and offers sermons, theological debates, Christian rap videos (sound familiar?), and low-budget skits. It’s no surprise to the folks at Mo that “Baby Got Book” is a big hit on GodTube (and has more hits than on YouTube)! The coolest part? The Times article explained what the popular video is all about and quoted our very own Dan Smith.

A Church for Kids

Our goal is for your kids to wake up every morning, rub the crust out of their eyes, and ask, “Mommy, is it Sunday yet?”

This is important to me, because I’m a parent. Shannon and I have three kid-Os—a cool little “I’m-climbin’-everything-I-can find” dude named Zion (3 years old) and a little sugar-and-spice princess/manipulator named Azlan (2 years old). Ugh, the eyelashes. And our latest (and final) addition, a boy named Journey. Because of some infertility problems, it took me and Shannon almost 5 years to have Zion—so you have never met two people who feel luckier to be parents. When I found out we were pregnant (yes, “we”—be quiet), I cried like a woman watching Beaches. I’ll never forget that moment.

Likewise, there will be a lot of young singles and couples hanging out at Momentum with little Mini-Me’s, often elementary-age or younger, orbiting around them as they walk the halls of Cinemark Theatre. So we are creating a Sunday morning children’s ministry (birth through elementary) called MoKidz that will have those little dudes and dudettes begging their parents to let them come and learn about God every week.

One of the top reasons that people in their 20s and 30s often don’t get connected at a good church is because many churches don’t offer a safe, quality children’s ministry for their kids that takes place while the parents are in the “big people” service. That’s not my opinion—it’s the feedback of parents who would like to go to church, but don’t. Many parents say that they often take their little ones to unorganized children’s classes only to worry about the safety of their kids while they are trying to enjoy the church service. Or, they end up with antsy, yelling, pooping, crying, seemingly demon-possessed children on their laps in the main service.

I don’t want that for parents. OK—I don’t want that for me! So, your children are one of our highest priorities at Mo. While you are learning and enjoying stuff in the main auditorium, you have the optional opportunity to let your kids interact with other kids their own age—playing games, constructing crafts, and hearing stories and timeless principles from the Bible. Adam & Eve, Noah, the Ten Commandments, Esther, David & Goliath, the Christmas story of Christ’s birth, the miracles of Jesus, the Easter story of His resurrection from the dead, the Golden Rule (“Do to others what you would want them to do to you”)…stuff every kid should, but often doesn’t get the opportunity, to learn. And, honestly—stuff they probably won’t learn (because of the way we teach it) in the main service.

Now that we have babies, I can’t imagine anything happening to them. I know that all parents feel that way. Because of that, my kids’ and your kids’ security is Mo’s biggest concern. We want kids to be safe…and parents to be worry-free. All MoKidz volunteers will have police background checks done before they are able to volunteer with the children. And no one will be able to wander into the kids’ classes without going through our security check-points. And, when your kids need you, our volunteers will come tell you.

Momentum is excited to be a church for kids. Better yet, if we were honest—a church for kids who usually hate going to church. MoKidz will be an investment into the future of Cleveland, Momentum, and your family. And what a change it would be to have kids who wake up hoping that today is the day of the week that they get to go learn about Jesus in a MoKidz program that they love. The thought alone brings tears to my eyes…no Bette Midler required.

Peace,

Dan Smith
Lead Minister

Love God. Love People. Serve the World.

What is Momentum all about? Good question. I like that about you. You’re a thinker.

Well, in one sentence, here’s the answer:

“Momentum moves people forward to love God, love people, and serve the world.”

Simple, huh? As Jesus did in the first century, we want to make faith less complicated and easier to get your arms around. We want to make spiritual growth simple to picture, simple to understand, and as simple as possible to do. That’s not to say that growth will always be easy, but we hope to give clear answers to the question, “What’s my next spiritual step?”

We believe that each of the above three steps – “Love God. Love People. Serve the World.” – build on each other and overlap one another. The Bible says that if you show up on Sunday morning and claim to “Love God” you have to demonstrate that you increasingly “Love People”…or you don’t really “Love God.” (Ouch, God. That hurts.) And once you start learning how to have healthy, spiritually-encouraging relationships with the other people around you (“Love People.”), then it is natural that you will want to sacrifice and care for the people around you. You will want to “Serve the World.” And service and sacrifice are arguably the deepest levels of spirituality that a Christ-following person can reach. It’s amazing how much less painful self-sacrifice can be when you get to do it on a team, though. Shoot, it can even be… dare I say it? Fun.

We want our “Next Step” process to be simple, so people can “move forward” with clear direction. So, each of Momentum’s three main steps has a cool and safe environment associated with it:

Love God → Love people → Serve the World

Momentum’s mission is meant to help us become more like Jesus. The more we desire to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, the more natural it will be for us to move through these three steps and environments. And the more that Momentum become a “spiritual community of love,” the more that lives, marriages, and friendships will be changed to become the healthiest they can be. The most fulfilling life that a human can live is consumed by loving God, loving people, and serving the world.

As you get involved at Momentum, take these steps at your own pace, but take them. You will notice a big difference in your life. More peace, more purpose, more joy… more friends to invite over for the big game. And, trust me, you will have less regrets about your life. It’s hard to imitate the life of Jesus and still have regrets.

And we all know that regrets suck anyway.

Dan Smith
Lead Minister

To hear more about Momentum’s mission, listen to Dan’s Opening Day Sermon, iPod Faith.