Marketing gurus Phil Cooke and Brad Abare appeared in a livestream chat this morning on Conversant Life. These guys are two of the most sought-after consultants in the field of church and religious media communications. Hearing them talk about Christians / media / church / communication / change / effectiveness is amazing because of the way they compliment each other. They really spark one another’s ideas and their seasonings & expertise just flows. I should say that we all serve the Center for Church Communication, the nonprofit parent of Church Marketing Sucks. But,…
Church
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The Digital Sanctuary
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Brad Abare & Phil Cooke on Conversant Life
19 Nov 2009 | 11:09 am -
5 Trends Affecting Your Ministry in 2010
14 Nov 2009 | 1:11 pmLast week Guy Kawasaki directed his readers to a piece called 5 Ways to Create a Future-minded Non-profit. The timing was a great read for me as I get more deeply involved in working with the Center for Church Communication, a non-profit group that “helps the Church matter”. For me, reading the article allows easy application for ministry trends and the importance of leaders strategically resisting attrition, lack of innovation, failure to change, misplaced values, etc. Here what the 5 trends look like when applied to the Church: Shifting demographics. With new generations… -
Story Inspires Us To Become Historytellers
30 Oct 2009 | 8:48 amSpecial thanks to Tim Schraeder for his impressions / interpretations of some of the concepts / dialog / challenges our session raised at Story 09. And thank you to the participants who came to our breakout. Were you there? You’ll see some of your comments and input here in Tim’s notes. Social Media Pulse What are churches current social media patterns? We are living in a world people dreamed of. There used to only be a computer at work… then it went home… then to your lap… now to your hand. Mobile ubiquity, where everyone has a phone, presents challenges and… -
Cultivate Conference This Week
26 Oct 2009 | 9:39 amThis week I’m headed for Chicago and Cultivate 09. Then on to Ben Arment’s Story Gathering. Cultivate will be streaming live and I’ll be doing the interviews with facilitators all day. Who do you wanna see? Kem Meyer Dawn Nicole Baldwin Matt Knisely Tim Schraeder Maurilio Amorim Blair Farley Drew Goodmanson Jon Acuff Phil Cooke Michael Buckingham Brad Abare Kent Shaffer JR Kerr Sarah Hatter Jeremy Scheller Terry Storch Carlos Whittaker Gabe Taviano Cynthia Ware Tony Steward Michael Forsberg Brad Ruggles Clint Runge Justin Wise Tiffani Barnes Bobby Gruenewald Katie Moon… -
SimChurch - Being the Church in a Virtual World
22 Oct 2009 | 7:27 amSince we are still evaluating the reality & potential of church online the question just keeps coming up: “Of course, [virtual church] is possible. But is it biblical?” The following is a response to me from Douglas Estes, author of SimChurch regarding his reflections on this post by Drew Goodmanson - Is Online Community real community; Questions about the virtual church? A virtual church is just as biblical as a Baptist church, a house church, a Lutheran church, a megachurch, a Pentecostal church, a contemporary rock church or a traditional American fundamentalist church. Why?
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Church Marketing Sucks
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Joshua Blankenship on Copying
19 Nov 2009 | 6:38 amIf you're not familiar with Joshua Blankenship, he's the web guru behind the scenes at NewSpring Church in Anderson, S.C. A couple times recently, he's tackled the difficult question of churches, copying and the problems that come along for the ride. We have wrestled with this question a few times recently. But it's always worth another visit. He answers the question, why does it hurt you to "borrow" from other churches' web sites? -
Live Interview with Church Marketing Gurus
18 Nov 2009 | 8:17 amTune in tomorrow, Nov. 19 at 1:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. PT), as Conversant Life does a live interview with Phil Cooke and Brad Abare. They'll be talking church marketing and religious media and taking questions from the online audience. Phil Cooke is a writer, media consultant and filmmaker. His company, Cooke Pictures, advises many of the largest non-profit and faith-based media organizations in the world. He also serves as a board member for the Center for Church Communication, our nonprofit parent. Brad Abare is an entrepreneur at heart and currently serves as the director of communications… -
Boon or Bust Poll Results
18 Nov 2009 | 5:25 amJust yesterday, Michael Buckingham said, The Internet isn't powerful because it connects you to information, but because it connects you to other people. And that's what social media aims to do. In theory, social media is the technology that is connecting the church--to one another, to the world, and even to God. But is it really working? 42% of you say social media has been a wash for your church. People haven't been so zealous about replying you that they've crashed Twitter, but they also haven't gone out of their way to publicly berate you on Facebook. The next biggest chunk of you are the… -
The Internet Is Not Your Delivery Boy
17 Nov 2009 | 6:23 amThe Internet is more than a delivery method. As I was reading a report on the meeting of the European bishops and reps from Facebook, Google, YouTube and Wikipedia, one of the quotes really grabbed me. It points out why so many miss the power of the internet. From the article: During a press conference, [Bishop di Falco] described the Internet "as important as the invention of the printing press," saying just as the printing press helped make the Bible available to everyone who could read, the Internet can make the gospel accessible to everyone who uses the Internet. Too many times this is… -
Church Marketing Plan
16 Nov 2009 | 5:54 amThe United Methodist Church has put together an online tutorial to help churches create a marketing plan. It's a seriously-involved, 5-step effort that includes homework with PDF downloads, action steps and a worksheet to fill out your marketing plan. It starts with with values and vision and ends with ongoing evaluation and adjustment to make sure your plan is working. This is a meaty resource, ideal for any church that wants to get serious about marketing (and no, you don't have to be Methodist). The biggest downside is that it's entirely online, so you're on your own. There are lots of…
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Brad Lomenick
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Cornhole on the National Mall
20 Nov 2009 | 2:31 pmOn Tuesday, the Catalyst team and the National Community Church team squared off on the National Mall in DC for a showdown for the ages. A classic game of cornhole. Two rival teams both at the top of their game….. both ranked in the top 10 of all cornhole teams in the country. What you might call a slobberknocker….. Well, once the tally was in, it was clear who was the better bean bag throwers….. NCC dominated. And Mark Batterson actually beat me 21-1 in a mano e mano showdown. I had no chance. He is the Lebron James of Cornhole. At the top of his game. And it showed. A… -
Interview with Jamie Tworkowski
18 Nov 2009 | 6:28 pmCheck out this great interview with Jamie Tworkowski, founder of To Write Love on Her Arms. Just found out that Jamie won the MTV Woodie Award last night. Beating out John Legend, Wyclef Jean, and Alicia Keys. Congrats!! Click here to view the embedded video. -
Who needs you to reach out?
17 Nov 2009 | 9:12 pmMost of us aren’t “experts” at relationships. Whether dealing with family, friends, co-workers, new acquaintances, or team members, we are all guilty of coming up short. It seems like every day I goof up in the way I relate, communicate, and lead. I’m sure this scenario applies to you right now, or will soon. A business deal gone bad. A conversation that was really tense. A mis-spoken word or hurtful phrase- either directed towards you or from you. Gossip behind your back that you know about, and so does the person who said it. Disagreements turned into frustration and… -
Hangin with FEE Backstage- Catalyst One Day
17 Nov 2009 | 5:27 amAs you can tell from this clip, I’ll be a featured vocalist on FEE’s next album, as well as on their next tour in the spring……. Click here to view the embedded video. -
Five Good Quotes
15 Nov 2009 | 4:33 am1. “leadership functions on the basis of trust. When trust is gone, the leader soon will be.” - John C. Maxwell 2. “you miss 100% of the shots you never take.” - Wayne Gretzky 3. “he who is good at making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” - Benjamin Franklin 4. “no man ever listened himself out of a job.” - Calvin Coolidge 5. “my God-given talent is my ability to stick with something longer than anyone else.” - Herschel Walker
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Greg Atkinson
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Need a Laugh?
20 Nov 2009 | 12:02 amLife is short and life can be tough. Lately I’ve needed to intentionally find ways to laugh. I believe laughter is healing to the soul and those that laugh regularly live longer. This commercial makes me laugh. I hope you enjoy it, too. -
Waiting
16 Nov 2009 | 12:12 amThe latest is that we have an appointment with a kidney specialist on Thursday and will be doing several tests to try to diagnose what disease is causing cysts in both of my wife’s kidneys. As you can imagine, it’s tough to wait ’til Thursday. We should know more after that visit. Thanks for your prayers. We can feel them. -
Emotional Day
11 Nov 2009 | 12:08 amYesterday was an emotional day. My wife got her test results and they weren’t good. We’re now looking at a future surgery on her kidneys and dealing with the big “c” word – as it looks like she has cancer in her right kidney. The amazing part of yesterday were the hundreds of Twitter responses that I received (plus text messages and phone calls from family, friends and ministers around the country). I saw the Body of Christ acting like the Body of Christ. I know we’re covered in prayer and we move forward with hope and trust in our God who heals. We still… -
Crazy Season of Life
9 Nov 2009 | 11:38 pmYesterday my son Tommy had surgery. All went well and he is recovering. Today my wife is seeing a kidney specialist – I’d appreciate your prayers as she gets some tests results and we find out what’s ahead of us. In the midst of all this, we’re also trying to sell our home. Life can be crazy, but I (we) know we have a Rock to hold on to. He is faithful and we place our hope and trust in Him. Thanks for your prayers. -
Pray For My Son Tommy Today
9 Nov 2009 | 12:48 amMy son, Tommy (age 7) is having surgery today to get his tonsils taken out. This is our first child to have surgery so pray for mom and dad, too. Pray that Tommy isn’t in too much discomfort and heals quickly. While you’re at it, pray for my wife – she’s having issues with her kidneys and may need surgery soon, too. Thanks!
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churchrelevance.com
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Church via the White Man (a collateral damage issue)
19 Nov 2009 | 10:39 pmThe majority of church leaders influencing other Church leaders (particularly in the Western hemisphere) through writing books, speaking at conferences, and doing the whole digital media thing are white men. Statistically, I expect this to change by the end of this century because of the demographic shift of Hispanics in the Western hemisphere and the growth of Christianity in the Eastern hemisphere. But for now, it is the white man’s world… so to speak. And unfortunately, unanticipated collateral damage can happen because of it. UPDATE: To clarify, I am not saying that whites… -
Building Kindergartens is Stuff Christians Like
13 Nov 2009 | 2:42 pmJon Acuff of Stuff Christians Like challenged his readers to raise $30,000 to build a kindergarten in Vietnam through Samaritan’s Purse. They did so within 18 hours. Now the goal has been raised to $60,000 to build 2 kindergartens in Vietnam through Samaritan’s Purse. You can help! Donate to give kids in Vietnam a free education. Sponsored by: Custom Design to Reach Your Audience Attract more visitors to your church with your website. -
Half of U.S. Kids Use Food Stamps Before Age 20
4 Nov 2009 | 6:55 amMark R. Rank of the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis co-authored a study analyzing the financial circumstances of U.S. kids (ages 1-20) over a period of 30 years. Key findings include: 49% of all U.S. kids will be in a household that uses food stamps at some point during their childhood. >> 90% of black kids >> 37% of white kids >> 91% of kids in single-parent homes >> 37% of kids in married homes Nearly 25% of all U.S. kids will be in households that use food stamps for 5+ years during childhood. 97% of U.S. kids by age… -
SimChurch by Douglas Estes
21 Oct 2009 | 9:35 amSimChurch is a book by Douglas Estes of Western Seminary (San Jose, CA) and Berryessa Valley Church (San Jose, CA) that explores the answers to the question, “what does it mean to ‘do’ church in the virtual world?” I had an opportunity to ask Douglas Estes a question of my own: What are the main advantages that a virtual church has that a brick and mortar church doesn’t? Here is what Douglas said: The average Christian in our world today is only vaguely aware of the coming role of the internet in being and doing church, and many are stuck on the questions of whether… -
Andy Stanley on Creating a Healthy Work Culture
9 Oct 2009 | 2:27 pmAndy Stanley of North Point Community Church (Alpharetta, GA) closed Catalyst Conference’s last and 10th session by discussing how to create a healthy work culture at your church.. Here is what he said: I think that your church and your church culture should be the healthiest organizational culture in your city. I think that business people in your city should stop by during the week and say, “Wow! I have never seen an organization run so well!” I am not talking about on Sunday. I am talking about your church’s weekly work culture. Think about this. In the local church…
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Evotional.com
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Corn Hole on the Mall
20 Nov 2009 | 11:40 amJust got a picture from LV Hanson of Catalyst fame. Had a blast hanging on with the Brad and Chad and the entire Catalyst crew this week. Good times. NCC took the corn hole tourney 8-4, but we had home field advantage. I think the Catalyst team was distracted by the Capitol. I was impressed with their corn hole skilz. -
8 Inches of Perfectionism
20 Nov 2009 | 7:44 amJust for posterity sake, here is a picture of all the rough drafts of Primal. Not sure how many revisions I did, but my perfectionism is at its worst when I'm writing. I measure every word. The end result? A stack of manuscripts eight inches high.Snapped this picture before recycling. -
Kindle Edition
20 Nov 2009 | 5:29 amJust found out that Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity will be released in its Kindle Edition on December 22. Still thinking about converting to Kindle myself because I'm literally out of shelves! I have books stacked on top of my shelves and on the floor. The only hesitation? I love the feel of a book in my hand. -
Glorified Senses
20 Nov 2009 | 5:18 amI'm looking forward to my resurrection body when I cross the spacetime continuum and enter eternity. Maybe it's because I have so many issues--asthma, two reconstructed knees, ruptured intestines. But the thing I anticipate most are glorified senses.Thank God for our fives senses, but they are very limited. We can only hear sounds between 20 and 20,000 hertz for example. Everything else is infrasound or ultrasound. That's why we can't hear angels voices. But our glorified ear drums will be able to hear their beautiful voices. And more importantly, we'll hear the voice of our Lord and Savior,… -
Unauthorized Version
19 Nov 2009 | 12:38 pmLooking forward to hanging out with some church planters tonight. We're hosting a church planting event for the ARC at Ebenezers. Thinking about sharing the unauthorized version of my church planting story. I'm a failed church planter. The first church I tried to plant never got off the ground. The great irony is that I put together a 25-year plan for one of my seminary classes and I actually got an A on the project. The church plant? I got a big fat F. I had zero experience going into the plant. I had preached some, but I had never been on a church staff. I led worship and told Lora to play…
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djchuang.com
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How to find a mentor for yourself
19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pmWhere have all the mentors gone? It saddened me to hear that Kyle Reed asked a dozen people to be his mentor, and to be turned down and rejected. What’s up with that? Watch this interview to hear what Kyle wants to do to change this situation: Kyle (on twitter @kylelreed) may very well be right, if a young person can’t find a mentor in their church for the Kingdom of God, they’ll find one elsewhere outside the church. So, add your comment below and get this conversation going! -
Let’s get missional, missional…
14 Nov 2009 | 7:25 amMissional communities are the conversations du jour among church leaders, escalating during the past few years. Now there are gatherings (conferences) that revolve around how we can be more missional. (Several local and regional gatherings have already happened, though I haven’t been counting.) A regional (free) unconference about missional churches is happening this weekend called Verge LA. I’ll be there most of today. Definitely want to hear Kevin Doi, currently scheduled at 1:45pm, and you can watch via livestream at ecclesianet.com. And, I’ll get to meet in person, JR… -
how a conflict played out in social media
6 Nov 2009 | 7:21 am“Conflict is something that will always be. It is neither good nor bad, it simply is.” [cf. Sam Chand] The incident regarding Deadly Viper had set the online world ablaze, and very uncomfortable words of pain festered in the open space [cf. read this summary]. My prayer was that the key leaders at the core of the conflict would resolve it privately, walking through their respective pains together with each other. This direct conversations has since happened offline in private, and an appropriate resolution is in the works. A public statement has been issued. I commend all involved… -
How to raise up minority leaders
5 Nov 2009 | 8:22 amAsian and Latino. Techie and Non-techie. Conference junkie and conference rock star. DJ Chuang and Rudy Carrasco. We’ve been friends online and offline. Now we’re thousands of miles apart. Web technology has kept us connected. And one of the burning issues we often banter about is raising up minority leaders. People and organizations say they want to collaborate and have more diversity in their leadership, but it’s so hard to find qualified leaders to work with. Why is that? We had a conversation about that in this wetoku-powered video. Watch it: I have a feeling this is… -
Impact matters more than intention
3 Nov 2009 | 10:25 pmWow. These blog post comment threads at here and here about unintentional racial stereotypes is blowing up. Big. Time. [cf. summary] I think that discussing highly-emotionally charged issues in an asynchronous public forum like the online blogosphere is mostly ineffective. One party describes the pain of the impact from the (alleged) offense, while the other party tries to describe the original intent, all sincere and good. To quote Sam Chand, “The difference between reality and expectation is conflict.” Both sides have unmet expectations. Both sides have different perceptions of…
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Rhett Smith
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Facebook Isn’t the Problem…But Maybe Your Marriage Is
18 Nov 2009 | 3:04 pm[image (47/365) :: Saga] Triangling Facebook Into the Marital Unit Often I find myself working with a kid in therapy whose parents have brought him/her in because of the problems they are creating in the family. In therapy/counseling terms that kid has become the identified patient. In short, the identified patient is: The family member in whom the family’s symptom has emerged or is most obvious. But often it doesn’t take long to realize that the problem really isn’t the kid, but rather the kid is just “acting out” because of what is going on in the… -
Revisiting Facebook’s Effect on Marriage and Relationships
17 Nov 2009 | 1:45 pm[image by soundlessfall] Earlier this summer I was contacted by Irving Bible Church in Las Colinas, TX to write an article on technology for their monthly magazine. After talking with the editor at length we eventually agreed upon a topic that we thought would be of importance to the readers — We came up with Is Facebook Making Your Marriage Vulnerable for the October 2009 issue of Chattermag. I thought/think is a very important topic, and will only continue to grow, but I have been amazed at how this topic has been at the heart of many conversations that I have been a part of… -
On the Similarities Between Being a Writer and Being a Therapist
16 Nov 2009 | 1:02 pmThough Anne Lamott is speaking on writing–I think it can also be used as one of the best explanations for what a therapist does. I inserted the word therapist for writer and it best explains some of what goes on in therapy–things that are hard to put into words. [image by Hamed Saber] “We write to expose the unexposed. If there is one door in the castle you have been told not to go through, you must. Otherwise, you’ll just be rearranging furniture in rooms you’ve already been in. Most human beings are dedicated to keeping that one door shut. But the… -
Providing Understanding for Parent’s Experiences Around Their Kids and Technology
12 Nov 2009 | 9:37 am[image by Jeremy] More and more recently I have been afforded some great opportunities to work with parents around the issue of their kids and technology. There have been some great conversations taking place in the context of therapy, church ministry and some conferences and workshops I have been fortunate enough to play a role in. Last night the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families did a presentation at HPPC on kids and technology, and they asked me to sit in as one of the panel guests in order to help facilitate some of my own thoughts on the presentation and… -
MyTherapistMatch: Clearing the Connection Hurdle Between Client and Therapist
11 Nov 2009 | 1:00 amFinding a therapist can be a very daunting process for many people. Finding a good therapist can be even more daunting. This last summer I posted What to Look for in a Therapist and How to Find a Good Therapist hoping that my thoughts on the issue might benefit some people who find themselves in the midst of this process. It seems that everyday more and more tools are coming out that are helping bridge that connection between therapist and client. In fact, I was pointed to this site MyTherapistMatch by one of my good friends, and I decided to take the questionairre myself to see what kind of…
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MondayMorningInsight
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I Don’t Think T-Dog is Reading the Same Bible as Us…
20 Nov 2009 | 4:45 amYou gotta love cable access shows, especially when you pair a really serious KJV guy with someone who wants to talk about this particular Bible passage... -
Let Henrietta and Merna Be the First to Wish you a Merry Christmas!
20 Nov 2009 | 4:42 amA special thanks to the folks at Tominthebox for sharing this wonderful Christmas song. I hope you enjoy! -
Kenny the Banana Makes his Debut on Christian TV
20 Nov 2009 | 4:37 amEveryone loves a person in a giant banana suit. Especially Christians. Come on... you know you like it! What's the weirdest thing you've ever seen on Christian TV? Todd -
Gotta Love Jack Van Impe… But Come On…
20 Nov 2009 | 4:29 amJack's now predicting the Tribulation to begin because of the new One World Order (John 2:34) brought on by Barak Obama (Isaiah 6:42). I've watched Jack Van Impe off and on since I was a child (Ez. 7:19), and he's always had a plan (Mark 2:14) that kept us on our toes (Lev 2:34) and prepared us for what is to come in the next six months to two years (Phil. 3:14). What do you think? (Hez. 3:31)? -
Stressful Jobs that Pay Badly: #10 Pastor; #5 Worship Pastor
19 Nov 2009 | 6:06 amYou think your job sucks? You may have just gotten some confirmation. According to this article from CNNMoney.com, two major church roles have the distinction of being the most stressful jobs that pay badly! Coming in at #5: Music Ministry Director Median pay: $40,800 % who say their job is stressful: 67% You may not think of people who plan, direct and conduct performances for religious services as being under a particularly high amount of stress. But they also choose the appropriate psalm or hymn for every wedding and funeral -- only some of the most important events in a…
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LifeChurch.tv : swerve
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Does Size Matter? (Part 4)
19 Nov 2009 | 2:41 amI love small businesses. Four years ago, I bought my only television from a local, small business. They delivered it, set it up, and called a week later to see how I liked it. Great service. I decided to get a second television so I could watch the Superbowl while my kids watched “18 Kids and Counting” or whatever they’ll be watching. So I went back to the small business. The sales guy remembered me and showed me four different televisions that might work. He quoted me a price. I decided to compare prices and went to a mega-store. The salesman showed me probably 40… -
Does Size Matter? (Part 3)
18 Nov 2009 | 2:40 amYesterday, we talked about one option for those who prefer small churches: Pray like crazy that you don’t reach new people, so your church will stay small–just the way you like it! Here are some more options: Start new churches. Instead of trying to bring people in, let’s send some people out. Start or participate in a network of house churches. (In some ways, that’s how I see our church. The purest form of the church is the LifeGroup. My LifeGroup is in many ways my church. Then all our groups meet corporately with the larger body.) Start new campuses. The bottom line… -
Does Size Matter? (Part 2)
17 Nov 2009 | 2:43 amSomeone told me, “I love your church, but it is just too big for me.” Their statement raises some questions: When is a church just the right size? Is 12 just right? How about 120? Maybe 3,000? When does a church become too big? Is there a magic number? Is it when all the people can no longer meet in one service? Or one campus? Or one state? Or one country? If you like a small church, I guess you can find one and pray like crazy that you don’t reach new people, then the church will stay small…just like you like it. Or… more tomorrow. -
Does Size Matter? (Part 1)
16 Nov 2009 | 2:41 am(This week, I’m reposting a series from 2007.) Why do some people go to small churches? Why do others go to large churches? This is certainly an oversimplification, but track with me. People tend to stay at small churches because they are: 1) Needed Each week, someone is counting on them to pass out the red attendance folders, vacuum the floor, fill the communion cups, or help organize the choir robes. They are needed. 2) Known People love small churches because they are known. If they have a toenail operation, someone knows. If they miss church, someone calls. If their pet cat gets hit… -
Social Media Leveraged to Build Kindergarten
13 Nov 2009 | 8:52 amThis week, a pretty cool thing happened over at the Stuff Christians Like blog. On Monday, Jon Acuff shared an idea with his readers: let’s raise $30,000 to build a kindergarten in Vietnam. He hoped to reach that goal by December 31. Instead, it happened in 18 hours. From 5:00am to 11:00pm, readers donated the full $30,000 so that 240 kids in Vietnam could go to school. Building on the momentum from the overwhelming response, they’ve set their sights on building a second kindergarten by his initial goal of December 31. It’s great to see social media being used effectively to…
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Duo Digest
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Chap Clark Video: Inside the World of Teenagers
17 Nov 2009 | 5:46 pmThe world has changed. Parents of teenagers know it. Watch Dr. Chap Clark's guided tour of the world as teenagers know it. Chap Clark - Inside the World of Today's Teenagers - Part 1 of 3 from MPPC on Vimeo.Chap Clark - Inside the World of Today's Teenagers - Part 2 of 3 from MPPC on Vimeo.Chap Clark - Inside the World of Today's Teenagers - Part 3 of 3 from MPPC on Vimeo. -
Our Heroes - An Indictment
11 Nov 2009 | 6:27 pmSo, I'm taking a GRE practice test and I'm asked to respond to this statement "Sports stars and movie stars have an obligation to behave as role models to the young people who look up to them. In return for the millions of dollars that they are paid, we should expect them to fulfill this responsibility."Here's what I said. Pretty sure it's barely adequate, but I found it interesting to reflect on nonetheless.Many in our society assert that sports and movie starts are obligated to behave as role models because young people look to them as such. Furthermore, they have declared their enormous… -
I am second
21 Oct 2009 | 9:10 pmCheck out this simple, clear way to bring stories of following Jesus to your glocal neighbors. I hope to see it, and others like it across the map. www.iamsecond.com -
God's Word is Dangerous Entertainment
18 Oct 2009 | 7:59 pmI know an unbeliever who while in the middle of a prolonged affair, oddly loved to listen to a local preacher who repeatedly scolded adulterers. This guy had a sense that the preacher was speaking God's Word, but he nonetheless made no effort to leave his life of sin. Then, one day, despite his fondness for him, he killed the preacher.I am, of course, talking about King Herod and John the Baptist. This old story is a relevant warning to all who come to church as religious consumers and listen to sermons as entertainment.Mark 6 tells us that John railed against Herod, telling him "It is not… -
Video of John Ortberg and Gary Hamel on Innovation and the Church
28 Sep 2009 | 1:24 pmGary Hamel was ranked #1 most influential business thinker in the world in 2009 by the Wall Street Journal. His talk at Willow Creek's Leadership Summit 2009 was touted by many as the highest impact and he's here sharing a lot of the same thoughts on what the church needs to come to grips with, and how it needs to innovate.It is equal parts disturbing and inspirational.Watch him being interviewed here by John Ortberg.Shifting Tides
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Church 2.0 - the blog
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ChurchMediaDesign.TV
19 Nov 2009 | 10:24 amChurchMediaDesign.tv is a great site to learn more on how to use and create media for church. Their newest episode #89 featured a documentary that Hillsong Television made about “Church News”. Church News is a 3-minute segment in their weekend services where announcements are made or ads as they call them. There area a lot of good tips on filming and producing video elements in this show along with the resources, technology, and programs they used to produce this seqment of their weekend services. It's worth checking out! www.churchmediadesign.tv -
Get An iPhone App for Your Church
16 Nov 2009 | 5:36 amTruthCasting is a website that will allow you to host your sermon video's for free. Now they are offering you a customized iPhone app that will show up on iTunes for a small fee. Check it out. -
Attractive and Compelling
12 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amFollowing my post a couple days ago on Going Where the People Are, I wanted to say that going where the people are isn't enough, nor is content alone enough. You need to be attractive and compelling. That's why CSS and layout is important. Don't worry you don't have to really understand CSS, but think of it as code that organizes content in attractive and compelling ways. In lamen terms it is code that personalizes the layout and background to websites or social networking platforms. IT SETS YOU APART One of the best facebook examples that I have seen is Soul City Church's fan… -
Go Where The People Are
10 Nov 2009 | 5:10 amIt's obvious, that in the social networking scene, facebook has emerged as the front runner. Not only is Facebook powerful because of it's ability to collaborate, communicate, invite, and present to one another. But it's powerful because it's where the people are. I can't even tell you how many people (from nearly every demographic) want be my friend on facebook. And I can't tell you how many people who have never set foot into our church gatherings/services, but have become a fan on our churches facebook fan page. So now our church has direct access into their lives… -
Guru's Tutorial...
15 Oct 2009 | 6:33 amOne of the most creative designers I've crossed paths with is Barton Damer (Alreadybeenchewed.net) At Guru's conference Barton did some fabulous tutorials that are now online. Motion Graphics using After Effects and Cinema 4D Graphic Design using Photoshop and Illustrator Here is a tutorial he did at the Echo conference... BartonDamer-Tutorial 1 from Echo Conference on Vimeo.
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Jesus Hates Papyrus
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Shock & Awe at Holy Cow! Creative.
6 Nov 2009 | 7:11 amIt’s a big day for Holy Cow Creative. We’re moving to an office. Up until now our office has been Starbucks, a pizza joint downtown, my home office, but now God has opened up an opportunity that gives us our own space and an “official” office. It’s a part of the MidMichigan Innovation Center, an incubator that looks for companies that are pushing the limits and doing a new thing. This gives me not just an office but access to conference rooms, administrative staff, the whole works. I am truly grateful and in awe as I see the favor of God. Scripture says that when… -
Jesus Hates Papyrus iPhone Wallpaper
4 Nov 2009 | 5:23 amI received a DM on twitter Monday: @daniellsuzanne: u should turn the back of ur business card into an iPhone wallpaper – i’d use it! Made my day. How could I resist a request like that? So here they are for you to enjoy. Feel free to spread the word, but will you please link to here so that I can see how many of you are downloading the wallpaper and see if I should make some more down the road? -
Creativity breeds creativity.
2 Nov 2009 | 5:58 amIt was already an honor to have designed the logo for Cultivate, certainly a highlight to be involved with so many great people to put the conference together. Then I arrived on Monday to Park Community Church and was given the news “we’re putting your logo in lights” As Dawn Nicole put it, “it was like watching my kids faces on Christmas.” I was thrilled and excited to see that come together. I was even more excited that my creativity led to someone else pouring out their creativity. And it didn’t stop there…it was also drawn out in chalk in the… -
A lesson from Microsoft.
23 Oct 2009 | 6:17 amMicrosoft shows an example of what happens when you only focus on “effective”. Microsoft launched a store. The store looks nice. In fact it even looks cool. People are talking about their store. Sounds like everything is a big win. All the requirements have been met. But wait…they left out creative and original, and ended up creating a store that looks like they, like everyone else, wants to be just like Apple. The new commercial should be “Hi I’m a PC…and I want to be a Mac.” The lesson: Don’t discount creativity and originality. Embrace… -
This was a name changer.
20 Oct 2009 | 7:39 pmHopefully your cache has been shaken loose and you can now see that the blog has a new name. JesusHatesPapyrus.com I wrote awhile ago about the tone of the blog, what to write, balancing my writing here with my involvement at ChurchMarketingSucks…and I think this is a nice step in that direction. Of course, a name change alone doesn’t change things, but it gets the ball rolling. I also hope the new name will bring more people, and more importantly, more conversation. I go through the many of the same things you go through. I wrestle with a new logo, have dry spells when all I can…
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BeDeviant.com
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Cultivate & John Maxwell – Separated at Birth?
19 Nov 2009 | 9:33 amJohn Maxwell, legit leadership guru, has a new book coming out. It’s called Everyone Communicates Few Connect. I haven’t read it (it’s not out yet), but I anticipate it will sell well and be a good read. But a few of my fellow Cultivators noticed something that I posit to you. Could it be that Maxwell’s design team “borrowed heavily” from the Cultivate 09 imaging? You decide: What do you think? Creative coincidence or design doppelgangery? Other Posts You May Enjoy:Down the Aisle, Disbelief, and a Bag of WeedCultivate 09 and Story 09 Wrap-Up… -
How to Have a Spiritual Life Like a Saint
18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amCall it what you want, but a “quiet time” (a.k.a. QT, devotions, devotionals, devos, God time, date with Jesus [editor's note: *shudder*], etc.) has been a staple of the evangelical diet for decades. And for good reason. The primary purpose of this time is to get with God and let him speak to you–through his Word, through prayer, through other literature, through music, etc. Although this practice can quickly lead into a “checklist” activity (i.e. “I must have my quiet time with God or he won’t love me anymore!” We snicker, but I knew kids in… -
What Everybody Ought to Know About the Web
17 Nov 2009 | 7:29 amThe Harvard Business blog had an article the other day that was, aptly titled, “Five Mind-Blowing Web Stats.” They were, in fact, mind-blowing. The stats boiled down look like this: There has been a 40,000-fold increase in websites from 15 years ago. We’ve gone from 5,000 to 200+ million. The blogosphere is doubling between once and twice a year, and there are nearly 1 million blog posts per day. There have been over 5 billion tweets. Google receives nearly 2 billion queries per day. Facebook is adding 700,000 new users per day. Half of the top-ten websites are between 5-6… -
Infant Baptism: Yes or No?
16 Nov 2009 | 7:50 amWhat is your opinion on infant baptism and why? (And no, “I think it’s dumb” doesn’t count. Neither does, “Because it’s tradition!” I want good, thought-out reasoning as to why you believe what you believe.) Ready? Go! Other Posts You May Enjoy:How to Have a Spiritual Life Like a SaintStrummin ‘ My Theological Pain with His Fingers…Steps to Avoid Becoming a ‘YES’ Man or Woman -
Top 5 Posts of the Week
15 Nov 2009 | 7:28 pmHere’s a recap of the top five posts from BeDeviant.com this past week. If you haven’t had a chance to stop by the site, check out these posts and get up-to-date. These got the most traffic on the site, were shared the most, and had the most comments. Google Wave Giveaway! The name says it all. We gave away some Google Wave invites … Did you win? Asking the Wrong Questions About Online Community – “Is online community real?” We look at how this question has already been answered and what we can do next. How One Blogger Changed the World – Do you know who Jon…
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Eric Bryant - Blog
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Free PFP Audiobook Offer for DBU & Baylor Students
20 Nov 2009 | 4:20 amIf you attended one of the chapel services at DBU or Baylor, you could win a free copy of the Peppermint-Filled Pinatas Audiobook! Here’s how you can win! If you are willing to listen to the audiobook and help promote it, send me an email at eric@mosaic.org with “Free PFP Audiobook” as the subject. I will randomly choose 20 people with DBU or Baylor email addresses on Tuesday, Nov. 24th to receive a free copy! (Promotion ideas could include an online review at amazon.com, audible.com, iTunes, your blog, facebook, or encouraging your ministry leader, pastor, or small group… -
Amena Brown Teleseminar (Dec. 8th)
19 Nov 2009 | 7:01 amOur next LIVE, free teleseminar will be with Amena Brown on December 8, 2009 at 2pm (PST). Amena is a writer, poet, and spoken-word performer who also serves as part of the Origins Project creative team. Her latest album can be found at cdbaby.com. We will be discussing mobilizing artists and reaching people through the arts. SIGN UP HERE! Listen to previous teleseminars here! -
“What Would Google Do?” by Jeff Jarvis
18 Nov 2009 | 5:51 amI have been reading a lot lately on the topic of innovation. Specifically, I have been reading about the skills necessary to be effective at creating and sustaining a culture of innovation. One of the books I’ve enjoyed was Jeff Jarvis’ book What Would Google Do? When writing about the new ethic of our new world (as represented by Google), Jarvis writes: “Make mistakes well Corrections do not diminish credibility. Corrections enhance credibility. Standing up and admitting your errors makes you more believable; it gives your audience faith that you will right your future… -
“Speak Human Please” by Charles Lee
17 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am“Speak Human Please” by Charles Lee: “During a leadership meeting last year at Mosaic, I heard Erwin McManus share about the inability of many faith leaders to “speak human.” He was referencing the lack of ability in many faith leaders to speak in a way that could be understood by those outside of their particular faith context. I think there is a principle here that is true of any profession or group/tribe. Whether you’re leading an organization, business, or movement, it’s vitally important to develop the ability to communicate well with those who may not be… -
DBU & Baylor Chapels
16 Nov 2009 | 5:54 amIf you live near Dallas or Central Texas or know someone who does, I wanted to let you know I am speaking at the following schools at their chapel in case you or someone you know would like to come. November 20: DBU Chapel Dallas, TX November 23: Baylor Chapel Waco, TX
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ThePewView.com
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Peace.
17 Nov 2009 | 5:15 amNothing can destroy the very life of an organization or team than for its leaders to be afraid of conflict. -
What Christmas Means.
16 Nov 2009 | 9:09 pmI can think of no better present to wrap (and unwrap) this year under the tree than that of AUTHENTIC WORSHIP. -
Permission To Cheat.
13 Nov 2009 | 4:38 amThe time has come for us to stop giving presents. And BE present. -
Hippos.
9 Nov 2009 | 4:32 amI absolutely LOVE this cartoon. -
Trading Shoes.
6 Nov 2009 | 5:07 amIt is far more necessary to protect the vision of an organization, than the feet of a leader.
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reyes-chow :: FAITH
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Rest well Grandpa Chow, March 7, 1922 - November 18, 2009
19 Nov 2009 | 10:39 amYesterday, surrounded by his family, Chuck Chow passed away; a wonderfully peaceful end to a wonderfully full life.My cousin has posted a beautiful post about Grandpa Chow capturing images and words that gives just a glimpse of the this silent, gentle and firm man.As with most grandchildren I only saw glimpses of that young feisty version of Grandpa that we heard about so often. Still, I revel in memories of stories told and passed along: his time as a mah jong pit boss, his work as a butcher at Centro Mart and the war stories he would tell - complete with rifle - fighting for the US in… -
Top 10 etiquette tips for tweeting a meeting, class or worship service
28 Oct 2009 | 8:28 am[image: jonesing1]More and more we are seeing tweeting become part our everyday life. From sharing information about disasters and revolutions to informing followers of your breakfast menu or latest crush, like it or not, some form of micro-blogging is probably here to stay. One of the ways that tweeting is seeping into our day-to-day is through the live-tweeting of meetings, classes and church worship services. Now I am not talking about live-tweeting a conference or some other event that WANTS you to help get the word out, but smaller types of gatherings where there is an expectation… -
Friends are Friends Forever . . .
24 Oct 2009 | 6:30 pmYou all remember that Micheal W. Smith song, Friends are Friends Forever? Oh sure you do and admit it, you like it. You may mock those who get all teary and sway back-and-forth at conference good-byes, but you and I both know that if not for those BFF's - yeah I just used "BFF" - you would not have survived middle school with as little damage to your psyche as you did.Over the past few months, I have had some meaningful interactions with some close friends where I have needed to do some leaning and others where I have had to do the propping up. As I reflect on these things I am reminded… -
www.reyes-chow.com is on hiatus
24 Oct 2009 | 6:14 pmIn an attempt to focus, focus, focus, unless really moved to post something non-book-writing related, this blog will go on hiatus until sometime in 2010. Would love to have you join me in the adventure of writing, Embracing the Gray: Musings on Family, Faith and the Pursuit of an American Dream.E. the G. blog | @embracingtheG on Twitter | E. the G. FB Fan Page -
The book writing begins in earnest, come along?
20 Oct 2009 | 7:21 pmIt has been a while since I have blogged anything of substance lately - no offense to those who think facebook quizzes are of substance - but life has been pretty wild as of late. Travel during the summer/fall have taken a toll on all involved, we just added two new staff at the church I serve and, slowly but surely, I can feel the denomination beginning to shift in their relationship to me as moderator. So . . . that does begin to beg the question, "what then after I am done being moderator." With just over eight months left to go in my term, questions have…
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Kindle Prayers
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Marriage Reconciliation
20 Nov 2009 | 12:40 pmPlease pray for my marriage. My wife left 9/1/09. She says she doesn't want to be accountable to anyoen other than the children (3 kids). Please pray that she will soften her heart towards God as she is saying God is telling her that divorce is what she needs to do. I am trying to stand the gap for our mariiage. Please pray for her, our children and me. -
GOD BLESS MY MOM!!!
19 Nov 2009 | 8:02 pmMy Mom. She is very sick with infection as well as other ailments. She suffers so much. Please pray for healing. -
My uncle Harvey needs a miracle, he recently had a stroke and now kidneys are shutting down! Please pray for him
19 Nov 2009 | 12:18 pmPlease pray for my Uncle Harvey, he recently suffered a severe stroke and now his kidneys are failing. PLEASE!! We need a miracle!! PLEASE pray for him! -
God connect me with more intercessors
19 Nov 2009 | 1:25 amJesus You are the Head of the Body of Christ. I ask you to direct more than one hundred intercessors to subscribe to Seven Monday Requests for Our Stewardship Community. -
True Vine grant that I abide in You
19 Nov 2009 | 1:24 amTrue Vine grant that I abide in You and bear much good fruit as you allow many anointed times in the creativity zone.
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Tony Steward
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@garyvee Great to shake your hand - thanks for all you do. Passion, Care, DNA, & #crushit
20 Nov 2009 | 8:42 pmPermalink | Leave a comment » -
Baby Agility - haha
20 Nov 2009 | 4:01 pmvia Birdfeed Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Sad Salt
20 Nov 2009 | 11:38 amvia Birdfeed Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Our first Mo-Sista Donation! #Movember // thanks @amyurbach
19 Nov 2009 | 8:31 am(4083 KB) Watch on posterous Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Secret video!
18 Nov 2009 | 9:37 am(902 KB) Watch on posterousWe are shooting a secret video - muahahaha! Permalink | Leave a comment »
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Church Forward
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A Simple Idea to Invigorate Corporate Prayer
12 Nov 2009 | 11:49 amYou inherit a lot when you’re a new pastor at an established church. Being the new guy at FBC Murray, I did not realize until I got here how important prayer is to this church. I’ve been blessed to inherit such a healthy attitude about prayer among the people. We pray collectively every Wednesday evening. The church recognizes the importance of both corporate and private prayer times. I love praying with my church family for many reasons, but it’s most exciting because they are so passionate. There’s nothing specifically cutting-edge about our prayer time. We spend about a third of… -
One of the Biggest Reasons Why Churches Decline
5 Nov 2009 | 3:59 pmMy wife and I are in San Diego this week at the National Outreach Convention. It’s been a great convention thus far. I had the opportunity to lead a discussion group this morning …at 7:15AM! I think most of the attendees were on central or eastern time . A person in our group asked a great question: How do you define and assess church health? We spent the next hour discussing this issue, but let me share with you one point of our discussion that is perhaps one of the most neglected church health metrics: attendance frequency. Most churches track how many people attend, but few churches… -
The Amiable Autocrat
25 Oct 2009 | 5:01 pmI found myself last week in a friendly exchange with a ministry team leader about one line item in their budget. Then I realized I was micro-managing. Even though my intentions were good, and my tone pleasant, I was still acting like an autocrat. Nice dictators exist, at least in the leadership sense. I refer to these types of leaders in the church as amiable autocrats. Friendly church dictators rule from their positional authority. They order everyone around because their title enables them to do so, and they do it with a smile. Amiable autocrats are typically well-liked by the general… -
How Different Generations View the Bible
22 Oct 2009 | 7:45 amThe Barna Group recently released research that reveals how attitudes about Bible usage are changing across generations. They interviewed over 1,000 people in five separate studies. They defined each generation in the study: the Mosaic generation (ages 18 to 25), the Busters (ages 26 to 44), Boomers (ages 45 to 63), and Elders (ages 64-plus). You can read the full report here, but below are some of the differences they found between generations: Less Sacred – While most Americans of all ages identify the Bible as sacred, the drop-off among the youngest adults is striking: 9 out of 10… -
Avoiding the Awkward Wedding Question
19 Oct 2009 | 8:06 pmPerhaps nothing is both joyous and awkward like being asked to perform the wedding ceremony of a couple you do not know well. If you’re a pastor and like me, you want to rejoice with the couple, but you can’t commit on the spot without asking personal questions. In order to prevent the inevitable uncomfortable questions, I’ve written a form letter to give to every couple that asks me to perform the ceremony. The purpose of the letter is to provide a filter for me and also to keep me consistent with which ceremonies I will perform. I’ve provided a modified version of the letter below…
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Confessions of a Small-Church Pastor
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Zondervan Models Repentance, Humility By Pulling Controversial Book
20 Nov 2009 | 6:41 pmZondervan Publishing announced yesterday that it is pulling all the copies and support material for its controversial Deadly Viper Character Assassins book. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah and others in the Asian-American Christian community pointed out the culturally offensive title and content of the book to the authors and to Zondervan Publishing. The company listened, and then did the right thing by withdrawing the book from distribution permanently. You can follow this story as it has developed on Soong-Chan Rah’s blog by starting here and working your way back through his updates on this… -
Silly Titles For Serious Topics
19 Nov 2009 | 7:23 amIs it just me, or has anybody else noticed how silly Christian book titles have become? Zondervan is in a dust-up with Soong-Chan Rah and other Asian-American church leaders over the book Deadly Viper Character Assassins: A Kung Fu Survival Guide for Life and Leadership. Dr. Rah’s beef, and rightly so, is with the cultural insensitivity of the book. But, if you don’t already know the subject matter of this book (behaviors that can lead to moral failure in a church leader’s life), then you’d never guess it by the title. The fact that it premiered at Catalyst,… -
A Non-Conference Worth Noting
17 Nov 2009 | 6:12 pmThe Deeper Church Non-Conference sponsored by missonalcommons.org is worth noting. As a rule I do not promote conferences and seminars on my blog — except the ones I speak at, of course, which is shameless self-promotion I admit. There are just too many conferences and most of them cost a small fortune. But these guys are doing something different — a non-conference for FREE! That’s right, kiddies! Free. FREE! No charge, no fancy promo, no sign-up now and get a big discount. They do have a Facebook page where you can tell them you’re coming, but… -
Finding Our Place Among The Hungry
16 Nov 2009 | 11:33 amMore world citizens and more Americans go hungry each day than ever before in the history of the world. One billion people out of the 6-billion who inhabit the earth, do not have enough to eat. Almost 17% of the world’s population — 1-in-6 people in other words — are undernourished or malnourished. In the United States of America, the numbers are no better: 16%, or 49-million Americans do not have access to adequate food. Again, 1-in-6 in the most affluent country in the world go hungry. The reasons for this record rise in world hunger lie in the global economic… -
Sermon: I Believe in the Resurrection of the Body
14 Nov 2009 | 5:51 pmI Believe in the Resurrection of the Body I Corinthians 15:35-44 35But someone may ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” 36How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 39All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40There are also heavenly bodies and there are…
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Prodigal Magazine
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15 unique business cards and our simple one
19 Nov 2009 | 10:05 amBusiness cards are a bit of an obsession to me. I love to see people think out of the box and use the classic tradition of the business card exchange as a chance to impress and inspire. New printing techniques allow unique ideas to come to life and has pushed the plain 3.5 x2 rectangle card into near extinction. There are great services online that allow you to take your creation, customize it and have it shipped to your door in days. Design I always go back to simple. There is something about the black and white contrast that always catches my eyes. I used the “Georgia”… -
Interview – Phil Wickham
16 Nov 2009 | 7:03 amA few weeks ago, I took a silent retreat into the North Carolina wilderness to get alone with God and to allow him to speak to my heart. I took a copy of 1 cd on my ipod, Heaven and Earth which is Phil Wickham’s latest album that releases on November 17. God spoke to me in many ways through scripture but He allowed Phil’s music to bring me to a point of true worship. I sat down with Phil this morning to talk a little bit about who he is, his career and what inspires his songwriting abilities. History Q- Give a brief testimony of how you became interested in music as well as the… -
Jonny Diaz – Men of God Spotlight
12 Nov 2009 | 8:43 amOur God is a God of redirection. The Bible says in Proverbs 16:3, “Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.” Many of us have planned out our lives, striving to be one thing, only to learn later that God wanted us somewhere else. When we make that commitment to the Lord, we see how God redirects the paths of our lives, leading us to where He always intended for us to be. Jonny Diaz learned this lesson from the Lord and learned that sometimes, that redirection isn’t the easiest thing to accept, but once you are in the Lord’s will for your life,… -
Itsy Bitsy Spider – A life lesson
11 Nov 2009 | 2:58 pmWhen my daughter was very small, she had a favorite song she would sing, very loudly, often for hours at a time. This song is one most, if not all, of us know very well. “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”. Just mentioning the song has many of you singing it right now. Like many children, my daughter, when she was first learning the song, replaced some of the correct words she could not remember, with something else so she could continue the song. In her case she added the words “whumpa whumpa”. Here is how it went: “The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout. Down came the rain and… -
Christian Tech Conference Toolbelt – 8 things to bring
5 Nov 2009 | 2:56 pm1. Twittonary – twitter dictionary You better have your twitter lingo down as you will be attending tweetups, asked about your twaffic and surrounded by other tweeples. 2. Moleskin – the notebook for hipsters ‘Losing my passport was the least of my worries, losing a notebook was a catastrophe.’ — Bruce Chatwin 3. Flip Mini HD – you know….for your vlog. Also use to video guys walking into walls, signage or other barriers as they are checking their twitter account. 4. SCL – The Book Jon Acuff breaks down Christian antics in a humorous way…
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Reaching The Online Generation
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Starting Gospel Movements on Campus: Obedience
19 Nov 2009 | 1:56 pmThe other day, a gentleman attending one of my classes shared his experience doing a Three Column Study on Matthew 28:16-20: As I wrote the passage in my own words, I realized that I wrote, ‘teach them all things.’ What the passage really said, though, was ‘teach them to obey all things.’ There is a big difference between teaching people all things and teaching them to obey all things. We’ve been teaching them all things from the pulpit for years. The problem with our churches is that we have taught people to obey all things. When I heard what he said, I… -
Starting Gospel Planting Movements on Campus: Make Disciples
17 Nov 2009 | 10:28 amThe Funny Thing About Labels People try to label me all the time. Some want to call me a house-church-guy. For others, I’m the simple church or CPM guy. Still others call me the online missionary or church online guy. Some want me to be a Baptist, a Charismatic, or a Wesleyan. People who label you often assume you want to convert others to their label. It’s like they think I judge my success by how many people I convince to adopt church online, start a house church, become Baptist, believe in the all the gifts of the Spirit, or attend a Wesleyan church. Let’s get something… -
Starting Gospel Movements on Campus: Scripture
11 Nov 2009 | 7:03 amEvery once in awhile I like to create scenarios that require me to think about implementing Gospel planting strategies and applying tactics in new environments. This is this is the second of a 21 part series talking about ways to use Gospel planting strategies with online and offline tactics to catalyze Gospel Planting Movements on a University Campus. Scripture is where we begin to listen to God. I wrote this about listening to God through Scripture in a previous post: I listen to God when I read His Word. Sounds simple enough, but I’m always amazed by how quickly I get sidetracked. … -
Starting Gospel Movements on Campus: Prayer
10 Nov 2009 | 10:02 amEvery once in awhile I like to create scenarios that require me to think about implementing Gospel planting strategies and applying tactics in new environments. This is this is the first of a 21 part series talking about ways to use Gospel planting strategies with online and offline tactics to catalyze Gospel Planting Movements on a University Campus. People list prayer as an element of their strategic plan all the time. Unfortunately, few actually develop prayer beyond that initial bullet point or paragraph. Far too often, the fact that we are praying for the lost on university… -
Eight Questions for Starting an Online Ministry
22 Oct 2009 | 6:56 amWhat if? The ‘What if?’ question sparks possibility thinking and promotes creativity. Unfortunately, people spend so much time on ‘What if?’ that they never move on to actually doing anything with their vision. What if we could engage the lost with online ministry? Should? ‘Should?’ is an evaluative question. We need to evaluate things, but we need clear time limits and trigger points on the evaluation process. I’ve seen too many discussion bogged down by people asking the ‘Should’ question without any intention of letting the process move on. Should we engage in…
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FredMcKinnon.Com
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What’s In Your Toolbox?
17 Nov 2009 | 6:39 amSo I’ve been kicking this idea around for a long time … and I believe I’ll just launch right into it this week. I want to do a series called “My Toolbox” … and share with you some of the tools, resources, gadgets, and services that are my regular “go-to” items in my life … personal, ministry, professional. You’re bound to discover some great resources and I hope to learn about what you use as well. I’ll start it tomorrow, but for today … what are some of the tools, resources, services, gadgets, etc ., that you just… -
Sunday Setlists #69 – Worship Service Recaps #sundaysetlists
15 Nov 2009 | 8:58 amHey Everybody, Here we are – the 69th consecutive week of “Sunday Setlists” – the blog carnival where we share our songs, creative elements, sermons, and recaps of our worship services. For more details on the “Sunday Setlists” program, click here. To receive a reminder email each week to post your setlist, click here. Here’s a recap on how to participate: 1. Blog about your worship services this week. (Don’t have a blog, just leave it in the comments below) 2. In your blog or worship service recap, please mention that you are… -
From the Word: Daughter, your faith has made you well!
14 Nov 2009 | 4:37 am34 And he said to her, Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease. (Mark 5:45, ESV – YouVersion.Com) I’m reading through Mark in my “Daily Reader” program right now, but I’m taking my time in this book. It’s so easy to rush through the Bible once you’ve read through it a few times. You assume “I’ve read that already”. I found myself thinking that as I was reading the story of the “woman with the issue of blood” in Mark, chapter 5. As I meditated on Jesus’ response to the… -
Giveaway and Review: Donald Miller’s “A Million Miles In A Thousand Years”
13 Nov 2009 | 8:31 amFirst, let me just apologize and say that I was supposed to post a review of this book for Thomas Nelson Publishers a month or so ago … when the book was released. I had two pre-release copies but didn’t finish the book in time. So – now, I’m going to GIVEAWAY a brand new copy of this book – all you have to do is leave a comment here on the blog. Facebook folks … you have to click over to FredMcKinnon.Com and leave a comment here, not on Facebook, sorry! I’ll do the giveaway sometime early next week. The Review: OK, so I’ll be honest here. … -
The Problem with Sin …
12 Nov 2009 | 8:09 amI shared this last night while leading worship and ministering at SSCC’s youth meeting, “Inside Out”. It wasn’t a spontaneous revelation, by any means … it’s something I’ve been pondering a lot recently. One of the big problems with sin? The way it kills your confidence with the Lord. The way the guilt holds you back, separating you from a loving God. The way you second-guess everything that happens afterwards. The way your prayers are hindered because of the confidence issue. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence…
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Outside The Box Ministry
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Ministry Product and Strategy Development
7 Nov 2009 | 2:32 pmThe last few years I have been involved with helping to develop a ministry tool and strategy that is being used around the world. Over the next few weeks I thought I would share some ideas that I have learned in the process. I will cover developing the idea, creating the ministry tool, testing it and promoting the ministry tool or strategy. Are there any other areas or questions you may have that you would like covered? -
Easter Outreach Ideas
21 Mar 2009 | 8:15 pmHere are some Easter outreach ideas that can be used in your church and community. Please share some of yours as well. 1. Film Festival- show films that depict the story of Jesus- His life, death and resurrection. You can find a listing of films about Jesus from the Bible Film Blog. 2. Art Exhibit- have local artists or artists in your church draw or paint pieces about Jesus’ life death and resurrection. Have an exhibit where the community can come and view the artwork and interact with the artist to hear their “story”. 3. Music concert- select musical selections and… -
The “Overflow Show” Podcast
23 Feb 2009 | 7:54 pmHere is a great resource to check out. It is called the “Overflow Show“. The Overflow show is a free 5 minute audio podcast for christians which teach us how to natuarally “overflow” into our non-Christian friends’ lives with the gospel. Each show is different and brings new and helpful ideas. Topics include: how to transition to talking about Jesus; intellectual answers to objections about our faith; and many more. From answering questions, to removing doubts, the Overflow Show seeks to give you confidence and connect you better with non-believers. You… -
International Web Focus Day for Churches
9 Feb 2009 | 7:03 pm“I recently discovered that over 500,000 of the population of my home town use the networking website Facebook,” writes a surprised computer user. Remarkably, 1.5 billion people now access the Web for a wide range of activities. A new internet service called ‘Twitter’ recently enabled eyewitnesses to pass on to thousands of other people their firsthand accounts (with pictures) of the jet that ditched in the Hudson River, well before TV and radio could tell the story. The digital world seems to change every time we blink! How can Christians use this bewildering mix of… -
Using Volunteers To Maintain Your Church Website
28 Jan 2009 | 7:04 pmThere has been some great feedback on the last post about church and ministry websites. Most of those who left comments said that they utilize volunteers to create and maintain their church’s web presence. This is great. This is sharing and giving ministry away to those in your church who can use their gifts and abilities.
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Christian Web Trends Blog by OurChurch.Com
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Trust Agents: It’s Go Time!
20 Nov 2009 | 6:21 amIt’s hard for me to believe, but our group blog discussion of the book Trust Agents by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith has run its course. Sixteen of us - representing 3 continents, 3 countries, and 9 U.S. states - spent a month reading through the book and blogging about it. Amazing! I want to thank Chris and Julien for sharing their knowledge and experience with us through the book. Thanks guys for being the real deal - not just writing about trust agent principles but for living them out by stopping by to comment and tweet me on a few of occasions. I want to thank the 15 bloggers who… -
4 Things that Need to Happen for the Web to Go 3D
19 Nov 2009 | 7:40 amLast week I wrote about the growing trend of hosting virtual conferences in 3D virtual worlds like Second Life. If you didn’t see it, check out the demo video of virtual conference embedded in that post. It’s way cool. Ultimately, I think whether virtual conferences go mainstream will depend on whether virtual worlds go mainstream. Some people like Neal Locke, who sparked this conversation believe that in the next 10-20 years the entire web will go from the 2D space it is now to 3D and eventually everything online will be experienced as a 3D space. That seem at least plausible. … -
Trust Agents 8b: Trust Agent
18 Nov 2009 | 6:29 amOne of my favorite people that have ever worked for me is a lady by the name of Dana; she was my Office Administrator during my tenure as a Warden. What I loved about Dana is that, no matter the question her answer was always yes. To this day the tagline on her e-mail simply reads “Starting From Yes!” Brogan closes out the second half of chapter 8 outlining a similar principle to the one Dana lived by and that’s “Yes, and…” From the perspective of improv comedy, it’s not just about agreeing with people but rather adding to the story. Brogan writes “Yes, and is important… -
What’s Your Favorite Thanksgiving Recipe?
17 Nov 2009 | 11:34 amSo, as I hope you know by now we’ve been doing this change of pace series of #Gratituesday posts this month where step back from the ministry/tech talk to talk about what we’re thankful for. The first week we talked about websites we’re thankful for. Last week we talked about our favorite Thanksgiving memory. One thing I’m always grateful for is the fantastic spread of food on the Thanksgiving dinner table. So, what’s your favorite Thanksgiving recipe? That question is way outside of comfort zone because outside of pancakes and eggs and occasionally throwing something on the… -
Trust Agents 8a: The Trust Agent
16 Nov 2009 | 1:15 pmBrogan starts his final chapter with the distilled essence of the entire book: “Business … is becoming an art.” Too true. Too true. He states later on the page that : “The Internet has leveled the distribution field for media, merchandise, communication, location, and many other areas. It’s at once scary and idea, ideal because this is where trust agents excel.” Why do they excel? They excel because they have spent the time to build up the trust that is needed in the age to come. In this 21st century, we live in a time where our attention spans are small…
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Ministry Marketing Coach
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One Line Item You Can’t Afford to Strike During Tough Economic Times
20 Nov 2009 | 6:26 amConnecting with the people you are trying to reach doesn’t just magically happen. If you aren’t intentional about designating a line item (or several) in your budget to connect with people through communication strategies, and execution against those strategies, you’ll miss a huge opportunity to connect with them. In tough economic times, you’ll be tempted to cut our your marketing, P.R. and communication budget line items when you actually need to increase them. Focus on funding the communication needed to help build your brand. It might just help you gain some much needed… -
What Google Values: SEO Keyword Goals for Your Church or Ministry
18 Nov 2009 | 5:04 amKeywords have come a long way in terms of SEO over the last decade. I briefly touched on this in my first What Google Values post on 6 Ways to Organize Your Website but I wanted to elaborate on their importance today. Google stopped being tricked by keyword stuffing several years ago so it is important to avoid coming even close to doing so. SEO tip: Avoid keyword stuffing by Matt Cutts, a Google employee, is an entertaining post that gives an exaggerated example of abusive keyword usage. Today, the number of keywords you should pursue correlates with the size and the amount of content on… -
The Proper Lens for Church Branding and Ministry Marketing
16 Nov 2009 | 6:04 amFor a long time, corporations have claimed to want a relationship with you. In reality, what they really want, is your money. In fact, everything they do is monetarily motivated. For the believer, our calling is much, much higher. We’re called to relationship. We’re called to relationship with Christ, relationship with family, relationship with the church and relationship with those who don’t know Him. After all, relationship happens between people and people, not organizations and people. The beauty is that our Kingdom calling to relationship syncs really, really well with the… -
What Google Values: Priceless SEO Tools to Aid Your Church or Ministry Website
13 Nov 2009 | 6:10 amI have compiled a short list of tools that anyone can use to monitor their site and/or increase the ease with which it is maintained. I caution you against over-monitoring your website as it can be time consuming and less fruitful than merely creating more content. My previous post discussed the Importance of Content in SEO and I mentioned that I would include some tools that will help you transcribe your daily activities into potential content. I’ve incorporated those into this list. Google Analytics / PostRank Analytics – Most site owners are already familiar with Google… -
Feature Interview with Katie Persinger of The Chapel
11 Nov 2009 | 2:00 amNote: A few weeks ago, I asked you to help us identify churches and ministries we should feature on Ministry Marketing Coach. Our first church to highlight is The Chapel with Katie Persinger. Enjoy! How did you end up doing ministry communications? Shortly after graduating from the University of Georgia, I met my mentor, Kathy Chapman Sharp, and started working for her as a communications project manager at Saddleback Church. Cleve (my husband, Media Salt) having a background in web and marketing communications gave me the confidence to take the leap to accept my first role in communications.
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L2 Foundation
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interview with Pastor John Lo of Epicentre Church
4 Nov 2009 | 7:32 pmWe’re continuing our series of interviews with pastors who are a part of the Asian American Pastors Leadership Community. Each of these pastors are leading their own respective multi-Asian/ Multi-ethnic churches, and they show an effective way to reaching the next generations. This is a video interview with Pastor John Lo and Epicentre Church in Pasadena, California. John shared a quick overview of the Asian American immigration history, how Epicentre started, and the window of opportunity for Asian Americans in the world today. Watch this interview :: -
10 Funding Models for Non-profit Organizations
19 Oct 2009 | 9:13 amSustainability is the one issue that comes up time and again in operating a non-profit organization or ministry organization. While it is not easy to discuss funding and finances especially in faith-based endeavors, they are very much a real world necessity. The Stanford Social Innovation Review (Spring 2009) published this very valuable article, Ten Nonprofit Funding Models, by William Foster, Peter Kim, Barbara Christiansen. Thanks to The Bridgespan Group for linking to it as a blog post. The original article is also available in PDF format. Here’s an excerpt that introduces the… -
video channel for Korean American Christians
12 Oct 2009 | 9:08 amKAC Media (Korean American Christian Media) is a full serviced and free online networking community focused on the 1.5, 2nd, and 3rd generations of Korean Americans. With a vision of “Redefining Culture Through Faith and Media,” Korean American Christian Media launched in April 2008 as a division of JSTV (a Korean Christian television station) and has grown to a staff of 40 through an Intern and Volunteer Department. The mission of KAC Media is outlined as follows: to create content that is edgy, relevant, and compelling to the 1.5, 2nd, and 3rd generation of Korean Americans… -
interview with Joseph Tsang of Vision Church
7 Oct 2009 | 8:39 amWe’re continuing our series of interviews with pastors who are a part of the Asian American Pastors Leadership Community. Each of these pastors are leading their own respective multi-Asian/ Multi-ethnic churches, and they show an effective way to reaching the next generations. This is a video interview with Pastor Joseph Tsang of Vision Church in the heart of New York City, New York. Watch this interview :: (more…) -
Weekend conference for 2nd Generation, October 16-18
5 Oct 2009 | 9:37 amHere’s an upcoming conference for 2nd generation Asian Americans in the Southern California area called GodFest ‘09. Read below for an interview with Pastor Ben Shin, who is one of the speakers for this conference. Godfest ‘09: “Celebrating God and His Church” (Link to Facebook event page) Speakers: Sam Park, Ben Shin, and Michael Lee Dates: October 16-18, 2009 Location: L.A. Open Door (1925 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90057) (more…)
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Emergent Village
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Luthermergent Gathering Recap [1]
16 Nov 2009 | 7:00 pmBy Tim Snyder: In October, about 30 folks (some in and out) gathered in Edina, Minnesota, as part of Christianity21. The time was filled with conversation, new friends, old friends, hard questions, prayer and trying to figure out if we should even have a Luthermergent “network.” Thursday we gathered together leaders of communities to talk about their contexts and about what they’re learning. We asked that difficult and often elusive question, “so why Lutheran?” and noticed how many of our Luthermergent communities are led by folks who are adult converts to Lutheranism. Weird, right? -
Save the House of Mercy Podcast
16 Nov 2009 | 6:30 pm“What happened to the podcast?” We get emails asking this pretty regularly, along with comments like, “I found the House of Mercy sermon podcast at a time when I really needed to hear something new, thank you, thank you, thank you.” “Since discovering the sermon audio files on the House of Mercy website, I’ve been getting some church right here at home. Not every day, but, I confess, sometimes as much as three times a day.” Each weekly HoM podcast, gets an average of about 500 listens in a 12-month period, that’s like 26,000 a year. But, as may podcast listeners know, the… -
Follow the Moltmann Conversation Online [3]
9 Sep 2009 | 1:19 amThe 2009 Emergent Village Theological Conversation with Jurgen Moltmann begins today in Chicago, Illinois. The conference runs September 9-11, and you can follow updates from the event using the Twitter feed below (#moltmann): #moltmann -
Moving Forward: Hopes for the Future of Emergent Village [17]
8 Sep 2009 | 8:43 amContinue reading a special letter about the future of Emergent Village » -
A Special Letter About the Future of Emergent Village [16]
8 Sep 2009 | 8:41 amGreetings! You may remember back in April that a number of people invested in Emergent Village gathered in Washington, D.C., to discuss the future of this conversation. In May that group of 24 shared our stories from the weekend and expressed our hopes for what is to come. With the previous EV leadership ready to step down, this was a prime opportunity to take stock of where Emergent Village has been over the past decade. Over the past few months those of us who gathered in D.C. have been discerning carefully and thoroughly where God is calling us together. Though we are by no means finished…
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Church Tech Matters
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Google Wave: Cheat Sheet
11 Nov 2009 | 2:05 amI’m taking no credit for this – I was allowing myself to be sucked in by a public wave search and it literally felt like I was drowning – but I discovered this wave in the process. If you haven’t tried viewing the live public wave feed then I dare you. Anyway, the info below is the stuff I keep referring back to so thought where better to stick it than on one of the blogs I write on. More after the jump: Search Cheat Sheet This is a quick guide to the operators and restricts supported by wave search. Keywords about:[keyword] — finds waves which have [keyword]… -
My Catalyst Experience
21 Oct 2009 | 10:36 amI was so happy to be able to attend Catalyst this year. I had heard about the conference several times, and always wanted to go, but never really had the money. Thanks to Jim’s prompting and Wayne and Elaine’s generosity, I was able to go. It was great being able to stay in a house with 14 other people, because you got to know everyone else really well. Fortunately, we all had a comfortable place to sleep, although I doubt anyone got much sleep, because we were too busy talking, or laughing, or just hanging out.The conference itself was very exciting. I’m obviously very… -
The “Why” of Live Video – Part 1
14 Oct 2009 | 4:04 pmOver the past several years, the use of video in a church setting has exploded. The use of video projection was common in the church by the early part of this decade. Most of that use was limited to outlines of sermons and the occasional movie clip or still illustration. Today, even the smallest of churches haul out a portable projector to project song lyrics and announcements on a screen, or in some cases, on a wall. In the past few years, congregations in larger churches have suddenly been treated to (or assaulted with) the giant smiling face of the teaching pastor, and videos produced… -
Why a Mac in Church?
12 Oct 2009 | 9:44 amWell, I’m glad you asked. Up until about a year and a half ago when I bought my first Mac, I was very against the whole idea. I thought Macs were just overpriced, hard to use, and incompatible with the rest of the world. But then, after playing with a few of my friend’s Macs, I decided I was going to get one, and I’ve loved every minute of it. But I digress, the reason we’re here is to find out why someone would want to use a Mac in church rather than a PC. First of all, I believe that Macs are much better suited for multimedia. They come with many programs that out of… -
New CTM Writer – Chase Livingston
21 Sep 2009 | 9:04 pmI am really excited to introduce to you someone I have followed on Twitter for a few months. He is a tech volunteer at his church and has been for quite some time and he struck me as someone who has a story to tell. To begin this story, I thought I would interview him, so here goes! What is your name? Chase Livingston, aka @chaselivingston I realize you are a tech volunteer at your church, as many of us are, what do you do fulltime? I’m a college student at Clemson University, studying Electrical Engineering. That basically means I study all the time, and tweet about how boring or…
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Ron Edmondson
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Well Meaning Questions Better Left Unasked
20 Nov 2009 | 7:54 amPart of being a mature person is learning when to speak and when not to speak. Consider the encouragement from the Book of James: If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. (James 1:26 NIV) Do you ever struggle to say the right thing? Have you ever suffered from foot in mouth disease? We all at times say things we shouldn’t say. Recently, while talking to someone that had just been offended by awkward questions about her life, I was reminded that there are some questions that, while probably… -
The Best Leaders Don’t Have All The Answers
20 Nov 2009 | 4:16 amThe best leaders learn one principle quickly The best ideas may originate elsewhere The best leaders know they will never have all the answers So they: Listen, read and study Spend time with other leaders Value those on his or her team Have you learned that you don’t have all the answers? For more thoughts on leadership, click HERE. -
Continuing Thanksgiving Family Traditions
19 Nov 2009 | 12:28 pmAn annual tradition my family has observed since my boys were old enough to write has been setting aside some time Thanksgiving weekend to share the “Top 10” things we were thankful for that year. I must confess that this past year, while I did compile my list (I posted it HERE on this blog), we never found time to sit together and share them. Nate, our resident funny guy, now a freshmen at Moody Bible College in Chicago, will be home for Thanksgiving. This morning the three of us at home received this email: (Please remember he is 18 years old and has a very colorful personality. … -
The Responsibilities of a Pastor
19 Nov 2009 | 3:59 amI recently got the question, “What do you do when it’s not Sunday?” Before I could answer his first question, my friend asked, “Does a preacher have anything to do when you aren’t preaching?” I was tempted to say, “No, we just work that one hour (in our case three hours) and then we are done”, but I remembered that typical cliché’ joke aggravates me and this guy was not trying to be funny. He simply didn’t know. I tried to explain some of what my average week looks like. Activities of a normal week include items such as: Preparing to preach…Bible reading, prayer,… -
Shotgun Versus Rifle Approach To Planning
18 Nov 2009 | 4:12 amToo often we shot gun versus rifle our day. When we try to accomplish too many tasks in one day, we are seldom effective at very many of them. The more scattered your plans, the less effective you will appear and appearance most likely will mirror reality. With the shotgun approach, a person tends to run from activity to activity quickly, but never really accomplishing any one project well. The key to having a successful week is to carefully plan a realistic list of activities for each day, with specific objectives, and rank them from the most important to the least important. …
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faithmaps blog
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Mark Oestreicher is...
6 Nov 2009 | 4:50 pm...blogging again! -
Free Tim Keller Sermons!
22 Oct 2009 | 12:00 amJustin Taylor reports:"Redeemer’s Sermon Ministry has been faithfully recording, cataloging and reproducing all of our sermons for the past 20 years. To celebrate all 20 years of our history, and to meet the growing demand for our church’s teaching in New York City and around the world, we have created this resource of 150 sermons and lectures covering a broad array of topics, completely free to download and share. The recordings chosen for the Free Sermon Resource were culled from classic sermon series as well as lectures and seminar addresses delivered to various Redeemer ministry… -
Mark Oestreicher is Leaving Youth Specialities
21 Oct 2009 | 8:35 pmRead the Zondervan Press Release here.Mark's a friend and I was sad to hear this. However, I feel confident that he will soon find a new platform for his kingdom service. -
Toward More Effective Leadership Teams: The Necessity of Open Disagreement
18 Oct 2009 | 11:05 amCross posting a link here to something I just posted on OrgImpact on this subject. -
The Objective and Subjective Nature of Morality
8 Aug 2009 | 7:22 amAuthor Joseph Myers asks:"Morality is relative. It is seen as a circumstantial stewardship of good instead of a constant set of settled rules...good or bad...thoughts?"I definitely believe in moral absolutes (e.g. adultery is always wrong) but there's a particular scenario that I've been thinking about that makes me think sometimes there might be relatives. I would love to hear responses to this:If I find a Salmon P. Chase $10,000 bill (which has not been printed since 1946) then I think it's morally incumbent on me to make some attempt to find the rare bill's owner.But if I see a penny on…
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EdStetzer.com
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Advent without the Conspiracy
20 Nov 2009 | 3:23 pmSermon Central has published my new article on Christmas called, "Advent without the Conspiracy." Here are some excerpts: The very word "advent" essentially means the arrival of something. So, as we celebrate Christmas, we supposedly celebrate the arrival of God into human form. The Incarnation is a moment to savor. All of our presents and lights and parties ought to have a better meaning. But usually, they don't. So, in a bid to create a more relevant/helpful/meaningful advent season, the church of late has sought to delineate itself from the commercialization of our country's Christmas… -
Church Planting Leadership Fellowship Today
19 Nov 2009 | 6:33 amRight now, I am meeting with the Church Planting Leadership Fellowship. In this picture, Todd Wilson is teaching about starting churches through servant evangelism ministries. Other presentations included Rick Howerton on Small Groups in church plants, David Garrison on Church Planting Movements, Gary Rohrmayer on denominational influence, Hutz Hertzberg on church planting assessment, and John Bailey on church planting systems. (I will post the available presentations on the blog later this week. Not all will be available.) We have 45 people here from about 30 denominations committed to… -
Love Me Some Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
18 Nov 2009 | 6:15 amI had a great time teaching at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School a few weeks ago. It was a tremendous week. While I was there they shot a video about the school to start their "professor run in" series. You can take a look at it right here: I love the mission statement at Trinity: Trinity International University Mission Statement Trinity International University educates: men and women for faithful participation in God's redemptive work in the world by cultivating academic excellence, Christian fidelity, and lifelong learning. They flesh it out as follows: Trinity offers nonformal… -
Childhood Experience Bearing Adult Fruit
17 Nov 2009 | 7:38 amNew research coming out of the Barna Group sought to get some insight to a questions many of us ask. "What is the connection between childhood faith and adult religious commitment?" From the Barna Update, The survey asked adults to think back on their upbringing and to describe the frequency of their involvement in Sunday school or religious training. The Barna researchers then compared those reported early-life behaviors with the respondents' current levels of faith activity and faith durability. So, what did the research reveal? here are some quotes from the report. More than eight out of… -
Gospel Definitions
16 Nov 2009 | 5:57 amThere is a lot of talk about the gospel these day. Yes, it's all gospel and gospel-centeredness, and yet many are still fuzzy when it comes to defining the good news of Jesus Christ. In my Missional Church class at ReTrain this week, I share some thoughts on the gospel. Why? Well, I believe that what you believe about the gospel will be the foundation for your understanding of the mission. To do that, I first reviewed some gospel definitions assembled by Trevin Wax at his blog Kingdom People. You can find a PDF and lists by names by clicking this link. Then, I shared a few of them (at first I…
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daveferguson.org
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CityLife Church - A Reproducing Church Down Under!
20 Nov 2009 | 1:58 pmI had a great time working with Mark and Nicole Conner and the CityLife team for two days in Melbourne, Australia. They are definitely world class leaders with tremendous passion and gifting. We spent most of our time talking about the organizational changes needed once you get beyond 3 sites. We also spent a great deal of time talking about how they can further implement the BIG IDEA. And we ate alot!!While it was impressive that CityLife is the second largest church in Australia with an average attendance of 5500; what was more exciting is that it is now a reproducing church! In the… -
Two Chefs, a Pub and an Art Show
14 Nov 2009 | 10:17 pmSo what do two chefs, a neighborhood pub and an art show all have in common? They are all a part of the ministry of Life Church in New Castle, Australia. This Life Church is not be to be confused with maybe another LifeChurch.tv you have heard about. While this Life Church may have far less people, they make up for it with a tremendous missional drive and desire. During the first four days of our trip to Australia Kevin Wilcock, the Pastor of the church was our host. How do I describe Kevin? The only thing Kevin loves more than a good drink and a party is probably his family, his… -
Congrats State Cross Country Champs!
8 Nov 2009 | 10:04 pmCongrats to Josh (right of the state championship trophy) and the whole Neuqua Valley High School cross country team on their state championship. They came into the state meet ranked, but were still underdogs to Loyola Academy who was the #1 ranked team in the nation. However, it was the Wildcats that ended the day standing on this stage with the state championship trophy. Congrats! -
A Leader I Admire - Kirsten Strand
25 Oct 2009 | 6:22 pmWe have a very strong leadership culture at Community so I am fortunate to be surrounded by lots of very capable and highly competent leaders. And one of those amazing leaders is Kirsten Strand our Community 4:12 Director. Over the last six years Kirsten has led a tremendous shift in the culture of Community making us more compassionate about justice, passionate about the poor and has created a longing in us to see under-resourced communities transformed. In short, she has helped us become more like Jesus. Kirsten is a leader that I really admire! Today, the Naperville Sun had an…
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tonymorganlive.com
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Momentum at West Ridge Church
19 Nov 2009 | 7:06 amMost people I have run into in recent weeks have been asking me how things are going at West Ridge Church. Though it’s not a full-time job for me, that’s where I’m spending the majority of my time these days. The bottom line is that I’m convinced God has great things in store for our church. We’re blessed by the fact that momentum is working in our favor right now. God is moving in a big way. Here’s a taste of what’s happening: Attendance is up. We’re coming off of one of our largest non-holiday weekends ever. Brian announced plans this week to… -
Power Goes to the Connectors
18 Nov 2009 | 6:49 pmFirst of all, let me introduce you to Rosabeth Moss Kanter. She’s a professor at Harvard Business School and one of the most respected voices on management principles, especially change management, in the business world today. Here’s what she had to share this week about leadership in today’s organizations: “Today, people with power and influence derive their power from their centrality within self-organizing networks that might or might not correspond to any plan on the part of designated leaders. Organization structure in vanguard companies involves multi-directional… -
Stop Wasting Your Time!
14 Nov 2009 | 7:57 amIn conversations with several people in recent weeks, I’ve realized it’s been some time since I did a post on Google Reader. If you’re not using Google Reader, you need to try it out. Don’t worry…it’s FREE. If you’re not using it, you’re wasting a lot of time. You’re likely either cluttering your email inbox with lots of unnecessary enewsletter subscriptions or your surfing from site to site and blog to blog to try to keep up. There’s a better way. Here’s what Google Reader offers: It constantly checks news sites and your… -
My Next Stops
13 Nov 2009 | 7:28 pmObviously, I have lots of family time planned over the holidays, but here’s the current line up of stops through the next few months: Facilitating the Next Team Coaching Network in Ocala, Florida Consulting with Avalon Church in McDonough, Georgia Consulting with Harvest Church in Macon, Georgia Consulting with The Rock Church in Monroe, Washington Speaking at the Killing Cockroaches Tour Stop in Houston, Texas (Register for FREE!) Exploring Burkina Faso in Africa with Brian Bloye and pastors from several churches If you are a lead pastor and would like to join the trip with Brian and… -
Are we asking the wrong questions?
12 Nov 2009 | 11:10 amEvery organization provides something of value to survive. Some organizations create products or offer experiences. Other organizations deliver content, relationships or offer services. Some organizations offer combinations of all of these. What’s interesting to me is how the Church is unique in it’s delivery approach. We’re really not a product industry. If anything, we are a services, content, relationships and experience industry. Product and experience institutions are still primarily location-centric. We have to go to a certain place at a certain time to process…
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CatalystSpace | Catablog
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Catalyst Voices - Greg Russinger
20 Nov 2009 | 5:10 amToday is Day One at the Portland Idea Camp. Charles Lee and the Idea Camp team have rallied together to create a gathering focused on “Being Present with the City”. They want to "re-imagine what it would look like to be fully present in one’s city. Instead of approaching cities with a mentality of the Church “conquering” or “taking-over”, we hope to embrace our cities by first listening, learning, and loving our neighbors." Greg Russinger is from Portland and has been a part of this conversation for some time now; he and Charles Lee have worked… -
Respecting Doubts: Interview with Tim Keller
20 Nov 2009 | 4:43 amTim Keller, the Lead Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian in New York city, sits for an interview with Ed Stetzer. He has been very popular with atheists and non-Christians and many have come to hear him give apologetics for the Christian faith. His strategy is in his tone. The tone of some Christians & The New Atheists is harshly critical "take no prisoners" demonizing the other side. Keller says "We need to respect doubts because they have something in them that needs to be addressed." Listen to the full interview here -
Being Present with the City - #ICPNW
19 Nov 2009 | 6:32 amFri & Sat in Portland there's a very important conversation going on. It's IDEA CAMP Pacific North West & they're talking about "Being Present with the City." Instead of approaching cities with a mentality of the Church "conquering" or "taking-over", we hope to embrace our cities by first listening, learning, and loving our neighbors. As a Christian leader, how are you making friends with your city? Do you agree that this is even important? Even if you're not a "leader" what are you doing to love your city/neighbor? -
We’re On the Same Team: 3 Suggestions for Inter-Church Collaboration
19 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amThere are 112 instances of the word "church" in the bible. Most of them refer to "The Church" as the entire body of believers. Somewhere along the way some leaders have gotten the idea that churches are in competition with each other - that it's about growing their event bigger than other churches. Really the goal is to make disciples and teach them to be like Jesus (Matthew 28) (perhaps this is debatable. If so, that's for another post) So, if that's the goal, it would help for us to work together - like the Army, or a football team. How can the body be successful if the foot is not… -
Catalyst Voices - Jamie Tworkowski
18 Nov 2009 | 12:13 pmDuring my trip to New York City last week I had the chance to spend time with Jamie Tworkowski, founder of To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA). Check out our interview, and don't miss Jamie's discovery of new musical talent at the end of the video...a new voice for Catalyst??? :) Tonight, Jamie heads to the mtvU Woodie Awards in NYC. He shares about this unexpected nomination during our interview, but you can learn more HERE. Make sure to tune into the Woodie Awards on Friday, December 4 at 10pm EST on MTV, MTV2, mtvU and Palladia. Jamie Tworkowski - To Write Love On…
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FlowerDust.net
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I’m a Fat Skinny Person Who Can’t Do Push Ups
18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amI’m about six months out from embarking on a 3100 mile cycling trip across the southern USA, so I figure it would probably be a good idea to actually begin working out, getting in shape, and say, maybe buy a bike. In August, I had my heart condition corrected that was keeping me from exercising, and made a feeble attempt to begin training myself. That lasted about three weeks. A couple weeks ago, while watching The Biggest Loser, I decided I needed to bite the bullet and get a trainer. I met with Brandon Holt at Chadwicks Fitness. I shared with him the past, and most importantly, what… -
Going Way Back: Celebrating Big Givers
16 Nov 2009 | 6:47 amI’m wrapping up my manuscript for Permission to Speak Freely this week, so I’ve decided to repost previous blog material from the archives. I went and found some that had great conversation in the comments, and since there are so many new readers, figure it would probably be new to you and we can delve into the dialogue again. This one was posted about 18 months ago…back in the day when I didn’t use capitalization properly. Sorry about that. Read and discuss…What do you think? I’d especially love to hear from churches who do this kind of thing, because I… -
Looking Through the Eyes of Love
13 Nov 2009 | 8:13 amToday is my monthly contribution over at inCourage. Below is a sneak peek. You have to visit over there to read the full article. Enjoy! — It had been a really long day. 6 am came too soon, and as usual, I was running late to the airport. Due to the extra few minutes I spent taming my hair, I was unable to stop by Sonic for my habitual Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper. The tragedy. The flight from Nashville to Houston was one of the bumpiest I’ve ever been on. And I fly. A lot. This year alone, it’s somewhere around 45,000 miles. No kidding. Several people on our plane threw up and… -
And Under the Lights, We Drove Away
10 Nov 2009 | 7:24 pmI’m staying at a hotel where they have a duck ceremony twice a day. It’s pretty posh, at least by Arkansas standards (I kid, I kid.) It is a really lovely place to stay. Tonight after dinner, my friend and I stood underneath a well-lit driveway with large columns and doormen, waiting for the valet to bring my rental car so we could head back to the conference we are speaking at. The valet attendant closed my door, and I adjusted the seat to fit my ridiculously abnormal 34″-inseam-long-legs. I’m not even 5′5″, so this leg length could easily be considered a… -
Old Woman
9 Nov 2009 | 5:30 amSometimes I wonder what I’m going to be like as an old woman. When I was eighteen, I wondered what I would be like when I was thirty and my imagination then and the current reality are very far apart from each other. I think I would like to be the kind of old woman who wears chunky necklaces and has bright white hair and that could tell tales of when I was thirty and forty and people would lean in and be mesmerized by my whimsical stories and the way I uncover timeless truth. But then I wonder if I’ll just end up alone in my bed with hairy legs and maybe a slight mustache. And I’d…
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Ragamuffin Soul
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We Are Moving To…
20 Nov 2009 | 7:05 pmSo Team Whittaker would love your prayers as we pick up and move the family to Chicago. I’ll keep this brief… God has blessed us with an amazing community of friends here in Atlanta. Some of us have decided that we want to be part of a movement committed to daily living out the Transformational Love of Jesus in the City so that we can change the World. And the way we plan to do this is in a community called Soul City Church…in downtown Chicago. Team Whittaker is moving with a few other amazing families to downtown Chicago to live, breathe, commune, fellowship, and take part… -
I Have Put Off [Blank] For Too Long
18 Nov 2009 | 10:10 pmI have put off [blank] for to long… I’m going to get off my butt and actually do/plan/start [blank] before 2010. Fill in the [blank] Los -
Help Me With My EP Cover // BE THE CRITIC
18 Nov 2009 | 2:45 pmAn EP’s purpose is to start building the story on who you are as an artist. Then we drop the full length album on your head. There are 3 different directions we are going here. Here are the ideas… 1. This is the tormented ragamuffin soul in the midst of a heavenly place. I feel like that is who I am. Tormented but in peace. 2. The major reasons why I get invited to lead worship places is not becasue of my vocal runs. It is because I quickly build trust in a room of people and they trust me to take them on a journey towards The Throne. And when I do it…I laugh and have fun. -
There’s Coffee…Then There’s COFFEE – Gobena Coffee
18 Nov 2009 | 3:50 amGobena Coffee Story from Danae Lehman on Vimeo. Check out more of the story at Gobena.org What’s your favorite coffee? Los -
If You Could Have Dinner With One NON CHURCH LEADER…
17 Nov 2009 | 6:15 pmA month or so ago I got to have dinner with Scott Belsky, CEO of Behance and ideator behind The 99% Conference. It was accidental, unbelievable, and future shifting. It once again brought me to the realization that most of the time, this small little church bubble we live in is exactly that. Sooooo small. If you could have dinner with a NON CHURCH LEADER… Who would it be? Los
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Tall Skinny Kiwi
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Why you can no longer ignore the emerging house church movement
20 Nov 2009 | 12:31 amDon't look for the elephant in the room. Look instead at the colonies of mice that have burrowed inside the furniture and are now taking over the house. "The latest research indicates that the number of house churches in Europe have already reached or surpassed 10,000, Australia could have up to 10,000, and New Zealand up to 6,000 house churches. Research in the US shows that between 6 and 12 million are already attending house churches, making house churches one of the three largest Christian groups in the country. In the case of Bangladesh or India, with many hundreds of thousands of house… -
Good morning everyone!
19 Nov 2009 | 12:15 amGood morning everyone. Its a beautiful day, just as David predicted and Bono confirmed. This is the day that the Lord has made. Good morning family of mine. Good morning sexy wife and good morning kids who had to explain the idea of 'fertilizer' in Farmville to me this morning. I must be getting old. Good morning Matos family who are letting us park on their land. Paulo Matos is the original tattoo artist in Portugal and also the best. And a wonderful host. He is proud of his latest edition which you read upside down for the full effect. Good morning to my friends gathering at Mission 21, the… -
Antioch Papers
17 Nov 2009 | 5:45 amI told you about the Antioch Gathering a few weeks ago in Turkey. Guy Muse has compiled a number of papers and reports from the meeting. Happy reading. -
Red-Eye Shift at a 24-7 Prayer Room
17 Nov 2009 | 5:19 amOur family took the red-eye shift at the local 24-7 Prayer room on Saturday night. We tagged teamed all night until 6 in the morning. Our kids slept in their sleeping bags until they were tagged. They did well. And they loved it. A lot more colorful and interactive than the boring prayer meetings I used to attend. Not complaining . . those were good times too. Funny how 24-7 Prayer rooms around the world all look the same. There is always a Bible, a map, coffee or tea, cd player, either paints or pencils, blank paper on the wall with doodlings from previous pray-ers. It was nine years ago… -
the people nobody wants
16 Nov 2009 | 4:39 am"Don't go to start a church . . . go to serve a city. Serve them with love, and if you go after the people nobody wants, you'll end up with the people everbody wants". Steve Sjogren, VCC Cincinnati, from the book The Externally Focused Church[Posted with iBlogger from my iPod touch]
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Dan Kimball: Vintage Faith
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Atlanta - Origins Listening Session this Friday and Youth Specialties
19 Nov 2009 | 2:59 amI am heading to Atlanta tomorrow to speak at the Youth Specialties Convention. I love, love, love being around youth leaders and always am thrilled to get to interact with those serving with youth. It will be odd as this... -
Trade As One @ Vintage Faith Church II
16 Nov 2009 | 11:52 amYesterday we had the Fair Trade Boutique Fair at Vintage Faith Church. It was a Trade As One gift fair that was set up all day in the church building. You can read another article from the local newspaper that... -
Trade As One @ Vintage Faith Church
8 Nov 2009 | 5:06 pmI taught today in all 3 of our gatherings and as part of our worship gatherings we had Nathan George share about Trade As One and Vintage Faith Church hosting a fair trade boutique. The local newspaper here wrote an... -
The Year Of Living Like Jesus at Vintage Faith Church
2 Nov 2009 | 3:59 amI first heard of Ed Dobson back in the early 1990's when he was pastor at Calvary Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was passionate about people outside of the church and was going against the grain of what normal... -
Origins at Outreach Convention in San Diego next week
28 Oct 2009 | 8:59 pmI rarely am getting time to blog or post things due to just being so full on this fun adventure of spending time with family, all that is happening with Vintage Faith Church, spending time with people outside of church,...
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www.markdroberts.com
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Three Top Website Recommendations
20 Nov 2009 | 12:01 amToday, I want to recommend three great websites. I have been visiting these websites for several years with great appreciation. I have recommended them before, but they’re worth another shout out. Holy Land Photos This website offers thousands of photos of biblical sites. You name it, they’ll have it, and much, much more. But here’s the best part. For use in ministry or teaching contexts, you can use these fantastic photos for free. (Commercial uses require special permission, as do some website uses.) Holy Land Photos is the brainchild of Dr. Carl Rasmussen, who is… -
Laity Lodge on Worship Team Training
19 Nov 2009 | 7:53 amWorship Team Training is a ministry that provides inspiration, training, and resources for worship leaders, especially but not only those who lead in contemporary contexts. Worship Team Training offers a whole-person approach to the training of worship leaders, focusing on skill development, leadership growth, and spiritual renewal. Worship Team Training was begun by Branon Dempsey, a mature, visionary worship leader whom I met when teaching in the Southern California Worship Institute some years ago. Branon had enrolled in the Institute to develop his talent as a worship leader, especially… -
Fall in the Texas Hill Country, Part 2
18 Nov 2009 | 12:01 amHere are a couple more photos, taken at Laity Lodge last weekend. Enjoy! ShareThis -
A Great Thanksgiving Tradition
17 Nov 2009 | 12:01 amIn this post I want to tell you about a great Thanksgiving tradition. Yes, yes, I know Thanksgiving Day comes a week from Thursday. But I’m putting up this post in the hopes that there still might be time for some of you to act on what I’m about to recommend. I’ll admit to a not-so-hidden agenda. I want to commend this the tradition I describe in this post to you as something you might wish to add to your yearly Thanksgiving repertoire. I guarantee that it will pay rich dividends in delight and expanded gratitude. I can boast about this tradition without hesitation because… -
Earl Palmer at Laity Lodge
16 Nov 2009 | 12:01 amEarl Palmer taught at Laity Lodge this past weekend, leading a retreat for Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church. I know that many of my blog readers are familiar with Earl, but if you’re not, let me give a brief bio. Earl, a Presbyterian minister, served in four churches, including Berkeley Presbyterian Church in California and University Presbyterian Church in Seattle, Washington. After his retirement from University Pres, Earl became the Preaching Pastor-in-Residence for National Presbyterian Church in Washington D.C. (You can listen to or download his sermons here.) Earl is…
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Church Communications Pro | Church Marketing | Church Web Design
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Free Workshop: Web Design with WordPress
15 Nov 2009 | 5:55 pmJoin me, Cory Miller, founder of WebDesign.com and iThemes.com, and WordPress developer Adam White as we talk about using WordPress to design custom websites for clients. This webinar is a perfect introduction for those interested in learning more about WordPress web design or who want to build a freelance business. Title: Web Design with WordPress Date: Thursday, November 19, 2009 Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM CST Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/491948074 After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information… -
A Great Tool for Your Church and the iPhone.
12 Nov 2009 | 2:29 pmI got an e-mail from the crew at AppChurch.com the other day about their new app for the iPhone. While WordPress has an iPhone plug-in for websites that use WP as a CMS platform, I think AppChurch would be an awesome tool if your church uses another CMS system. Both Mars Hills and LifeChurch.tv have created and used this type of technology (I love both) with great success and I really feel it would be beneficial for you to check out for your church as well. The AppChurch is a free download from the iTunes store though you do have to pay a monthly fee if you want your church logo, service… -
6 Ways to Help Your Church Website Rank Better in Google
3 Nov 2009 | 6:39 amCheck out Chris Boyd’s article on Ministry Marketing Coach on 6 Ways to Organize Your Ministry or Church Web Site to Boost Your Rankings. Related posts:How States Rank in Religiosity Check out Modern Church Marketing Church Com -
Great New Christian Podcast: Messenger Insight
27 Oct 2009 | 6:58 pmCheck out this great new Christian podcasting site called Messenger Insight today at WebDesign.com. There are two great podcasts up … with some heavy hitters, including Charles Colson and Timothy George and another with my friends Micah Fries and Dr. Mark DeVine. Related posts:An Exhortation for Christian Bloggers I recentlyBaker’s ‘Starting for the Finish’ Editorial a Must Read for Southern Baptists Doug Baker -
4 Keys to Effective Church Websites: Free Webinar
28 Sep 2009 | 10:52 amWebDesign.com co-founders Cory Miller and James Dalman hosted a special webinar titled 4 Keys to Effective Church Websites on Oct. 1. In this webinar, you’ll learn the essentials of highly effective church websites with two experienced church marketing professionals. Watch the Church Website Webinar here Related posts:Free Workshop: Web Design with WordPress Join me,A Great Tool for Your Church and the iPhone. I got an eChurch Communications Pro Gets Refreshed. Church Com
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WithoutWax.tv by Pete Wilson
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Romantic Vampires?
20 Nov 2009 | 5:12 amListen, I know men are weird. I know you ladies often wonder what in the world attracted you to us in the first place. You wonder… -Why do men always have to buy the biggest and most expensive version of everything? We’re utterly consumed by the latest weed-eater, shopvac, knife, or electronic gadget. -Why do men always think they can fix things? I’m sure women often wonder why we haven’t figured out after a hundred failed attempts this just isn’t our gift. While we can take apart everything from the TV to the garbage disposal, our expertise usually fails us when… -
The Thrill of Trusting
19 Nov 2009 | 6:21 amFew things are as thrilling as having a front row seat to watch people take steps of faith and trust God in new ways. Here’s just one of many incredible stories from Faith, Hope and Love. Meet Christina. She’s a graduate student who just took one HUGE step of faith. Pete, I wanted to write and not only thank you (and the entire staff at Crosspoint) but also encourage you by letting you know you are not alone in this stepping out in faith. (I’m sure you already know that by the hundreds, maybe thousands that are stepping up…) Tonight was life-changing for me and I… -
My Former Gig
18 Nov 2009 | 6:15 amIt seems every generation has a group of these guys who every girl really thinks they want and every guy pretends to hate but really wants to be. I’m asking you to abandon all of your dignity today and answer this life defining question. Whose your favorite boy band of all time? Thanks to Tripp and Jarrett for the photo. As usual, nice work fellas. -
A God We Cannot See
17 Nov 2009 | 5:21 amAs a father I feel as if I have the responsibility to teach my boys a lot of different things. Here’s just a few I’ve been thinking of… How to ride a bike. How to shave. How to tie a tie. How to dribble a ball. How to love people you don’t like. How to jump off really high stuff. How to do a push-up. How to understand women. How to treat a woman. But the most important thing I want to teach my boys… How to trust a God they cannot see. This past Sunday I watched hundreds of people make their commitment to Faith, Hope, & Love. Each commitment represented… -
Two Words
16 Nov 2009 | 6:28 amThere are two words that for some reason are SO difficult to say. They’re difficult to say to your spouse. They’re difficult to say to your co-workers. They’re difficult to say to your kids. The two words: I’m Sorry. Why are these two words so problematic? One word: Pride There are few words that can change the bearing of a conversation, defuse anger, and convey the kind of healing power those two words can. My guess is there’s at least one person in your life that needs to hear those words roll off your tongue today.
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Perry Noble | Leadership, Vision & CreativityPerry Noble | Leadership, Vision & Creativity
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Sunday
20 Nov 2009 | 4:55 amReally excited about this coming Sunday at NewSpring Church! Because…we’re trying something we’ve never really tried before. :-) Lucretia, my awesome wife, will be joining me on stage…and we will be co-teaching the message in each one of our services…but…here’s the deal… We’re going to allow you guys to drive where the message goes. We want to talk about what you want to talk about…so…at the beginning of each service (at each campus) there will be a number where you can text in your questions about dating, relationships,… -
Why We Miss Opportunities
19 Nov 2009 | 4:02 amLast month while reading the book of Jeremiah God slammed me with Jeremiah 46:17… Pharaoh was a leader…he had potential…but for some reason he MISSED his opportunity. It wasn’t that the opportunity wasn’t there…it was that he missed it. AND…the same thing CAN happen to us if we are not careful. I began thinking about why we, as leaders, miss opportunities…here are a few reasons. #1 – Laziness - Opportunities require action…period. Some leaders get so wrapped up in the way things are that they never even consider additional… -
Five Mistakes I Made As A Young Leader–Part Two
18 Nov 2009 | 4:37 am#3 – I Spoke In Absolutes, Saying That We Would Always Do Certain Things and “Never” Do Other Things. If you want to make God laugh…tell Him about all of the things you will and won’t do…and watch over time how He will cause you to eat your words! When we first began NewSpring I said that I would never teach on giving…because it made people uncomfortable. Until I actually begin digging into Scripture and realized that Jesus talked about giving more than He did prayer…or faith…or heaven…or hell! (And I also realized the only… -
Band Audition Video From Sunday…
17 Nov 2009 | 9:54 amThis gets funnier every time I watch it! Promo: Band Auditions from NewSpring Production on Vimeo. -
Five Mistakes I Made As A Young Leader–Part One
17 Nov 2009 | 4:20 amOne of the questions most often asked of me by pastors when we meet is, “what are the mistakes you made when you were a young leader that you wish someone would have talked to you about?” Five always come to mind… #1 – I thought that people who did not believe just like me were stupid, ungodly and should be avoided and rebuked. This attitude stems from pride and arrogance…which is a danger with any leader…and, when I first began leading I thought I was RIGHT…and if anyone deviated from anything I believed it was because “the enemy had taken hold…
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MoreThanDodgeball.com
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HSM’s Hunger Day Experience
20 Nov 2009 | 4:42 pmThis week we had an incredible experience for our Do Something series – we did Hunger Day where we challenged everyone not to eat for 24 hours and experience what it was like to feel hunger. I joked about how I continually graze throughout the day, and assured them that all of the adults would join in as well. It was amazing! We had a ton of responses to the text we sent out half-way through the day, thought it might be fun to share a few with you, too: It was great and really eye opening… After I had fasted it was hard for me to eat again which is weird because I love eating. At… -
I Need to Work Less
20 Nov 2009 | 2:00 pmI love work! I really do … I’m called to youth ministry, called to this church, and stinkin’ love what I do. But … I’ve had some great (and sometimes difficult) conversations with influential people in my life recently, and am making some adjustments to my weekly schedule to make room for What Matters Most. Here are a few of the adjustments: No laptop at home, very few exceptions No home computer/email until kids are in bed Drop off the kids at school every morning Arrive 1/2 hour early to the office for solo spiritual time Home by 5:15pm during a normal weekday… -
Ducks 4, Lightning 3
20 Nov 2009 | 11:05 amGreat hockey game last night with the two oldest boys – one of the dads of some HSM students hooked us up with some seats for the game. Tampa Bay went down in overtime! So fun. JG Related posts:Ducks 3, Red Wings 4Mighty Ducks 2, Blues 6Red Wings 6, Ducks 3 -
Track Attendance in Small Groups
18 Nov 2009 | 4:26 pmHere’s a little video to help our small group leaders learn how to use the attendance software for their groups. Kurt (student ministries pastor) takes the lead on it, followed by Chip, one of our great volunteers who selected the system and oversees it for us! JG Related posts:Small Group Attendance Training VideoChurch Attendance: How to Count and WhyHSM Small Groups Launch Tonight -
Small Group Statistics 2009-2010
18 Nov 2009 | 4:24 pmHere are some interesting stats from HSM’s small groups this year: Girls 54% Guys 46% Freshman: 27% Sophomores: 28% Juniors: 26% Seniors: 19% Largest percentage from a single school (tie) 16% JG Related posts:Small Group Statistics This YearSmall Group SororitySmall Group Format Change
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History in the Making
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Knoxville Trip
20 Nov 2009 | 5:17 amJust spent a couple of great days with Dr. Chris Stephens and his A-level staff at Faith Promise Church in Knoxville, TN. So impressed with his leadership - both in public and private. Loved hanging out with his two sons, who are college studs but totally sold-out to Christ. Chris is launching a new ministry for pastors at churches under 1,000 in attendance this spring. He's already booked one of the most iconic college coaches in America to appear at the first event.What I love about Chris is that he's not just a pastor's pastor... but a guy's guy. He learned how to… -
Most Anticipated Purchase of the Decade
19 Nov 2009 | 8:17 amForget Kindle.Apple iTablet. Where have you been all my life? -
Dream Year Coming on Monday
17 Nov 2009 | 5:12 pmOkay. Dream Year is coming on Monday.Your dream.Our collaboration.12 months.We'll bring it to life.I'll announce details shortly on how to become part of the class of 2010. -
Help Jon Acuff Build a Vietnam Kindergarten
16 Nov 2009 | 1:25 pmUber blogger Jon Acuff is raising $60,000 to build two kindergartens in Vietnam through Samaritan's Purse. He's only $15,000 away from meeting his goal. Read more about it [here]. Check it out [here]. -
I Don't Even Care What the Dog Saw...
16 Nov 2009 | 10:02 amI'll just read anything Malcolm Gladwell writes.
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eugene cho
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to mike foster and jud wilhite, and the leaders of zondervan publishing
20 Nov 2009 | 9:06 amJoin us in continual prayer for this entire situation (personal thoughts and reflections). We believe we can and will emerge from this – wiser, deeper, and more unified as the body of Christ. Below is a letter we sent out this morning to our brothers, Mike and Jud, and the leaders of Zondervan Publishing. It is [...] -
zondervan’s statement, apology, and actions regarding deadly vipers
19 Nov 2009 | 3:02 pmAs many of you know, several Asian-American leaders and I have been in dialogue with both the authors of Deadly Vipers and the publisher, Zondervan, over a controversy I’ve written about here and here. I know that many who have followed along have been frustrated by the [perception] of the lack of progress and movement [...] -
“love and generosity and…loyalty.”
18 Nov 2009 | 11:01 pmMy oldest child is now in middle school and with that comes new adventures as a family. I’m extremely proud of her for many reasons. One reason is because of her creative spirit. Here’s a poem she wrote recently (after we returned from our vacation in Nebraska in late summer). I’m clearly biased but it’s beautiful [...] -
sarah palin, newsweek cover, and sexism?
17 Nov 2009 | 6:44 pmSarah Palin is all over the news – just like she wants. And before you criticize her, she and her team have a strategy and they’re implementing it well to ensure that her persona is before the American public until the next Presidential election. Like her or not, get used to seeing and hearing much [...] -
we should all learn to bow like obama
16 Nov 2009 | 11:01 pmDear Americans, What is wrong with us? So, President Obama bows in respect to the Japanese emperor during his recent visit to Japan and the next thing you know, all kind of crazy, nonsensical, and ridunkulous statements are flung through the newspapers, blogosphere, radio shows, and chit chats. What exactly is wrong with the image above? What are your [...]
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Church Matters: The 9Marks Blog
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Preaching and Prayer Around the Blog by Thabiti Anyabwile
20 Nov 2009 | 6:27 amKevin and Owen, welcome to the 9Marks block party! Glad to have you both on the team! A couple things I thought might interest readers: Hereyou can see the video and find a time-stamped outline (those SovGrace guys do everything with class, don't they?) of Jeff Purswell's address called, The Pastor's Teaching. Along with Kevin's piece on learning to be yourself when preaching, this is good food for thought for all those looking for a sermon break today, or trying to recover from their sermon on Monday! Also, our brother Lig' is teaching us to pray… -
Learning to be Yourself as a Preacher: From One Still Trying to Do Just That by Kevin DeYoung
20 Nov 2009 | 3:05 amWhen Phillips Brooks famously defined preaching as “the communication of truth through personality” I do believe he was talking about your own personality and not someone else's. It has taken me awhile, but I finally feel like I have learned to be myself in the pulpit. Now whether this means my sermons are better or worse I can’t say. But being myself means my preaching is more genuine, more comfortable, and more sustainable. I know I have a lot to learn as a preacher, and I hope that ten years from now I’ll still get those awkward but true… -
Church on Your Wii! by Michael Mckinley
19 Nov 2009 | 10:12 amI think multi-site and internet campuses are soon going to be passe. If you haven't seen it yet, check out this video!HT: Patrol -
The Wives of Pastors by Aaron Menikoff
18 Nov 2009 | 2:19 pmWelcome Owen and Kevin! I look forward to reading your insights here.A few weeks ago Deepak asked a question about the expectations churches have for pastors's wives. I'm thankful that Mt. Vernon, the church I serve, has been very protective of my wife and has cared for her well. They have given her opportunities to serve but have not made her feel like she has to do anything as "the pastor's wife." I know they want her to be able to support me and our kids. It's a great situation. But there is more. As I've seen the Lord use my wife to undergird the… -
Introducing two new 9Marks bloggers by Jonathan Leeman
18 Nov 2009 | 6:45 amWe're grateful to present two new 9Marks bloggers to all of you: Owen Strachan and Kevin DeYoung. Owen is a member of CrossWay Community Church in Bristol, Wisconsin, which is just close enough to the Illinois border for him to drive there on Sundays from Highland Park, IL, where he "resides." Owen is a PhD student in Historical Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and is the managing director of the Carl F. H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding at TEDS. He is married to a woman of noble character, Bethany. He also has a daughter, I…
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Human3rror
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Caption Please.
20 Nov 2009 | 9:35 pm -
Husband Fail Friday!
20 Nov 2009 | 3:22 amIt’s Friday! Time for another Husband Fail! This is your opportunity to share silly stories of how your husband pretty much failed you this past week! Or, if you want to be honest (Mr. Husband) then go ahead and admit what you did and how it was so lame of you to do whatever you did before your wife shows up and does it for you! Please try not to take yourself (or this post) too seriously… Me First: Anytime things get tough people either choose to stay or go. In other words, the “fight” or “flight” reaction comes into play. For me, I’m the guy sprinting from… -
The Hives Wordpress Theme
20 Nov 2009 | 3:15 amThe Hives Wordpress Theme is an extremely unique design originally created by award-winning designer Nurul Dahlan. He passed on the design to me so that I could code it into Wordpress. I had originally planned to use this for a client but that, of course, never happened. My second option was to put it up as a “premium” theme and get a few pennies out of it, since it definitely warranted the time and effort! But, I’ve decided to release it to the public, free and GPL. It’s got a rotating carousel, Lifestream, and more. It uses a few plugins but are easy to configure. -
How’s Your Day Going? Mine’s Like This…
19 Nov 2009 | 10:06 am -
2nd Generation, Evangelizing Through the Web
17 Nov 2009 | 5:36 pmThe Ignite Conference this past weekend was great. What an amazing opportunity to speak to the next generation of asian-american leaders! My keynote that morning was about character and how God cares more about this than anything else that we may do (I gave my Campus Pastor @JeffHenderson mucho props). My breakout covered the “Strategy of Free” as well as a healthy Q/A. A local news affiliate interviewed me and wrote the following story above, which I couldn’t really understand; the Google Translation attempt didn’t fare too well either. I’ll be the first to…
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Life on Life
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Thoughts on A Christmas Carol...
18 Nov 2009 | 2:47 pmThis vid is hawt! This Christmas Granger will be leveraging the topics in Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol for a special teaching series. The December series will focus on recovery from their past, making a difference in the present, and deciding on a purposeful future.Speaking of a Christmas Carol, I just saw the movie last week in IMAX. The movie was very well done... but a little overplayed & dark in some parts. I'd be cautious to let small children watch it. However, Granger's production - following their series - I can highly recommend. =)What does your church have planned for… -
Help Build a Kindergarten in Vietnam
17 Nov 2009 | 4:53 pmJon Acuff, blogger over at SCL, is raising $60,000 to build two kindergartens in Vietnam through Samaritan's Purse. He has already raised funds to build one and he's only $14,000 away from meeting his goal. Read more about it [here]. You can donate to this cause [here]. -
Power of Open Space
17 Nov 2009 | 12:56 pmRead an article back in August on Open Space Technology in Rejuvenate magazine. Kate Burton interviewed my friend, Mark Matlock, about this technology because Mark is the VP of Event Content at Youth Specialties and had planned to use this new meeting strategy at the YS conventions this fall.In short, Open Space is a meeting strategy for harnessing the collective wisdom of a group to self-teach and learn rather than depending on the traditional role of a teacher or facilitator. Sounds pretty interesting right? I must admit, the article peaked my interest and I wanted to know more. Then within… -
Manic Monday Minute
16 Nov 2009 | 9:10 pmManic Monday Minute is a serious mind-dump that will probably take you one minute to read. Here are some thoughts going through my head right now...This is the Manic Monday MinuteLast week was quite the ride folks. Quite the ride!Our area was slammed with a NOR'easter (storm) for several days on end.Lots of flooding & damage to our area.I was fortunate to not have any damage to my home... but folks minutes from me were under water.Just before the storm hit my family came to town.It was so wonderful to spend a few days with them even though the weather didn't cooperate.We saw Jim Carrey's… -
2007 Called...
14 Nov 2009 | 6:11 pmMy phone rang the other day and it was 2007 calling.Actually, I was on the phone with my mother and I saw that I had an incoming call. When I looked to see who it was calling me the caller ID displayed "2007 calling." Freaky.I should have answered the call. However, I sent it to voicemail and continued the convo with my mom. After I hung up the phone with my mother I checked my voicemail and there was no message. I tried calling 2007 back... and got an error message.I laughed over the whole ordeal because it reminded me of the sketch-- I think from Saturday Night Live -- about a certain year…
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The bob.blog feed!
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Joy and frustration...
16 Nov 2009 | 7:30 amA good and frustrating (and so maybe good) night for me last night. Sunday nights tend to be harder for me as the day is so long. I'm usually at it pretty early, refining my sermon or working on last minute details. And If I've preached, then done something like lead a new people's group, there's not a whole lot left in the tank for Sunday evening. But yesterday I wasn't preaching at our 3rd/evening gathering, so it was a little less of an issue. First, the good. Last night I kept Jack, our 5 year old with me in the gathering the whole time. He did (mostly)… -
Who we are becoming... accidentally
7 Nov 2009 | 5:27 pmI heard someone say today "Pastors often lose sight of who they are."I think to some extent that may be true- especially for those of us who tend towards the co-dependant. Being driven more by who we feel others want us to be. But I think it might be more precise to say we often become people we didn't intend to be. And we do so by living reactively- taking each day as it comes, dealing with the facts (and fires) on the ground, avoiding the 50,000 foot view altogether. And the 50,000 ft view is a picture of who we want to be down the road. This week I was… -
Review: Sim Church pt 1
5 Nov 2009 | 11:15 amIt's really difficult for me not to come out swinging when a book I've been promised deals with real questions in an even handed manner begins with breathless statements like "Today a new community of the people of God has begun... A change is occurring in the Christian church the likes of which has not happened in centuries...This type of church is unlike any church the world has ever seen. It has the power to break down social barriers , unite believers from all over the world, and build the kingdom of God with a widow's mite of financing . It is a completely different type… -
I don't know what the Christian Post is...
3 Nov 2009 | 8:19 am... but I'm in it. Brick-and-Mortar Pastor Defends Virtual Church as RealBy Lillian KwonChristian Post Reporter E-mail Print RSS Share Text The Christian church is engaging far less than 1 percent of the 70 million people who are active in the virtual world. This means the virtual world is by far the largest unreached people group on planet Earth, says one pastor.RelatedChristians Bring Jesus into Virtual 'Second Life' Portland Church Goes Multi-Site, Rejects Video Venues Survey Measures Effectiveness of Church Expansion… -
I'm on a date!!
30 Oct 2009 | 5:37 pmUploaded by www.cellspin.net
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TheWorshipCommunity.Com - Worship Leader Resources, Articles, Forums
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55%
18 Nov 2009 | 6:51 amIn preparing training for our worship teams recently, I came across a startling definition of communication. COMMUNICATION: 15% - content 30% - tone or emotion 55% - body language There is was, 55 %, the ammunition that I needed to convince our teams that they simply have to invest more time preparing so they can be more expressive on stage. When reviewing our services on video, I still see frowns and unsmiling faces which communicate that they don’t believe what they are singing and playing. It sometimes feels fake or as if I am asking for a performance to teach about stage presence in… -
CD Review: Vertical Window - DECLARATION
17 Nov 2009 | 8:21 pmVertical Window DECLARATION Independent Will appeal to: fans of Casting Crowns, Caedmon’s Call, and Philips, Craig, & Dean Highlights: “Be Glorified”, “Declaration”, & “61”. Vertical Window have been leading worship, and releasing original c.d.’s in my neck of the woods for some time now, but in the past their recorded output has either lacked the proper production approach to really highlight their strengths, or featured a line-up of musicians that - though always very good - often tugged Curtis and Jill Geary (the heart and soul of Vertical Window) in a direction… -
Father Forgive Me, For I Have Sinned Part II
16 Nov 2009 | 5:39 amIf you’re not familiar with my story, please start here. Author’s Note: I need to emphasize that considering the situation, I was handled with MUCH grace. The following confessions are not intended to paint anyone in a negative light or to shift blame. I’m just sharing my story, my emotions, and my experiences. Part Two: Rock Bottom I left from Pastor Dan’s office on a Monday cautiously optimistic. Food regained its flavor (and I regained my appetite for it), music sounded musical again, and my heart didn’t drop into my stomach every couple of seconds or so. Maybe… -
Letters to Leaders, Vol. 3
11 Nov 2009 | 6:18 amFellow worship leaders, you will find many nuggets of wisdom and experience in the following letter. Although it was written with a very specific leader in mind, I would encourage you to ask yourself if this letter could’ve been written to you. Do we need to grow in the same areas as this leader? And are we excelling in the same places as this one? Find challenge and encouragement in the words. ~mandy thompson My Dear Worship Leader and Friend, First, please let me reaffirm that I hold you in the highest regard. Your commitment to Jesus and the desire to serve him wholeheartedly blesses… -
Letters to Leaders, Vol. 2
4 Nov 2009 | 5:50 amToday we bring another installment of our series written by everyday church goers. As you read the words of these letters, I pray that you receive in your heart what is being communicated. That you listen as if someone from your own congregation is writing. And that you consider their words. We may not all agree with what is being expressed at times, just as we don’t agree with our own congregants at times. Setting aside debate and disagreement, may we have hearts to serve them. ~mandy thompson Dear worship leader, Thanks for your presence on stage. Thanks for taking us to deeper places…
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partoftheglue.com
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Reality TV for your youth group
10 Nov 2009 | 3:50 pmVersion:1.0 StartHTML:0000000105 EndHTML:0000003863 StartFragment:0000001893 EndFragment:0000003827 Reality TV is everywhere these days. The other day I was heading to lunch with some guys from work and everyone was talking about the biggest loser and who they thought should have stayed on the show. This idea of ordinary people becoming tv stars even if only for a week is a fascinating idea that most of us seem to gravitate towards for some reason. We like to see regular ordinary people on the screen and we like to see real life situations we encounter everyday. Recently in our youth… -
stealing ideas
2 Nov 2009 | 6:50 pmI recently created a video where we took the script from a skit guys script. The script was originally designed to be a drama, however with the time crunch we deal with in our services we decided to video the skit and condense it down to two minutes. Most of the time the videos we create are pretty original, however this time we decided it was okay to steal the general idea and make it our own. Below is the video Run in such a way from LYF on Vimeo. Tweet This Post -
Facebook ads for your youth group
29 Oct 2009 | 5:01 pmI recently launched a new ad campaign for our youth group through facebook. Once you have a facebook fan page setup you can go to your fan page and click promote with an ad. The great thing about these ads is that you can target them to 13-18 year old students that live within a certain mile radius of your city. You can also decide how much you want to spend and choose between clicks or impressions. Creating a facebook ad campaign for your youth group may help get exposure in your community due to the high volume of students that are on facebook. Visit facebook.com/ads for more… -
Vote for our film
22 Oct 2009 | 8:37 amA couple of months ago our student media team at my church entered the 24 hour film race. We had to write, shoot and edit a short film in 24 hours. Our film has gone on to the national competitions and we need your help. Vote for our film “the choice” HERE and spread the word. Tweet This Post -
Using voice-overs in videos
4 Oct 2009 | 12:41 pmThe truth is most students in your ministry are not actors and the few that can act probably still aren’t incredible. We recently did a series on evangelism in our youth ministry called ASK. The concept was to thread a series of videos together that show students being afraid to ask something. The last video focuses on asking your friends about God, while the first three are other real life situations. These videos were actually easy to shoot because we didn’t have to record audio on site. After filming each video we would go into our studio and record the voice over…
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Branded With Love
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The Blog Has Been Hijacked, The Finale
18 Nov 2009 | 2:41 pmChuck Cason, Resident Church Planter, here at Forefront is embarking on an amazing journey. Come mid-December, Chuck and his family will be heading out on the road to answer the call God has placed on their hearts. So, Chuck has hijacked the blog for a bit to share his story. Enjoy. Juli and I had been trying to make the move to the hardest-hit-economically city in the nation. It is spiritually, emotionally, financially, and generationally depressed. The hard financial times came recently, however, it’s been struggling in all of the other areas for many years. We wanted to plant a church… -
The Blog Has Been Hijacked, Part 3
18 Nov 2009 | 1:39 pmChuck Cason, Resident Church Planter, here at Forefront is embarking on an amazing journey. Come mid-December, Chuck and his family will be heading out on the road to answer the call God has placed on their hearts. So, Chuck has hijacked the blog for a bit to share his story. Enjoy. Because all of the other resources had completely bombed out on us, Juli and I decided that what we would need to do is just start a church out of the living room of our house. But to have a house, you needed a job or at least the possibility of a job in the near future… Detroit has no jobs for those that are… -
The Blog Has Been Hijacked, Part 2
18 Nov 2009 | 11:38 amChuck Cason, Resident Church Planter, here at Forefront is embarking on an amazing journey. Come mid-December, Chuck and his family will be heading out on the road to answer the call God has placed on their hearts. So, Chuck has hijacked the blog for a bit to share his story. Enjoy. So, here we were, full blown “church planters.” Well, at least that’s what my title read on my email signature line. Juli and I were on our way to planting a church in the Detroit area of Michigan… a church like those folks have never seen before. That part of the country is so entrenched in old… -
I’m Not The Grinch
18 Nov 2009 | 5:46 amTo everyone who thinks I’m “the Grinch” or “Mr.s Anti-Christmas,” I contend that I absolutely love Christmas. I just cannot begin to think about it until after Thanksgiving. My wife on the other hand already has had our Christmas decor up for a couple weeks. Ugh. At any rate, I got word of a free Christmas EP you can download from Aaron Hale. Dig in and enjoy all you Christmas fanatics. I will be celebrating once Thanksgiving has come and gone. Jason *over and out* -
The Blog Has Been Hijacked, Part 1
17 Nov 2009 | 8:37 amChuck Cason, Resident Church Planter, here at Forefront is embarking on an amazing journey. Come mid-December, Chuck and his family will be heading out on the road to answer the call God has placed on their hearts. So, Chuck has hijacked the blog for a bit to share his story. Enjoy. In the very first book of the Bible, Genesis, we read about God testing his people to see if their hearts truly do belong solely to Him. God created us to live in community with Him, and for us to love and worship ONLY Him. However, even as Christ-followers, we often get distracted by the good & bad things of…
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The bob.blog feed!
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Joy and frustration...
16 Nov 2009 | 7:30 amA good and frustrating (and so maybe good) night for me last night. Sunday nights tend to be harder for me as the day is so long. I'm usually at it pretty early, refining my sermon or working on last minute details. And If I've preached, then done something like lead a new people's group, there's not a whole lot left in the tank for Sunday evening. But yesterday I wasn't preaching at our 3rd/evening gathering, so it was a little less of an issue. First, the good. Last night I kept Jack, our 5 year old with me in the gathering the whole time. He did (mostly)… -
Who we are becoming... accidentally
7 Nov 2009 | 5:27 pmI heard someone say today "Pastors often lose sight of who they are."I think to some extent that may be true- especially for those of us who tend towards the co-dependant. Being driven more by who we feel others want us to be. But I think it might be more precise to say we often become people we didn't intend to be. And we do so by living reactively- taking each day as it comes, dealing with the facts (and fires) on the ground, avoiding the 50,000 foot view altogether. And the 50,000 ft view is a picture of who we want to be down the road. This week I was… -
Review: Sim Church pt 1
5 Nov 2009 | 11:15 amIt's really difficult for me not to come out swinging when a book I've been promised deals with real questions in an even handed manner begins with breathless statements like "Today a new community of the people of God has begun... A change is occurring in the Christian church the likes of which has not happened in centuries...This type of church is unlike any church the world has ever seen. It has the power to break down social barriers , unite believers from all over the world, and build the kingdom of God with a widow's mite of financing . It is a completely different type… -
I don't know what the Christian Post is...
3 Nov 2009 | 8:19 am... but I'm in it. Brick-and-Mortar Pastor Defends Virtual Church as RealBy Lillian KwonChristian Post Reporter E-mail Print RSS Share Text The Christian church is engaging far less than 1 percent of the 70 million people who are active in the virtual world. This means the virtual world is by far the largest unreached people group on planet Earth, says one pastor.RelatedChristians Bring Jesus into Virtual 'Second Life' Portland Church Goes Multi-Site, Rejects Video Venues Survey Measures Effectiveness of Church Expansion… -
I'm on a date!!
30 Oct 2009 | 5:37 pmUploaded by www.cellspin.net
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Confessions of a Worship Leader
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How To Get Tons of Followers on Twitter – Free
7 Nov 2009 | 7:54 pmOk, This seems to be a popular subject so I thought I’d write a posting on it. Everyone wants to know how to have tons of followers on Twitter, so here are a few steps to make sure you get followers without being suspended from Twitter for agressive following. ***NOTE: I’d very much rather you didn’t [...] -
Thought of the day – With J2: Panic Panic
3 Feb 2009 | 4:41 pmOk… this is another one of those “how would you react” posts. I work in security and sometimes you can find yourself in sticky situations. Take today for example. I was visting with one of my customers and she was explaining that they’d been having trouble setting the alarm at night. I asked what the issue was, [...] -
Thought of the day – With J2: Potty Prayer
2 Feb 2009 | 3:23 pmMaybe it was the chicken club I had for lunch. Could’ve been the tons of sweets I had last night. I really don’t know what it was but it decided to exact it’s revenge upon me with an ambush that couldn’t have been better planned if it tried. I had a sales call out in the [...] -
Thought of the day – with J2: Sushi for Seven
1 Feb 2009 | 8:23 amMy family and I have crazy schedules and are rarely ever all together at the same time. So, since the opportunity presented itself last night, we decided to go out. There is a movie theater in our area that shows movies for $1.50, which is a steal and very tempting. What money they sacrifice in ticket [...] -
Thought of the day – With J2
31 Jan 2009 | 9:48 amThis is one of the things that I’ve decided to do with my blog. I need an outlet for my daily triumphs and frustrations. So I will be posting these on a daily basis for your thoughts and feedback. I will include questions and random thoughts in these posts as well. All that said, I promised [...]
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Levite Chronicles
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5 questions with Nancy Swanson
20 Nov 2009 | 3:30 amMost days I share some time in an office. It’s small, enough for two computers, two desk chairs, two plastic floor mats, and not much else. I share the office with my social media partner. Nancy Swanson and I have been social media partners since we said we were completely committed to each other 26 years ago last March 12. (For the people who think I am too indirect, that was the day we got married). Long before the term was invented–and before many people using social media were invented–we were learning how to connect with each other and together, with other people. When… -
being human
17 Nov 2009 | 3:36 pmIn my ‘draft’s’ folder is the beginning of a post about why pastors shouldn’t tweet. My point was going to be that people should tweet, not pastors (or CEOs or plumbers or any other role). My point was going to be that we should be people who turn out to be pastors or CEOs or plumbers. Rather than being about broadcasting our business, we should live and let that show the validity of our business (especially when our business is life). I got stuck as I was writing that post because, after all, there are reasons to bring business to twitter. All the time we bring our… -
please come to my event
14 Nov 2009 | 4:56 amI hear it all the time. I say it some of the time. “How to I get more people to come to our workshop, party, social event, choir rehearsal?” We plan an event. We put out some announcements in whatever the usual announcement channels are. And then, when people don’t attend, we say “We asked them. They knew about it. It’s their loss. They must not care enough.” Maybe they do care. Maybe they just don’t think that you care about them. Here are 18 ways to help you help them attend an event. Put the invitation in their language, not yours. Ask some of them… -
8 ways to give away lens cleaner
11 Nov 2009 | 10:22 pmAs you approach the training session, it’s clear that everyone already knows this material. At least they think they do. It’s a safety procedure that has been around forever, but people are still getting hurt. It’s the history of the company that gets reviewed at an annual retreat. Or, like tonight, it’s the Beatitudes. Lots of people have heard of the Beatitudes, the beginning of the sermon on the mount, the words of Jesus in Matthew that start, “blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” People who barely remember Sunday School,… -
11.11.11.11
10 Nov 2009 | 10:11 pmGeneral Fentiman was found dead in his chair. It wasn’t really his chair, but it was where he always sat by the fire in the common room. He always arrived at 10 and sat in his chair until supper. Until the day he was found dead in his chair, late in the afternoon. It was shocking and sad, but not unexpected. A week and a half later, things became more complicated. There were questions about the time he died. If he died before 10:37, this time his sister had died, her heirs would get her substantial estate. If he died after her, his heirs would get the estate. After much work, Lord Peter…
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LeadingSmart
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Coming to Granger this December
18 Nov 2009 | 4:30 amEach weekend in December we will be leveraging the topics in Dickens' classic The Christmas Carol. We'll consider recovery from our past, making a difference in the present, and deciding on a purposeful future. It all builds to our own Granger version of The Christmas Carol production in six different services on Christmas Eve. -
Un-riff'n-believable!
17 Nov 2009 | 3:48 amTrust me -- take 3 minutes to watch this video and you won't be disappointed. Here are a few things you should know about RIFF... It was developed by Marty Friend, a good friend (remind me to tell you about our trip to China together) and long-time member at Granger. It is available on iTunes for $3.99. I'm not making a penny for telling you about it. However, you'll be happy that a good portion of the proceeds will go directly into kingdom work. We are planning to use it on stage in an upcoming band number. If you do it first, send me a video and I'll highlight it here on LeadingSmart.com. -
My Parents are the Real Deal
16 Nov 2009 | 3:55 amWhat does it mean when a couple makes it 50 years in marriage? And I don't mean they survived. No, this couple continues to thrive.They are my parents, Ross and Karen Stevens, and this month they are celebrating 50 years of marriage. Can anyone say 'Wow!"? In this day and age, I so respect long marriages. And I have seen this one up close and personal. It's the real deal. My parents are still in love. They honor each other, serve each other, and work through tough stuff together (how tough? Try having me as a kid!).There are so many thoughts that my parents' anniversary brings to mind--here… -
Outsourced Worship
9 Nov 2009 | 4:50 amI had a fascinating time last week with Jeff Powell, one of the leaders at First Hattiesburg Church in Mississippi. He told me a story that was very interesting...A little over a year ago their church had an open position for a worship leader and couldn't find the right person to fill the role. So they began to hire worship leaders to come in, a weekend at a time, to lead their band and congregation in worship. It worked so well that they decided to continue doing this--not as a stop-gap measure--but as their intentional strategy. At this time, they have no plans of ever hiring a worship… -
A 16-Year Old View on the Love of God
7 Nov 2009 | 5:10 pmI'm not sure when it happens, but there is a point in time when you realize you are learning just as much from your kids as they are learning from you. Today was another one of those days when I read these words from my daughters blog: Everyone's gotten mad at their parents at one time or another...it's inevitable... especially in your teen years (or maybe that's just me..?). Something I've never spent much time thinking about is that my parents don't love me because I'm a good runner, because I'm a camp counselor in the summer, or because I drive my sister to school in the morning. And they…
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Rich Kirkpatrick's Weblog
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Times of changed with Modern Warfare 2: Largest Ever Entertainment Launch is a VIDEO GAME
18 Nov 2009 | 11:58 amBigger than “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” film, bigger than “The Dark Night” the video game “Modern Warfare 2″ by Activision is a $550 Million launch. What this says about our culture and our times is that how we are entertained has changed dramatically. How will live and experience our daily lives and what impacts us were once the perview of film. Now we see video games as a backdrop for discussion about life. What are your thoughts on this cultural shift? Is this a good, bad or neutral change. HT: CNET.com Share and Enjoy: -
Worshiptogether.com giving away 10 Free Christmas Worship Songs!
17 Nov 2009 | 12:01 amThanks to Worshiptogether.com you can get 10 Free Christmas Worship Songs. Go here to get the music! Share and Enjoy: -
Worship Mythbusters: Leading music is glamorous and fun most of the time! NOT
16 Nov 2009 | 9:42 amCNNMoney.com recently did a series of articles based on research by payscale.com and found that 67% of those that lead worship or direct music in local churches for a vocation say the job is stressful. The research says this job is in the top 15 MOST stressful. Uhmm, this is obvious to those of us who lead worship, but to have research debunk the myth of the glamor of being a music guy/gal in a church might be helpful in fixing some things. In the article we mentions how weddings and funeral musical work is stressful, but they really do not go to the underlying reasons I believe the majority… -
Worship Video, Recap & Setlist: November 15, 2009
15 Nov 2009 | 8:16 pmRecap: This Sunday our worship band brought it home once again. We had a new guitarist/backing vocalist. Early on in the service you see a rare flub by our amazing Kyle on the drums. He is one of the most solid drummers I have EVER played with and he is only 19! Obviously, this was not one of our most polished musically for the rest of us either, but as a whole we brought in our folks to sing along and participate. That’s one of our main “wins” and I think we did OK on that. Set List: As performed by the following worship leaders… Everyday – Lincoln Brewster… -
Social Media plus Gaming: Twitter or Facebook + Xbox = ?
14 Nov 2009 | 8:30 pmIt is true. On November 17 Xbox 360 will now be able to interface with your Twitter, Facebook and other social media accounts. Imagine, in the middle of your Halo 3 match you feel like tweeting the world about the color of paint on the wall or update your Facebook status on how your achievements fall short as far as your gamer scores. Sound ridiculous? Perhaps. But, I have found Xbox and other gaming systems to be a real place to hangout with people. I enjoy playing with my son, nephew and friends whether online or in person. Will adding more social features to gaming be an enhancement or…
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Ministry Best Practices
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Being the Church - Online
17 Nov 2009 | 1:26 pmIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! "When we [first started this], we were blown away at how people could actually worship along and have genuine community and connect in a very spiritual and very real way with an online church. … We've got people who may be exploring Christianity for the first time and who may not set foot in a physical church building, and we would like to clearly communicate the truth of the Bible in a way that people would understand. That's the top priority for us. Beyond that, we find that people will worship. Often a… -
"They don't pay me enough for this job"
16 Nov 2009 | 5:07 pmIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! Have you ever said that about your job? Here is a list of the top stressful jobs that pay poorly. Number 5 on the list is "Music ministry director" 5. Music Ministry Director Median pay: $40,800 % who say their job is stressful: 67% You may not think of people who plan, direct and conduct performances for religious services as being under a particularly high amount of stress. But they also choose the appropriate psalm or hymn for every wedding and funeral -- only some of the most important events in a… -
Top Web Apps
11 Nov 2009 | 3:10 pmIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! Working in ministry often means working on a shoestring budget..that is why I appreciate many of the Web2.0 apps that not only make my life easier, but are also free. Here are a couple of my "go-to" apps that a use consistently. Sign-up forms (Google Docs) Polls (Twiigs) Organizing meetings (Tungle) Reputation management (Google Alerts) Website analytics (Woopra) Password management (LastPass - browser add-on) Email newsletters (iContact) Task management (Google Tasks) Note taking and Organization… -
31 Refutable Irrefutable Laws of Lame Leadership
11 Nov 2009 | 1:41 pmIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! 31 Refutably Irrefutable Laws of Lame Leadership Chances are you either worked under one of these leadership styles or in fact you have one of these leadership styles. (ht: Johnny Leckie) Please support Ministry Best Practices by Visiting our Advertisers -
5 Objectives of Using Social Media
29 Oct 2009 | 8:05 pmIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! You may be working or volunteering at a church thinking about finally taking the plunge into social media. Now what? The first thing you should do as you begin this new venture is to be very clear about your objectives, If you don't the "gee-whiz" factor will quickly wear off and your venture into social media will be short lived. In my experience, I think that there are five general objectives that can be pursued in the use of any social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc...) 1. Listening. Social Media…
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Joel Klampert
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Steven Curtis Chapman LIVE NOV3rd 10EST!!
3 Nov 2009 | 3:02 pmThe brilliant Steven Curtis Chapman is doing a live broadcast tonight about his new CD. It’s live on facebook. Make sure you check it out. UPDATE: I tried to post the live feed on the site here as well, but had trouble with it so go to the facebook link above. I will be tuning in too. -
Justin Mcroberts: Bullhorn Theory
29 Sep 2009 | 6:08 amThis past sunday we had Recording artist and compassion speaker Justin McRoberts. It was an awesome time on Sunday morning. He also did a brilliant concert that evening as well. The man is a truly gifted songwriter with a sound that I remember from the 90’s and have missed. This song is brilliant. ENJOY!! -
Katy Hudson aka Katy Perry: Search Me
25 Sep 2009 | 7:40 pmWe all know that Katy Perry was signed with a Christian label with the name Katy Hudson before she “kissed a girl”. What we didn’t realize was how stinkin talented she is. I really wonder what happened. There have been many great Christian artists that ended up going secular and walking aaway from their faith. I find this sad. I have no clue why she made the move, but I wonder if maybe we as consumers feed this or if it’s just personal walks in life. Either way this song “search me” is amazing. It starts at 2:20. Enjoy! -
The Joint: David Crowder Band Church Music REVIEW
22 Sep 2009 | 6:31 amToday, the new, long-awaited album from the David Crowder* Band, Church Music, hits the streets. It’s a good CD and a few of us differ on our opinions on it. Go read the review before you buy the CD! The Joint brings you another multiple viewpoint review of this fantastic record. Check it out here. DONT FORGET TO ADD THE JOINT TO YOUR FAVORITE RSS READER!!! -
Skeleton Bones
17 Sep 2009 | 9:24 pmBelow is my new favorite song. It’s from John Mark McMillan (writer of How He Loves). I can’t wait to do this one in a church service. John Mark McMillan – Skeleton Bones from john mark mcmillan on Vimeo.
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BrianAyers.net
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Book Review: A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
What if you had the opportunity to edit your life? What parts would end-up on the cutting room floor? What parts would you feel the need to embellish? What parts would you want to gloss-over or play down? Donald Miller had the opportunity answer those questions while working to turn his ... -
Book Review: Fearless
To be honest, I'm not exactly a big Max Lucado fan. While I'd never read one of his books cover-to-cover, I always figured that his writing was the standard Family Christian Bookstore feel-good fluff that I normally try to avoid. So when I received an email telling me that an ... -
Something’s Gotta Give
You may have noticed (or maybe you haven't) that this blog has been gathering a little dust as of late... and I've also been a little less active on Twitter and other places online lately too. This is mostly due to the fact that life has been moving at a ... -
Mid Course Correction
If you've been a Christian for long at all it's likely you've found yourself in a situation where you've thought, prayed, planned, and even felt a peace about your decision... only to find-out once you start to move forward that God has seemingly changed His mind. You were convinced that ... -
Don’t Eat Everything They Hand You
I don't think I'm alone it this, but I'll confess: I like to be complemented. I like to be told I've done a great job or to feel that sense of approval from others. I've learned more and more though that there are some complements that you shouldn't listen to! Here's a few ...
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Shaun In The City
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Sorry So Many Pastors Talk Bad About You
19 Nov 2009 | 5:24 amAfter a church service one Sunday recently, a man that was visiting said something to me that took me by surprise. After telling me how much he enjoyed the message and believed in Courageous Church, he said, “I’m sorry so many pastors talk bad about you.” It took me a second to catch what we said. I had no idea so many pastors were talking bad about me! I thought about it for a split second and I honestly moved on in my mind and in my heart. Let me tell you why I was able to let this fall right off of me. I give my life to please God and live for an audience of… -
10!
17 Nov 2009 | 1:20 pmHey Blog Readers! I need your help. I REALLY NEED YOUR HELP! We have just about 3 weeks to raise $20,000 to shower holiday blessings on the beautiful kids of Frank L. Stanton Elementary School in inner city Atlanta and many amazing families that lost everything in the Atlanta Floods. This may sound like a huge #, but together we can do it. As a matter of fact, we can only do it together! We did it last year together! Let’s do it again! Here’s how… If you can recruit just 10 people to purchase either 1 toy or 1 uniform @ 500toys.org, we will hit our goal! (This is… -
Mercy Amnesia!
17 Nov 2009 | 7:33 am(The daily devotional below appeared here today @ StreamingFaith.com. For the thousands of you visiting from StreamingFaith today…if you could read 2 just things on my blog I would love for you to go here or here and WE COULD REALLY USE YOUR HELP HERE!) ——- Do you have Mercy Amnesia? The more you remember that YOU NEED MERCY, the easier it is to freely GIVE IT OUT. I can smell a person with mercy amnesia from a mile away. They are judgmental. They spread gossip. They count people out. Having lost touch with how much God has forgiven them, they basically have to live a… -
Too Many Hoops to Jump Through: Pre-Marital Counseling, Ellen, and Gay Dudes
14 Nov 2009 | 2:14 pm(My thoughts below are a work in progress and I am hoping they will spark a warm, tough, loving conversation.) I love Courageous Church. The people I pastor are a total mess. I mean that in a loving way :-) I need them. They need me. We need each other. In so many ways this is just the church that I imagined pastoring. Alcoholics. Porn Watchers. Gay. Oversexed. Shopaholics. Addicts. Educated. Uneducated. Churched. Un-churched. Married. Divorced. Single. Everything. As I prepare to begin pre-marital counseling with several couples in our church (can’t wait) I noticed how… -
I’ll Ride a Motorbike :-) (YouTube Video)
12 Nov 2009 | 10:52 amI referenced this HILARIOUS clip from The Cosby Show this past Sunday @ Courageous Church as we dive into what it takes to honor God with our money. It is a classic scene from the very first episode with a great exchange between dad and son dealing with what it’s going to cost to make it in life. (”I’ll ride a motorbike” is at 1:59 :-)
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Christian Personal Finance
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Upgrade to Windows 7 | Giveaway
20 Nov 2009 | 7:25 amAs mentioned Free Stuff Friday changed to a monthly giveaway (on the first of each month) but due to the chaotic nature of my November, I am just getting around to it now. I am also a fairly recent Mac convert, so it might seem odd that I am giving away an upgrade to Windows 7, but I am well aware that many people still use (and some even love) Windows, so therefore I thought it’d be nice to give away the new upgrade. Details about the giveaway In order for the Windows 7 upgrade to work for your machine you need to be running either Windows XP or Vista. To see if your machine is… -
ABCs of Personal Finance: 26 Elementary Money Lessons
19 Nov 2009 | 7:48 amAlways ask for a discount – Just ask “Can you do any better than that?” or “Is that the best you can do?” This simple question could potentially save you a lot of money. Be prepared for the unexpected. You never know when the heater might break or the car transmission might go out. An emergency fund with 3-6 months of your living expenses ought to be adequate. Curb (or cancel) credit card spending. Since people spend more money with credit cards, you need to decide if you are in a position to be able to afford the convenience charge. Determine to become debt-free. Take practical… -
Buying life insurance for your parents: Is it wise? Is it wrong?
18 Nov 2009 | 7:53 amI recently received an email from a reader that I thought would be perfect for discussion, because my hunch is that there are others who are dealing with or have dealt with a situation like this. I promised that I would try to get some opinions from the CPF audience, so if you have any thoughts or opinions, please share them in the comments. Here are the important parts from the email I received… I have a question that I’m wrestling with, which I’m hoping you can help me with. Recently my siblings have been talking to my mother and I about taking a life insurance out for… -
Delayed gratification – Is it worth it?
17 Nov 2009 | 7:48 amThe following guest post was written by CPF reader Amy Sullivan. We live in a country resounding “Instant Gratification!” as its lifestyle cadence call. But despite the fact debt has become a badge of the American dream, some folks are going back to saving money and paying for big-ticket items with cash. With this new concept, there is no debt, there is no minimum payment due…but there is a lingering question – is it worth it? Put debt into perspective My husband and I decided to sell our home and severely live below our means to save 75% of our six-figure household income. In less… -
Being owed money & striving to pass the test
16 Nov 2009 | 8:38 amI once heard someone say, “challenges are just wonderfully disguised opportunities for growth.” I really do believe it to be true. Just like a strong physical body requires exercises that push it beyond what is comfortable, so a strong character requires challenges that aren’t comfortable. My newest challenge is that an advertiser owes me a lot of money. The first time someone owed me money I remember as a teen selling my guitar to an acquaintance from church and after months of reminders and little to no payments I realized that I wasn’t likely to ever receive full…
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JakeBouma.com
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An interview with Walter Brueggemann
19 Nov 2009 | 5:56 amFortress Forum, a social community for religious academics, has posted an interview with Walter Brueggemann. “Given the current frailty of the capitalist system and the fact that the ‘big money’ continues to grow while ordinary people increasingly become poor and homeless, I suspect that this character [God], embedded in this tradition, is a wake-up call for contemporary social-political thought. It is not difficult to imagine that dominant ideologies and narrative explanations of reality have reached a dead end. For that reason I judge that it is a worth-while effort,… -
Shane Claiborne in Esquire
18 Nov 2009 | 12:28 pmShane Claiborne wrote a letter to non-believers in Esquire(!) titled What If Jesus Meant All That Stuff? “The entire story of Jesus is about a God who did not just want to stay ‘out there’ but who moves into the neighborhood, a neighborhood where folks said, ‘Nothing good could come.’ It is this Jesus who was accused of being a glutton and drunkard and rabble-rouser for hanging out with all of society’s rejects, and who died on the imperial cross of Rome reserved for bandits and failed messiahs. This is why the triumph over the cross was a triumph over… -
The Age of the Informavore
6 Nov 2009 | 10:59 amThe Age of the Informavore: A Talk With Frank Schirrmacher is currently featured in Edge, along with responses from thinkers like Nicholas Carr and Steven Pinker. “We are apparently now in a situation where modern technology is changing the way people behave, people talk, people react, people think, and people remember. And you encounter this not only in a theoretical way, but when you meet people, when suddenly people start forgetting things, when suddenly people depend on their gadgets, and other stuff, to remember certain things. This is the beginning, its just an experience. But if… -
Social Isolation and New Technology
4 Nov 2009 | 7:26 pmHere’s a new Pew report on Social Isolation and New Technology for your perusal. “Sociologists Miller McPherson, Lynn Smith-Lovin and Matthew Brashears suggest that new technologies, such as the internet and mobile phone, may play a role in advancing this trend [of becoming more socially isolated]. Specifically, they argue that the type of social ties supported by these technologies are relatively weak and geographically dispersed, not the strong, often locally-based ties that tend to be a part of peoples’ core discussion network.” -
Dead simple group texting for ministry with Tatango
4 Nov 2009 | 9:31 amA while back I wrote a gushing blog post about a company called Tatango, whose aim is to make it dead simple for anybody to harness the useful technology of mass or group text messaging. Those of us involved in youth ministry are undoubtedly aware that text messaging is an indispensable tool for effective communication with our students, so I wanted to give another push for Tatango and the services they offer. And because I love you so much, at the end of this post you will find a code for 15% off of any plan Tatango offers. Below is a short tutorial video that covers the basics of Tatango.
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Generate Life Blog
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Bruised
20 Nov 2009 | 9:49 amEver have times when your soul is bruised? Not broken like shattered but just bruised where it’s frustrating? Kind of like when someone hits you in the arm just long enough for it to get annoying? That’s the way the past few days have been for me. Nothing earth shattering just a lot of arm hitting from life, circumstance, or evil. Had a friend get pounded hard as well so it’s on my mind. I’m always amazed when hit how a part of me wants to react, fight, or run but I’m becoming more aware of a small part in me that wants to sit and wait it out, in an odd way… -
Narnia Experience
20 Nov 2009 | 9:41 amChristmas is going to be huge at Crossroads. Bre and I are excited for the Christmas tree lighting this Sunday night and another thing we’re taking the kids to is the Chronicles of Narnia Experience on December 5th. If you’ve never been be sure to check it out as the night includes the Narnia movie along with special effects, a lion and other live creatures, along with some culinary delights perfect for the holiday season. Tickets are $7 and $10 this year depending on seating and you can pick them up here. Bre and I are planning to attend the 6pm show so we hope to see you! -
Phil Wickham Pic
19 Nov 2009 | 3:14 pmHere’s a great shot from last night that Phil sent over. -
Lifetime Value
19 Nov 2009 | 10:55 amPastors and leaders of social intiatives. Take Seth Godin’s blog (below) and at the end simply substitute “$74,000″ with the phrase “a soul eternally with Jesus.” Just slightly convicting and incredibly motivating. If you walk into a company-owned cell phone store to sign up for a contract, what are you worth? Given the huge gross margins at AT&T and Verizon and the standard two-year contract, I think it’s easy to figure on more than $2000 in lifetime value. If you ran a business where a customer represented an additional $2,000 in profit, how would you… -
Thank God Together
19 Nov 2009 | 8:58 amThe past two years have been a roller coaster and I find myself often on the uphill climb expecantly praying for thrills, safety, explosion, and joy. It’s a fun place to be because you still aren’t sure of what all the ride will entail and just how mangificent or scary it may get. But, I wanted to take a moment and simply thank God for the ride. I pray it’s only the beginning but also want us all to find the rest of God and revel in thanksgiving at his movement. So let’s do it together as a family. “Thanks God for allowing us the opportunity to look at the stars…
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brent(inWorship)
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Paul Baloche – CD Giveaway!
2 Nov 2009 | 10:24 amPaul Baloche has been writing worship anthems for the church for years and his new CD “Glorious” releases tomorrow, November 3. Our friends at Integrity Music have put together a pretty cool giveaway for FIVE people out in blogworld. This Release Day Giveaway is a little different – there are five blogs all running the same giveaway and each site will have a winner who will receive a copy of the new CD as well as the worship leader digital songbook. I’ve had this CD for a couple of weeks and I’m really enjoying it. This is classic Paul Baloche – singable… -
My office for the next 3 days.
9 Oct 2009 | 9:05 amPosted via web from inworship’s posterous -
Oregon Coast – Day 4 “Rogue River Jet Boat Trip”
26 Aug 2009 | 9:42 pmSee and download the full gallery on posterous Posted via email from inworship’s posterous -
Oregon Coast – Day 3 “Some of my favorite Pics”
25 Aug 2009 | 9:44 pmSee and download the full gallery on posterous Posted via email from inworship’s posterous -
Oregon Coast – Day 2 “Some of my favorite Pics!”
24 Aug 2009 | 9:22 pmSee and download the full gallery on posterous Posted via email from inworship’s posterous
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Collide Magazine
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Upfront Week In Review - 11/20/09
20 Nov 2009 | 11:47 amIt’s time for a little Week In Review: The creators of Fireproof have a new movie in the works: Courageous. The United Methodist Church is helping churches put together a makerting plan (via Church Marketing Sucks). Designers - Smashing Magazine has a collection of 20 free fonts that you should download. Trap Door Sun has a great interview with singer/songwriter/theologian, Jon Foreman of Switchfoot. Hollywood is courting the church leader again – this time on behalf of ‘The Road.’ A guy in Guam marries a video game character. Yes, you read that right. Download… -
Videos of the Week - 11/19/09
19 Nov 2009 | 11:26 amWhile online church is still a new and growing trend, it looks like video game church is the next big thing. (HT: ChurchCrunch) I don’t know why, but these images of a floating chair in space are mesmerizing. (HT: Gizmodo) A visual example of the power of story (HT: Phil Cooke) Speaking of story, here’s Google’s story told through some very impressive graphics. (motionographer) Could this be the future of computing? (HT: ChurchCrunch) -
Here Comes Hollywood … Again
17 Nov 2009 | 8:44 amFive years later, people are still talking about the commercial success of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. It has become the preeminent case study for raking in the entertainment dollars of Christians. Since The Passion’s staggering commercial success, films such as Rocky Balboa, The Nativity Story, Amazing Grace (the William Wilberforce movie), and Evan Almighty have been directly marketed to church leaders as inspirational films that teach good lessons and inspire spiritual conversations. Heck, if memory serves, the Evan Almighty campaign included a faux cover wrap for… -
Buy One, Get One FREE
16 Nov 2009 | 9:52 amWe’ve never done anything like this before, but hey, it’s the holiday season. (And it’s not the Columbus Day holiday season either; it’s the holiday season.) Here’s the deal: Between now and the end of the year, when you buy a print subscription to COLLIDE, we’ll email you a promo code for a FREE print subscription. Buy One, Get One FREE — it’s as simple as that. If you want to use the promo code to order a Christmas gift for a coworker, please do. If you want to email the promo code to a friend so he or she can get a subscription, that’s great, too. If you want to… -
Upfront Week In Review - 11/13/09
13 Nov 2009 | 2:02 pmIt’s Friday the 13th, but you superstitious folk (and even those of you that are just stitious) have no need to worry. The Week in Review is here! Kem Meyer asks a great question: Are you promising more than you can deliver? Should preachers, like Purdue professors, be on the Hotseat? Justin Wise thinks so. Blaine Hogan reflects on the risk (and value) of staying. Barton Damer put together a roundup of several of his super-sweet tutorials. The first Clash of the Titans trailer is out and it looks like a Troy / Lord of the Rings mash-up to us. The Vatican is hosting a conference on the…
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Live to Worship
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Set List – 15 Nov 2009
15 Nov 2009 | 1:11 pmEverlasting God – Lincoln Brewster You Never Let Go – Matt Redman Hosanna – Paul Baloche How He Loves Us – John Mark McMillan Glory To God Forever – Fee / Vicky Beeching Well, today was Preview #3 for Story Church. It was our first ever Sunday morning service so I knew a lot of our usual support crowd would not be able to come out. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that even though we had less people, we had more NEW faces there than ever before. That is just so cool in my book. The time slot of this service also meant finding musicians was a challenge. -
Video: Another Hallelujah
12 Nov 2009 | 9:43 amWith a melody known to most as the ‘Shrek Song’, here I am covering Lincoln Brewster’s version (i.e. completely rewritten lyrics) of Jeff Buckley’s (Leonard Cohen’s) Hallelujah. View on YouTube. Posted in Church, New Music, Resources, Video, Worship, YouTube Tagged: church version, hallelujah, jeff buckley, lincoln brewster, shrek song -
Video: How He Loves Us
12 Nov 2009 | 9:38 amA cover of John Mark McMillan’s How He Loves Us. View on YouTube. Posted in Church, New Music, Resources, Video, Worship, YouTube Tagged: Church, crowder band, Guitar, how he loves us, john mark mcmillan, Music, tutorial video -
The Joint: Skillet – Alive
11 Nov 2009 | 11:38 amThe Joint review the new album from Skillet. Posted in Blog, New Music, the joint Tagged: album review, awake, cd review, Skillet, the joint -
The Rich Fool
8 Nov 2009 | 7:56 pmThe Rich Fool I was reading my daughter a bedtime story a few nights ago. She loves to hear stories from her “God book” (Stories Jesus Told by Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen). We flipped through and stopped to read the Parable of the Rich Farmer which is based on Jesus’ Parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12:16-21. For days later, the story has kept coming back to me and I have been trying to work out what I should take out of it. 16And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. 17“And he began reasoning to himself, saying,…
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Consuming Worship
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Pure Praise
20 Nov 2009 | 7:25 pmI want to say thanks to Ben and Wisdom at the All About Worship podcast. I won the book Pure Praise by Dwayne Moore, and I got it in the mail today. I'm really looking forward to digging into it soon. I've heard so many great things about the study, and I know I'm late to the party. As they say, better late than never. In fact, I said recently I was working on writing my own book on worship, but after just a cursory glance through Dwayne's book I think he may have said everything I wanted to say. (I'll still work on writing my own anyway.) I'm also probably going… -
Enabler
17 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amI appreciate my pastor, and a couple of sermons he's delivered over the last month or so. Sunday's sermon was a reminder of the idea that when we are weak, God is strong in us. More importantly, however, is the fact that so often we are failures because we are not weak enough. We tell ourselves, "I can't do XYZ ministry because I'm too weak." The fact is we aren't weak enough. We've failed to submit ourselves wholly to the Lord and allowed His Spirit to work through us. I'm reminded of a verse I once chose as my life verse back during my high… -
Veterans Day
11 Nov 2009 | 7:53 amThank you for your service and sacrifice. Jeff M. Miller Consuming Worship email \ twitter \ tumblr \ chat \ facebook -
Comment Problem
9 Nov 2009 | 9:33 pmThanks t those of you who've to me via Twitter and email that comments are closed. I'm sorry you couldn't comment. There's something wrong with Intense Debate (I think), but I'm not sure yet. Hang in there and thanks for reading (and wanting to comment). -
Random thoughts for your weekend
6 Nov 2009 | 10:30 amHey everyone. I'm still alive and kicking. Just thought I'd give you an update about some things, and share some links and such that I've found interesting over the last week or so. As with many of you, I've been shocked and grieving over the news down in Ft. Hood from yesterday. Now there's news of another shooting in Orlando. More proof we live in a fallen, broken, hurting world in need of the love and grace of Jesus Christ. I'm participating in NaNoWriMo this year, and so far it's going very, very smoothly. I'm pretty excited about the story as it…
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Kingdom Ministry on the Net
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Christian Leadership: What Do You Expect From Your Church Members
29 Oct 2009 | 4:30 pmChristian Leadership: What Do You Expect From Your Church Members I was struck by a recent article I read by... -
Pastors Salaries Face Downturn
22 Oct 2009 | 9:12 pmPastors Salaries Face DownturnSurvey shows average salary and benefits decline.About half the nation's full-time pastors report they received no salary... -
Music Legend Pastor Marvin Sapp files competing bid for African American Radio Station
13 Oct 2009 | 12:24 amGRAND RAPIDS -- A battle for control of the city's only station geared toward the black community is getting uglier,... -
Young Southern Baptists Urged to Save the Denomination
10 Oct 2009 | 2:26 amProminent Southern Baptist theologian R. Albert Mohler, Jr., implored young seminary students to save the denomination. It is very important... -
Christian Leadership: 'Man Vs. Wild' Star Set to Lead Crusade in Orlando This Fall
27 Jul 2009 | 6:52 pm'Man Vs. Wild' Star Set to Lead Crusade in Orlando This FallORLANDO, Fla., -- Followers of the Discovery Channel reality...
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Small Group Help Blog
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Strategic Small Group Ministry Training
6 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pmDecember 10 & 11, 2009Ebenezers Coffeehouse (National Community Church)Washington, DCLeading a single small group is a challenge, but running "point" on a church full of small groups can expose a whole new set of obstacles and opportunities. Discipleship, spiritual formation, missional outreach, and Biblical literacy happen best in small groups, and small groups happen best where organic growth is supported by strategic vision and purpose. If you are responsible for leadin [...] -
Five Reasons To Be In A Small Group For Life
25 Oct 2009 | 2:00 pmAt the Group Life Conference this year Andy Stanley shared five reasons that he will be in a small group for life. Here they are: 1. It’s the easiest place to invite un-churched people to, especially if they are not ready for the whole Sunday morning experience. 2. It’s often one of the only contexts for pastors or church staff to enga [...] -
Group Life - Heather Zempel - Messy Small Groups
23 Oct 2009 | 2:00 pmSmall groups are great until the people show up! Community is messyMesses of Biblical proportionsGod createsAdam and eve mess things upCain and Abel kill and messNoah drunk and naked messIsaac and JacobJacob and Joseph and BrothersMosesDavidThe list goes on and onThe church at Corintho Egoso Law suitso Incesto DrunkennessDespite all the mess, the gospel is a gospel of hope and redemption for the messy community we create in our churches.Pig Farms STINKHow do you stop [...] -
Group Life Conference - Henry Cloud - Saftey In Small Groups
23 Oct 2009 | 2:00 pmThe Uptight Church RequirementsYou have to be spiritualIf you show your flaws you've lost your walkIn this group you look good but your get worse over timeRecovery Group RequirementsYou have to be screwed upIf you show your flaws you're in denialIn this group you look a mess but heal over timeWays people grow in small groups1. By sufferinga. 1Peter 4 protect yourself by sufferingb. A safe group is not a comfortable group.2. By getting to the drivers underneath our li [...] -
Group Life Conference - David Johnson
22 Oct 2009 | 2:00 pmEnvironments of Grace = Life TransformationThis is HUGE for our churches. Especially for churches that want to reach people that are far from god. We will often use this phrase in our church: NO PERFECT PEOPLE ALLOWED.We even had it on a sign at the front door for a couple of years. When people know they are accepted for who they [...]
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Pastor For Life
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The Dark Side of Ministry
11 Nov 2009 | 10:17 pmMilfred Minitrea of the Missional Church Center, wrote a powerful post on his blog that I think deals with the dark side of ministry and how Pastors are constantly dealing with the issue of congregational change management and ministry effectiveness. In His post called, “Depression: Pastors In Pain”, he writes: David Treadway, pastor of Sandy Ridge Baptist Church in Hickory, North Carolina committed suicide in September. His tragic death is the fourth pastor suicide in the Carolinas during the past four years. Pastor Treadway was undergoing treatment for depression. In a USA Today… -
Defining Success
5 Nov 2009 | 6:10 pmSuccess is such a vague concept in Pastoral life. For ages, we’ve defined it by numbers. Whatever numbers we could produce. Numbers of people Numbers of dollars Numbers of buildings Numbers of salvations Numbers of baptisms. You number it and we’ll count it in the final tally! For the last “number” of years, many well-known Pastors have tried to re-define success by saying that God cares more about faithfulness than He does “success”. Others have said that faithfulness IS “success”. I appreciate the comment Rick Warren had on his Ministry… -
Rest That Sleep Can’t Provide
4 Nov 2009 | 5:22 pmJosh Patterson, Executive Pastor at The Village Church in Highland Village, Texas, wrote this great post recently on the topic of real rest … I spent the last two weeks away from work and one of those weeks in Jamaica on vacation. I had no agenda and not a lot of responsibility. I didn’t have e-mails to return, no pressure to return calls or make meetings. My most pressing decision was which book to read. It really was a great couple of weeks. But, there is a kind of rest that sleep cannot provide. There is a kind of rest that a vacation or time away from work doesn’t produce. -
Pastors Packing Whose Power?
1 Oct 2009 | 11:15 pmHere’s one interesting take on whose power we’re preaching and how …. click here! -
Even The Contemplative Struggle With Burnout
30 Jul 2009 | 12:51 amYou may or may not have heard of Father Peter Norden, founder of a large social justice agency in Australia called Jesuit Social Services and a well-known Prison Chaplain down under. He recently announced his resignation from the ministry after 40 years, citing burnout. Interesting juxtaposition, in that Jesuits are known to be practicing contemplative spirituality in every way. You can click here to not only read some of his story, but listen to a radio interview done with him where he is very frank about recognizing the lack of self-care throughout his ministry career. Also interesting is…
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Solar Crash... Where heaven and earth collide.
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You are her first love
20 Nov 2009 | 6:22 amThe Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters Group Blogging Project continues. Chapter 3 – You are her first love – is brought to you by author, designer, consultant, speaker, & adventurer (and everything else you ever wanted to be) Chris Marsden. My girls are still young. The older two talk about boys occasionally, but more in the abstract “we’re supposed to like boys” kind of way. They obsess over the Jonas Brothers and we don’t even have cable, so they might have seen the show once or twice. I know that a time is coming, though, when talking about boys will shift to… -
She needs a hero
18 Nov 2009 | 7:45 amThe Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters Group Blogging Project continues. Chapter 2 – She needs a hero – is brought to you by fellow tyndale-seminary alumni, raising the village director, and good friend, Alan Liu. I’ll admit my experience is limited – my daughter is barely three months old. But anyone with a blog has an opinion. And I know the co-ordinator here, I ain’t afraid to ask to be in on it. So here goes. Chapter 2 establishes how to be a hero to our daughters. Show leadership and authority in protecting her. Persevering and staying on course when times, and… -
Pregnant again!
17 Nov 2009 | 2:20 pmSpeaking of Strong Daughters, this is fresh from our ultrasound today. And yes, she’s a girl! That or the boy has a really small wee wee… which just couldn’t possibly be. That makes three girls in my life now. I’m officially surrounded, but not surrendering anytime soon. -
You are the most important man in her life
16 Nov 2009 | 9:19 amThe Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters Group Blogging Project begins today! The next three weeks an awesome group of guys will be chronicling their chapter-by-chapter reflections through the book. If you’re a dad at any stage – keep tracking with us here. Chapter One – Today’s post is brought to you by Marty Schmidt – an awesome friend and church planter in Iowa. I’m in awkward territory. I grew up as the middle child of three brothers. I have five nephews. My first born is a son. I have only known boys! Then on June 10 of 2007 this little lady shows up. -
No Impact Man
13 Nov 2009 | 2:23 pmMy wife and I just finished the book “No Impact Man“, about a family that attempts to live a year creating zero environmental impact. Rarely do we read a book concurrently, but this one’s proven to be awesome for discussion. I kept the fact that there’s a documentary film being released on it soon from her so she’d journey through the details of the book with me. And yes, we’ll be doing something about it all. Follow their blog here. What have you done for your planet lately?
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Behind Worship
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Good to Great: Onscreen Lyrics and Notes Part II
This article was originally published on The Worship Community In Part 1 of this article we explored Contrast, Alignment, and Font Choice. You can start there and catch up. The Purpose of Backgrounds = Enhance ? Distract The whole purpose of backgrounds - loops or still graphics - is to add visual interest to the screens ... -
ProPresenter Overview II
In ProPresenter Overview 1 we referenced some great features of ProPresenter. Here are a few more tools ProPresenter will offer you: Full HD support and beyond ProPresenter fully supports any resolution right out of the box. At no additional cost, you can playback Standard-Def, all forms of High-Def, as well as ultra-wide resolutions for ... -
ProPresenter Overview I
This information comes from ProPresenter's website. What is ProPresenter? ProPresenter has been the preferred lyric presentation system for churches and ministries around the world for years. Now with a fresh new look and incredible new video engine, ProPresenter has never been easier or more spectacular. ProPresenter 3 has been completely re-written from ... -
Introduction to Music Loops in Worship
This article was originally published on The Worship Community. If you are part of the growing community of worship leaders, there is a good chance that you are at least mildly acquainted with loops. Loops have, to varying degrees, become an important tool to many modern worship leaders. From simple drum loops ... -
Good to Great: Onscreen Lyrics and Notes Part I
This article was originally published on The Worship Community Open your software of choice. Add the lyrics. Play. So is the preparation of the typical church using lyrics presentation software. It works. The lyrics are on screen and God is sung to and about. But what if a few simple treatments could ...
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My World
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Things I’m Excited about for the Holiday Season
20 Nov 2009 | 12:39 pmLast night, Katie and I had our weekly date night. We spent it at Montana Avenue, a favorite of ours. Wow. Anway, I can still taste the ribeye. Just sayin. While there, we talked about many things, but we talked about what we are excited about for the holiday season. Thought I’d share some of those things: This is Ashton’s first thanksgiving and Christmas, not that he will remember them, but it is always fun. We will have a house full on Thanksgiving, 15 adults and 11 kids. Love packing out our house. Grilling our turkey. I know that people passionately push deep frying and bags… -
Freedom from Financial Strain
20 Nov 2009 | 11:54 amDo you know someone who is experiecing financial strain? Do you know someone who needs to find freedom in the area of money and finances, or just life in general? That’s what tomorrow at Revolution is all about. So who are you bringing? It is going to be a great night as we try to discover how to find freedom in our lives. If you want to send an e-vite, go here. Posted in fitness/health, generosity, messages, new testament, preaching, revolution church, spiritual practices Tagged: fasting, finances, freedom, how to be rich, revolution church, stress, worry -
Links of the Week
20 Nov 2009 | 7:53 amThe first Clash of the Titans trailer. I love movies like this. John Piper on When you don’t want to do what you ought to do. Is your church’s vision too small? I hope this can never be said of Revolution. Two Interviews with Matt Chander: Church planting, preaching and leadership & Celebrity, diversity & burnout. Download a free chapter from Mark Batterson’s new book Primal. This book is going to be awesome, waiting for my copy, any day now. Respecting doubts: An interview with Tim Keller. There is so much in here, so many great points. Kevin DeYoung on Be… -
This Weekend: Finding Freedom
19 Nov 2009 | 7:00 amSaturday is part 3 of our series on Matthew 6. We’ll be looking at our lives and asking the question, “How do I find freedom?” Many of us, whether it is money, debt, sin are living in bondage. Very few people in our culture actually experience freedom. For those that do, what do they know that the rest of us don’t? Is there a secret only a select few have learned? What can we learn from an ancient spiritual practice that could change our lives? That’s what we’ll be discovering this Saturday. If you want to invite a friend using our e-vite, go here. Posted… -
Ignite: How to Spark Immediate Growth in Your Church
19 Nov 2009 | 5:09 amJust finished Ignite by Nelson Searcy. I had to read it for the coaching network I am in. What this book looks at is how people find your church, how does your church do evangelism, reach people. It walks through how this happens on an individual basis, corporately, the pastor’s role in this and how to keep the tempature hot in this area. The longer a church is around, the longer someone is a Christian, the easier it becomes to not reach people or care that people are going to hell. We forget what it feels like to not know Jesus, not have an answer, live without purpose. We start to…
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Mister Nifty
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Awesome Free Screen Graphics
19 Nov 2009 | 9:24 amCreativeMYK.com is a treasure trove for people in media ministry. This is a community sharing site where Christian artists freely share their work for others to use. If you are an artist, this is a great place to get critiques and comments on your current work. Hop on over to their site and check out all the goodies. Go to CreativeMYK.com -
SEO Tips for Church Websites
29 Oct 2009 | 12:30 pmWhat is SEO? SEO simply means – Search Engine Optimization. It’s a bit of science that deals with how search engines view your websites, and more importantly how they rank you in the search results. Before we begin, let me just say that you create your website for people, not for search engines. You might have the most optimized site, but is it user-friendly and pleasant to visit? I’m not a self-proclaimed expert on the subject. There are quite a few sites devoted to teaching about SEO. If you want to really get your hands dirty, sign up for a Lynda.com account… -
Free Burnout Texture Set
21 Oct 2009 | 9:25 amI took some photos of a fire near my house out in the Canaveral Marshes yesterday. I came up with some cool texture photos I wanted to share with everyone. Feel free to use these in your designs to add some extra umph! You could use some of these textures when talking about burnout or topics similar. Overlay boring solid boxes with texture by adjusting the opacity and layer blend modes in Photoshop. You can get the original files by right-clicking on the thumbs and saving the link, or you can click through and save the original image once it displays. Enjoy! -
Set Up Your Own Twitter-like Communication Portal
12 Oct 2009 | 2:28 pmIf you’ve read my posts, you know I’m a huge Wordpress fan. For those who don’t know what Wordpress is, check it out at Wordpress.org. One of the latest themes that has caught my attention is the P2 theme that turns Wordpress into a Twitter-like interface. It’s a great way for your team to communicate and post items of interest in real-time on the web. When a user posts, it automatically updates on the post list of everyone who’s viewing the site. Users can reply up to five levels depending on your configuration. Here’s how I got my own… -
Connected – A Free Youth Series
10 Oct 2009 | 12:48 pmThe guys over at Solid Youth Ministries have released a free graphic youth lesson series. The series includes the following free files: Lessons in a Word document PDF Printouts PSD Design File Media Slide Thanks to David McGovern for making this available to everyone. Go To Solid Youth Ministries
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TheResurgence
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Evil Men
20 Nov 2009 | 10:00 amBe not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them, for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble. - Proverbs 24:1 Mars Hill Global Serving the church and spreading the gospel. Help support this effort by giving to the Global Fund. More info at MarsHillGlobal.com. <!--break--> -
Invitation From God: He Deals With the Obstacles
20 Nov 2009 | 2:30 amInvitation from God: Click | View Series Isaiah 1:18—"Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool." The sinful condition of men is terrible in the extreme... God himself interposes to produce a change. The proposal of peace is always from his side. He urges that a conference be held at once, "Come, and let us reason together." GOD ANTICIPATES ALL THE OBSTACLES The singular greatness of your sins, "red like crimson." This is met by a great atonement, which… -
Matt Chandler on Celebrity, Diversity, and Burnout
19 Nov 2009 | 12:39 pmClick through to the Resurgence if you can't see the video. At the recent Acts 29 AMBITION conference at Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, KY, I had the opportunity to sit down with Matt Chandler and talk about a number of topics. In part two of our conversation, we discuss celebrity, diversity, burnout and the “one thing” he would tell church planters. As you would expect, Chandler does not disappoint. Listen, learn, and link, tweet, facebook, blog…whatever. Help us get this great content out there to as many folks as we can. Don’t forget, there are 15+ more great interviews… -
Advance 09: John Piper - Let the Nations be Glad
19 Nov 2009 | 10:00 amClick through to the Resurgence if you can't see the video. In case you missed it, here's the video from John Piper's first talk at Advance 09: "Let the Nations Be Glad, Part 1." You can find the rest of the Advance 09 content, including video, audio, and photos, here. Re:Sound The musical arm of the Resurgence offers music that is theologically unified, stylistically diverse, and musically excellent. Find out more. <!--break--> -
How NOT To Be a Missional Church: Social Action-Driven
19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amHow NOT To Be a Missional Church series: Click | View Series The missional church movement has been good and bad. On a positive note, let’s focus on the bad. I want to suggest three ways to not be a missional church. In continuation of the series, this post examines some of the defects of social action-driven mission. Social Action-Driven Mission This approach probably creates the best community of the three mentioned in this series. A socially-minded and active church attracts socially-minded non-Christians. When my City Group recently cleaned five apartments from top to bottom for some…
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Kem Meyer on Less Clutter & Noise
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The revolution is socialnomics
11 Nov 2009 | 12:19 pmIf you’ve ever said (or heard someone say) something to the effect of “social media is a fad” or “you can’t do church online” … hit play & chew on these stats. (If you’re in a cubicle farm, watch on mute. It won’t dilute the usefulness of this AT ALL.) And, with that…these parting words. “We used to spend our time trying to get people to come to church. Now, we’ve got to find ways to take church to them.” Craig Groeschel “God is not afraid of the cloud. He can move through the internet, a fish net or a New Jersey Net if He wants." Mark Meyer With more questions… -
Are you promising more than you can deliver?
9 Nov 2009 | 4:46 amThese simple, practical examples from real church promotions seem harmless enough... "Come to this year's women's retreat where you'll develop friendships that last a lifetime." It’s what we hope happens, but it’s out of our control. Yet we still promise something we can't guarantee. I had a woman complain to me that she joined a volunteered to make friends. After two years of serving, she felt duped because she had not made one friend. She held the church responsible for false advertising. Yes, her opinion is a little extreme. And, yes, it's a little outrageous and unrealistic. However,… -
Are you talking too much and saying very little?
6 Nov 2009 | 7:32 amMaybe you need to “Divorce the details that excite you but alienate your listeners.” Great post from Blog Decker about being in the weeds. -
Lets be frank
2 Nov 2009 | 5:09 amLove the original context here about online giving. This is fresh. It grows trust with unsterilized copy and refreshing honesty. I don’t feel like someone is talking AT me or wants anything FROM me. It engages me. You’ll find this tone throughout the entire site… although I highlighted online giving because it’s the hardest thing to talk about effectively. Well done, Knoxlife Church, well done. -
Are you looking for a vendor or a partner?
15 Oct 2009 | 4:35 amSometimes you need to hire a job done. But, before hiring any outside professionals (e.g., consultants, vendors, firms, agencies, etc.), there are key things to consider in the selection process. Technical skills or industry knowledge alone does not make for a successful union. Too many consultants optimize their businesses for themselves - not their customers. It's the difference between a strategic partner and service provider. When we're looking for outside help, we need more than templates, products and a one-size fits all approach. We're looking for "A trusted advisor. A mental sparring…
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Church Crunch
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Really Woolly – Online Family Adventures!
20 Nov 2009 | 5:21 amAt first glance I was honestly going to write this flash-based website off after a hardy ROFLCOPTER but I actually found it quite intriguing. (Another reason not to judge a website by it’s cover… or initial impression… load time… aesthetic… or general strangeness.) ReallyWooly.com is an interactive site where parents and kids can learn more about Jesus and the Christian faith via games, videos, live interactive events, and more. You first have to sign up as a “parent” to get access. Although, I’m not completely sold on the idea and I question… -
A Great Overview of Social Media Marketing 101 (Videos)
20 Nov 2009 | 4:40 amThe following are great videos capturing some basic thoughts and ideas behind social media marketing, usage, etc. Even I learned a thing or two! Definitely watch the Non Profit video! Social Media Marketing 101 Celebrity High Jinks Non Profits and the Little Guys The Digital Divide Beyond Twitter Some Fallacies of Social Media Sponsored By:Advertise Here -
Look for a Rainy Day to go Virtual
19 Nov 2009 | 4:28 pmThis is a Guest Post by Brian Barela. We faced a choice: create a below average offline experience or refine our online experience using the critical mass from our normal meeting. My ministry launched a virtual meeting this year – Chico CRU Live – and although we saw good participation traffic started to fade. Our meeting happened to fall on Veteran’s day which meant our students did not have school and our ministry did not have access to our meeting room. This is what we did: Designed a studio style meeting at a large house that some of our student leaders rent SHORTENED… -
Technology and the Let’s Pray About It Excuse
19 Nov 2009 | 5:55 amWhen I hear these words, “Let’s pray about it,” especially when it comes to a technological decision, my body starts convulsing internally. And it’s not that praying is a bad thing at all; in fact, I think if you’re not praying about your web team, your web strategy, and the products you roll out (as well as the impact on your local community and beyond) then you’re doing a disservice to your post, calling, and opportunity. Period. But, I have seen that particular answer, when talking with a number of ministries, be a crutch and an excuse resulting in… -
Perry Noble: Don’t Fight the Bloggers!
19 Nov 2009 | 5:04 amI actually read the title of this video as “Don’t Fight the Boogers” and I was like huh… Fighting the phantoms of the anonymous comment flame is as effective as breathing underwater. Sponsored By:Advertise Here
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The Necessary Things
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Sponge or Wall? 5 Ways to Make Your Ministry More Porous
19 Nov 2009 | 4:27 pmDo you remember the days when decisions were made by a minority of people? When "brainstorming" times were a half-hearted attempt to involve your "team" in the process even though you or someone else had made the decision long before? Maybe that's the present :) if so I'm sorry. Hopefully that's the past. I believe your ministry's future can be more innovative, vibrant and effective by becoming less of a wall and more of a sponge. Allow more people to be a part of the CREATION process; not everyone will want to and some may not be as good as you, but more of your team will be bought in with… -
Is Your Ministry or Movement Worth Investing In?
16 Nov 2009 | 5:50 pm"The first thing you would design for is handles (profiles) the user can invest in"--Clay Shirky, from A Group is Its Own Worst Enemy Shirky talks about online communities but this design principle applies to building movements. He says a group that lacks a meaningful identity will not last. I wonder how many movements either wither or never get off the ground because the "ideal profile" is not worth investing in. The "ideal profile" in a Campus Crusade movement is that of the student leader. Some ways a student leader can be "unideal" Does not participate in evangelism Although there are… -
Pull Communication--i.e. Why I Like My IPhone Over the Droid and Agree with Scoble
13 Nov 2009 | 12:47 pm"If you are voice centric the Droid already is better than the iPhone" --Robert Scoble from a recent blog post In one glance I realized why the iPhone is not just a cool device but an expression of a new value system--one that focuses more on pull communication than push. If Scoble is not voice-centric then what is he?"I’m web and Twitter centric," he goes on to say. Wow. So many people tell me that Verizon has better coverage. Honestly I do not care. I do not like talking on the phone in the first place, so people are actually persuading me to keep my iPhone rather than switch when they… -
What Person Are You Trying to Change in Ministry?
11 Nov 2009 | 4:42 pmHave you ever beat your head against a wall trying to help someone change a critical component of strategy or tactics, and then speak with someone else and almost fall over from the lack of resistance? Charlene Li, author of Groundswell, click here to follow her on Twitter, outlined four archetypes that exist within every group. I found this extremely helpful in speaking with the right people to bring about change. These are her four archetypes: The Fearful Skeptic--highly critical of any kind of change, and weary that things will 'get messed up' if any pieces shift. The Cautious… -
Can You Translate?--Millenial Leadership Requirement
9 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pmFYI--I've realized many people write or blog ABOUT Millenials but are not ones themselves. As this blog has evolved I hope to explore what it means to be a Millenial leader in a Boomer-led organization. The ability to translate the meaning and intention of a person above and below is a critical piece of millenial leadership. When I interact with boomers I'm having to translate many facets of their communication styles. In Christian culture I notice that boomers LOVE exhortation--Millenials STRUGGLE with exhortation. Regardless of intention exhortation can feel impersonal and inauthentic. I've…
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FusionLife
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Youth Ministers Are You In Compliance
12 Nov 2009 | 10:17 amHave you seen the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently issued revised Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising to include blog posts, word of mouth campaigns and even twitter messages? Starting December 1st, 2009 all materials and/ or gifts received that we review need to be disclosed in a simple and straight forward way. Enter CMP.ly. CMP.ly is a website that offers four different disclosures that you can use to describe your relationship to the company or product that you are reviewing. The bottom line for us Youth Ministry bloggers is that we like free… -
At Sea World Spooktacular with the fam
25 Oct 2009 | 11:29 amPosted via web from benboles’s posterous -
Word of Promise Next Generation New Testament MP3 Set – Review
9 Jun 2009 | 9:27 amThe Word of Promise Next Generation New Testament MP3 Set is a great resource for any youth or children’s ministry but also for parents. This CD uses the voices of a Hollywood-level young cast (Cody Linley (Hanna Montana, Dancing with the Stars) as Jesus, AnnaSophia Robb (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) as Mary Magdalene, Jordin Sparks (American Idol Winner) as Elizabeth, Cobin Bleu (High School Musical) as Peter, Alyson Stoner (Cheaper by the Dozen) as Martha, and narrated by Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings) to bring to life the Gospel in a way that will resonate with children and… -
Simple Student Ministry – Book Review
1 Jun 2009 | 8:02 amIf you take a step back and look at student ministry from the prospective of all the ways to impact your ministry you know how much stuff there is out there. Conferences (for you, you and your volunteers and the teens in your ministry), one day events, retreats, camps, missions and service project opportunities, books, magazines, curriculum and the likes. With all this stuff it is easy to create a monster of complexity that keeps students busy and changed on the surface. But ask yourself: how many teens that graduate from our ministries graduate from church in college or after? If… -
Key Ingredients – Why do we miss these?
28 Apr 2009 | 9:06 pmYou know when you read through a book you’ve read before and something jumps out at you that hasn’t before. I know I’m not alone, especially when reading the Bible. I’ve been reading Acts since Easter and trying to pay attention specifically to what was happening in and among the early church. As I got to Acts 9 and through Acts 11, the Holy Spirit made two verse jump out at me like never before. Acts 9:31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy…
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Zak White
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Trappstr 28 – Part 1
20 Nov 2009 | 2:54 pmMy new blog buddy Brett Trapp wrote this post on 28 things he’s learned in his 20’s. Since I’m so much older and wiser than him…about 3 months older and wiser…and since I loved it so much, I thought I’d take each of those things and elaborate on them over the next several days. Or maybe I’ll get tired of it half way through… Here are the first few: 1. People, for the most part, have lots of baggage. And what’s funny is that most people walk around thinking their situation is unique or unusual. But we’re all in the same boat. -Trappstr Yup. -
Why I Punish Myself: Life Goals
18 Nov 2009 | 6:41 am(This was originally posted on Nov. 17, 2008 after my first ever marathon. Having just run another full marathon I thought it would be good to share again!) I told you earlier in the week that I was going to share this week why I would continually “punish myself” as so many of you have called it, by doing things like running 26.2 miles. Here is the why: Most people spend more time planning their summer vacation than they do planning their life out. In 6th grade, I started writing out the life goals list that you see pictured to the left. Those are literally THE SAME sheets of… -
Marathon Mind Dump
16 Nov 2009 | 9:26 amHad a blast this weekend. We had friends from Lubbock in for the San Antonio Rock N Roll Marathon (thanks Oglesbys! had a blast!) so the house was packed! My Dad was in town too for the race. I ran my worst race time ever. Nice. I do have a couple of “excuses.” First, training for marathons and planting a church at the same time is TOUGH. Second, I stopped to help one guy during the race that was screaming bloody murder. He keep screaming “CRAMP! CRAMP!” It took about 10 minutes for a medical team person to show up. That knocked my time down a little. I was reminded… -
Brilliant Blogs & Links
16 Nov 2009 | 7:05 amCheck these out: Mark Batterson on watchtowers. And no, I’m not talking about Jehovah’s Witnesses. Vince Antonucci’s SHOWDOWN in Vegas. Intense stuff. If you are a pastor you NEED to be reading Casey Graham’s blog. ALL of it. Hootsuite allows me to manage 3 twitter accounts, schedule tweets, and bring other people in to manage accounts as well. Its helping our church ROCK social media in a BIG way! Another VERY VALUABLE tool for us is Church Community Builder. Best of all, it works on the iPhone! THE BEST money you will ever spend in your church budget is RIGHT HERE. -
Saturday Night Shots
14 Nov 2009 | 3:05 pmPUMPED about running my first marathon of the season in San Antonio tomorrow. Love this race because there is no travel involved…its in MY TOWN. Shooting for a sub four hour race. 26.2 miles, here I come! HAVING A BLAST with our house guests this weekend! Our friends Chad and Wendy Oglesby and their 4 kiddos are here with us. PUMPED about having my mentor John Atkinson speaking at our Revolution Church Launch Team Meeting in the morning. Don’t miss it team! PUMPED that I got to get out Grill-Zilla and cook for about 50 people today at a neighborhood block party. Met some good…
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Creative Worship Tour
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Worship As Story – A Closer Look (part 1)
Last week I wrote about what liturgical worship can teach the rest of us. In a really good way, I think I hit a nerve. While the term “liturgy” may not invoke all kinds of warm and fuzzy feelings, I do think what liturgy represents—worship that tells a story—is something that a lot of us have been looking for. As I mentioned last week, the story this kind of worship seeks to tell is about the goodness of our Creator God, the mess that humanity has made of things, and what this God is doing about that mess, including nothing less than the radical transformation of our lives. We saw… -
Thursday Inspiration: Motions, Music and Photoshop
Another dose of inspiration as you ramp up for the weekend. Motions Just discovered a great new(er) source for motion backgrounds and countdowns. New Worship Media offers a few great videos in their free silver membership or for $10/month you can get all their backgrounds and countdowns as part of their gold membership. There are some really nice backgrounds on the site, including this free one: Music Blaine Hogan was pointing his blog readers earlier this week to a Christmas music giveaway. The music comes from husband and wife duo, Oh, Starling who has released a few spiced up carols that… -
Call to Worship
Recently I have been thinking about different ways for our community to focus on Christ at the start of our worship time together. Our church is a normal NZ Baptist church that traditionally begins with a person introducing themselves and inviting us to sing a Praise(fast) song together.(I am 28 so this is tradition for me) I have been challenging the worship leaders to think of creative ways to focus the congregation to the task before us of worshiping as a community. I am thinking about ways that I can use visual and word cues to make this happen as a lot of the other time, at the moment,… -
Jolly Worshipping in Advent
Tis the season to be jolly, almost. Well I’m jolly tired already so I suppose that means I’m getting in the mood for Advent and Christmas. It’s a strange time of the year, and when I am most aware that I live in the southern hemisphere (the dwelling place of God). I am looking forward to sun and beaches, and house-painting, and bbq’s on my pocket-handkerchief sized lawn. And all this while my friends in the north are putting on more layers of clothing. But the emphases in northern and southern worship at this time aren’t much different. (Easter is another story as then we are… -
Richard Webb's "What Liturgical Worship can Teach ... "
All of your comments to Richard's Blog, which is creating intense curiosity in more of what he says, are great and educational for me. The irony of seeing this just now is that our church is beginning (tomorrow - Weds, at noon) a group that is examining worship in toto at our church. Loosing our fantastically talented and creative keyboardist at our Chicago Folk Service celebration (non-traditional, contemporary, guitar/drums/electronic keyboard liturgy, 2nd service that is hated by some of the first service, traditional organ and songs that are mostly 200+ years old) is forcing us to look at…
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Between Realities
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Olive Tree Bible Software updated...
16 Nov 2009 | 7:00 amOlive Tree has put out some nice updates on their Bible software.Olive Tree makes electronic versions of biblical material -- along with related content -- for every major smartphone and PDA platform, which means you're good on Android, Symbian, iPhone, Palm and BlackBerry. In addition, they have a bunch of free resources (like Bible reading schedules) that are useful for everyone.Specifically for BlackBerry, it seems they have expanded on the capabilities of both touchscreen and keypad/QWERTY devices.There are live discounts available for software titles.Check them out. Bible Reader is a… -
Who teaches you ethics?
12 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amThis article from David Knowles stuck with me. The original case was one which stood out in the national consciousness, and it had everyone's moral compass firing North.I admit it: I think Ms Davis may have point. They are paying him to talk about ethics?Oh well... wow. I'd probably be more willing to pay Ms Davis for a speech at this point, but then again, I don't roll in the circles that Harvard folks do. -
Disciples, disciples...
10 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pmWhile working in the corporate world, my boss had a novel thing to say about his abilities. His worth -- as a trainer of personnel -- was the quantity of his own people that, in our corporate parlance, "moved up". In other words, his abilities as a supervisor were directly proportional to the number of his own subordinates that could do his job after a reasonable period of time.Now, I know it is easy to draw flack nowadays for referring to the church as a corporate entity. Indeed, I happen to humbly think that church leaders should concentrate a little more on being busy with the gospel as… -
Should Churches Monitor Staff’s Twitter?
7 Nov 2009 | 7:00 amHere is an interesting philosophical discussion from Pastor Pete Wilson of Cross Point Church in Nashville.Against the backdrop of Larry Johnson's infamous tweets, Pete asks a question: should churches monitor the social networking feeds of their staffers?I tend to lean towards light on the "m" word, heavy on the "c" (connection). In these days and times, there is nothing like too much accountability. Truth is, what we do online (blogging, tweeting, FB, Tokboxing, etc) are all representative of our ministries. Like it or not, people perceive them as representative of Jesus Christ.What do you… -
My pastor can beat up your pastor.
5 Nov 2009 | 7:00 amWelcome to the age of the celebrity pastor.We've always had popular men of the cloth. The advent of social networking simply helps make them viral. The results can be funny. I overheard two acquaintances going back and forth about how awesome their respective pastors where. Various major points were compared, from hair gel to mobile device. Finally, one of the debaters threw down his trump card. "My pastor can do a split!"At this point, I had to interrupt. I needed to agree... his pastor was cool. A pastor who does splits? Incredible. I felt inadequate and unfulfilled, and made a mental note…
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Business as Mission Network
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Business as Mission Featured in the Wall Street Journal
13 Nov 2009 | 8:44 pmBy Rob Moll - (Read the full article here) Christian missionaries have always brought institutions from home and planted them in foreign lands. Schools, hospitals and social services are staples of missionary activity. But recently those who spread the faith overseas have realized that it's not enough to educate and provide health care. In the midst of a world-wide recession, people need jobs, and a growing number of missionaries—many of them working outside traditional missionary organizations—are taking their business skills and starting for-profit companies in the mission… -
The Missional Entrepreneur: Principles and Practices for Business as Mission by Mark Russell
6 Nov 2009 | 5:35 amComing in January 2010, review from Amazon.com - Business as mission BAM, an emerging concept and developing ministry, has drawn fascination in missions and business circles. BAM embodies the practice of using business strategically accomplishing missional purposes. Though the term is ubiquitous in mission circles, there is disparity between its meaning. There has been much theoretical discussion about BAM but far less research accomplished on how it happens out in reality. The Missional Entrepreneur takes an in-depth look at business as missions in action with an eye to expose the most… -
Business As Mission: A Comprehensive Guide to Theory and Practice by Neal Johnson
30 Oct 2009 | 6:18 amComing December 2010- from Amazon.com - Business as mission (BAM) is a mission strategy whose time has come. As global economics become increasingly interconnected, Christian businesspeople and entrepreneurs have unanticipated opportunites to build kingdom-strategic business ventures. But Christian companies and business leaders do not automatically accomplish missional purposes. BAM requires mastery of both the world of business and the world of missions, merging and contextualizing both into something significantly different than either alone.C. Neal Johnson offers the first comprehensive… -
Business as Mission Videos with Neil Johnson and Al Caperna
29 Oct 2009 | 6:37 amNeil Johnson recently stopped by and paid a visit to the team at YWAM. He was intervied for their online video sessions to talk about Business as Mission. There are several other interviews with other business leaders like Al Caperna, David Stone and others in the previous posts on this video blog. Click here or use this address http://livethestory-ywamsf.blogspot.com/B -
Whole Foods CEO in Wall Street Journal - Business has a Noble Purpose
26 Oct 2009 | 6:37 amThe guys over at Regent University noticed a great article in the Wall Street Journal about the founder of Whole Foods. I found it fascinating to see how he recognizes that business has a higher purpose. Here's the quote that stands out."Mr. Mackey's latest crusade involves traveling to college campuses across the country, trying to persuade young people that business, profits and capitalism aren't forces of evil. He calls his concept "conscious capitalism." What is that? "It means that business has the potential to have a deeper purpose. I mean, Whole Foods has a deeper purpose," he says,…
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CJ Alvarado
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Focus on Being Remarkable
9 Nov 2009 | 9:20 amI read a great post today from Seth Godin. Read full post here. But what about you and your organization? As you get bigger and older, are you busy ensuring that a bad thing won’t happen that might upset your day, or are you aggressively investing in having a remarkable thing happen that will delight or [...] -
7 Common Design Mistakes That Clients Love (and how to fight back)
4 Nov 2009 | 9:35 pmI read a great post today from Crestock’s blog and had to share it. This article makes some great points that work in and out of the Church world. To read the whole post from the original site click here. “From flash intros, to logo theft, to information overload, clients often ask a design team to [...] -
Bird Composers
2 Nov 2009 | 2:43 pmBirds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo. -
Boiling Frogs
19 Oct 2009 | 12:23 amYou’ve heard the parable about the boiled frogs right? If you stick a frog in a pot of boiling water it will jump out or at least try to. If you stick the frog in room temperature water and gradually begin to increase the water temperature the frog won’t move. Even once the water starts [...] -
Saying No to Good Ideas…
2 Oct 2009 | 8:30 amIn his book “Good to Great” Jim Collins explains that “good is the enemy of great.” He goes on to explain that all Great companies have a laser focus on 3 things. He called it the Hedgehog Concept. Read the book if you haven’t, believe me you’ll be thankful you did. But what are the [...]
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Mistakemaker.com
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The Freedom in Not Defending
9 Nov 2009 | 6:31 amThe natural response when being attacked is to defend. We don’t have to learn how to defend, we automatically do it. It’s comes standard in all human makes and models. When we know we’re in the wrong, we feel the need to defend ourselves by trying to justify our actions. When we know we’re in the right, we feel the need to defend our reputation. We somehow have been taught that if we don’t defend ourselves we are admitting that we are in the wrong, that our silence is somehow an admission of our guilt. Jesus certainly had every reason to defend himself in front… -
Seeing People Through The Lens of Anticipated Redemption
5 Nov 2009 | 8:50 amJesus always sees people through the lens of anticipated redemption. Seeing them for who He intended them to be, rather than seeing them for who they really are. The Russian writer and philosopher Fyodor Dostoevsky said, “To love someone means to see him as God intended him.“It’s this idea of seeing every person and treating them as kingdom contributors before they even know what the kingdom is. It means treating people as if they are already functioning in the body of Christ, giving them a picture of what could be and should be. God has expanded my view of prayer beyond a… -
Sanctifying Contentment
3 Nov 2009 | 7:49 amGod is sanctifying us daily. He’s at work, setting us apart for His special use and special service. Our level of contentment often stands in the way of our sanctification. For many years I was discontent with where God had me and content with where I had God. A major shift happened in my life about 7 years ago. I began to have contentment with where God had me and started to have a discontentment with where I had God. This shift was a game changer for me. God was sanctifying my contentment so He could take me to where He wanted me to go. Sanctifying contentment leads us to a God… -
Confessions: I’m a middle aged out of shape fat guy
15 Oct 2009 | 12:57 pmI decided to start a new weekly series on MistakeMaker.com called “Confessions”. Every week I’ll be confessing the junk in my trunk… mostly for me, but hopefully you’ll find some encouragement in it as well. So I thought I would kick off this series with my first confession. I’m a middle-aged out of shape fat guy. There I said it. Whew…I feel better already. So here’s the deal. God has been kickin’ my butt in the area of discipline. Particularly with the idea that our physical life is interconnected with our spiritual life. I blogged about… -
It’s not over until you hear the whistle blow
15 Oct 2009 | 7:06 amClick here to view the embedded video. _ _ This video got me thinking…As followers of Christ, we need to play hard until the whistle blows. God holds the whistle and no one else. We play to please Him. When we stop playing before the whistle blows, we risk one of two things. 1) We risk celebrating a false win. Or… 2) We risk giving up just short of a win. Anytime we celebrate the win before the whistle blows, we are celebrating a false win. Our spiritual enemy loves to deceive us into celebrating a false win. If he can get us to celebrate early, we let go of the ball and take our…
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Agile Ministry
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Agile Ministry Is Now VolunteerCentered.com
5 Nov 2009 | 3:21 amWe are excited to announce that AgileMinistry.com is now VolunteerCentered.com! While the name has changed, the content hasn’t changed. In fact, we hope to expand our current focus on volunteer leadership and management into other areas, including blog posts from church planters and leaders in the field. By the way, if you are already a subscriber of Agile Ministry, you don’t have to do a thing – you’ll still get email or RSS notification of new articles. Why the name change? One of the difficulties we’ve had over the last few years is getting people to remember… -
Are You Out of Control?
16 Sep 2009 | 3:18 amIt starts simple enough – a problem comes up that needs to be addressed. Then another. Then another. Pretty soon, it seems like things are out of control. Perhaps you are spending too much time away from home trying to keep your team afloat. Perhaps you can’t seem to find the time to train new volunteers and leaders, preventing you from finding the time to train new volunteers and leaders, which keeps you from finding time… Perhaps you are at the limit of what you can take because you are overwhelmed. Whatever the case may be, it can seem like life is out of control. How can… -
Who, What, and Why
15 Sep 2009 | 3:11 amLeaders experienced in a particular skill often see the “how” before anything else. This is especially true of creative and “techie” types. That is because we are so focused on our skills and how to solve a problem, we forget to look at the other factors involved. Here are some questions to ask before diving into a new solution: Who? – who is impacted by the problem? Knowing who needs the solution is a good part of the problem, as the solution often needs to be tailored to the audience What? - what exactly is the problem? We often forget that some time needs to… -
Support Your Local Leader
14 Sep 2009 | 3:52 amAre you leading sideways? Many times, we are so focused on leading upward (to those we report to) and downward (to those we manage) that we forget to lead sideways. Leading sideways means that we need to spend time listening to the needs of the leaders next to us. Leading sideways means that we need to be willing to join up with others to accomplish something bigger than a single team can do. Leading sideways means coaching one another as we lead our teams through the great and the difficult times. Take some time to consider where you could help out another leader. Perhaps it is simply… -
Is Your Leadership Like a Savings Account or a Credit Card?
9 Sep 2009 | 3:57 amOur leadership can take two forms: a savings account or a credit card: A savings account is about investing in your life and the lives of others. A credit card sits until there is no other option.A savings account is always giving back. A credit card keeps taking and never gives back. A savings account brings a smile to the faces of young and old. A credit card brings stress and regret until it is finally cut and tossed away. Each of us has the potential to be a savings account or a credit card to those we lead. Which one are you?
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Revitalize Your Church
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Day by Day
20 Nov 2009 | 6:23 amDay by day, and with each passing moment,Strength I find, to meet my trials here;Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.He Whose heart is kind beyond all measureGives unto each day what He deems best—Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,Mingling toil with peace and rest.Every day, the Lord Himself is near meWith a special mercy for each hour;All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,He Whose Name is Counselor and Power;The protection of His child and treasureIs a charge that on Himself He laid;“As thy days, thy strength shall be in… -
Most Misunderstood Missiologist
19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amAn insightful article by Bill Eason about Don McGavran, the father of the church growth movement.I was privileged to sit under his teaching a few times during my days at Fuller. -
Winning over Worry
18 Nov 2009 | 4:19 amTwo men were climbing a steep hill on a bicycle built for two. When they finally made it to the top, the first man said, "Whew! That was a stiff climb. I think it was the hardest hill I've ever been on.""It certainly was," his companion replied, "and if I hadn't kept the brake on, we would have slid down backwards!"When we worry, it's like pedaling uphill with the brakes on. Anxious thoughts make life ten times harder.Unfortunately, our natural human tendency is to worry about our situations. Is there anybody on this earth who is not familiar with the uncomfortable gnawing of worry in the… -
Perplexities
17 Nov 2009 | 4:25 am"By such things men live, and my spirit finds life in them too." Isa. 38:16 -
Procrastination
16 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amIdeas are a dime a dozen. Millions of people have good ideas, but never get around to doing anything with them.What a tragedy to see so many unrealized hopes and dreams. Why do we put off the important tasks of life? Why do we allow ourselves to settle into the plateau of mediocrity?Here are a few possible explanations for this phenomenon:1) We tend to value comfort more than accomplishment. When forced to make a choice between the two, most people follow the path of least resistance.2) Fear of failure can keep us from starting. Of course, the greatest failure is not trying. I'd rather…
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Challies Dot Com
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Free Stuff Fridays
20 Nov 2009 | 5:30 amThis week's sponsor is christianaudio.com. "The mission of christianaudio is to shape Christian hearts to think and do right. We are in the business of making contexts in which Christians can think properly about God, themselves, and the world. We believe that spiritual growth occurs within the framework of proper beliefs - the contexts that allow Christians to go about enjoying God and serving others." I have met the guys behind christianaudio on several occasions and have always enjoyed their kindness and their desire to serve the church. This week they are giving away the audio book of… -
A La Carte (11/20)
20 Nov 2009 | 4:55 amBe the Church? A long time ago I was part of a church that began to say "Don't go to church; be the church." Jeff Purswell has written an article showing why this is not good theology. "Now, despite the element of truth (God's people are the church), there are all kinds of things wrong with this statement. But behind the words is obviously someone's disappointment (and possibly disillusionment) with organized Christianity. And although I'd guess that many Christians would reject this false choice, their attitude to Sunday gatherings of the church may reveal a similar apathy." Praying… -
The Ultimate Christian Novel
19 Nov 2009 | 11:16 amI think I have done it. I've come up with the ultimate idea for the ultimate Christian novel. This novel seamlessly blends today's most popular genres into one beautiful, compelling, cohesive whole. I thought you would want to know all about it. So I give to you... Cassidy: Amish Vampiress of the Tribulation That's right. It's an Amish novel; it's a vampire novel; it's an end-times novel. It's the best of all worlds. Here is the back cover text: He is handsome. He is romantic. He is Amish. Twenty-three year old Cassidy lives a simple life in the Amish countryside of Lancaster County. Simple,… -
Reading Classics Together - Redemption Accomplished and Applied (II)
19 Nov 2009 | 5:45 amThis is week two of our reading project. We are reading our way through John Murray's Redemption Accomplished and Applied, a classic text that provides a thorough treatment of the doctrine of the atonement. Murray is not a man to waste a word, so this book is dense; but he is also a brilliant theologian, so it is well worth the sometimes-difficult read. It is work, but the pay-off is huge. If you would like to join in the fun, there is still lots of time to do so. You're only two chapters behind. Simply find a copy of the book and get reading! Summary This week's chapter dealt with the nature… -
A La Carte (11/19)
19 Nov 2009 | 3:21 amChristians and Vampires Oh boy. "Vamping Up: Christians Bite into Vampire Market" is a headline in Publishers Weekly's Christians Bookline. Looks like Christians need their vampire fix, too. Illustration Challenge Lukas VanDyke, photographer extraordinaire, decided to take on a strange but cool little project. He read through the five most recent posts on my blog and then went out and snapped a photo related to each. You can check out the (pretty amazing) results at the link. The Kindle in Canada The Kindle finally comes to Canada. Strangely, though, it's only for sale from amazon.com, not…
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The Resurgence
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Evil Men
20 Nov 2009 | 10:00 amBe not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them, for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble. - Proverbs 24:1 Mars Hill Global Serving the church and spreading the gospel. Help support this effort by giving to the Global Fund. More info at MarsHillGlobal.com. <!--break--> -
Invitation From God: He Deals With the Obstacles
20 Nov 2009 | 2:30 amInvitation from God: Click | View Series Isaiah 1:18—"Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool." The sinful condition of men is terrible in the extreme... God himself interposes to produce a change. The proposal of peace is always from his side. He urges that a conference be held at once, "Come, and let us reason together." GOD ANTICIPATES ALL THE OBSTACLES The singular greatness of your sins, "red like crimson." This is met by a great atonement, which… -
Matt Chandler on Celebrity, Diversity, and Burnout
19 Nov 2009 | 12:39 pmClick through to the Resurgence if you can't see the video. At the recent Acts 29 AMBITION conference at Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, KY, I had the opportunity to sit down with Matt Chandler and talk about a number of topics. In part two of our conversation, we discuss celebrity, diversity, burnout and the “one thing” he would tell church planters. As you would expect, Chandler does not disappoint. Listen, learn, and link, tweet, facebook, blog…whatever. Help us get this great content out there to as many folks as we can. Don’t forget, there are 15+ more great interviews… -
Advance 09: John Piper - Let the Nations be Glad
19 Nov 2009 | 10:00 amClick through to the Resurgence if you can't see the video. In case you missed it, here's the video from John Piper's first talk at Advance 09: "Let the Nations Be Glad, Part 1." You can find the rest of the Advance 09 content, including video, audio, and photos, here. Re:Sound The musical arm of the Resurgence offers music that is theologically unified, stylistically diverse, and musically excellent. Find out more. <!--break--> -
How NOT To Be a Missional Church: Social Action-Driven
19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amHow NOT To Be a Missional Church series: Click | View Series The missional church movement has been good and bad. On a positive note, let’s focus on the bad. I want to suggest three ways to not be a missional church. In continuation of the series, this post examines some of the defects of social action-driven mission. Social Action-Driven Mission This approach probably creates the best community of the three mentioned in this series. A socially-minded and active church attracts socially-minded non-Christians. When my City Group recently cleaned five apartments from top to bottom for some…
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Desiring God Blog
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As Nice As They Let Me, As Mean As They Make Me
20 Nov 2009 | 12:06 am(Author: John Piper) One of the growing ministries of Desiring God is the outreach to prisoners. Those of you in the Philippian Fellowship hear about this more often than the rest of our website guests. On Thursday a team of four of us stopped in at Angola Prison in Angola, Louisiana. Warden Burl Cain was very gracious to take us into his world, even the most painful part of it. Here is what he said three years ago in Decision Magazine about this prison: This prison is the largest maximum-security prison in America. It is one of the most famous prisons in the whole world. It has only… -
Art and the Precious Limits of Reality
19 Nov 2009 | 5:27 am(Author: John Piper) Here is Chesterton on the essence of art. Art is limitation; the essence of every picture is the frame. If you draw a giraffe you must draw him with a long neck. If in your bold creative way you hold yourself free to draw a giraffe with a short neck you will really find that you are not free to draw a giraffe. (Orthodoxy, 71) When I read this I remembered the thoughts I had in writing the advent poem called The Innkeeper. So quickly do we pass over the Christmas words, "Herod...slew all the male children…two years old and under." But the poet lingers, weeping,… -
Your Donations Yesterday
18 Nov 2009 | 11:23 am(Author: John Knight) We are deeply humbled and very grateful to God for the more than 630 people who gave to Desiring God through GiveMN yesterday. As we prayed last week about this opportunity and how to present it in a prayerfully-dependent, God-centered way, we had no idea that God would raise up so many people during that short amount of time. It appears that this group of friends gave just over $139,000 in that 24-hour period. We will know final results, including our portion of the match, in the coming days. We are also grateful for all those who emailed who cannot give to us right now… -
Invitation to Our 2010 Pastors Conference
17 Nov 2009 | 11:32 pm(Author: John Piper) Dear fellow shepherds of God's people, For over 20 years, we have assumed the foundation of Christian Hedonism at the Desiring God Conference for Pastors. But we have never focused on it. Until now. I thought it was time. Our theme for 2010 is The Pastor, the People, and the Pursuit of Joy The Apostolic Aim of Pastoral Ministry At least twice, the apostle Paul sums up the goal of his ministry in the joy of his people. First, to the Corinthians: "Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy." (2 Corinthians 1:24) Second, to the… -
Do Not Labor for the Food That Perishes
17 Nov 2009 | 8:29 pm(Author: David Mathis) This week's sermon: "Do Not Labor for the Food That Perishes" Jesus isn't eager to be useful to our natural desires. He's too loving to be content with us seeing him as anything less than our supreme Treasure. So the Gospel of John was written to make known the glory of Jesus, not the glory of his gifts. The story points again and again to the person of faith, not the product of religion. Jesus tells us in John 6:27 not to labor for the bread that perishes but for the food that endures to eternal life. Laboring for the enduring food does not mean earning his favor.
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MondayMorningInsight
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I Don’t Think T-Dog is Reading the Same Bible as Us…
20 Nov 2009 | 4:45 amYou gotta love cable access shows, especially when you pair a really serious KJV guy with someone who wants to talk about this particular Bible passage... -
Let Henrietta and Merna Be the First to Wish you a Merry Christmas!
20 Nov 2009 | 4:42 amA special thanks to the folks at Tominthebox for sharing this wonderful Christmas song. I hope you enjoy! -
Kenny the Banana Makes his Debut on Christian TV
20 Nov 2009 | 4:37 amEveryone loves a person in a giant banana suit. Especially Christians. Come on... you know you like it! What's the weirdest thing you've ever seen on Christian TV? Todd -
Gotta Love Jack Van Impe… But Come On…
20 Nov 2009 | 4:29 amJack's now predicting the Tribulation to begin because of the new One World Order (John 2:34) brought on by Barak Obama (Isaiah 6:42). I've watched Jack Van Impe off and on since I was a child (Ez. 7:19), and he's always had a plan (Mark 2:14) that kept us on our toes (Lev 2:34) and prepared us for what is to come in the next six months to two years (Phil. 3:14). What do you think? (Hez. 3:31)? -
Stressful Jobs that Pay Badly: #10 Pastor; #5 Worship Pastor
19 Nov 2009 | 6:06 amYou think your job sucks? You may have just gotten some confirmation. According to this article from CNNMoney.com, two major church roles have the distinction of being the most stressful jobs that pay badly! Coming in at #5: Music Ministry Director Median pay: $40,800 % who say their job is stressful: 67% You may not think of people who plan, direct and conduct performances for religious services as being under a particularly high amount of stress. But they also choose the appropriate psalm or hymn for every wedding and funeral -- only some of the most important events in a…
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Pastor Steven Furtick
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Holly Answers… Many Questions
19 Nov 2009 | 1:00 amI would like to know if you had anything to do with the blonde hair phase? Why, yes, I did. I consider myself his chief fashion consultant. What are ya’ll going to do about school for the boys? Public, private or home? We are not sure yet. We are open to everything and praying about what is best for our family. As you may know women tend to be attracted to men in leadership. Do women ever act interested in your husband. If so, how does it make you feel? Angry. I would kill them with my eyes (and then possibly with my hands). Here’s my question: How do you, as a… -
Holly Answers: What is Pastor Steven like?
18 Nov 2009 | 1:00 amOne of the questions asked was, “For those of us who only know Pastor Steven from the stage, what is he like?” I think I am going to have fun answering this question. Where should I begin? When I first met PF, one of the main things that attracted me to him was his dynamic personality and his love for people. Even today, he has a way of making every person he meets feel special and liked. I used to joke with him that he had more best friends than anyone I knew. He is extremely musical. He can sing and play the guitar. He can hear notes in his head. One of the first times I ever saw him… -
Holly Answers: Our weekend schedule
17 Nov 2009 | 1:00 amMany of you ask specifically about my role on the weekends. This is a complicated question because my role has changed so much as our church and our family has grown. However, even though my role has changed, my objective on the weekends has remained the same. My primary goal is to support my husband on the weekends. In the early days, my way of supporting my husband was more involved. I sang back ground vocals every Sunday for the first 18 months of Elevation. During the first year, I also helped out in our children’s ministry after singing. I taught stories in Ekidz, lead a small group… -
Holly Answers… How do you protect your marriage and family?
16 Nov 2009 | 1:00 amHello readers of stevenfurtick.com. My husband and many of our staff members are currently en route to Charlotte after a very productive week spent in Uganda, Africa. In order to give PF (my shorthand for Steven Furtick) some time to recover from jet lag, I offered to take over his blog this week. I can’t promise I will get to each question that was submitted, but I should be able to combine a few. I also can’t promise my posts will be as to the point as PF’s, truly, I cannot compete with his language genius, but I will do my best to be concise and not ramble. Ok let’s get to it! Many… -
You Ask
13 Nov 2009 | 1:00 amGuest Blogger: Holly Furtick Hello stevenfurtick.com readers. Next week I am hijacking my husband’s blog to answer your questions. This is your chance to hear what it is like to be married to Pastor Steven Furtick. Ask away and I will be candid and honest. Send your questions to pastor@elevationchurch.org and I will see you back here next week, sort of.
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adrianwarnock.com
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Top 20 Posts of 2009 And Previous Years
19 Nov 2009 | 11:44 amAs I am shutting down for a while, here are some posts you can browse if you have nothing better to do! Do check out http://raisedwithchrist.net also. Before I get to the two lists, I should just point out that my personal favorite post of all time is nowhere to be seen on this! If you only want to read one post by me while I am on my break, go read "I Don't Want Balance, I Want It All"The most popular posts I have written so far this year are as follows:1. Tim Keller - Preach To Change Them In Their Seats2. Terry Virgo - Elijah Prays For Rain3. Rick Joyner On Todd Bentley4. Free Gospel… -
Mark Driscoll on Raised With Christ
19 Nov 2009 | 9:59 am“Jesus is alive! And, as my friend Adrian Warnock will help you learn, this fact changes everything for everyone.”—Mark DriscollFounding Pastor, Mars Hill ChurchPresident, The Resurgence President, The Acts 29 Church Planting NetworkFor more information about my book see the new website for Raised With Christ - How The Resurrection Changes EverythingMark Driscoll should need no introduction to most readers of my blog. His vigorous, passionate preaching gift is helping to put strength into the global church. If you have yet to watch one of his sermons, it's time you remedied that as soon… -
Al Mohler on Raised With Christ
19 Nov 2009 | 9:56 am“The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead separates Christianity from all mere religion—whatever its form. Christianity without the literal, physical resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is merely one religion among many. Adrian Warnock points us all to the centrality of the resurrection for every dimension of the Christian life. Adrian is a first-rate communicator and a man whose life demonstrates the joy of Christ’s resurrection. You will be greatly blessed by this book.”—Al MohlerPresident, Southern Baptist Theological SeminaryHost, Albert Mohler ProgramAs I said when… -
SERMON: The Resurrection And Our Salvation
17 Nov 2009 | 11:00 amI almost titled this message "Don't Neglect The Resurrection". It still amazes me how easy it is for us to forget, downplay, or assume the resurrection of Jesus. I am grateful to God for his help this past Sunday as I shared a very personal message with Jubilee Church, the contents of which will be no surprise to regular readers of my blog.You can also download the audio or video from the Jubilee site. -
Electronic Edition of Raised With Christ
16 Nov 2009 | 3:58 pmLogos Bible Software are offering my book on their pre-pub program. You can pre-order a copy of Raised With Christ: How The Resurrection Changes Everything to add to your electronic library now.This was a pleasant surprise to me, since although it was suggested as a possibility several months ago, I only heard it was definite when it appeared on the website just a few hours ago. Since Logos Bible Software played a major role in assisting me to write the book, it seems somehow appropriate. I would go so far as to say that I would have struggled to write a book at all without the time-saving…
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Reformissionary
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Lots-o-Links 11.19.09
19 Nov 2009 | 3:49 pmI'm officially on the Verge social media team and for the Verge Missional Community Conference from February 4-6. Hope to see some of my readers there! Follow Verge on Twitter and Facebook. Early bird rate for another 10 days. Go register now. Sojourn: Ambition - Acts 29 Louisville boot camp audio Dustin Neeley: Matt Chandler interview Part 1, Part 2 Jim Belcher's talk at VergeLA Ed Stetzer's 2008 interview of Tim Keller Homeless man throws coffee in face of barista in the Crystal Lake Starbucks I visit somewhat regularly. -
Music Review: On The Incarnation by Daniel Renstrom
17 Nov 2009 | 9:58 amDaniel Renstrom (Twitter) contacted me early last year and asked if I would be willing to review his EP, Adore and Tremble. Not knowing Daniel or his music I emailed and said I would listen and say something on the blog if I liked it, but no promises since I don't like much Christian music. He kindly sent the CD anyway and I really, really liked it and still listen to it. Check my brief take on Adore and Tremble from March of last year. Daniel contacted me again a few weeks ago and told me he has a new Christmas album called On The Incarnation (OTI). I can't listen to… -
Music Monday 11.16.09
16 Nov 2009 | 2:11 pmDon't miss the $5 albums this month at Amazon. The Antlers: Hospice - might be my #1 of '09 The Avett Brothers: Four Thieves Gone - anything Avett is must-buy Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - love this new album, full of gems Blitzen Trapper: Furr - #14 album of '08 for me John Coltrane: The Ultimate Blue Note - one of my fav jazz albums Grizzly Bear: Horn of Plenty - older, lo-fi sound from a hot indie band The Gaslight Anthem: The '59 Sound - a great album Flogging Molly: Float - so much fun, these guys I've been wanting get the Megafaun album, Gather, Form… -
Acts 29 Boot Camp in Louisville
13 Nov 2009 | 12:44 pmHad a great trip to Louisville for the Acts 29 Boot Camp: Ambition. Thankful for a church like Sojourn and good friends who serve there as well as many friends in Acts 29. It was a like a family reunion and I'm not even in Acts 29! It was a great couple of days. Check out Chuck Heeke's Flickr account for Ambition photos. (Photo on this post is from Chuck.)Though I'm not going to talk about any details, the wives' track really impacted Molly. Huge. Just what she needed. Otherwise, throughout the conference a couple of reoccurring themes stuck out to us. We are… -
Lots-o-Links 11.12.09
12 Nov 2009 | 4:15 pmCreation Project: Resources for Biblical Womanhood, Resources for Biblical Manhood -- also Thinking Well About Your CityMark Driscoll: Organizing a Silence and Solitude Day, Part 1 (4 more coming) Bad review of Deep Church from Greg Gilbert/9 Marks Good response by Deep Church author, Jim Belcher Helpful thoughts from Brent Thomas Rethink Mission: Books Every Church Planter Needs to ReadI connected at the Acts 29 Boot Camp in Louisville with a guy I met a years ago at Capitol Hill BC in DC, Brad Byrd. I stayed at his house when visiting CHBC. He gave me a copy…
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Worship Matters
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Songlist from the CCEF Conference
19 Nov 2009 | 8:43 pmWhen I agreed to lead worship at the CCEF conference last week, I have to admit I was a little intimidated by the theme of the conference: Sex Matters. As it turns out, the teachings provided a wonderful opportunity to celebrate God’s grace in the gospel. I was reminded once again that there’s no part of our lives that the gospel doesn’t address, whether it’s reminding us of God’s holiness, assuring us that our forgiveness through Christ is complete, freeing us from our shame, or changing our hearts to find our greatest pleasure in God himself. I really enjoyed… -
Matt Redman Interview
5 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amI asked Matt Redman if he could fill us in on some of the background to his latest album, We Shall Not Be Shaken, which I reviewed yesterday. His responses give some insight into the songwriting process, as well as Matt’s humility. Themes of God’s sovereignty pervade the songs on this album. Why did you choose to make that focus for this album? I had a sense that many people right now need re-assurance that God is in control in their lives. So many recent events, particularly economic ones, have reminded us that much of this life and this world is fragile, temporary and changing. -
Why So Many Words in Worship?
4 Nov 2009 | 12:16 pmOver at the Gospel Coalition blog Kevin DeYoung gives 25 reasons why words are so important in our corporate worship. Here are some samples: All the corporate worship we know of in the early church is saturated with words. While there are many things we don’t know about the worship of the early church in the Bible, we do know that they devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer (Acts 2:42). We know they were devoted to the public reading of Scripture (1 Tim. 4:13). We know they brought hymns, words of instruction,… -
Matt Redman’s We Shall Not Be Shaken - Review
4 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amI first met Matt Redman in 1997 when I was over in England for a worship conference. In a few minutes of conversation a few things stood out to me. He was a young man passionate about impacting his generation with worship songs that communicated biblical truth about God and not simply emotional responses. He was theologically aware and gospel-focused. He was articulate. And he was humble. Over the past years my first impressions have not only been confirmed; they’ve been deepened. After listening to his latest album, We Shall Not Be Shaken, I found myself thanking God once again for… -
What Do You Want to Be Remembered For?
28 Oct 2009 | 12:18 pmHere’s another clip from the message I gave at WorshipGod09 on “The Future of Worship.” (You can find two posts from the same message here and here.) In verse 8 the psalmist references a previous generation “whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.” They were remembered as NOT being faithful, and NOT being steadfast. Have you thought much about what YOU want to be remembered for? That’s the question I ask in this 2 1/2 minute clip from my message.
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Church Matters: The 9Marks Blog
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Preaching and Prayer Around the Blog by Thabiti Anyabwile
20 Nov 2009 | 6:27 amKevin and Owen, welcome to the 9Marks block party! Glad to have you both on the team! A couple things I thought might interest readers: Hereyou can see the video and find a time-stamped outline (those SovGrace guys do everything with class, don't they?) of Jeff Purswell's address called, The Pastor's Teaching. Along with Kevin's piece on learning to be yourself when preaching, this is good food for thought for all those looking for a sermon break today, or trying to recover from their sermon on Monday! Also, our brother Lig' is teaching us to pray… -
Learning to be Yourself as a Preacher: From One Still Trying to Do Just That by Kevin DeYoung
20 Nov 2009 | 3:05 amWhen Phillips Brooks famously defined preaching as “the communication of truth through personality” I do believe he was talking about your own personality and not someone else's. It has taken me awhile, but I finally feel like I have learned to be myself in the pulpit. Now whether this means my sermons are better or worse I can’t say. But being myself means my preaching is more genuine, more comfortable, and more sustainable. I know I have a lot to learn as a preacher, and I hope that ten years from now I’ll still get those awkward but true… -
Church on Your Wii! by Michael Mckinley
19 Nov 2009 | 10:12 amI think multi-site and internet campuses are soon going to be passe. If you haven't seen it yet, check out this video!HT: Patrol -
The Wives of Pastors by Aaron Menikoff
18 Nov 2009 | 2:19 pmWelcome Owen and Kevin! I look forward to reading your insights here.A few weeks ago Deepak asked a question about the expectations churches have for pastors's wives. I'm thankful that Mt. Vernon, the church I serve, has been very protective of my wife and has cared for her well. They have given her opportunities to serve but have not made her feel like she has to do anything as "the pastor's wife." I know they want her to be able to support me and our kids. It's a great situation. But there is more. As I've seen the Lord use my wife to undergird the… -
Introducing two new 9Marks bloggers by Jonathan Leeman
18 Nov 2009 | 6:45 amWe're grateful to present two new 9Marks bloggers to all of you: Owen Strachan and Kevin DeYoung. Owen is a member of CrossWay Community Church in Bristol, Wisconsin, which is just close enough to the Illinois border for him to drive there on Sundays from Highland Park, IL, where he "resides." Owen is a PhD student in Historical Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and is the managing director of the Carl F. H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding at TEDS. He is married to a woman of noble character, Bethany. He also has a daughter, I…
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Deep Thoughts by Gman
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A Minor Prophet with a Major Message
20 Nov 2009 | 12:15 pmThis week we look at the book of Nahum, and how God is jealous. God speaks and encourages.http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/ZioO -
My Favourite Mt. Dew commercial
19 Nov 2009 | 2:01 pmBTW my record for a can of Mt. Dew - no spills less than 7 seconds.http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/ZioO -
Chaos Creates Momentum!
19 Nov 2009 | 12:22 pmChaos creates momentum from Matthew Ralph on Vimeo.http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/ZioO -
Mending Hurting Teens
18 Nov 2009 | 6:19 pmHT Joehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/ZioO -
Terrorism at Fort Hood
18 Nov 2009 | 1:08 pmSo we all know the newswhat happened at Fort Hood has been reduce to a shooting.Have we forgotten 9-11?What about Columbine?Have we become so callous to tragedy and death??Remember the Virginia Tech shootings? (Which I would think is an act of terror)I don't see the coverage as I did 10 yrs ago nor the outrage. I do see a lot of Political Correctness though.SAD isn't it. In fact I didn't even see one article that mentioned it was Terrorism but more Shooting, massacre. Like the 13 lives lost were an afterthought. As a minister, man of God ... it saddens me that people might take lightly death…
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Church IT RoundTable
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Five Tech Training Basics
What are the most basic of things you want people to understand as you're providing technical training? Here are my top five: Attitude: if you can approach learning from the perspective of "I wonder how" instead of “I don’t know how,” everything will quickly be much easier Doing the wrong thing won’t blow up Kansas. (OK, if you're doing system admin training, maybe change this, but for user training, eliminate the fear factor) Good backups reduce risk – you get a “do over” There are bad guys out there; you need to be on guard. YOU are the best defense. If you meet a stranger… -
YouTube Captions: Ministering to the Hearing Impaired
Spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ means that we must attempt to reach everyone, every where, at anytime. We frequently reach our hearing impaired brothers and sisters through written text but our efforts fall short when it comes to online video sermons and presentations. Closed Captions are extremely valuable in the world of Television to reach the hearing impaired. But what about online?YouTube recently announced the ability to add 'Captions' to your Ministry YouTube videos. According to Mashable.com, "YouTube can automatically assign captions to video using speech recognition. Moreover,… -
Module Access added to Toolbar
I pushed a quick update out to ER Developer Toolbar this morning. Now you also have a Module fly-out menu for any Modules that have a custom CP backend (like Structure or Freeform for example). Don't worry, the toolbar checks permissions against the logged member's group to make sure they have access to that specific module. Go ahead and get your download! -
Windows 7 Tips #2
This is the second post in what I see as being a long running series on Windows 7 tips and hints and ones that I hope prove useful to you or your users. One of the beauties of XP was that you could do a “clean install” using upgrade media. This wasn’t meant as a means to cirumvent paying full price but to deal with the need to occasionally wipe clean and do a fresh install of XP. Well now that facility is also available for Windows 7. However, rather than repeat the article I’ll simply point you at Paul Thurrot’s fabulous site. Second in today’s tips is a… -
Counterfeit Gods
Last night I read Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters. Counterfeit Gods is a book about idolatry. Modern, 21st century, 2009 idolatry. It begins with a discussion about God granting the desires of a man's heart, and how that leads only to destruction. We never think of the desires of our heart as being a bad thing to receive, but Keller
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Markartrip.com
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LIFE 101 WEEK 3 MIND DUMP
11 Nov 2009 | 8:57 pmGreat night at HSM I love what I do. Tonight was night 3 in our Life 101 series on 1 Peter. We had 2 students teach. Blake Roth and Jared Acker were great. So proud of those guys, they weren’t just good for high school guys; they were good PERIOD! They highlighted our need for boldness and overcoming fear when we understand our lives in Christ. There leadership is a walking commercial for OB, but that is a rabbit trail Based on some recent trends that made themselves obvious last week we made some changes in setup this week. We started our own version of the Prayer Patio tonight. I… -
DEALING WITH CRITICS IN MINISTRY
5 Nov 2009 | 8:57 pmI recently asked on my twitter and facebook what people wanted me to blog about and a few suggested “getting attacked” or “taking criticism”. I haven’t been in ministry forever but I have been at this long enough to take a bullet or two so I thought I would write my… Top 5 tips for dealing with critics. Pray-Your first reaction will be to gossip or defend yourself by fighting back. Resist this and stop what you are doing and pray. Sounds so cheesy and religious but it is so necessary so that Satan doesn’t get a foothold. He would love to cause division in the Body of… -
LIFE 101-WEEK 2-MIND DUMP
4 Nov 2009 | 9:07 pmLet me first start by saying that I am trying to not eat sweets, but as you can see it isn’t going well. This week Stephanie Watson told me that she liked to bake so I naturally told her that I had the gift of eating. She brought me some cookies tonight and after a Wednesday night it was awesome to down a couple. I took a picture just to show how thick these things are. They are the real deal. Record night at HSM. We had our biggest attendance ever for a Wednesday night. Fall sports ended this past week. We just had our usual visitors but all the regulars and semi-regulars decided to… -
MALACHI FALL PICS
29 Oct 2009 | 8:03 pmSome new Malachi pics for those without facebook… http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=337346&id=758655500&l=f65749a3e9 -
NEW HSM SHIRTS
29 Oct 2009 | 12:25 pmWe got the new HSM shirts in the mail today. For those who did a 1 on 1 interview, come and get your shirt. For those who didn’t, hold your breath. I think I said I would put a picture up so here they are for those who care………
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Gabe Taviano | Technology meets Eternity
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Mother on a mission
19 Nov 2009 | 7:48 amWhether you’re ministry is small or large, we’re all in the cross-hairs of the devil. Some ministries get the “rockstar appreciation” because they appear to “have IT going on”. When IT is really only the task of making churched people feel at ease. It’s a gradual slope most ministries are falling down – pretending to be doing the work of the Lord while rarely coming in contact with the lost! If what we’re doing now really is ONLY for eternity, then why doesn’t it bother us that new people aren’t seeing God for the first time? -
We will not coexist
18 Nov 2009 | 5:46 pmYou’ve seen the bumper sticker below on cars everywhere, right? A mix of science, Islam, Buddhism, Christianity and Judaism – all blended together in one happy rectangle. The problem? It’s a lie. People really believe that is possible? I guess so. They seem to be the same kind of people who hang out in the tree-hugging, war-bashing, extreme liberal camps (as far as I can tell). Just jump over and check out the rest of the stickers on Peacermonger.org, and I’m sure it will be obvious. So why write about this? Because when I read the first commandment in Exodus 20:3, the… -
She makes me smile
13 Nov 2009 | 4:59 pmA quick break from tech / creative blog topics! It’s not Valentine’s Day. I’m not trying to dig myself out of a whole. I don’t have any gift ideas that I am waiting for my wife to buy me, hoping this blog post nudges her to do something I’ve been waiting for. I just wanted to write about something I’ve needed to write for a while (or should have even sooner). My wife, Marla Taviano (www.marlataviano.com), is a gift. It continues to amaze me how God brings people into my life at the right moment, to help with things I am struggling with, working on, etc. -
Courage to follow before leading
11 Nov 2009 | 7:58 amAs a response to my previous post on “Leadership as a disservice”, I thought I would try to make my thoughts a bit more clear today. Everyone wants to be a leader, or at least think they are capable of it, right? Some even are blessed with the role of being a leader (over ministries, organizations, etc.) but haven’t taken the time to even think of what it requires before jumping into it. While at a few conferences this month and studying other ministries, it just seems to me that there are so many leaders out there that think they’re above and beyond being considered… -
Date with daughter Nina
4 Nov 2009 | 6:49 pmHope you enjoy walking through my big date with our youngest daughter Nina in the video below. We’ve had quite a few of the times together, but it was nice today to be able to capture some of the highlights. It’s my prayer that fathers-to-be or new fathers learn the same lesson I learned 6 years ago. Date your daughters while they’re young. They’ll sure feel special, loved, and will know what to expect in the years that aren’t too far ahead. What are some memories like this of yours, as a parent or child? Click here to view the embedded video.
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Marketing Integrity
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Coming Technology Churches Need To Be Aware Of
20 Nov 2009 | 9:22 amA few months ago, I wrote a post titled 8 Minutes: The Future of Technology for the Church. In it, I provided a video link to a TED (Technology, Education, and Design Conference) Talk by Pattie Maes. Her MIT colleague, Pranav Mistry is a PHD student and the inventor of SixthSense, a wearable device that enables new interactions between the real world and the world of data. If you can spare 13 minutes, it is well worth it to watch this video where Pranav discusses and demos some of this Sixth Sense technology further…you will be amazed to see where the next generation of technology… -
Where Will Trillions Take Us?
13 Nov 2009 | 3:14 pmAn interesting video to put some perspective on the invisible but fast approaching challenges and opportunities in the pervasive computing age. Trillions from MAYAnMAYA on Vimeo. -
How To Foster Two-Way Communication Through Your Church Web Site
27 Oct 2009 | 6:45 pmLast week, I wrote a post titled How Every Church Should Communicate to look at the value-proposition of your church web site as a mass-communication medium. From that post, a member of the Marketing Integrity community asked this question: “Do you have some suggestions for HOW to foster two-way communication through a website? Or how Facebook/Twitter factor into that?” Rather than answer this excellent question as a comment reply, I figured it warranted a post of its own! Integrate Media Today, web sites, if they are “good” are far more than online brochures. Yes,… -
Seeing is Believing
26 Oct 2009 | 7:13 pmWe all need some inspiration in life. Though this story in the video below is now 2-years old, I missed it when Ben Underwood was featured in a CBS story in the fall of 2007. Ben lost his eyesight to cancer as a very young child and he learned to see using sonar to “see” his way through the world. The story is amazing. You’ll want to take 15 minutes to watch and listen to his story and his testimony. I was very inspired by Ben. A friend sent me this video last week. When researching for this post, I discovered that sadly, Ben died from cancer in January of this… -
Real Social Networking vs Fake Social Networking
24 Oct 2009 | 6:15 pmSeth Godin, a well known marketing leader, on social networking for business: Where are the real relationships? Are there people online in your relationships who you would go out of the way for or that would go out of their way for you? Personally, I have made some incredible connections with people online that I have never met physically or talked to by phone or Skype. Yet, they have done things for me. I have done things for them. The key to successful social networking for business or for your ministry is to make sure you invest in the relationships you have. Having thousands of…
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Elemental Children's Ministry
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When It Comes to Church Online, What About the Kids?
17 Nov 2009 | 1:36 pmTake a look at this video blog from Dana Byers over at LifeChurch.tv about how they include their children when it comes to attending church online. What are your thoughts about church online and how to include kids? -
You Are Not Alone
16 Nov 2009 | 10:17 amimage taken from Indexed) I thought the above picture was interesting. In children’s ministry we can get lonely and isolated really fast. I’m sure that’s true with life in general. The thing is, though, that we forget there is a large crowd of people who do care that we don’t know and sometimes are unaware about. That’s where social networks come in handy! Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc. are great places to find new people who are in the same boat as you are and who care. If you are feeling lonely and isolated, I encourage you to check out some children’s… -
ScribbleLive Win
15 Nov 2009 | 7:32 pmYesterday, I wrote a blog post about some trouble I had with ScribbleLive. I soon received an @reply Tweet from Scribble Live saying the above. Now, there is a company that knows how to capitalize on social media! Kudos to ScribbleLive. It’s experiences like this that remind me that all this technology needs to facilitate a personal experience. It’s so easy for technology to get in the way of that. -
ScribbleLive Fail
14 Nov 2009 | 6:07 pmIf you subscribe to the RSS feed for Elemental Children’s Ministry, you recently received a lot of blog posts in your newsreader from Elemental. This was due to a glitch in ScribbleLive.com. I use it for liveblogging while I am at conferences. I’ve never really had a problem with it before, but for some reason today it decided to post multiple instances of an event. I apologize for the large number of empty or repetitive posts. Hopefully, in the future, this won’t happen again. If it does, I’m going to have to find a new service for liveblogging. You may now return to… -
Focus on Parenting Conference Session 5 – Media Panel
14 Nov 2009 | 1:09 pm3:22 PM henryjz - Media Panel with Bob Waliszewski, Ron Luce and Phil Vischer 3:23 PM henryjz - 1/3 of all american homes have a VeggieTales video in them! Wow! 3:27 PM henryjz - Ron: we need to be careful when kids are young of how much they consume because as they get older they get more used to it 3:28 PM henryjz - Bob: If Jesus and his disciples were walking the streets today, how would Jesus respond to one of his disciples going to see one of the movies out now 3:28 PM henryjz - Bob: Jesus isn’t anti-entertainment 3:30 PM henryjz - Bob: Entertainment is a gray area, so answering…
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JoNathan Fietzer
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Favorite Tweets (The Deep & Funny Collection)
4 Nov 2009 | 11:51 pmIt’s been a little bit since my last “Favorite Tweets” post so I thought I should update!! Here are some recent tweets that I have enjoyed! The Deep Tweets @RickWarren posted: When believers focus on loving Jesus,differences melt away.When we focus on anything else,the more divided we are.Gal.3:28 @nfietzer posted: Going to the grocery store without your wallet isn’t going to get you any groceries. @carajaneau posted: Don’t ever think ur too holy for Gods grace. @PRobKelsey posted: “the unexamined life is not worth living”. Socrates @_coat posted: The… -
“Real Christmas” planned in Uganda
4 Nov 2009 | 11:07 pmThis past week I had an awesome opportunity to speak with my good friend Samuel Sebuliba from Uganda. He is an awesome man of God doing an awesome work. He is really focusing on reaching the children of Uganda. He has always had a heart for the children. This holiday season they really want to make sure that no child is left out. They are organizing “Christmas Parties” throughout the area. They want to invite all the children in the area to come and hear the story of Christmas, the story of Christ’s birth and he also would like to make sure that every child gets a gift. Many… -
Kick Jezebel to the curb
21 Oct 2009 | 2:58 amRick Warren recently tweeted (yes, I said tweeted) the following “NEVER follow a pastor who belittles others success, doubts others motives, or criticizes others efforts. Rom.14:4“. This really blessed me because out of the three churches I have ever attended in my life … two of them did just that. They belittled others success, doubted others motives and criticized others efforts. If it wasn’t tied to the “their” church then it wasn’t of value or it wasn’t God. This is nothing more than the spirit of Jezebel showing its face in our churches. Those that allow… -
Favorite Tweets (The Deep & Funny Collection)
15 Oct 2009 | 1:44 amAs many of you know … I enjoy twitter as it’s a great way to stretch yourself as well as a great way to meet new people. With that being said I wanted to post some tweets that really got my attention. There are two categories, one is deep and one is odd/funny. Enjoy The Deep Tweets @RickWarren posted: Kingdom-minded leaders give children’s & student ministry PRIORITY “…They ARE the kingdom of God!”-Jesus. Love Next Gen! @nfietzer posted: Eve added on to what God had said. (God said Gen 2:17) (Eve said Gen 3:3) Stick to what God says. Don’t add… -
Updates . . . .
14 Oct 2009 | 1:34 amI know … I know … I haven’t been very faithful in posting lately. Been really busy actually (mainly with moving). Anyways … just wanted to post about some recent changes in my life. 1. Got my Blackberry!!! Yes, I have crossed over to the dark side and have purchased a Blackberry (or as some of you call it a “crackberry”). I always thought my Motorola Q was a smart phone but let me tell you … the Blackberry goes three steps forward. You actually have to BE SMART to use a Blackberry. I still don’t know how to use everything LOL. 2. Weekend Guests…
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Thinking Out Loud
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Currently Reading: Duets by John & Anita Renfroe
20 Nov 2009 | 4:07 pmThose of you who follow the world of Christian stand-up comedy — which I do not — will recognize the name Anita Renfroe. She and her husband, pastor John Renfroe decided that as good as the selection is of devotional books for couples, something was missing. Enter Duets: Still in the Word…Still in the Mood, a series of 52 four-page considerations of texts from The Message highlighting various couples of the Bible. Although this is a digest-sized book with a format that is as much study guide as it is devotional, the issues it raises and the questions it leaves… -
The Word on the Street
19 Nov 2009 | 3:47 pmI originally blogged this back in April of 2008, when this blog was hosted at e4God.com, but after speaking with someone today about Rob Lacey’s Street Bible and The Liberator, I thought I’d take one more run at this topic while you can still buy copies of both in remainder bins at Christian bookstores. Ever since my parents gave me a copy of Get Smart, a youth edition of Living Proverbs (forerunner to The Living Bible) and the related Reach Out New Testament, I’ve been a huge fan of Bible paraphrases that arrest you in your tracks, bring the story to life, and say old… -
Midweek Lynx
18 Nov 2009 | 2:40 pmHere’s this week’s recommended lynx links: We begin with a couple of YouTube vids. This one was posted back in 2006, but is still popular. The group Go Fish song Christmas With A Capital “C” is the basis for this homemade video. The second video clip is sort of at the other end of the spectrum, posted a couple of weeks ago by Voice of the Martyrs. Instead of fighting to keep Christ in Christmas, some believers in other parts of the world are fighting more serious battles, as seen in this Raid on a Full Gospel Church. Carol at the blog Sheep to the Right… -
Jehovah’s Witnesses Willing to Invest Time
17 Nov 2009 | 3:23 pmToday I met with a man who is a somewhat lapsed Episcopalian (or Anglican as we say here) who has been meeting on a monthly basis with some Jehovah’s Witnesses. He has a lot of questions about various issues, and so he invited them into his home and they have been returning regularly, staying about an hour each time. There was a time when Evangelicals were very big on the concept of door-to-door outreach and visitation. Many a Saturday morning in the 1950s and 1960s might be spent in twos or threes ringing doorbells in a local neighborhood. But as time went by, people tended… -
Planned Parenthood Director Resignation Gets Mixed Reaction at Church
16 Nov 2009 | 4:03 pmThis story deserved more than to be buried in a link list of suggested reading a few days from now. It’s more significant than that. And if you think you’re already on top of this one, just hang in there for a few paragraphs, or jump to the asterisk below for a rather strange twist updating as of November 15th. Here’s a sample of how the story begins at The Christian Post: The director of a Planned Parenthood abortion center in Texas has resigned and embraced the pro-life movement after witnessing an abortion through an ultrasound. (Photo: Coalition for Life) Abby…
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Live A Revolution... Every Day
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Little Mo Mo's Pledge
9 Nov 2009 | 4:08 pm -
Falling Down and Squeezing It's Guts Out! Pumpkin Fun!
25 Oct 2009 | 5:52 pmHere's the latest video of our yearly family pumpkin carving event. It's full of near blood and guts. -
The Dancing Mo
24 Oct 2009 | 8:37 am -
More Than Genes
16 Oct 2009 | 12:54 pmWhen I was growing up, my mom and dad constantly reminded me that I was setting the stage for my brothers in school. They reminded me that as the oldest, the reputation I had in school would be renembered by my teachers and passed down to my brothers. Check this out: "I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you." 2Timothy 1:5 So here's the question... What are you leaving behind for your kids? Do you want them to share the reputation you have in each area of your… -
I Can't Shake It... Changing My Thinking
13 Oct 2009 | 2:03 pmI can't shake a phrase that Paul wrote in 1 Timmy 3:15: ..."This is the church of the living God..." "... the church of the LIVING GOD..." If you believe in Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world, you belong to the church of the LIVING GOD. If you claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ, you ARE the church of the LIVING GOD. The LIVING GOD who conquered death. The LIVING GOD who raised the dead. The LIVING GOD who healed the sick. The LIVING GOD who conquered sin. What are you struggling with right now? We each have them. Some are bigger than others. But none is bigger than the LIVING GOD.
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Children's Ministry Blog
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The Birth of Christ – #3 – The Wise Men (Children’s Church Lesson)
20 Nov 2009 | 11:19 amUse this free lesson in your children’s church to teach children the biblical story of Christmas. This is the final lesson in a 3 part series about the birth of Christ. It could be modified to use in Sunday School or any children’s ministry setting. Be sure to modify it to best fit your ministry situation. Your feedback is welcome in the comment section at the end of this page. Bible Story: The Birth of Christ – The Stable – Matthew 2:1-12 Learning Objectives: After this lesson, the children will demonstrate an understanding of the visit of the wise men by acting out the… -
The Birth of Christ – #3 – The Wise Men (Preschool Bible Lesson)
20 Nov 2009 | 11:04 amThis is the final preschool lesson in a 3-part series on The Birth of Christ. It is designed to teach preschooler about the Christmas Story based on the details of the Wise Mens’ visit to see the Jesus. It could be used in any setting with children age 2-5 at church, including a preschool Sunday School class or a preschool children’s church class. As always, consider your own ministry context and modify it as needed. Please leave any feedback or suggestions for improvement in the comment box at the bottom of this page. Bible Story: The Birth of Jesus Christ – The Stable – Matthew… -
Free Vacation Bible School Curriculum: The Armor of God
20 Nov 2009 | 10:49 amDownload and print off this free Vacation Bible School curriculum to use in your ministry. Bible Boot Camp “The Armor of God” is a VBS theme based on Ephesians 6:11-18. The links below contain all the lesson plans, craft ideas, and directions you need. Just download the following three PDF files to get started. Download this Free VBS Material Directors Manual Activity Books Teacher handbook One of our readers, Tara Merrill, wanted to share this vacation bible school material. I was really impressed when she sent me the files. I could tell right away that put her heart into writing… -
Christmas Bible Story “The Angels Telling the Good News”
18 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pmIn this video, Cullen & Gator tell kids the first part of the Christmas story when the angels announce the birth of Jesus to Mary and Joseph. You could show this as part of an Advent Bible lesson for kids or include it for review with your Christmas Sunday School lesson. I enjoyed watching it just for new storytelling ideas that I will use in my Children’s Church lessons. Cullen does a great job interacting with the puppet “Gator” and using simple visuals. If you enjoyed this video, remember you can browse all Cullen’s Christmas Story Series over at YouTube, as… -
This Week in Children’s Ministry for 11/18/2009
17 Nov 2009 | 8:10 pmHere is our weekly roundup of interesting or newsworthy links related to children’s ministry. This is just a small sample of the 180+ weekly posts that run through the BIG List of Children’s Ministry Blogs. If you have a news tip for next weeks links, please email me directly Tony@Ministry-to-Children.com Newsworthy Links Nearly half of all U.S. children will use food stamps New Research Explores the Long-Term Effect of Spiritual Activity among Children and Teens Jelly Telly has gone back to charging for access. Phil Visher explains why on his blog. The good news is that more…
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ShaneCraven.com
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Kathy’s Story
20 Nov 2009 | 4:32 pmHi Shane & Jeff: I’m Kathy Scheivelhud, (my daughter, Tonee Goff, is Kim’s hair stylist)… anyway, Today was my second visit to Origin and I truly feel as though I have found a church home to become an integral and vital part of. Folks seem so sincere and the atmosphere is as such that there is absolutely no competition as to whose got their act together the best, and so on as sometimes we tend to encounter within other organizations of worship. The young man (lead singer) in Nov. 8th’s service, I did not get his name, however I truly enjoyed his sincere songs… -
Laura’s Story
17 Nov 2009 | 7:47 pmName: Laura Hicks What did you notice first at Origin Church? The building and the branding. What did you like best at Origin Church? My fiancee and I recently relocated to the area. He is from Chicago and regularly attended a fairly traditional Methodist church. I am also from Chicago, but moved here after spending four years in Kennesaw, GA. While in Kennesaw I located a church that really was my home, where I was meant to accept Christ for the first time in my adult life. It is called North Metro and it is different from any church I have ever attended. Since moving here I have been… -
One Life at a Time!
17 Nov 2009 | 5:10 pmClick HERE! Posted in change -
Boomtowns in 2008
12 Nov 2009 | 7:48 amFastest growing cities in 2008 New Oleans, LA 8.2% Round Rock, TX 8.2% Cary, NC 6.9% Gilbert, AZ 5% McKinney, TX 4.8% Roseville, CA 3.8% Irvine, CA 3.8% Raleigh, NC 3.8% Killeen, TX 3.8% Fort Worth, TX 3.6% Posted in Statistics -
Encouragement to Church Planters
8 Nov 2009 | 4:08 pmSometimes it may feel like all you do week in and week out is “block and tackle.” My good friend Chad Clemons, pastor at Anthem Church, Gainesville, FL, describes what has happened at Anthem over the last few weeks as such. “We were just doing blocking and tackling drills and all of a sudden we are now over 200.” It does often feel like that in a new church…same old thing, same old result UNTIL, something mysterious appears into the mix, and bumps your church up to the next level. Often times you don’t even know what you did or didn’t do or God…
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Jeff Ferguson
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Stuff Christians Like
18 Nov 2009 | 6:58 amI came across a website yesterday that I have been telling everyone about ever since I found it. It is only fair that I tell you as well. The site is called, Stuff Christians Like and it is a satirical look at Christianity. Jon Acuff writes about anything that you have ever thought of in church. He does this so that as he says, “I can clear away the clutter of Christianity so that we can see the beauty of Christ.” The things that he writes about are absolutely hilarious. The only thing that I regret about this site is that I didn’t think about it first.Some of my favorite posts include… -
Giving...A Hot Topic
17 Nov 2009 | 6:42 amAround this time of year you hear a lot about giving to various organizations and causes. In addition, our current economical climate has many people thinking and talking about money. This has become a definite hot topic! Every one of us have our opinions about money and how it should be spent. Yesterday, I jumped into the dialogue on a blog that focused on giving in the church. Awesome conversation! I would recommend checking it out.This leads me to a core conviction that I personally have and that I believe Scripture emphasizes. That is that blessings are directly proportional to our level… -
Decisions...Decisions
16 Nov 2009 | 6:53 amWell...last night was another great game for the record books in the ongoing rivalry between the Patriots and the Colts. If you asked me in the third quarter who played better and coached better, my answer would have been the Patriots. But as my wife says, the game is 60 minutes not 45. Isn’t that true!In the end, the game came down to one decision that was made. Do you go for it on 4th down and 2 hoping to seal the game with that play or punt the ball away pinning the Colts deep into their own territory? Well...everyone of us knows what decision was made and that decision cost the Patriots… -
What An Awesome Week!
9 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pmIt took me a while, but I have finally had some time to download everything that happened last week. On Tuesday November 3 at 11:12 am Madelynn Victoria Ferguson came into the world. It was a moment in time that I will never forget. The picture above shows the first seconds of her life. The person on the left is Dr. David Myers. He is on the board here at Tiffany Fellowship. The nurse on the right is Heather Conway who also attends our church. I couldn’t say thank you enough to these individuals. Not only are they some of the most professional people I have ever met, but they showed genuine… -
This Is The Week!!
2 Nov 2009 | 7:17 amI didn’t think I was nervous. But after watching this video, it’s written all over my face. Can you believe it? This is the week!
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man.of.depravity
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Top Albums of All-Time
20 Nov 2009 | 7:36 amThis is the 2nd in a series I’ll be doing of questions that some of you asked. If you would like to add your question, go here and do so. Today I’ll answer a question from Jonathan. He asked: What are your top 5 favorite albums of all time? A Rush of Blood to the Head (Coldplay): I sometimes wonder if they will ever surpass the greatness of this album. I doubt it. Probably impossible. Where the Light Is (John Mayer): This live from LA album came on 2 discs and it featured everything that makes John Mayer amazing to me. Acoustic set, blues trio set, full band set. The dude nailed each part… -
In Jesus’ Name
19 Nov 2009 | 4:27 amI’ve noticed a trend. A trend that sadly I’ve been a part of. Often people will begin praying with “Dear God” or “Father…” or “Heavenly Father…,” all of which essentially means the prayer is directed towards God the Father. Yet the prayer often ends with the phrase “In your name.” Praying to God the Father by God the Father. That can’t make any sense right? Right, it can’t. And it doesn’t. We have access to God the Father through the person of Jesus. It was his sacrifice alone that paved the way for us. -
What the Future Holds
18 Nov 2009 | 1:56 pmA lot has been made recently about the validity of online community. Just about every big name church in America now as an “online campus” and has pastors who use many social media networks in an effort to boost the community feel of their churches. I saw this video earlier today (thanks for John at ChurchCrunch) and I think it is a hilarious depiction of what happens when we let this online community and “church” being anywhere go too far. Enjoy (RSS readers, what the video here): Does this scare you even a little? -
Our New Home
17 Nov 2009 | 4:32 amAs I said on Saturday, we moved over the weekend thanks to the help from lots of our friends. We’re definitely still in the process of making it feel like a home for us. I had many of you ask me over email and Twitter if you could see our place so I took a video last night giving you a tour of it. So here you go, enjoy. The basics are it is 1675 sq. ft., 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath. It is close to twice as big as our previous place. We are very blessed to be living here. -
Multiple Service Formats
16 Nov 2009 | 4:13 amMy church, like many, has two different styles of services on Sunday morning. Our first service is essentially a “blended” service (by the way, I hate the word service but I’m using it here because it is a common usage for a gathering of believers on a weekend) with a mix of contemporary songs and elements as well as traditional hymns and other elements similar to that. Our second service is essentially a “contemporary” service (again, I hate using these broad words when each church does multiple services a little different but for conversation sake, I use them)…
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Bubbasmith.net
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Book Review: The 4:8 Principle
Related posts:Book Review: New Creation Realities This was another required reading from Bible School. This book...Book Review: Following God’s Plan For Your Life I’m obviously a big Kenneth Hagin fan and I really...Book Review: It I’ve been wanting to read this book by Craig Groeschel... Related posts brought to you by ... -
Book Review: A Tale of Three Kings
Related posts:Book Review: The Shack This has been the second fiction book I’ve read in...Book Review: Tuesdays with Morrie Ok, so isn’t this book on everyone’s to read list?...Book Review: The Noticer So I actually picked this book up through the Thomas... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related ... -
Book Review: 25 Ways to Win With People
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Want to Win Steeler Tickets? We’re Giving them Away For Free!
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Book Review: Crazy Love
Related posts:Book Review: The Noticer So I actually picked this book up through the Thomas...Book Review: The Hidden Man Another Bible School read – Kenyon delivered once again! This...Book Review: The Alchemist This book was actually a gift to me for Christmas... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related ...
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KidTech Blog
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Individual Response
19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmPreviously I wrote about five forces or broad trends that we are facing as children's and family ministry leaders (the rise of the individual, connectivity, Twitter Speed, Rip-Mix-Burn-Share, and Motion Blur). I'd like to address each one of these trends and present some ideas and possibilities for response. -
Five Forces
11 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmSo many things around us are changing. There are forces at work in the lives of our children and families that need to be recognized and addressed. -
Innovation in Real Time
8 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmAs more and more people use Twitter to learn and gather resources, there are some significant drawbacks from this platform that a new technology may answer: Google Wave. How can Google Wave facilitate learning and support networking among children's and family ministry leaders? -
Bullying Across Boundaries
1 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pmThere are only a few things that really rip me apart, bullying is one of them. -
Using A Flip Camera for Ministry
25 Oct 2009 | 9:00 pmIt is possible to shoot amazing videos with a camera that costs less than $200. I'll show you how!
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STEVANSHEETS.COM
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Night of 1000 Thanks 2009
20 Nov 2009 | 7:05 amOur youth group enjoyed our second-annual “Night of 1000 Thanks” this past Wednesday. It was truly a worshipful time. Here’s our video from this year: -
Christmas Tree Time-lapse 2009
16 Nov 2009 | 12:30 pmWe put up our Christmas Tree today. Why? Because we could. This time of year is EXTREMELY busy for the pastoral-family, so we took advantage of my day off and got our Christmas-decorating on! We jammed to a Pandora Christmas channel and even had our traditional breakfast of freshly baked orange rolls! Enjoy our time-lapse video (becoming a tradition in our family). When you’ve watched this year’s video, be sure and re-watch some of our previous ones – 2008, 2006. It’s fun to watch the clock on the wall during the video to see just how much time elapses while… -
My current-favorite album: Hello Hurricane by Switchfoot
10 Nov 2009 | 9:29 amGive it a listen if you want to: Hello Hurricane [Deluxe] – Swi… -
All I want for Christmas…
6 Nov 2009 | 7:14 amIs a ride in this “Extreme Snow Mobile”: -
Planned Parenthood Director steps down after viewing ultrasound of abortion
3 Nov 2009 | 5:21 amPowerful news segment: Article here.
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Covenant Alliance Church, Orangeville
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Operation Christmas Child
10 Nov 2009 | 6:10 amSo this is pretty much your last week to get your OCC shoeboxes into Covenant Alliance Church.phone the office for your final drop off dates and times. -
Faith in Action Saturday
25 Sep 2009 | 7:48 pmSaturday September 26th from 10-1 we're hitting the streets and parks of Orangeville to serve alongside our friends from at least 4 other churches in town.We'll be at Every Kids Park and all along Broadway so join us for a bottle of water and some fun serving our community. -
Saturday September 26th - Faith in Action
24 Sep 2009 | 12:50 pm -
Annual Clothing Giveaway
4 Aug 2009 | 11:01 amThis Saturday, August 8th from 11AM - 3PMat Covenant Alliance Church we are giving away truckloads of gently used clothes.Men's, Women's, Kids, Shoes, Coats and all of itFREE -
Road Trip!
4 Jul 2009 | 6:14 pmSunday July 5th begins our summer series of messages to bring joy to your journey all summer long!
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Church For Family
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17 Nov 2009 | 11:30 am
17 Nov 2009 | 11:30 am“I choose to believe the Bible because it is a reliable collection of historical documents written down by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They report to use supernatural events which, by the way, took place as fulfillment of specific prophesies and their writings are Devine rather than human in origin.” Listen or read [...] -
You’ve Got A Friend (Friend Day 09)
17 Nov 2009 | 11:13 amPastor Paul Newell leads us through the 23rd Psalm and King David’s description of our best friend. -
Scary Thoughts: What If No One Really Cared?
29 Oct 2009 | 10:55 pmWhat if all we were doing was simply going through the motions? -
Scary Thoughts: What If No One Ever Told?
20 Oct 2009 | 12:30 pmThere is probably no scarier thought than, “What if no one ever told…?” -
Skittles: Giving Is Not Rocket Science
11 Oct 2009 | 7:20 pmGiving to God often seems scary and complicated, but it’s not Rocket Science. In this talk Pastor Paul explains that it’s God who gives us our “Skittles” and all He asks is that we keep Him first – First Things First!
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Synaptic Light
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Friday FilmMaking Links
20 Nov 2009 | 2:24 amDirector’s viewfinder app for iphone and amazing Hitchcock storyboard app Editor Lisa Gunning on Nowhere Boy FilmFellas Cast 6: “The DP Edition” Sony launches NXCAM tapeless camera family Silverado Ultrascope-powered ColoRig in action with SCRATCH 2012: Disaster Porn Posted in Blog Bundle Tagged: Filmmaking, friday, links -
Edit the Tyre
19 Nov 2009 | 12:30 pmSometimes it’s not always about cameras, editing and filming, or it is? … Here’s Hamade and I completing a swap edit, agg I mean a swap tyre – doing the manly thing for my wife Kathy. Otherwise: Jump here for a tip on swap edits (FCP). or Jump here for tips on changing a tyre. Posted in editing Tagged: edit, swap, tyre -
My Twitter Lists
18 Nov 2009 | 2:45 amVery Cool to be part of a Twitter List. I am not sure what the utility of that is until the Twitter Apps start integrating with it. So here are the lists that I have and those that I am on; I don’t follow all of them. Actually I am am also not sure what it means to follow a list because whether you do or not doesn’t influence anything Film/Editing Obviously my passion, my drive, my dream is video, editing, vfx and all things related – so there is no coincidence that most of these lists are related to that. @phillipgibb/vfx @shepherdfx/film-video-visualfx… -
Friday FilmMaking Links
13 Nov 2009 | 4:57 amDollyTrax™ Video Camera Dolly System Now Available for Independent Videographers and Filmmakers LAFCPUG Presents Walter Murch ‘Back on Avid’ + MC Sessions by Steve Cohen, Shane Ross smoke on mac: yes, it’s for real Shilo Create Brand Film for Under Armour’s ColdGear Two Cameras at the Crossroads: 5D Mark II or 7D Posted in blogging Tagged: Filmmaking, links -
Super-duper Cameras: WrapUp
11 Nov 2009 | 3:10 amThis sort of brings to a close to this series but I will certainly revisit different elements as I get new news, insights and experience. And remember always, that I am keen to hear of your thoughts and experiences. So here are the Digital Video Camera Brands that I took a look at. The purpose of this was to just talk a look at the camera – not to go into a detailed review – a video camera fashion parade if you will: (Click on the Images to view the list of cameras I looked at) I love my DVX100BE so I am very amped about the other offerings Only one Digital camera, but still quite…
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Random Thougths about God and Life
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I’m Back
28 Oct 2009 | 5:18 pmIt’s been sometime since I update the blog! The last few months have been exciting for our family and the church: 1. The City Church were launched officially on 30 August and we saw 227 people turned up for service. 2. I was asked to be one of the team of 3 for Youth More Than Gold, a national initiative to serve our country and host the nations during the Youth Olympic Games in August 2010. We did a video promo for that which can be found on www.ymtg.sg. 3. We started a series on Proverbs at The City and the reviews have been encouraging! 4. I got to be a part of the Planetshakers… -
I’m Back
28 Oct 2009 | 5:18 pmIt’s been sometime since I update the blog! The last few months have been exciting for our family and the church: 1. The City Church were launched officially on 30 August and we saw 227 people turned up for service. 2. I was asked to be one of the team of 3 for Youth More Than Gold, a national initiative to serve our country and host the nations during the Youth Olympic Games in August 2010. We did a video promo for that which can be found on www.ymtg.sg. 3. We started a series on Proverbs at The City and the reviews have been encouraging! 4. I got to be a part of the Planetshakers… -
NOTES: Building a Community of Faith
21 Sep 2009 | 8:52 amBUILDING A COMMUNITY OF FAITH Mk 11:12-26 Common Sense Faith The elementary fact is that faith is in-built. We are born believers. - Try not believing in anything or anybody – your wife, husband, doctor, bank, boss, baker, or the hawkers. - There are no guarantees, but we put our lives in the hands of surgeons and trust the bus drivers without thinking of faith. But that’s what it is. Common Sense Faith is a kind of immune system filtering out fears that otherwise would paralyze all activity. - When it fails we develop all kinds of phobias and compulsions. - It is a nervous breakdown. -… -
Notes: Safest Place in the World
3 Aug 2009 | 1:55 amINTRODUCTION Insurance policies / safety first – FSB, safety checks, regulations and procedures etc - This Psalm shows us how to trust in God in dangerous circumstances. - Not knowing where our safety comes from critically cripples the Christian life. - How to know a safety and a security in God when nothing about the situation that we’re in is safe or secure. THE PSALMIST HAS A TESTIMONY: ‘I HAVE FOUND THE SAFEST PLACE IN THE WORLD’ The first thing that we see in this passage is the TESTIMONY of the Psalmist. He is not telling us something that he doesn’t know about. He has found a… -
Notes: Faith for Healing
12 Jul 2009 | 10:27 pmLUKE 5:12 – 16 Introduction In the last days there will be pestilences. We cannot live in fear. Instead we need to grow in faith so we can face the coming challenges! Background Luke uses a medical term noting that the man did not just have leprosy. But that he was full of leprosy. His entire body was affected. He was not only untouchable but he was incurable as well. Nothing could be done for him. 1. SEE If You Want Healing, You Need to See Jesus ‘When he saw Jesus’ He had to look away from his condition, his decaying flesh and open sores, and look away from all of the past failures…
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Executed
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What Decision are You Delaying?
20 Nov 2009 | 12:47 pmfor The Hanford SentinelFor God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. — 2 Timothy 1:7It seems that nearly everything on this Earth challenges growth and expansion. People that dream big dreams about their lives, about how things can be better, about their families and the future are always challenged. Other people make sure to inform these dreamers about all the reasons why their dreams will not work. They patiently and fervently explain why the dreams simply cannot happen.And while we are surrounded by dream-crushers on every side, there is an… -
C.S. Lewis' View on Education
12 Nov 2009 | 7:09 amJust finished reading C.S. Lewis' article "On the Transmission of Christianity" — he argued that the answer for the decline in Christian morals and the Christian life is not to go after education per se, but rather to go after individuals. It may be an important reminder for those embroiled in our culture wars here in the U.S., that to transform a culture, you transform the individuals within the culture first and then the institutions follow. To attempt to transform the institutions without changing the individuals is useless.If I can be critical for a moment, it seems that the "Christian… -
Entertaining Angels
12 Nov 2009 | 6:24 amI think it is pretty clear that they weren't actually angels, but my family was treated to a special visit from a missionary couple that was driving through our area on their way up north. It was an unexpected visit from a couple that we had never met before, but because of a mutual friend, we were able to host them over night. My wife and I have often prayed that we want our house to be a place of blessing for others and we want our family to be a part of that process so that they can learn this important part of life. This unexpected visit fit the bill. Rarely is it convenient to host… -
Local Media Features Hell House
30 Oct 2009 | 12:24 pmThis year our youth pastor, Paul Wilcox, decided to put on Hell House for the teens in our area. Here's what the local media did with the story. -
Kindness
30 Oct 2009 | 12:19 pmfor The Sentinel Life NotesAs a parent of young children, I often forget that my job is not to create little robots that snap to attention whenever I speak. The problem is that I really like it when they do. It makes me feel like I'm doing a good job. When my kids misbehave in public or conveniently fail to hear me when I speak to them, I feel that I have been slighted and my authority is being challenged. So I find myself focusing on their behavior and demanding that they "act" the right way. But this is all wrong. As a parent, we are given a great responsibility and the goal is not to…
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Small Town Youth Pastor
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5 Realities For Missional Youth Ministry: Inside/Out Evangelism
18 Nov 2009 | 4:48 pmOne of the defining elements of missional youth ministry is the how the youth ministry does evangelism. There are two types of evangelism strategies: Inside/Out– Prep, train, and educate kids and sent them out into the world to do evangelism. Basically you go a non-believer on their turf. Outside/In– Throw events and get non-believers into your youth room. Basically you take a non-believer put him/her on your turf. Obviously, in order to be missional it is imperative to send our kids out into the world. Many non-believing students have a very negative perspective about… -
Smalltownyouthpastor.com RE::Branding
15 Nov 2009 | 5:19 pmWell fellow youth pastors the small town youth pastor.com is coming to a close. This website has had much success. When I developed smalltownyouthpastor.com, I never thought I would get an audience because I was just journaling about small church youth ministry and providing tips for youth pastors. The online rebranding and developing is my attempt to really focus on my youth ministry passion of training and educating youth pastors on how to do youth ministry in a 21st century context. The current “models” are not working for youth ministry, so youth pastors need some… -
5 Realities For Missional Youth Ministry: Contextualization
9 Nov 2009 | 7:20 amMissional minded youth pastors are all about having specific-context driven missions for their students. Youth ministries across the country all have a different: sociological landscape, lifestyle, culture, a psychological mind-set, and ways to experience God. Having a contextualized youth ministry means having a working knowledge of your students, place, ideas, and experiences. “It’s knowledge in practice that’s developed from direct experience and action, and usually is shared only through highly interactive conversations, storytelling, and shared experience.” … -
5 Realities For Missional Youth Ministry: No Youth Rooms
5 Nov 2009 | 2:52 pmIn 1999 American churches spent 6 billion dollars on new buildings, in ‘98 thirteen billion was needed to eliminate global hunger. (Thanks C Wess for this stat). Many youth pastors are talking about what it means to be “missional”, but no one really is sure what it means. Being missional means the youth pastor is sending their students OUT (of the youth room and) into the community. Youth pastors need to stop playing youth room idol. A pimped out youth room does not determine the health of a youth group. Pimped out youth rooms are very similar to cosmetic surgery. … -
Parachurch Ministry Leader vs. Youth Pastor
1 Nov 2009 | 10:01 pmYouth pastors tend to NOT like youth parachurch ministry organizations such as Young Life, Fellowship Christian Athletes-FCA, & Youth for Christ. Why? Parachurch ministry leaders are: - sheep stealers - better at evangelism and outreach - not in a church straight jacket and church office - missionaries on school campuses and are not being paid (controlled) by a congregation - rough edged The problem: local church youth ministries have failed to link and network with youth parachurch organizations. Youth parachurch organizations have failed to assimulate students back into the…
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dei gratia
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27 Oct 2009 | 1:42 am
27 Oct 2009 | 1:42 amPlease visit my new blog at mikeoharalive.com. Posted in Uncategorized -
God’s Will
26 Jun 2009 | 3:45 amI had a thought this morning about God’s will, here it is: Knowing God’s will is more about education than revelation. Reading from Ps. 143:10, David requests of God, “Teach me to do your will…” This jumped out at me because I often ask God to show me his will. But David asks God to [...] -
U Da Man
12 Jun 2009 | 2:27 pmWe kicked off our “U Da Man” series for the month of June. It’s an important series because it’s critical that we gain an accurate picture of true biblical manhood. The big idea is if we’re to gain an accurate picture of biblical manhood we must measure masculinity correctly. That is, measuring masculinity with the [...] -
Wisdom for Life, part 3
14 May 2009 | 8:19 pmThis come Sunday (May 17) we hit part 3 of our Wisdom for Life message series at GBCK. The big idea to the series is we gain wisdom for life by learning from other people’s mistakes. We’re exploring the life of Solomon, the wisest man to every live, and we’re peeking into his personal [...] -
Failure as an Event
7 May 2009 | 4:14 pmReading through It: how churches and leaders can get it and keep it by Craig Groeschel. I love his thoughts on failure: “Don’t internalize failure: failure is an event, not a person.” Failures are the building blocks for success; all success is preceded by failure. Yet, it’s so easy to internalize failure and conclude that I’m [...]
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Kevin Campbell
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Random Friday
20 Nov 2009 | 7:00 amHere are some random Friday thoughts:Week One of our new series called HOPE starts this Sunday! It is going to be an awesome day. I can't wait!I am very excited about our Baptism Bash on Sunday, December 6th. If you are interested in being baptized, send me an email.We had our family pictures last Saturday. I hope to put some up on the blog soon.Elijah's last soccer game is Saturday. I've had a great time coaching his team. Next up is Basketball in January!Christmas is four weeks away! That is so hard to believe.January 10th: Go ahead and mark your calendar for that day! It will be Elevate's… -
HOPE
19 Nov 2009 | 6:00 amWe start a new series called HOPE this Sunday. I am really excited about this series and the potential it has to help so many people. HOPE. We all need it but few truly find it. We look for it in many places but there is really only One provider of it.HOPE. Where does it come from? How can we find it?Join us for our new series called HOPE as we seek to find real hope in the midst of the hardest times of life.Who do you know that needs HOPE? Invite them this Sunday! Trust me, it is going to be an awesome service. -
Live With Purpose
18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amI had a meeting the other day at Saddleback Church. It is simply amazing what God has done there over the last 30 years. It was my first visit to Saddleback and I was blown away.The thing that stood out the most was actually a framed picture in their main office with the "purpose driven covenant" on it. Do yourself a favor and take a few minutes to read this. It is an awesome challenge!Purpose Driven Covenant:Today I am stepping across the line. I'm tired of waffling, and I'm finished with wavering. I've made my choice; the verdict is in; and my decision is irrevocable. I'm going God's way. -
Dream Big Then DO Something
17 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am"The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." - MichelangeloThat's a great quote! Can you accomplish by yourself everything you dream about doing? Then you are definitely dreaming too small!Dream so big that it is destined to fail without God's intervention. Dream so big that others want to join you in your pursuit. Don't stop there though! Go DO something today to work toward that dream. It may not seem like much but it is one step closer in making that dream a reality.It truly is the only life worth living.Success… -
Sunday Reflections
16 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amHere are some thoughts from Sunday:It was the last week in our You Asked For It series.The topic was What is Baptism and why does it matter?We saw several people sign up to take their next step in obedience to Christ to be baptized. That is awesome!We are having a baptism bash on Sunday, December 6th after church to celebrate. It is going to be so much fun!We had someone who has been attending Elevate for several weeks make a decision to follow Christ! That is what makes everything we do worth it. I am thankful that we can provide a place for people to belong before they believe but…
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West Coast CM
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5 People to Meet in Twenty10
10 Nov 2009 | 8:21 pmDuring this next series of posts, I’ll share with you 5 people I will be trying to meet and collaborate with in the next calendar year. Your plans for the next year should be bigger than just what programs you’ll be running and how much money you’ll be spending – you should be just as strategic in planning who you’ll be partnering with and why. Over the next week or two, I’ll share with you who I think is at the leading edge of their field and how I plan on leveraging my time and schedule in order to get in their paths. As we begin this discussion,… -
The Right Questions
15 Oct 2009 | 2:32 pmAs Children’s Ministry leaders, we have a strong heritage of Christ-followers who were not afraid to rock the boat. We have a cloud of witnesses who came before us, calling the church to take ministering to children seriously. The church has followed the call to minister to its next generation of leaders and innovators – we’ve created mission organizations that focus on children, we’ve developed strategies that equip parents to pass on of their faith, we’ve invented resources and magazines to empower and lead those called to children’s ministry and… -
Interviewing the Mirror: First and Last Impressions
25 Sep 2009 | 10:20 pmI want to you to consider all of the options a family has on a Sunday morning. If, by the time a family in your community has weighed all of their weekend options, they arrive at your church to drop their kids off – you need to recognize that they’ve made a pretty big decision. And, what happens in their first 5 minutes and last 5 minutes will shape their memory of your program. —- A few years ago, I was interviewing a handful of applicants for an internship position at our church. A young man had submitted his resume and had reached the point in our application process… -
Katherine “Kate” Elizabeth Prince
2 Sep 2009 | 8:38 pmI’ll be away from moderating WestCoastCM for a couple days while I enjoy the birth of our daughter. In the meantime, check out what these awesome friends of mine are saying… Children’s Ministry Online Dan Scott Gina McClain jonathan cliff Matt McKee Pastor Jim Miller’s Blog Samluce.com -
Interviewing the Mirror: Allow myself to introduce… myself
27 Aug 2009 | 9:05 amI’ve had the recent opportunity to be thrown into the world of interviews. We’re in the process of wrapping up interviewing and hiring a new administrative assistant who will provide support to our Children’s and Student ministry programs. We’re taking steps toward becoming a church that’s staffed a little more “Orange.” It’s pretty exciting. The last three weeks of phone calls, interviews and call-backs have inspired me to apply some of our team’s learnings to our areas of ministry. Over the next few posts, we’ll take a look at some…
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danrichardson.org
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The Aftermath
15 Nov 2009 | 3:52 pmWow! It’s hard to put into words what happened today and I’m pretty sure I won’t do it any justice. -I was a little nervous about today because I did something I don’t usually do which is put all of my eggs in one basket. I pretty much told everyone that if they didn’t bring that person that they thought should be there, they would regret it! -This was one of those mornings that I knew was going to be different but as the week went on I started to doubt what I had originally felt. God knew about it far in advance but we were “informed” about it… -
Be careful little mouth what you say…
12 Nov 2009 | 8:27 amMy beautiful daughter has this evil habit. Without fail, at least 5 times a week, she goes pee in the middle of the night and then screams our name at the top of our lungs. Noise travels extremely well in our house so it’s like she’s beside my bed, IN MY EAR! Last night it happened again. And I gotta tell you, it makes me instantly angry. I will rip off the covers and storm over to the bathroom, usually followed with a stern “WHAT?!” I know, not very godly. Shocking. She then will proceed to tell me that she “goed” pee or that she runs as quick as… -
TXC started 25 years ago.
9 Nov 2009 | 11:29 amThe fact that The CrossCurrent is in existence is a miracle. If I was to tell you that prayer, God’s grace and the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit were absolutely vital to TXC becoming a reality you would probably nod your head in agreement thinking, “Tell me something I didn’t already know.” But there’s more to it than that. This story goes back 25 years and is a tangled web of lies, deceit, distrust, rage, hurt and the desire to die in order for the pain to stop. I was 5 years old when TXC started. This Sunday you will experience that story first… -
The secret ingredient
8 Nov 2009 | 4:31 pmYou know what I find crazy is how many people say they love TXC. Yes I admit, I like hearing that. I find it encouraging. But there’s something that many people don’t know. It’s the secret behind everything we do. Okay, it’s not really a secret. If you don’t see it then you could be blind and we’ll excuse you. Jesus. Yes I know. Jesus is such a cliche. And he’s my homeboy. But he’s also the reason so many people’s lives are being changed. Sometimes it’s overwhelming! We honestly have no control over what is… -
Things to pray for
30 Oct 2009 | 1:11 pmThere are a few things that I would like to ask you to pray for. 1. Favor with the series we’re in right now. Sex is is a subject that piques the interest of some and for others it repels them because they think they know what they are going to here. I heard quite a bit of feedback from last Sunday and none of it was bad. But there are a lot of people that are being very challenged and it’s a hard pill to swallow. Pray that God will gently convict us but also that we will feel consumed by His grace. That we will know the unimaginable love that God has towards us and the…
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Worlds of Wow Photoblog
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Wow Webisode - Infomercial!
17 Nov 2009 | 8:48 amWe had a little fun putting together an infomercial parody. Let us know what you think! -
In Progress Pics, Fort Mill Church of God
16 Nov 2009 | 7:30 amHere are a few pics of our theme install in progress at Fort Mill Church of God in Fort Mill, SC.Finish pics of the theming AND giant play unit coming soon... -
Webisode 2 - How to Have Worlds of Wow Do Your Project
9 Nov 2009 | 7:10 am -
Updated McClendon Baptist Church Pictures
9 Nov 2009 | 6:43 amOur friends Jeff and June Adcox made a trip to West Monroe, LA, and have provided more of their amazing photos for us.We had finished our theme and modular play install at McClendon Baptist Church during the summer and posted some pictures then.And here's some more! -
Video clip: Why Wow?
3 Nov 2009 | 7:03 am
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Digital Evangelism Issues
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Escaping from evangelism methods that don’t suit you
17 Nov 2009 | 4:01 amBook review on the just-released… Got style? Personality-based evangelism Jeffrey A Johnson ISBN 978-0-8170-1555-8 Judson Press We usually find it frustrating and discouraging to try and fulfill a role for which we do not have the gifts – it’s like being a square peg in a round hole. It is yet more condemning to feel completely inadequate in comparison with those who do seem to have these gifts. Yet how good it seems when our gifts and temperament match our responsibilities and ministry. And how important that we should be sufficiently self-aware to understand our personality type,… -
Technology news and ideas
10 Nov 2009 | 9:36 amMuch web and technology news is positioned for the web or computer professional. UK’s Guardian newspaper runs regular technology news online (and in Thursday’s print edition) pitched at the rest of us. Worth bookmarking. One recent and insightful feature was How laptops took over the world. “The availability of cheaper usable laptops, wifi, or 3G web access, is switching the balance between being tethered to a unmovable desktop machine, and a portable go-anywhere workstation.” Over at Pastor Ralph Wilson’s web promotion site, there are regular useful articles. -
The social media revolution
6 Nov 2009 | 12:09 amIf Facebook were a country, it would be the fourth largest in the world. This video places the growth of social media into context: (You could also download and project this video in meetings or seminars). Check our pages on social networking too. Enrique de Argaez of InternetWorldStats, gives in his newsletter the latest figures for web usage. 21 years after the first moves were made to open the previously private and academic networks to the public as the baby Internet, (see history), he claims there are now 1.734 billion web users, representing 25% of the world population. Doubtless… -
Creative ideas for contact cards
2 Nov 2009 | 2:12 amChurches and outreach sites can distribute business cards to point people to their church and/or website. But these do not need to be conventional in size and design! Check out these 60 Unusual Business Card Ideas from Noupe.com, which also offers many other creative ideas – including some very effective webmaster resources, such as CSS/JQuery menus, and icon sets. One to bookmark. See also more on making contact cards. -
New research study on church websites
27 Oct 2009 | 3:33 pmCeri Longville, a student at Redcliffe Bible College in Gloucester UK, has just published her college dissertation on church websites. Having been involved in church web development, Ceri saw the clear need for research. Her Reaching the Community with Church Websites is a valuable insight into the potential for making church sites truly ‘outsider friendly’. She says, “While working as web developer of a church website, I could see the potential for it to be used as a tool to make the church more accessible and relevant to the non-Christian/unchurched folk in the local…
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brad lomenick :: on the journey
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Cornhole on the National Mall
20 Nov 2009 | 2:31 pmOn Tuesday, the Catalyst team and the National Community Church team squared off on the National Mall in DC for a showdown for the ages. A classic game of cornhole. Two rival teams both at the top of their game….. both ranked in the top 10 of all cornhole teams in the country. What you might call a slobberknocker….. Well, once the tally was in, it was clear who was the better bean bag throwers….. NCC dominated. And Mark Batterson actually beat me 21-1 in a mano e mano showdown. I had no chance. He is the Lebron James of Cornhole. At the top of his game. And it showed. A… -
Interview with Jamie Tworkowski
18 Nov 2009 | 6:28 pmCheck out this great interview with Jamie Tworkowski, founder of To Write Love on Her Arms. Just found out that Jamie won the MTV Woodie Award last night. Beating out John Legend, Wyclef Jean, and Alicia Keys. Congrats!! Click here to view the embedded video. -
Who needs you to reach out?
17 Nov 2009 | 9:12 pmMost of us aren’t “experts” at relationships. Whether dealing with family, friends, co-workers, new acquaintances, or team members, we are all guilty of coming up short. It seems like every day I goof up in the way I relate, communicate, and lead. I’m sure this scenario applies to you right now, or will soon. A business deal gone bad. A conversation that was really tense. A mis-spoken word or hurtful phrase- either directed towards you or from you. Gossip behind your back that you know about, and so does the person who said it. Disagreements turned into frustration and… -
Hangin with FEE Backstage- Catalyst One Day
17 Nov 2009 | 5:27 amAs you can tell from this clip, I’ll be a featured vocalist on FEE’s next album, as well as on their next tour in the spring……. Click here to view the embedded video. -
Five Good Quotes
15 Nov 2009 | 4:33 am1. “leadership functions on the basis of trust. When trust is gone, the leader soon will be.” - John C. Maxwell 2. “you miss 100% of the shots you never take.” - Wayne Gretzky 3. “he who is good at making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” - Benjamin Franklin 4. “no man ever listened himself out of a job.” - Calvin Coolidge 5. “my God-given talent is my ability to stick with something longer than anyone else.” - Herschel Walker
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Scribblage
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Inspirational Things #2
20 Nov 2009 | 10:50 amAnother great musical performance that inspires me to sing! -
Inspirational Things
19 Nov 2009 | 9:01 amMy last post dealt with inspiration, so I thought I would share some of the performances and things that I've seen that always seem to inspire me. Over the next couple of weeks I will reveal, in no particular order, my ten favorite inspirational bits starting with this one: -
What it Takes to Inspire Others
18 Nov 2009 | 5:49 pmJust another thought I jotted down while at CMS (Christian Music Summit) last weekend at Overlake Christian Church. Matt Redman, somewhere in the middle of talking about how he came about writing one of this songs, said something interesting that grabbed my attention. He said two words in one sentence that, put together, make a lot [...] -
How to Stop Judging Others
17 Nov 2009 | 10:12 pmOk, so this article won't get you to stop judging others, but it will make you think twice about how you are judging others. Overheard something this weekend as I was listening to a talk that Lincoln Brewster was giving on team dynamics at CMS (Christian Music Summit) this past weekend at Overlake Christian Church. He [...] -
One Step at a Time
16 Nov 2009 | 11:03 amI read this article the other day on How to Train Your Brain to be in the Mood You Want. Using the acronym "ACT FAST" the writers outline these seven steps towards improving your mood: A: AGREE With Yourself That You Don’t Want To Be In This Mood Right Now. C: CLARIFY The Mood or Emotion You [...]
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Your Ministry Matters
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Anointing: Not Just for Preachers
19 Nov 2009 | 12:13 pmPlugged Into the Same Outlet The same blood that supplies the nutrients and life for my hands and arms to lift a bucket also provides for my feet and legs to carry me about and for my brain to reason and think. No matter the task, the blood, common and available to my entire person, makes every undertaking possible. That which is common and available to the entire body of Christ is His Living Word as the Holy Spirit administers it. It is the power of God. “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God” (Romans 1:16, KJV). No matter… -
The VERY BEST Gift To Have In The Local Church!
14 Nov 2009 | 7:12 amWe asked the question a couple of weeks ago and I left you HANGING! Please forgive me. I can give you a bucket full of excuses but let's NOT waste time!If you could pick any of the gifts from the list Paul gave the Corinthians, what would you choose? Let's get to the answer... And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 1 Corinthians 12:28Now here is where Paul starts to lead us to the conclusion of "What Is The VERY BEST… -
What Is The Most Desirable Gift To Have In The Church?
29 Oct 2009 | 2:59 pmIf you could pick any of the gifts from the list Paul gave the Corinthians, what would you choose? Apostle sounds good. How about miracle worker? Maybe you’ve always wanted to teach. Which is most desirable to you? I guess everyone can have an opinion, but what gift or gifts does the Lord think we should desire? Verse 31 says we should desire the best gifts. The answer is right there. I’ve heard people say the best gifts are the gifts God has for you. Sorry, but in light of what I’m about to show you, that answer avoids the… -
Gone To India - (Oct 18) - With 35 or more BIKES!!!
22 Oct 2009 | 1:48 pmThese pictures are from 2007 when we went to India. By the time you get this we will be in India and in motion. I hope you're praying for us! The bikes we, you, are providing will change the lives and ministries many Pastors. Many of them Pastor 3-4 village churches traveling by foot between these churches. In this remote area of India there is very little to no public or personal transportation. Imagine the IMPACT!! In 2007 my friend Loren Deal is traveled with me. On this trip my wife Vicki will be at my side. I will… -
The Simple Definition For Helps Is…
14 Oct 2009 | 10:15 pmThe simple definition for helps is literally “one who gives assistance”. There’s no real surprise in that definition. The surprise comes when we realize that this seemingly common and simple function, giving assistance, helps, is listed among the most supernatural of ministries. Why is that? Because it too IS a supernatural ministry! And, it is no accident it made this list. It’s there on purpose. 1 Cor. 12:28- God hath set some in the church… The words “hath set” mean more than casually unburdening oneself as in, he “hath set” the…
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Moving Forward
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The Plumb Line
24 Oct 2009 | 8:22 amA carpenter cannot build a house without a plumb line. It’s not good enough to try to line things up by sight. The house will end up crooked. The same principle applies to our lives. To live a life worth living and one that is constructive and beneficial to others requires a plumb line. Our personal perspectives and experiences are much too limited and finite. A life lived with no regrets must be built with plumb lines that guide us and give us true readings. I was reminded of this by a recent conversation I had with a fellow passenger on a flight home the other day. The young man thought… -
Snapshot of Two Healthy Churches
6 Oct 2009 | 3:27 amI’m in the Dayton airport awaiting my flight back home. I’ve been in Ohio for the last 8 days and had the privilege of renewing friendships with two pastor friends while speaking in their churches throughout the week. While here, I observed and was reminded of a number of things that contribute to the good health of a church. Both churches were very different but had so much in common. I thought I’d share some of the similarities with you.1. These pastors genuinely loved the people in their church.2. These congregations trusted and loved their pastors.3. These pastors were not so… -
Spiritual Progress Checklist
7 Sep 2009 | 1:26 pmI just finished a study of the Sermon on the Mount by Jesus found in chapters 5-7 in the Gospel of Matthew. It appears that the point of His message was to clarify what actually works when it comes to connecting personally with God and growing spiritually.When seeing that Jesus wrapped up His sermon by emphasizing the long-term importance of applying all the things He had just spoken about (Matt 7:24-27), I looked for a way to summarize these truths and organize them in the form of a checklist. I’m now using this checklist to keep me on track and help me to evaluate my progress. I’m… -
How To Graciously Deal With Difficult People
22 Aug 2009 | 10:22 amTomorrow I’ll preach a message entitled, “How To Graciously Deal With Difficult People.” I mentioned it in a tweet a couple days ago and have had some interesting responses.“This is basically every day in the ER” “This will be very useful, thank you for sharing a sneak peek at this Sunday’s Word.”“My struggle is that most of my personal stories with difficult people involve the people I’m preaching to.”“Post that one on YouTube. We all could use this one.”“My pastor just asked us to deal with that in Women’s Ministries this year – conflict resolution and… -
My Baby Girl Got Married
27 Jul 2009 | 8:00 amIt's been a couple weeks since my last entry to this blog. Sorry about that if you're a regular reader. My plate has been a little fuller than normal. I've not had the time or the words to adequately describe the events up to this point. But none of the events have been so exciting, so fulfilling, so captivating, so life-changing as my daughter's wedding. My baby, Michelle, just got married over the weekend!I'm a dad who has loved this season of life. There's nothing that Cindy and I have enjoyed more than spending time with our kids. Watching them grow up and develop into young adults who…
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GlocalNet
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The Power of Solitude
20 Nov 2009 | 5:14 amFrom the time I was born until I was in my mid-30’s I never shut up! Some of you are laughing now - “Roberts, you never have shut up!” I can hear you now. But truthfully, there are times I get really quiet and still. At a point of brokenness in my life I was forced to be quiet before God and seek his face - I’ve written about it in Transformation - my book. It’s the whole, “When will Jesus be enough?” question. After that I began to worship daily and learned the power of getting alone and getting quiet before God. This year I went on a… -
What am I Reading?
19 Nov 2009 | 5:22 amI’m asked this all the time. I believe what you read is crucial - it is the guardian of your mind, the fuel for your forward motion, the ideas that are called forth from, the thinking that makes you what you are, the dirt that provides growth for your thinking, and the stories of those that have already done something. FIRST, I read that Bible. SHOCK!!! It’s the number one book I read. I believe it is unlike any other book - straight from God in inspiration and authority. It teaches me, cleanses me, sparks me, convicts me, motivates me, guides me . . . . all… -
How Leaders Change the World
18 Nov 2009 | 5:27 amI just read several great articles on Steve Jobs in Fortune Magazine - he was given the title of CEO of the Decade. As I was reading, I began to think about him, and other leaders - like Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Churchill and others I’ve read a lot on. They seem to have some things in common. There are probably a lot more - but here are some that come out in the articles and some that I’ve seen in biographies I’ve read. 1. Intuition. They have a sense of where things are going. They really don’t ask what the customer wants - what they are going… -
For 2010 to be Successful . . . Right Now . . . .
17 Nov 2009 | 5:40 amThere is a tension that we all live in, it’s the one where we know we have to think deeply, plan strategically, and at the same time be open to what God puts in our path in order to fulfill his will for our lives and make a difference. Every year about this time there are some things that I do that I view as absolutely critical that impact everything I’ll be doing for the next 2 years. Why 2? Because what I do with next year, determines which direction I face and what will be lead into the year after that. Planning isn’t cutting God’s Spirit out of our… -
The Greatest Gift the Jews Have Given the World -
16 Nov 2009 | 5:14 amLast week I was invited to speak in Washington DC at Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding. It was a blast. I got to hang out with one of my hero’s - Ray Bakke - and a lot of other people as well. Dennis Bakke, his brother was there along with my good friend from Bethlehem - Sami Awad, Len Rogers, Greg Khalil and Todd Deathrage, lots of friends. I got to hear Stephen Sizer for the first time and he’s a brain! One of the people that blew me away the most was M J Rosenthal. He is Jewish and worked for years for AIPEC - the large Jewish lobbyist…
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Life is Ministry
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C.S. Lewis and the Purpose of the Church
8 Nov 2009 | 4:08 pmThe church exists for nothing else but to draw meninto Christ, to make them little Christs. If they arenot doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions,sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste oftime. God became a Man for no other purpose.— C. S. Lewis -
Photo of the Week
8 Nov 2009 | 3:41 pm -
The Divine Commodity
5 Nov 2009 | 2:06 pmI just finished Skye Jethani's book The Divine Commodity and found it to be both fresh and convicting in diagnosing much of the state of contemporary Christianity. One of the main characters in his book is the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh. Jethani does an excellent job telling the story of the modern church through the works and life van Gogh. Here are a few excerpts from the book that really -
Guantanamo: Forgive Us Our Trespasses
3 Nov 2009 | 6:05 pm -
Design that Saves Lives!
30 Oct 2009 | 9:59 pm
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Team RCIA
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Are your catechumens ready for the Rite of Election?
17 Nov 2009 | 6:37 amWith catechumens, there are two kinds of discernment. There is an ongoing discernment that begins the moment the seekers become catechumens. And there is at least one formal discernment to determine if the catechumen is ready to celebrate the Rite of Election. Ongoing discernment Honestly, I don’t use the word discernment all that much when I’m working with catechumens. It has a bit of a mystical tone to it. And, because it’s not a word most seekers use in their own conversation, it can sound special. As though you have to have special knowledge or special training to discern. With… -
Help me with my new RCIA book
16 Nov 2009 | 6:39 amI’m writing a guidebook for catechumens and candidates. My hope is to give them some ideas about how to look at the world through Catholic eyes. The book is not intended to be a “catechism” that gives them an outline of the faith. I figure you’re already doing that in your catechetical sessions with them. It’s more of an attempt to describe Catholic culture and spirituality to them. How you can help If you’d be willing, I’d like to get your help with two things. First, I’m looking for stories about catechumens. If you have a story about a catechumen you’d like to share,… -
What is your RCIA discernment plan this week?
15 Nov 2009 | 6:24 amEven though I don’t live in your parish, I know this is the week you need to do some discerning about your catechumens and candidates. How do I know that? Because discernment is an ongoing process. It never stops. Every week is discernment week. What are you discerning? There are two general kinds of discernment—annual and ongoing. Let’s look at ongoing discernment first. If your parish has a full catechumenate process, you are engaged in at least three levels of discernment all year long. Your discernment processes need to answer these questions: Unbpatized Is this seeker ready to… -
What are the core principles of the RCIA?
10 Nov 2009 | 11:30 amI’m leading a roundtable discussion at the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership meeting in Las Vegas next spring. My roundtable topic is: Move your RCIA process from good to GREAT! Come discover the core principles of a great RCIA process. Learn how to apply these core principles in ways that will renew your parish. I thought we could begin the roundtable beforehand. I’d love to get your thoughts. I think identifying the core principle or principles of the catechumenate process is key to understanding how the RCIA can be fully integrated into parish life. As I… -
Do you need to have a saint’s name for baptism or confirmation?
1 Nov 2009 | 9:47 amOn this All Saints Day, I have a proposal. Let’s not rename the catechumens with saint names. Many of them come to us with saint names already, but not all of them do. As I said in The Way of Faith, I once had a child catechumen named “Pebbles.” Let’s just say the topic of renaming came up. The reason the giving of a baptismal name is even an issue stems from the 1917 Code of Canon Law. Well, it probably goes back farther than that, but most of us don’t date back that far ourselves, so it will do for an arcane reference. The old code says: Pastors should see to it that the person to…
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Life Here and There
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Meet Little Baby Boy Cox
20 Nov 2009 | 5:44 amYesterday, we found out that our baby is going to be a boy. You can see that pointed out in the ultrasound if you choose to watch it. You’ll also see that he’s moving like crazy and I could swear I saw his lips mutter, “Hi Dad!” but I’m not an expert or anything… The first minute or two is really the best part, but the whole thing is spectacular in that it shows God’s handiwork in a womb. There’s life in my wife’s belly – a totally unique and individual little man is growing up, and he’s already 11 ounces! Credit &… -
God Gives Handfuls On Purpose
15 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pmRuth chapter 2 has to be one of my favorite chapters in the Old Testament because of its portrayal of our relationship with Christ. I don’t want to over-spiritualize the text. It’s a real story that happened in a real time and place. But it’s also a picture. In fact, the whole book of Ruth is a picture of our relationship with Christ. In chapter one, we see Ruth deciding to follow Naomi and to adopt Naomi’s people as her people and Naomi’s God (Jehovah) as her God. In chapter two, we see Ruth working and serving. It’s a picture of our role as believers in… -
Choosing the Godly Response to Circumstances
15 Nov 2009 | 8:45 amIn our journey through the Word (I’ve been preaching through the entire Bible on Sundays), we’ve come up to the book of Ruth – one of my own favorites in the Old Testament. Ruth’s story takes place during one of the darker ages of the history of the Israelites. It’s a dark time in her nation, her life, and her family, yet Ruth manages to make some pretty great decisions along the way. ONE GREAT TRUTH: Life presents a series of circumstances to us that are really opportunities for us to make a godly choice. We Can Choose Comfort A lot of people in the story were… -
Hear Baby Cox’s Heartbeat
12 Nov 2009 | 10:59 pmWhen Angie and I went to her Doctor appointment Wednesday, we were able to record the heartbeat with my iphone. I’ve uploaded the mp3 file here in hopes that you can hear it – turn your speakers up. Everything sounded great! Download audio file (Baby-Cox.mp3) Credit & Copyright Hear Baby Cox’s Heartbeat is a post from: One Pastor's Blog About Life Here and There. © 2009. Share it freely, but please link back to this source. Subscribe Would you like to subscribe to my feed? Or perhaps follow me on Twitter, subscribe via Friendfeed, or connect on Facebook or… -
Why Avoid the Tough Questions?
12 Nov 2009 | 3:57 amLast night in our midweek Bible study, as I was stumbling around the book of 1 Corinthians, a conversation / discussion erupted. Actually several did. We somehow wound up on the issues of people receiving “revelations” and the doctrine of baptismal regeneration (being baptized as a part of being born again). I’m not writing to address either of those questions here (though I’ll tell you I’m wary of anyone with a “revelation” and don’t believe baptism is part of the new birth). I’m writing instead to challenge you as a Pastor, leader,…
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Build the Church
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Build the Church 391
18 Nov 2009 | 9:52 pmToday we bring you three brand new artists and one great Build the Church favorite. Hear the sounds of Paige Hackett, Niyoki, Vira Avenue and The Great Romance on the podcast.Enjoy the music! MP3 File - Click Here to Download Podcast Vote for Build the Church at http://www.podcastawards.com ! -
18 Nov 2009 | 9:52 pm
18 Nov 2009 | 9:52 pmFind Niyoki's album "Rest" by clicking here.Go to Niyoki's website by clicking here.Find Niyoki in myspace by going here.Go to Paige Hackett's website by clicking here.Find Paige in myspace by going here.Get Paige Hackett's album on CD baby here.Find Vira Avenue in myspace by going here.Get Vira Avenue's music in iTunes by clicking here.Go to The Great Romance's website by clicking here.Find The Great Romance in myspace by going here.Get The Great Romance's new EP here at their store.Click here to become friends with The Great Romance in Facebook.GREAT DISCOUNTS FOR BUILD THE CHURCH… -
Build the Church is a Finalist for the Podsafe Music Award from Podcast Awards!!
11 Nov 2009 | 7:27 pmBuild the Church has been selected as a national finalist in the Podsafe Music Award category from PodCast Awards ( http://www.podcastawards.com ). Voting starts November 13 at the PodCast Awards website. Since the finalists are based on listener nominations and a quality review process I want to thank you for your nominations and recommendations and I hope you get the chance to vote for Build the Church once the voting begins (don't worry, I will try to remind everyone...) Considering many of the nominees from various categories are podcasts from national syndicated networks and shows such… -
Build the Church 390 VideoCast - "Rare, Live & Raw" Motorist Jones - Live in Dallas, Texas
7 Nov 2009 | 10:48 pmSee rare concert footage of Motorist Jones performing "Exotic Sounds" live from Dallas, Texas and only here at Build the Church Rare, Live & Raw.Enjoy the music.Motorist Jones - Live - Dallas, Texas -
Build the Church on AMPed 200!!
16 Oct 2009 | 9:35 pmAs a long time member of the Association of Music Podcasting, Build the Church was lucky enough to be included in their 200th episode.Enjoy the podcast and all the different music from various AMPed members from around the world. MP3 File - Click Here to Download Podcast Find AMPed at http://musicpodcasting.org .
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Mike Gothard
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Dominican Republic – People
20 Nov 2009 | 11:38 am -
Dominican Republic – Creatures
19 Nov 2009 | 12:25 pmOver the next few days will be posting some photos from our recent trip to the Dominican Republic. 11/19 Creatures 11/20 People 11/21 Ministry 11/22 Along the Road 11/23 Santo Domingo -
Book Review – The Language of Love & Respect
18 Nov 2009 | 1:51 pmDr. Emerson Eggerichs’ book, The Language of Love & Respect, is nothing short of mini-multi-marriage counseling sessions packaged in 350 pages. While the acrostics and steps and cycles were slightly cumbersome to wade through, the book was quite thorough in addressing what many consider the most challenging issue couples face – communication. Eggerichs bases his material on three cycles – The Crazy Cycle in which “without love she reacts and without respect he reacts,” The Energizing Cycle in which “his love motivates her respect and her respect motivates his love,” and… -
And now the adventure begins…
18 Nov 2009 | 7:03 amSaturday, November 14, 6:28pm was the precise moment I returned to American soil following my first trip abroad. Adventure complete, or so I assumed. Having spent eight days in the Dominican Republic, I touched down at Atlanta’s Hartsfield International Airport with mixed emotions, unforgettable memories, and a bad cold. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share with you some of my experiences, including the top ten things I discovered I can live without, the top ten things I take for granted, and the top ten lessons learned. But the one thing that struck me immediately and with force is that… -
Experience = Education?
17 Nov 2009 | 8:37 amGeorge Will said, “There is no education in the second kick from a mule.” We often assume that experience equals education but I don’t think that equation is accurate. Many (most) experiences equal education the first time but the law of diminishing returns comes into play after that first experience. I regularly remind our staff team that it’s okay to fail but not to fail twice in the same way. In other words, there is no education in repeating the same failure over and over. Learn from the first kick.
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Jeff Flowers | CincyMissionary.com
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Just a friendly reminder…
9 Nov 2009 | 7:42 pmI am currently reading through the book of Acts again. And I was reminded the mission of the church to the world. Jesus said in Acts 1:7-8: He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” I think we, as Christian believers, take way too much time worrying about the times and season of our lives, I know I do. We need to spend more time seeking the power of the… -
On Tentmaking…
5 Nov 2009 | 2:32 pmThis Saturday I start training for my new job at Apple, Inc. I’ll be working part-time as a specialist in the Apple Store at Kenwood Mall in Cincinnati. I’m excited about it for several reasons. First, we’ve been praying about a part-time job to help make ends meet while we’re establishing a church plant. I’ve had a couple of opportunities come my way, but Apple was the best fit. The pay is great, the hours are flexible and quite honestly, Apple is a cool place to work. Second, I’m really looking at it as a “tentmaking” opportunity. In Acts… -
Improvement
28 Oct 2009 | 9:37 pmToday, I had a really enjoyable conversation with my friend, Shawn, from Texas today. We talked about a lot of things; ministry, life, following Jesus… Then, he asked me a question that is still ringing in my ear. He was curious to know why so many Christians think that church is just about self-improvement. “Where did we ever get that idea?” There is a scene in Luke 18 where a self-improvement junkie comes to Jesus seeking approval. Of course, Jesus sees right through the young man and tells him that he’s still lacking — something a self-improvement junkie… -
The Bridge :: Connecting the City to Christ
28 Oct 2009 | 8:19 pmI’d like to give you an update on how things are going at The Bridge and what’s coming up soon. We have been working hard over the past few weeks to forge a simple, straightforward strategic plan for 2010. We really feel like we have a solid plan to plant 2 more churches in Cincinnati by the fall of 2010 and now working hard to secure partnerships and funding. One of the most important things we’ve done is that we’ve discovered a church-planting model that really encapsulates our mission and vision. We’ve adapted the City-Parish Model (see Trinity Grace… -
The Law of Letting Go
27 Oct 2009 | 8:13 amI have a hard time letting go of things. I have a hard time letting go of people. I have a hard time letting go of money. I have a hard time letting go of bad memories. I have a hard time letting go of bad feelings. I have a hard time letting go of fast food. I have a hard time letting go of harsh words. I have a hard time letting go of bad habits. I have a hard time letting go of the wheel of life. I have a hard time letting go of my agenda. I have a hard time letting go of my pride. I have a hard time letting go of my personal opinions. I have a hard time letting go of my sin. I have a hard…
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Biblical Preaching
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Improving Speech While Not Preparing – 2
20 Nov 2009 | 1:39 amYesterday I referred to Jay Adams’ suggestion that we can improve our language use best by working on it in everyday life so that it becomes natural. He mentions another aspect of speech that many need to work on. The unnecessary use of, you know, like, filler words. These verbal pauses do a lot to distract listeners and lessen the impact of otherwise pointed and focused speech. The problem with filler words or verbal pauses is that they only seem to get worse when we focus on them in a time of tension. So simply telling yourself not to say that thing you always say so often is… -
Improving Speech While Not Preparing
19 Nov 2009 | 1:39 amJay Adams suggests that improvements in speech should be pursued during everyday life, but not when preparing the message. The reason he gives is that focusing on grammar, phraseology or pronunciation during preparation and delivery is a distraction from the real task at hand. It is better, he suggests, to work on improving your speech during every day life. Over the course of several weeks it is possible to master a new speech habit. For example, you might need to work on saying “He asks you and me,” rather than “He asks you and I.” By concentrating on this… -
Of Bifurcations and Dichotomies
18 Nov 2009 | 3:49 amMost people have a tendency to think in black and white categories. Something is either right or wrong, good or bad. In order to get from the complex world of reality to the comfortable world of clear categories, we tend to bifurcate inappropriately and end up with inconsistent dichotomies. For example? Well, consider the two issues of communication style and biblical content. These are two issues. Yet for many people they seem to have been melded into a one or the other dichotomy. So if a preacher has an engaging and natural style, then the content must be weak and lightweight. … -
A Tired Feast
16 Nov 2009 | 9:25 pmSunday morning I preached the last of the messages. I’d taught class for four days, but then things got busier. Between Thursday evening and Sunday morning (60 hours) I spoke six times, taught two sessions, and travelled many miles by car, train and aeroplane. Not the busiest few days, but among the tightest in terms of the travel schedule. So Sunday afternoon I got on the train to start the journey home. I was tired and knew that attempting to read or write would be borderline futile. So instead I chose to enjoy a tired feast. Stopping only to hand over my passport or order… -
Giving a Testimony
15 Nov 2009 | 10:18 pmnugget from Richard Bewes’ book, Speaking in Public Effectively. As a preacher, you may not be asked to give your testimony so much any more, but perhaps these guidelines might be worth giving to anyone you ask to share a testimony in church. First, it is a testimony to a Person and what he has done for you. You are not asked to be on your feet to pay tribute to a book, a Christian, a course or a church that may have helped you, though any of these may legitimately come into the story. But it is Jesus Christ, and what he has so far done for you that you are wanting to focus upon…
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Biblical Preaching
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Improving Speech While Not Preparing – 2
20 Nov 2009 | 1:39 amYesterday I referred to Jay Adams’ suggestion that we can improve our language use best by working on it in everyday life so that it becomes natural. He mentions another aspect of speech that many need to work on. The unnecessary use of, you know, like, filler words. These verbal pauses do a lot to distract listeners and lessen the impact of otherwise pointed and focused speech. The problem with filler words or verbal pauses is that they only seem to get worse when we focus on them in a time of tension. So simply telling yourself not to say that thing you always say so often is… -
Improving Speech While Not Preparing
19 Nov 2009 | 1:39 amJay Adams suggests that improvements in speech should be pursued during everyday life, but not when preparing the message. The reason he gives is that focusing on grammar, phraseology or pronunciation during preparation and delivery is a distraction from the real task at hand. It is better, he suggests, to work on improving your speech during every day life. Over the course of several weeks it is possible to master a new speech habit. For example, you might need to work on saying “He asks you and me,” rather than “He asks you and I.” By concentrating on this… -
Of Bifurcations and Dichotomies
18 Nov 2009 | 3:49 amMost people have a tendency to think in black and white categories. Something is either right or wrong, good or bad. In order to get from the complex world of reality to the comfortable world of clear categories, we tend to bifurcate inappropriately and end up with inconsistent dichotomies. For example? Well, consider the two issues of communication style and biblical content. These are two issues. Yet for many people they seem to have been melded into a one or the other dichotomy. So if a preacher has an engaging and natural style, then the content must be weak and lightweight. … -
A Tired Feast
16 Nov 2009 | 9:25 pmSunday morning I preached the last of the messages. I’d taught class for four days, but then things got busier. Between Thursday evening and Sunday morning (60 hours) I spoke six times, taught two sessions, and travelled many miles by car, train and aeroplane. Not the busiest few days, but among the tightest in terms of the travel schedule. So Sunday afternoon I got on the train to start the journey home. I was tired and knew that attempting to read or write would be borderline futile. So instead I chose to enjoy a tired feast. Stopping only to hand over my passport or order… -
Giving a Testimony
15 Nov 2009 | 10:18 pmnugget from Richard Bewes’ book, Speaking in Public Effectively. As a preacher, you may not be asked to give your testimony so much any more, but perhaps these guidelines might be worth giving to anyone you ask to share a testimony in church. First, it is a testimony to a Person and what he has done for you. You are not asked to be on your feet to pay tribute to a book, a Christian, a course or a church that may have helped you, though any of these may legitimately come into the story. But it is Jesus Christ, and what he has so far done for you that you are wanting to focus upon…
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Unity Church Marketing
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How Some Churches Are Fighting H1N1!
Health concerns are effecting every part of our lives. It doesn’t matter where you go. Whether you go to the grocery store, doctor’s office, or even when attending church, people want to know how your organization is dealing with top of mind items like the H1N1 virus. It doesn’t matter what side of the fence you [...] -
7 Cost Effective Ways to Grow Your Church!
Do you want your church to grow? Are you reaching the people looking for a church just like yours? Some of those folks are looking in your area for the first time and yet others for a variety of reasons are looking for a new church home. If your church is like many organizations, you don’t [...] -
What If I Was Just Starting to Market My Church?
For those into what some call Web 2.0 or Social Media, then you have probably heard of Chris Brogan. Chris is someone who I have read with regularity. I also follow him on Twitter and was very intrigued by his tweet “If I Started Today”. So, that got me to thinking…what if “I” were to start [...] -
5 Reasons Your Church Website Should Be Using Video!
You designed a church website to provide visitors as well as congregants what types of services and ministries you deliver to the area. For the most part, that information on that site is static. If your church website is like most, there are not a lot of changes happening to it on a regular basis. [...] -
Is Your Church Winking in the Dark?
I love Twitter. I come across some pretty amazing people that I have learned quite a bit from. And you also will come across quotes. Lots of quotes. Some of the quotes are of an inspirational nature. You will regularly receive quotes in tweets telling you how to overcome adversity, what great leaders of our [...]
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samluce.com
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Guest Blogging for FMD today
19 Nov 2009 | 4:06 amI had the pleasure, honor to guest blog for a friend of mine Dan lee-Archer most of us know him as FMD. Until about 2 years ago I thought the only people who ever said “I made this friend on the internet” were either a scum bag or a massive nerd with no life whatsoever. I guess I by virtue of not being a scum bag must have no life whatsoever. I connected with FMD via twitter and blogging. The more I get to know Dan the more I am blown away by his passion for his family, his church and hillsong kids. Dan is an amazing leader and through a thin vail of humor is a heart of gold. His… -
The Best of New York City
17 Nov 2009 | 4:01 amI love New York. There are few places on earth that are quite like New York. It is rich in History, Good food, Sights, and Sarcasm. I have had many people I know go to NYC and ask where is the best of everything in NY. I definitely don’t know New York like my best friend Mike, but hears my go at a best of NYC list. Oh and if you disagree with me I’ll kill ya. Best Coffee – The Roasting Plant Best Ice Cream – Grom (Gellato actually) honorable mention – The Ice King of Corona Best Pizza – Hands down Lombardi’s (The Birthplace of Pizza), Rosa’s is… -
And the winners are…..
16 Nov 2009 | 9:18 pmThe winners were randomly picked using random.com Congrats! See you on wave! Camen – Cindy Metcalf – Barbra Graves - Sam – Ashley - Rebecca - Don - Cash Hunter - Nate - Jim - -
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-11-14
14 Nov 2009 | 4:24 amJoin the movement http://www.love146.org http://yfrog.com/j7lutj # Football players are so funny. The Bucks win their first game of the year and from their celebration you would think they won the Superbowl # Miss baseball already. I really don't understand why so many people like football. # RT @TonyKummer: @samluce We just watched the animated Spiderman,I showed my 4yr old your pic – he confirmed you = 'bad' Peter Parker// lol # The reason your great ideas don't get any traction is because you are answering questions no one is asking. @andystanley #church #kidmin # RT… -
YouTube Friday: World’s Biggest Alarm Clock
13 Nov 2009 | 9:45 amI don’t know about you but, I sleep through my alarm clock often. I don’t know why, I just do. The thing that wakes me up best is my son pulling on my eyelids. That works well don’t get me wrong. The only other thing that I can think that would work better is this, The World’s Biggest Alarm Clock
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Godvertiser.com
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Your Message Is Certainly Interesting. Too Bad No One Ever Reads Your Boring Looking Flyers.
17 Nov 2009 | 6:46 pmPeople connect visually before they consume the content they are presented. If it is engaging even before they come into focus with the words on the page, you have a higher chance of gaining and keeping someone’s attention. But an all-text flyer with 5 different fonts in 4 different font sizes doesn’t really count. One of the easiest ways to raise the bar in your ministry’s communications is to use stock photography and other graphics that are of professional quality. So illustrations, photography and other graphics is something I regularly try to use in all my… -
Twitteratti Tuesday: Free Christian Twitter Background #5
16 Nov 2009 | 11:22 pmI just love this week’s free Twitter Christian Backdrop download graphic. Take it and post it now to share in the joy! When the Free Christian Twitter Background Series started on Godvertiser (new free twitbacks available here on Tuesdays!), I didn’t think it would be this much fun! I love J.C. And so should you! FREE CHRISTIAN TWITTER BACKGROUND DOWNLOAD LINK How to upload a custom background to your Twitter account: Log in In top navigation bar, click Settings (or go to http://twitter.com/account/settings) Click the last settings tab, Design Select a template, change your text… -
Is Holy Water Not Holy Enough That It Needs To Be Sanitized?
12 Nov 2009 | 9:52 amIn the Catholic faith, it is customary to enter the church and then dip your fingers in the Holy Water made available up front and then make the sign of the cross. It is a reminder of the baptism that one has made into the church body. Even though the Holy Water is not meant to be injested, some churches are taking the fears of the times into consideration. Here, the pesky old H1N1 fears have taken hold today. Check out this invention: sanitized Holy Water dispensers . . . But can HOLY water be sanitized? Does sanitization change the nature of the Holy Water — as transubstantiation does… -
Twitteratti Tuesday: Free Christian Twitter Background #4
9 Nov 2009 | 11:22 pmAs in most other parts of life, Christians are embracing Twitter. There are thousands of notable Christians using Twitter to wield their influence in the digital environment. Just as there are a plentitude of ways of expressing your faith in the offline world, Christian themed Twitter backgrounds is one of the ways some people are doing it online. Here’s our weekly dose of a free Christian Twitter Background from our free download series. Remember every week, we’re giving away a free Xtian Twitback design till the end of the year (if not beyond). Like this week’s Twitter… -
If Prayer Works Here, Imagine Its Effects In Your Mininstry
4 Nov 2009 | 9:59 amThere are some people that are just gifted as prayer warriors. Don’t underestimate the power of prayer. It works — even in situations where you don’t usually associate prayer with. This video showcases just how powerful prayer can be. The gift this woman had was to have a faith life which allowed her to default to prayer. How many of us can say the same thing about our confidence in the same situation? Her faith and dependence on prayer assumedly reflects the strength of her spiritual faith. But that doesn’t get the rest of us off the hook! Just imagine what else…
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Children's Ministry Online
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Camp Save-The-Date Postcard
20 Nov 2009 | 1:29 pmHey, can anyone give me some quick feedback? On November 27th, Black Friday, we’re launching summer camp registration with a great pre-registration discount. We’re running the special until the end of the year and we have this postcard that we’re using to advertise the early bird price and have parents save the date. I’m placing the print order on Monday, so if you have any suggestions on the design, please let me know ASAP! -
Seth Godin is totally into crazy sock day
20 Nov 2009 | 6:09 amI shared the other day that we’re doing Crazy Sock Day for the next five weeks at Kids Quest. It’s a fun way to add a little fun as well as bring awareness around helping families in need. Then Cathy Harwick, my Elementary Director sent me this video. Apparently Seth Godin is really into crazy socks as well. He even has a system of degrees of craziness. He talks about his socks, right away, but the whole video is great. Any opportunity to listen to Godin is time well spent. -
Chrome OS News
19 Nov 2009 | 2:22 pmGoogle is stirring things up with their new operating system. It isn’t likely that Google is going to take down Microsoft or Apple. This operating system isn’t a replacement… more of a supplement. It’s the perfect OS for those secondary netbook computers that are so perfect for travel and surfing the web. However, Google’s introduction of Chrome OS will most certainly affect Microsoft and Apple. They’ll respond with additional innovation of their systems. The result, we the consumers have more options and a better experience. Great job Google! Don’t… -
Risky Business
19 Nov 2009 | 11:30 amYesterday I read an interesting article (mini article actually) about taking risks. This spoke to my soul. Several months as I was preparing to hike Pike’s Peak, I wrote about this to some degree. I’ve had a lot of successes in my past and it’s so incredibly easy to operate out of what I know what works. There’s nothing wrong with this, but is it really good enough. Seth Godin recently said “boring products produce boring profits and make a boring impact.” I wouldn’t go to the degree of saying anything we’re doing at Gateway is boring, but… -
Flu Followup
18 Nov 2009 | 11:43 amSeveral weeks ago I wrote this post asking if others have taken a bigger than normal attendance hit in October. The overwhelming response was “YES!” Of the dozen of people I heard from, all but one or two saw a decrease. Several indicated that October was not usually a down month and for those who usually saw a decrease in October, this year’s decrease was significant. So, we’ve hit our problem head on. People get sick and there isn’t usually a lot you can do about it. They’ll get better and they’ll come back. However, at Gateway we’re reaching…
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Jake Pelfrey - Failing Consistently
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How Can You Not Like this Guy!
I have been able to accomplish a ton of work these last couple of days. It is a great feeling, that my days off from the grind, have not been wasted. Most of the motivation is due to the sweet sounds of Phil Wickham. How can you not like this ... -
The Age of Innocence
The Age of Innocence is a novel written by Edith Wharton. It is a story of an upper-class couple who is about to get married, when a scandalous woman enters their life and threatens to steal their joy and innocence. Newland, The man who is excited about his upcoming marriage ... -
5 Things I am Digging Right Now!
Yes, it is that time for me to share the five things that I am digging right now! It is always fun to sit back and count the many blessings in life. I found out that most of the time, it is the small things in life that bring the ... -
The Insecure Church – by Jake Pelfrey
The last few weeks I have heard several church stories that have made me gasp with frustration. The Insecure Church Scenario 1: A church member is asked to teach a Sunday school class where he quickly learns that he has the spiritual gift of teaching. The class starts with 10 members. After ... -
Reunited and it Feels So Good
This last week was a great time of reuniting with old friends. I absolutely love it when you have not talked to a friend in so long and when you finally you do you pick up right where you left off. That is a sign of true friendship. And I can ...
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daveingland.com
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A call to mentors/mentees
20 Nov 2009 | 7:59 amWatched the interview below between DJ Chuang & Kyle Reed regarding mentors. It’s a sad story, but one that I think can be resolved. Watch the interview and then read my commentary below: This is sad, but it mirrors a lot of my own experience as a new Christian with a call to ministry. I actually had to go outside of my local church to find mentors. In my opinion, the biggest challenge in finding a mentor is getting people to understand the mentor/mentee relationship. Those asked to mentor think it means a big burden of their time and that they are being asked to teach someone in… -
an impromptu interview about The Idea Camp
19 Nov 2009 | 11:45 amI was asked to be interviewed regarding The Idea Camp and some of my experiences leading up to the session happening in Portland on 11/20-21. As it was an impromptu interview, I didn’t have to prepare my responses. One of the main points that’s missing in the interview has to do with the collaboration and creativity that went into the planning of the event. It was quite an interesting time having the privilege to sit in on some of the planning meetings via tokbox. The planning sessions were handled almost like one of the workshops at The Idea Camp. The facilitator of the meeting… -
If Francis Chan is a sellout, I have no clue why
18 Nov 2009 | 6:01 pmLong before the whole incident of the Deadly Viper/Zondervan use of Asian culture to promote a book arose, there was a lengthy dialog from the Next Gener.Asian Church blog about how white evangelicals were using Francis Chan because he was a safe spokesperson from the Asian-American ministerial community that would relate to a broad audience. It was titled: Is Francis Chan a sell-out? At the time of this writing, there are 162 comments in reply to that post and more are added each week. It’s a polarizing issue and one that is totally misunderstood. Due to some recent events, it seems… -
Fueling the fire of Christian celebrity
9 Nov 2009 | 11:23 amDo not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. –1 John 2:15 New International Version I just Re-tweeted something I saw mentioning that my friend Charles Lee was going to be speaking at Exponential 2010. I was excited! Then I saw a tweeted link from the website on a national church planter’s conference announcing The Idea Camp being in Portland 11/20-21. I was excited! Then…it struck me like a ton of bricks. There it was. I saw an image of Rob Bell being displayed in a banner as if he was Elvis Presley circa… -
Don’t disrespect me because I’m Asian!
5 Nov 2009 | 1:20 amPersonal Tidbit: I rarely feel like I have much of a voice when it comes to being an Asian-American Christian or especially, when it comes to practical ministry to Asian-Americans. However, whenever I blog about such things, I get the most readership and the most feedback to the posts. Interesting! So, here is another post on an aspect of being Asian-American. However, this time I have to chime in and say I feel like I have a lot to speak to on the issue regarding the controversy between the guys at Deadly Viper and Soong-Chan Rah. If you haven’t heard enough about the issue already,…
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joshrhone.com
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Kneeling at the altar of materialism
20 Nov 2009 | 12:49 pmAt this time next week I anticipate that there will be many people slamming Red Bull, gulping Five Hour Energy, or reaching into their purse for that last Powerbar. Afterall, just a few scant hours after the turkey and accompanying fixins are put into Gladware and laid to rest on the refrigerator shelves, shoppers will [...] -
Is there room for change in pedagogical methods?
12 Nov 2009 | 6:21 pmStanding Stone Coffee Company, Panera Bread Company, a traffic jam along the I-80 corridor, The Portland Center, and my house. Individually these places seem to have very little in common. Standing Stone Coffee Company is a coffee shop in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, where I like to go on a date with my wife or conduct business meetings [...] -
Help a brother out…
28 Oct 2009 | 8:37 amJust the other day, I received this email from a friend and fellow pastor. Please take the time to read and have your heart stirred to action by what he has to say… Well, it happened a week or two ago. I climbed out of bed and it was chilly. Downstairs I went. On went [...] -
Jesus Be the Center… Or Maybe Not
17 Oct 2009 | 10:46 pmJesus be the center Be my source be my light Jesus Jesus be the center Be my song Jesus Be the fire in my heart Be the wind in my sails Be the reason that I live Jesus Jesus Jesus be my vision Be my help Be my guide Jesus (lyrics to “Jesus Be the Centre,” by Michael Frye) he words to this song are [...] -
Dogma, Doctrine, and Adiaphora: How do you know, or determine, theologically, what is written in blood, ink, and pencil?
22 Sep 2009 | 11:14 amKeith Drury has likened the categories of dogma, doctrine, and adiaphora to issues of blood, ink, and pencil, respectively. For me, such a distinction has always been helpful. The issues of dogma are the issues/things for which I would give my life, or at the very least, be willing to get beat up and batters [...]
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Linknami Blog
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Tips On How To Make Your Blog Stand Out
16 Nov 2009 | 7:21 amPeople use blogs as their private sanctuary wherein they can post their daily activities, views about all kinds of things and any information that falls in their expertise. It is a means to put into words what they have been thinking. Some use a common theme so that all articles concentrated on a certain topic only. Other people make use of their blogs to promote their products. Recently, the blog itself has been used to make money. However, there are already millions of blogs being used and this number is rapidly increasing. With this pace, there are fewer chances that your blog will be read… -
9 Rules Of Effective Link Building
11 Nov 2009 | 8:54 amLink building is a website marketing technique that may increase search engine rankings for your web pages and drive targeted traffic to your website. Inbound links play an important role in website optimization. Following these 9 rules will significantly increase the quality of your link building campaign: 1. Links should be from theme-related websites and pages If you have a dog training site, do not waste time (or even money) trying to get tons of links from casino, viagra and other sites. If your competitors have one or two links from a pet related site, you will have a hard time passing… -
Writing SEO Content Hints and Tips
10 Nov 2009 | 6:53 amIf you are looking for high search engine rankings and targeted traffic to your website, optimizing your web content is a very important task. Hence, care must be taken in writing and composing your content. While writing and producing web content may sound easy, there are some things you must remember in order to avoid the most common mistakes committed by webmasters. Here are some pointers that you should consider: 1. Structure and categorize your web pages. You just don’t put your web pages on your site and let your visitors pull find the information they need by themselves. Categorizing… -
How To Earn Money From Blogging
6 Nov 2009 | 7:32 amIf you are one of those people who love to write and create blogs, your hobby might turn into a source of funds. A lot of bloggers have actually earned money from blogging through various channels such as from recommending other products and services as well as posting advertisements on their blogs. If you are interested in turning your blog into a source of funds, then read on. Here are 8 ways how to earn from blogging: 1. Learn the ropes of contextual advertising Contextual advertising is done by applying for pay-per-click accounts if you don’t have one and adding contextual advertising… -
How to Increase Your Social Networking Site Popularity
5 Nov 2009 | 8:55 amSocial networks are so famous nowadays that almost all web users have at least used one or more social networks. However, not all social networks have actually prospered. While some sites are the mainstream in social networking such as Facebook and Myspace, some have failed even just to get noticed. While the concept is the same, the problem lies in how these social networks presented itself to web users. Hence, its time to assess where did these sites go wrong in order to avoid making the same mistakes. If you are one of those webmasters who have similar social networking sites or is…
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RELEVANT Magazine
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High on Jesus?
19 Nov 2009 | 5:53 pm"This could just as easily be about cocaine use," I thought to myself. The writer of this particular worship song, it seemed, went out of his way to avoid mentioning the name of Jesus. The phrases “I’m spinning around” and “I can’t stop moving” were repeated several times. “I need more of you” was echoed throughout the chorus. Because I was in church, I knew the song had to be about God, but I started to smirk when I thought about the words being applied to chronic drug use. I turned to my wife and she gave me one of those half-critical, half-curious stares. -
I Live with Another Man's Wife
18 Nov 2009 | 10:35 pmThe challenges and rewards of intentional community. Actually, I live with three men's wives. Of course, my own is also there, along with the others’ corresponding husbands, so it’s hardly as scandalous as it could sound. Then again, judging by the response of most people around us—including our families— you’d think I’d left it at the first statement ... Oh yes, the questions: Oh my goodness, what do you do about bathrooms? We have three and manage just fine. How can you possibly have any privacy? The house is plenty big, although you can expect some level of sacrifice there. -
How Should We Think About Selling Jesus?
11 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amLooking at the big business of consumer Christianity. Imagine you've just walked into a Christian bookstore for the first time. What do you see? There's the Bible section—lots of different versions, translations and niche-Bibles for various subcultures, but nothing terribly out of the ordinary. There's the shelves of theological books, with everyone from Walvoord to NT Wright making their cases. There's the fiction section with the expected Left Behinds and the Jesus-y romance books, but there are probably even some diamonds in the rough here. And then your eye trails to the apparel… -
The Top 10 "There's a Saint for THAT?" Saints
2 Nov 2009 | 6:53 pmDid you know this past Sunday was All Saint's Day? Most people spent the weekend celebrating Halloween, but probably not many people (at least in America) took a minute the very next day to think about all the saints. And that's a shame, especially since there are so many funny/offbeat/meaningful saints to choose from. In fact, over the past two weeks, we've given you a brief smattering of patron saints from Jason Boyett's Pocket Guide to Sainthood, from the odd to the kinda-sensible. This week, we're counting down a top ten (in no particular order) ... and then it'll be your turn! Make sure… -
There's a Saint for That, Part II
27 Oct 2009 | 4:42 pmLast week, we unpacked some of the origins of patron saints and explored a few of the more bizarre in the crowded world of the Church’s saints. This week, a Part Deux in this primer on the weird and wild saints of old. If you’ve had any kind of trouble with fire, your patron saint is below (see the saints of charcoal burners, explosive workers and firefighters). If you’ve ever wrestled with a particularly difficult business decision, or had a few too many mice in your house or just wanted to brew the perfect beer ... well, there’s a saint for that. @ BOYS St. Dominic Savio, a student…
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Your Church Blog
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Smart, Inexpensive Church Building Design Ideas
18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amHow to create superb ministry space for less. -
Prevent Volunteer Burnout
17 Nov 2009 | 10:10 amThree biblical models for lasting, effective ministry. -
Guard Against Copper Thieves
12 Nov 2009 | 1:50 pmHow to keep them from striking your church. -
Church Budgets: How Much for Staff, Buildings, and Ministry?
11 Nov 2009 | 12:13 pmAn executive pastor suggests a different analysis of expenses. -
How to Interview Your Next Church
9 Nov 2009 | 6:45 amA seasoned executive pastor shares how he learned about his next job.
