King’s Meadow Study Center:
The King’s Meadow Study Center is a not-for-profit educational
organization, first established in 1980 and then reconstituted in its
present form in 1993. Its purpose is assist the modern church to
promote a practical cultural expression of the Christian worldview—in
art, music, literature, politics, social research, community
development, and education. The center seeks to encourage both Biblical
fidelity and cultural excellence as the Gospel goes forth into the
world.
According to the Westminster Confession of Faith, the church has been
entrusted with “the ministry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the
gathering and perfecting of the saints, in this life, to the end of the
world.” In order to faithfully carry out this stewardship wisely, the
mission of the church must be organized around what Francis Schaeffer
called “two contents and two realities.”
The first content is sound doctrine. The church must teach it, exhort
it, nurture it, and highlight it in all that it does in both its
evangelism and its discipleship, from its worship to its societal
presence.
The second content is honest answers to honest questions. The Great
Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) and the Cultural Mandate (Genesis 1:28)
are the church’s highest priorities in mission to the world. They must
be carried out, perpetrated, and perpetuated in gentleness, openness,
kindness, and helpfulness.
The first reality is true spirituality. Holiness, godliness, and
spiritual discipline must be the distinctive marks of the true church.
Thus, prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and fixedness in the Word should be
just as evident in the lives of the members as fervent evangelism and
glorious worship.
The second reality is the beauty of human relationships. Within the
church there should be abundant evidence of true koinonia. At the same
time, relations between the church and the community should show forth
selfless service crafted in tenderness, empathy, excellence,
intelligence, and glory.
Although the work of the King's Meadow Study Center reflects individual
aspects of each of these dimensions of the Christian mission, it
focuses primarily on balancing and integrating all of them together
(Micah 6:8). It attempts to do this through an encouragement of the
“Classical Liberal Arts” of historic Christendom—the weaving together
of art, music, literature, history, theology, and ideas.
Clearly, every Christian is uniquely gifted to serve in the dispersal
of grace and mercy to the whole of culture (1 Peter 4:10). Each member
of the church is in fact, necessary for the proper and effectual
functioning of that work (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). That is why it is so
crucial that believers be properly trained and equipped for the tasks
at hand within Christendom’s brilliant ethos of creativity (Ephesians
4:11-14). Thus, the Center’s outreach is rooted in four basic
principles:
* The church graciously commissioned by Christ to exercise a merciful
discipling influence in the whole of culture (Isaiah 58; Matthew 25;
and James 2).
*
It is the task of mature Christians in every vocation to train others
around them—especially the coming generations—to do good works and to
fulfill their unique callings with beauty, integrity, and passion
(Ephesians 2; Titus 2).
*
A vision for a compassionate and comprehensive Word and Deed worldview
of cultural endeavor is more caught than taught (Luke 4; 2 Corinthians
1).
*
It is more important to equip others as we fulfill our own
callings—following a discipleship model—than it is to attempt good
deeds in isolation, however splendid (Luke 22; 2 Timothy 2).
The
work of the King’s Meadow Study Center is a conscious endeavor to
facilitate Word and Deed effectiveness within the modern church through
any and every means at its disposal—writing, teaching, training,
equipping, performing, and encouraging in churches, schools, seminars,
conferences, and classes by means of audio, video, print, broadcast,
and live media. It is not intended to be a replacement for any of the
functions of the church—the Biblically appointed means of ministry and
testimony to the world. Rather, it is a simply resource for the
church—to enable it to do what God wants it to do as well as to be what
God wants it to be.
top George Grant:
George Grant is the president of the King’s Meadow Study Center, Pastor of Parish Presbyterian Church (PCA), and instructor at Franklin Classical School. He is the author of dozens books in the areas of history, biography, politics, literature, and social criticism and he has written hundreds of essays, articles, and columns. His work on behalf of the homeless, for international relief and development, for racial reconciliation, and for the sanctity of life has been profiled in such varied media outlets as the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Focus on the Family. the 700 Club, the Coral Ridge Hour, Point of View, Crossfire, World Magazine, and Christianity Today.
In
addition to his regular classes in history, literature, theology, and
the arts, he maintains an active writing and speaking schedule in this
country and around the world. He has degrees in Political Science from
the University of Houston (B.A.), Philosophy from Whitefield
Theological Seminary (M.A., D.Litt., Ph.D.), Humanities from Belhaven
College (D.Hum.), and Theology from Knox Theological Seminary (D.Min.
Candidate). He makes his home in Middle Tennessee near the historic
town of Franklin with his wife and co-author Karen. Together they have
three grown children.
His recent books include: The
Importance of the Electoral College, Blood of the Moon: Understanding
the Historic Struggle Between Islam and Western Civilization, Garden
Graces: How the Tasks of Gardening Have Shaped Art, Music, and History,
The Micah Mandate: Balancing the Christian Life, Shelf Life: How Books
Have Changed the Destinies of Men and Nations, and Going Somewhere: A Novel.
These books, innumerable audio tapes, a variety curriculum packages,
and a host of other resources are available through the King’s Meadow
Study Center.
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