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Art, Africa, Art, Technology, Art, Gospel, Art

Cynthia

2 Jul 2009 | 6:56 am

If you’ve heard me speak at any conference or read any of my recently published articles, you know I often underscore the idea of using technology to foster collaborative ministry efforts. The internet facilitates collaboration (and crowdsourcing) and allows us to network our ministry efforts, linking together in new, often innovative ways. Using online technologies to spread the word, we can pool our talents, resources and vision and start grassroots movements that can eventually have huge results (i.e. TWLOHA). Here’s a simple upstart example, Art for Huruma is a an…
Buckhead Church Blows Up Online

Cynthia

26 Jun 2009 | 8:35 am

Open, Open, Open! There’s a seriously substantial piece of “Church Online” news this week. Buckhead Church, home of master communicator, Andy Stanley, (who founded North Point Ministries) is launching an online church experience site on August 16th. The advantage of knowing about it now is that you can participate in all the beta testing and insider info as the development team puts the finishing touches on what will likely be one of the most clicked on online church experience sites around. Beautifully designed by project leader John Saddington (aka @human3rror) and a…
Church & Technology Intersect at SXSW 2010

Cynthia

22 Jun 2009 | 8:04 am

The SXSW Music and Media Conference (aka SXSW) is a set of interactive, film, and music festivals and conferences that take place every spring in Austin, Texas. It was a SXSW that I first began to track the news of a little tiny newbie microblogging service called Twitter. Well, after Austin began to tweet, the rest is history. Now what would we ever do at large events without “tweet ups“? SWSX first began in 1987 and is centered in downtown at the Austin Convention Center and in surrounding areas. SWSX showcases hundreds of musical acts from around the globe on over…
Lifestreaming on Twitter Works for Women

Cynthia

16 Jun 2009 | 6:40 am

The blogosphere will be missing a couple of faithful bloggers over the next season. Heather Whittaker (aka Whittakerwoman) and Crystal Renaud (aka PinkHairedGirl) both long-term bloggers are on blogging sabbaticals of indefinite length. Heather, one of the sweetest gals ever and wife of well-known North Point - Buckhead Campus worship leader Carlos Whittaker, is going to focus on her family and take a break from the fishbowl she lives in. Her public blog will likely resume in the fall following a summer break. (If you’re a personal friend of Heather’s you can email her and…
Kem Meyer Promotes Alltop & So Do I

Cynthia

10 Jun 2009 | 6:35 am

Look who’s using MyAlltop.com Well there’s a first time for everything. Kem Meyer just posted on Guy Kawasaki’s Alltop and since I’m such a fan of the site (and Guy for that matter), I am reposting her post in it’s entirety. For the first time in my 5 years of blogging, I’m copying. It’s worth it because she nails it when it comes to understanding Alltop - which is a dynamic topical resource that allows you avoid search stress by aggregating all the best material on any given topic in one spot. Kem does a great job of reminding us all why we…

Church Marketing Sucks
Scalejacking and Performance Metrics

2 Jul 2009 | 8:03 am

Jeff Goins recently posted at Wrecked for the Ordinary entitled Marketers, Quit Hijacking Our Communities. In it, he makes some great points regarding marketers' obsession with numbers and metrics. I'll give you a couple snippets to whet your appetite, but you don't want to miss the entire article. I'll quote Jeff who quotes Seth Godin who is quoting Dave Balter (welcome to the Internet.): "Because marketers were raised on the scale of mass-TV, radio, newspapers, they have a churn and burn mentality. The Internet turns this upside down. The Internet is about who, not how many. The Internet…
The Power of a Testimony

1 Jul 2009 | 8:21 am

by Tobias Sturesson, Guest Blogger "And they have overcome (conquered) him by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony..." (Revelation 12:1, Amplified Bible) In the marketing world, there is a great understanding of the power of a testimony. It doesn't matter what you claim about your product, but it does matter that some of the people who have used your product share their experience. I am involved in the marketing strategy group of a large Christian conference center in Sweden, and we encourage all of our guests to comment on their visit. Then, we ask for…
Denominational Campaign Poll Results

30 Jun 2009 | 7:53 pm

Recently, Kevin covered the trend of denominations running ad campaigns focusing on branding individuals as members of specific denominations. For example, "I am a Southern Baptist." Or, "We are Episcopalians." But what are your feelings about these campaigns? Eek, only 4% of you are huge fans. That spells some bad news for denominations looking to build loyalty with possible new members. A bigger chunk of you are all right with them, but they don't get you too excited. It's not going to make you head down to your local Kingdom Hall with your bicycle because a few folks in a magazine said…
Church Marketing Lab: Bulletins, Web Sites and More

30 Jun 2009 | 8:23 am

When the folks in the Church Marketing Lab haven't been getting together or helping Michael get ready for his presentation at the HOW Design Conference, they've been working hard and getting feedback. Here's just a bit of what we've seen come through the Church Marketing Lab lately: How to Kill Relationships and Irritate People is an upcoming series about biblical relationships.
We Are Evangelists

29 Jun 2009 | 9:01 am

A recent U.S. World News & Report article we already covered included a quote I'd glossed over. It comes from the director of communications for the Episcopal Church, Anne Rudig, and is a sentiment I'd guess a lot of us share: "I'm an evangelist, too." It's a simple and powerful statement that church marketing is evangelism. It reminds me of the first chapter of Meredith Gould's The Word Made Fresh: Communicating Church and Faith Today, which argues that church communication is ministry. What we do is not just some business skill for the church. The work you do is not mere work. It is a vital…

Greg Atkinson
First Worship Service To Be Live Streamed Onto iPhone

Greg Atkinson

2 Jul 2009 | 9:30 am

Below is a post from my friend, DJ Chuang and the Leadership Network Digital Blog that I thought was worth repeating: This weekend marks the first weekend of church worship services that will be live-streamed onto iPhones. Assuming all 5 services would be live-streamed, services at New Hope Christian Fellowship will be live-streaming on Saturday 7/4 at 5 & 7pm and Sunday 7/5 at 7, 9 & 11am, Hawaii Time. Being translated, that would be in Pacific Time: Saturday 8pm + 10pm, Sunday 10am + 12pm + 2pm. New Hope also has an internet campus with streaming video and an interactive online…
Mosaic And Newsong Joint Staff Gathering

Greg Atkinson

30 Jun 2009 | 3:00 am

A week ago today Mosaic and Newsong churches had a joint staff gathering. This is something that caught my eye and excites my heart to see. I’m very passionate about the Big-C Church and working together for the Kingdom. I can’t stand any spirit of competition between churches. To see 2 great churches with 2 great leaders come together really blesses and encourages me. You can read an interview with Erwin McManus and Dave Gibbons that was done that day HERE. Has your church ever done something like that? Have you partnered or planned with other churches in your area? If so,…
Catalyst Music Project

Greg Atkinson

28 Jun 2009 | 9:12 pm

Catalyst is about Leaders. Leaders who have a passion to impact our Generation, including leaders in music and the arts. Catalyst believes there are new anthems and worship songs being written on the hearts of our generation across this nation and around the world. This is a call to leaders who have a vision to share these songs with the body of Christ. Introducing the 2009 Catalyst Music Project – worship songs for the next generation. Upload your recording before July 1, 2009 for a chance to have your song included on the Album.
Saddleback Worship Conference 2009

Greg Atkinson

23 Jun 2009 | 1:46 am

Today I leave to go speak at Saddleback’s Worship Conference for the 3rd year in a row. I love Rick Muchow and his staff. They put on a first-rate conference and I’m honored to be a part of it again. If you’re going to be there, please stop by and say “hi”.
Generation F

Greg Atkinson

22 Jun 2009 | 1:26 am

Here’s a blog post from my friends at Catalyst last week. I thought it was worth passing on: Gary Hamel wrote an article for the Wall Street Journal about how “Generation F” – the Facebook generation – will change expectations in the workplace. Here’s his list of 12 characteristics of online life he believes will be applied to the work environment: All ideas compete on an equal footing. Contribution counts for more than credentials. Hierarchies are natural, not prescribed. Leaders serve rather than preside. Tasks are chosen, not assigned. Groups are…

churchrelevance.com
Sunday School Lessons are Failing

Kent Shaffer

30 Jun 2009 | 8:10 am

Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis commissioned America’s Research Group to investigate why young people leave the church. The findings are published in Ken Ham’s new book Already Gone. Some insights include: Among 20- to 29-year-old evangelicals 95% attended church regularly during elementary school 95% attended church regularly during middle school >> 40% first had doubts about the Bible in middle school 55% attended church regularly during high school >> 43.7% first had doubts about the Bible in high school 11% attended church regularly during college >> 10% first…
Catalyst Conference is Coming!

Kent Shaffer

24 Jun 2009 | 1:11 pm

This October is the special tenth anniversary for Catalyst Conference (Atlanta, GA). There will be phenomenal speakers like Malcolm Gladwell, Andy Stanley, and Matt Chandler. And of course, it will be an experience you will never forget. But if you want the best rate, you better act now. Thursday, June 25th (tomorrow) is the last day to receive Catalyst Conference’s super early bird registration rate. And to save an extra $40 on individual super early bird registrations, use the priority code “TWIT” and Catalyst will also send you a copy of Andy Stanley’s new book, The…
1 Billion People are Hungry

Kent Shaffer

20 Jun 2009 | 1:08 pm

According to U.N. food officials, the global financial meltdown has pushed the ranks of the world’s hungry to a record 1 billion people. Now is a good time to build a well, give some food, or support a child. Sponsored by: Avoid the Summer Slump Increase giving at your church!
Boring Typical Church

Kent Shaffer

8 Jun 2009 | 12:53 pm

According to the Barna Group, half of Americans say they know a growing number of people who are tired of the usual type of church experience. The statistics are even higher among blacks (59%) and Hispanics (58%). Keep in mind, one dissatisfied man’s “typical church experience” may be another dissatisfied man’s dream church. However, this important trend should not be taken lightly. Half of Americans perceive the number of people who are tired of typical church experiences is growing. And 64% of Americans are completely open to carrying out and pursuing their faith in…
Autism Children’s Ministry Revisted

Kent Shaffer

2 Jun 2009 | 11:03 am

Last year, I blogged about special needs ministry for children with autism. It has become a forum of discussion for parents and children’s ministers to discuss the challenges of church for children with autism. I stressed the importance of developing a unique approach and relationship with each child. I highlighted research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison that discovered, “autistic children shy from eye contact because they perceive even the most familiar face as an uncomfortable threat.” But the greatest insight comes from the answers to my question: What advice do…

Evotional.com
Sharkfest Alcatraz Swimfest

Mark Batterson

2 Jul 2009 | 5:26 am

I just registered for the Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim in 2010. It's a 1.5 mile swim from Alcatraz to the mainland through shark infested waters. And I convinced Summer to do it with me. Does that make me a bad parent? For some strange reason, this swim landed on my life goal list the second I heard about it. Just seems like a crazy thing to do. And it'll be an amazing shared goal and shared experience with my daughter. Honestly, I'm less concerned about her than I am about me. She's a dolphin in the water. Me on the other hand? Well, think doggy-paddle.
The Upside of Inexperience

Mark Batterson

2 Jul 2009 | 4:34 am

"You're too young and inexperienced." I Samuel 17:33.That is what Saul said to David when he wanted to challenge Goliath. And it was true, IF David had tried to engage Goliath in a conventional sword fight. But David changed the rules. He didn't approach Goliath as a warrior. He approached him as a shepherd. He introduced an unconventional method of warfare: the slingshot. That long-range weapon gave David a unique advantage over his more experienced opponent. In a sense, he overcame his weaknesses by playing to his strengths. Can I make an observation? Inexperience is both a liability and an…
Altars to God or Monuments to Self?

Mark Batterson

1 Jul 2009 | 6:00 am

In I Samuel 14:35 it says: "Saul built an altar to the Lord, the first one he had ever built." But just one chapter later, I Samuel 15:12, says: "Saul went to Carmel to set up a monument to himself." Are you building altars to God or monuments to yourself?That is THE QUESTION when it comes to motivation for ministry. There is a fine line between "Thy Kingdom come" and"My kingdom come." And if you cross that line, it's the beginning of the end. Samuel tells Saul that God is taking the kingdom away. Can I offer a simple reminder? We are who we are by the grace of God. We do what we do for the…
Primal Release Date

Mark Batterson

1 Jul 2009 | 5:00 am

Just got huge news from my publisher! Feels like an early Christmas gift.Looks like my next book, Primal, will release on 01.01.10. That is the date I was hoping for and working for. Pretty fired up about it. And there is a chance it'll hit bookstores right before Christmas. Honestly, I think this book was meant to be read right around the New Year. In fact, we'll do a little "make it the first book you read in 2010" campaign.I've got 01.01.10 circled on my calendar!
One-Year Bible

Mark Batterson

1 Jul 2009 | 4:00 am

I don't even know how to say this so let me shoot from the hip. I want to inspire as many people as possible to read through a one-year Bible in 2010. I have no idea how this is going to take shape. But I know this: there is no substitute for getting into the Word and the Word getting into you.If you were to ask me about the most important decision I've made this year, my answer would be simple: the decision to read through a one-year Bible. I didn't read the Bible as much as I could have or should have last year. Honestly, I was reading it professionally instead of devotionally. It was more…

www.InnovativeMinistryLeader.com "The Blog"
$78 Dollars a Ticket for Casting Crowns!!

innovativeministryleader

18 Jun 2009 | 12:04 pm

Wow, I don’t want to take this personally to the group Casting Crowns, because their hearts are amazing, and they are amazing writers. We just got an email from Ticketmaster, and their tickets range from $28-$78 dollars. That is a bit pricy to worship. Secular concerts don’t even get that high. And again the Christian Music Industry wonders why they are not making it. Blink 182 just released a statement that they are going to be offering $20 dollar tickets to their shows. They are as big as you can get in the business, and they care about their fans to be able to afford a great…
Troy Gramling Leadership Message was Amazing!!!

innovativeministryleader

16 Jun 2009 | 2:41 pm

If you missed the Leadership Message from Troy Gramling, you can still view it in the archive of Innovativeministryleader.com He brought an amazing message on 7 effective characteristics of a great Leadership. You don’t want to miss it! Team IML
Upcoming Speakers on IML

innovativeministryleader

14 Jun 2009 | 11:33 pm

Check out this quick promo of upcoming speakers for the month of June and July. Be sure to see complete list of speakers at www.innovativeministryleader.com Team IML
Troy Gramling this Tuesday!

innovativeministryleader

13 Jun 2009 | 9:35 am

Be sure to check out Troy Gramling this Tuesday on innovativeministryleader.com Team IML
Anne Jackson Clip from IML

innovativeministryleader

8 Jun 2009 | 6:32 pm

Be sure to register tonight or tomorrow to see Anne, share her thoughts and insight in burnout in ministry. You won’t want to miss it! www.innovativeministryleader.com Team IML

djchuang.com
recalibrating my talking points

djchuang

24 Jun 2009 | 8:41 am

Keen observers here at my personal blog may have noticed a change of pace with blog posts as of late. This disruption of rhythm involves 2 things. One, I’ve been rethinking how I can better communicate my own voice while representing 2 important leadership organizations. Something that’s dawned on me is the stewardship of leadership. In recent years more than before, God has opened more opportunities for me to be more than an amateur color commentator on the Asian American and multiethnic church, which is still how I prefer to see myself. And a lot of this comes from my employment…
input wanted for accounting church software

djchuang

13 Jun 2009 | 9:27 am

A good number of you expressed interested in an accounting and database software for small churches that is under development by some people I know of. Here’s an update from Dan Kelly, who’d like to have input “from people before the software is complete to ensure it meets their needs”: —– email message —– Sent: Friday, June 12, 2009 Subject: Aplos Software Blog Update We searched for over a year to find a simple accounting software package designed for small churches. We could not find one so we decided to build our own. We began by…
Pastors. Affairs. Power. Ethics.

djchuang

9 Jun 2009 | 6:29 pm

It all unravels eventually. Whether it’s getting tired of hiding the indiscretion, telling a lie, living a lie. Or, getting caught red-handed. Another pastor admits an emotional and physical affair. It’s wrong and there are tons of consequences. I think in the information age, with the openness of the Internet, more bad news is known and spreads faster. Moral failures have been around before, easier to hide in some sense, though just as devastating. This past weekend, another pastor falls, even more in the public eye because of social media. And the online chatter perculating.
Am I a sell-out too?

djchuang

8 Jun 2009 | 7:49 am

Danny Yang has now apologied for triggering a firestorm of comments for his provocatively titled blog post, Is Francis Chan a sell-out? The title obviously struck a nerve, and provoked a good number of mis-readings and reactions, even though it was clearly spelled out in that very blog post that Danny did not think he was a sell-out: I don’t really think he’s a sell-out; I believe Chan is living faithfully to what GOD has called him to be. Does that mean the question was mis-stated in the first place? Maybe not. There is a rhetorical device called a hypothetical question where a question…
Seeking a Pastor for Northern Virginia

djchuang

5 Jun 2009 | 10:38 pm

Passing along a special opportunity for a special minister of the Gospel to pastor in the Pentagon City area (Arlington, Virginia) of metro Washington DC. Senior Pastor Ministry Position Great Commission Community Church (GCCC) is seeking a Senior Pastor by Fall 2009 to lead the church into its next phase of God’s plan. This is currently the only permanent pastoral staff position within the church. Duties include: Teaching/Preaching, Leadership Training, Facilitate Advisory Board, Primary Visionary, Administrate, Small Groups For church profile, desired characteristics, and contact, see the…

Rhett Smith
There’s a Blog Post in Here Somewhere…

Rhett Smith

2 Jul 2009 | 2:00 am

Morse Code-Leno – The funniest movie is here. Find it I was watching this video (which is a few years old), and a couple of thoughts came to mind: I was thinking about how quickly we are to announce the arrival of the latest, and the best new technology. Whether it be the iPhone, Twitter…whatever-you name it. We automatically assume that the latest is the greatest. And…who really cares which is faster. Does it matter? This all leads me to thinking about the tagline on John Dyer’s blog, Don’t Eat the Fruit. Technology is Fast, but Redemption is Slow. Why?
Creating Relational Intimacy Through the Sharing of Minor Details in Life

Rhett Smith

29 Jun 2009 | 2:00 am

[image by Tom Purves] One of the things about Twitter that I have not quite been able to explain that well is why I think the little details in life that one tweets about (eating cereal, going for a walk, crying after that movie, hanging with friends, etc.) are so fascinating. I can’t tell you how many times various relationships in my life have been enhanced through what sometimes seem like trivial knowledge shared through Twitter. It’s quite extraordinary. So I love coming across this idea of “ambient intimacy” which I think explains it well. I find this post by…
Exploring the Online Characteristics of Generation F/Y, and Their Implications-Part 2

Rhett Smith

26 Jun 2009 | 2:00 am

[image by jakeoneil] Last week I posted Exploring the Online Characteristics of Generation F/Y, and Their Implications-Part 1. This series was born out of my fascination with the great article, The Facebook Generation vs. the Fortune 500. And for the first post focused on the first “online characteristic” of this generation, All ideas compete on equal footing. Today I want to take a look at another characteristic: 2. Contribution counts for more than credentials. When you post a video to YouTube, no one asks you if you went to film school. When you write a blog, no one cares…
In Memory of Professor Ray S. Anderson (1925-2009)

Rhett Smith

24 Jun 2009 | 7:02 pm

One of my favorite stories that Dr. Anderson used to tell his students (and is written in the book, Dancing with Wolves, While Feeding the Sheep), is the story that is told of the connection between his farming and ministry days. Ray wrote: “It happened only once. There was no suggestion that it was planned or premeditated. We were sitting on the edge of the furrow, behind the plow, facing the freshly turned soil over which the seagulls swooped in search of frantic worms. It was the second cup of coffee time. The cigarette lightened the load and loosened his tongue. ‘Stick your…
The Beautiful and Intriguing Simplicity of Twitter

Rhett Smith

23 Jun 2009 | 2:00 am

[image by Robyn Twomey] The thing about Twitter is that it is beautiful in its simplicity, and powerful in its capability. Not everyone gets it at first…or second…or third time. But if you stick with it, it will pay off for you. I was struck the other day with some of the common themes around the uncertainty of those who first tweet (What’s it all about?), as well as some of the subtleties that attract people to it. Couple of things: One, Twitter is sort of weird the first time you try it. I mean, when have you ever before sent out something in 140 characters or less to lots…

MMI Weblog
Stacy Spencer: How to Find Your Ministry “Swag”

Todd Rhoades

17 Jun 2009 | 4:34 am

THE SHOW from Leadership Network for June 16, 2009. TOPIC: Finding Your "SWAG" in Ministry SPECIAL GUEST: Dr. Stacy Spencer You can watch a brand new edition of THE SHOW every Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. EDT at http://theshow.leadnet.org Live call in segment... Dr. Stacy Spencer takes your questions!
100 Ways to Kill a Concept or an Idea

Todd Rhoades

17 Jun 2009 | 1:03 am

This is a great list... I got it from Pete Bishop (who got it from ChangeThis.com)... but regardless... it's a great list. Have you ever been guilty of using one of these idea killers? 100 Ways to Kill a Concept: the boss won’t go for that. the lawyers won’t go for that. the accountants won’t go for that. the client won’t go for that. the salespeople won’t go for that. the investors won’t go for that. So and so won’t like it. It’s not us. It won’t fit into our system. We’re not ready for that yet. I don’t think it will work. I don’t understand. Do you understand? Will…
A Gut-Check for Growing Churches

Todd Rhoades

17 Jun 2009 | 12:21 am

Recently, Mark Batterson had the opportunity to share as a guest speaker at a staff meeting at Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge. Mark shared his top ten reflections on leadership in a growing church. Here are some of his comments... The more we grow… 1) ...the greater the PRIVILEGE I never want myself or anyone on our staff to have a sense of entitlement. We’re only servants--I Cor. 3:5. 2) ...the more COMPLICATED things get Sin complicates your life in negative ways. Growth complicates your life in positive ways. Learn to thank God for complications! 3) ...the harder it is to…
Andy Stanley on The Cost of Indecision

Todd Rhoades

16 Jun 2009 | 11:30 pm

Ever been in a position as a church leader when it was time to stop talking and make a decision? Sometimes I think we talk TOO much instead of making decisions in the church. After all, we think it would be great if we had everyone on our side before the decision was made. We're afraid of making people mad; we're afraid of conflict; and yes, we're afraid people who don't get their way will (can I say it?), leave. Andy Stanley has a great example of leadership that he shares in Leadership Journal. Listen to his example....When we started North Point Community Church, our…
Zigging, Not Zagging. Today on THE SHOW with Stacy Spencer

Todd Rhoades

16 Jun 2009 | 5:13 am

TODAY (TUESDAY) on THE SHOW: Memphis, TN has over 2,000 churches... that's more churches than liquor stores and gas stations combined!. Stacy Spencer knew that God didn't need another church in Memphis... He wanted something radically different than Memphis was familiar with. In his book Zag, Marty Neumeier talks about how secular companies drowned in market place clutter, in order to stand out that need “Radical Differentiation.” The new rule is: when everybody zigs, zag. Radical differentiation is about finding a whole new market space you can own and defend. Are you zagging in your…

LifeChurch.tv : swerve
One Prayer Interview - Pierre du Plessis

Craig Groeschel

2 Jul 2009 | 3:54 am

Pierre is the Senior Pastor of The Father’s House in Rochester, NY. He’s originally from South Africa. His passion for God’s Church is contagious. Here’s what he had to say… 1. What is the biggest leadership lesson you’ve learned over the past year? Not to react. I know it seem rather simple, but for me and people wired like me it is unquestionably the hardest thing to do. When in some strange delusional way you feel you are comfortable and at times good at fixing people and situations therein lies the inherent danger. Perspective and wisdom usually comes in…
One Prayer Interview - Rick Bezet

Craig Groeschel

1 Jul 2009 | 3:45 am

Rick’s one of our great ARC friends. He pastors New Life Church in Conway, AR. He writes… 1. What is the biggest leadership lesson you’ve learned over the past year? One of our assistant worship leaders won American Idol, and I’m telling you, it had much to do with the lead worship leader believing he would win. I knew this kid was gifted, but that is no small gig to win! I’ve now learned to never underestimate the potential of your team. I now wonder how many hidden icons are sitting in our churches. 2. What is God showing you personally? I met with a very wise…
One Prayer Interview - Benny Perez

Craig Groeschel

30 Jun 2009 | 3:59 am

Benny pastors The Church at South Las Vegas. He’s a very compassionate, wise leader. Here’s what he had to say… 1. What is the biggest leadership lesson you’ve learned over the past year? The biggest lesson is When and How to have staff move on. It has been very difficult this year having Pastors leave the staff and some staff members leave the staff. 2. What is God showing you personally? To truly trust in Him and Him alone. I can do all the study and bring in all the consultants but I must go back to the place of prayer, solitude and trust in the Lord that He will help…
One Prayer Interview - Buddy Cremeans

Craig Groeschel

29 Jun 2009 | 3:46 am

Buddy’s the Senior Pastor of Northway Church in NY. He’s an amazing man of God and a great friend. He writes… 1. What is the biggest leadership lesson you’ve learned over the past year? The biggest leadership lesson that I am learning is how to navigate through the dark side of leadership. I am learning how to become emotionally intelligent. Northway Church started 6 years ago, but this past year I hit the wall. I experienced a threshold of emotional pain that I couldn’t sustain. In the past, I could just suck it up, push and break through, but this time I just broke…
One Prayer Interview - Stovall Weems

Craig Groeschel

25 Jun 2009 | 3:18 am

I met Stovall several years ago, and we’ve become good friends. He pastors a church in Jacksonville, FL called Celebration Church. Here’s what he said… 1. What is the biggest leadership lesson you’ve learned over the past year? That I need to take every opportunity I can to share and reinforce our church vision and values, especially amongst staff and key leadership. This is crucial to help get the DNA of our church into the third and fourth tiers of our leadership. I used to think it was enough to teach on vision 3 or 4 times a year, but now it’s almost every other…

Duo Digest
Should Wives Submit?

25 Jun 2009 | 10:29 am

A colleague of mine was recently engaged. And the question arose, as it often does: "How are we going to resolve conflict? Who gets the final say? Who has to submit?"The linguistic structure of Ephesians 5 yields a helpful insight.Under the overarching missional heartbeat (v.15) is the reality that before we ever get to instructions for husbands, wives, children, slaves and masters, we get another instruction for all that follow:"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."In the Greek it is unmistakable that submission applies to all who follow, because the word "submit" in "Wives,…
Good-looking Gospel: The Missional Heartbeat of the Household Codes

19 Jun 2009 | 9:59 am

A college roommate of mine is now a missionary in Africa - and he and his wife live in a very hierarchical relationship, with strongly traditional roles that mirror those of the native culture, believing that this is God's intention, and experiencing the respect of thier neighbors for it.A friend of mine here in the SanFran Bay says he and his wife agreed that he should be the spiritual head of the house, so he always says the bedtime prayer, and their marriage is characterized by traditional roles, in stark contrast to the surrounding overwhelmingly egalitarian society.Is there any…
Who Wears the Pants? Unlocking the Household Codes

13 Jun 2009 | 8:58 am

"But what about Ephesians 5, where it says "Wives, submit to your own husbands...," said the visitor to the young adults group where I worship, after I told him that Lindsay and I strive for egalitarian marriage, characterized by mutual submission. It's an extremely common question, and one that surprising numbers of young people believe indicates God's eternal intention for a household hierarchy. If that's you, or if you've ever met someone like that, read on.Over the next few blogs, I'm going to take a look at some of the 'household codes' and attempt to unearth Paul's (and God's)…
The Gospel for Emergentiles pt. 2

31 May 2009 | 4:47 pm

When the earliest Jewish church was faced with the challenge of giving the gospel into the hands of Gentiles, they wrestled with what this meant. At yet there was no denying that God's Spirit had been given to Cornelius and his household on no precondition of circumcision or kosher diets. And so, after prayerful consideration they wrote these words to the Gentile believers... It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from…
The Gospel for the Emergentiles pt. 1

30 Apr 2009 | 12:01 pm

Do you know the most significant date in the history of Christianity?It's not Constantine's edict which made Christianity the official religion of the global superpower of it's day. It's not the schism between Catholic and Orthodox churches which was the first of hundreds of divisions in Christ's body.It's not the day Luther nailed his 95 theses on the Wittenburg door, and set in motion what would later be called ProtestantismIn fact, we don't even know the date exactly. But here is what happened...Peter, the rock of the earliest church, experienced a second conversion. (It's recorded in Acts…

Holy Cow Blog
Action item : stay creative

Michael Buckingham

29 Jun 2009 | 7:22 am

I’m getting settled back into a normal routine after a great week at the HOW Design Conference. There is a ton to unpack from the sessions I was able to attend (not to mention unpacking all the swag.) But the top item on my to do list from the conference is something that wasn’t covered in any of the talks, not included in any of the handouts. It came from just being around some of the most creative people on the planet. Just being around them, sharing a lunch with them, watching them sparked my own creativity. My goal is to make the church the most creative place on the planet,…
I need your help on what to wear

Michael Buckingham

19 Jun 2009 | 8:19 am

Last year was a cakewalk at the HOW Design & Creativity Conference’s closing party, the theme: black and white. Easy theme and an excuse to wear my Converse black & whites. This year, not so easy. Let me back up a bit for those that haven’t attended the HOW Conference before (and it’s still not too late to make it this year.) I really like a conference that takes the time to put things together that bring people together and HOW does it right. They put on a big bash the last night of the conference, food, music and yes…costumes. That’s where you come…
The new blog is live!

Michael Buckingham

17 Jun 2009 | 9:11 pm

After ignoring it for far too long (just like I tell every church NOT to do) we have finally updated the look, the software and the location of the blog. Of course if you’re reading this you don’t need to change a thing. We will keep holycowablog.com and .org, but the actual blog is now hosted at blog.holycowcreative.org My goal was to freshen things up a bit, get rid of anything you weren’t using or reading and better match it to our studio site. While this blog is about us, it’s for you so I would love your feedback, comments, etc. If we’re missing something,…
Does your design make people happy?

Michael Buckingham

3 Jun 2009 | 5:27 pm

With a name like Holy Cow Creative it’s probably no surprise that I like to make people smile…and in this clip Don Norman talks about the power that happiness brings to design. Surround yourself with happy when you’re brainstorming…surround people with happy when they experience your design.
Ninjas and vomit. (or HOW Design & Creativity Conference)

Michael Buckingham

28 May 2009 | 10:11 am

As part of what I do, I am honored and blessed to speak at some great conferences and spend some time with some great people. This year is no different. I’ve already been to Ohio for the Ohio Council of Churches, Arizona for the Church Solutions Conference and Nashville for a couple of workshops at NRB. It is an absolute privilege to be able to speak into ministry this way. Next month I will be speaking at the HOW Design and Creativity Conference in Austin, TX. This is the premiere conference for designers, creative directors, and communicators attracting people from around the world to…

BeDeviant.com
Pornography, Anger and Afternoon Radio

Justin Wise

1 Jul 2009 | 1:08 pm

Thanks to UStream.tv, I’ll be on the air LIVE starting at 3pm CST on Des Moines Local Live. I’ll be on Jackie Joens‘ show and we’ll be talking about how to live a Christ-filled life. You’ll want to watch. I’m sure of it. Join in the chat below if you got some time. Below is the archived show from the other day–Enjoy! See you on the intertubes! Most Commented Posts A Christian Responds to the Iowa Gay Marriage Ruling Are Reproducing Muslims the Enemy? “Christians Are the Worst Tippers Ever.”
All Aboard! Joining the Team at Cultivate ‘09

Justin Wise

1 Jul 2009 | 9:07 am

Call it dumb luck, but I’ll be joining the team of incredible communicators that will be facilitating at Cultivate 09. I’ll be facilitating a talk called, “What Would Luther Do?” Here’s how I described it earlier: The printing press was invented in 1440 and a young pastor/theologian asked the question, “What would happen if all of God’s people could read his Word?” So, Luther set out to translate the Bible into a language the everyday man or woman could understand. What was previously an unreadable piece of dogmatic literature to so many became…
Claim Your Facebook Fan Page Custom URL Today

Justin Wise

29 Jun 2009 | 12:19 pm

The glorious day is upon us, you can now claim vanity URL’s for Facebook Fan Pages. Earlier this month, Facebook allowed users to grab custom URL’s for their own profile pages. For instance, you can find me on Facebook at Facebook.com/JustinWise: A much needed, and much appreciated, change from the endless string of numbers that used to make up your profile URL: (If you haven’t yet grabbed your custom URL, head to Facebook.com/Username and get to it!) Now, if you’re an admin for a Fan Page, you can grab custom URL’s for those too. (The group has to be more than…
Sunday Funday: I Had to Share This…

Justin Wise

28 Jun 2009 | 7:09 pm

We’re having a baby in September. We had our first birthing class tonight. This was one of the pictures in our book: She’s clearly not amused. Most Commented Posts A Christian Responds to the Iowa Gay Marriage Ruling Are Reproducing Muslims the Enemy? “Christians Are the Worst Tippers Ever.”
What is God Teaching You?

Justin Wise

25 Jun 2009 | 8:28 am

Simple. Precise. Clear. My question for you today is this, “What is God teaching you in your life?” I’ll start the ball rolling… God is teaching me how to expand my imagination. Now it’s your turn. Other Posts You May Enjoy: God is Love and He Loves Everyone (Even Atheists & Lesbians) The Christ of the Indian Road Read This Before You Head to That Next Prayer Meeting…

Eric Bryant - Blog
Finding and Bringing Life (video)

Eric Bryant

2 Jul 2009 | 1:30 pm

Eric Bryant from Newsong Church on Vimeo. Above is the video from my time with Newsong in Irvine this past Sunday morning. Such great people! As part of the Joose series, I spoke on “Become a Lifegiver” using Proverbs 11:30 which says: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.” Some thoughts from the talk: Making right and wise choices (no matter how small) puts on a path towards life. Choosing to serve or to sacrifice our own selfish interests are like planting seeds. We should win others over through our actions and our words.
Messages from Across the U.S.

Eric Bryant

2 Jul 2009 | 6:00 am

I have always loved organizging things. Even as a toddler, my mom told me that I would pull out all of her shoes from her closet and then match them up. That is one of the reasons I like websites that bring together all of the news from multiple sources such as Alltop, the Drudge Report, and the Huffington Post. I recently discovered a site which brings together messages from “America’s most innovative churches.” On this site, I noticed my message at Newsong and Steve Saccone’s message at Mosaic were featured. Take a look here.
HBO’s “Brave New Voices”

Eric Bryant

1 Jul 2009 | 3:36 pm

I discovered that some of the poets from a poetry lounge (LionLikeMindState) where some of our team from Mosaic serves may be featured on the upcoming season of Russell Simmons’ “Brave New Voices” on HBO!
Finding and Giving Life

Eric Bryant

1 Jul 2009 | 7:58 am

I had a chance to speak at Newsong in Irvine this past Sunday morning. I had a great time with the people and the team there! As part of the Joose series, I spoke on “Become a Lifegiver” using Proverbs 11:30 which says: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.” Listen to the message here.
Special Appearances by R2-D2

Eric Bryant

30 Jun 2009 | 7:47 pm

I haven’t seen Transformers 2 yet, but apparently Industrial Light and Magic, a company started by George Lucas, has been sneaking R2-D2 into some of their recent films including Star Trek. Did you see him?

ThePewView.com
Enough Is Enough.

Milan Ford

29 Jun 2009 | 7:12 pm

I am sick of it.
Wow.

Milan Ford

25 Jun 2009 | 3:41 pm

What a day.
Let’s Make A Deal?

Milan Ford

22 Jun 2009 | 4:43 am

I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this...but a decision must be made.
The ‘We’re Just Talking’ Checklist.

Milan Ford

18 Jun 2009 | 12:49 pm

This could be one of those 'must forward to someone else' articles.
Loving and Doing.

Milan Ford

17 Jun 2009 | 4:32 am

Just felt like sharing this today with all my married folks.

reyes-chow :: FAITH
Why We Choose Denominational Life: Wendy Johnson

Bruce Reyes-Chow

22 Jun 2009 | 7:00 am

Next up in the WWCDL Guest Blogger Series which is focused on why some of us are choosing to live out our faith through in a denominational context is someone that I have enjoyed getting to know through a variety of emergent events in person and online, Wendy Johnson. Please take a gander at some past reflections and check out - or add your own - some tweets with the hashtag, #wwcdl. If you would like to submit an entry and/or know someone that would be great feel free to pass their names along to me. Wendy Johnson [email]Wendy is emerging and has been for a very long time. She often…
Why We Choose Denominational Life: Rev. Dr. Jennifer Ayres

Bruce Reyes-Chow

16 Jun 2009 | 3:33 pm

Next up in the WWCDL Guest Blogger Series focused on why some of us are choosing to live out our faith through in a denominational context is someone from the denomination in which I serve, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Ayres. You can also check out some twitterings about this or add your own with the hashtag, #wwcdl. If you would like to submit an entry and/or know someone that would be great feel free to pass their names along to me.Jennifer R. AyreseMail | facebookAssistant Professor of Christian EthicsMcCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, ILMinister of Word…
Why We Choose Denominational Life: Gideon Addington

Bruce Reyes-Chow

9 Jun 2009 | 7:01 am

A few weeks back, I invited folks to submit some ideas about why they are choosing to live out their faith through in a denominational context [Original WWCDL Post]. Today's is the first repsponse to the question and it comes from Episcopalian, Gideon Addington. You can also check out some twitter about this or add your own with the hashtag, #wwcdl. If you would like to submit an entry and/or know someone that would be great feel free to pass their names along to me.Gideon Addington - Episcopal Churchblog | Facebook | Twitter |Email I’ve been thinking about the question of…
What excites you about your worship experience?

Bruce Reyes-Chow

7 Jun 2009 | 3:00 pm

[Image from mbcc worship: sculpey, journals, pipe-cleaners and coffee]While I do enjoy worshiping with various congregations throughout my travels, I do miss worshiping with the community that I serve, Mission Bay Communion Church. There is so much I miss about worshiping with this group of folks and after a few weeks away, I have a tad bit of withdrawal from our particular congregational culture. I make no apologies about loving to worship with the congregation I serve as I know not everyone can say this is the case for their church. I am grateful beyond words.During the past few…
Guest blogger series: Why we choose denominational life or WWCDL

Bruce Reyes-Chow

22 May 2009 | 10:45 am

[image: paulikespics]Ever since I wrote my own justifications for taking an active role in the life of my denomination: Why I Should Leave the Presbyterian Church (USA) and Top 10 Reasons Bruce Will Stay Presbyterian, I have wondered why others do the same. Over the past few years, I have met countless folks who not only stick with their particular denominational families, but are fully engaged in the transformation of their particular institutional structures and culture.Yes, there are serious problems with denominations: they can be too rigid, too hierarchical, too well, "denominational" in…

Kindle Prayers
Prayer Request

2 Jul 2009 | 1:15 pm

Dear friends, May I please ask for your prayers? I am in a world of hurt right now and don't remember ever being so low. In December, I went for a procedure to help a pinched nerve in my back and suffered a stroke when something went very wrong. My whole life feels like it has fallen apart since. I lost my home in the Pacific NW, am filing bankruptcy and had to move to WI and haven't been able to work. Would you please add me to your healing (heart, mind and body) and prayer list? I hope to come through this even stronger and help others because of this. Thank you and bless you. Penny - Green…
More Love

1 Jul 2009 | 6:14 pm

May God grant our mission divine favor throughout America; May The Lord grant wisdom and discernment to all our teams; May the Church be bold enough to unite, serve side by side; and May YOU be glorified through the reconciliation of your people.
Marriage Restoration

1 Jul 2009 | 1:01 pm

I wanted to write to you to ask for your prayers. My family is broken and I need prayers to bring my family back together. My wife left with our two year old son roughly three months ago and has filed for divorce. I had no idea what was going on and she really hasn't told me the reason. We went through something similar roughly a year and half ago and then reconciled after three months but this time she will not speak to me unless it is through attorneys nor will she speak to any of mine or her friends. Her name is Joyce and our son's name is Joshua. I don't want a broken family and am…
I am praying for a miracle from God in regards to refinancing our home. Also I am praying for peace with in my heart.

30 Jun 2009 | 8:34 pm

I am praying that God shows my family favor while we go through the process of refinancing our home. Also I am praying for peace within my spouse and I hearts. We are really troubling over this refinancing process. But God said not to worry if you are going to pray. So I am praying that we will be able to sustain and endure to the end in this process.
Mark H.'s Family, who were in a car accident this weekend.

29 Jun 2009 | 12:03 pm

Mark H.'s wife Judy and two daughters were in a car accident this past weekend, while returning from Church. Rosie has a skull fracture and bad concussion and needs prayers for a speedy recovery. Judy has cuts and bruises and emotional scars and Caitlin escaped with just whiplash and fright.

Tony Steward:. Blog
All My iPhone Apps

Tony Steward

24 Jun 2009 | 6:48 pm

Yes, I have a lot of iphone apps – and these are just the ones installed – but I always find new apps when people share screenshots – so I thought I’d let you know what I’ve got.
Rick Warren Live on Webcast Tonight

Tony Steward

24 Jun 2009 | 2:22 pm

Tonight at the Saddleback Worship Conference, Rick Warren will be live talking about the need for recovery and revival in our lives. Our family getting chance to be members of Saddleback Church for two years were huge in our growth and faith – anytime I get a chance to hear from Rick is a something I don’t miss!! Here is the info you need: Live Webcast | Facebook | Twitter | Home Page
How I use Friendfeed… (video)

Tony Steward

22 Jun 2009 | 2:19 pm
Babelwith.me – Chat Translated in Real Time

Tony Steward

19 Jun 2009 | 1:49 pm

Amazing tool – similar to tinychat but focuses on being able to translate in real time in 30 + languages. TOTALL AWESOME. MORE DETAILS HERE!!
iPhone 3Gs – Love it

Tony Steward

19 Jun 2009 | 9:49 am

This phone is amazing – yeah!!

Church Forward
The Generation Gap: 1969-2009

Sam Rainer

30 Jun 2009 | 10:43 am

Yesterday the Pew Research Center released data from a recent study on aging in America. They compared their findings with results from a 1969 Gallup poll of similar questions. You can read the full report here. After interviewing over 2,900 people they found several differences in the younger and older generation. That’s not a surprise, but their focus on the downside, upside, and perception about growing old was fascinating. On the downside of growing older: When it comes to potential problems related to old age, the share of younger and middle-aged adults who report expecting to…
Insights into the Spiritual Profile of Homosexuals

Sam Rainer

28 Jun 2009 | 7:54 pm

The Barna Group recently interviewed over 8,500 heterosexual adults and 280 homosexual adults. The point of the research was to compare the spirituality of both groups. Barna’s findings included some results that would be expected, but also some surprising insights. You can read the full report here. I’ve listed below some highlights. In any given week the research discovered that heterosexuals are the more likely of the two groups to attend a church service, attend a Sunday school class, pray to God, or read the Bible. Gay adults are 50% more likely than straight adults to be unchurched…
Love Loud: The Southern Baptist Convention 2009

Sam Rainer

21 Jun 2009 | 8:07 pm

Tomorrow I will fly to Louisville to attend the Southern Baptist Convention. It’s the annual meeting of the denomination to which I belong. This year’s theme is “love loud: actions speak louder than words.” I’ve been a Southern Baptist my entire life. Growing up a PK, the annual meeting also doubled for family vacation. Thanks Dad I don’t go after the freebies at the booths as much anymore, but I still enjoy the convention. I don’t hang my hat on any denomination. God can use any Kingdom citizen willing to serve. But I believe the SBC is one of the best representations of how…
Generation F and the Mega Church

Sam Rainer

17 Jun 2009 | 9:09 pm

Warren Bird and Scott Thumma have released new research on the mega church. The report comes out of the Hartford Institute of Religious Research and involved 25,000 people from 12 U.S. congregations. USA Today also reported on the research and noted a few key findings: The average age of megachurch attenders is 40, compared to nearly 53 at a typical Protestant church. Nearly two-thirds of megachurch attenders are under 45, double the numbers in Protestant congregations of all sizes. The vast majority are between 18 and 44. Nearly a third of megachurch attenders are single, compared to 10% in…
10 Bad Church Work Habits

Sam Rainer

10 Jun 2009 | 2:18 pm

CNN.com recently posted on 10 of the worst work habits. After reading the article, I could not help but to view these bad habits through the lens of church life. So I’ve reworked the top ten list as it pertains to the daily tasks of ministry. You can read the original article here. 1. Procrastination. It’s harmful at any level, but the effects of this bad habit are compounded at higher leadership levels. If a ministry leader or senior pastor consistently procrastinates, then everyone is forced into a last minute fiasco. If top leaders don’t plan ahead, then by default no one plans…

Confessions of a Small-Church Pastor
Summer break

Chuck Warnock

2 Jul 2009 | 4:35 am

I’m on vacation this week. You can keep up with the latest church news at my news sites, NewChurchReport.com and SmallChurchProf.com. I’ll post my sermon at the end of the week. Otherwise, I’m in the garden this week! Posted in Church news
Sermon: Materialism–Why Do We Have So Much Stuff?

Chuck Warnock

27 Jun 2009 | 8:36 pm

Here is the sermon I’m preaching tomorrow. This is the 4th in a series of 8 sermons under the theme — Seven Cultural Challenges Each Church Faces. I hope your Sunday is wonderful! Seven Cultural Challenges Each Church Faces Materialism: Why Do We Have So Much Stuff? Luke 18:18-30 18A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false…
We’re in the middle of VBS

Chuck Warnock

23 Jun 2009 | 1:01 pm

We do a community VBS with 4 other small churches in our community — 2 Baptist, 2 United Methodist, and 1 Presbyterian. This year we’re using Group Publishing’s Crocodile Dock. Here are some photos of the week so far: Posted in Community, Creativity, outreach, Resources
Sermon: Nominalism – Why Don’t We Walk Like We Talk?

Chuck Warnock

20 Jun 2009 | 5:24 pm

This is the third sermon in an eight part series titled, “Seven Cultural Challenges Every Church Faces.” I’m preaching this one tomorrow, and I hope your Sunday is a great one. Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there, too! Seven Cultural Challenges Every Church Faces: Nominalism — Why Don’t We Walk Like We Talk? In his startling book, The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience, Ron Sider said out loud what had become all too apparent — America’s most conservative Christians, evangelicals, live no differently than other Americans who claim no…
Churches adapt ancient models for the 21st century

Chuck Warnock

17 Jun 2009 | 6:30 pm

For many of us who care about church, it is becoming increasingly apparent that church as we know it must change in order to maintain its mission in the 21st century. This change will not be cosmetic. This change will not be a debate about traditional worship versus contemporary worship, or small groups versus Sunday School. The kind of change the church must adopt is transformational change — change that fundamentally reshapes how we think about church, and what church actually does. Three ancient church models are gaining traction in the first decade of this new century: the…

Prodigal Magazine
There I Fixed It

tjamlee

2 Jul 2009 | 8:36 am

thereifixedit.com Just for fun I had to put this up as I have to admit that I have used duct tape a few times in my life to fix things other then an air duct. You should see my lawn mower right now its not pretty, but unlike the pictures on this site my lawn mower doesn’t pose any serious consequences. Take a look at a few quick fixes that are hard to believe. Failed. Who needs a trailer? Not this guy. Hot Water? Just plug in the water heater. Helpful tips – Don’t do any of the posted hacks! But do add this blog “There I Fixed It” to your RSS reader for a good…
To my prodigal family. Thank you

admin

29 Jun 2009 | 2:38 pm

Hey guys, It has been awhile since I wrote a blog post, the Table Project, is keeping me pretty busy, but after receiving this letter from a supporter of the magazine, I felt overwhelmed to send you all a message. When I started Prodigal about 5 years ago this Sept. I honestly didn’t know how long it would run. Life changes, circumstances change etc. and I have not always been the most disciplined person in my life. However, for some reason, God has kept this thing going. Through anger towards God after my father died, to changing jobs 3 times, to moving back and forth from…
Do women have just as hard of time keeping their purity?

swenell

26 Jun 2009 | 9:09 am

Hi, I’m Shanelle or you can call me Eve , I am a 27 year old Christian woman, with a degree in Psychology. I just got married recently, and am currently pursuing my master’s in Marriage and Family Counseling. I am not a doctor, or Professional Psychologist yet, nor do I have all the answers, but if you just want a Christian woman’s honest opinion — drop it in the box and I will do my best to answer you shortly. Enter your question: Ask Eve NEW AT TOP Question: Hi Eve, my name is Max. I’m 16 years old, and as most teenage guys, am totally attracted to woman. Being…
25 things I’ve learned in my life

ssutton

23 Jun 2009 | 11:24 am

Recently, I read an article written by a 90-year old woman entitled 45 Things I’ve Learned in Life. It was a great article, and I really identified with many of the things she listed. Just for yuks, I decided to compile my own list, and now I’ve decided to share it with you. It’s in no particular order (and, no, I didn’t steal any of her list!). Perception is not reality; reality is reality. Get the facts before you judge. I cannot control what others do or say, only what I do & say. God will only hold me accountable for what I do & say. My children are my destiny. Everything…
Jesus: Truth, Legend or Conspiracy?

admin

22 Jun 2009 | 9:39 am

All to Crazy As someone at my local church, described the crazy details behind the religion of Scientology, about the levels of knowledge you master and the history of the sci-fi book from which much of the theology came from, I pondered on my own beliefs. Almost as quickly as I said, “how can people believe that” I quietly thought to myself, “you know, this is some crazy stuff we believe in too”, is this whole Bible thing really logical. To an outsider that has not grown up in the church his whole life, the story must sound a little outlandish. A baby comes to this Earth from…

Reaching The Online Generation
Some of What I’ve Observed About Online Community So Far

Paul

30 Jun 2009 | 1:01 pm

(This post is an attempt to put together several observations I’ve made about online community in this blog. Some I’ve expanded on since their previous post. Others I’ve just summarized. I apologize for the lengthy post, but I felt it was important to gather these ideas into one place. These are all ideas. I’d love to have your input and learn from your observations. – Paul.) The Fulfillment Triangle A few months after I ventured out into the uncertain realm of online community, I found a site called Seesmic. I experimented with it for awhile, probing…
Top Ten Lists from Online Summer Missionary Training

Paul

11 Jun 2009 | 2:27 pm

This morning I reviewed two top ten lists of lessons learned during the four days of Online Summer Missionary training. Top ten lists are hard to make, especially if they are to summarize four days of training. The power in them, however, is that they help the trainer understand what the trainees learned and what their teams identified as important lessons of from the week. I thought I’d share their lists here. (There may be some overlap.) Team 1 Top 10 Consistency To love as God loves, we have to put aside our comfort. Love is the best motivation for obedience. Can’t over…
Would You Ignore 78,000 People?

Paul

9 Jun 2009 | 7:03 am

Talking with Christians in Second Life about Online Ministry Every time I log into Second Life there are anywhere from 52,000 to 78,000 people logged-in. In terms of total numbers of people online at any given time, the number may seem small. But in terms of human life, the number is huge and impossible to ignore. I encountered Second Life within the month after God called me to online ministry. I knew then that I didn’t have the time to learn the intricate culture of Second Life or become a meaningful member of the various communities and sub-populations. So I took a page from…
Quick Video Update from DFW Airport

Paul

2 Jun 2009 | 5:25 am
Video: Scripture MUST Be Part of Your Strategy

Paul

5 May 2009 | 2:42 pm

Scripture Drives Strategy Scripture makes us aware of what God wants us to do. God uses Scripture to point out holes and areas of need while saying, “I want you to do something about that.” Strategy comes from asking the question, “What will it take to do what Scripture says?” You add enough passages together and you get a long list of questions. Answering those questions, because you want to obey Scripture, results in a list of actions that together catalyze community transformation and Kingdom expansion. Scripture Drives Tactics As we obey Scripture within…

FredMcKinnon.Com
Culture of Volunteers

Fred McKinnon

2 Jul 2009 | 7:20 am

I just read an incredible article by Tim Stevens about the culture needed in churches for volunteers. This quote rocked my world: It takes a volunteer-centric culture in the entire church, from top to bottom, to build a ministry that is truly focused on plugging people in positions where they are wired by God. Without that, a scarcity mindset takes over and we shift to turf-guarding and silo-building. And that produces frustration, bitterness and cynicism on a church staff–which no one likes to be around. WOW - how true is that. Checkout the rest of the article at LeadingSmart.Com.
Slow Dance

Fred McKinnon

2 Jul 2009 | 4:56 am

Have you ever watched kids On a merry-go round? Or listened to the rain Slapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight? Or gazed at the sun into the fading night? You better slow down Don’t dance so fast. Time is short. The music won’t last. Do you run through each day On the fly? When you ask: How are you? Do you hear the reply? When the day is gone, do you lie in your bed With the next hundred chores Running through your head? You’d better slow down. Don’t go so fast. Time is short. The music won’t last. Ever told your child,…
Do You Sing Patriotic Songs in Church?

Fred McKinnon

30 Jun 2009 | 9:49 am

This Sunday is July 5. As Worship Leaders, we often struggle with how to manage this holiday in our corporate worship services. Do you sing a patriotic song? What’s the balance between recognizing the birthday of our nation’s independence, yet at the same time, maximizing the limited amount of time we have in our corporate gatherings to sing praises to Christ? How about you? Do you sing patriotic songs in church - especially on the weekend around July 4? Why or Why Not? If you do, how do they fit into the flow of your service? Which songs do you use? Let the discussion…
Monday Muse: What’s Your Twitter Follow Strategy?

Fred McKinnon

29 Jun 2009 | 6:22 am

Hey Gang, Today’s “Monday Muse” has to do with “Twitter”. At this point, I don’t feel like I need to explain what Twitter.Com is all about - you’ve already heard it everywhere. (By the way, if you aren’t following my tweets, now is a good time to start! @fmckinnon from me, @theworshipcomm for TheWorshipCommunity.Com and @ebusinessonline for the E-BusinessOnline.Com forum) My question is this: “What is your Twitter Follow Strategy”? Do you follow everyone who follows you? Do you only follow a select few people? If you…
Sunday Setlists #49 - Worship Recaps

Fred McKinnon

28 Jun 2009 | 1:34 pm

Hey Everybody, Welcome to the 49th consecutive week of “Sunday Setlists” - the blog carnival where we share our worship service recaps with one another. 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 participating in the “Sunday Setlists” blog…

Christian Web Trends Blog by OurChurch.Com
Wanted: Guest Bloggers to Write About Missions & The Internet

Paul Steinbrueck

1 Jul 2009 | 8:18 am

I remember as a kid praying in our evening prayers for the Raths and Millie’s, two missionary families. Back then we almost never knew how they were doing or what life was like on a day-to-day basis. The Internet has changed all that. We're looking for people to guest blog about how the Internet has impacted their short or long-term missions work, and we look back at some guest posts from last year.
Adventures in Social Networking

fgcglenpool

30 Jun 2009 | 4:06 am

This is a guest blog article by Wendy Spoon, web administrator of First Grace Church in Glenpool, Oklahoma. My husband and I set off to our yearly get-away to The Arcadian Inn Bed and Breakfast in Edmond, Oklahoma to celebrate our anniversary. But it ended up being the beginning of our “Adventures in Social Networking”. You [...]
Free Link Friday - Facebook Pages

Paul Steinbrueck

26 Jun 2009 | 9:21 am

Happy Friday everyone! Got any good plans this weekend you’re looking forward to? I’m looking forward to going mountain biking with some friends tomorrow and then do a belated Father’s Day celebration with my dad and extended family. For this weeks edition of Free Link Friday, we’re going to focus our attention on Facebook Pages. If [...]
ShareThis - Help Your Visitors Help Their Friends (and You)

Paul Steinbrueck

26 Jun 2009 | 9:06 am

Yesterday, we added a ShareThis button to Christian Web Trends and to our NE1 Web Builder. Sharing/Social bookmarking widgets are a great way to help your visitors, which also helps you.
The Future of Social Networking - Round Table Discussion Part 4

Paul Steinbrueck

23 Jun 2009 | 9:35 am

Over the last 3 weeks our Social Networking Round Table has taken a look a social networking from various angles. Today in part 4, our round table looks ahead at the future of social networking and wraps things up with some parting thoughts and advice.

L2 Foundation
How many Asian American churches in the USA

djchuang

2 Jul 2009 | 1:12 pm

This blog post is an attempt to link to specific sources that have numbers for churches reaching specific Asian ethnicities. These will add up to an estimated total number of Asian American churches. In a 2007 report, “Asian American Churches: An Introductory Survey,” published by L2 Foundation in partnership with Leadership Network, the report’s author, DJ Chuang, cited “an estimated 7,000 U.S. Protestant churches have a majority attendance of Asian Americans.” This rough estimate assumed an “under-count” based on numbers gathered then. Upon further…
interview with David Kim of The Garden

djchuang

1 Jul 2009 | 8:57 am

During the next few months, we’ll be interviewing pastors who are a part of the Asian American Pastors Leadership Community, a 2-year peer-learning program made possible through a partnership between L2 Foundation and Leadership Network. This is an interview with Pastor David Kim of The Garden in Chatsworth, California. The Garden is a 15 year old church that grew out of a college ministry, and continues to reach hundreds of next generation Asian Americans in the Los Angeles area. Watch the video powered by Vimeo:
Events Calendar

djchuang

24 Jun 2009 | 2:06 am

L2 Foundation maintains this events calendar as a public service for the Asian American community. Here are events of interest to Asian American Christian ministry leaders, marketplace leaders, and/or legacy makers: June 20 - July 31, 2009 Global Leadership Development Institute (Costa Mesa, CA) for Korean Americans only a program of Jesus Awakening Movement for America (JAMA) June 20 - July 4, 2009 R2W Represent to Witness Summer Youth Leadership Institute (Berkeley, CA) a program of PANA Institute for Leadership Development and Study of Pacific Asian North American Religion, a center of…
Different approaches to philanthropy

djchuang

22 Jun 2009 | 7:40 pm

There are (at least) two different approaches to philanthropy, one of the ways to establish one’s legacy and leaving something behind to future generations. This Wall Street Journal article, “Philanthropists Set Spending Deadlines,” describes that some are spending a foundation’s assets with a deadline in mind, rather than a traditional foundation’s approach to establish assets for perpetuity, or to last forever, in order to make lasting impact over many generations: A growing number of philanthropists are adopting spending deadlines and sunset provisions to…
Conference on the Challenges and Future of English Ministries

djchuang

15 Jun 2009 | 11:25 am

The North American Chinese Congress on World Evangelization will be convening a Parallel English Track on the topic of “The Challenges and Future of English Ministries” along with its Mandarin Chinese Track. The conference is organized and sponsored by PALM (Pastoral and Laity Ministries), CCCOWE-USA and CCCOWE-Canada. Special speakers include Wayland Wong, John Ng, Donald Yee, Jim Cymbala (Brooklyn Tabernacle), and more. The purpose of this conference is “to bring English Ministry Colleagues and Leaders together from across the country to dream God’s dream, identify the…

Goodmanson
Church Website Guide

D. Goodmanson

23 Jun 2009 | 4:11 pm

If you have been following the Church Web Strategy Cooperative you are aware that we have been involved in a market research project for church websites. The research staff at ChurchWebsiteGuide.com has been working feverishly for four months on cutting-edge market research that seeks to answer the question, “What are churches doing on the Internet right now that are best practices for effective online ministry?” Well now data is slowly being released. Here is a list of the current articles released: Introduction 1. Church Website Market Research 2. Google Analytics: Why Every Church…
What is Gospel Intentionality within a Church Community?

D. Goodmanson

18 Jun 2009 | 11:40 am

Today I received an email from a pastor on Gospel Intentionality. In this email he requested help for his church family to gain a better understanding of what gospel intentionality looks like. What exactly is gospel intentionality? Steve Timmis posted a series of Tweets on this: Living ordinary life with gospel intentionality means … … buying from local shops. … frequenting a local coffee shop or pub. … playing for a local sports team. … always tipping generously in local restaurants. … being the kind of neighbor everyone wants to have as a neighbor. … volunteering at a local…
Church Web Strategy Coop Update

D. Goodmanson

16 Jun 2009 | 4:24 pm

Thank you for those who are interested in participating in the Church Web Cooperative. We have been working feverishly for four months of cutting-edge research that seeks to answer the question “What are churches doing on the Internet right now that are best practices for effective online ministry?” In spring 2009, Monk Development conducted market research on the impact of a church’s website. Over one hundred churches that represent 20,000+ members participated in the study. The study included 1100 survey responses and a collective 20+ years worth of web analytics data to help examine…
Church Website Cooperative Project

D. Goodmanson

2 Jun 2009 | 12:45 pm

Kaleo Church along with several other churches plan on cooperating and implementing a new church web strategy. This strategy is influenced from a study that examined the analytics of 50+ church websites. In this research there were answers to questions such as: Why do people come to a church website? What are they doing? Where did they come from? How long are they on the site? This study resulted in several case studies of best practices. In addition to this, a second research survey of 1,000+ congregants helps us understand much about people’s use of a church website as well as the…
Cobblestone Community Network BETA Release

D. Goodmanson

19 May 2009 | 5:01 pm

Our team at Monk Development has been hard at work and now we finally have the BETA release of Cobblestone. Today four organizations are on the system with more to come. Here are a few of the screenshots to whet your appetite: Grace Login page. Cobblestone can be pointed to a subdomain of your site. eg. members.churchname.com Grace Church using Cobblestone Cobblestone integrates with Ekklesia 360 (for those who use the CMS) and can share events, import members, etc.

Emergent Village
The Palatable Gospel [22]

Editor

29 Jun 2009 | 2:22 am

By Nic Paton: There’s a meme that has been doing the rounds, and this is the charge, primarily from the detractors of emergent spirituality, that its followers are compromising the Gospel in their attempts to make it “more palatable” to the world. Take for example, these comments critiquing the emergent POV: “the error … in the emergent church … [is] we become whatever the audience needs us to be in order to make the gospel palatable.” (Paul Edwards talking to John MacArthur) “Their hope is to make Christianity more palatable to the world” (Marsha West) There are a number of…
How to Be a Spiritual Person [7]

Editor

24 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

By Christine Sine: I have been thinking a lot lately about what kinds of practices I need in my life in order to consider myself a spiritual person. It all began when I posted reflections on my blog a a few months ago on What is a Spiritual Practice? and Reimagining our Spiritual Practices. I asked people about how they connected to God and what practices most renewed their faith. The responses to these posts were astounding. Most did not mention prayer or Bible study. It seems that most people encounter and connect to God not through their daily Bible reading or through going to church, but…
How Churches Are Like Record Labels and Newspapers [4]

Editor

22 Jun 2009 | 7:30 pm

By Fernando Gros, re-posted from Fernando’s Desk: Neo-Baptist has fast become one of my favourite blogs for challenging and intelligent commentary on churchy stuff. In recent months the blog has rally found it’s voice in terms of humour, criticism and encouragement. Today’s post, on Learning To Love Generation F, really got me thinking. The point really isn’t about Facebook, per se, but rather about how online “community” is challenging our assumptions about real world community. For a long time I was a critic of what I saw of local (Baptist) church culture because it reflected…
Input Needed: Help Describe the ‘Emergent Village’ [1]

Editor

17 Jun 2009 | 8:10 am

By Tripp Fuller, re-posted from Homebrewed Christianity: While those of us who identify with the emerging conversation are generally taken back when people ask us if we are a denomination, The Handbook of Denominations is going to include the Emergent Village in its upcoming edition. Its editor is a former professor, blogger, author, friend, and really sweet podcast guest and would appreciate your feedback to the current draft. Without further ado Deacon Atwood will take over … The Handbook of Denominations is a reference guide to the Abrahamic religious bodies in America today. In the 2010…
Where In the World is the Church Emerging? [24]

Editor

8 Jun 2009 | 12:06 am

By Mike Clawson, re-posted from Emerging Pensees: Even as debate erupts across the blogosphere about whether Emergent is fizzling as a movement, those of us still committed to the friendships and ideas we’ve found here are going ahead with ideas for how to keep the ball rolling and continue to get more and more people connected with the conversation. A few days ago I posted a question here at my blog and at the Emergent Village Cohort Leaders Google Group about what Emergent Village could do to help emergent-leaning folks in rural areas get connected with one another and with the broader…

Church Tech Matters
Build a Website - Intro.

Stuart

15 Jun 2009 | 11:56 am

Sometime back I was tasked with being the project lead in creating four websites for the Church I attend and in an attempt to help others understand I documented the process. The aim is for a series of posts outlining my experiences and what steps I took to get our Church’s eCommerce site up and running. however, let me clarify some things from the start though …. This will not be from a coders viewpoint but that of a tech head that knows the terminology I know this won’t be all encompassing but I trust it proves informative I am not a trained project manager so your mileage…
It’s True - Any Church Can Podcast

Greg Simmons

8 Jun 2009 | 9:25 am

While many churches today have their sermons available online and many others are streaming live, there are still churches that want to learn how to make their content available online. This video is a very basic primer about how ANY church can podcast. I worked with the South Carolina Baptist Convention to make this available in their podcast series. While there are many different ways to record, encode and post your content, this was just one way - specifically on the cheap. How does your church do it?
HDD Cabling 101

Stuart

1 May 2009 | 3:47 am

Are you confused by the jargon that surrounds hard drives and its cabling? Then let me try and set your mind at ease - I don’t intend for this to be an exhaustive account of all the different cabling / interface types but will concentrate on those associated with current and fairly recent desktops. So here is my HDD Cabling 101. Or as we Brits would call it, an introduction. In short there are two main types, IDE and SATA. However these are often given alternative names and in some cases have been renamed to try and avoid confusion but in reality have only added to it. Physically the…
EasyWorship - Latest Update Now Available

Greg Simmons

28 Apr 2009 | 4:41 pm

EasyWorship is my presentation platform of choice for announcements, song lyrics, scripture, and sermon notes. Why? The name should give it away - EasyWorship. The learning curve is very short for new volunteers and the package provides the functionality most churches need. I’m sure we’ll have a later post comparing the major presentation software platforms, but EasyWorship is still my choice. Anyway, in mid April 2009, the latest upgrade was released. No, this isn’t the long awaited MAJOR upgrade which will bring cross-platform (read: PC and Mac) functionality. …
Mt. Gilead’s Experience with Google Apps for Domains – Part II

paschott

27 Apr 2009 | 9:20 pm

It’s been a while, but this post is long overdue. In the prior post, I primarily discussed the basics of getting started and evaluating Google Apps for Domains. I realize that I actually left out some of the drawbacks of using Google Apps. The Church IT Roundtable group has discussed this in more detail. I want to bring up a couple of those arguments before continuing in order to help you decide if this is the right solution for your group. Possible Disadvantages of Google Apps * If you want to back up individual email boxes, you will need to obtain a separate solution to do this or work…

Ron Edmondson
Successfully Leading Change

Ron

2 Jul 2009 | 4:18 am

Every organization needs change to occur to continue to grow and remain healthy. Change is hard for some people and is often rejected or rebelled against. Learning to lead change successfully is important for any leader. Here are seven principles that can help you think through leading change in your organization: Lead change from a pre-established trust in your leadership. New leaders should be careful to implement a lot of change early in their leadership unless that change is vital to the organization. Change will be easier if the leader is trusted. Introduce change as early as…
Disciplining Children: To Spank or Not to Spank?

Ron

1 Jul 2009 | 5:09 am

To spank or not to spank…that’s probably one of the most frequent debates I have heard about parenting, but something seldom talked about from those who teach on parenting. I suppose I should not be surprised when I am addressed with this question often since I frequently teach on issues such as parenting, marriage and the family. Recently when I spoke on 5 Words to Shape Your Parenting, I received several questions again about this subject. Yesterday I began this subject of discipline. Read that post HERE. Here are a few of my thoughts about the issue: This is a personal issue and…
Video Messaging (Using Technology to Stay Connected)

Ron

30 Jun 2009 | 8:39 pm

My 18 year old son Nate is serving as an intern this Summer for Michael Bayne our family minister working primarily with middle and high school students. Recently he took it upon himself and made this video announcement to send to the students. It reminds me that the methods of communicating with our people are changing every day. Are you staying current? Does your church use Facebook, Twitter, text messaging and video messaging to stay current? Maybe you need to take a lesson from the next generation of leaders too of how best to contact your people.
10 Principles of Healthy and Effective Discipline for Children

Ron

30 Jun 2009 | 5:13 am

Recently I spoke at Grace Community Church and posted about 5 words to shape your parenting. Since then I have been asked several times for more specifics about parenting. There was a special interest in the subject of spanking; whether it was appropriate or not and whether I believe in it or not. While I believe discipline is a personal topic for parents to decide where they land, I do believe there are some principles that are helpful for all parents to follow. I am probably less inclined in this area to talk about what I did and more inclined to talk about the principles I…
The Strength of the Lithuanians

Ron

29 Jun 2009 | 2:05 pm

One thing that has kept us occupied the most in our culture training this week in Lithuania is the difference Soviet occupation has made on this country. People talk constantly about “Soviet times” and “during occupation”. We visited the KGB museum and saw the evidence of the stressed conditions of the people. Not one family here is unaffected by those days. There are many visual evidences of those times, which ended about 20 years ago. You can see it in the building disparity. There will be a beautifully architecturally designed building Europe is famous for right next door…

faithmaps blog
Please Pray for Rick Meigs

Stephen

14 Jun 2009 | 11:04 am

Please keep Rick Meigs in prayer. I just learned that he was riding his motorcycle when he was hit by a truck that crossed the double-yellow line and then drove off. He is in the hospital in critical condition in Boise, ID. He has two broken rips, a broken arm, two collapsed lungs and a ruptured speen.Rick blogs at The Blind Beggar and has been a critical voice in the missional church conversation through Friend of Missional, a very important networking and content site in that movement. Looks like Brother Maynard is doing a good job with updates.
A CRITICAL TV ALERT

Stephen

30 May 2009 | 2:17 pm

If you with me are one of the 16 of us that religiously watched Pushing Daisies, the last three episodes of the series are showing tonight at 10 PM ET/9 PM CT and then on the next 2 Sats at the same time. Fire up your DVRs!
My Favorite Copyright Notice

Stephen

25 May 2009 | 7:20 am

Loraine Boettner's 1932 notice for his The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination:"Any one is at liberty to use material from this book with or without credit. In preparing this book the writer has received help from many sources, some acknowledged and many unacknowledged. He believes the material herein set forth to be a true statement of Scripture teaching, and his desire is to further, not to restrict its use."
New Susan Boyle

Stephen

24 May 2009 | 6:23 pm
"More Americans “Pro-Life” Than “Pro-Choice” for First Time"

Stephen

15 May 2009 | 5:09 pm

Wow - this is kind of surprising.

CONNECT
Cultivate Conference '09

dnicole071

8 Jun 2009 | 7:35 am

A gathering of mavericks in ministry communication is convening at the end of this October. And registration is officially open. [after registering, your Twitter avatar will show up in the "who's in" section]The facilitators vary in the focus of their expertise--some from the marketplace, some from ministry--but everyone has been carefully selected because of their impact and heart to make a difference.We'll be highlighting their backgrounds in the weeks to come, but in the meantime here are just a few that I'd like to introduce you to:Matt Knisely is a multi Emmy®…
Cultivate & MinistryCOM

dnicole071

6 May 2009 | 6:23 am

Yes, this is new. And I'm insanely excited about it. I know the specifics are sketchy while the concept is still being shaped, but I think it's important to clarify a few things right out of the gate. Tim Schraeder does an excellent job outlining the difference between Cultivate and MinistryCOM in this post & I want to highlight some of the ideas behind how this evolved. Conversations :: It seems there's only a handful of professional speakers out there but a lot of people who are doing amazing things in communication and have wisdom to share. Let's change the format…
Let's Hear it for the Little Guy :: #Tribes

dnicole071

20 Apr 2009 | 10:09 pm

Welcome to Day 8 of the Tribes group blogging festivities, initiated by John Saddington. I'll be focusing on pages 35-39, which deals with initiative, leverage, followings, factories, and my favorite--Innovation. (Which I believe it's at the heart of it all.)What I love about innovation--the power of an idea--is it can come from anywhere. It's not dependent on what you've done before, your talents or bank account size. In fact, too much of any of these things can actually inhibit the process. That's why I'm a huge cheerleader for the little guys.The little guys…
5 Questions with Kary Oberbrunner

dnicole071

30 Mar 2009 | 7:13 am

Recently, I was humbled and honored to be included in Kary Oberbrunner's "5 Questions" interviews with leaders in ministry. If you'd like to see a quick snapshot of how we've gotten from there to here & stuff I stress about, you can find it here.I was privileged to meet Kary sometime last year when he was getting ready to launch his book, The Fine Line. Fabulous book about being relevant to today's culture without compromising your values. I was really impressed with the book overall which you can read more about here.Question for you guys-- What irrational…
How Not to Run a Company

dnicole071

20 Mar 2009 | 11:15 am

This email was received by a friend of mine today from her boss: Since we seem to have some misunderstandings in how things are working right now, I thought I would document the new rules. Until we have generated revenue all work is going to be done in the office. If you have to make up hours then come into the office. If you have late interviews then stay late or don’t schedule it for evening or weekends. (and I’m sorry *name changed*, I know how hard you are working but I can’t do this for everyone but you) From now on if you work at home it doesn’t count. If…

EdStetzer.com
A God-Imitating Life

2 Jul 2009 | 8:21 am

Here is a sermon I preached a couple of weeks ago at my church on living a "God-imitating life."
Join God's Global Mission in Taiwan

1 Jul 2009 | 12:53 am

I want to tell you about a mission / vision trip that I am putting together with the Upstream Collective and the International Mission Board to Taiwan this Fall. We will depart from the states on September 19, arrive the next day on the 20th, and will complete the trip on September 26th. Each day we will be taking a look at various ministry venues for church planting in that part of the world. I will be leading a session each morning with the group. We will also hear from some of the leaders of the Upstream Collective network each day as we talk about missional living in an urban and cross…
Panel at Advance09

29 Jun 2009 | 7:33 pm

The video of our Advance09 panel is up. Take a look. Interestingly, John Piper's first answer led to this clarification. The clarification is well worth your read just to get a take on how we might view modern culture. Also, several people have asked me about my comments about missions cooperation being the doorway to theological compromise. (I think that surprised some people.) However, there is little question that this is an historic pattern. I wrote a bit about it a few years ago here. My answer in the video gives more details.
A Little Education, A Little Advice

28 Jun 2009 | 6:38 pm

This week, the pastor search committee of my church announced that they have a candidate. Assuming that goes ahead, I will be finishing up as "interim Teaching Pastor" there in early August. It is a great church and I will miss delivering my messages there. But, I am, after all, an "interim" and eventually that comes to an end. Here are some pics of the church from a recent blog post (see that post here). So, that leaves me one message before the new pastor comes "in view of a call." I should probably explain what "in view of a call" means. It is a common expression in low church evangelical…
How Do You Handle the Word of God?

26 Jun 2009 | 1:14 am

My new article went up at Sermon Central. I have the privilege of serving on the advisory council for Sermon Central and am always appreciative when they publish our research or writings. Check it out below and share your thoughts in the comments. How Do You Handle the Word of God? Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Europe to speak to pastors, missionaries, and church leaders. Europe is one of the most difficult and often discouraging ministry contexts in the world. Yet, the trip was incredible. Along the way, I met courageous men and women who were faithful to Jesus and his Great…

daveferguson.org
Less Talk & More Action for 100+ Students!

Dave Ferguson

21 Jun 2009 | 8:28 pm

Over the last couple weeks we sent more than 100 students on mission trips to New Orleans, Galveston, Mexico and Philippines. This is a pic of some of the students (including my son Josh) taking a break at the beach after a hard day of work. I'm extraordinarily proud of our students.Our student ministry made a strategic decision this year that rather than send our students to another conference (they already have a Blast Winter Conference) they decided that they would encourage students to go on mission trips. I think this bias toward less talk and more action is something the church…
One More Reason To Be A White Sox Fan!

Dave Ferguson

13 Jun 2009 | 8:18 am
www.facebook.com/daveferguson is mine!

Dave Ferguson

12 Jun 2009 | 10:18 pm

At 11:00 pm tonight they allowed people to get a user address on facebook. I got on early enough I was able to get www.facebook.com/daveferguson It may not seem like a big deal...but I'm pretty happy!
Those Who Preach With "Substantial Content"

Dave Ferguson

10 Jun 2009 | 5:25 am

Learnings at Leadership Network was asked, "What are the blogs of young megachurch pastors who preach with substantial content?" Here you go: Mark Driscoll http://theresurgence.com/md_blog Matt Chandler http://theresurgence.com/mc_blog Mark Batterson http://www.evotional.com/ Dave Ferguson http://daveferguson.org/ Mac Lake http://www.maclakeonline.com Troy Gramling http://www.troygramling.com/ Perry Noble http://www.perrynoble.com/ Craig Groeschel http://swerve.lifechurch.tv/ Steven Furtick http://www.stevenfurtick.com Josh Harris http://joshharris.com Bob Roberts www.glocal.net Dino Rizzo…
2 New Community Christian Sites Coming to Aurora!

Dave Ferguson

9 Jun 2009 | 9:15 pm

If you have been on the Community Christian Church website lately you may have noticed that when you click on the "locations" tab there are no longer 9 locations but 11! We are excited to announce that we are currently forming launch teams for both East Aurora and Aurora (North). Both of these launch teams have already attracted a large numbers of people and look to be big impact sites. If you are interested in learning more about the East Aurora site, click HERE. If you want more info about the Aurora (North) site click HERE.

tonymorganlive.com
Do you have gunky build-up?

tony

1 Jul 2009 | 9:38 pm

We took off early this morning and drove to Dallas for the next stop on the Killing Cockroaches Tour. We stopped at Whataburger for lunch, but none of us ended up ordering a burger. We got a free upgrade at Embassy Suites, so we’re loving our hotel accommodations. We went to the Rangers game this evening. It was blazing hot, but they won. Along the way, we stopped at a couple of gas stations. That reminded me of this post… Stop Gunky Build-up I saw a sign at a gas station while I was traveling this past week that encouraged me to “Stop gunky build-up.” It made me think about…
Leaders Need to Drive

tony

30 Jun 2009 | 9:12 pm

Today we headed down the road toward the other Dallas – not Dallas, GA but Dallas, TX. We stopped in Jackson, MS for the night. Highlights from the day included seeing the Talladega Speedway, watching Jacob almost make himself sick by eating a footlong Philly steak sandwich, eating a great meal at Sweet Peppers Deli and cruising the Capitol area in Jackson. All the driving reminded me of this post about leaders. At some point, leaders need to… Drive the Car Recently, I gathered with a group of guys for breakfast and to talk about leadership. One of the guys was talking about the…
Bad Web Sites

tony

29 Jun 2009 | 8:27 pm

We had a great launch to the Killing Cockroaches Tour today in Atlanta at West Ridge Church. And, it was also a great launch to our family vacation. Among other things, we ate at a Japanese grill, played at the pool, cruised the big city of Dallas (Georgia) and ate at The Varsity in downtown Atlanta. While we’re on the tour/vacation, I’ll be sharing some of the posts that inspired the book…that inspired the tour. Here’s a favorite from the early days of the blog. Here are… 10 Easy Ways to Keep Me from Visiting Your Church Because I Visited Your Website Avoid…
Killing Cockroaches

tony

28 Jun 2009 | 12:29 pm

Tomorrow I begin the Killing Cockroaches Summer Tour with a stop at West Ridge Church in Atlanta. In all, there will be six stops in six cities. Over the next three weeks during the tour, I’m going to share some of the blog posts that inspired the book. Maybe at the end we’ll have some sort of poll for you to pick your favorite. There’s probably no better place to start than this post. This is how the book got its name… Killing Cockroaches I was sitting around the breakfast table with a bunch of guys this morning and was reminded of an incident that took place at a…
Share a Story of Life Change

tony

26 Jun 2009 | 11:50 am

I have a friend who has become a Christ-follower in recent years. He’s a marketplace executive. If I mentioned his name, there’s a chance you’d be familiar with him. He’s also a writer. Now, he’s working on a new book project. Rather than writing about leadership and marketing strategies, he’s going to be sharing his life change story. However, he’s hoping to share the stories of other people as well. Specifically, he’s looking for the stories of men in these categories that have committed their lives to Jesus after pursuing a previous…

CatalystSpace | Catablog
What is Jesus’s Response to Depraved Media?

info@catalystspace.com

2 Jul 2009 | 3:30 am

My twitter friend, @MilanFord, is a great guy. He was recently disturbed by a very lewd song that was performed at a tribute to Michael Jackson. Rather than just stand appalled, he decided to quickly build a website (I AM NOT EVERY GIRL.com) and start a movement of people condemning the song and asking radio stations to stop playing it. The movement is a reaction against the degradation of women and a call for dialogue on how the music on the radio affects the younger generation. He's put in a lot of effort, and done a phenomenal job with his site! What do you think? Is this how Jesus wants…
LAST DAY for the Catalyst Music Project

info@catalystspace.com

1 Jul 2009 | 4:50 am

Today is the LAST DAY to submit songs to the Catalyst Music Project! We Value the local church. We value songs that move our generation. We value songwriters, musicians and worship leaders. We value the next generation of worship. Catalyst and INO Records want to help facilitate the next generation of songs from the Church by providing a platform for worship leaders, musicians and songwriters to connect their Local songs to the Global church. Thousands of leaders have been blessed with songs, with anthems of praise they believe will help the Body of Christ bring glory to Jesus in a whole new…
Backstage with Steve Fee at Catalyst ONE DAY

info@catalystspace.com

1 Jul 2009 | 3:29 am

I am a big fan, and good friends with FEE. The band has been involved with pretty much every Catalyst event/experience the last several years. Steve Fee, Matt Adkins, Heath Baltzglier, and Brandon Coker are the real deal. They are talented musicians and leaders, and also pretty fun to hang out with, as evidenced by the video below. A little behind the scenes at our recent Catalyst One Day gathering in Dallas. FEE Band- behind the scenes at Catalyst One Day from Brad Lomenick on Vimeo.
Why is Sunday so Segregated?

info@catalystspace.com

30 Jun 2009 | 3:32 am

We are the body of Christ. And we are not all the same, but we should have equal concern for one another. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink...But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. - 1 Cor. 12:13, 24, 25 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
TIME IS SHORT! LET’S GO!

info@catalystspace.com

29 Jun 2009 | 3:30 am

There's been a sudden rash of celebrity deaths. Farrah Fawcet, Billy Mays over the weekend, and - most notably - Michael Jackson. This is a reminder that TIME IS SHORT! Our life is but a vapor! (James 4:14, Psalm 39). Jesus counsels us not to live for our comfort, our selfish desires. Instead, if we give-up our life, we will truly gain it. (John 12:25) God has given us a mission, and time is short, so let's get crackin! Are you afraid of stepping-out and following the vision he's given you? Me too! LET'S DO IT ANYWAY! This world is not our home, and we will have to stand before God and give…

FlowerDust.net
QUICK READER POLL - Help Shape This Blog!

Anne Jackson

2 Jul 2009 | 12:46 pm

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE FLOWERDUST.NET READER POLL During this blogging down time, I will probably sporadically update but it won’t be consistent. Brad is in the process of redesigning the look and functionality, and in order to make this the best experience for you, I would LOVE for you to take a quick Reader Survey. I shamelessly stole this idea (and most of the questions) from my friend Mike Hyatt. It’s around 20 questions and most are multiple choice. It should take you just a minute to complete and will provide me with valuable information to make FlowerDust.net even…
Taking Another Blogging & Twitter Break

Anne Jackson

29 Jun 2009 | 4:36 am

At least for a little while. Be back soon. Somewhere we know that without silence words lose their meaning, that without listening speaking no longer heals, that without distance closeness cannot cure. - Henri Nouwen ========== Related posts:The Drawbridge You must decide for yourself to whom and when you...Saying Goodbye to Facebook During Lent, I said “until next time…” to some of...[[LEAP!]] what do you have to lose? ... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Caption Please

Anne Jackson

27 Jun 2009 | 5:00 am

My best friend got married last Friday. Her husband Shawn has a Harley. About ten years ago, I saw a guy get hit by an 18-wheeler on a motorcycle on I635 in Dallas (a HUGE highway). Then, my friend Denise fell off of one and had a compound fracture and now has six pins in her arm. I’ve promised I would never EVER ever ride a bike. At her rehearsal dinner cookout, peer pressure got the best of me and I got on the bike with Shawn and he actually took me out on a highway. For like, fifteen minutes. In flip flops. So with that story…caption please (for the picture below - not above!)…
BOOK GIVEAWAY - 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One

Anne Jackson

25 Jun 2009 | 12:42 pm

One of the “second opinions” in Mad Church Disease was written by my friends Shawn Wood. I met Shawn at a conference three years ago. Shawn did a talk called “Brand Schizophrenia” which he ended with what he called “the artist’s mandate.” The mandate was pretty simple and as an artist right up my alley. Here is how Shawn puts it: We are all artists (Moms, web developers, baseball players, single dads, CEOs, Authors, Pastors etc.) and we have a mandate from God to be Great at the art we produce. The mandate is simply living a life of influence and meaning in a way that will…
Be a Lab Rat and an Early Bird

Anne Jackson

25 Jun 2009 | 7:43 am

Last year, I had the amazing opportunity to host Catalyst Backstage - a behind the scenes look at Catalyst with interviews with speakers, pastors, and conference attenders. You can see some of those interviews here. This year, I will be hosting Backstage again, and also will be speaking at Catalyst Labs with Los and Jon. As much as I love the Catalyst experience as a whole, the Lab day is secretly my favorite part of the event. Smaller environments, people sitting on the floor, up the walls, wherever there is space hearing exclusive and intimate conversation and thought by the Lab speakers.

Ragamuffin Soul
Great Female Worship Leaders

loswhit

2 Jul 2009 | 3:51 pm

This is Vicky Beeching. Not only is she one of the greatest female worship leaders on the planet, you can take the “female” out of this sentence. She is one of the greatest worship leaders on the planet. She is also a great friend and an even better person. I don’t think the lady’s get near the respect the men do. There are far too few. So I need to hear. Who is your favorite female worship leader and why? Los
What’s Running Through His Head?

loswhit

2 Jul 2009 | 12:14 pm

Talk, Los
@$#!@#$@$#!@$#

loswhit

2 Jul 2009 | 11:06 am

This is how I feel today. Today would be akin to opening your new restaurant and 5 hours before it opens, it floods. Not everything is ruined. Just what touches the floor. Luckily, the gracious patrons of my restaurant are planning on eating for 4 months so we shall open next week. That is the long way of saying that today was the launch of my Creative Coaching Network and my laptop crashed with all my curriculum on it at 2 am. So I started over again this morning. Luckily it’s all in my heart anyways. An army of creatives with Christ as our center is forming. And we won’t be…
If you love sneakers, creativity, and history, click play.

loswhit

1 Jul 2009 | 11:18 am

If you love sneakers, creativity, and history, click play. A motion graphics piece created by David Park, a student graduating from PARSONS SCHOOL of DESIGN. This is his thesis project, featuring the history of sneaker culture. Soul 2 Sole from David Park on Vimeo. You’re Welcome, Los
I Smiled. I Sat. I Cried. I Ate.

loswhit

30 Jun 2009 | 6:10 pm

She’s gone for 2 weeks. I get home from LA. I’m lonely. I’m hungry. We’re broke. I open the fridge. I smiled. I sat. I cried. I ate. Three words. She’s All Mine, Los

Pomomusings
Riverside Church Pastor Resigns: Thoughts on Compensation & Stewardship

Adam

30 Jun 2009 | 2:22 pm

I do want to offer this correction from the comment below. According to this Open Letter from the Church Council at Riverside Church, Rev. Dr. Braxton’s total compensation was $460,000 – not $600,000. This is helpul information to have – though I think the underlying questions still pertain to the situation. The Rev. Dr. Brad Braxton has resigned today from his position as Senior Pastor of Riverside Church (details here). Braxton has served Riverside for just 9 months before submitting his resignation. Many of you probably first heard Braxton’s name when the NY Times…
Weight Watchers Update: Week 10

Adam

29 Jun 2009 | 3:45 pm

Starting Weight: 164 / Current Weight: 158 / Goal Weight: 150 Okay. This is getting a little old. Although, after a week of travel and lots of eating out with my parents, sister and brother-in-law, I am still at 158lbs. This week, we’re going to the gym every morning, and I’m doing all cardio instead of weights. Hopefully that, plus a little bit less eating out, will help me continue toward my goal weight of 150. My only question is, How many times can I get “back on the wagon?“ Related posts:Weight Watchers Update: Week 9Weight Watchers Update: Week 8
Sovereignty of God Blog Series

Adam

29 Jun 2009 | 11:11 am

Later this month, I’ll be participating in a blog series on the Sovereignty of God, hosted by Tyler Braun of Man of Depravity. My post will go live July 22 but you can read all about the series and see the full list of participants here. This is how he describes the series: The sovereignty of God is such a key theological subject that many other subjects hinge on. How much does God control? How much do we control? Did we choose God? Did God choose us? (An example of this is how can we reconcile Jonah 3:10 and Isaiah 46:9-10) These are the kind of questions I’ve been wrestling with and…
Grabbing Jesus…

Adam

28 Jun 2009 | 10:54 pm

This sermon was preached at Asbury United Methodist Church in Livermore, CA on June 28, 2009. The lectionary texts I used in the sermon were Psalm 130 and Mark 5.21-43. I’m going to let you in on a little secret…I’m not very good at waiting. I don’t know that the word “patient” is really the most accurate adjective that you could use to describe me. For those of you who are thinking to yourself, “Oooh, I think I’ll go and talk with Sarah about this…” – don’t get any ideas. I’ll just say…she would probably agree with this. Waiting is just something that…
Weight Watchers Update: Week 9

Adam

22 Jun 2009 | 8:27 pm

Starting Weight: 164 / Current Weight: 158 / Goal Weight: 150 I really don’t have much to add from what I said I needed to start doing last week. I spent Tuesday-Saturday in Washington DC at a conference, eating AMAZING food all week. I tried to watch my portions, but also let myself indulge a little bit. And I came back only 1/2 pound heavier than last week. Not bad – but certainly not heading in the right direction. Wednesday-Friday we’re going to be with my parents, sister and brother-in-law in Chehalis, WA, and hopefully I can do a little better – but I won’t…

Tall Skinny Kiwi
TallSkinnyKiwi BLOGIVERSARY, and I am taking a break.

Andrew Jones

5 Jun 2009 | 1:16 am

Tallskinnykiwi is 8 Years old today. Well, it was actually June 3, 2001 when I shifted from Andrews Tea Salon (1997) to Tallskinnykiwi, but whose counting? Thanks to everyone who has been receiving my feeds and popping over occasionally to this blog to see what's going on. Normally I do something special on these blogiversarys, like hosting games or taking a retrospective look back at TSK through the years. Today, I want to celebrate by stopping the blog for a while. A few reasons: 1. This blog has 2,777 posts and most of it is buried deep under much rubble. TSK has become too unwieldy and…
Remembering GM

Andrew Jones

3 Jun 2009 | 1:04 am

General Motor's bankruptcy is close to home for us because my father-in-law, who lives in Oregon, is retired from GM and we are not sure how this will affect his pension. Sounds like the government is stepping in to help which is good for us while we are traveling overseas. Don Dunavant explores what the SBC can learn from the demise of GM Best GM car was the Corvette. My favorite as a kid was the early 70's Corvette because it looked like a shark but I think they look a bit tacky now. I actually preferred both Ford and Dodge to GM. What about you? Technorati Tags: GM
Twittering in Church: Is It Really New?

Andrew Jones

2 Jun 2009 | 5:59 am

Time Mag has an article called Twittering in Church. The trend sounds pretty new, at least to Time and a Christianity Today writer who credits the use of twitter in church to a pastor in Michigan. Funny. That Twitter bird doesn't look anything at all like a DOVE! Actually, the use of participatory media in church has been around at least 20 years. When I was an associate pastor at Glenwood Community Church in Vancouver, Washington, back in 1989, one of our congregants was a Christian geek named Paul Miller who had created a Bible language software program that would work with his pocket…
Book: The Rabbit and the Elephant

Andrew Jones

2 Jun 2009 | 2:13 am

Nice cover! New book called The Rabbit and the Elephant: Why Small is the New Big for Today's Church, by my good friends Tony and Felicity Dale of simplechurch and house2house. George Barna also throws in some thoughts and corresponding numbers to back them. The title reminds me of the Starfish and the Spider, or the Lexus and the Olive Tree. And it reminds me of my blog post on a similar subject entitled "Tiny is the New Small" The Dales have been a part of the emerging house church movement in USA for many years and have a lot to say. I have enjoyed many conversations with…
Who loves TSK?

Andrew Jones

1 Jun 2009 | 5:27 am

This months banner is a photo taken last week in Lisbon, Portugal. My kids noticed graffiti with the initials "TSK" all over Lisbon. I am not condoning graffiti, but I do appreciate the advertising for the TallSkinnyKiwi blog. We will be in Portugal for a few more days and then start our journey north, gradually winding our way through the European countries until we get to Turkey by the end of the summer. One of our main goals is to map out what God is doing in and beyond this continent. If you know of a new Christian movement that is seeing new churches start, please send me an…

Vintage Faith
Emerging Church memories and good and nice things

DanKimball

25 Jun 2009 | 12:21 pm

I got a copy of the book "Evangelicals Engaging Emergent" in the mail. It is a book which calls itself on the back "A comprehensive Evangelical assessment of the Emergent/Emerging Church". I flipped through it and saw in the index...
Thoughts On Planning Ahead Sermon-Teaching Series

DanKimball

22 Jun 2009 | 11:37 pm

A couple weeks ago I Twittered that we had an all-day sermon planning series and mapped out a year in advance of what the teaching is. I got several emails and questions about when we plan in advance - does...
Origins Project update

DanKimball

18 Jun 2009 | 12:45 pm

We had a conference call today about the Origins Project which was great looking ahead a bit. For those that don't know what the Origins Project is - it is a community being birthed for those who have a passion...
Apart from prayer, I can't think of anything more important than outreach right now

DanKimball

27 May 2009 | 10:42 am

I am posting today being part of the National Outreach Convention blog tour. They are going to different blogs of the various speakers to have some blog-dialog and today is the day at this one. The focus of their convention...
Could Green Day be the next U2?

DanKimball

15 May 2009 | 8:32 am

I don't agree with some of Green Day's political pokes as well as some of their themes. But I just listened to their new album from beginning to end. It was catchy and I want to listen to it again....

www.markdroberts.com
Prayer and Mission in the Ministry of Jesus

Mark D. Roberts

2 Jul 2009 | 1:01 am

Part 6 of series: Missional and Formational? Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series If you read through the Gospels looking for connections between formational and missional, you’ll discover plenty of them. In today’s post I’ll cite and comment on one pregnant example. Consider this passage from the Gospel of Mark: 35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37 When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” 38 He…
The Formation of Jesus for Mission

Mark D. Roberts

1 Jul 2009 | 1:01 am

Part 5 of series: Missional and Formational? Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series Today I’m returning to the series I began last week: Missional and Formational? So far I’ve looked briefly at some connections between missional and formational in the Old Testament and in the early life of Jesus. Today I want to focus on a couple of passages from the Gospels that shed light upon the formation of Jesus for his mission. The Baptism of Jesus The baptism of Jesus appears in the three synoptic Gospels. In each of these texts, Jesus is baptized in the Jordan River by John the…
Andy Crouch at Laity Lodge: What Keeps Us From Being Creative?

Mark D. Roberts

30 Jun 2009 | 1:01 am

We had a fantastic lineup at Laity Lodge last week. Our musicians were Ashley Cleveland and Kenny Greenberg (for the second retreat in a row). Our speakers were Dr. J.I. Packer and Andy Crouch. I expect most of you have heard of J.I. Packer. His book, Knowing God, is one of the most respected Christian books of the last half century. It has sold well over a million copies, which isn’t bad for a book of serious theology. Joining Dr. Packer in the teaching role was Andy Crouch. Andy is not as well known as J.I. Packer, but he might well be in the future. (He’s just about exactly…
Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling

Mark D. Roberts

28 Jun 2009 | 1:01 am

The Inevitability of Death READ Psalm 49:1-20 Those who are wise must finally die, just like the foolish and senseless, leaving all their wealth behind. Psalm 49:10 Psalm 49 isn’t exactly what you’d call cheery. Its main point is that the rich will die just like everybody else. The psalm ends on this note: “People who boast of their wealth don’t understand; they will die, just like animals.” Not exactly an upbeat thought, is it? Yet Psalm 49 offers us the possibility of looking at our lives differently, of living with deeper purpose and wider vision. Even if we’re not striving…
Missional and Formational: Factors in the Formation of Jesus (continued)

Mark D. Roberts

27 Jun 2009 | 1:01 am

Part 4 of series: Missional and Formational? Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series In my last post I mentioned that Jesus, as a carpenter, would have had to operate his business with integrity if he were to succeed in a small village such as Nazareth. Speaking of Nazareth, Jesus spent most of his early life in this village, experiencing the pluses and minuses of small town life. We know almost nothing about his years in Nazareth. But we do know that when Jesus began his ministry, the home town folks were not expecting it. In fact, they were relatively unsupportive of Jesus. At…

Church Communications Pro | Church Marketing | Church Web Design
My Church on Twitter

Cory Miller

19 Jun 2009 | 7:51 am

Today I learned that my church – Quail Springs Baptist Church in Oklahoma City – is now on Twitter! Follow our church, plus some of our ministers here: QSBC – main church account Ray Griffin – minister of education Tobin Jackson – youth minister Rusty McMullen – middle school minister Scott Campbell - college minister Brian Hobbs – communications director Related posts:Case Study: The Q-Drive Youth Ministry Website Check out my church’s Youth Ministry’s new website — Q-Drive....Will You Twitter Your Church or Ministry? Twitter is an…
Advance 09 Church Conference

James Dalman

27 May 2009 | 7:37 am

In case you haven’t heard…The Advance Conference will be taking place in Durham, NC, June 4th through June 6th, 2009. Speakers include John Piper, Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler, Ed Stetzer , and Eric Mason. It looks like it will address some great topics such as “What is the Church?” and “Preaching the Gospel to the De-Churched.” If you happen to attend, please let Church Communications Pro what you thought of the conference and any “cliff notes” you would share with our friends. Related posts:Take some notes for me…The National New…
Southern Baptist Pastor Killed in Illinois

Cory Miller

8 Mar 2009 | 7:04 pm

My wife told me about this tragic story of a Southern Baptist pastor being killed in Illinois … and when I saw his name I remembered I had interviewed for a story a couple years ago when I was communications director for Midwestern Baptist Seminary. Here is the article I wrote for our alumni magazine Please keep his family and church in your prayers. Related posts:Baptist Press: The Standard in Online Denominational News Call me biased … I am and frankly, don’t care....Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission Launches Josiah Road According to Baptist…
How is Your Church Doing?

James Dalman

2 Mar 2009 | 7:05 pm

It seems these days all we hear about are bailouts, fat corporate cats living high on the hog while taking a handout, the financial crisis in America, or that the Dow Jones is sucking wind. While these are all true and they are all depressing, I wonder how our churches across the United States are doing right now. So how are you doing? Not in numbers or finances – but how are you holding up personally? Has ministering to people changed during this time? Are you still as strong in your faith as before the economic crunch? Do you feel God will use this challenging situation for…
Sermon Branding and Worship Graphics from CCP

James Dalman

16 Feb 2009 | 9:10 am

Church Communications Pro would like to announce that we now have a few sets of sermon branding graphics for sale in our new products section: http://www.churchcommunicationspro.com/products. These sermon graphics were created by James Dalman and are easily customizable with the layered Photoshop files or you can use them as is. All of the current designs were developed for his church clients who have graciously offered to make these available for other churches to use and are a great way to look awesome AND save money in a difficult economy. Right now there are only three different sermon…

WithoutWax.tv by Pete Wilson
Message Slip-ups, Embarrassing moments, and Tony Morgan

Pete Wilson

2 Jul 2009 | 5:44 am

Everyone loves a good message slip-up. Just ask our Nashville campus Pastor, Blake Bergstrom, who may never live his down. And just in case you’re the only person in America who hasn’t seen it please enjoy THIS. Several years ago when we were still meeting in Gower Elementary school I had one of my most embarrassing slip-ups. If you were around in those days you’ll remember it wasn’t that uncommon to see a large cockroach scurrying across the cafeteria floor. In one particular message I was trying to tell our community just how proud I was of them. I was trying to say…
I Sweat A lot

Pete Wilson

1 Jul 2009 | 6:45 am

So this past Sunday we concluded the Q series by allowing our Cross Point attenders to text in their questions. The questions were presented to me live to answer with no preparation. I got asked some of the toughest questions I’ve ever been asked. From questions about homosexuality, suicide, and dinosaurs to marijuana and masturbation. Funny how you can put together a pretty good answer to some of these questions when you’re sitting at the table with your friends and have about 30 minutes to talk through them. I found out it’s a lot more difficult when you have 3 seconds and…
Swap For a Day?

Pete Wilson

30 Jun 2009 | 4:32 am

If you could swap jobs for a day with anyone who would you swap with? Me? Easy…Matt Lauer. He’s a cool dude, seems to enjoy his job, and he get’s to meet a ton interesting people.
A Summer Study Break

Pete Wilson

29 Jun 2009 | 7:47 am

It’s hard for me to believe, but I started my first church over 13 years ago. God has allowed me to have an incredible ride over the years! If you know me at all the one thing I’ve always struggled with over the years is the pace of ministry. There have been seasons that I did not manage the balance of my own spiritual growth, my family, and ministry very well. In recent years I’ve worked much harder at keeping this balance. Yesterday, at Cross Point Nashville I announced I’m taking my first study break. After 13 years of preaching messages almost every single weekend…
Timing Is Everything

Pete Wilson

26 Jun 2009 | 6:23 am

Last Friday I scratched another thing off my “bucket list” when I went surfing with the boys. While I had a blast surfing I had more fun teaching the boys to surf. In reality I really don’t know how to surf, but I discovered throughout the day it’s all about timing. If we got too far out in front of a wave it would go over us and we’d fizzle out. If we waited too long to get momentum we might miss out on an incredible wave that could have taken us all the way in. Success for us was completely dependent on watching, being ready, and knowing exactly when to start…

Perry Noble | Leadership, Vision & CreativityPerry Noble | Leadership, Vision & Creativity
Influence

perry

2 Jul 2009 | 4:58 am

“Who or what you listen to will ultimately determine what you do.” I once heard Andy Stanley make that statement…and like it or not…it’s true. Every single one of us are influenced by someone or something–period! This stuck out to me the other morning as I was reading through the OT and saw II Chronicles 24:1-2…take a look at that verse and notice the phrase, “Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years of Jehoiada the priest.” In other words…Joash did what was right as long as he was being influenced to do so.
Prayer Requests

perry

1 Jul 2009 | 4:35 am

Quite often people will ask me how they can pray for me…which always encourages the heck out of me! Today I wanted to share some things that you can be praying for if you feel led to do so. #1 - My Walk With Christ! I have never really struggled with having a quite time…I love to meet with Jesus every morning with a huge cup of coffee, a Bible and a pen. However…the desire of my heart is NOT to meet with Him in the morning but rather to walk with Him all day long! My prayer is that He will continually draw me closer to Himself. #2 - My Relationship with ‘Cretia!
DANG!

perry

30 Jun 2009 | 8:00 am

“Jesus leadership example = saw a great need which produced a broken heart which ignited passion which worked itself out through sacrifice.” Shane Duffey Saw this on Twitter this morning…was too long to retweet and didn’t want to dilute the message by trying to abbreviate it… Might be one of the best definitions of leadership I’ve ever seen!!!
16 Leadership Questions That Will Help Us Make It In Ministry - Part 14

perry

30 Jun 2009 | 4:06 am

14. Will I Preach Jesus? In Matthew 10:32-33 Jesus is very clear to His disciples the purpose of preaching and leading is to proclaim His name…and that if anyone denies His name that He will deny them- pretty serious stuff. I remember a time several years ago where I nearly lost my focus. I would find a cool video idea or a cool song idea or a sermon prop idea and try my best to revolve the sermon around a concept rather than scripture. I actually thought I could give really great lessons in morality and not preach Jesus because His name seemed to constantly offend people—then God…
Seven Questions Leadership Teams Should Wrestle With

perry

29 Jun 2009 | 9:08 am

#1 – Has everyone in the room kept short accounts…or is there any unresolved personal tension that needs to be dealt with? #2 – Is there anything that we are doing as a church that we would not be excited about if we were not on staff? #3 – Would we even attend this church if we were not on staff? #4 – Is our goal to really focus on what needs to be done…or to get the meeting over with as soon as possible so we can get on with our individual agenda? #5 – Are we resisting anything that God is leading us towards because it puts us in a very uncomfortable place? #6 – Are we…

MoreThanDodgeball.com
HSM Parent Letter Summer Experiment

Josh

2 Jul 2009 | 10:20 am

One of our amazing summer interns, a journalism major at Pepperdine, is helping launch a 3-month experiment in HSM. In our 5-year plan for our ministry, I have us slated to go after parents with focused efforts in 2011, so this is exciting to say the least. We’re going to do a series of summer newsletters for parents – lot of info on what’s going on, what’s ahead and arm them with ideas and discussion starters for their students. I know it is critically important to equip parents to disciple their kids, and for too long student ministry has aimed to take on that…
RunPee.com

Josh

2 Jul 2009 | 8:13 am

Saw a link to RunPee.com in the latest issue of Group Magazine. Brilliant website – it tells you when you can sneak out of a movie to go to the bathroom. Simple, but strong execution of concept. Ha! JG
HSM Weekend in Review: Volume 54

Josh

1 Jul 2009 | 11:07 pm

Weekend Teaching Series: GROW Sermon in a Sentence: As we grow up physically, emotionally, and socially, we also need to grow spiritually and put ourselves in a position to allow God to transform our lives. Weekend Scale of Difficulty: 3 out of 10 Service Length: 72 minutes Understandable Message: Jason Petty, our pastor of discipleship, mixed things up a bit and challenged students with a message devoted to showing the importance of growing spiritually. Because all healthy things grow, the goal of our spiritual growth is to look more like Jesus. However, growing spiritually is difficult…
Robby Boyd – Newest Member of the HSM Team

Josh

1 Jul 2009 | 11:00 pm

I’m very excited to announce today a new addition to the HSM team here at Saddleback – Robby Boyd is joining us to serve High School students here in Orange County. He doesn’t have a blog or a Twitter (yet, I’ll immediately start to work on him), but has been around Saddleback for a long time and just graduated with his MA from Wheaton. He has a huge heart for pastoral care of students and is going to build up a crack team of volunteers to care for them. He’ll fit in great, couldn’t be more excited about this addition to the team! JG
Killball Cup 2009 Highlight Countdown Video

Josh

1 Jul 2009 | 10:53 pm

My sophomore guys team didn’t take the title this year … just 2 of the 3 tournaments building up to the main event. Next time! JG

History in the Making
Two Cooks in the Creative Kitchen

Ben Arment

2 Jul 2009 | 10:45 am

Two of my favorite designers - Barton Damer and Promise Tangeman - are collaborating on an art project to benefit a children's home in the Ngong Hills in Kenya. It's called Art for Humura.On Monday, Barton starts the design...Promise sets it in a new direction...Barton tweaks it a bit...Promise puts her sass on it...Barton puts it through the gauntlet of taste...Promise makes it beg for mercy and puts a fork in it.When it's done, you can buy a print or tee and help make a difference for the children in Kenya. Check their blogs for the back-and-forth: Barton Damer & Promise…
Captivating Baltimore

Ben Arment

2 Jul 2009 | 8:21 am

Just got back from two days with my friend Tally Wilgis, who is launching Captivate Church in Baltimore. What's interesting is that he's planting two churches - one in the suburbs and one in the inner city.Tally was raised by a single mother in one of Baltimore city's toughest neighborhoods. He went on to attend Liberty and help start several churches in Texas and Virginia... but now he's back to his native roots.The old, inner city church he attended as a kid - recently GAVE HIM the million dollar facility and the bank account. But knowing that an urban church can quickly…
Band Man

Ben Arment

2 Jul 2009 | 5:50 am

Excited to hang out with these guys tomorrow -- the Micah Watson Band. They've been leading worship for years in the Hampton, Virginia and are about to take the rest of the state by storm. I'm about to dabble in a little band management.
Scandalously Biblical

Ben Arment

30 Jun 2009 | 8:15 am

There's a great guy who works at the Paramount Theater who attends a Vineyard church in Aurora, IL. He said they meet in a house on Sundays because they don't want to grow...gasp.ack... right?Until he explains that they want to grow outward. They want to send people out to start things... to be on mission... to plant new churches.That's so New Testament, it's almost unrecognizable.Love that.
The 35-Year Sweet Spot

Ben Arment

30 Jun 2009 | 6:35 am

There's lots of talk about sweet spots.How we finally have to get there.How we should've been there long ago.How it's a shame we toiled elsewhere for so long.But I don't think the sweet spot even exists without years and years of aimless work. I think our sweet spot is the result of countless attempts to discover our gifts, sharpen our skills, and not screw up.It never even existed until we worked for at least 30 years outside of it.

eugene cho
the beautiful and broken story

Eugene Cho

2 Jul 2009 | 9:34 am

Stories are essential. Our ability to experience, process, and share our stories is one of the reasons that make us uniquely divine and a reminder, in my opinion, of affirmation that we are created in the image of our loving God. The Scriptures is a profound narrative of God – unfolding his identity, purpose, and commitment [...]
near naked dancing dude: courage or herd mentality?

Eugene Cho

30 Jun 2009 | 12:47 am

Take three minutes to watch this video from the 2009 Sasquatch Music Festival from our very own, Washington State. One shirtless dude (his name & story below) is dancing all alone to the song UnStoppable by Santigold. After some awkward gyrations, another guy amazingly joins him in dancing; and then a third, and [...]
the brilliance and mystery of michael jackson

Eugene Cho

26 Jun 2009 | 12:20 am

It’s not like you need another Michael Jackson tribute or post but oh well… Clearly, there are more important things going on around the world but it doesn’t mean that we can’t pause to reflect on one of the most iconic figures of global pop culture. His shocking death is news all around the world. [...]
i made a mistake. i should have switched to a mac.

Eugene Cho

25 Jun 2009 | 10:56 am

Several months ago, I pondered making a change from a PC to a Macbook (and asked for your advice) but resisted the peer pressure from the Apple cult and nearly everyone on my staff using a Mac but after seeing this video, I confess I may have made a mistake. If there are any PC [...]
seattle low tide adventures & most beautiful summer city

Eugene Cho

25 Jun 2009 | 12:42 am

Earlier this year, I asked my readers for their opinion about the “most beautiful city in the world.” There were many compelling nominations. Having lived in San Francisco and having visited other beautiful places including Capetown & Johannesburg (South Africa), Vancouver BC, NYC, San Diego, Monterey/Carmel, London, Hamburg (Germany), Beijing/Shanghai, Bangkok/Chang Mai, Kagoshima (Japan), etc… I [...]

Church Matters: The 9Marks Blog
Conrad Mbewe on poor churchmanship among missionaries by Jonathan Leeman

Jonathan Leeman

1 Jul 2009 | 8:11 pm

The new 9Marks eJournal on missions was just released. Click here for the table of contents. One of my favorite articles was Conrad Mbewe's "How American Christians Can Help Christians in Zambia." Here's his challenging third suggestion for how Western Christians can help: 3) DEMONSTRATE BIBLICAL CHURCHMANSHIP Western Christians entering Zambia as missionaries are generally very good examples to us with respect to their personal and domestic lives. In these two areas, we see a very clear difference between them and their non-Christian counterparts from the…
RE: Prayer for the SBC by Greg Gilbert

Greg Gilbert

30 Jun 2009 | 11:27 am

There are certainly more important matters than these I'm about to mention (missions, church planting, evangelism, etc, come to mind), but here are some prayer matters that I think are fairly unique to this convention:1) Pray for the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force. The men on that committee have a rare opportunity to make some needed and far-reaching recommendations for the future of the SBC. I think hopes have been set pretty high for them, so we should pray for them to have insight, boldness, and wisdom.2) Pray for the leaders of the SBC. President Johnny…
Praying for the SBC by Thabiti Anyabwile

Thabiti Anyabwile

29 Jun 2009 | 1:17 pm

For all you guys who were able to attend and enjoy this year's SBC meeting, what three things would you commend to us as prayer items following the convention?
A Book Plug by Thabiti Anyabwile

Thabiti Anyabwile

27 Jun 2009 | 4:06 pm

While it sounds like everyone was having a truly wonderful, Spirit-filled time at SBC, I had the joy of gathering with the saints of New Life Fellowship Church for their annual Bible conference. It's some of the sweetest fellowship on earth, as the word is opened and voices lifted in praise to God. This year, it was a joy to see the Lord continuing to answer prayers for fruitful expansion of the kingdom and biblical theology among predominantly African-American churches. One of the clearest ways that was on display was in the publication of a couple books I pray will…
Mohler, McCall, Truth, and History by Greg Gilbert

Greg Gilbert

26 Jun 2009 | 11:05 am

On Wednesday afternoon, Southern Seminary held a special worship service celebrating its 150th anniversary. As part of that commemoration, the seminary dedicated a new welcome pavilion, naming it after Duke K. McCall, Southern's seventh and longest-serving president. Some people have raised concern about that in the last few days, wondering why President Albert Mohler, a staunch inerrantist evangelical who returned Southern to its inerrantist and evangelical roots, would name a campus building after a man who played a significant role in putting the seminary into the straits from…

Human3rror
Evangelion 1.0: ‘You Are (Not) Alone’ Trailer

John

2 Jul 2009 | 1:37 pm

I am a serious fan of this Japanese Anime series, Evangelion. They are redoing the film and updating the animation quality, adding more content, etc. I couldn’t be more pleased or stoked. I actually own the Full Run, including Death & Rebirth and The End of Eva: I seriously cannot wait for this revamp! Trailer after the jump: [See post to watch QuickTime movie] Feel free to download the .mov file here!
Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 Ads: FAIL?

John

2 Jul 2009 | 3:30 am

I’ll be honest, I actually chuckled once (or twice) watching Microsoft’s new ad campaign for Internet Explorer 8. What do you think? Do they deserve the FAIL card? Or are they just lame… I think Microsoft took down this last one because of “content” that was “suggestive” in nature and that people didn’t really like. So… I did what good bloggers do… find someone who saved a copy and reposted! PUAHA. I HEART THE INTERNETS.
If Only Marriage Was This Easy…

John

1 Jul 2009 | 9:55 am

Marriage is tough. Toughest thing I’ve done. Toughest thing I’m doing. Toughest thing I’m willing to do. It’s not easy. It’s hard. Sometimes it feels like it borderlines the impossible. Snap. I’m all about Romans 7: “I don’t do what I want to do and I do what I don’t want to do”: When I tell her that I love her then do something that doesn’t remotely reflect that love. When I promise her I’ll do something and then completely forget not only to do it but also that I actually promised her that I’d do what I promised.
Andy Stanley ‘Gets’ Twitter and Makes Me LOL.

John

30 Jun 2009 | 7:10 pm

My Pastor, Andy Stanley (@AndyStanley on Twitter) cracks me up. I’m not sure if he changed his bio recently or I just missed it completely, but, it is truly hilarious. I think that this proves, without a shadow of a doubt, that he “gets” Twitter. Keep on Tweeting on.
Michael Jackson and the .Gif

John

30 Jun 2009 | 4:18 am

I’m not sure why I find these so entertaining, but I do.

Life on Life
You Gotta Have Faith

2 Jul 2009 | 12:29 pm

Last week our staff couldn't resist making a little music video for our upcoming series, You Gotta Have Faith, which begins this Sunday at Crossroads. RSS Subscribers: There is video here.
I Became a Church Planter (2 of 2)

1 Jul 2009 | 2:08 pm

The following is 2 of 2 interviews I recently did with two pastors who are embarking on a new journey -- planting churches. I asked both of them a few questions about their story in each of these interviews. Clayton Bell currently serves on staff at Every Nation, Tallahassee as Family Pastor. He won't be there much longer because he is stepping out to plant a church. This is part of his story. MeTell us about where you are currently serving and what you are currently doing?Clayton: Well, right now I'm in Chantilly, Virginia for the North American conference of Every Nation Churches, the…
Beach Baptism Highlights

1 Jul 2009 | 1:16 pm

Here are some highlights from our Beach Baptism on Sunday at Crossroads.RSS Subscribers: There is video here.
I Became a Church Planter (1 of 2)

30 Jun 2009 | 12:08 pm

The following is 1 of 2 interviews I recently did with two pastors who are embarking on a new journey -- planting churches. I asked both of them a few questions about their story in each of these interviews. Zak White currently serves on staff at The Connection Church in Kyle, TX as Executive Pastor. He won't be there much longer because he is stepping out to plant a church. This is part of his story.Me:Tell us where you are serving and what you are currently doing?Zak I currently serve on staff at The Connection Church as Executive Pastor. I'll be on staff for one more week and then we are…
Manic Monday Minute

29 Jun 2009 | 6:21 pm

Manic 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 MinuteCan't wait to show you the little music video our staff put together this past week. We shot the vid in about 30 minutes... but its funny and promotes our next series, "You Gotta Have Faith," that starts this weekend.Verrry busy weekend. Helped raise nearly $1,000 towards our mission goal this weekend. We still have a little ways to go if you'd like to help put us over the top. Contact me if you'd like to…

The bob.blog feed!
Oregon coast

bobhyatt

26 Jun 2009 | 6:43 am

Uploaded by www.cellspin.net
Loving the LGBT Community

bobhyatt

24 Jun 2009 | 8:46 am

It's pretty rare I link to something on Challies.com, but... :)This is good stuff. How can we both love and preach the Gospel to the LGBT community? Is it possible to say "I am your friend" AND "You need Jesus"? And what happens when the topic of sexuality comes up? This is a great first-hand account of someone who's preaching the Gospel AND finding acceptance among the LGBT community- not in spite of preaching the Gospel, but probably because of it- and probably because of HOW he does it. I don't know that I'd copy this style to the letter, but…
Why You Should Plant a Church... Audio

bobhyatt

23 Jun 2009 | 2:14 am

A few years ago I wrote an article called Why You Should Plant a Church. It's gotten around the interwebs a bit, and I'm still regularly encouraged by folks I meet who tell me that article was a big piece of their story, their journey towards planting a church. Recently I got a chance to speak to a church planting bootcamp on that subject- Why Plant Churches? I basically reworked and supplemented that article for a roughly 40 min. talk.If you are interested, here's the audio. Thanks to Ecclesia for having me and for posting this!
Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry

bobhyatt

22 Jun 2009 | 2:04 am

Few books hit me like water in the desert. But so far, this one is definitely like that. Barton has a way of talking about the realities of leading and pastoring that are both honest and transparent, and yet never lose sight of the solace and strength to be found by leaning in to the person of Jesus. From the back of the book:""I'm tired of helping others enjoy God. I just want to enjoy God for myself." With this painful admission, Ruth Haley Barton invites us to an honest exploration of what happens when spiritual leaders lose track of their souls.
Evergreener Aubrey Peth on... Measurements.

bobhyatt

19 Jun 2009 | 8:58 am

Love that Evergreen is full of people who process the ins and outs of life in such a Jesus-y (that's for you Anne Lamott fans... "Gospel-Centered" for you Keller fans) way... Here's some:Yesterday I had to measure myself for another wedding come November. I’m actually really excited for the AZ wedding of my good friends Kyle DiRoberts and Lolly Mullen. I’m also ready to brave the 20-person bridal party (huzzah! numbers unite!).However, “taking my measurements” (bridesmaid dress) kinda felt like a 2×4 to the face. For a few hours…

TheWorshipCommunity.Com
We Cry Out - Gateway Music (Kari Jobe)

Fred McKinnon

2 Jul 2009 | 7:29 am

I saw this song on CCLITV earlier this week. Turn up your speakers, close your door, turn down the lights, and just worship with Kari Jobe and the Gateway Worship Team. Another powerful song by Walker Beach, “We Cry Out”. Share and Enjoy: Related posts:Mike Guglielmucchi InterviewAmerican Idol Winner Sings “God of This City”Overcome - New Life Worship
Kingdom of Priests - Priesthood of Kings!

David Baroni

1 Jul 2009 | 5:00 am

These are two powerful principles taught to us by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. First, we are a kingdom of priests: Rev. 5:9,10 (my paraphrase) You have redeemed them from every tribe and tongue by Your Blood and have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God and they shall reign on the earth! The role of the priest in the Old Testament was to minister to God on behalf of the people and minister to the people on the behalf of God. in other words, the priest was to be a mediator between God and man. Now, of course, because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, through the Holy…
REVIEW: Eoghan Heaslip - WONDERFUL STORY

Shannon Lewis

30 Jun 2009 | 5:00 am

Eoghan Heaslip - “WONDERFUL STORY” Survivor Records (c)2008 I’ve got to be honest and say that I just don’t understand why Eoghan (pronounced “Owen”) isn’t more renown here in the USA. He writes Scripture-soaked, hook-driven, melodic, original corporate worship, leads worship at large events abroad (like Soul Survivor conferences), and consistently releases albums that are solid from beginning to end, however he remains mostly ‘underground’ here in the states. Personally, he stands behind only Matt Redman as my major songwriting influence, and I’ve been blessed by nearly…
TWC at Mission One Million

Fred McKinnon

29 Jun 2009 | 7:10 am

Hey Everybody, TheWorshipCommunity.Com has been listed on a new site called “Mission One Million“. Their mission, according to their website states: Our mission is to promote one million Christian-based websites in one place, to encourage a stronger Christian presence online, and to help fulfill the Great Commission by utilizing the power of the internet. As proud supporters of TheWorshipCommunity.Com, would you click over and leave a review of the site? It’s as simple as leaving a comment … just click this link and scroll down to the bottom to “Add Your…
UN-Together-Ness: How to Cope When Your Worship Band ISN’T Your Small Group

Russ Hutto

29 Jun 2009 | 5:00 am

In a previous “Together-ness” article I shared how great an experience it can be when your worship band is in essence your small group. In my opinion, the worship band can be one of the most closely knit group of friends within a church group because of their shared purpose, interests, and talents. UN-Together-ness However, there are times when the only time we see the people in our worship band is when we are in church. What happens when rehearsal is really the only opportunity to connect with others but there’s just not enough time set aside to go any deeper than just…

TechnoPraxis™
Ain’t it the Truth

26 Jun 2009 | 4:14 pm
The Noticer

22 May 2009 | 3:59 pm

“That’s what most folks lack—perspective—a broader view. So I give them that broader view . . . and it allows them to regroup, take a breath, and begin their lives again.” It’s been quite a while since I’ve read a book in one sitting. It’s been even longer since I’ve had a book knock me back in my chair, make me take a few deep breaths, and then go take a walk just to think through some of what I’d just read. “The Noticer” from Andy Andrews did it, though. It’s a small book, under 200 pages, and one you can easily plow through it in just a couple…
“Edgy” or just Offensive"?

14 May 2009 | 9:56 am

The more Craig Groeschel writes, the more of a fan I become I look to him as an example of a great leader. I just wish the OKC campus wasn’t a little over two hours from my house. His topic today is being edgy for the sake of being edgy. “…without wisdom and prayerful attention, a pastor can easily cross the line from edgy to offensive.” Great wisdom, and even a bit convicting for me. Read the rest of his post, right here.
It’s All About the Flow

25 Apr 2009 | 3:24 pm

Jon over at Stuff Christians Like recently wrote about a youth retreat where he was the featured speaker. Jon says he’s not a comedian, and he’s not, but he is one of those guys that has the gift of finding the absurd in the everyday stuff we all see. At this particular event, he got stuck in a “flow nightmare.” Slow melancholy music, leading into his talk. Not fun to follow! “If you’re planning on starting with a really funny skit and then following that with a devastatingly sad video, and then a sermon about tithing and then a really happy worship…
A New Look is On The Way

23 Apr 2009 | 10:39 am

Hey… check this out! For the past three years or so, I’ve run this site courtesy of Blogger, and it’s been a great solution that I still recommend highly. Along with all the other changes I’ve been working through, we’ve decided to make the switch to WordPress. The first step was actually to work through the branding process for TechnoPraxis. I owe a huge debt to my friends Jeff and Laurie Carney at The Strategy Group in Wichita for their support and kindness over the years. They’re branding gurus, and Laurie was great in helping me take scattered thoughts,…

partoftheglue.com
the Hole in our Gospel

radiantfirst

28 Jun 2009 | 12:14 pm

I started reading the “Hole in our Gospel” several weeks ago and it quickly became one of those books I couldn’t put down. Author Richard Stearns also President of World Vision tells a very personal and gripping story of a modern rich young ruler that when heard the call to sell everything and follow Christ did just that. Richard’s personal story of leaving the life of a successful CEO and journeying with World Vision for many years is a story of calling and ruthless trust just as much as it is a story of understanding the entire Gospel. Throughout the book Richard, like…
Creating metaphors to help teach

radiantfirst

27 Jun 2009 | 1:16 pm

Recently I got the opportunity to create some videos for Lead222 servant leadership experiences this summer. This year’s theme was “living in 3d.” As I begin to pray and think about how I could possibly begin to conceptualize “living in 3d,” I begin to consider that maybe I was trying to hard to teach something. Sometimes when we create videos we can teach some valuable lessons and yet other times we can create something that asks a question or leaves the audience to wonder. Jesus frequently did this using parables and sometimes even left some questions…
New resource for church creatives

radiantfirst

21 Jun 2009 | 11:40 am

Churchkreatives.com launched earlier this month. Church Kreatives is a multi-contributer blog by church creatives for church creatives. In addition to posting on partoftheglue I will regularly be posting on church kreatives….so come check us out and join a community of creative christ followers ChurchKreatives Tweet This Post
Creating camp promo videos that students will actually share

radiantfirst

19 Jun 2009 | 5:27 pm

Every summer we take hundreds of teenagers to camp and every summer we do everything imaginable to get them there. Last year we created three camp promo videos that were based off a super bowl ad. This year I decided to take a comical approach that would threaten physical harm if they somehow didn’t. We wanted to create a video that students would actually want to share with their friends and perhaps use as an effective way of inviting them. Check out the video below. Tweet This Post
Tuggle integrates with paypal

radiantfirst

14 Jun 2009 | 8:19 am

Tuggle, a youth ministry management web based software now allows for paypal integration. Tuggle boasts that they’ve created a management tool that is so fun to use, people often mistake it for one of those wildly popular social networks. Before tuggle’s system had sign ups but no way to collect payment. Now with the simple paypal integration ministries/organizations and schools can connect their accounts to this system and allow their members to pay right there and then. Below are some screenshots of these new features. Tweet This Post

Jason Bedell Online
Well Timed God, Well Timed.

29 Jun 2009 | 5:13 am

From my reading this morning...In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." Ephesians 1:7,8I think that about sums it up. Man, I needed to read this today. So encouraging.Jason *over and out*
'Successful'

25 Jun 2009 | 4:57 am

"You can have a 'successful' church without loving God or People."- Francis Chan "Successful" meaning large, growing and popular. Do you think the church in America (or around the world for that matter) is leaning more towards this type of success? Is it truly success? I would say no, because this isn't a popularity contest. It's about eternity. What do you think? And just to clarify, Francis Chan's quote is popped out of something bigger and He wouldn't label that true 'success' either.Jason *over and out*[ht: catalyst space]
I'm A Son & Heir

25 Jun 2009 | 4:33 am

Did you know you have an inheritance? In my reading today in Galatians 4, we're told that those of us who have given our lives to Jesus are "heirs." When God sent His son to die for you, me, and everyone through history... He changed the game. We at one time were slaves of our own demise leading to death & separation from God (not an inheritance I would look forward to). But, accepting God and His Son's sacrifice brings us into His family. We're now His sons and daughters. "So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir." - Gal. 4:7 And the…
Today's Mix

25 Jun 2009 | 3:56 am

On today's ride in I had a listen to some old favorites of mine, 90's pop-punk/alternative:Welcome to Paradise by Green DayThere Is by Box Car RacerAdam's Song by Blink 182Dumb Reminders by No Use For A NameDon't Call Me White by NOFXInfected by Bad ReligionTiny Voices by Bad ReligionA-OK by Face to FaceDisconnected by Face to FaceNow I don't agree as much now, with some of the angst and anger these groups had then... but, they had one thing going for them. Passion. A rally cry of passion that brought teenagers and 20 somethings out by the hundreds to shows. It was amazing to watch. Imagine…
A New Chapter

23 Jun 2009 | 7:31 am

...wow. Listening to God is tough. As a leadership & staff we've searched after God and heard Him loud a clear, "It's time for the body to come back together." When God speaks, we listen and obey. This past Sunday was bitter sweet for many of us who have been a part of the multi-site journey. We watched 30+ people come into a saving relationship with Jesus and at the same time saw the strain and hurt it put on the body being spread so thin.Through it all, God has been honored and lives have been changed. When you act on God's prompting, it a scary and amazing place to be. Looking forward…

The bob.blog feed!
Oregon coast

bobhyatt

26 Jun 2009 | 6:43 am

Uploaded by www.cellspin.net
Loving the LGBT Community

bobhyatt

24 Jun 2009 | 8:46 am

It's pretty rare I link to something on Challies.com, but... :)This is good stuff. How can we both love and preach the Gospel to the LGBT community? Is it possible to say "I am your friend" AND "You need Jesus"? And what happens when the topic of sexuality comes up? This is a great first-hand account of someone who's preaching the Gospel AND finding acceptance among the LGBT community- not in spite of preaching the Gospel, but probably because of it- and probably because of HOW he does it. I don't know that I'd copy this style to the letter, but…
Why You Should Plant a Church... Audio

bobhyatt

23 Jun 2009 | 2:14 am

A few years ago I wrote an article called Why You Should Plant a Church. It's gotten around the interwebs a bit, and I'm still regularly encouraged by folks I meet who tell me that article was a big piece of their story, their journey towards planting a church. Recently I got a chance to speak to a church planting bootcamp on that subject- Why Plant Churches? I basically reworked and supplemented that article for a roughly 40 min. talk.If you are interested, here's the audio. Thanks to Ecclesia for having me and for posting this!
Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry

bobhyatt

22 Jun 2009 | 2:04 am

Few books hit me like water in the desert. But so far, this one is definitely like that. Barton has a way of talking about the realities of leading and pastoring that are both honest and transparent, and yet never lose sight of the solace and strength to be found by leaning in to the person of Jesus. From the back of the book:""I'm tired of helping others enjoy God. I just want to enjoy God for myself." With this painful admission, Ruth Haley Barton invites us to an honest exploration of what happens when spiritual leaders lose track of their souls.
Evergreener Aubrey Peth on... Measurements.

bobhyatt

19 Jun 2009 | 8:58 am

Love that Evergreen is full of people who process the ins and outs of life in such a Jesus-y (that's for you Anne Lamott fans... "Gospel-Centered" for you Keller fans) way... Here's some:Yesterday I had to measure myself for another wedding come November. I’m actually really excited for the AZ wedding of my good friends Kyle DiRoberts and Lolly Mullen. I’m also ready to brave the 20-person bridal party (huzzah! numbers unite!).However, “taking my measurements” (bridesmaid dress) kinda felt like a 2×4 to the face. For a few hours…

Levite Chronicles
Just like when we started – a social media reflection

Jon Swanson

1 Jul 2009 | 11:27 am

Grabill Missionary Church started more than one hundred years ago. Here’s how it happened. In 1898, a bunch of like-minded people were meeting in small groups in fifteen church buildings and school houses, all served by a couple brothers who were preachers, all within a circle about 12 miles across. Some of the places had preaching services, some of them had Sunday school. Some of the people in these small gatherings came from other churches, responding to a new (for them) understanding of what the Bible taught. Others came from no church at all. There was great excitement about the new…
8 ways to look at six months

Jon Swanson

30 Jun 2009 | 12:49 pm

That’s how much of the year is gone. Six months. Seems like years. Seems like days. I decided to give the two of us a way to evaluate these six months. I hope it helps. Pour yourself a cup of coffee (or something) and sit on the deck and let’s reflect a bit. —————————————————– 1. I actually know more about these three people than I did 6 months ago. ________ ________ ________ 1a. And here are three things I…
like air. Or heroin.

Jon Swanson

29 Jun 2009 | 9:18 am

Air keeps you alive. Heroin does, too. When you go without both you get twitchy. When you go without both you might die. More accurately, when you go without air, you will die. When you go without heroin, you want to die. For awhile. You feel like you are dying. for awhile. No one lives without air. Most people live without heroin. And the ones who don’t slowly die. ——— Is my twitter/facebook/email/text/rss/twitter/facebook/email/txt/rss/twitter stream air? or heroin?
on church and facebook

Jon Swanson

27 Jun 2009 | 8:27 pm

I am not a Facebook person. I’ll acknowledge that I did stay up to 12:01 on June 13 and I did become www.facebook.com/jnswanson, but that is just about keeping my brand intact (email, twitter, flickr, tumblr, and other things that no longer exist). But I have been much more connected to social media platforms outside Facebook. When I have come inside the pages of The Book, I have been somewhat frustrated with all the games and quizzes and “how well do you know me.” I have limited the number of people that I have friended, primarily because I lack the energy to connect as…
me and Hannah Montana

Jon Swanson

25 Jun 2009 | 10:55 am

If you know me, you know I drink coffee. I talk about drinking coffee. I take pictures of coffee mugs. I always have a coffee mug within three feet of my hand. (At this moment, I have my feet on my desk and so have two feet within three feet of nine mugs (only one is active)). I even have a domain for coffee mugs. It started because I needed something to drink when I started college teaching more than two decades ago. I liked coffee. I decided to take coffee to class with me every day (rather than the usual water.) Over the past 25 years, I have no idea how many presentations, lectures,…

LeadingSmart
Let's Find Ruby a Car

Tim Stevens

2 Jul 2009 | 7:58 am

Ruby Moyer is a member at Granger Community Church who has been serving in a mission in Mexico for the past two years. She will be home this summer for a few weeks...and I thought it would be great if we could find her a car to drive while she is here. I'm looking for a good, dependable car from July 15 until August 20. We want Ruby to have a trouble-free experience, so the car should run well, have no major maintenance concerns, and have current insurance. I'm just sure someone reading this might fall in one of these categories... Your family has an extra car. You own a dealership or car lot…
Parent: "I'm Not Cut Out for Volunteering in Kids' Ministry"

Tim Stevens

1 Jul 2009 | 9:04 pm

Since co-writing Simply Strategic Volunteers with Tony Morgan, one question that always comes up is whether a church should require parents to serve in the children's ministry. This sentiment was worded well by a recent commenter here on LeadingSmart.com. They wrote, I am a children's director who spends a lot of time recruiting parents to serve in our ministry. When I hear people say, "I'm just not cut out for it"-- it makes me sick. We invest hundreds of hours in your kids a year, and you can't give up an hour of your time to help kids begin and grow a friendship with Jesus. I think it is…
Is the Church REQUIRED to Meet on Sunday?

Tim Stevens

1 Jul 2009 | 7:46 am

We have had quite the discussion going on related to a post I wrote last week about the purpose of a church service. I asked the question, What is wrong with having a gathering every week where half the people who are in attendance don't yet understand salvation by grace?" In response, Tom Becker said, "The meeting together is for the edification of believers. Sorry that's not what I say, it's what the Bible says. We are then to be prepared or taught to go out into the world and preach the gospel and make disciples." Tom is likely referring to Hebrews 10:25 or Ephesians 4:15-16 where we learn…
"I Want To Light a Fire in the Church!"

Tim Stevens

26 Jun 2009 | 3:47 am

What an encouraging letter from a passionate young man: I recently attended the Willow Creek Arts Conference. Walking into that place is amazing. For the first time I sensed a clear calling from God, one I have never felt before. I finally saw that it was O.K. to be a creative artistic person in the church. I saw that you could be totally into cool creative things in the church and be a technical artist that served God full time. So I have been praying that God use me. I pray that God makes his path for me clear and that I can serve his will through the talents he has given me. So I have…
Hey Church...We're Just Not That Into You

Tim Stevens

25 Jun 2009 | 2:47 am

As pastors, we have a tendency to burden our people with excessive expectations. The average Joe church member can't possibly do everything you say they should do. Don't believe me? See if this list defines some of your expectations of the Christians who attend your church... Attend church service weekly. Volunteer during another service Attend Bible study or Sunday school or midweek service (whatever brand your church offers). Serve in a ministry that helps the poor and needy. If you are a leader (and we know who you are), then we'll have a few more meetings to attend, contacts to make,…

www.InnovativeMinistryLeader.com "The Blog"
$78 Dollars a Ticket for Casting Crowns!!

innovativeministryleader

18 Jun 2009 | 12:04 pm

Wow, I don’t want to take this personally to the group Casting Crowns, because their hearts are amazing, and they are amazing writers. We just got an email from Ticketmaster, and their tickets range from $28-$78 dollars. That is a bit pricy to worship. Secular concerts don’t even get that high. And again the Christian Music Industry wonders why they are not making it. Blink 182 just released a statement that they are going to be offering $20 dollar tickets to their shows. They are as big as you can get in the business, and they care about their fans to be able to afford a great…
Troy Gramling Leadership Message was Amazing!!!

innovativeministryleader

16 Jun 2009 | 2:41 pm

If you missed the Leadership Message from Troy Gramling, you can still view it in the archive of Innovativeministryleader.com He brought an amazing message on 7 effective characteristics of a great Leadership. You don’t want to miss it! Team IML
Upcoming Speakers on IML

innovativeministryleader

14 Jun 2009 | 11:33 pm

Check out this quick promo of upcoming speakers for the month of June and July. Be sure to see complete list of speakers at www.innovativeministryleader.com Team IML
Troy Gramling this Tuesday!

innovativeministryleader

13 Jun 2009 | 9:35 am

Be sure to check out Troy Gramling this Tuesday on innovativeministryleader.com Team IML
Anne Jackson Clip from IML

innovativeministryleader

8 Jun 2009 | 6:32 pm

Be sure to register tonight or tomorrow to see Anne, share her thoughts and insight in burnout in ministry. You won’t want to miss it! www.innovativeministryleader.com Team IML

Rich Kirkpatrick's Weblog
Worship Video, Recap & Set List: June 28, 2009 #sundaysetlists, #sundayset

rkweblog@gmail.com (Rich Kirkpatrick)

28 Jun 2009 | 9:50 pm

Recap: I was in Las Vegas so I hope some of my Sunridge peeps will speak up about what went down. But, my daughter helped lead with Bob and Brent and the video is pretty good! I missed my Sunridge fix, but had a great time at Central Christian in Henderson, NV. At Central they also did Hossana, by the way, and their worship leader Ariel reminded me of my daughter. How many of you filled up swear jars in prep for Britt’s message this week? Thanks to Bob for taking lead! And, way to go Brent. Good to see you vocally lead. Setlist: O Praise Him – David Crowder Here Is Our King…
Worship Mythbusters: Artists are not true leaders in the church

rkweblog@gmail.com (Rich Kirkpatrick)

25 Jun 2009 | 2:13 pm

[Worship Mythbusters is a series of posts debunking possibly damaging thinking about worship, worship leading and art/creativity/music in the church] MYTH: Artist types cannot lead and what they do is not leadership–especially in the church. Worship leaders seem to fit the profiling for the most part of being artistic types. This seems to be conventional wisdom in the church world, but for those of you scratching your head because you do not see the bubble of Evangelical Christian subculture please bear with me. Obviously, in today’s society artists are leaders and what they do leads…
Doodle of the Week: a bookshelf or train car?

rkweblog@gmail.com (Rich Kirkpatrick)

24 Jun 2009 | 3:57 pm

Not sure what this is, but I think it is a giant bookshelf turned into a train car? Share and Enjoy:
Worship Video, Recap & Set List: June 21, 2009 MANChurch #sundayset, #sundaysetlists

rkweblog@gmail.com (Rich Kirkpatrick)

21 Jun 2009 | 10:36 pm

MANChurch Special Edition!! Worship Recap: What a cool Father’s day at Sunridge! Britt, the band, the tech, the videos, Harleys, 2,000 HP dragster in the parking lot and more! I am so excited about the message of hope to guys this morning. Let me know what you think of the video. We do not usually have a 4-camera shoot, so it looks great. One note: we have been influenced by young musicians and video editors and techs for this service in huge ways. From editing of some of our footage, to transcribing charts and playing in our band, it seems Sunridge is a place where the young are taking…
Iran Election and green twitter avatars #iranelection

rkweblog@gmail.com (Rich Kirkpatrick)

19 Jun 2009 | 8:52 am

If you are wondering what the green avatars all over twitter means, go to http://www.helpiranelection.com and you can with a click get your profile to show support. If you are looking for twitter hash tag aggregates, the best I know of is http://twubs.com/iranelection #iranelection Share and Enjoy:

Ministry Best Practices
The A,B,C's of Ministry

Bill Reichart

30 Jun 2009 | 11:42 pm

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! Since I am going to be traveling to Honduras to help lead a medical missions team for the next nine days, I am posting the "best of" Ministry Best Practices relating to certain topics. Today's topic is The A,B,Cs of Ministry - enjoy! The Enthusiastic Need Only to Apply Redefining Failure What are you Passionate About? Sometimes it's hard to hide failure Don't be an Approval Suck! Sticky Church ? Ten Questions to Ask ? Momentum - How does it Happen? Cliff Notes on Vision
How to Become a Communication Ninja

Bill Reichart

28 Jun 2009 | 11:26 pm

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! Since I am traveling to Honduras for the next nine days, I am posting the "best of" Ministry Best Practices relating to certain topics. Today's topic is How to Become a Communication Ninja - enjoy! The 10 Commandments of Speaking When Everything is BOLD, Nothing is! Message Fail Why Your Church Should Invest in Social Media Positive Affirmations Get Rid of Your Announcements Pastor, Why You Should Be Blogging Can You Overcommunicate?
Making Lasting First Impressions

Bill Reichart

26 Jun 2009 | 11:09 pm

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! Since I am going to be traveling to Honduras for the next nine days, I am posting the "best of" Ministry Best Practices relating to certain topics. Today's topic is Making Lasting First Impressions - enjoy! First Impressions - Somebody is Watching. Mystery Worshiping Mr. Over-Zealous Greeter Guy! Are you a welcoming church? 10 Ways to Draw Me To Your Church How to Make a Lasting Impression Mixed Messages
Don't Give In!

Bill Reichart

26 Jun 2009 | 12:53 pm

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! Jim Collins, the author of Good to Great, has a new book out on the fall of great companies. The book is called, How the Mighty Fall. It charts the progress of how companies start as movements. Those movements turn into institutions. And then those institutions fall into decline. Although this pattern is charted for companies this same trajectory holds true for churches and ministries.According to Collins' research, here’s what the slippery slope toward decline looks like:Stage 1: Hubris Born of Success…
Language Tools for Ministry

Bill Reichart

26 Jun 2009 | 10:40 am

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! In my ministry, I am constantly needing to communicate with Spanish speaking ministry partners and missionaries. If you are in ministry and you find yourself also needing to communicate to others who speak another language other than English...then you will find these tools of incredible value.If you use Gmail..they have a feature that you can set up in labs called translate. Go to your Settings, click on Labs and enable this feature will allow you to translate your emails automatically.Also, the people from…

Joel Klampert
Sunday Setlist: June 28th 2009

Joel Klampert

28 Jun 2009 | 6:32 pm

I really loved the set this week. The processional was a very different sounding hymn, but has a great feel to it. everything else went great. Processional What Wondrous Love is This – Red Letter arrangement Praise Glory to God – Fee/Beeching Marvelous Light – Hall Came to my Rescue – Just did the bridge as a Vamp Mighty To Save – Rueben Canons – Wickham Offering Here I am to Worship – Hughes Communion Amazed – Anderson Recessional All Because of Jesus – Fee -as always this is part of the wonderful carnival designated Sunday Setlists-
The Joint: Sojourn Music w/giveaway!

Joel Klampert

24 Jun 2009 | 7:17 am

GIVEAWAY!!!: Comment on any of the 3 blogs and you will be entered in to win a free copy of this brilliant CD!! Review: Sojourn Music: Over the Grave This CD can be purchased/listened to at: OVER THE GRAVE! Click more to read the reviews! Post on worshipcity Synopsis: What I love so much about Sojourn’s CD Over the Grave is it’s personality! This was my introduction to Sojourn music (I had to ask the guys what exactly they were? Church? Band? Worship Team?) Sojourn Music is a dynamic group of musicians that make up the worship team there at their church. And a dynamic bunch they…
Sojourn Church CD release

Joel Klampert

23 Jun 2009 | 6:25 am

Here is some video from Sojourn Church’s CD release last week. Songs included are: Absent From Flesh We Are Changed Reveal Your Love Savior King I Have To Believe Sojourn “Over The Grave” CD Release Party 06.19.09 from chuck heeke on Vimeo.
Mute Math: almost back

Joel Klampert

16 Jun 2009 | 8:08 am

They are almost back. New CD out in august. Enjoy the video and get excited. MUTE MATH- spotlight
Sunday Setlist – june 14th 2009

Joel Klampert

14 Jun 2009 | 7:32 pm

It has been a while since i have done one of these, but I am starting to get a real vision for where worship in our church is headed. I am by no means an amazing worship leader, but I am making sure that I continue to move where the Lord is leading. A note about last week; I did the hymn “what wondrous love is this” arrangement by red letter from Mars Hill. Let me tell you this Hymn is SO great. I can’t wait to do it again. This weeks set was fantastic. The last song hoever, “we want to see jesus lifed high” is now officially retired as of this week. i pulled it…

BrianAyers.net
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 ...
Find me here: church.alltop

Maybe you know this and maybe you don't... There's this really cool site out there called "Alltop" which has, as their name implies, the goal of compiling all the top resources on a wide variety of topics. ...if you can think of a topic they likely have a page for it. Anyway... ...
I’m Adicted To Change

Last year I finally made the jump from TypePad (where I'd blogged for two years) to WordPress. One of the reasons for the change was because the design flexibility offered by WP. Since switching though, I've tried a couple different themes- neither of which I was totally happy with. So recently ...
A Thousand Honeymoons

I saw this video this week and it made me think of the story of Hosea. It made me think of how, in spite of our unfaithfulness, God is constantly looking for the opportunity to reconcile us to Him. It's a bit mind-blowing. A Thousand Honeymoons [quicktime width="400" height="300"]http://www.last-pictures.com/media/thousandhoneymoonsweb.mov[/quicktime] Related posts:Why I’m NOT Quitting ...

Shaun In The City
Fostering (Real) Diversity is Harder than I Thought

Shaun

2 Jul 2009 | 5:00 am

Earlier this week I created a list of 10 things about starting and growing a church that have been much harder than I expected. Today I want to take a few minutes out to talk with you the item on the list that the most people requested we discuss…DIVERSITY! Diversity is beautiful. Diversity is honorable. Diversity is….DIFFICULT. (Clarification: For me, REAL diversity includes race, gender, nationality, socio-economic status, and more.) My family is diverse. My neighborhood is diverse. The part of downtown Atlanta I live in is very diverse. The area of the city where…
Courageous Church T-Shirts

Shaun

29 Jun 2009 | 6:04 pm

I’m a little funny about selling a lot of stuff @ Courageous Church. In fact, we don’t sell anything at all. Well…until now! My friend Xavier designed us a really cool shirt and all of our profits are going to go to our Global PlumpyNut Initiative. The shirts are an awesome quality and we’re just running a short run of about 100 of them for our staff, volunteers, supporters, and friends to purchase! Big shout out to Nick @ Storenvy for the great work on the shirts and printing! The shirts are just $15. If you want one (or more), let us know in the comments…
10 Things that are Harder than I Expected

Shaun

28 Jun 2009 | 5:11 am

Starting (and growing) a brand new church isn’t easy. I’ve made a ton of mistakes since we launched 6 months ago and aired some of my dirty laundry for you by sharing a big ‘ol list of mistakes here. However hard you expected it to be, plan on it being much harder. Some people say it like this, “If you could (or want to) do anything else, do that.” Sounds harsh, but church planting, while fulfilling to the core, is just hard. I can’t say it any simpler than that. Here is a quick list of 10 things about starting Courageous Church that have been much…
Wifey’s Perspective on My Strategies

Shaun

26 Jun 2009 | 8:15 am

In addition to telling the world that I have a crush on Keyshia Cole, my wife gives her up front and personal perspective on some of my strategies to avoid moral failure. A must read in my opinion. At least now I have a legitimate excuse to put a picture of Keyshia Cole on my blog
Revisiting “Drastic Measures to Avoid Moral Failure”

Shaun

25 Jun 2009 | 7:37 am

A few months ago I wrote what has been the most popular, discussed, debated post on this blog entitled Drastic Measures to Avoid Moral Failure. The comments there are even better than the post and the discussion is pretty raw and revealing as people obviously feel very passionate about all sides of this issue. Although many of the women that commented applauded and understood my stance, I was a bit stung (but informed) by some the comments from women that felt like my drastic measures reduced them to second class citizens. As a father of four daughters and husband to an outspoken Spelman…

Christian Personal Finance
What is a Roth 401(k)? 6 benefits you might care about…

bob

2 Jul 2009 | 8:05 am

Why are more businesses offering Roth 401(k)s? Simply put, more firms are recognizing their advantages – especially when it comes to the retirement planning of professionals, business owners and executives. Your company may offer a Roth 401k option that allows you to contribute after tax dollars that will potentially grow tax-free! If you are a business owner, you may have the flexibility to set up a Roth 401(k) for you and your employees. Here are six reasons to consider a Roth 401k 1. Tax-free growth. Roth 401(k) assets grow without being taxed, as employee contributions are…
Tiny house living anyone?

bob

1 Jul 2009 | 7:18 am

Have you ever seen a tiny house? Apparently, part of the downsizing movement has helped increase the popularity of Tiny Houses. They range in size from 65 square feet to a few hundred square feet and if you are an average American, you would probably say that is indeed tiny. If the small size weren’t enough of an adjustment, fitting all your possessions into a space that small would even be a challenge for a minimalist. But they have many enthusiasts and the trend seems to be growing. Most of them are fully functional - including a kitchen, bathroom, living, and sleeping area and as you…
Sowing and Reaping

bob

30 Jun 2009 | 8:09 am

This is a post that I am particularly excited to write… A little over a month ago, I wrote about a young couple we know who gave us (sowed) $1000 in obedience to what they felt God was leading them to do. In that article I wrote about how excited we were for them, because we know what the Bible says about sowing and reaping… “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” 2 Corinthians 9:6 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”…
Using a Roth IRA as an emergency fund?

bob

29 Jun 2009 | 7:56 am

I have had and loved my Roth IRA over the last few years. I mean, it really is a great deal the government is offering us and I always wonder why more people aren’t taking advantage of it. First you put in after-tax dollars NOW and withdraw it when you retire TAX-FREE. There are some people who might still benefit from using a Traditional IRA (depending on their current and expected tax bracket) but I think the Roth IRA is a good idea for the majority. As if the tax-free withdrawal wasn’t enough, the ROTH is more generous when compared to the Traditional IRA. One of my favorite things…
8 great careers for the future

bob

28 Jun 2009 | 10:51 am

I read this article on Yahoo in which they discuss 8 career paths that are expected to continue growing in demand. The data is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and they expect the government spending to help stimulate the growth of these industries. There will always be trends in jobs and I think that should be taken with a grain of salt, but it is a good idea to take a look at the career path you have planned and make sure it will be around in the future. Are you going to school to be a VCR technician? According to the BoLS, these are some of the best jobs for the future… 1. Computer…

JakeBouma.com
✚

Jake

19 Jun 2009 | 2:14 pm

White barn, uploaded by jakebouma on flickr.
Kester Brewin on theology and the new physics

Jake

4 Jun 2009 | 11:24 pm

Kester Brewin (@kesterbrewin), provocative thinker and author of Signs of Emergence: A Vision for Church That Is Always Organic/Networked/Decentralized/Bottom-Up/Communal/Flexible/Always Evolving, is currently writing a series of blog posts that falls flawlessly in line with much of my recent thinking and research. The series, called Theology and the New Physics has two posts thus far: Uncertainty and Dimensions, with more forthcoming. UPDATE: The third post, Engaging The Maze, is now available. If theology is even a casual pursuit for you, this is a series you must read. Here’s a…
Evernote tip: Easier web clipping using Readability

Jake

21 May 2009 | 5:18 pm

I’ve previously written about how I use Evernote to organize my youth ministry, and my use of the program has only expanded since then. Consequently, I am constantly tweaking the way I use Evernote to make both the program and my time as efficient as possible. I recently discovered a killer (and super simple) method for using Evernote’s Web Clipper in tandem with arc90’s Readability to import articles/blogs into the program. Here’s how it’s done. I’ll be using this article from Youth Worker Journal as the example throughout. Here’s what the page looks…
Imago Fidei

Jake

15 May 2009 | 10:48 am

Following in the footsteps of The Boston Globe’s The Big Picture and The Wall Street Journal’s Photo Journal, Christianity Today has launched Imago Fidei, a photoblog that bills itself as “a daily view of Christian life.” While not strictly photos, there are some gems in the archives.
Bonhoeffer on youth ministry

Jake

7 May 2009 | 5:56 am

Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes these words on Christian community, which are rather applicable to smaller youth ministries: In the Christian community thankfulness is just what it is anywhere else in the Christian life. Only he who gives thanks for the little things receives the big things. We prevent God from giving us the great spiritual gifts He has in store for us, because we do not give thanks for daily gifts. We think we dare not be satisfied with the small measure of spiritual knowledge, experience, and love that has been given to us, and that we must constantly be looking forward eagerly…

Generate Life Blog
Last Night

Tony

2 Jul 2009 | 12:12 pm

Drumline close with the CGI space video was one of the most surreal and dynamic moments in my christian existence. Just begged God to hear our cries and adoration of Him in that moment (pic above). Everyone be praying as we’re now two weeks away from the hard launch of our new facebook campus via Media Social. We’ll get the word out big time this week so you can invite friends and family to watch July 16th!
Task Masters

Tony

2 Jul 2009 | 11:22 am

Exodus 20 showcases God commanding Israel to take a Sabbath based on what happened at creation. Deuteronomy, however, showcases God commanding a Sabbath based on Israel’s Exodus from Egypt. Interesting switch. One is grounded in creation and the other in liberation. For years Israel had people with whips standing over them. These task-masters would scold, scorn, push, shove, and even kill so that the broken kept working. After the Exodus God says “remember what it means to bre free from oppression”. Realize that I’ve given you freedom to rest at times and by staying…
Big Night

Tony

1 Jul 2009 | 8:17 am

Part of being a World Changer is getting up when things get hard. I know many of you are asking God for huge things but are wrestling through setbacks. I prayed with Bre last night that as we close this Passionate World Changer event tonight God would grant me one thing. “the ability for my ordinary mind to comprehend his extraordinary being and convey it to you with extraordinary precision so you realize your extraordinary future” I believe that tonight God will allow all of us out of the box of our humanity and grant us a new view of Him. Some other huge things the team has put…
J curve

Tony

30 Jun 2009 | 11:06 am

Marketing strategists and advertising agencies talk a lot about early adopter, late adopter, and the middle market. One thing I’m seeing with a lot of young leaders I work with is their desire for explosive and quick growth. Sure it’s sexy to have a “j curve” trend chart that shows God doing some special Acts 2 type work but be warned… this isn’t always sustainable or healthy. Amazing that Psalms 37 says the little acts of righteous can be blessed by God. If things grow consistently we are able to provide infrastructure to meet the REAL needs. The real need…
Joel Elvis

Tony

30 Jun 2009 | 10:54 am

Saw this shot of Joel on the photo gallery page and can’t think of anything better than Joel as Elvis.

brent(inWorship)
My Blog Is Dead…Or Is It?

inWorship

22 Jun 2009 | 3:01 pm

I had someone ask me on twitter today, why I have been so quiet in the blog world. I thought it is probably time to address it in some fashion. The last couple of months for me (specifically since fall) have been a whirlwind. Prior to that time, the blog world was the center of communication for me. Times have changed. I have changed. A lot. Last fall, I was asked to plant a church with a person I respect deeply. His invitation started me on a journey. I evaluated what I do and who I am in Christ. I evaluated the ministry I am a part of and the leaders I work with. Everything went under the…
Convicting…

inWorship

11 Jun 2009 | 9:52 am

This morning I saw a tweet by Tim Schreader. It came from a session he is in at Willow Creek with Joel Houston of Hillsong church. It referenced this passage in Amos. Here it is in the NLT… Amos 5:21-24 (New Living Translation) 21 “I hate all your show and pretense— the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. 22 I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings. 23 Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. 24 Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of…
Mega Churches…A Different Perspective

inWorship

10 Jun 2009 | 1:43 pm

This post is not to defend mega churches, but instead to rebuttal an article and negative feedback I am hearing. This article from Yahoo has been floating around the last two days. Mostly negative feedback has been given. That negative feedback is saying, that this article points to the failure of mega churches. I have a little different perspective. First of all, what is a mega church? It is a church that has a consistent attendance of 2000 or more. Of which there are a recorded, 1300+ mega churches in the USA. The article talks of a survey conducted of mega churches here in the USA. The…
Apple’s Success and AT&T’s Failure

inWorship

8 Jun 2009 | 5:03 pm

Today was a bittersweet day in the tech world. Apple’s announcements were big and well received. But, the subsequent failure of AT&T to keep up with Apple’s successes, left me ho-hum. Here’s the deal. Apple announced software and hardware changes today. Including… -New Macbook Pro’s. Including a 13″ version for only $1199 (Available today) -New OS upgrade “Snow Leopard” will be available in September for $129 or $29 for upgrade. -Reworked Quicktime with new interface and editing capabilities. -Safari 4. With some great new stability…
Country Club or Birthday Party?

inWorship

6 Jun 2009 | 12:00 pm

My buddy b4dguy and I were discussing on my last post, and he left this video for me. What does it really mean to be uncomfortable for Christ? How are we living in the church we attend? Is it meeting our needs? Or, is it purposefully meeting the needs of others?

Collide Magazine
Videos of the Week - 7/2/09

Daniel Darnell

2 Jul 2009 | 7:57 am

The clever folks over at CollegeHumor do it again. Enjoy the Web Site Story. (via EW.com) Get ready to be mesmerized. (via Motionographer) More fun with stop motion and lighting. (via AVclub) There’s something about bicycles and really big letters that just make me smile. (via motionographer) Matthew Paul Turner’s letter to God (via MPT) We’re off tomorrow to celebrate our country’s independence a little early, so we’ll see you next week. Happy 4th of July!
The COLLIDE Show - Episode 11

Daniel Darnell

30 Jun 2009 | 6:56 am

The COLLIDE Show is back and better than ever! On episode 11 we discuss the news in Upfronts, share with you our media obsession of the week, and talk church media with WorshipHouse’s Dale Carter - the newest addition to the COLLIDE Show. Enjoy! Show Links: iPhone 3.0 & 3GS Twitter & Iran MySpace staff cuts Bing Intensedebate.com Subscribe on iTunes!
Death And Celebrity

Scott McClellan

29 Jun 2009 | 9:14 am

As you know, the past week ushered in some notable celebrity deaths–first Ed McMahon, then Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson on the same day, and then TV pitchman Billy Mays over the weekend. Obituaries, tributes, and career retrospectives are best left to other blogs, but I can’t help but comment on the effect these high profile passings have on popular culture. When news of Jackson’s death began to break, millions flocked to Google and other sites for more information, and then to Twitter and blogs to weigh in on the catasstrophic event. Media outlets responded by playing…
Get 140 Characters Quoted In Our Next Issue

Scott McClellan

25 Jun 2009 | 9:31 am

We just tweeted the following from the COLLIDE Twitter account: Want to be in the mag? Tell us in 1 tweet: What’s the last movie clip you used as a teaching illustration and what was the topic? If you’re not on Twitter, or if you missed the tweet, feel free to leave a comment below–just make sure you limit yourself to 140 characters or less. We’ll pick a few Twitter replies and comments and feature them in our July/August issue, so let us hear from you.
Videos of the Week - 6/25/09

Daniel Darnell

25 Jun 2009 | 8:23 am

Mac users will love this music video that shows off a lot of features on the Mac in a creative way. (via motionographer) Companies are getting more and more creative with their advertising and this new video from T-Mobile is no exception. My favorite part is @ 1:55. (via techdirt) I love how this video accurately portrays the frustrations of making a short film in all of its forms. I’m not a tea drinker, but this new commercial from Tetley might have just converted me. The Digerati team over at LifeChurch.tv decided to play a little joke on their friend Perry Noble. (via churchcrunch)…

Live to Worship
Set List – 28 Jun 2009

Alastair Vance

27 Jun 2009 | 12:16 pm

I’m singing at my Dad’s church tomorrow night. The plan is for us to get together, have a BBQ (cookout) and sing a few songs. So, a fairly relaxed environment. God With Us – Bart Millard (B) Cannons – Phil Wickham (G) Healer – Mike Guglielmucci (A) Your Love Never Fails – Chris McClarney (G) Glory To God Forever – Steve Fee & Vicky Beeching (B) Posted in Chords, Church, Fun, Leading, Lyrics, Worship, Worship Confessional Tagged: bbq, Ireland, Lisburn, set, setlists, Worship
The Joint: Sojourn – Over The Grave

Alastair Vance

24 Jun 2009 | 9:45 am

Sojourn – Over The Grave This CD is the first installment of the Isaac Watts Project: songs inspired by and adapted from his hymns. The record was written and performed entirely by musicians from Sojourn Community Church — 35 in all. It is their hope that this project, like Watts’s hymns, will point us beyond the music and lyrics to see the glorious Savior who inspires them. Buy the album at the Sojourn Music website We have a CD to giveaway. Comment on the Sojourn review at any of the three blogs represented here and you’ll be entered into our free draw. Synopsis…
12 Years

Alastair Vance

10 Jun 2009 | 7:51 am

June 10, 1997 12 years have past since this photo was taken 12 wonderful, wonderful years 12 years ago I loved her with all that I had, yet today I love her more. 12 years have given us a beautiful family 3 kids (not 12!) to call our own I’m looking forward to the years ahead of us To the next adventure that unfolds 12 years ago I loved her with all that I had, yet today I love her more. Posted in Blog, Family Tagged: anniversary, friendship, love, marriage
What Would Love Do?

Alastair Vance

4 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

I hopped into bed one night last week and grabbed my song writing book. I wrote the following song. It is based on actual visual memories that I have of how I can react (in a bad way) to homeless and poor people. God knows my attitude needs to change and be more like Him. I need to shed my suspicions, fears and silly excuses and let God soften my heart. The song is not finished just yet, and I indicate below the sections I am currently focused on. I don’t want it at all to be a negative song, but one that convicts us and makes us reevaluate how we interact with the different…
The Joint: Aslan – On The Move

Alastair Vance

4 Jun 2009 | 9:38 am

Aslan – On The Move (From MySpace) “Aslan Worship is based at The Place of Refuge Church in Manteca, CA. This growing church desires to show the love and power of God to the Central Valley in a way that makes sense to members of many generations. Most of Aslan’s members are part of Collide Youth Group, pastored by Rob Cox, and the Place of Refuge Church, pastored by Mike Dillman. Our main goal is to share God through our music and captivate our listeners.” We at the Joint all agree this week (for a change) that this is one sweet album. Buy the album at the Aslan…

Consuming Worship
On Hiatus

Jeff M. Miller

17 Jun 2009 | 8:57 am

Hey everybody. I'm going to take a break from the internet for a while, at the very least through the end of June, and maybe longer. I'm not really sure yet. I won't be blogging or tweeting during the hiatus, nor reading most of what comes through my feed reader and Facebook—if I read anything at all. I'll pretty much only be using internet for work and family related needs. I need to take some time off, step back and prioritize. I'll still be available via email if you'd like to get in touch: j [dot] joymark [at] gmail [dot] com. I would, as always, appreciate…
Worship Confessional: June 14, 2009

Jeff M. Miller

15 Jun 2009 | 8:06 am

I thought we had a really good day yesterday. It was something of a day off for me, not that I didn't show up and work, but it was a much welcomed change of pace. It has become my thing to operate FoH sound for the children's musicals. I really enjoy operating the board and accompanying media, even though I'm obsessive enough about it that it becomes a little nerve wracking. We held our annual music camp for area children last week. Basically, music camp is something like a VBS—crafts, Bible stories, recreation, etc. The major difference is that the kids learn a complete…
Playing Rhythm Guitar in the Worship Band, part 3

Jeff M. Miller

12 Jun 2009 | 8:37 am

In this final installment of this series, I'd like to quickly share another set of "cheater" chords, and let you know what some other worship leaders say they look for in a rhythm guitarist. For this set of chords, start with your basic E chord fingering. Now we're going to keep that fingering and slide up five frets. You're now playing an A add9 chord. The chord chart below doesn't show it, but you can leave the sixth string (low E) open. Alternately, you could throw your index finger down on the low E string at the fifth fret, giving you a root of A. As we did…
Book Review: Nine Ways God Always Speaks

Jeff M. Miller

11 Jun 2009 | 5:30 am

In what might—or might not—be considered a follow-up volume to their previous Six Prayers God Always Answers, authors Jennifer Schuchmann and Mark Herringshaw use their winning formula for communication. Personal stories + real-world situations + relatable writing style = a book you want to read. As with Six Prayers, this new book, Nine Ways God Always Speaks deals with the hearts and minds of people just like you and me, presenting some of the best testimonial evidence of the work of God—that of personal experience. I think the big take-away for me in this volume is to ask myself,…
Announcement: Nine Ways God Always Speaks Giveaway

Jeff M. Miller

10 Jun 2009 | 6:50 am

Announcing the winner of Nine Ways God Always Speaks by authors Jennifer Schuchmann and Mark Herringshaw. Commenter number three (3) was Alice Berger. Congratulations! Thanks for participating everyone. Look for my own review of this book tomorrow on the blog. Jeff M. Miller Consuming Worship email \ twitter \ tumblr \ chat \ facebook

Kingdom Ministry on the Net
New Study Shows Fruit of the Spirit is a Powerful Product

1 Jul 2009 | 8:45 am

New Study Shows Fruit of the Spirit is a Powerful Product that Delivers High Anti-Oxidants and Alkalizing Minerals...
T.D. Jakes Holds 15th ManPower Event After Near-Death Experience

27 Jun 2009 | 5:14 am

Megachurch pastor T.D. Jakes kicked off his 15th annual ManPower gathering Thursday, just weeks after he “stood on the brink...
Your Church Survey Reveals Growing Gap Between Churches' Budget vs. Actuals

18 Jun 2009 | 2:42 pm

Your Church Survey Reveals Growing Gap Between Churches' Budget vs. Actuals Expert roundtable explores how churches are easing the strainCAROL...
Christian Evangelism: Sharing Your Faith With Conversations

2 Jun 2009 | 5:13 am

Christian Evangelism: Sharing Your Faith With Conversations Editor's Note: The following is a report on the practical applications of...
A FRESH WORD FROM A PASTOR THE ROOT TO A CLOSED SPIRIT

16 May 2009 | 8:06 am

A FRESH WORD FROM A PASTOR THE ROOT TO A CLOSED SPIRIT Forgive and forget? Never! That’s how many...

Small Group Help Blog
Are You A Control Freak?

29 Jun 2009 | 2:00 pm

Sometimes as group leaders we can be control freaks. And in a small group environment we need to remember that when we are too controlling in during our meetings it can often mean we are less relevant.Often when we are making our way through a Bible study we have prepared for, or some other study guide we've purchased, a topic will pop up during discussion that the study doesn't address. I'll never forget the day that my group was right in the middle o [...]
Less Clutter Less Noise

28 May 2009 | 2:00 pm

Kem Meyer, Communications Director at Granger Community Church, is going on a blog tour for her new book - Less Clutter, Less Noise. I recently asked her this question:Our church seems motivated most to attend events and activities when things are announced from the platform. When there's no major push from the pulpit, using other forms of [...]
Group Ministry Models - The Good And The Bad

24 May 2009 | 2:00 pm

My friend Brian Hofmeister has been reviewing some methods ministry for small groups in the church in a series of posts. I have been thinking about this quite a bit lately as we are restructuring groups in our church and it has been a good refresher. Here are the highlights of his review:101 - Church Groups: The 101 version of small groups is run by the church. A local church promotes participant interest, recruits leaders, distributes curriculum, and schedules the meeting [...]
Small Groups 2.0 - Digital Life Will Change Group Life

12 May 2009 | 2:00 pm

Sometimes in small group world we get caught up in the present. We think about how to enhance my group situation this week. How do I find a better study, how do I encourage my group to share deeply, or how can we support others through stress in life. However, as leaders we must also be thinking about the future. In order to have our churches remain culturally relevant we must understand the social tools that people use, especially young people. Technology changes rapidly, and social media to [...]
The Longer You Wait, The Harder It Gets.

24 Apr 2009 | 2:00 pm

One thing that never leaves a leader's plate is confrontation and conflict resoultion. However, sometimes it is challenging to know when you need to confront someone. I recently had to confront a family member on an inssue and it got me asking this question - How do we know when we should confront someone? A while back David Foster, author and pastor of The Gathering Church, wrote 10 signs it is time to confront:1. It's time to confront when things aren't workin [...]

Pastor For Life
Governor Mark Sanford Could Be You or Me

Paul

30 Jun 2009 | 11:24 pm

It has been stated throughout the unfolding of the circumstance for South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford that he often would retreat after legislative sessions because they would wear him out. Retreating and refreshing is good, but at some point, Mark made some dangerous decisions about his integrity. Most likely, those decisions came in weariness and fatigue. They almost always do. Pastor Gary Lamb recently said that in the couple of weeks after his resignation as a result of his affair, he had received over 30 anonymous emails from Pastors who admitted in those emails they were currently in…
Erwin McManus & Dave Gibbons on Burnout

Paul

27 Jun 2009 | 3:21 pm

There’s an interesting conversation posted over here between Erwin McManus and Dave Gibbons. In it, they share the following on pastoral burnout: ________________________________ How to avoid burnout? Erwin: Not the bible that helps someone live a moral life (it’s when people are truly connected to Jesus) There are lots of lost people that live honorable lives It’s about escape (that’s why someone kills their wife instead of divorcing); pastors want to get out so they self-destruct Burnout is about doing something you don’t love way too much When you do something you love, you…
A Pastor or A Politician? The Unfolding of Governor Mark Sanford?

Paul

25 Jun 2009 | 9:44 am

What’s the difference between a Pastor and a Politician? Both are highly public figures. Both represent something larger than themselves. There are similarities that are eerie and sometimes dangerous, and we could go on and on about them. But there are some important distinctions to make too. When a Pastor fails morally, he or she most often loses everything, their job, their church, often their support system, kids often lose their friends from church or their school if a move is necessary; sometimes they even lose their marriage and family. When a Politician fails morally, he or she…
Summer Days Got You In A Daze?

Paul

23 Jun 2009 | 12:41 am

Summer brings with it all of its splendor and, hopefully, the anticipation of some down time with family and friends. How are you facing it this year? Are you excited about, ready for some time to refresh relationships, maybe see some friends or family you haven’t seen in a while? Or are you feeling like closing the door on your bedroom, ready for somebody to wake you up when it’s time to go back to work? There are lots of great assessment tools available to help you gauge your burnout potential and current status. I want to suggest one here that can give you an idea of where you…
Good Stuff Coming From Gary Lamb’s Pain

Paul

20 Jun 2009 | 12:11 am

When I speak of anything good coming from someone’s pain, it’s not news to any real leader. The best stuff of life and ministry, especially when in leadership, comes through pain. We have all felt the sting of where Gary is at in one way, shape or form. Maybe not in ways disqualifying you from ministry (though maybe so), but maybe painful in other ways we could go on and on about. Disappointment …. discouragement …. half-heartedness from leaders (or ourselves) …. betrayal …. gossip that cuts to the core …. (you fill in this blank) Among the so many…

Solar Crash... Where heaven and earth collide.
Poets, Prophets, & Preachers

Lon

30 Jun 2009 | 8:42 pm

A seminar for teachers, preachers, speakers, leaders and pastors serious about reclaiming the art of the sermon. I’m really not big on conferences at all. But I’ll be at this one. I’ve got someone looking to share half a ticket with (one registration gets two people in). Let me know ASAP if you’ve got one or know of someone with one. My cheap cell phone plan doesn’t work in the States – but I’ll try to get some online access if possible. Contact or twitter me if you’re in the area. Would love to connect with some real people while…
Befriending our Gay Neighbours – Synchroblog

Lon

24 Jun 2009 | 3:45 am

Photo by jk5854 Bridging the Gap invited me to do join their syncho-blog today as they’ve gathered over 60 Christ-followers, both gay and straight, to break open conversations on christianity and homosexuality. Wendy of New Direction writes a great introduction The culture wars surrounding the topic of homosexuality have sucked up tremendous resources, have left devastated casualties in their wake, and continue to perpetuate polarization and enmity – most clearly seen in the divide between the Christian community and the gay community. The diversity and divisiveness surrounding gay…
One size fits all?

Lon

22 Jun 2009 | 8:09 pm

Joe Manafo just sent me the documentary he made with Nathan Colquhoun, called One Size Fits All? What is God doing on the fringes of Canadian culture? Flying under the radar of pop-Christianity, experimental churches are quietly establishing genuine Kingdom outposts in settings both feared and forgotten. ‘One Size Fits All?’ uncovers the obscure story of these Canadian missional communities and its leaders. It’s very different from the Hip 2B Holy documentary that was on Global TV recently, and while that had it’s place, One Size Fits All, is so much more…
What about Norway?

Lon

19 Jun 2009 | 10:32 am

In my earlier post on the demise of Europe (as we know it) and the related video, there have been a number of comments regarding how it’s due to us turning our backs on God. My friend Veemak just sent me this below cartoon. Click it to enlarge. What do you think? Related posts:A Better Blog? ItVirtual relationships… IRapidly changing demographics HT: M
A city that thinks like the web

Lon

18 Jun 2009 | 4:15 am

View more Microsoft Word documents from Mark Surman. I participated in Government 2.0 online last year, but just got around to going through this talk by Mark Surman of Mozilla. He offers a great primer on technology and how the open source movement relates to civic engagement. My favorite insight was towards the end where he states that if people actually thought that the government was listening, they would actually jump aboard and get involved. I wonder how many people we leave disengaged, because they don’t think we actually care enough to hear them out and do something about what…

The Plow
Who needs kindness? Do stuff for money!

Corey Jamison

2 Jul 2009 | 8:05 am

Who wants to do something nice with no reward? Not the guys over at PayPal that’s for sure. They just launched their new site Do Stuff for Money, and I have to say it is pretty funny. Here is the overall idea for the site. You request a service to a friend in exchange for money. The friend can accept, and do the service. Then you pay up, and all through paypal.The notifications are either by email or you can do it all through facebook. This really is an interesting site. The design and interaction works great and it’s a fun way to blow some money. I gave Kyle $2 to write a post,…
New MacBook Video!!!!

Corey Jamison

1 Jul 2009 | 8:56 am

The bar has now been raised. Found at Sell Sell.
Tutorial: Don’t get tangled up with hair.

Corey Jamison

30 Jun 2009 | 8:09 am

The poll said you wanted more tutorials, so here you go. Clipping hair has been the most annoying and disappointing project for many designers. You either spend way to much time getting each strand of hair, or your photo ends up looking like they have rubber hair. Well I have a very simple way to clip the most frizzy hair and have it look very natural. Below is a step by step guide to clip hair like a pro. Step One: Set up your image This style of clipping works best with a well contrasted image. If doing a photo shoot try and use a white background. Or if you are purchasing art find some…
Don’t Get Burned, Put on Some Ferrell.

Corey Jamison

30 Jun 2009 | 12:13 am

Please don’t ask me to find some biblical reference for this. Just look at it, laugh a little, and maybe buy one. What a great example of taking a serious cause and having fun with it. Learn more about Cancer for College.
the What You Want Poll!

Corey Jamison

29 Jun 2009 | 8:45 am

I want to make sure that this blog is always useful to our readers, and for that I need your help. Can you take 5 seconds to fill out the form below? <br /> <a href=”http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/1744713/” mce_href=”http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/1744713/”>What would you like to see more of?</a><span style=”font-size:9px;” mce_style=”font-size:9px;”>(<a href=”http://answers.polldaddy.com”…

Behind Worship
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 ...

My World
Missional vs. Missional

Josh

2 Jul 2009 | 12:29 pm

What is missional? This was the question we dove into last Saturday at Revolution. Below is the video we used to set it up. Check out other videos at our YouTube page. Posted in church, evangelism, missional church, revolution church, theology Tagged: missional, revolution church, what is missional
This Weekend: BBQ/Baptism

Josh

2 Jul 2009 | 7:36 am

I cannot begin to tell you how excited about this weekend. In place of church, we are doing a BBQ/Baptism. I love seeing people take this next step and public say what God has done in their lives. The excitement on people’s faces, our church cheering them on as we baptize people. This is one of the reasons I love what I do. If you want to be part of the baptism but haven’t told us yet, please e-mail me. For more information, time and location and what to bring, go here. Don’t forget, we’ll be back to our normal gathering time the following week, the 11th with our brand…
Top Posts of June ‘09

Josh

2 Jul 2009 | 7:25 am

In case you missed them, here are the blogs that created the most traffic for the month of June. Thoughts on Marriage Through the Lens of Jon & Kate Plus Eight Recent Pics of the Kids Thoughts on Pastors Making it to the End Outliers: The Story of Success Preaching Without Notes Saturday Night Mind Dump… (6/6/09) Taking a Break (Of Sorts) Summer Reading List My Weight Loss “Secret” Preaching Through Hebrews Posted in book review, church, family, health, leadership, mind dump, parenting, pastor, preaching, relationships, revolution church, school, top posts Tagged:…
Summer Break

Josh

1 Jul 2009 | 8:33 am

This week starts my summer break. It has been pretty much non-stop for Katie and I for the last 18 months of getting Revolution off the ground. In the last year, I’ve had 2 weeks off from preaching, which is not anywhere close to what it should be. I’m not looking for pity, it is the life of a church planter. The last several months, a lot of things have happened to converge on one topic: longevity, endurance, how to make it to the end in ministry. It started when Katie and I read Wayne Cordeiro’s book Leading on Empty, which is a must read for any leader. I was then starkly…
My Weight Loss “Secret”

Josh

30 Jun 2009 | 7:08 am

Over the last several weeks I’ve been asked by numerous people about what my secret has been to losing weight. Since I’m not expert (you should read Men’s health for that), but I can share what I’ve done. You need to understand something about my secret, it takes awhile. Let me explain. In 2002 when Katie and I got married I was a nice 283 and a waise 42. This was my heaviest. Here’s a pic. As always, Katie looks hot. Not sure how I conned her into marrying me. One thing you need to understand is that I have a deep love for food and it loves me. I’m not…

MinistryLIVE.org
Youth Spaces Project: ideas, tips, and examples of setting up a youth room

Brandon Collins

29 Jun 2009 | 3:56 am

As a youth leader or pastor, you’re faced with a question every day that many people forget about because it’s so integral to youth ministry: where are you going to hold your meeting? Along with that question comes some other issues: “Once I have the space to meet, what should I put in there? How should the chairs be set up? Where should I position the praise band? What color should the walls…” Get the idea? We’ve all faced these issues and it’s hard to provide answers that work for every youth room in every church because some people have huge rooms…
4 Simple ways to lead a small group - Part 2

Brandon Collins

25 Jun 2009 | 11:00 am

Check out Part 1 before you continue. Prayer Requests: Take time to go around and talk about struggles, tough circumstances, and blessings the group has been experiencing. Pray for the first two and praise God for the last. A good way to run this type of group time is to pray for the requests individually as they are raised. Someone mentions a request, the leader asks someone in the group to pray for it. Once they say, “Amen,” someone else mentions a request, and so on. This helps keep things moving and makes sure you get through all of the requests without running out of time. As…
4 Simple ways to lead a small group - Part 1

Brandon Collins

25 Jun 2009 | 4:22 am

There are a lot of churches that use small groups at some point or in some manner in their youth ministry. This is probably the best way to ensure that personal discipleship is happening in the students that you minister to as leaders get up close and personal with teens every week. Today I want to discuss what should actually be done inside of those kinds of small groups. Get ready because we’re not going to talk philosophy; we’re getting down and dirty with suggestions that are about as practical as physically possible. It’s important to understand the goals of a small…
Creating Irresistable Environments

Ray Deck III

22 Jun 2009 | 5:00 am

We all want to be effective communicators. I feel safe assuming that all of us, as ministry leaders, spend a big chunk of our preparation time working on: What we are going to say How we are going to say it But how much time do we spend thinking about where we are going to be speaking? Different ministries have different goals. Some ministries are designed to encourage people to build relationships. Community Groups (that’s what my church calls them, everybody’s got their own name for the things), for example, are designed to help foster true Christian community and encourage…
True Forgiveness

Ben Bacon

11 Jun 2009 | 1:06 pm

Life is not simple. Rape, divorce, abuse, murder, adultery, extortion, and a thousand other daggers pierce the fabric of our lives and the lives of people around us. How can we forgive those who aren’t sorry for what they’ve done? For years, I was taught that forgiveness is ‘releasing the debt’ but no one ever bothered to explain that word picture. My elders talked about it as if ‘releasing the debt’ meant that everything returned to how it was before the person had ever sinned. Others claimed that unless the person is sorry, you cannot forgive them. But what is the truth? How can…

TheResurgence
Darrin Patrick Interviews Ed Stetzer

Resurgence

2 Jul 2009 | 10:00 am

Watch Darrin Patrick, lead pastor of The Journey and vice president of Acts 29, interview leading missiologist and friend of the Resurgence Ed Stetzer in the video below: Note: If you're reading this in a feed reader, the embedded video above may not show. Click through to the site to see the video. Vintage Church: In this book, Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears discuss the essentials of what it means to be a biblical church. Find out more.
Men: Bucking the Trend, Part 2

Joel Virgo

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

Masculinity Reclaimed Series: Click | View Series Corporate Worship Is it possible for men to come into a Sunday worship service and reflect: "Now this is a masculine environment?" I reckon it is, but you have to be intentional to get there. Some of our songs lend themselves to a masculine response, and they should be chosen over others. I'm talking about songs full of objective truth that help guys know what they're singing about. As for songs that subjectively express our love or our longing for Jesus, well they are entirely biblical. Just beware of unbalance. A normal masculine man is…
My spring was crazy

Mark Driscoll

1 Jul 2009 | 12:21 pm

The past month has been very busy and people have had a lot of questions about various projects so here is the update: Religion Saves On Shelves Now My newest book is out on shelves now. Entitled Religion Saves: And Nine Other Misconceptions, the book is based on the sermon series that I preached at the beginning of 2008. The series was inspired by 1 Corinthians, in which Paul responds to a series of questions from people in the Corinthian church. I decided to do something similar by preaching a series answering the big questions and issues in our own day, so we tried an experiment. We opened…
July Wallpapers

Resurgence

1 Jul 2009 | 10:00 am

The latest and greatest free Resurgence wallpapers are now available. Enjoy! Download It 1024x768 1152x864 1280x800 1280x960 1440x900 1600x1200 1680x1050 1920x1200 iPhone Download It 1024x768 1152x864 1280x800 1280x960 1440x900 1600x1200 1680x1050 1920x1200 iPhone Rain City Hymnal The first offering from Re:Sound is the Rain City Hymnal. Listen online and purchase the record from the Re:Sound website. Find out more.
Recommended Reading: Apologetics - Introduction and Methods

Mark Driscoll

1 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

Great Books Series: Click | View Series Apologetics Introductions Frame, John M. Apologetics to the Glory of God: An Introduction Geisler, Norman L. Christian Apologetics Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity McGrath, Alister E. Intellectuals Don't Need God and Other Modern Myths Moreland, J.P. Scaling the Secular City: A Defense of Christianity Sproul, R.C. Defending Your Faith: An Introduction to Apologetics Apologetics Methods Boa, Kenneth D., and Robert M. Bowman Jr. Faith Has Its Reasons: An Integrative Approach to Defending Christianity Cowan, Steven B., ed. Five Views on Apologetics Follis,…

Kem Meyer on Less Clutter & Noise
Where is the love?

Kem Meyer

23 Jun 2009 | 12:57 pm

I recently had a conversation with a church who invited William P. Young (author of The Shack) to speak during a weekend service. Now, they're getting hit hard by some of their congregants. Hit hard with comments like "This author belongs no where near this building." Really? Really. We get this type of feedback at Granger every single time we touch anything secular. The argument isn't new news. It spans hundreds of years. I'm not interested in arguing an old debate. And, for the record...nobody asked me to. But, they did ask me this: "When you find yourself fielding this type of feedback,…
Social Networking Discussion

Kem Meyer

23 Jun 2009 | 10:27 am

Recently, I had the chance to participate in a Q&A facilitated by Paul Steinbrueck over on the Christian Web Trends Blog. John Saddington and Matt Farina were there, too. The 4-part series just wrapped up. I thought I'd share it all together here. Part 1: Social Networking Consumption Part 2: Social Networking for Organizations Part 3: Social Media for Individuals Part 4: Future of Social Networking
Twelve pages of creative goodness...

Kem Meyer

16 Jun 2009 | 1:24 pm

You can find it here.
7 Myths Marketers ( their bosses) Gotta Stop Buying...

Kem Meyer

11 Jun 2009 | 3:57 am

I read an article this week that begs to be shared. Want to get the most out of marketing in today's world? Stop believing these myths. Myth #1 - "I'll just hire me one of them marketing superstars. Myth #2 - "If everyone just picks themselves up by the bootstraps and tries harder (or works smarter)... Myth #3 - "If we can just get some of that marketing automation, that'll solve our problems." Myth #4 - "If we can't quantity it, we shouldn't do it." Myth #5 - "I don't care what it takes, just get it done!" Myth #6 - "We can't spare a dime to invest in research." Myth #7 - "We don't have time…
All Time Alltop Questions and Answers ...

Kem Meyer

10 Jun 2009 | 4:31 am

I like and respect Guy Kawasaki. He has personally and professionally helped me several times over the past few years. He has visited Granger and even endorsed my book. Not long ago, we were exchanging emails and I asked him if there was anything I could do to help his causes like he had helped mine. He only asked one thing... spread the word about Alltop. Ok! Love to! And, then I stalled out. I didn't understand what Alltop could do for me. That makes it pretty hard to talk about. So, then, I stalled longer because I was determined to figure it out on my own. And, then I stalled longer…

Frankly Speaking
NACC: Day Two

1 Jul 2009 | 6:57 pm

Day two at the North American Christian Convention ended with David Clark preaching on "Healing Grace." He talked about how each of us need to let God's Spirit minister to us in our pain. Tracy and I have been experiencing a measure of pain in recent days - not with each other - but with some of the bumps and bruises that sometimes come from ministry.Tonight was a good reminder that God's grace
NACC: Day One

30 Jun 2009 | 8:30 pm

Enjoyed the first evening session of this year's North American Christian Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. Jeff Stone preached about grace tonight. Does grace still amaze us? It is a question worth considering. Jeff taught us that, if we value Gods grace it will fuel a lifestyle response of grace.Makes me wonder . . .Jeff mentioned Ephesians 4:32 - a verse that I preached on a few weeks
Ten things I love about Grand Ledge . . .

25 Jun 2009 | 6:51 pm

As you walk through the produce section at the Felpausch, from time to time you hear thunder. It happens just before the produce is automatically misted so you know to get out of the way and avoid the shower.At the Sun Theater when the $2 movie doesn't start quite on time and when the sound stops working part way through and they have to stop to re-thread the film, nobody freaks out.The blind
Tough questions

17 Jun 2009 | 11:06 am

I've been really impressed with Reggie McNeal's The Present Future and by the tough questions that he has for the North American church:Is the church the mission or the missionary?Are we "doing" church at the clubhouse, or "being" the church in the world?Are we measuring our effectiveness with "church culture yardsticks" like, "Was the sermon well received?" and "Are church programs staffed and
Love this

16 Jun 2009 | 4:14 pm

I invested some time with a pre-married couple tonight. We talked about the nature of intimacy and passion and how the two are interrelated. Together we unpacked this passage of scripture that is paraphrased uniquely in The Message.Corinthians 6:16-20There's more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, "The two become one."

Church Central News
Going global with a vision for world outreach

30 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

Worldwide outreach is a matter of vision for today's churches. Devising an intentional strategy for trips, partners and support, hinges on a healthy missions philosophy.
How facilities can stop growth

22 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

According to author and consultant Dr. Bob Whitesel, some of the advice churches often receive about facilities may actually stop their growth. In his book, "Growth by Accident, Death by Planning," he offers seven "don’ts" to help churches avoid the mistakes in facility usage, planning and building that can be detrimental to a vibrant congregation.
Church planting strategies should include trusting God

15 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

At a recent church planting conference, LifeWay Research’s president, Ed Stetzer, shared how a pastor used such tools as Twitter and Facebook to attract a 500-person turnout for his launch service. In addition to discussing other tools that are useful for starting new churches, the veteran church planter reminded participants that without God’s help and direction, pastors will build a monument to themselves.
Pastor of fastest-growing U.S. church empowers volunteers, keeps mission simple

8 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

Church of the Highlands in Birmingham ranked as the fastest-growing church in America in 2008. This Alabama congregation’s pastor, Chris Hodges, says he places a high value on equipping all believers to minister and in keeping the mission of the church simple by limiting ministry to four areas.
BOOK REVIEW: 'Good Book'

1 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

Seeing the Bible from a different, agnostic-Jewish perspective may better inform the evangelical mind about how many outside the Church view God and expect to encounter him without faith. In a blog turned book, Slate editor David Plotz examines the Scriptures in a search that leaves him mostly dissatisfied. Still, his views will challenge many Christians.

Ipiphanist (Show + Tell)
Worship with your phone?

ipiphanist

2 Jul 2009 | 7:34 am

It was only a matter of time before the mobile revolution caught up with the online church revolution. The result: A Hawaii church, New Hope Christian Fellowship, will become the first to livestream its services via the iPhone. Other churches, like Flamingo Road, have been offering that kind of mobility for a while using U-Stream’s iPhone app. I’m a fan of anything we can do to break down the barriers for people to experience church and hear the word of God. As Bobby Greuenwald of Lifechurch.tv has pointed out, the mobile handset will be the predominant way to access the Web in…
Community is about doing something together

ipiphanist

1 Jul 2009 | 7:43 am

Reading Mark Batterson’s recent interview with Neue Ministry on community rung so many bells it felt like a carnival in my head this morning. Some choice snippets: (emphasis mine) “To me, the greatest adventure is God inviting us into this thing called the Great Commission—how He didn’t call us to do something on our own. God loves the adventure of doing things together … We have a range of about 90 different groups, and they range from Bible studies to running a marathon together. They are so diverse; they’re as diverse as our leaders are. What it is, is just finding…
Church, online or off, is about the middle

ipiphanist

30 Jun 2009 | 7:45 am

I’m a fan of Seth Godin’s pithy wisdom along with thousands of other people. I like him most when he pops bubbles, as he did with this comment over the weekend on The Paradox of the Middle of the Market. The middle of the market is a paradox because of the inherent contradiction between the ease of reaching the nerds and the geeks and the need to reach the middle. The solution, if there is one, is to enter a market to the enthusiastic cheers of those in search of the new, but to build a product/service that appeals to those in the middle. After the initial wave of enthusiasm, you…
“Online church is sick”

ipiphanist

29 Jun 2009 | 6:55 am

A little while back, I mused about whether my two reformed heroes, John Piper and Mark Driscoll, considered the Web church blasphemy. Mark Driscoll responded in the last 8 or 10 minutes of his Advance ‘09 talk on What is the Church? recapping his arguments (direct link) in Vintage Church. Now it’s John Piper’s turn to weigh in, and he doesn’t mince words. Here’s the full transcript of the question, “what are your thoughts on worshiping and being part of Christ’s body through an online church?” sent in to “Ask Pastor John.” “If…
Why hold web church to a higher standard than other churches?

ipiphanist

25 Jun 2009 | 8:32 am

By now, you probably know that I’m pretty serious about exploring whether the church can be the church online. I feel like I’m called to that purpose, and I feel like we need to be brave enough to try things that we aren’t entirely comfortable with in order to “by testing discern what is the will of God.” I have plans to take Mark Driscoll’s critique of the Web Church and offer my view of whether his theological points are sufficient to disqualify the web church at this point in its maturity. I don’t want to be an uncritical apologist for the Web…

Church Crunch
FaithSearch Partners Receives a Hefty Upgrade with Tony Morgan

John Saddington

2 Jul 2009 | 12:46 pm

FaithSearch Partners, an Executive Search Firm for spiritual leaders, apparently just got a major upgrade (and became more “strategic”) with the addition of Tony Morgan: Tony Morgan brings the FaithSearch Ministry Practice a wealth of experience, knowledge, and networks in the largest, fastest growing churches in the United States. His expertise is particularly focused on Executive Pastor roles and searches regarding strategists for churches seeking to reach a new level of growth and effectiveness. Just wanted to give a shoutout and wish Tony the best of luck in his new endeavor!
Blogger Basics 101 – Part 3 – Web Servers

John Saddington

2 Jul 2009 | 9:58 am

This is Part 3 of the 5 Part Tech Series on “Blogger Basics.” Find the rest of the series here. Did you know that I get “the chills” when I see one of these being unpacked? Chills of excitement. But let’s be honest, not much to look at right? It’s not your hot red Ferrari. Although, they are a lot more useful (and practical). The servers that manage and help run your blog are doing things you probably care little about, but being aware of their purpose and their very important roll can change the way you think about your blog. In fact, knowing more about servers,…
Blogger Basics 101 – Part 2 – HTML

John Saddington

2 Jul 2009 | 7:05 am

This is Part 2 of the 5 Part Tech Series on “Blogger Basics.” Find the rest of the series here. HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language, despite what you’ve heard… How many of you knew that? Maybe most of you, but perhaps a few did not. And, for many of you, that’s pretty much where your knowledge ends (and that’s ok!). HTML (and any code for that matter) can look rather scary (if you stare at it long enough). And with the rise of WYSIWYG editors, the “need” to actually know any HTML can be completely avoided, but if you want to take your blog to the…
Blogger Basics 101 – Part 1 – The Internet

John Saddington

1 Jul 2009 | 6:06 pm

This is Part 1 of the 5 Part Tech Series on “Blogger Basics.” Find the rest of the series here. The Internet. It’s pretty big. It’s pretty wide. It can be pretty complex (but doesn’t have to be). And although you don’t need to know everything, especially as a blogger, about how the web works, it’s good to know at least some of the basics, like how data travels across the world on frail lines that shouldn’t actually work. In fact, if you really understood how the “internet” was set up you’d probably be pretty flabbergasted that…
Marriage is Like Video Sex via Skype as Online Church is To…

John Saddington

1 Jul 2009 | 12:45 pm

Remember those SAT questions? That’s what I was thinking about (hence the title to this post) when I read John Piper’s thoughts about Online Church: God made us with bodies. He made us to give holy kisses to one another—embraces, handshakes, eyeball-to-eyeball conversation. He made husband and wife not to have imaginary video sex through Skype. He made them to go to bed together in the same bed. He made them to raise children in the same house, with hands-on hugs and spanks on the bottom and love. And he made churches to get together to hear each other sing, and to look at each…

The Necessary Things
Insight From a Church Planter

Brian Barela

30 Jun 2009 | 6:20 am

Just received this comment from Chris Knutzen, who has experience in CCC and church-planting. I wanted to share his comments as they provide great insight into this area: Just wanted to chime in as one of those elders you talked about. I was part of the Mars Hill church plant. And I am currently working with my 2nd church plant in Russia. I want to share some thoughts on how it has been for me as CCC staff to be in these roles as founding elder/church planter and being full time staff. In 1995, when we planted Mars Hill, I found it the ideal position to be in to help plant a church as I would…
Striving, Thinking, Impacting, or Relating?

Brian Barela

28 Jun 2009 | 8:33 am

Our Ocean City Summer Project staff team went through a Strengthsfinder training last week. I enjoyed exploring the four domains under which all strengths fall. I enjoyed thinking about how our organization functions with respect to these domains. Based on my experience here's how I ranked the domains: Striving Impacting Relating Thinking I'm very curious as to how you would rank our organizational strengths. I discovered that my personal strengths line up in this manner: Thinking Striving Impacting Relating The fact that my number 1 is actually CCC's number 4 actually…
Church Partnership Tweets

Brian Barela

26 Jun 2009 | 10:15 am

These tweets are from Paul Nunez, CCC staff member heading to San Jose State to lead the movement there. He is quoting Holly Sheldon, one of our National Directors (who is not on Facebook or Twitter--yikes!) I'm hoping Paul can weigh in and clarify/expand on some of these quotes, as they are extremely pertinent to the recent discussions that happened here a week ago.
Reflections on Skill/Capacity Based Development

Brian Barela

22 Jun 2009 | 7:40 pm

This summer I have experienced perhaps the best skill training available in Campus Crusade for Christ. The Ocean City summer project provides training that equips students and staff to spiritually multiply their lives. Here are a few trends I have observed in ministry over the last few years: Skill-based training is great for immature/entry level leaders (student leaders/new staff) but a hindrance for seasoned leaders Staff rarely intentionally pursue capacity-based training until much later in life (late 40's-50's). I'm not that age but in talking to older leaders it's…
The CORE of Campus Crusade for Christ

Brian Barela

19 Jun 2009 | 2:41 pm

"I think that title is appropriate for what I think CCC needs to get back too. The key to the future is not old techniques but old characteristics of a movement that was on the frontier of ministry. When both staff members who were on the front lines with Bill Bright in the beginning reflect on the past, they said there were 3 distinguising characteristics. 1.Intiative 2.Innovative 3. Spirit Filled" Dan Birch interned at Chico State last year and now attends Campus Crusade's New Staff training in Fort Collins, Colorado. He shared this with me yesterday and I wanted to pass…

FusionLife
Word of Promise Next Generation New Testament MP3 Set – Review

Ben

9 Jun 2009 | 9:27 am

The 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

Ben

1 Jun 2009 | 8:02 am

If 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?

Ben

28 Apr 2009 | 9:06 pm

You 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…
Twitter Popularity Contest and Social Justice

Ben

18 Apr 2009 | 9:11 am

You couldn’t miss the Ashton Kutcher vs. CNN twitter race to 1,000,000 followers for a good cause. It was all over Twitter, CNN and digial billboards all across the country. While lots of money was raised for Malaria Nets for Africa some are questioning it’s effectiveness and whether or not this form of fundraising and giving is what the African continent needs. My good friend and Missions Innovator Tony Sheng twittered a link to a post on ProjectDiaspora.org about this very matter. Celebrity stunts of altruism are killing livelihoods in Africa is an interesting article (as are…
What I’m Learning About Leadership, Work Flow & Systems

Ben

15 Apr 2009 | 8:36 pm

I’ve been learning (not a new way to lead) but a different approach to leadership from the business world and I’d like to share some it with you. We have all had experiences with or in leadership at different times in our lives. Some very positive others not so. Some with great vision and direction from the top but not implemented very well on our level. The other day I was reading a list of CEO’s first job, their current job and the advice for those working their first job where Herman Cain, CEO of consulting company The New Voice, said, “Don’t be picky.

Zak White
I Became a Church Planter

Zak White

2 Jul 2009 | 8:19 am

I was interviewed by one of the best blogs on the internet last week as part of a double feature on church planting. My friend, Terrace Crawford is the mastermind behind the interview and one of my favorite peeps in ministry. He has an amazing heart and is very well connected in the ministry world. Shoot over to Terrace’s blog and check it out. Be sure to comment and give him some love while you are there!
Books for Sale or for Store?

Zak White

2 Jul 2009 | 7:50 am

I packed up most of my office yesterday and it reminded me of how much I hate storing and especially moving books. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE to read. But to be realistic, typically after I read a book, I don’t open it again. It…just…sits. Not only do they take up space, they also make you have higher rent or a higher house payment because of the extra square footage needed to store them. So, I’m thinking about selling ALL of my books that I have read on Amazon and buying a Kindle or at least using the library for a change. What do you think? Should a pastor keep…
So Hard to Say Goodbye

Zak White

30 Jun 2009 | 9:49 pm

Today was my last day on staff at The Connection Church. A lot of things are going through my mind. I think this song sums it up perfectly. I know its about a friend that passes away, but I literally feel like a part of me has died. Now its no secret. I’m not only a closet Mariah Carey fan, but I also LOVE Boys II Men… How do I say goodbye to what we had? The good times that made us laughOutweigh the bad.I thought wed get to see foreverBut forevers gone awayIts so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.I dont know where this roadIs going to leadAll I know is where weve beenAnd what…
My Digital Toolbox

Zak White

30 Jun 2009 | 9:12 am

After reading David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” I turned in to a digital ninja using a variety of tools that sync between my desktop and my phone and allow me to be more organized and productive. Just thought I’d share the three tools that basically run my life: GOOGLE - First let me say this. If you are not using google then you are already behind. These guys will rule the world one day…Google provides me with: Gmail – the BEST email in the world. Syncs on any computer any where and works on the phone. Google Calendar – an amazing calendar with SMS…
Naming a Baby is Easy

Zak White

29 Jun 2009 | 9:16 pm

I am finding that naming a baby is easier than naming a church. That said, we are trying a creative idea with the new church plant where we are letting the community help us name this new church by visiting: http://www.namethischurch.com Now that several hundred people have shared their ideas, we are building a nice list to work from. We will choose the name of the church sometime around the first of August. We’ve already received a few hundred ideas. Some are good. Some are scary bad. But I want to hear more. So shoot over to http://www.namethischurch.com and share your thoughts. Here are…

All Praise Blog
Too Busy to Fellowship?

28 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

Too Busy to Fellowship? Really? I think 1 John 1:6-7 is one of the most powerful messages to pastors today. And in today's cyber-pastor world, it's more important than ever to understand the meaning of this passage. It's a part of God's plan that we have actual fellowship with one another. It's not good enough that 20,000 Twitter users per day read your quotes. Fellowship requires an investment of time and energies, and it must be personalized one-on-one.1 John reads: "If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we…
My Favorite Book Ever

6 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

As worship leaders, it's important that we understand the power of praise. Which is why I'm telling you that you MUST read this book. At least the first chapter.I know it may make me seem out of touch by saying my favorite book is a book older than most of you reading this, but this book changed my life! I've recently re-discovered it and once again, it's had a profound affect on my life. POWER IN PRAISE has sold over 3 million copies for a reason. It's a book that can change your life.Giving God all praise in all things - through the good and the bad - is a discipline we all need to…
Responding to Criticism

28 May 2009 | 10:00 pm

In the ministry, being attacked and criticized is nothing new. Jesus himself experienced it over and over. But in recent years, it appears we have begun a trend in overlooking the "turn the other cheek" philosophy our Savior promoted. Recently, I have heard some of the most well-known pastors and worship leaders attack their enemies. Many of these pastors have even gone as far as to embarrass the offender via their public platform. Read on:
Lessons I've Learned from People I Dislike - Pt. One

17 May 2009 | 10:00 pm

Leading worship since the age of 16 has made me somewhat qualified to blog on the topic of hateful and hurtful people. I know lead pastors have their share of haters who love to tear them apart, but the music side of any ministry also gets its share of complaints. And even though I often have thoughts of writing a blog that would rip these people apart, I'm pretty sure God would rather me share a few things I've learned over the years. So here are some lessons from those who's goal in life is to bring every ministry under their submission through dissension and ill-willed attacks. Read on....
You're Never Too Young

2 May 2009 | 10:00 pm

I had to give a shout out and write a note about how awesome it was this week to lead worship with a band made up of members with an average age of 17 years old. Man, was I skeptical going in. But at the first rehearsal, I realized God was doing something special in the lives of these kids

Creative Worship Tour
Lessons From Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Josh Linman

So why is it every time I watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition I cry? No, these aren't the kind of tears you get as you're gouging your eyes out while watching most other reality shows (was Big Brother really that good the first 10 times?), on the contrary these are the good kind of tears. If you've never seen the show, handyman Ty Pennington and his crew go around the country helping to makeover the run down houses of some very deserving people. A recent show featured Bernard McFarland who returned to his violence ridden hometown after serving in the military and vowed to help change the…
Music Solos in Worship Music :: Distraction or Offering

Jodi-Renee Adams

We are in an emerging place as the Church - one can find liturgical communities that have big sound and talk about things like "production values" and then find a community once suspicious of the liturgy re-engaging with things like the mystery inhabited in the Eucharist on a regular basis. With this change come issues that we never thought we'd have to think about...like what's up with the solos in worship? This is certainly nothing new and not relegated to the electric guitar crowd. Growing up in my quasi-Baptist/ evangelical church, we often had people perform (ooo, can I say that?) during…
Summer Reading List

Josh Linman

Don't worry this isn't like summer reading for school where you're forced to read horrible stuff like Emma or The Scarlet Letter (I do appreciate some of the classics, just not those two). Anyway, here are four blogs I've started following recently. Grey Scale Gorilla Nick Campbell is a motion designer in Chicago and uses the blog to share creative ideas and tutorials. Check out my favorite post so far. Inside North Point Media Did a post a while ago about North Point's launch of a group of blogs maintained by North Point staff to give people an inside look at how they do things. Specifically…
Christy Nockels – Life Light Up

Richard Webb

One of the problems with worship leadership is that there are so very few women doing it. Sure, there’s Darlene Zscheck, but who else? Meet Christy Nockels. If you’ve been following the Passion movement you’ll know her as part of “Watermark,” and the writer of “You Are My King.” Christy began leading worship with her husband Nathan in 1995 at their church in Oklahoma City. In 1997 Louie Giglio invited them to be part of the first Passion conference in Austin, Texas. That same year they moved to Houston and began leading worship at a weekly gathering of 3000 young adults.
Tweet Your Mission Trips

Josh Linman

Most of you have probably heard of Twitter, the micro-blogging platform where you share updates in 140 characters or less. Places like Summit Church are using it to keep people updated on events and stuff happening in the church. If you're interested in learning more about using twitter as a ministry communication tool, check out some of these blog posts at ChurchCrunch. Besides communicating info about upcoming events to people, Twitter can also be a great tool to keep people connected to mission teams as they are serving in other cities, states or countries. Spirit of Joy Church in Orlando…

Between Realities
485ing it.

28 Jun 2009 | 11:06 pm

How reassuring the sound of a bird chirping is.Against the background of speeding vehicles, it is downright heavenly.Where am I? On I-485, the branching interstate that flanks the parent I-85 in Charlotte. I had just experienced a tire blowing out, and it wasn't fun.I was (still am, hopefully) headed to watch a soccer game with my U-13 Girls team as the first leg of an evening of practice and team-building. So, naturally, I am disappointed sitting here waiting for AAA to get here and tow me to a tire shop.In any case, now that my pulse has returned to normal, I feel somewhat let down. When I…
God hates Twitter

17 Jun 2009 | 7:00 am

I'll leave the commentary to y'all. I mean that. I won't utter a word.Okay, just one word. Really?!Keep in mind that this is not a denominational issue...http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/142309
*Space reserved*

9 Jun 2009 | 1:00 pm

... for future testimony...
Sheep thieves and saints

2 Jun 2009 | 10:00 am

Years ago, I read an interesting story.Two young men, friends upon a wayward path, decided to steal a sheep. Unfortunately for them, they were caught and sent before the elders of the clan.Justice was swift and brutal.That evening, before the entire village, the two men were tied up, set on their knees, and each had the initials "ST" branded on their respective foreheads, denoting Sheep Thief. For the rest of their lives, there would be a permanent reminder of their transgression for the whole world to see, and a deterrent to other would-be criminals.The one youth became despondent. He moved…
Ponytails.

30 May 2009 | 7:00 am

Funny, funny stuff from Eugene Cho waxing on his mane...

Business as Mission Network
Pro-Line Racing Business Serving Casa Hogar Belen

2 Jul 2009 | 5:51 am

By Todd Mattson - This is a simple story of running my business and encouraging associates to make a difference in a ministry activity. While, I’ve always had opportunities for ministry at work, home and in the community, I couldn’t have guessed what plans the Lord had for my business and our people to minister to others in a unique way.A friend invited me on a day trip to a Mexican orphanage. Although I’d been to Mexico before for ministry, it had been many years. The few minutes we traveled south of the border transported us to a place seemingly much farther from home. This small…
A glimpse into Heavan - Following up from the Call 2 All conference in Hong Kong

2 Jul 2009 | 5:34 am

By Buck Jacobs, Chairman of the C12 Group - My trip to attend the Call2All conference in Hong Kong was a kaleidoscope of impressions, relationships, and sensory input that is going to be hard to capture. So many were packed into such a short time.First, who Call2All is from their web site - "Call2All is a worldwide movement calling the church to a renewed, focused collaborative effort to complete the Great Commission.Call2All is about all nations, all spheres of society and every unreached person everywhere in the world. It is strategy-centered, action-oriented movement focusing on where the…
Living an Integrated Life

1 Jul 2009 | 5:46 am

By Keith Ferrin - Founder and President, True Success Coaching - Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. Colossians 3: 23-24 It seems you can’t pick up a business book or magazine these days without reading something about “work-life balance.” Everything I read about a balanced life sounds really good. The problem is, I have a hard time actually doing it.In fact, whenever I bring up the concept with someone, I can almost predict the eye roll followed by the heavy…
South Africa, Gateway to the Continent

30 Jun 2009 | 5:11 am

By Kent Humphreys - It is Monday evening, and I just boarded my plane to go to Dakar and onto Atlanta (19 hours on one plane) and then to Oklahoma City after nearly two weeks in Africa. As I stood in line I met two of our FCCI members from Colorado, Dan and Deb Lowery, who has been on a mission trip for several weeks. It is a small world! Yesterday afternoon I spent with the Africa Crown leaders and some key pastors from Nigeria as we walked along the beautiful beach in the bay in Cape Town. That morning, I was enjoying their beautiful early fall weather. It is even better than the spring…
Cardone - Business as Mission in the US

28 Jun 2009 | 7:08 pm

For over 35 years, Cardone has been doing some dometic grassroots combining of business and ministry. A little over a year ago, the Philadelphia Business Journal highlighted the new Urban Health Clinic Cardone opened up to help their intercity employees with healthcare. Here's an excerpt:"A Northeast Philadelphia automotive products maker has entered into a unique partnership with a local health system to make it easier for its workers to access primary health-care services.Cardone Industries and Holy Redeemer Health System are building a 2,500-square-foot facility that will provide family…

ChurchBeauty
LifePoint Church

Sean Alsobrooks

22 Jun 2009 | 7:19 am
Red Rocks Church

Sean Alsobrooks

11 Jun 2009 | 5:39 pm
First Baptist Oviedo

Sean Alsobrooks

11 Jun 2009 | 5:36 pm
C3 Church

Sean Alsobrooks

31 May 2009 | 3:29 pm
New LIfe Church

Sean Alsobrooks

31 May 2009 | 3:27 pm

CJ Alvarado
Why Online Ministry Needs To Be On The Agenda

CJ

1 Jul 2009 | 9:18 pm

Should doing ministry online be part of your church’s overall strategy? Let me first preface this by saying that I believe in real life, face to face community. I think it has been a vital part of church history and always will be. Community and conversations are happening every day on the web (some may be [...]
Investing in Teams

CJ

23 Jun 2009 | 8:09 am

Investing in the future sometimes means making the tough decisions in the present. John Maxwell says “one of the great things about investing in the team is that it almost guarantees higher return for the effort, because the team can do so much more than individuals. ” Here are some takeaways from John Maxwell’s the 17 [...]
The Twitter Weekly

CJ

15 Jun 2009 | 8:15 pm

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. # Reading 8 Ways to Create a Paperless Business Card http://bit.ly/WfYqX # Dinner at cheescake factory tonight. I am so full. # 10 cool things about the iPhone 3G S http://bit.ly/cNI13 # @aaronrobbins Looking forward to it! in reply to aaronrobbins # Good [...]
The Four Seasons Hotel Uses Twitter

CJ

14 Jun 2009 | 12:30 pm

This video was such a great video about the director of marketing at the Four Seasons Hotel in Palo Alto using twitter. Enjoy.
The Twitter Weekly

CJ

8 Jun 2009 | 8:15 pm

RT @mashable Testing Google Wave: This Thing is Tidal http://bit.ly/nQZ3b (via @tweetmeme) # Meetings all morning today # Your life bears a message, a message of hope and redemption. But before people in your world encounter your message, they encounter you. # Ever wonder what kids think about TV and it’s future? http://bit.ly/ICg5Y # Spending the [...]

Mistakemaker.com
When the Bottom Drops Out

Mike Silliman

23 Jun 2009 | 10:10 am

It was the year 1985 and I was 14 years old. We were in our brand new car on our way to a wedding in NJ. It was a long ride and as usual, we were running late. We made it Philadelphia and I-95 became a parking lot. No one was moving…except for me. I was squirming in the back seat trying everything to keep my mind off of the fact that I had to pee. Tensions were high. Finally, I couldn’t hold it any longer. I made an announcement loud and clear! There is no more waiting…there is no more holding it. My bladder has reached the tipping point and the levees were about to give…
The Weapon Of Memorization

Mike Silliman

17 Jun 2009 | 7:38 am

If you’re like me, my brain can be like a sieve when it comes to memorizing things. Memorizing scripture has been something that I’ve struggled with over the years. The truth is, hiding God’s Word within our hearts through scripture memorization is a strong weapon against the enemy. Jesus used scripture memorization as a weapon against Satan in Matthew 4. If it’s a good enough weapon for Jesus, it’s good enough for me. I recently downloaded VerseMinder from NavPress. Here are some of the features of this software …It quizzes you on Scripture using a…
Some Will, Some Won’t

Mike Silliman

16 Jun 2009 | 3:18 pm

If there’s one thing that I have learned in church planting, it’s the concept that…some will, some won’t. Some will be fired up about the vision of your church…some won’t Some will be extremely committed…some won’t Some will sacrificially give…some won’t Some will make a decision to follow Christ…some won’t Some will tough it out through thick and thin…some won’t Some will have your back no matter what…some won’t Some will still be at your church 1 year from now…some won’t The tendency…
Creative Communication

Mike Silliman

12 Jun 2009 | 10:31 am

One of my goals as a communicator has been to constantly improve in my communication. The message of the gospel is too important to not share it passionately and creatively. Jim Rayburn said, “It’s a sin to bore people with the gospel.” I love Southwest Airlines. I love the fact that they give their employees creative license. You never know what you’re going to get on a Southwest flight, but it’s usually something creative. Click here to view the embedded video. This video captures some key components of creative communication. Be Funny! You don’t have to…
One Word That No Human Should Ever Say

Mike Silliman

11 Jun 2009 | 7:48 am

There is a word that is capable of destroying your life. This one word has destroyed marriages. It has has leveled ministries. It has bankrupted people literally as well as spiritually. This

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