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Finish This: Quick Question of the Day
(re)made1 Feb 2012 | 10:58 pm -
What Do We Do With Church Announcements?
TimSchraeder.com7 Feb 2012 | 10:02 amAn essential part of any church communication strategy is the announcements made from the platform on Sunday mornings. However, I don’t know of a church yet that has figured out what to do with them, how many announcements to make, what style, etc. Today I’ve invited my friend Gary Molander to tackle this question and I believe he offers some great insights for us to consider about church announcement time. Here’s what Gary has to say… When I was a creative arts pastor, we’d have this ongoing weekly discussion about service announcements. We’d talk about the best… -
Atheists vs Christians Research Study on Personality Differences
churchrelevance.com8 Feb 2012 | 9:47 amMatt Baker of UsefulCharts is conducting some very important research regarding the personality differences between atheists and Christians. Please take a moment to complete the quick questionnaire by clicking here. The survey has already received about 25,000 responses from atheists and is in great need of more Christian participants to balance out the dataset. I’ll publish the results on Church Relevance when available. Sponsored by: E-zekiel: Websites for Active Ministries E-zekiel.com is a flexible platform that thousands of churches depend on to create and manage their website and… -
Mars Hill Using Pinterest: Just More Spam?
ChurchKreatives7 Feb 2012 | 10:00 amI love Mars Hill. I love their pastor. I love their use of media arts. I love that they are daring, forward thinking, and innovative. But I’m [...] -
Office Hours: Communication Volunteers & Church Social Media
Church Marketing Sucks8 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amEvery week I hold online office hours and answer questions from folks like you. This week we’ve got a question about communication volunteers and staff. I also take a look at the true meaning of social media and how churches can participate. Take a look and be sure to join me every Wednesday from 2-4 p.m. CST for online office hours! I’m setting up a creative team at our church to handle all the communication requirements. There are no staff on the team, just volunteers. Any advice on what to focus on most and what can wait until later? My answer: This is what I would do if I were…
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Church Marketing Sucks
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Office Hours: Communication Volunteers & Church Social Media
8 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amEvery week I hold online office hours and answer questions from folks like you. This week we’ve got a question about communication volunteers and staff. I also take a look at the true meaning of social media and how churches can participate. Take a look and be sure to join me every Wednesday from 2-4 p.m. CST for online office hours! I’m setting up a creative team at our church to handle all the communication requirements. There are no staff on the team, just volunteers. Any advice on what to focus on most and what can wait until later? My answer: This is what I would do if I were… -
Churches Reaching Out With Pinterest
6 Feb 2012 | 7:21 amWhether you’re crazy about pinning or think that it’s just a fad, there’s no denying that Pinterest is a new player on the social media scene. In January it beat YouTube, Reddit, Google+, LinkedIn and MySpace for percentage of total referral traffic in January, according to a Shareaholic study. One church is pioneering this new territory and has some insights to share on how churches can use Pinterest. Jake Johnson is the publishing and content manager for Mars Hills Church, Resurgence and PastorMark.tv. He oversees content strategy for all of Mars Hill’s online… -
Job Board: Director, Web & Media
3 Feb 2012 | 8:15 amAre you looking for a job in church communications? The CFCC Job Board has some listings that you might be interested in. Here are a few of the recent listings to the board: Hempfield United Methodist Church in Lancaster, Penn., is looking for a director of communications. Click here for details. Northview Church in Carmel, Ind., is looking for a web coordinator. Click here for details. Victory Highway Wesleyan Church in Painted Post, N.Y., is looking for a media designer. Click here for details. Is your church looking for a communications professional? Be sure to get your free listing on the… -
Lessons from Bible Billboards in Egypt
1 Feb 2012 | 8:09 amOn Sunday my church had a visit from the general secretary of the Bible Society of Egypt, Ramez Atallah. His visit coincided with the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the Egyptian revolution. But rather than a typical discussion of passing out Bibles, he offered a lesson in marketing. In Egypt the Bible Society isn’t allowed to evangelize, so they advertise. They’re not allowed to give Bibles away, so they sell them. Atallah admitted he freely borrows from the business world, saying “If it works for Pizza Hut, it can work for us.” That includes using billboards and… -
Annual Report: We Need Your Help
31 Jan 2012 | 1:54 pmWe need your help. As an organization that has delivered thousands of breakthrough moments—those key sparks that frustrate, educate and motivate the church to communicate, with uncompromising clarity, the truth of Jesus Christ—we believe there is even more to be done. We’ll get to that in a moment. First, 2011 was a remarkable year and I want to celebrate what took place. Last year included events such as the launch of Outspoken: Conversations on Church Communication, Creative Missions, more CFCC meetups and the continuation of Cultivate. I’d encourage you to read the 2011…
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churchrelevance.com
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Atheists vs Christians Research Study on Personality Differences
8 Feb 2012 | 9:47 amMatt Baker of UsefulCharts is conducting some very important research regarding the personality differences between atheists and Christians. Please take a moment to complete the quick questionnaire by clicking here. The survey has already received about 25,000 responses from atheists and is in great need of more Christian participants to balance out the dataset. I’ll publish the results on Church Relevance when available. Sponsored by: E-zekiel: Websites for Active Ministries E-zekiel.com is a flexible platform that thousands of churches depend on to create and manage their website and… -
The Top Churches in America to Watch in 2012
1 Feb 2012 | 2:18 pmThe metrics that matter most in ministry are true conversions, maturing disciples, and selfless acts that advance the gospel message. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to truly measure this in just one church let alone tens of thousands of churches. Instead those who study churches rely on metrics like weekly attendance, growth rates, subjective opinions, scope of influence, and church planting efforts as hints to gauge if a church is successful. The underlying flaw with this is sometimes exceptional churches have humble results in terms of size, growth, and influence while sometimes… -
Whoops! Open Church Delayed but Coming Soon
25 Jan 2012 | 6:20 amOpen Church’s launch has moved to March 1, 2012 for the ministry ideas section and likely April 2012 for the free resources. WHAT HAPPENED? Developing the site wasn’t as easy as our developer expected. After previous delays, we pruned off features to make a mid-January launch possible, but those pruned benchmarks were not hit either. Unfortunately, what is left is unstable and missing most of what we hoped for. It is clear we need to go a different route. The developer has moved on. I apologize for this. Any payment the developer received was underwritten by my company or came… -
What Ministry Conferences Are You Attending in 2012?
24 Jan 2012 | 11:14 amChurch Relevance’s list of 2012 church conference recommendations has been updated to almost 40 ministry conferences. There’s no way it includes all of the conferences worth considering. So check out the list, and please leave a comment letting us know which conferences we forgot and which ones you’ll be attending. Sponsored by: Leaders Book Summaries Leaders Book Summaries help you grow as a leader. Receive the best books for leaders in concise, easy-to-read summaries. Thirty times/year receive a 12-15 page complete summary and a 2-page Nutshell of each book. -
Leaders Book Summaries
17 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amI love books. From the Bible to theologians to business experts, books are a quick way to get wisdom which in the long run helps you make better choices and avoid dangerous pitfalls. Over time my library has grown to about 1,500 books I haven’t read yet, but over time, my responsibilities have also grown to the point that I have to be very strategic about what I read and how long I read it. In 2012, I have purposed to read more by using book summaries from Leaders Book Summaries. I’ve avoided book summaries in the past because I liked the sense of accomplishment from reading a…
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djchuang.com
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How can organizations get along in an organic movement?
2 Feb 2012 | 12:04 amThere’s something about a movement that attracts attention, people and/or media and/or whatever. Some more than others. There’s the Tea Party movement.. Occupy movement.. Arab Spring movement.. movements can be social, political, even religious. Some people have a degree of uneasiness with calling something that’s orchestrated by an organization as a movement, insinuating that a movement is more pure or more real if it is entirely organic and no one person or no one organization can be pin-pointed as the starting point of the phenomena occurring. Yes, there’s something… -
Lessons from YouTube Channels Making Money
23 Jan 2012 | 9:54 amYouTube has become quite the pop culture shaper and launched a little cottage industry for thousands. I’d anticipate that will only continue to grow. That’s entertainment! Wired magazine recently featured a dozen or so Partners in The YouTube Laugh Factory: A Studio System for Viral Video (December 2011) and distilled these 5 rules for getting noticed according to YouTube Partners (people making money via YouTube): Make a lot of content. A lot. Target a niche. Connect with your fans. Collaborate. Optimize for the algorithms. These YouTube Partners are mentioned in the Wired… -
10 Ethnicities Increasing Diversity in the OC
18 Jan 2012 | 9:20 amThe OC Register put together a colorful photo slideshow to shed light on the many immigrant groups in Orange County, California, in O.C.’s top 10 immigrant populations. The content of this post is excerpted from the slideshow’s caption text by Cindy Carcamo, with demographic data attributed to the 2010 American Community Survey and 2010 U.S. Census. [ed.note: the captions note for every group that "It's unclear what portion of this population are U.S. citizens, legal residents or in the country illegally because survey officials don't ask."] An estimated 918,000 foreign-born… -
whether to connect Twitter to Facebook or not
14 Jan 2012 | 6:34 pm2 social networks dominate the new media landscape at this point in history — Facebook and Twitter. At the time of this writing, Facebook has 800+ million active users and Twitter has 100+ million active users. Many of you, like me, use both Twitter and Facebook. But given the disparity in numbers, many more are on only Facebook and not Twitter. Thus, my rationale for sharing my Twitter tweets (which I use more) to my Facebook status updates, so that both my Twitter followers and Facebook friends can see my latest finds — a large %age of my updates are links to goodies I find. -
List of Christian podcasts that aren’t sermons
9 Jan 2012 | 8:43 amRecently I’ve been looking for podcasts to subscribe to for my commute time. I’m most interested in the intersection of social and spiritual things, aka people & relationships, which isn’t as popular as topics like technology or cooking or celebrity gossip. In the Christian podcasting world, most podcasts are sermons or teachings or devotionals or church tech; that’s okay for the masses. I’m looking to check the “other” box, not so much what books tag as “Christian life”; just Christians (and Christian-friendly people) talking about a…
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| Rhett Smith:. Transitioning Life's Journey - Reflections on Writing, Therapy, and Faith
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Can Depression Offer Us a Gift?
6 Feb 2012 | 9:00 amIn Thomas Moore’s book, Care of the Soul, he writes eloquently about the gift that depression may offer people. It’s an opportunity to embrace emotions that we often don’t deal with, leading us to a better understanding of ourselves and how we want to direct our life. Though he acknowledges that depression can become debilitating to many people, he still posits the idea that there is a side to it (even in the most extremes cases of debilitation) that can be a gift to us, and that as friends and family of someone who is depressed, we play a crucial role. Moore writes:… -
Pressed to the Ground: A Theological Re-Frame of Depression
27 Jan 2012 | 3:00 amIn my continuation on the topic of depression, especially male depression (here and here), I wanted to share something with you by Parker Palmer. In his wonderful book Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation (a must read), Parker has one of the most insightful, haunting, painful, and beautiful glimpses of someone who suffers from depression that I have ever read. Parker begins the chapter with an excerpt from a book that we all read in high school, but that perhaps we might re-read differently all these years later — The Inferno of Dante: “Midway on our… -
Communication: What ‘To Say’ And ‘Not To’ Say To A Depressed Man
24 Jan 2012 | 3:00 am“What is the most important thing you can do for a depressed husband, father, or son? Without a doubt it is to communicate love and acceptance to them with all the power you can muster, and to avoid blaming them or being judgmental about their depression. Your loved one has not chosen to be depressed. If he could, he would gladly give it up. Disappointing as this truth may be, try to accept his depression in your life with grace.” (Unmasking Male Depression by Archibald Hart, pp. 227) After my last post on male depression I have been receiving a steady stream of questions from… -
The Angry…I Mean, Depressed Male: Do You Know Him?
19 Jan 2012 | 3:00 amOver the last several months when I have gathered for lunch with a few of my friends, we joke about the idea of me writing a follow up book to The Anxious Christian called The Angry Christian. Don’t worry, that is not on my to do list, but our conversation hints at an issue that can be seen in our Christian culture. If you haven’t noticed, there seems to be a lot of angry Christians out there. And more often than not, they are men. But what I’m really wondering is if there isn’t just a bunch of depressed Christian men out there…and really, men in general. In… -
The Anxious Christian is Coming Soon….Sneak Peek
21 Dec 2011 | 3:00 amThis has been an exciting month for me as I have been wrapping up some details on the soon to be publication of The Anxious Christian: Can God Use Your Anxiety for Good?. The book will be released by Moody Publishers on March 1. I’m very thankful for the amazing group of people who have endorsed the book, and a special thanks to the New York Times best selling author of Quitter, Jon Acuff for writing the foreword to the book. If you are someone who has wrestled with anxiety, then I believe this book is for you. Here is a sneak peek: Anxious Christian from ETS Productions on Vimeo.
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LifeChurch.tv : swerve
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Round Tables at LifeChurch.tv
24 Jan 2012 | 7:35 amIn order to help serve churches, we will be hosting several round tables this year. Here is information on the first two. ARC (Association of Related Churches) will be doing a one day Leadership Forum for all pastors and church leaders at LifeChurch.tv. Pastor Chris Hodges, Rick Bezet, Joe Champion, and I will be contributing. This round table is for those who are interested in church planting and for pastors interested in developing their leadership skills. The forums will be a great time of learning, sharing ideas and growing relationships in a dynamic setting. There will also be an… -
ACCEPTABLE PRIDE?
19 Jan 2012 | 8:00 amWe know God opposes the proud. But some forms of social media seem to have redefined what pride is and what it’s not. For example: Imagine if I stood before our church and told everyone, “Joe Smith said, ‘Craig you are the best preacher ever! Your sermons changed my life.’ And Jill Denny said, ‘I loved your book. Everyone should read it. You are the best author I’ve ever read!’ Not only that, but Mike Mitchell said, ‘Craig, Life Church is the best church in the world! No church is as good as Life Church.’” Chances are good most people would look at me funny and think I’m… -
Church Online Platform is Live
9 Jan 2012 | 1:29 pmI’m very excited to let you know… Church Online Platform has officially launched! This is the same technology that makes Church Online happen at LifeChurch.tv. What we’re making available to other churches for free is identical to what we’re using internally. We’ve been looking forward to this moment for a long time. Ever since the early days of Church Online (or the Internet Campus as we called it back then), one of the most frequent questions we received was, “How can we develop something similar?” Through the partnership of a handful of like-minded… -
Free Platform Helps Any Church Launch an Online Ministry
6 Dec 2011 | 7:06 amOne of the most common questions we receive about Church Online is, “how can I start something similar at my church?” That’s why I’m excited to share this news about the Church Online Platform… If you’d like to stay in the loop as we near the launch date of January 9, just enter your email address at ChurchOnline.org. And if you know churches who might be interested, please share this post with them! -
The Imaginary Deadline
6 Jul 2011 | 7:00 amFor years I struggled with managing my time effectively. One tool I learned that dramatically increased my effectiveness is the “imaginary deadline.” If I’ve got a project without a deadline, it’s easy to procrastinate or work halfheartedly. When an assignment has a hard deadline, I start faster, work smarter and focus better. Instead of thinking, I need to have my sermon finished before I preach this weekend, I have a Wednesday-at-noon deadline. It’s not anyone else’s deadline. It’s mine. Rather than saying this video needs to be finished by next week, I complete all videos by…
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Jesus Dust
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Viral Churches in 19th Century Missiology
15 Jan 2012 | 3:12 pmIn 2010, Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird published Viral Churches, sounding a call for church multiplication movements through "churches planting churches that in turn plant churches." As trendy as the title sounds, its idea is far from original. Prominent missiologists dating back to at least the 19th century have called for the development of self-propagating churches as a key objective of mission -
Lesslie Newbigin (1909-1998): Biography and Legacy
1 Jan 2012 | 9:39 amMissionary, Missiologist and Ecumenist Biography James Edward Lesslie Newbigin was born on December 8, 1909 in Newcastle-on-Tyne, England to Annie Affleck and Edward R. Newbigin, a shipping merchant. His earliest memories were happy ones, with a caring mother and a devout and politically radical father. He attended a Quaker boarding school called Leighton Park in Reding, Berkshire. By the -
Pauline Precedent in 19th Century Protestant Mission Thought
12 Dec 2011 | 2:24 pmTwo thirds of the New Testament was written, it appears, by a missionary named Paul. Furthermore, a large portion of the book of Acts is devoted to chronicling his missionary endeavors. Thus it should come as no surprise that Protestant missionaries have over the centuries appealed to his model and practices as they shaped and justified their own. This essay considers how notable Protestant -
Book Review: Evangelical Hospitality: Catechetical Evangelism in the Early Church and its Recovery for Today
16 Nov 2011 | 1:17 pm<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; mso-layout-grid-align:none; -
This is My Story: Spiritual and Autobiographical Notes
25 Oct 2011 | 12:08 pmI wrote this a while back, but if don't know me and want to, or want to know the back story, here you go: David and Ruth James, my parents, were and are committed followers of Jesus, and their devotion was apparent to me not only in the reality that they sacrificed to send my sister and I to private Christian schools, but in the all-night charismatic prayer parties my mother would drag me to,
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Eric Bryant - Blog
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“Super Decisions” by Dr. Marcus Goodloe
9 Feb 2012 | 8:35 am“Super Decisions” by Dr. Marcus “Goodie” Goodloe “I’m neither a Patriots nor Giants fan, but this was one of the most exciting Superbowls in a while. If the numbers hold true, it will be the most watched television event in history: 111.13 million people, or 1/3 of all Americans. Like many people, I was most interested in seeing the Superbowl commercials: In fact, some folks who are part of Mosaic’s community had an ad for the Doritos commercial competition. There were breath-taking plays on the field, not to mention a few controversial calls by the… -
Interview with Mark Batterson (2/15)
8 Feb 2012 | 11:16 pmJoin us Wednesday, February 15th from 3:30-4pm CST for an interview with Mark Batterson! To join us on this video conference call, email me at eric.bryant@gatewaychurch.com with “Mark Batterson Interview” in the subject. Mark is the author of several books including, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Wild Goose Chase, Primal, and his latest The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears. Mark serves as the Lead Pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC. and is on the creative team of the Origins Project. Listen to a 2010 interview with Mark… -
Interview with Mike Howerton (2/15)
8 Feb 2012 | 11:15 pmJoin us Wednesday, February 15th from 4-4:30pm CST for an interview with Mike Howerton! To join us on this video conference call, email me at eric.bryant@gatewaychurch.com with “Mike Howerton Interview” in the subject. Mike is lead pastor of Overlake Christian Church in Redmond, Washington, and served for six years as the college pastor at Saddleback Church. Mike is the author of Miles to Cross and Glorious Mess: Encountering God’s Relentless Grace for Imperfect People. Listen to or watch all previous interviews here. -
Rescued (notes & video)
7 Feb 2012 | 2:29 pmI shared a variation of the Rescued talk last week at the Gateway Central Winter Series. Catch a glimpse of our Gateway Central Winter Series and watch the message below: Here is an overview of the message: “Rescued” from Judges 17-18 The world needs a hero, and sometimes that’s you and me. Proverbs 24:11 “Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering towards destruction.” Jude 1:23a “Snatch others from the fire and rescue them…” What happens when you’re trying to be the hero, but you are the one needing to be rescued? “There was no one to rescue them… -
“…But Don’t Stay That Way” (Message Recap)
6 Feb 2012 | 12:36 pm…But Don’t Stay That Way I spoke at Gateway’s McNeil campus and our new Central series yesterday. Here are some of the thoughts I shared: “At Gateway, we use this phrase a lot: ‘Come as you are, but don’t stay that way. Whether you have walked with God in an intimate relationship for years or whether you aren’t sure if you believe in God (or anywhere in between), this is a community where we can be honest about our struggles and doubts. In the midst of authentic community, we can experience genuine change in our lives! This is a community where you can belong – no matter…
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Kindle Prayers
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God to restore our failed marriage and wifes' heart
8 Feb 2012 | 4:31 ammy wifes heart and God to step in my marriage is broken beyond repair. praying for Gods help his guidenceneed interessory prayer tonight. my wife and I have been living apart for 4yrs. we arent divorced yet. Im tired of praying God is silent. he must want divorce. thats were its going because she wont reconcille with me but wants to be friends and live apart as a single mom without fixing the marriage. the kids think theres hope when its a lie. they pray to God to bring mom and dad back but its sad. I give up. I have turned to God, but I wont care for her anymore.. I cant.... we live 10min… -
Prayer to Avoid Nuclear War
7 Feb 2012 | 6:38 pmThe situation is growing more dangerous on a daily basis in the Mid-East. The threat of Nuclear War between Iran and Israel is real. Please join me in praying for peace. Here is the prayer that I will be saying on a daily basis: O My Jesus I beg for mercy For those afflicted by terrible wars. I plead for peace to be instilled in those tortured nations. Who are blind to the truth of your existence. Please cover these nations with the power of the Holy Spirit so that they will stop their pursuit of power over innocent souls. Have mercy on all your countries who are powerless against the evil… -
Dark time, I need some guidance
7 Feb 2012 | 4:26 pmI am in a bad situation that has caused stress for myself and many others, i pray for that situation to blow over so we all may resume our lives. Please God hear me, i truly feel as though im at my lowest point and will not make it through on my own. -
Infertility
7 Feb 2012 | 3:29 pmI'm praying that God will answer our prayers and that I can conceive. We've been waiting for this miracle for a long time. Please pray with us -
OnGoing Requests (February 2012)
7 Feb 2012 | 2:49 pmOverflow Church:: 1. Hearts of Reconciliation (Galatians 3:24-26); 2. New Wineskins (Luke 5); 3. Hunger & Thirst for Righteousness (Matthew 5); 4. The Lost & Laborers (Luke 10) OCCDA:: 1. For their mission “that every Benton Harbor family is prepared for further education, life and work while experiencing Christ’s love.” 2. For the construction of Café Mosaic and recruitment of volunteers 3. For Schools of Hope Pilot Site: • Staff: Ann Kitron, Lead Teacher; Dalynn Cook, Assistant Teacher; and Tee Williams, Site Coordinator • Students to feel Christ’s love and learn to love Him…
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Church Forward
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The Leader of the Artists
13 Jan 2012 | 8:13 pmCreativity is not necessarily art. Art requires creativity, but not all creative processes produce art. I like to consider myself creative (but not an artist). As a researcher, my creativity is different than an artist’s creativity. My spreadsheets are no works of art. I doubt they will ever be displayed in a museum, or in my church’s heritage room for that matter. But I do take pride in creatively communicating statistics in ways people can grasp. So an artist I am not, even in my most inspired spreadsheet moment. But we do have several artists in our church, and leading them requires a… -
Five Leadership Resolutions for Your Followers
9 Jan 2012 | 2:08 pmNew Year’s resolutions are often self-centered; it’s understandable. Successful people often reflect on who they are. They try to be more self-aware. They desire to develop themselves. So, good leaders often make resolutions involving individual goals, desires and objectives. Many leaders have resolve — the determination to see a goal and achieve it. Too often these goals involve what individual leaders can do on their own. By the nature of their roles, however, leaders have people around them – teams, subordinates and followers – who are necessary components of success. Allow me to… -
The New Geography of Megapolitan Communities
9 Dec 2011 | 5:56 pmUSA Today recently published a graphic that grabbed my attention. As shown below, this graphic reveals what some demographers predict will become “megapolitan” communities. While I might draw the lines differently on some of the physical boundaries of these communities, the concept of megapolitan areas is fascinating to me. The article (which reports on this book) defines these megapolitan areas as “having at least one metropolitan area of 2 million people by 2040 that’s connected — via commuting patterns — to at least one other metro area of more than 250,000 people. A… -
Why We Romance Poor Leadership
4 Nov 2011 | 11:46 amThere is a romance of leadership. Most studies in leadership focus on the top roles. Many leader-centric approaches assume followers are mere recipients of leader-driven change. To romance leadership is to exaggerate its importance relative to followers. Leadership is extremely important, but it exists only because followers collectively interpret someone (or a group) in such a role. Romancing leadership leaves out half the relationship. Followers are just as important. Obsessing over leaders at the expense of followers leaves a gaping hole in understanding how leadership really works. If… -
Why Your Community is More Diverse… or Soon Will Be
19 Oct 2011 | 7:17 pmWhen you get to know a person more, you learn how to love them better. The same principle applies to communities. Communities are made of individuals, and knowing your local context helps you love the people in them more. One critical element of understanding your community is tracking demographic changes. Perhaps one of the most important changes occurring in North America is the growing diversity of many local communities. Brookings recently released a fascinating study on the changing landscape of immigration over the past ten years. Compared to previous decades, several changes are…
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ChuckWarnock.com
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Podcast: What Real Authority Looks Like
1 Feb 2012 | 12:34 pmThe people gathered in the old synagogue at Capernaum were amazed that Jesus taught “as one who had authority” and not like the teachers they were used to hearing. What did Jesus say and do that amazed those who heard him? And how was Jesus’ authority different from the religious leaders of his day? Understanding the answers to those questions will help us know what real authority looks like today. Here’s the link to the sermon I preached January 29, 2012, from Mark 1:21-28- http://traffic.libsyn.com/chuckwarnock/What_Real_Authority_Looks_Like.mp3 Filed under:… -
Podcast: A Proclamation and an Invitation
24 Jan 2012 | 9:02 amIn Mark 1:14-20, Jesus proclaims that the Kingdom of God is near. He then invites those who hear his proclamation to change their way of thinking and living, and believe the good news of the Kingdom’s presence. Jesus then invites Peter and Andrew, and James and John to follow him, with the promise that he will make them fishers of people. The invitation to follow Jesus is an invitation to Kingdom living, and means more than just believing facts or doctrine. Here’s the link to this week’s podcast… -
Podcast: When God Finds You
22 Jan 2012 | 1:42 pmTaken from John 1:43-51, this story of Jesus calling Philip and Nathanael gives us a glimpse in how and why God calls us to follow Jesus. When God Finds You explores the role of scripture, experience, and community that are present in the call of God in the lives of followers of Jesus. Here’s the link to the podcast – http://traffic.libsyn.com/chuckwarnock/When_God_Finds_You.mp3 Filed under: John, Lectionary Yr B, sermon, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Worship -
Podcast: Heaven and Earth Meet in the Waters of Baptism
8 Jan 2012 | 1:46 pmJesus’ baptism was the central, but not only time, that heaven and earth met with extraordinary result. This meeting of heaven and earth is what Jesus taught us to pray for when He said, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Heaven and earth will ultimately meet again finally and forever when all things are made new. Because of the unique experience of Jesus’ baptism, our own baptisms become the meeting place of heaven and earth, too. Here’s the link to the sermon I preached on Sunday, January 8, 2012, Heaven and Earth Meet in… -
Sermon: Jesus Still Changes The Future
1 Jan 2012 | 7:42 amHere’s the sermon I’m preaching on New Year’s Day Sunday, January 1, 2012. Whatever 2012 holds, the point Luke is making in this story about Simeon is that Jesus changes the future. Jesus Still Changes The Future Luke 2:22-40 NIV/84 22 When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the…
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Prodigal Magazine
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What’s The Big Deal About Confession?
6 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amIt all started when my friend Annie told me that she wanted a divorce. We were at a wedding, waiting for the ceremony to start, and she just said it. Just like that. She wanted a divorce. She wasn’t going to get one, she said. But it didn’t matter. That didn’t mean she didn’t want one. As she spoke I watched the look on her face soften, her terse, angry exterior melt into sad and tired tears. Her whole countenance changed. There’s something powerful about confession. James 5:16 says: “Confess your sins to one another and pray for each other so that you may be… -
Good News About Prodigal Magazine
31 Jan 2012 | 1:03 pmDear Prodigal Magazine Reader, Guess, what? We have good news about Prodigal Magazine! Since 2005 Prodigal Magazine has been the place where you have come to get interesting, provocative and helpful information about technology, faith, culture and lifestyle. But maybe you’ve noticed that things have been a little bit quiet around here for awhile. That’s because Jason Wenell, founder of Prodigal Magazine, had and followed his vision for a company called The Table Project — and it turns out that being apart a successful company (not to mention being a husband and father) took… -
Was I wrong about dream girls?
31 Aug 2010 | 11:53 pmA while ago I wrote an article saying that I thought that “dream girls” didn’t exist. I think about 5 people read it and left some comments, but overall, it was probably just left alone. It was a pretty brutal article, maybe offensive, someone said “cynical and bitter,” but I was really trying to be more funny than I was angry. My lack of writing experience was probably the article’s biggest deterrent to its effectiveness. That said, sorry if you were the few that read it and were offended and I hurt your sensitive little hearts; I really didn’t… -
Q&A – What is God’s relationship to time?
20 May 2010 | 10:46 amAnswer: We live in a physical world with its four known space-time dimensions of length, width, height (or depth) and time. However, God dwells in a different dimension—the spirit realm—beyond the perception of our physical senses. It’s not that God isn’t real; it’s a matter of His not being limited by the physical laws and dimensions that govern our world (Isaiah 57:15). Knowing that “God is spirit” (John 4:24), what is His relationship to time?In Psalm 90:4, Moses used a simple yet profound analogy in describing the timelessness of God: “For a thousand years in Your sight… -
Michael Catt Interview (Creator of Facing The Giants and Fireproof)
10 Apr 2010 | 3:35 pmLast week, I got an email from a literary agency asking me if I would be interested in interviewing Michael Catt. Many of you may not know who he is. He is the Senior Pastor at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, GA and the creator of movies such as Facing The Giants, Fireproof and the newly announced production Courageous that will be hitting the big screen next year. God has moved in and through his church to be an encouragement to many, so I sat down with him today to discuss his role as a pastor, an author and a movie producer. Pastor: When people hear the name, Michael Catt,…
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Worship Ministry Catalyst
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Worship Ministry Catalyst Podcast – Episode 0105 – Setting Goals
8 Feb 2012 | 5:00 pmIn this week’s episode of the Worship Ministry Catalyst Podcast, David and Kevin talk about setting goals. We discuss the basic principles and the premise that if we never do the work of setting goals, we’ll keep doing the same things over and over and over. Whether you’re new or have been listening for quite some time, we would love to hear form you! Connect with us on twitter (@wmcatalyst) and facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Worship-Ministry-Catalyst/142395799134634.) Don’t forget you can call and leave a voicemail message to be played on the show. Area Code… -
Worship Ministry Catalyst Podcast – Episode 0104 – Portable Churches and Portable Worship
31 Jan 2012 | 10:00 amThis week we talk about our experience with Portable Churches, worship and sound systems. We also talk about some of the things we’ve learned over the years in this area that might be beneficial for you if you find yourself in that environment! Whether you’re new or have been listening for quite some time, we would love to hear form you! Connect with us on twitter (@wmcatalyst) and facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Worship-Ministry-Catalyst/142395799134634.) Don’t forget you can call and leave a voicemail message to be played on the show. Area Code 360 818 – 4339… -
Worship Ministry Catalyst Podcast – Episode 0103 – Basic Music Theory Principles for Worship Bands
20 Jan 2012 | 10:00 amIn our 103rd episode, we talk about some of the basics that might help worship bands know the mechanics of Music a little better. We’re trying to help people get off the page, playing each chord as we get to them – and into the music. Whether you’re new or have been listening for quite some time, we would love to hear form you! Connect with us on twitter (@wmcatalyst) and facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Worship-Ministry-Catalyst/142395799134634.) If you have some insight to offer on this topic, we’d love to hear from you. One of the ways you can do that is to… -
Worship Ministry Catalyst Podcast – Episode 0102 – How to recover from Christmas
10 Jan 2012 | 9:00 amWe are finally back with a new episode of the Worship Ministry Catalyst Podcast. Christmas really pounded the both of us, and that’s exactly what we talk about in this episode. We talk about Christmas, and we talk about how to recover from Christmas. We also talk about pizza! Whether you’re new or have been listening for quite some time, we would love to hear form you! Connect with us on twitter (@wmcatalyst) and facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Worship-Ministry-Catalyst/142395799134634.) If you have some insight to offer on this topic, we’d love to hear from you. One… -
Been a little busy…
29 Dec 2011 | 10:26 pmIt seems that every year I write a post like this. I should just copy and paste from previous years! However, I just wanted to let you all know that we are still here. Kevin & I have both been busy this Christmas season. We both had Christmas productions as well as regular weekend services and Christmas Eve/Day services. I hope our absence of content for the past month or so only reinforces who we are in your minds! As we have said all along, we don’t claim to know everything there is to know about Worship Ministry. We’re just a couple of worship pastors who want to share what…
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Christian Web Trends Blog
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Why We Redesigned the OurChurch.Com Website and How It`s Producing Results
9 Feb 2012 | 6:18 amOurChurch.Com is excited to announce the official launch of our newly redesigned website. The launch is a fitting segue between our “Start with Why” series of blog posts in January and our February theme of Web Design Month. Start With Why The “Start With Why” philosophy is that while most organizations start by telling you what they do an appeal to their audience’s self-interest, inspiring leaders and organizations start by telling you why they do what they do and invite you to join their cause. OurChurch.Com believes in partnering with other Christian organizations to help them… -
Why GoDaddy?
7 Feb 2012 | 1:12 pmSunday evening GoDaddy was at it again with their over-the-top approach to selling domain registration and website services with sex and partial nudity in its Super Bowl ads. In his book, Start With Why, Simon Sinek writes, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” In this case the contrast couldn’t be more stark, so I’m interested to put Sinek’s theory to the test and see if he’s right. Will people will join GoDaddy’s mission get people to rush to their website in search of sexy pics of their spokeswomen? Or will people join… -
Web Design Month – Achieve Your Mission Online!
2 Feb 2012 | 3:47 pmOurChurch.Com’s mission is to help you achieve your mission online. Having a well-designed website is absolutely essential to achieving your mission online. That’s because a) your website is likely the hub of your communications, and b) the design of your website affects so many aspects of your site. The design of your website encompasses: The way your site looks How easy (or difficult) it is for visitors to find their way around Functionality such as login, forms, calendar, blog, multimedia The administrative interface for staff The “behind the scenes” tags necessary to optimize it… -
Does Your Church Start with Why?
1 Feb 2012 | 6:04 amLast week, in The Secret to the Success of Apple, MLK and the Wright Brothers, we kicked off this series discussing a revolutionary principle which Simon Sinek outlines in his book Start With Why. To review, Sinek says, “All the great and inspiring leaders and organizations in the world all think act and communicate in the exact same way and it’s the complete opposite of everyone else.” Almost every organization starts by telling you what they do – the feature of their product or service. Some then explain how they do it – their differentiating value proposition. Very few… -
Do People Really Buy Apple Products Because of Their Why?
27 Jan 2012 | 3:37 pmIn yesterday’s post, The Secret to the Success of Apple, MLK and the Wright Brothers, we kicked off a series discussing the revolutionary concept outlined in Simon Sinek’s book Start With Why: People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. While most organizations try to sell people on what they do, the truly inspiring leaders and organizations start with why and invite you to join their cause. (It’s hard to boil an entire book and a concept this big, so read yesterday’s post if you haven’t already.) If you’re not sold on the idea yet,…
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Goodmanson
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The Permanent Revolution: Apostolic Imagination and Practice for the 21st Century Church
8 Feb 2012 | 11:40 amAmazon has released the new book by Alan Hirsch & Tim Catchim. For those struggling with understanding how the change in culture is causing churches to re-orient, this book will answer some of those questions. According to the authors, many churches build their organization on Pastors/Teachers who are more interested in removing ‘messy’ apostolic leaders who agitate the organization. If your church is involved in the missional community movement, this book is a must read. This is a large book (368 pages) and it is also a book filled with a lot of complicated ideas that will… -
Shared Missional Community Leadership based on Soma Identities
6 Feb 2012 | 3:06 pmAs Kaleo continues to invest in the life of our local church one of the desires brought up is to more greatly share leadership. Could there be a shared leadership model based on our identities? In this, Zac Anderson and Jeff Ramsey brought up an idea about what shared leadership looks like based on our identities as family, missionaries, servants, and learners. We discussed what activities, roles, and areas of focus a leader in each identity might have. Family: encouragement, teaching, care (know needs!), hospitality, counseling, DNA brother to brother, children, admin, historian, pay bills… -
MonkDev Job Opening: Sales / Account Executive
12 Jan 2012 | 11:46 amMonk Development, Inc. – San Diego (Greater San Diego Area) – MonkDev is an industry leading, innovative web development and software as a service company based in San Diego, CA. MonkDev is one of the largest web developers and fastest growing private companies in San Diego. MonkDev provides web solutions across all industries but are thought leaders in the non-profit space, where thousands of churches, ministries and other non-profits use our services. Sales / Account Executive, Want to join a World Class Team? Job Description: We are looking for a Sales Superstar to join our… -
San Diego CTO Forum
12 Jan 2012 | 11:06 amAre you in San Diego and lead tech? Etienne De Bruin launched the San Diego CTO Forum and their first event had a wait list. Join in the great exchange happening at http://www.sdcto.com/ A group for CTO’s based in San Diego to get together, share challenges, solutions and a beer. -
EO Accelerator – San Diego Startups and Entrepreneurs
21 Dec 2011 | 5:12 pmAre you a start-up or entrepreneur in the San Diego area? I serve on the board The Entrepreneurs’ Organization that is launching an Accelerator program here in San Diego in the first quarter of 2012. This is EO’s facilitated learning program for entrepreneurs in the emerging space – those with annual sales of $250,000 to $1 million and under age 47. The idea is to help grow the next generation of entrepreneurs and to provide them with the tools to climb past that $1 million mark. Accelerator classes are small as the program operates with a maximum of 30 participants. I strongly…
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Ron Edmondson
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The Way to Guarantee NO ONE Reads Your Blog Post
9 Feb 2012 | 8:00 amPeople email me everyday about how to improve their blog, how to write more, or whether they should even start a blog. There are countless “experts” always telling us how to write better blogs and what to do to increase readership. I read some of them and some of them are helpful; maybe even all of them if I had time to implement all of their strategies. Frankly, most days I do good just to get some thoughts out. (Typos and all.) Here’s my best advice: Start Writing! I guarantee you no one will read your blog if you never write it. No one! Not even you would bother… -
Structure Can Impede Progress
9 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amRecently I received a question about a post entitled “7 Enemies of Organizational Health“. One of those “enemies” I listed as “structure”. The person’s question was, “Are you referring to micromanagement?” He went on to say that we need structure to prevent organizational chaos. I answered. Well, yes and no. Micromanagement is an impediment to organizational health, but really I simply meant structure. Let me attempt to explain. I do agree we need some structure, but not for structure sake, but for progress sake. And there is a difference. -
Five Minute Challenge: Persecuted Church
8 Feb 2012 | 8:00 amThis week I’m at Moody Founder’s Week. It’s a Bible conference put on by Moody Bible Institute that I’ve come to for several years, especially since my son Nate is a student here. One of the underlying themes this year has the persecution of Christians around the world. I’ve read recently that Christians are under more persecution today than any time in church history. Then, my friend Tami Heim tweeted that she was praying for the Christians of Uzbekistan. I’ll be honest, I don’t know that I ever prayed for anyone in Uzbekistan. Then I followed the… -
3 Ways To Remove The Pain From Preparing A Weekly Sermon
8 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amThis is a guest post by my friend Casey Graham. Casey is one of the most innovative church leaders I know. He is passionate about Kingdom building and helping those who desire to Kingdom build. I haven’t seen any project of Casey’s yet I can’t support. Here’s a word from Casey about a new project to help pastors: After talking to hundreds of preachers, we’ve found most preachers love preaching, but the grind of preparation can often become a pain. Here are three things we’ve seen. Here are 3 Ways To Remove The Pain From Preparing A Weekly Sermon: 1. Great preaching… -
7 Enemies of Organizational Health
7 Feb 2012 | 6:20 amI love organizational leadership. I especially love leading healthy organizations. I have been in both environments…healthy and non-healthy. I prefer healthy. If truth be told, I’ve probably been the leader in both extremes. Along the way, I’ve observed a few things which can be the enemy of organizational health. Here are 7 enemies of organizational health: Shortcuts – There are no shortcuts to creating a healthy organization. Success is not earned through a simple, easy-to-follow formula. It takes hard work, diligence and longevity. Satisfaction – Resting on…
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Ed Stetzer
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Thursday is for Thinkers: Jen Hatmaker
9 Feb 2012 | 10:00 amIn case you missed the 2012 debut of Thursday is for Thinkers, last week we kicked things off with Sally Lloyd-Jones. My guest this week is Jen Hatmaker. Jen and her husband, Brandon, live and serve in Austin, TX, where Brandon pastors Austin New Church. You may be familiar with Jen's new book as well-- 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess. Jen will be dropping by the blog today to answer questions and respond to comments, so be sure to leave a comment before you go. I like the name of this series: Thursday is for Thinkers. See how creative Ed is? I named my blog, um, "Jen Hatmaker."… -
Morning Roundup - February 9, 2012
9 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amChurches Go Less Formal to Make People Comfortable -- USA Today Ron Williams is the pastor of Church at the GYM in Sanford, Fla. As the Baptist church's name implies, Williams' congregation meets in a gym. Williams says the goal is to remove the "stained-glass barriers" for people who might not be comfortable in traditional church settings. To make people feel more comfortable, Williams wears jeans. In the warm Florida climate, some members wear shorts. Other clothing types, from urban wear to biker gear, also are welcome. Comfortable is a theme that's becoming common among churches… -
Big Apple, Big Problem: 3 Reasons NYC School's Church Ban Is a Mistake
8 Feb 2012 | 9:50 amA few weeks ago, I spoke to a church in New York City that is now vulnerable to eviction from the school building where they meet because they spoke of the wrong things - religious things. As such, their speech is soon likely to be banned from NYC public school buildings that sit empty and unused on the weekend. According to city officials, worship in a public facility -- when the schools are not even in session -- is too much mixing of church and state so they've ordered dozens of churches evicted by February 12. I agree with most Americans who believe this is wrong-headed. In a recent study… -
A Closer Look: The Message and Lifestyle of the Apostles
8 Feb 2012 | 7:00 amI've written on apostles on two occasions-- consider the meaning and the usage today. Today we take a closer look at the term apostle-- both what it means and who they were. In his short essay, Michael J. Wilkins provides a clear, biblical understanding and application of the term. As I'm doing all year long, I am giving away a free HCSB study Bible to a commenter. To be entered to win this week's giveaway, share with us your thoughts on the term and the people we know as apostles. The apostles of the New Testament lived through what is arguably the most significant era of human history. They… -
Breaking the 200 Barrier Webcast (NOW COMPLETED)
7 Feb 2012 | 6:00 pmDownload Growth Barriers Booklet Growth Barriers Conference Webcast Breaking the 200 Barrier February 7, 2012 • 7:00 pm--9:00 pm Speaker Ed Stetzer, President of Lifeway Research Topics • Information for church leaders to assist in understanding the inherent barriers to growing the church to her God given size. • Focus on assisting leaders to develop a strategic plan for their barrier.
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daveferguson.org
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"Sifted": 2012 Exponential Conference Big Idea
6 Feb 2012 | 8:26 pmWho wants to be Sifted? I know it doesn’t sound like much fun, does it? When we first picked the Sifted theme for the Exponential 2012 Conference, I wasn’t a big fan. I’m more of a big picture and positive sort of guy so thinking about being sifted made me cringe a little. As we continued to develop this theme, I began to realize this is exactly what we need to be talking about. God allows us to be “sifted” (Luke 22:31-32) through trials and temptations to grow us as followers and leaders. How we respond as church leaders not only shapes who we become, but also those who… -
Interview with Wayne Cordeiro - Story of Sifting
24 Jan 2012 | 4:45 pmAs President of the 2012 Expoential Conference I recently had the opportunity to interview Wayne Cordeiro about the big idea of his new book, SiftedYou should definitely give this podcast a listen as Wayne speaks very candidly about some of the struggles and pain of ministry and how God got him through it and taught him much needed lessons. Wayne will be leading a main session and his book will be a featured book at this years Exponential Conference. Check it out by ciicking HERE -
What Stats Should Matter To Churches?
22 Jan 2012 | 10:17 pmIn the movie Moneyball, Brad Pitt plays the part of the Oakland A’s General Manager Billy Beane. While most of the baseball old timers and scouts had a set of stats they used to look for young prospects, Billy Beane understood that the only stat that mattered was runs scored. Through statistical analysis he changed the game of baseball forever and was credited with indirectly bringing a championship to the Boston Red Sox for the first time in 85 years. In much the same way churches should not confuse a variety of different stats like attendance and offering with the one stat that… -
How To Choose A Justice Cause To Champion
2 Jan 2012 | 10:07 amEver feel overwhelmed by so many needs and so much injustice in the world that you end up paralyzed and do very little? I was feeling that way and Dr. Soong-Chan Rah gave me some insight in how to respond when there are so many causes and so little time. I was at a special gathering planned by CCDA and World Relief to inform leaders like myself about the need for immigration reform. Sitting with me were Troy Jackson and Kirsten Strand, two good friends and leaders who have a great understanding about restorative justice issues. In the middle of this gathering I began to feel convicted… -
Ross' Story: "Finding My Way Back To God"
31 Dec 2011 | 3:47 pm
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tonymorganlive.com
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Stop & Start 2012: Josh Griffin
9 Feb 2012 | 1:41 pmJosh Griffin As part of the current series addressing shifts leaders should consider making this year, I connected with Josh Griffin. Josh is the High School Pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA. He is a father of 4 and has been in full-time youth ministry for over 15 years. Here’s our interview: TONY: What’s one thing that leaders and/or organizations (businesses, churches, non-profits, etc.) should consider stopping in 2012? JOSH: Stop walking around with such urgency. When it is time for the service to start and the church staff is briskly running around… -
Stop & Start 2012: Will Mancini
8 Feb 2012 | 1:00 pmWill Mancini As part of my series on things leaders should stop and start doing, I connected with Will Mancini. Will is a Clarity Evangelist who started Auxano and wrote Church Unique so that ministry leaders can have amazing vision and focus. Here are Will’s thoughts on shifts leaders should consider making in the new year. Stop imitating. Make 2012 the year to stop imitating. No matter what your role is ask the question, “Who am I imitating?” Are you a group’s pastor? Reconsider the model you are following so you can reinvent. Are you a children’s… -
Too busy to read?
8 Feb 2012 | 8:32 amLast week was pretty typical. Once again, I received several “must read” books in the mail. They are sitting on my desk with some other books that I’m trying to find time to read. You have probably found yourself in a similar situation. It wouldn’t surprise me to discover that you have ten to twenty unfinished books on your Kindle. We all want to read more. Unfortunately, we live in a fast-paced world with limited time. Recently, I heard about a group called Leaders Book Summaries. They summarize books for busy leaders. The group was started by Dave Frederick. Dave… -
Sifted: 20 leaders in 20 days
6 Feb 2012 | 10:30 pmThere’s something new happening at storiesofsifting.com this week. Make sure to check it out. Today they launched a really cool 20-day campaign of daily devotionals based on the theme “sifted.” The word “sifted” means accelerated spiritual growth in times of trouble. The 20 leaders in 20 days devotions are essays on 20 Bible leaders (Paul, Noah, David, etc.) The stories are written in Max Lucado story format by a professional writer. The collection of the stories and similar essays from national leaders will be packaged into a free eBook in the next few… -
Stop & Start 2012: Mike Foster
6 Feb 2012 | 1:00 pmMike Foster As part of my series on things leaders should stop and start doing, I connected with Mike Foster. Mike is a speaker, author, and consultant helping people live and tell a better story. He is the Co-founder of “People of the Second Chance” a radical grace movement made up of activists, artists and imperfectionists. He serves on the Executive Team of PlainJoe Studios and is the author of “Gracenomics: Unleash The Power of Second Chance Living.” He lives in Southern California with his beautiful bride and his 2 young children. Here are Mike’s…
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CatalystSpace | Catablog
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Photoblog Thursdays | Catalyst Dallas 2011
9 Feb 2012 | 3:00 pmDoesn't this look AMAZING? Catalyst will be back in Dallas, May 9-11, 2012. Check out the site HERE, download your FREE present HERE! If you attended last year, what was your favorite moment, speaker, song? Tell us in the comments! -
Write It Down
8 Feb 2012 | 2:48 pmYoung leaders consistently ask me: “What’s one practical piece of advice for becoming/being a leader who gets things done?” A leader that is trustworthy and reliable. The kind of leader when you ask them to get something done, you have complete confidence that it will happen. My answer is always the same: Write It Down. Always. What do I mean? 1. Never show up to a meeting without a pen and a notebook. My preference is a sharpie and a moleskine notebook. But doesn’t matter whether it’s a legal pad or a Red Big Chief pencil, Or your iphone or laptop. ALWAYS… -
Francis Chan [Video]
7 Feb 2012 | 4:48 pmCatalyst Atlanta 2011 | Francis Chan from Catalyst on Vimeo. Being Present means dwelling in HIM. HIS presence matters is the understatement of the year. Does ANYTHING ELSE matter? Think to the OT stories, his presence MATTERED! In the NT, people prayed & were FILLED with the presence of God. [John 15:5] I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. EVERYTHING is dependent on HIM. Where are you seeing God's presence in your life? What fruit do you bear as a result of Christ IN YOU? -
Living Like We Actually Believe God Loves Us
6 Feb 2012 | 8:47 amEvery now and then I love to post quirky and inspirational quotes on Twitter. It's become a hobby of mine actually. I search for the sage words of the heroes of yesteryear and meditate on them myself for a bit before I highlight them with the mouse on my laptop, then cut the quote, and paste it into my Twitter update box. I'm old school. I still sign in to Twitter.com. I'm not into apps. Sometimes I find a quote that I love, then highlight it, cut it, and paste into the Twitter box - only to be sorely disappointed that it has 20-30 letters more than the 140 the box will allow. -
A Partnership For Kingdom Impact [Catalyst Story of IMPACT]
5 Feb 2012 | 9:44 pmI was simply a ‘next generation leader' looking to make a mark on my world. I was ready to step into the mysterious journey of pursuing Jesus by embracing; courage, danger, adventure, mission and calculated risk. The Lord would use Catalyst to change my world or more accurately His World, forever. Someone other than Jesus believed in me. That was all I needed. I was pastoring Gateway Church, a church I had the opportunity to plant from scratch. I was sitting in my office when 9-11 rocked our world. That evening I was in New York City and I would serve there for the…
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Ragamuffin Soul
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Jedis, Atmosphere, And When Your Kid Knows You’re Lying
9 Feb 2012 | 11:31 amThe 8 year old is perceptive. Perceptive is probably the wrong word. She is a Jedi. I can’t get crap past her. She moves items around the house with only her mind. It’s freaky. Anyways… Yesterday she got sick. Like really sick. She called me crying asking when I was getting home. She needed her daddy. “Daddyyyy. I feel sooooo sick. I needed yooooouuuu. When are you coming home?” Those 13 words we littered with moans, tears, snot, sighs, wailing, and gnashing of teeth “Baby. I’m so sad you are sick. Daddy is on his way home. Probably like 15 more minutes ok?” And… -
I Want Joel Olsteens Body
9 Feb 2012 | 10:51 amNot like WANT his body… But want his body… Like only if it wasn’t so pasty. A bit more tan. But like my head on top of his body. Not like that. Not with his head on his body and my head on his body. Like cut his head off and put my head on his shoulders. I mean I would never actually do that. Cut off his head. You know what I mean. I just want his pecs as my pecs. His abs as my abs. Not ON my abs. Whatever… This post started off really safe and ended up wounding my masculinity. But face it… The J Dog is ripped Los -
Fevers, Crap, & Good Theology
8 Feb 2012 | 10:02 amWhen the 5 year old crawled on top of me at 4:30 this morning it pretty much felt like someone had just taken him out of the microwave. The kid was burning up. “Hey buddy? You ok? Daddy’s got you.” “I know this daddy. That’s why I came. You make me feel less sick.” Out of the mouths of babes… Losiah didn’t crawl up and snuggle next to his new Power Ranger sword. Losiah didn’t crawl up and snuggle next to the wii. He came to me. He found rest. How quickly we, as adult followers of Christ, forget this simple concept and try and find refuge… -
Today I Am…
7 Feb 2012 | 11:36 amToday I Am… -
To Be Christian And Famous
6 Feb 2012 | 1:41 pmTo Be Famous It’s said that mans greatest desire is to know and be known. I mean who wants to live and not be known? But even if all you do is preach or sing or write about Jesus, the satisfaction from being known is sometimes greater than the satisfaction of Jesus being known. Ah humanity. So I ask 2 simple questions… How has the current culture of Christianity helped this problem? How does the current culture of Christianity solve this problem? Los
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Pomomusings
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Plans for Pomomusings
9 Feb 2012 | 8:00 amStarting next week, my goal is to start writing on Pomomusings at least one time per day. I want to get back into the habit of writing, and hopefully, somewhere in all of that, there will be some substantive stuff that we can have some conversations about. Here are a few of the things I’m thinking I’ll be writing about: Presbyterian church politics (because that’s just so exciting for you all, I know) Children’s and Youth Ministry General ministry topics (programs, leadership, division, worship, small town ministry, college ministry) Health (maybe this will get me off… -
Back to Life, Back to Reality
31 Jan 2012 | 8:00 amWhen Sarah and I were talking about what I should be blogging about it right now, she said this song immediately came into her mind. And this is what life feels like right now. I’m 2.5 months into my call as Associate Pastor here at First Presbyterian Church in Ashland. I’ve been ordained and installed, we got settled into our home here in Ashland, we had a beautiful baby boy, I had a short time off for some paternity leave…and now it’s back to life, back to reality, back to the here and now. For those of you who have been in ministry much longer than I am, and have… -
Have you Registered for the Children, Youth and a New Kind of Christianity Conference Yet?
30 Jan 2012 | 6:42 pmI just received an email today from the folks behind the Children, Youth and a New Kind of Christianity Conference – notifying me that the fee for the conference will be increasing on February 1. The more I read about this conference, the more I’m excited for it and can’t wait to spend a few days thinking theologically about children’s and youth ministry. This was their update: Register now for Children, Youth and a New Kind of Christianity and take advantage of the early bird rate of only $189. (Don’t forget that this includes lunches, dinners, and receptions). -
“Weak Force” – An Installation Sermon by Tony Hoshaw
23 Jan 2012 | 11:36 pmYesterday, I was installed as Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church here in Ashland, Oregon. In addition, I had the privilege of hearing my good friend Tony Hoshaw preach at my installation. For those of you who have been following my ordination journey since the beginning, you’ll remember that my initial invitation of Tony to preach at my ordination is what set things in motion for my ordination to be cancelled in 2008 and led to my transfer from Kendall Presbytery to the Presbytery of San Francisco. So it was as if things had come full circle, and it was great for Tony to be… -
Children, Youth and a New Kind of Christianity Conference
17 Jan 2012 | 8:00 amI’m exactly 2 months into my first ordained call as Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Ashland. Starting just two weeks before Advent made for a busy beginning, in addition to…oh, getting ordained, having a baby and getting through Christmas and the holidays. Part of my responsibilities, that are different from previous church positions I’ve held, now include working with our children’s ministries program: coordinating Sunday School, VBS and all of the other things that go along with children’s ministry. So when I heard about the Children, Youth and…
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Tall Skinny Kiwi
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In Search of Masculine Christianity
7 Feb 2012 | 8:48 pmRachel Held Evans issued a challenge to male bloggers last week in response to John Piper's suggestion at the Desiring God conference that "God has given Christianity a masculine feel", which she thought was "a strange way to talk about the Bride of Christ." I didn't have time to write anything but I noticed that 150 men have responded and there is some great conversation going on all over the blogosphere. Driscoll, Piper and others are saying we are in a crisis as there are very few young men in our churches. They say their teaching is an attempt to win them back. Yet at the same… -
What Dorothy Day might teach bloggers
2 Feb 2012 | 4:36 pmDorothy Day once described herself as "a journalist and a diarist pure and simple" as opposed to a writer of books. As a young girl, she kept a diary and later became a journalist to pay the bills. I would like to think, based on her approach to writing, that she would be a blogger if still alive today. And what's more, she would have some good advice for bloggers who have tragically reduced themselves to reviewers of books, or worse, evangelists for their own books. I have always seen writing, and by extension blogging, as a means to provide a voice for the voiceless and turn the eyes of the… -
Covenant Making is not always evil
29 Jan 2012 | 3:29 pmYesterday I was at All Saints [Hataitai] Church to witness and participate in a covenant signing ceremony. But before you get all excited about that word "covenant", I should tell you that: 1. Yes, I know all about last week's contract/covenant controversy at Mars Hill Seattle and agree that covenants can be abused to control people and I am glad people are sharing exactly what their covenants and commitments entailed. Nothing wrong with a second opinion and the wider-church crowd wisdom. 2 Yes, I am aware of the personality-driven "Covenant" of Destiny Church in which some church members… -
Tall skinny elves at The Hobbit casting call
28 Jan 2012 | 12:10 amI took my tallest kids over to Lower Hutt today for The Hobbit casting call. Filming starts next month for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and they were looking for extras: the short, the tall, the skinny, men with big biceps [not me} and those with 'character faces'. Unfortunately, 3000 people turned up and they could only handle 800. The rest of us were turned away but told we could apply online. The Herald said they were "overwhelmed" but it should have been a surprise. We all want to be in the movie! Bummer! My kids and I would have made great elves. I am 1.96cm (6'5'') and my son,… -
Sweet Voice Amber Hunter
27 Jan 2012 | 1:18 pmAmber Hunter has been giving songs away online for years but now is creating her first CD. She led worship at our roundtable gathering at Cornerstone Festival last year and we really loved having her there. She has a story to tell. Watch the video and if you want to help out, visit her project at Kickstarter.
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Dan Kimball: Vintage Faith
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Wednesday Weird Bible Verse - Judges 3:20-22 - blade, belly-fat and bowels
25 Jan 2012 | 2:02 am"Ehud then approached him...and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose from his seat, Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly.... -
Google+ and Facebook
19 Jan 2012 | 7:57 pmfor those going on Google+ and want to connect there http://www.gplus.to/dankimball It seems that more activity is happening on Google+ lately. I am still not sure how to be working with both Google+ and Facebook. It will be interesting to... -
Wednesday Weird Bible Verse - Judges 16:17 - shave your head and become weak
18 Jan 2012 | 4:26 am"If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.” - Judges 16:17 -
Wednesday Weird Bible Verse - 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 - women be silent
3 Jan 2012 | 2:45 pm"Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is... -
Wednesday-Weird-Bible-Verse - Deuteronomy 7:2 - Show them no mercy
28 Dec 2011 | 4:49 amDeuteronomy 7:2 - "and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy." * Two great book...
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WithoutWax.tv by Pete Wilson
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Christian Community Made Simple
9 Feb 2012 | 7:33 amA lot gets written about Christian community these days. How we build it and maintain it seems to be quite the popular topic. I don’t want to over simplify it, but look at Romans 12:15. ” Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” This statement may be simple, but it’s not easy is it? In fact, the reality is we quite often do the exact opposite. We mourn another’s joy (jealousy) and we rejoice when someone has reason to mourn (self-righteousness). And this is why “authentic community” may be a big buzzword in Christian circles, but… -
Love To Hate
8 Feb 2012 | 7:31 amAlmost four years ago I wrote THIS post about my friend, Brad Johnson. The post included an open letter he had written to his church apologizing for the pain his affair had caused his church. Yesterday, while sitting in my office one of my colleagues asked me a question about “search terms.” They were wondering how people most often find my blog. It’s been a long time since I’ve looked at such stats, but I was absolutely shocked to see that almost four years later “Brad Johnson Affair” is still one of the biggest search terms used on Google to find my blog. -
A Moment In Time
7 Feb 2012 | 7:06 amI’m not clueless. I know time is flying by. I know I’m going to blink and they’ll be off dating, studying for college finals and climbing the career ladder. So when they invite me into their world, their world of imagination, adventure and excitement, I don’t walk, I run into it. These pictures may just seem like a dreary day in the woods swinging on tree vines but look a little closer. We were dodging arrows. We were swinging over boiling lava and man eating crocodiles. We rescued a few princesses. Fought a few bad guys. It was a good day. They don’t know… -
Madonna, Tom Brady, The Super Bowl & Me
6 Feb 2012 | 8:02 amHope you guys had fun watching the game last night, or at least had fun watching the commercials. I was really looking forward to watching the halftime show with Madonna, but, unfortunately, missed the whole thing. We had committed to two different parties and used halftime to shuttle to the next one. Several of my friends said she did an amazing job. Somehow the pop icon, whose now 53, had no wardrobe malfunctions and avoided controversy on almost every level. Maybe 30 years in the business has taught her a thing or two. I still can’t help feeling sorry for Madonna or really any other… -
Just In Time For The Superbowl
3 Feb 2012 | 7:32 amOkay, so this may not be the best way for me to invest $36 but I’m not going to lie: I want the Porta-Pizza oven really BAD. I’m all about pizza and I’m all about multi-tasking. This 12V portable oven and pizzeria plugs right into your dashboard. High and low settings for cooking and warming. Unique heating elements cook from top to bottom. Built-in fold out carry handle. Easy to clean and maintain. Fine freeway dining. You want one don’t you?
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Perry Noble | Leadership, Vision & CreativityPerry Noble | Leadership, Vision & Creativity
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You Cannot Go To The Next Level If…
9 Feb 2012 | 6:41 amOne of the things I always hear in regards to leadership is that we should always desire to “go to the next level!” However, there are several things that will hold us back from doing this. Reality is that you and I cannot go to the next level if… You absolutely are in love with the way things are You are increasingly obsessed with the people who hate and criticize you the most. (Here are 7 difference between a coach and a critic, PART ONE & PART TWO & PART THREE) You are not hungry for wisdom. (Proverbs 4:5-7) You are not willing to make uncomfortable… -
Seven Ways You Can Make Your Marriage AWESOME!
8 Feb 2012 | 6:28 am#1 – Stop Fighting IN IT and Start Fighting For It – as long as you see your spouse as the enemy your home will always be a battlefield, and EVERYONE loses when you fight with each other and not for one another. #2 – Stop Asking God To Fix Your Spouse And Ask Him To Fix You – no one in any marriage is perfect…and when we stop pointing out all of our spouses perceived inadequacies it really does make us a much better person to be around. (Psalm 139:23-24 is a GREAT prayer to pray when asking God to show you your very own “opportunities for improvement.”) #3 – Ask For… -
A Letter From Pastor P To NewSpring Church
7 Feb 2012 | 6:07 amHowdy NewSpring Church, SEVEN things I want to share with you today… #1 – This past Sunday was an AMAZING conclusion to our “All In” series as we saw 296 people stand and publicly acknowledge that they had repented of their sins and trusted Jesus as their Savior! I’m still so excited I can’t see straight…we literally had someone receive Christ at every campus during every service! #2 – A HUGE thank you to everyone who went all out to bring people this past Sunday…it impacted a lot of lives. AND…for the ones who invited and the… -
Overwhelmed??
6 Feb 2012 | 6:42 amI saw a report on Fox News yesterday that said that antidepressant medicine sales have increased in America 400% in the last 20 years!!! We are, by far, the wealthiest and most blessed nation on the planet… AND…the most depressed and overwhelmed! On Sunday, February 12 (THIS COMING SUNDAY) we are beginning a brand new series based out of the book of Daniel entitled, “Overwhelmed!” In it we are going to take a hard look at what the Scriptures say about worry, fear, anxiety and depression…and I am going to be sharing more of my three year battle with depression… -
The Goal Of A Leader…
2 Feb 2012 | 6:58 amJust some thoughts I’ve been thinking lately… The goal of a leader isn’t to keep people happy but to keep people moving, which often times makes them not happy! The goal of a leader isn’t to get something out of people but rather to invest in them! The goal of a leader isn’t to DO all of the work, but to DELEGATE the work to the right people who can do it better than them anyway. The goal of a leader isn’t to merely identify problems but rather to initiate the solution to the problems. The goal of a leader isn’t to declare what he is against but…
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MoreThanDodgeball.com
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Download HSM’s Student Leadership Application
9 Feb 2012 | 12:43 pmWe just started up a Student Leadership program (I had killed it a while back because it was unhealthy – more on that another time). The application is pretty exhaustive, meant to be a thinning process right out of the gate. They are due this weekend, I’m excited to see the response from the students. Download HSM’s Student Leadership Packet (PDF)! JG -
GUEST POST: Remind People You Are Real
8 Feb 2012 | 9:54 pmMeeting with my one of my volunteers recently we talked about her small group, how it was going, how she was engaging with them and she confessed that she felt she was just not a good small group leader. I was astonished; she is a gifted, Jesus-loving, hard-working leader who has been one of our core team members for years. I needed to know why she was feeling this way and for how long… and I quickly discovered that one of the biggest reasons for feeling this way was me. After years of listening to my sermons, retreats, and anecdotal accounts of my life she felt that; for lack of a better… -
New on the HSM Team – Travis Prouty
8 Feb 2012 | 12:33 pmExcited to announce that Travis Prouty has joined the High School Team at Saddleback Church. He’s a great volunteer-turned-staff who is going to be a great minister. Travis has been working on Saddleback’s facilities team for close to 8 years, so knows servanthood and has a big heart for students. Pumped about working alongside this guy! JG -
Free Worship Backgrounds for Student Ministry
8 Feb 2012 | 5:38 amMallory from Worship-Backgrounds has given MoreThanDodgeball.com readers an exclusive worship background download from their site. They’ve got TONS of free ones (most are solid for youth ministry) and make them available for free simply in exchange for you giving them your information by signing up. You in? Go check it out and be sure to download the MTDB exclusive background and many more here! JG -
GUEST POST: Game of Shadows
7 Feb 2012 | 10:05 pmWhat is it about youth ministry that makes it seem like it’s always a game of shadows for so many of us? I just went out to finally see Sherlock Holmes 2 with two of the guys from our middle school ministry. After begging my wife to go with me since it came out, I finally gave up and took initiative on my own. As a side note, in case my wife reads this, it’s not her fault she never took me up on it as my invitations were always unplanned and spontaneous, and that doesn’t really work with an eight month old child. All this, however, is simply semantics. The movie was as good as I had…
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History in the Making
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Wednesday Morning Run-Down
8 Feb 2012 | 7:06 amDream Year coaching this week, month two. More people are joining the Subscriptions course online as well Working on the book Dream Year for the third year in a row. Good writing is rewriting as David Ogily attests We're exploring an exciting new location for the next Dream Year weekend this spring - more soon Street painting takes over a Swiss village Mad Men posters in NYC get altered (via @joxford) It's all I can do not to show you the branding for STORY 2012 yet. Also, @ElliottMunoz is starting work on a new STORY offering to be launched in late March Color photos from the great… -
STORY is on Pinterest
7 Feb 2012 | 8:14 amGet pinnin' -
Alien in New York
2 Feb 2012 | 8:24 amSome books just stay in you. A few months ago, I happened into a long layover at an airport and was tired of reading magazines, so I picked up the Innovator's DNA, which describes five characteristics of true innovators. One of them is Networking. I'm horrible at networking. My personality type is the task-driven field marshall, so just connecting or just shooting the breeze is really tough for me. I love it when I do. But I don't actively seek out those opportunities in advance. I'd rather walk the quiet streets of a city late at night, deep in my own thoughts. But darn it if… -
Wednesday Morning Run-Down
1 Feb 2012 | 7:47 amPhotos of the "white party" at Alt Summit Thea Nelson did a fun photo recap of Dream Year weekend in Charlotte this past week. What an amazing experience. Speaking of, we're on the hunt for our next city to host Dream Year Weekend this spring or summer Excited I get to attend the C2MTL event in May Leftover Christmas trees are getting resused as a forest for the Montreal biodome (via @storychicago) Mark Clement launched videoannouncements.tv, which creates custom HD video announcements for churches Why self-published authors aren't taken seriously (but why the could be) (via… -
Wednesday Morning Run-Down
25 Jan 2012 | 7:47 amHearing tons about the show Downton Abbey, but I'm noticing it's all the non-football people who watch it =) One of our special guests at Dream Year Weekend this Friday to Sunday in Charlotte is John Mark McMillan - to talk about his journey as a musical artist. Only 6 tickets left, would love for you to join us. Register HERE Spent the past two days consulting with the directors of a national leadership conference who flew into VB. My friend Doug Forehand loaned me his beachfront condo as a workspace, making me look really really good The Anthropologist by Anthropologie Why I could…
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Eugene Cho
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pete hoekstra and cultural intelligence: why it matters to the church
8 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amUgh. Did you see Michigan Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra’s political campaign ad during the Super Bowl? As you read in my previous post, I had some choice words about Go Daddy, Teleflora and other companies that continue to objectify and exploit women but I hadn’t seen Hoekstra’s ad. Well, I just saw it…and I almost vomited in my mouth. Almost. Those chicken wings I consumed during the Super Bowl wanted to come back up. Check it out: I know the questions you’re asking: Is Hoekstra racist? No. And I’d rather not go there in this post because once you do, you… -
media and commercials: “women are objects to be objectified and marketed and packaged for consumption”
6 Feb 2012 | 7:00 amI don’t want to be about censorship but at some point, some things deserve to be thrown in the garbage. Commercials that exploit and objectify women aren’t only offensive and disgusting…but they’re dangerous. First, some background: Who watched the Super Bowl? Perhaps, a better question might be: “Who didn’t watch the Super Bowl?” In 2011, the game drew the largest audience ever in history: Last year’s Super Bowl drew the largest audience in American television history, averaging 111 million viewers. All total, 163 million people watched at… -
“A happy marriage is the union of two forgivers.”
1 Feb 2012 | 2:00 amOn February 1, 1997, Minhee and I exchanged vows and committed ourselves to Christ, one another, our families and community – the journey of loving, serving, and growing as followers of Christ and as husband and wife – in mutual submission to one another. Today, we celebrate our 15th anniversary. Wow. 15 years of love, mutual submission, forgiveness, and love. I know that it is customary [and wise] to speak well of your spouse on your anniversary but Minhee truly is an expression and embodiment of God’s grace and beauty to my life. Our marriage – while clearly not… -
you don’t have to be a celebrity pastor to be influential
30 Jan 2012 | 7:00 amHow do you define a successful church? How do we measure success as a pastor? I’m come to realize that part of my calling as a pastor and leader is to be an encouragement to other pastors – but especially to those that don’t “measure up” to how we in the church subculture often directly or indirectly elevate stories of successful pastors – aka ‘celebrity pastors.’ This post isn’t a criticism of celebrity pastors. Hardly at all. Instead, it’s a post to accentuate the importance of all those who serve and lead in the church – but… -
defend, rescue, and fight for the weak – and do it with dignity
17 Jan 2012 | 2:01 amI’m sorry if this post depresses, discourages, or disturbs you. It’s not my intent but a reminder of the arduous work ahead for all of us. It’s the day after… The day after this nation (and many in the global community) celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We march, share inspiring quotes, and listen to compelling speeches. It’s a feel good day. But today is the day after – and the awareness of reality. A reality of certainly a better world from the days of Rosa Park and Dr. King but a reminder of the long road ahead. Oh,we have a…
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9Marks Blog: Building Healthy Churches
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Six Ways to Help People Pray
8 Feb 2012 | 3:41 pmPretty much everyone would agree that prayer is an important part of the Christian life. And pretty much everyone would agree that most Christians don’t pray as much or as well as they could. Here are six ways you as a pastor can help your people become more faithful and enthusiastic in their prayer life: 1. Set aside a lot of time in your gatherings to pray. We pay lip service to the importance of prayer, but in many of our churches the prayer time is quick and unfocused. The message we may be sending unwittingly is that prayer is not quite as important as other more… -
What Are the Keys of the Kingdom?
8 Feb 2012 | 7:35 amYesterday I promised to offer my interpretation of Jesus' keys of the kindom passages in Matthew 16 and 18. The following excerpt comes from Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus, due out in April from Crossway. For a significantly longer discussion of the keys, see chapter 4 of here. Excerpt begin: One day, Jesus warned the apostles not to trust the teaching of Israel’s leaders (Matt. 16:1-12). Their term of office had expired, and they would be vacating the capitol building shortly, carrying the contents of their desks in boxes. Then he asked them who… -
Pastors, Don’t Let Your People Resign Into Thin Air, Part 2
7 Feb 2012 | 8:00 amThank you to those who have taken time to respond to Bobby Jamieson’s blog. Bobby has clearly provoked a robust discussion; so much so, that I thought it might be worth offering a few comments that, I hope, will promote shared understanding. A few housekeeping matters first: I have personally deleted a number of comments from his blog. So blame me if I have deleted yours. We’re happy to have people present disagreements, even strong disagreements, but I have deleted anything that strikes me as uncivil and bullying, such as name-calling and ad hominem. You might say I have applied… -
Pastors, Don’t Let your People Resign into Thin Air
1 Feb 2012 | 9:41 pmDoes your church let people resign into thin air? A church member simply submits a letter or has a conversation with a pastor, and then poof!—they’re gone. And your church couldn’t say whether the person has joined another evangelical church or dropped off the face of the earth. My brothers, this should not be. TWO WAYS CHURCHES LET MEMBERS DISAPPEAR INTO THIN AIR An encouraging number of evangelical churches seem to be regaining meaningful practices of church membership and discipline. But I’m concerned that even some of these churches, however unintentionally, are… -
Elders, Protect Your Pastor
1 Feb 2012 | 1:53 pmLast Spring, Thabiti shared some statistics about pastors compiled by the Schaeffer Institute. These numbers emerged from research done from 1989-2006, and my guess is that things have gotten worse, not better, since then. The one that struck me most in the report was the fact that 1,700 pastors left the ministry every month. That number is astounding to me. At a recent gathering, Carl Trueman was asked what churches could do to stem the tide of men leaving the pastorate. His answer was that elders of the church needed to do a good job protecting the pastor of the church…
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Human3rror
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Wise Man
8 Feb 2012 | 4:57 amYou just finished reading Wise Man! and you survived! -
Super Mario: Inception
5 Feb 2012 | 7:13 amYou just finished reading Super Mario: Inception! and you survived! -
Biblical Differences Between Men and Women
4 Feb 2012 | 9:46 amFascinating stuff: Man was formed from dust; woman was formed from flesh. Man was placed in the garden alone; woman was brought to the man so they could be together. Man was created with a need; woman was created to fill a need. Man’s job was work; woman’s job was to help man with his work. Man’s job was cognitive/task oriented (name the animals); woman’s job was emotive/relational (meet the need of the man). Man gave woman her name; woman received her name from man. Man’s body was crated to give a seed; woman’s body was created to give life. You just… -
This is the Good Stuff
1 Feb 2012 | 5:19 amWhen was the last time you did this. Really? You just finished reading This is the Good Stuff! and you survived! -
Top Love Needs for Men and Women
31 Jan 2012 | 5:27 amDoes the following resound with you? Women need: Unconditional love and acceptance Emotional intimacy Spiritual intimacy Encouragement and affirmation Companionship Men need: Unconditional love and acceptance Sexual intimacy Companionship Encouragement and affirmation Spiritual intimacy You just finished reading Top Love Needs for Men and Women! and you survived!
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[TerraceCrawford.com]
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FREE Valentine's Lesson from @YM360
3 Feb 2012 | 12:28 pmMy friends at youthministry360 are giving away a FREE downloadable Valentine's Lesson to church leaders. It's a message the finding and living the real, amazing love that God has for us. You'll receive a handy Leader's guide that will show you how you can use the story of Ruth and Boaz to talk about the God-centered love that we read about in the scriptures. What a great message to share with students, who are bombarded with the broken image of love from the world!If you want to download this freebie, just [click here -
This is What Has Made Me Pretty Famous
19 Jan 2012 | 10:24 amI was giving some thought about an upcoming talk I'm preparing to give to students on the subject of Heaven and then I viewed this video online where a guy sings about how he's "looking for a city." This may inspire you like it did me. Ha!My favorite line: "This is what has made me pretty famous." I've been walking around the office all morning quoting that one line over and over again after I do just about anything. RSS Subscribers: there is video [here] -
My Interview with YouthMin.org
13 Jan 2012 | 10:20 amRecently I was interviewed by YouthMin.org about working with teenagers and also about my Coaching Network (that you can be a part of by simply applying [here] -- today is the deadline!) I'll include a couple of questions here that I was asked and then you can go [here] for the rest.[YM] What led you to create the Coaching Network? [Terrace] I feel like God has been nudging me to Coach youth workers for a few years now but I never did it. I've seen a great need in the world of youth ministry for people who are just starting out to have someone to help guide them in building youth ministries… -
I'm Looking for 10 Leaders...
11 Jan 2012 | 11:11 amOne of the things that makes great leaders is knowing what your resources are and knowing how to use them. I think that many leaders just don't know what is available to them so they encounter obstacles (more often than not) in their journey when they could have made things easier for them just by knowing the right people, having the right tools, and knowing how to use those tools. I've created what I think is a great resource for youth workers, but unfortunately many people aren't aware of it. Last year I founded the Youth Worker Coaching Network designed to help youth workers who have only… -
8 Benefits of Joining My Coaching Network
6 Jan 2012 | 10:24 amI've nearly finished my first round of coaching and its been a very rewarding experience. I've had a great time providing help to youth workers who have been in the field for 5 years or less.Perhaps you'd like to join my next group? Let me tell you a bit about it...My coaching network will offer everything you might get from a conference, but it will be a semester long (approximately 6 months). Here are 8 benefits of joining my Coaching Network: 1. I'll be your personal coach and cheerleader for 6 months.2. You'll get practical guidance and personal counsel.3. You'll get a weekly phone call…
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TheWorshipCommunity.Com - Worship Leader Resources, Articles, Forums
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Reminder: Heaven’s Praise Online Bible Study Begins Today!
6 Feb 2012 | 8:41 amIt’s not to late to join us here at The Worship Community as we host a worldwide group Bible study beginning today, Monday, February 6, 2012. Just order your book and jump in when you can, and make up the other days as you can! Heaven’s Praise, a 6-week Bible Study by Dwayne Moore, is the follow up to the well-received and widely utilized Pure Praise study. TWC hosted the Pure Praise Study once in 2009 and once again in 2010 and we’re excited to host this online group study as well. We’ll have participants from all over the world joining us. The cost to participate in… -
Sunday Setlists #185
5 Feb 2012 | 10:50 amShare your worship confessionals, recaps, and setlists for the week of: Sunday, February 05, 2012 Welcome to the 185th consecutive week of “Sunday Setlists”. The purpose of “Sunday Setlists” is to share a recap of your worship services. What songs did you use, what arrangements? What worked really well and what didn’t work as well as you’d like? What issues did you have preparing? What is the sermon series? How about creative elements used in the service? You don’t have to be the pastor or worship leader to participate. We would really love to get… -
Do You Have Musical Benchmarks For Your Worship Team?
2 Feb 2012 | 2:21 pmThanks to Steve Ball for sharing his thoughts with The Worship Community! Republished with permission – originally published here. I believe we should all be aiming to excel in what we do – both individually and as part of the worship team. But having a musical benchmark that doesn’t enable new members to join easily really bothers me. Maybe it’s my ‘music teacher’ background wanting to see students develop, but I’ve seen too many people get discouraged (or worse, hurt) over the years by being told they are not good enough. I believe in being as inclusive as possible – but… -
5 Reasons To Use Liturgical Music In Your Contemporary Service
30 Jan 2012 | 9:50 amRepublished with permission from Alex Mejias. Originally published at HighStreetHymns.com. As a person who grew up in the age of CCM and “contemporary” worship, I had little exposure to traditional liturgies and “liturgical music.” I think the closest we came to using anything liturgical was when sang the Doxology (the “Old Hundredth”) as traveling music for the ushers after the offering. I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure that was the original intention of Thomas Ken, who penned those words back in the late 17th Century. It wasn’t until after college that I had my… -
Sunday Setlists #184
29 Jan 2012 | 7:48 amShare your worship confessionals, recaps, and setlists for the week of: Sunday, January 29, 2012 Welcome to the 184th consecutive week of “Sunday Setlists”. The purpose of “Sunday Setlists” is to share a recap of your worship services. What songs did you use, what arrangements? What worked really well and what didn’t work as well as you’d like? What issues did you have preparing? What is the sermon series? How about creative elements used in the service? You don’t have to be the pastor or worship leader to participate. We would really love to get…
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Part of the Glue
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Accomplish something BIG
4 Feb 2012 | 3:23 pmI lead a drama/media team of teenagers at my church. Every once in a while I feel a need to accomplish something BIG together. We find projects that our bigger than ourselves and take up an entire weekend or numerous saturdays…but everyone rallies together and we accomplish it. I like the story in the gospels when Jesus is speaking to the five thousand and his disciples come to him saying the people are hungry. Jesus says "You feed them" Jesus is calling the disciples with their limited resources "five loaves and two fish" to perform a… -
Drag and drop websites for your ministry
8 Dec 2011 | 9:32 pmPagelines is by far my favorite wordpress theme. I have used this drag and drop framework to build more than 7 websites in the last year. Recently pagelines has updated their system to 2.0, which means better customization and a new store with specialized plugins coming soon. -
Creating simple promo videos for your events
13 Nov 2011 | 1:36 pmRecently we started creating a series of videos that would help promote a program in our youth ministry called FUZE. We shot the below video on a green screen and did one simple take. Students loved the video and it didn’t take a long time to produce because it depended mostly on the characters improv abilities. A lot of times videos we create are scripted and have lots of angles in various locations …occasionally its good to mix it up and do something very very simple. -
Using fairy tails to communicate truth
3 Oct 2011 | 6:13 pmWe recently created a video called "the tale of Johnny Rattleweed". The premise behind the film was to create a fairy tale that would explain the concept of skeletons in your closet in a fun and creative way. We bought a bunch of skeletons from a local haloween store and shot with the new sony fs100. -
Promoting small groups with media:
26 Sep 2011 | 5:03 pmWe recently launched our small group ministry in our student ministry. We call them D_Group or Discipleship Groups and run from August to May. We decided to create a series of promotional videos to encourage students to give them a try.
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Branded With Love
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Baptisms, Paintball, and White Flags
6 Feb 2012 | 9:32 amI’m so excited we’re doing this series, White Flag. The story of Jonah is amazing. We get to address some questions like, “Why do you run when things get hard?” “Who is really in charge of your life?” “When God asks big things from you, are you willing to listen?” “When things don’t go your way, how do you handle it?” “What will it take for you to wave the White Flag and let God be in control?” Here’s what has got me so pumped- it’s talking about topics like these which lays the groundwork for God… -
Sunday Extras
6 Feb 2012 | 7:45 amYesterday at Forefront had some great energy. Even more than normal which was cool. If you missed service, here are something things to help you out this week: The band keeps cranking out amazing worship song sets. I love getting to work with Justin and the musicians here. If you want to listen to some of the tracks they played (by the artists who wrote them), click here. If you don’t have Spotify, you should! It’s free and a great way to listen to music. Each week we post the messages online for you to listen to. You can listen on our website, via iTunes, or we post it on the… -
I Have A Crush On Alice In Wonderland
30 Jan 2012 | 10:37 pmWe pray together every night baby. I always end with, “God, thank you for letting me be Chloe’s daddy. Amen.” With every beat of my heart, I mean it. You’re a gift. But tonight, you broke down your big ol’ daddy to a puddle of emotion. As we opened our eyes you looked at me. I drown in those baby blues every single time you bat your lashes. You’ve got me whooped. You’re mommy and sissy have the same eyes. I don’t stand a chance. As you gazed into my face, you looked intently as you whispered- “I’m glad I get to be your Chloe. -
Make It Meaningful.
30 Jan 2012 | 10:04 pmJust the other day I was talking on the phone with a fellow Forefronter. As we were chatting it up for a bit, I began to imagine he was one of the cool kids in high school. Walking the halls with a swagger that Kanye or Jay-Z would be envious of. Giving high fives & fist bumps with the other athletic kids, and enjoying “hellos and hey bros” from people as he strutted through his little kingdom, that we mere mortals call high school. To be honest, he had confirmed many of my thoughts I was thinking in previous conversations. He was admittedly a cool guy in high school. -
Broken Down Cars, Dogs Almost Ran Over, And Stop Thinking Someone Else Will- You’re The Someone Else. And People Are Watching
27 Jan 2012 | 9:22 amI had just dropped off my girls at school. It’s my day off. All I was thinking was, “My bed is waiting! Ahhhhhhhh!” I turned the corner, and… Traffic. At. A. Stand. Still. Ugh. Don’t these people know my day off is freakin’ important?! Then I saw it. A broken down car with the lights blinking. People flying by her. Not stopping to help. Honestly, I debated it in my head. “Help this person out, or maybe someone else will.” “Wait, I am not that guy. Quit being a selfish bastard jerk.” (my inner dialogue censors itself sometimes) So, I…
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LeadingSmart
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The Story of the Art Wall
3 Feb 2012 | 6:36 amI’ve led every building project at GCC since the early days, and I often get asked, “Do you regret any part of the design?” I always say, “Yes, I regret the ‘Art Wall’. In fact, I will be able to die a happy man when the Art Wall gets torn down.” Let me tell you the story of the Art Wall… Sixteen years ago I was sitting with GCC’s building committee in our rented offices, and we were discussing details about our first building, already under construction. We originally were going to build a small auditorium to the east of the Atrium (the… -
Don’t Worry About the Needs of the World
30 Jan 2012 | 9:50 amI’ve been thinking a lot about the principle of proximity. Here is Tim’s definition: I have a greater responsibility to care for those I’m close to than others do who are not as close. I have a greater responsibility to care for those I’m close to than I do for those I am not close to. God so loved the world, but I am to love my neighbor. Jesus healed people in front of Him. There were probably hundreds of thousands of sick and crippled and diseased people who were alive when Jesus walked the earth–and yet the ones He healed were the ones who He actually met. -
What Goes Around Comes Around
25 Jan 2012 | 7:24 amI’m not that old, but I’ve voted in 7 elections. And it seems like there are some constants… In every election, we are told it is the most important election in history. In every election, the candidates tell us they won’t go negative. In every election, the candidates always go negative. In every election, the media tells us the candidates are going more negative than ever before. In every election, there is someone running who is painted as a “crazy” (Ross Perot, Howard Dean, Ron Paul) In every election, we are told the young voters will make the… -
Work Here? Attend Here.
24 Jan 2012 | 6:50 amI remember way back when I was first hired at Granger that Mark Beeson talked about the importance of attending the church where you work. At first I thought he was joking–I had never heard of anyone working at a church where they did not attend. He told me of several situations where that was unfortunately true. I wrongly assumed it was a dying pattern. In fact, the number of churches I’m hearing about who hire staff members to do “jobs” rather than “ministry” is increasing. Recently I learned of a large church that had a senior-level staff member who… -
How About a “Masters-Level” Course on Being an Executive Pastor?
5 Jan 2012 | 6:55 amI’ve said it before and it’s still true today: One of the most enjoyable things I get to do is lead a Coaching Network for Executive Pastors. In a couple of months, I’m going to offer this again. I will be meeting with 12 church leaders for a coaching experience which begins in March and concludes in May. I’m designing it specifically for Executive Pastors (or leaders in a similar role) who want to take their leadership to the next level. I’m not quite sure how to describe it, but here is my best attempt… It will be personal. Highly practical. Intensive.
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Rich Kirkpatrick's Weblog
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Cut-and-Paste Creativity [Part 2]: Why we choose efficiency over creativity in the local church.
1 Feb 2012 | 12:33 pmIt seems that many local church gatekeepers readily applaud ministry that looks like the successes of other churches rather than champion the indigenous creation from their own people. My friends in the business world do this all the time. One company sells computers successfully, so reverse engineering takes place by competitors. The idea is to emulate the success and hopefully exceed the level of your competition. In church work, our thinking may actually be similar. The thought is this: “If a song is popular on the Christian radio station, then surely it will resonate with people in… -
Leadership Journal Conversation: My most intense experience with spiritual warfare
30 Jan 2012 | 2:01 amThis post is part of a blog initiative for Leadership Journal’s Conversations. This is a new site and I was invited with some others to contribute to the conversation. There have been plenty of intense times of spiritual battle. I remember one encounter that was especially powerful. It is not often that specific prayers of spiritual battle are verified after the fact. Most of the time I have prayed against the devil, for protection of people, and when I was scared of the dark. My most intense time of spiritual warfare stands out because it was more than my own experience. Others were… -
Cut-and-Paste Creativity: The Death of Art, Music and Connection in Church Worship
23 Jan 2012 | 8:28 pmHaving traveled a bit and visited many churches this past year, I see a pattern in the modern worship world. In fact, for the past decade I have been in that category as a worship leader. There are twitter feeds sharing set lists of the songs worship leaders choose. People in the pews or theater seats across America experience more of the same on their Sunday morning worship music menu than ever before. This one-size-fits-all thinking might be the death of true creativity. And, as a result it may flatten our ability to connect deeply to our community. There are guitar sites, Youtube… -
“Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus”: Can’t we be FOR something, and not AGAINST something?
12 Jan 2012 | 5:20 pmIs religion really a bad word? I wrote about that in an article last year. (Why saying “I’m Not Religious” is a Cop Out!) This video poem, “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus” is powerful, creative and resonates deeply. I applaud the artistry. But, I think there is just something about semantics asking for more thought and discussion, which any good art should allow. I wrote this in June last year: Religion is not cutting or whipping one’s self, living silently in a monastery, singing emotionally in a worship service. It is not the Inquisition, the wars of the Crusades, the… -
A church resource community: copyrightcommunity.com
10 Jan 2012 | 2:27 pmOne of the most important reasons to blog is the community aspect of it. Those of us who work as volunteer and staff leaders in churches, as I have over the years, have places to go to discuss, learn and grow. This week I am featured in three blog posts on copyrightcommunity.com where I write a bit about copyrights from the perspective of church leaders. Go and check out the first one dealing with ethics of copyrights in the church: View from Both Sides of the Table.
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Ministry Best Practices
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Unchurched Do Not Ponder Life's Purpose
7 Feb 2012 | 11:51 pm"Half of the Americans who do not attend church also do not wonder if there is an ultimate purpose for their lives or the possibility that God has a plan for them, according to a recent survey. The study by LifeWay Research, which surveyed 2,000 U.S. adults, also found that people with even a slight curiosity about a higher purpose to life are more likely to participate in worship services. About 75 percent of the adults surveyed indicated that they either agree or strongly agree with the statement, “There is an ultimate purpose and plan for every person’s life.”" (ht: Survey:… -
The Power Of Vulnerability
2 Feb 2012 | 11:23 pmBrene Brown studies human connection -- our ability to empathize, belong, love. In a poignant, funny talk at TEDxHouston, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to know herself as well as to understand humanity. -
How To Spot Visitors In Your Church
2 Feb 2012 | 9:45 am(ht: NakedPastor) -
Does The Internet Rot Your Brain?
31 Jan 2012 | 7:00 amIn ministry, many of us use and leverage the internet for all kinds of purposes. We use it to: Communicate with our church Advertise and market the church Prepare for sermons Connect with our flock And dozens of other tasks.... But even though the internet provides a wealth of tools and resources for ministry, it also comes at a cost. See the infographic about how Social Media (and even how the internet) may be ruining our minds by reading on: -
Free E-books And Resources
30 Jan 2012 | 7:14 pmThe Internet has introduced unprecedented challenges, and the potential threats can change daily. Being in ministry, I see all the time, the challenges to Christians and their families. As a part of the MinistryBestPractices family, I am committed to helping you be resourced in order to protect yourself and your loved ones online. To help educate you about these Internet dangers, I am pleased to offer the latest educational resources from Covenant Eyes. All of them are completely FREE. I know you will find these informative guides valuable, and I hope you will share them with your…
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Klampert
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Are you an ark builder or a wood gatherer?
26 Jan 2012 | 1:00 pmThe year was 1995. I was off to VA to train and then work with YWAM. We had so many sessions on prayer and worship and the passing on of the “mantle” to other leaders. It was an amazing time. Eventually I was off with a small team to Kiev, Ukraine, but before I went I had a good 3 months in VA. One day we had invited a guest speaker and prophet to come to the missions school to pray over us. Prophets are scary people because you never know what they will say and they don’t seem to have a filter. This man didn’t trudge up a deep rooted sin or an unrepentant bitterness,… -
Your daughter and the VAMPIRES that love them
18 Nov 2011 | 6:20 amIt is not a secret that I have been reading about the occult and all things spiritual since I could read pretty much. I have read most of the books on “spirits”, christian and pagan and tried over the years to learn as much as I could about the topic. I have seen people possessed by demons and I have spoken to demons through a person. I have been in places that were “haunted” and know the reality of what is going on behind the spiritual curtain… In the 90′s I got into the vampire books from Anne Rice. I read them and loved them. Somewhere within the series… -
Ascent from Darkness by Michael Leehan Book Review
17 Nov 2011 | 6:05 amAscent from Darkness How Satan’s Soldier Became God’s Warrior By:Michael Leehan I recently got this book from the Blogging for Books program with Thomas Nelson. I did not know what to expect, but judging from it’s description I had I feeling I would be in for a wild ride. Crazy enough the day I received the book I went to the ER for a false alarm and had to sit in a bed with an IV for almost 6 hours. That is where I started the book. The next morning I woke up and neglected the things I needed to do and had it finished in 2 more hours. I could not put this book down. I have… -
John Mark McMillan – Economy CD Review
4 Nov 2011 | 11:51 amJohn Mark Mcmillan Economy Some might say that this is John’s second CD and followup to the Medicine. Well technically YOU ARE WRONG because he had already released music before he go signed to Integrity. John has been in the music scene for quite a while now and has carved his way into the hearts of millions through people covering his songs. Now that those covers have paved the way for him to get in front of people as well I was worried his sound might get watered down. Worried it might get stuck in the box I like to call “that sound’ with over processed and over produced… -
Plan B by Pete Wilson Book Review
3 Nov 2011 | 12:35 pmPlan B By: Pete Wilson What Do You Do When God Doesnt Show Up the Way You Thought He Would?… Where do I even begin with this book. It showed up in my mailbox at just the perfect time when I was questioning what in the world God was doing. As a matter of fact I have been in that state a lot the last few years. This book addresses frustration with God, uncertainty, fear, loss, joy and followed up with the Hope of god’s promises. I love this book and can’t say enough about it. It got me to think out of the box and whenever I am thinking inwardly I always rethink about what I…
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BrianAyers.net
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Our Own War Stories
24 Jan 2012 | 5:25 amNow these are the nations that the Lord left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before. (Judges 3:1, 2 ESV) When Israel entered Canaan, God immediately gave them victory over armies and nations that were much larger and much more powerful than them. It was undeniable that God was with them, and the people all knew it. But He did not allow them to go to war against every nation; He allowed some battles to… -
When you’ve made mistakes
19 Jan 2012 | 8:55 am"When you realize you’ve made a mistake, “own it” with those involved as soon as possible. Delaying only tempts you to put it off and rationalize why it’s not that big of a deal to share. If your teammates don’t see you owning your mistakes when they come to light, they will question your credibility—and rightly so.” - Nathan Rouse -
Judah Smith’s 8 Steps to Delivering a Message
18 Jan 2012 | 9:06 amI was looking back over some notes I took last year at the C3 Conference in Grapevine, Texas, and found some pretty cool stuff I’d forgotten about. The notes below came from a Q&A session where Pastor Judah Smith was asked about how he goes about preparing to speak to a group of people. Here are Pastor Judah’s 8 steps to delivering a message: 1. Greeting: Honor the audience, make a good first impression. 2. Read the Bible: Pastor Judah reads the bible story word for word to the crowd. He says no matter who is there or how the message is received, at least the Word was… -
Why PowerPoint Stinks
17 Jan 2012 | 3:09 pm -
Jobs of the Future
17 Jan 2012 | 9:12 amWe all know that we’re living in a fast & ever-changing environment… this reality is becoming more and more apparent in the current job market. The 9-5 desk jobs, the life-long factory jobs with a pension at the end, the job waiting for you when you get a degree, all seem to be disappearing. The Institute for the Future, as part of its decade-long Future of Work project, has identified 10 skills needed for the jobs of the future: Sensemaking Novel and Adaptive Thinking Transdisciplinarity Social Intelligence Computational Thinking New Media Literacy Design Mindset Cross…
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Shaun In The City
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NEW BABY! My Family Needs Some Practical Help (THANK U in advance)!
9 Feb 2012 | 12:43 pm(This post has not been edited for errors :-) Hey Everybody! My family needs some practical help. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. On Monday my wife and I learned that a family member of ours had just lost custody of her kids with the real chance they would be put into foster care. Within hours Rai (my wife) flew to Kentucky to make sure that didn’t happen and to help guide our family through this tough time. As you may know, our oldest daughter is adopted and we’ve done all that we can to care for children in need. So… We’ve decided that we will… -
Leadership = Dealing w/ Regular Rejection
6 Feb 2012 | 5:31 pm(This post has not been edited for errors. These are just my raw thoughts!) If you are going to be a leader, prepare yourself to deal with rejection on an abnormal scale. It comes with the territory and I’ve never quite gotten used to it. Every day nearly 75 people stop following me on Twitter Every day 10-15 people unsubscribe from my email list Every few days someone writes a negative tweet about me I get hateful and sometimes slanderous emails Every week or so someone writes a blog about how stupid they think something I said was With that said, as a leader I get an abnormal… -
We are now more than halfway there & 3 cool bits of news!
23 Jan 2012 | 10:50 amHey everybody! With 25 days, we are now more than halfway to our final goal in our KickStarter campaign to BUILD HOPE!!! On this past Friday we crossed $58,000! We just received our 2nd $10,000 matching gift in the mail and when that is added to our total today or tomorrow it will put us @ $68,000! Crossing the 50% mark has been a real tipping point in my mind. I’m not saying it will be easy from here, but I think we have proven that people love the idea of HopeMob and are willing to stand behind it in a major way. If you have not yet made a pledge @ HopeMob.com, we need you to… -
We ARE Joe Paterno: Why I Think His Greatness Should Outshine His Flaws
22 Jan 2012 | 1:58 pmJoe Paterno died this morning. For 50 years, he was a god of college football. He may be the best college football coach of all time. While coach, he not only won more games than anybody, but his Penn State team produced 250 NFL players, went undefeated 5 times, finished in the top 25 over 35 times, won 2 national championships… all while producing a score of academic all Americans and having one of the highest graduation rates of any football programs in the country – certainly better than any program that was actually good at football. In this way, NONE of us are like Joe… -
Thank You!
19 Jan 2012 | 4:10 pmThank you! So far 424 of my friends have pledged just about $50,000 in our revolutionary KickStarter campaign to BUILD HOPE all over the world! I’m saying thank you in advance because I really need you to join them! We estimate that it will take at least 1,000 people to hit our goal and we have just 29 days left to do it. The KickStarter rules state that if we don’t hit our goal, we don’t get anything at all. If that happens, I’ll sink into a deep depression so you are pretty much going to save my life by making a pledge today :-) If you need more info, I am…
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Christian Personal Finance
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4 Ways To Budget For “Gotcha” Expenses
9 Feb 2012 | 10:00 amBudgeting can be difficult at times. Some don’t see it that way. They just put out a budget every month that is exactly the same as any and every other month (what Dave Ramsey calls “the perfect month from heaven”). When we really stop and think, though, we all know that no two months are exactly alike. What are Gotcha Expenses? Even knowing that, however, there are some months where we have “gotcha” expenses. These are the times in the year when we have to pay annual dues, or for a semi-regular (but quite expensive) service. Here are some examples that my wife… -
5 Retirement Questions You Might Have Right Now
8 Feb 2012 | 10:00 amHave you given your retirement much thought lately? According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, nearly 50% of Baby Boomers and Gen Xers are at risk of not having enough retirement income to cover even basic expenses and uninsured health care costs. That figure jumps to 70% when you look at the low-income households in America. The reality of retirement hits us at different stages of our life, but the questions always seem to be the same. Will I have enough? How should I be invested? Will I have to pay taxes? If you’re like me, I don’t want to hear the cookie-cutter… -
Life Lessons from 6 Famous Failures
7 Feb 2012 | 10:00 amHave you ever met a successful person who did not encounter some failures along the way? I know I haven’t … it seems that failure is inextricably blended into the pathway toward success. Fortunately for us, some very famous people have traveled this path. What can we learn from these “famous failures”? 1. Never give up. (Winston Churchill) Churchill failed sixth grade and was defeated in every election for public office until he became Prime Minister of England at the age of 62. When he met with his Cabinet on May 13, 1940, as England was about to enter the war against… -
How to Pay Less for College: 6 Ways
6 Feb 2012 | 10:00 amWhen a semester of college can cost more than a parent makes in a year, it is time to look for help. And although the mountain looks immovable, we need to remember that our Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills. If we know we are in His will for our future, He will provide the needed funds. With that in mind, I’d like to share 6 ways to cut that school bill down without taking out student loans. Graduate debt free! 1. Keep Your Grades Up I earned a full paid scholarship to the local junior college simply for being in the top 10% of my graduating class. My son will transfer from his… -
What is the True Cost of Purchasing a Vehicle?
3 Feb 2012 | 10:00 amWhen shopping for a car, you should look for the lowest price for the best quality. Right? Well, sort of … in the back of your mind, you realize that, all other things being equal, the car which gets better gas mileage is worth more than the one which doesn’t. But how much more? And what other factors should you consider? Depreciation rates? Cost of insurance? How about maintenance and repairs? If all of this is giving you a headache, don’t despair. Edmunds.com has done much of the work for you, by calculating the true cost for owning any new or used car five years.
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JakeBouma.com
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Who Needs Apologetics?
24 Jan 2012 | 9:43 amThe genesis of this post comes from this short post on Google+, in which I said (rather snarkily, I admit): If by "Golden Era of Apologetics" [Lee Strobel] means "An Era When Apologetics Will Continue Its Decline into Utter Irrelevance," I'm totally on board. I was responding to an article/interview in The Christian Post titled Lee Strobel: We're on Cusp of Golden Era of Apologetics. You may recognize Strobel's name — he's the author of series of apologetics-oriented books: The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, The Case for A Creator, et al. They're wildly popular books — several of… -
“Evangelism in the Dark” published in Immerse Journal
10 Jan 2012 | 2:22 pmThe latest issue of Immerse Journal, a "journal of faith, life and youth ministry," features an article I wrote titled "Evangelism in the Dark." It begins with these words: It wasn’t only that I generally felt like a failure at it, as if I weren’t zealous enough to convert everyone around me or charismatic enough to make the good news seem irresistible; I have been haunted by the suspicion that evangelism itself has largely missed the mark. In the article, I use the work of theologian Douglas John Hall (whom none other than Andy Root turned me on to) to make the case for an evangelism… -
Introducing: Recommended Reads
5 Jan 2012 | 4:45 pmNext Tuesday, January 10, my friend Erik and I are launching a new e-newsletter called Recommended Reads: Recommended Reads is a twice-monthly email that contains links to five articles you may have missed. We scour the depths of the web and hand-pick articles that spotlight creative voices with unique perspectives on religion, culture, and ministry. Our hope is that the newsletter serves as a non-invasive (only two times a month) way of guiding people to great content from around the web. That's it. Each email will contain links to and brief descriptions of five articles and/or blog posts,… -
Books I read in 2011
29 Dec 2011 | 4:19 pmI admittedly don't blog as frequently as I used to, but I do enjoy putting together the annual "Books I read" post. You'll notice that in the past three years this post has become much lengthier and way more self-indulgent. I'm okay with that. If you are, too, presented below is a full list of the books I read in 2011 as well as my "favorites" from several categories. (Disclaimer: All book links in this post are Amazon affiliate links). Previously: 2010, 2009. Favorite Fiction Book A tie between The Pale King by David Foster Wallace and Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. For many reasons, The… -
Advent with Bonhoeffer
27 Nov 2011 | 7:18 pmIn 2009 I wrote a series of blog posts called Advent Explorations both as a personal study of the first season of the liturgical calendar and as a way of sharing what I was learning.1 I won't be doing that again this year; instead, I have something else in mind. About a week ago, I received a lovely surprise in my mailbox at work. One of the parishioners who knows of my love for all things Bonhoeffer (and who is herself a Bonhoeffer enthusiast) left a copy of the book God Is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas, an Advent devotional comprised of material compiled from…
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Echo Hub » Posts
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The Widow’s Offering
9 Feb 2012 | 11:04 amI’m going to try something a little different today. I’m going to present you with Mark 12:41:44, but I’m going to resist the temptation to add a bunch of commentary at the end. 41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, ”Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the… -
MyBetterStory.com: How to Help with Technology
8 Feb 2012 | 9:19 amI could probably say this every week, but Elevation Church is up to something cool. Elevation’s current sermon series is called “Living a Better Story,” and in order to support that series, the team at Elevation launched MyBetterStory.com. It’s a simple website that invites people to identify and articulate the stories they think God is calling them to live. As Pastor Steven Furtick explains in the video below, the site was birthed out of a desire to help people explore and apply the sermon series — what a great concept! As Furtick goes on to say, the site represents an opportunity… -
Our Very Own Dumb Jib Dolly
7 Feb 2012 | 1:54 pmOver the last six months, we at Igniter Media have produced some scripts that required a few shots that went beyond just a stationary tripod. When we brainstormed “Strangers” back in August, the script was screaming out for a few long dolly shots. And thus began the creation of our 22-foot dolly track. I’d never built something like this before, so I hope you enjoy reading about my experience, and I hope you can use it to make something even better. (Thankfully, we already owned an Indie-Dolly so we were fortunate to not have to go out and purchase rollerblade wheels as suggested… -
Graceway Media Joins RT Creative Group
7 Feb 2012 | 10:04 amAs you may know, Echo has a parent company called RT Creative Group. I spend most of my time focused here on Echo Hub and putting together Echo Conference, but I still work closely with the rest of my colleagues in the company. They spend their time helping me on the Echo side and/or creating great church media through Igniter Media. Anyway, yesterday we announced a new addition to the RT Creative Group family: Graceway Media. If you’re not familiar with Graceway Media, just know that it’s made up of a great team of people who design and deliver title graphics, banners, motion loops, and… -
A Sale and Other News from the Echo Hub Store
6 Feb 2012 | 2:44 pmThere have been a few new developments in the Echo Hub Store, and I wanted to make sure you heard about them: First, the Echo DVD 4-pack is on sale through the end of the week. Get the DVDs from the four previous Echo Conferences for just $179, a savings of $50 off the regular price. As you might imagine, the DVDs feature audio and video recordings of fantastic sessions from past Echo events. The 4-Pack is a great resource, and you can find out more here. Culture Making by Andy Crouch is now available. This is one of the best books I’ve read in the last five years, no doubt about it.
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1000churches - Kingdom Ministry On The Net - Bishop James I Feel God Brown
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Christian Leadership: Judge: Minister Violated the Law By Refusing Same Sex Ceremony
14 Jan 2012 | 4:15 amTRENTON, N.J. — A New Jersey judge ruled Thursday that a church group violated the state's discrimination laws when it... -
Christian Leadership: Satan Cheers Graham, Osteen, Starr for Not Telling the Truth About Mormonism
9 Jan 2012 | 9:02 amST PETERSBURG, Fla., Jan. 9, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Bill Keller, the world's leading Internet Evangelist and the founder of... -
Christian Living: 'Heartbreaking' Survey: Group Sex Occurring Among Teens
21 Dec 2011 | 10:14 amAuthor Teresa Tomeo notes porn's role in consensual and coerced behavior SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 21, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- A study led by a... -
Christian Living: Why are Christians Following a Cult Member Named Glenn Beck?
12 Dec 2011 | 7:33 amST PETERSBURG, Fl.,/Christian Newswire/ -- Bill Keller, the world's leading Internet Evangelist and the founder of LivePrayer.com, with over 2.4... -
Church Security Conference Targets Creating Cohesive Plans
8 Jul 2009 | 2:37 pmChurch Security Conference Targets Creating Cohesive Plans The National Organization of Church Security Safety Management...
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Solar Crash... Where heaven and earth collide.
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that thing you do
6 Feb 2012 | 11:20 amvia Chase Jarvis Your thoughts? -
Education that matters
24 Jan 2012 | 10:25 pmI just saw this short documentary “Children Full of Life”, about a teacher, Toshiro Kanamori, and his fourth-grade class northwest of Tokyo. My wife is a teacher and I have massive respect for educators who are doing their job, but I have always found something stifling within our education system in the west. Volumes can be learned from this video about character building, authority, compassion and community development that’s palpable. Your thoughts? -
Parting Words
20 Jan 2012 | 6:45 amThis past weekend I was commissioned out of Mosaic (the community of faith I’ve been leading the past four years) and had the opportunity to share a parting message. Last words are often said too late, or in haste, so I thought I’d do something I’ve never done in my years of speaking, I actually scripted it out. I wrote it out in letter-form to hopefully be concise without forgetting anything, although I doubt parting words can ever be complete. Here it is below, or you can also download it as a pdf To my brothers and sisters, friends, fellow seekers and sojourners What a… -
Birds
17 Jan 2012 | 2:41 pmimage via shatterboxx It’s a profound thing to come to the realization that you don’t have to be where you are. Getting to where you want to be may be a completely separate journey, but if you don’t allow yourself to dream of distant places, that’s all they’ll ever be. You’re freer than you think. Note – distant places may cost you everything – which is why so few of us will even dare to entertain the thought. -
The year that past
4 Jan 2012 | 12:27 pmMy memory is dismal so it’s always important for me to reflect and write. Life is short, but it can be incredibly broad. Some snippets of 2011: Family rocked. We celebrated our eighth astonishing year of marriage and are raising two wonder-filled daughters. My wife kicked it into high gear doing double duty as a teacher and photographer Took over the house I was raised in, and all the work that comes along with it. Worked at leading our faith community through transitions – new location, sudden death of a friend and leader, conflicts and daring new directions Incorporated a…
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My World
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This Weekend @ Revolution: Temptation from Hypocrisy
9 Feb 2012 | 10:15 amOne of the biggest complaints our culture has about the church and Christians has to do with hypocrisy. People who attend church have the reputation of being the meanest, most back biting, divisive people in the eyes of our culture. As someone who has attended church most of my life, I can say with sadness that description is not that far off. I’ve had countless conversations with people who tell me, “I don’t attend church because it’s full of hypocrites.” If that’s true, how does that change? What would life look like if it was really lived? If we lived… -
The Details of God
8 Feb 2012 | 11:30 amKatie and I are reading through the Bible right now and I just got done with Exodus and I’m moving into Leviticus. One of the things that blew me away in Exodus are the details of God. While Exodus is a great story of how big and powerful God is, a great reminder about how God rescues us and redeems us. Exodus shows the details to which God goes to redeem us. The details of the plagues, the provision of Israel in the wilderness. The details of the sacrifices and worship. Everything has been thought through. It is a great reminder to me of how important all the things, big and small, in… -
Music Monday 2.6.12: Rend Collective Experiment
6 Feb 2012 | 3:19 pmI recently came across Rend Collective Experiment. If you are looking for some fresh, creative worship music, look here. Here is a sampling: Their Story as a Band You are my Vision Come On Exalt (Performed on iPhones) Now, go buy their albums: Organic Family Hymnal and Homemade Worship by Homemade People. Filed under: music monday, video Tagged: church, homemade worship by homemade people, iphone, music monday, organic family hymnal, rend collective experiment, worship, worship music -
Great Leaders Grow: Becoming a Leader for Life
6 Feb 2012 | 7:53 amI got to read through Ken Blanchard & Mark Miller’s new book this week Great Leaders Grow: Becoming a Leader for Life (kindle version). First off, what I loved about the book was how quick of a read it is. I finished it in one night. It is similar to Patrick Lencioni’s books in that it is written as a fable. The book hits on a topic that is important to every leader. How a leader grows and develops. No leader wants to stay put. By definition, leaders are about influence, change, pushing the status quo. But many leaders are not sure what that means, where that goes or how to do… -
How Leaders Make an Impact
3 Feb 2012 | 5:37 pmMy capacity to learn determines my capacity to lead. If I stop learning, I stop leading. I also believe that each of us has a stewardship opportunity to maximize the talents and gifts that have been entrusted to us. If I’m not learning and growing, it will be impossible to leverage my talents. I suppose I also believe the old saying “The speed of the leader is the speed of the team.’ If I’m not growing, there’s no way I can expect others to grow. And finally, when I’m growing, I can add more value for our people and our organization overall. -Ken Blanchard…
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The Resurgence
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The #1 Command in the Bible
9 Feb 2012 | 2:00 pmThis content is for those that have signed up for Leadership Coaching with Pastor Mark. Please sign in at http://theresurgence.com/. -
Why You Should Know the Journal of Biblical Counseling
9 Feb 2012 | 2:00 amAfter four years of anticipating the return of the Journal of Biblical Counseling, my wait is over at last. Yesterday, CCEF announced the JBC's return in a new online format, with the new issue freely viewable now. In years past, this journal has been a goldmine for me personally, as a pastor and counselor, and as a trainer of other counselors. To give you a sense of how timely and helpful this journal has often been, just yesterday, I was looking into reference books on psychoactive medications. The same day, CCEF released the new journal with an article by Mike Emlet,… -
Broken Homes in the Bible, Part 1
8 Feb 2012 | 2:00 pmUnless you live in complete isolation, you have seen a broken home. Maybe it’s the family of a friend or relative, maybe it’s your own home. Families fall apart in ways that are short-lived and lifelong, hidden from view and out there for everyone to see. Whatever the case, hardly anything perplexes and discourages us more than broken homes. The Scriptures teach us that the pandemic of damaged families we see today is nothing new. Many of us attribute the problem to recent cultural shifts away from church and the gospel, but the Scriptures point in a different… -
Why Jesus Wants You to Lose Hope
8 Feb 2012 | 2:00 amIn Mark 10, a young rich man eagerly comes to Jesus. He is a winner who does not want to give up trying to win. The good thing about him is that he has a desire for something more, something beyond worldly winning. He asks, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” It is good to ask about eternal life, but his question reveals a deep flaw. You see, as Robert Capon notes, while he wants something more, he can’t imagine pursuing it in any other way than doing through more winning and striving. His question shows he believes there are techniques for inheriting… -
Dangers Leaders Face
7 Feb 2012 | 2:00 pmBeing in leadership is dangerous. The Bible is full of warnings and examples of this truth. The devil is always lurking in the shadows to sidetrack, plateau, neutralize or flat out destroy Christian leaders. It is at times overlooked that 1 Peter 5:8 is in the middle of a passage directed to leaders. Leaders are often the first target of the enemy of our souls and the ministry. We have all observed many well-known, godly Christian leaders who have fallen due to financial greed, sexual misconduct, and/or a variety of poor decisions. It seems that there…
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Less Clutter. Less Noise.
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20 minutes about communication trends in the local church…
2 Feb 2012 | 1:23 pmSean Cannell over at Think International sat me down on Skype last week for an interview about communication trends in the local church. Best practices, bad habits, missed jokes and all–we covered it in 20 minutes. -
How we addressed our growing connection and communication gaps as a church…
30 Jan 2012 | 9:42 amWe launched the Table at Granger last fall. Since then, I’ll regularly get emails and voicemails from other churches wondering why we made the choice, how we rolled it out and what’s happened since the launch. Last week, I took some time and answered all the FAQs over on the Table blog. Hope it’s helpful. Part 1: Why did you feel Granger needed its own private social network? What made you pick the Table? How did you get leadership buy-in? Part 2: What kind of response has the Table received at Granger? What’s your favorite feature of the Table so far? Part 3: What do… -
If I asked you to describe your job with one visual, what would it be?
27 Jan 2012 | 12:09 pmI had a special guest in the office on Monday. Emily, an eighth grader, shadowed my goings on for a full work day as part of a Career Day assignment for school. She was all in–going to meetings, listening to phone calls, observing emails, catching hallway conversations, going out to lunch with the gang, etc. She showed up more prepared than most adults and kept me on my toes–asking questions about the why behind the what, sharing unique perspectives and jumping in wherever she could add value. Several of my teammates thought she was in college. At the end of the day, she ran me… -
Economics for humans…what we don’t measure and why it’s a problem.
24 Jan 2012 | 8:59 amI listened to an HBR Ideacast this AM that had an encouraging perspective from an unlikely source. An economist was advocating that there is more to life than a growing GDP. Here’s a few notes I jotted down. If I asked you what a good life consists of, your answer would be about more than money & stuff. It would be about a life rich in relationships (social capital), accomplishment (organizational capital), meaning, fulfillment and passion (emotional capital)—all of those things add up to a meaningful life. Economics as we know it and live it doesn’t really capture this… -
I got to be on the world’s only user-antagonistic podcast…
20 Jan 2012 | 1:53 pmThanks Anthony, Heath & Matthew… I could do this every week.
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ChurchCrunch
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Seattle Library Allows Porn on Computers Despite Complaints
9 Feb 2012 | 3:00 pmA Seattle woman was visiting her local library with her children, when she noticed a man viewing pornography on the library computers. The Seattle mother didn’t ask the librarian to remove the man from the library or even have him kicked-off the computers. No, she simply asked if the man could be relocated to a more discreet location. The librarian refused. Seattle Public Library spokeswoman Andra Addison said, “We’re a library, so we facilitate access to constitutionally protected information. We don’t tell people what they can view and check out.”… -
Study Likens Tweeting Urges to Smoking & Drinking
9 Feb 2012 | 1:30 pmThis from Geek O System: A recent experiment headed by Wilhelm Hofmann of Chicago University’s Booth Business School shows that urges to tweet are extremely hard to resist, harder to resist than urges to drink, or smoke, for example. The study involved 205 people between the ages of 18 and 85 in the German city of Würtzburg. The participants were given Blackberrys and questioned seven times over the course of a 14 hour day, for seven consecutive days, about their desires. They were to report any desire they were currently experiencing, any desire they’d experienced in the past 30… -
Vintage Computer Ads from the 1950′s
9 Feb 2012 | 12:00 pmCan you believe the size of these things! These reminded me of the computers they would show in the old Disney movies. We’ve come a long way in 50+ years! If you thought these were interesting, you should take a look at the vintage computer ads from the 1940′s. [via Vintage Ad Browser] You just finished reading "Vintage Computer Ads from the 1950′s" on ChurchMag! Feel free to comment on it! We use the Standard Theme for our blog platform! -
What To Do with Multimedia By-Products?
9 Feb 2012 | 10:00 amI’ve been thinking about by-products. You know that when you do things there’s waste. When you cut down a tree for the wood, there’s sawdust left. When you wash your car, you have dirty water left. When you cook ground beef, you have fat left over. There’s a couple ways to deal with this fact. You can find a way to get rid of the waste and regard it as just a garbage, or you can find something useful to do with it. In the case of the dirty water from washing your car, you can use it to water your plants; it turns out they like dirt. When I was growing up, there was a… -
What Dr. Seuss Books Were Really About
9 Feb 2012 | 8:47 amHaving read all of these Dr. Seuss titles to my kids, I could quickly understand how these titles tell more explicitly what the books are about. There are a couple of things we can learn from this: Be mindful of what the media you are consuming is really saying. What are the books, TV shows and movies feeding us? Communicating the Gospel and Godly values doesn’t have to be dry and “in your face.” It can be done in a creative way. Just like Jesus did with His parables. Now, take a look at these Dr. Seuss titles and you’ll see what they are really about: See what I…
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Brian Barela's Blog: Catalyze Change
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Advice on Re-Formatting Resources for Online Consumption
8 Feb 2012 | 3:03 pm“Solve the parts not the problem. Roll up your sleeves and start breaking things down into more accessible, smaller elements.”–Ethan Marcotte Old Media resources used long paragraphs, small images (if at all), and required a reader’s full attention. The variety of devices that people use to consume web content has fragmented, along with their attention spans. Consumers of digital media demand short, visually-driven media that can be consumed while texting, watching TV, or even riding a bike (see photo below). Ministry leaders seeking to convert or optimize old media… -
This is Exactly How I Use Social Media on My iPhone
7 Feb 2012 | 2:11 pm“When I have time to waste with my phone, my first choices are always Twitter, Instagram, Foursquare, and the App Store — Facebook is always an afterthought”–Dan Frommer How do you prioritize the time you spend on social apps on your phone? Tweet -
Fighting Social Media Overload from Within
6 Feb 2012 | 8:10 amThe single biggest hole that exists not just in Twitter but Facebook and other services as well: the need to give users more ways of filtering the massive amounts of information that keep flooding their activity streams and other social media in-boxes. There are so many ways of producing and sharing content but so few good ways of filtering.–Businessweek Curating online content becomes a necessity with a variety of dominant macro-social networks (Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest) and micro-networks (Path, Instagram). Twitter recently purchased Summify, a web application that curates the… -
4 Social Media Engagement Tips
3 Feb 2012 | 1:07 pmAt the Social Media for Nonprofits conference I heard an insightful presentation on how to be proactive from Cheryl Black, a Social Media Marketing Specialist for Convio. Proactivity on social media often consists of scheduling content to be delivered at a certain day and time. But Black introduced the concept of being “proactively reactive,” which consists of 4 actions: 1. Comment An obvious but critical online action. Commenting implies that you have invested your attention in someone else’s content. 2. Seek out Chats Online conversations related to your areas of interest… -
How to Make A Thank You Video
2 Feb 2012 | 8:28 amSimple, heartfelt, personal, full of gratitude. We can all do more of this. Tweet
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Zak White
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Things You Might Not Know About Your Pastor -By Amber
9 Feb 2012 | 8:19 amIts Amber, Pastor Zak’s wife and I am taking over the blog today! I know our pastor better than anyone (I had better…especially after ten years of marriage!) Revolution Church, here are some things you might not know about your pastor: Pastor Zak is a HUGE Romantic (he writes me a love note each week and places it in a different place…O’So special to me!) He still dates me like he did in high school. He plans every date and takes me out at least every other week. He wants to model what it means to be a great husband to our son Couper. Pastor Zak has a dance party… -
Fandemonium Halftime Video
8 Feb 2012 | 8:35 amThis past Sunday we did a one week sermon that went well with the Super Bowl called Fandemonium, we had a “half time” report video in the sermon. It was a lot of fun and a great creative idea. They just interrupted me with the video to create a true half time feel. Check it out here or watch below. -
Man VS. Wife – Train Now
7 Feb 2012 | 8:05 amWe are kicking off a new series called Man VS. Wife this Sunday at Revolution Church, but you don’t have to wait for church to start applying God’s Word to your marriage. Here is what I want to encourage you to do each day as we get closer to our new series. Open up the Bible and read through Philippians 2:1-11. Read it every day and then pray these two specific things: Jesus, let me see the areas I fall short in serving my spouse. Jesus, let me see my spouse through your eyes. See you Sunday for Man VS. Wife at 9:30am, 11:00am or 1:00pm!!! -
Fandemonium Mind Dump
5 Feb 2012 | 10:32 pmSuper Bowl Sunday at Revolution Church was FLAT CRAY CRAY! I had a blast with all of you today! BEST OF ALL, we had several people accept Christ today! My grandma (Ninnie) and grandad (Mack) as well as my parents were in THE HOUSE today. Honored to have them join us! My grandad said “I didn’t have any trouble hearing in THAT church!” We encouraged everyone to come wearing their favorite sports team gear and paint their faces. I was blown away at how many people participated – I’d say about 90% of the people came geared up. I had my face painted in true Revolution… -
Two Year Birthday in Photos
1 Feb 2012 | 11:35 amSunday we celebrated our two year birthday at Reovlution Church. In two years we have seen 495 people accept Christ. Sunday alone 34 people followed Christ in baptism! Here are some photo highlights from the day. For full baptism photos click here and for pics from the service click here. Thanks to Kevin Foster and Stephanie Megosh for great pics as usual!
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between realities
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SOPA killed this blog.
18 Jan 2012 | 3:28 pmCENSORED...Find out about SOPA. -
You can't sue, Pastor...
12 Jan 2012 | 7:30 amThere was an interesting ruling yesterday from the US Supreme Court.In a unanimous decision, the court upheld that churches have the right to fire "religious" employees without having to deal with federal discrimination regulations. In doing this, the court tacitly acknowledged "ministerial exception" to employment laws. Thus, religious institutions can choose to sack religious workers at will.In other words, to paraphrase the majority opinion, religious organizations can pick (and unpick) who they want, and really do not have to encumber themselves with the same things secular organizations… -
Probably won't make the front page.
9 Jan 2012 | 3:30 pmI challenge you to read this through.Towards the end of last year (December 22nd to be precise) there was a pretty monumental occurrence in Charlotte -- but you probably did not hear about it.Out on the West-side, at the Arbon Glen Outreach Facility, two organizations were having a Christmas party for potentially at-risk students. The kids came from local YMCAs, but the buses were relatively quiet, so you probably didn't hear them either. City Dive (a ministry endeavor of NewBirth Charlotte) and 2xSALT made it happen. They gave those kids food, presents, music, basketball and… -
Where is your teen? (Straight talk epilogue)
9 Jan 2012 | 9:00 amBeing proactively realistic is the key.Your teen is growing up in the 21st century. He/she is likely more computer savvy than most adults. He or she probably carries a power packed phone and/or iPod touch.Your teen is probably a good teen. Your teen probably has a good heart, and mostly stays out of trouble. Your teen also needs to be aware of how crazy of a world it is out there, and if they cannot or will not understand that, you -- the parent -- needs to fill the gap.The first key is understanding. You need to understand the combo minefield/resource concept known as social networking. -
Where is your teen? (Pt 2)
6 Jan 2012 | 9:00 amBefore we pick on Twitter, let's take a frank look and see why social networking is such a huge area of opportunity to parents and guardians.Pornography is a huge issue for people of all ages and sexes. Two decades ago, when your stereotypical boy wanted to view nude images, he had to be fortunate enough o have a friend who had a brother who knew a friend that hung out with a dude whose father had a stash of nudie mags. To actually find a "blue movie" you needed an even greater provision of provenance.In other words, you had to work HARD for smut.Today? All it takes is a relatively innocent…
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Business as Mission Network
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Ken Crowell, Business as Mission Pioneer and Founder of Galtronics in Israel Leaves a Legacy
31 Jan 2012 | 8:58 pmI wish I could build a "Cooperstown" for Work as Worship Heroes. Instead of collecting old baseball gloves and jerseys marking hall of fame careers I'd fill it with authentic stories. The kind that are filled with adventure but are soaked in humility and obedience. They would highlight men and women who moved the mission forward, mostly when nobody was looking. But despite the cloak of -
3 Call2business opportunities for 2012
27 Jan 2012 | 5:55 amFrom our friends at Call2all, they'd like to let everyone know they have 3 events planned for 2012. 1. Amsterdam 2012 April 16-19 Mon-Thurs Call2all Western Europe Congress April 16-19, 2012 You are warmly invited to the Call2all Western Europe Congress – April 16-19, 2012 being held in De Betteld, a beautiful Dutch Christian Conference Centre (www.debetteld.nl). Located close to the -
Social-profit enterprises: Stop Debating and get them going
24 Jan 2012 | 5:55 amThe wall between non-profit and for-profit organizations is crumbling in the US legal structure with the recent creations of B-Corps, L3Cs, and now FlexC’s. In actual practice, the social sector moved beyond the value of such distinctions long ago. I think it’s time to move forward into the ‘era of social-profit enterprises’ whose mission outweighs the funding model. It’s time to put more -
Wall Street Journal asks if a Philanthropy should act like a Business?
19 Jan 2012 | 5:55 amIt's your money, and you're willing to give some of it away to a worthy cause. But you want to see results. Measurable progress toward agreed-upon goals. Regular proof that your investment is achieving maximum impact. That's the way businesses operate, and charities should be no different. That's one way to look at it, anyway. Others argue that things work differently in the world of -
Global CEO Event Coming to Chicago April 11-13
13 Jan 2012 | 5:55 amThe Global CEO Network was founded in 2004 as a “users group” for those practicing business as mission in a commercial context. The goals are not to inspire people to become involved in the business as mission movement, but rather to support those who are doing it. The next event is to be held in Chicago April 11-13, 2012.The focus is on “commercial” business as mission, a segment of the
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CJ Alvarado
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Work vs Creative Labor
20 Jan 2012 | 1:03 pmI found a great article on work and creative labor from 99%. As a guy who leads creatives, the topic of work and creativity is one I’m always trying to better understand. Work, as expressed below, is willed into action. Creative labor, on the other hand, is not always something I can “will” in existence.... -
Apple to announce tools, platform to “digitally destroy” textbook publishing
18 Jan 2012 | 1:43 pmThe technology to completely challenge the way textbooks are handle in universities has always been here. It’s the business model that’s scared so many away. An article today gives us reason to believe Apple is going to stir it up again. I love it. “MacInnis sees Apple as possibly up-ending the traditional print publishing model... -
Innovation Series: Chances With Wolves
2 Jan 2012 | 1:03 pmThe Innovation Series feature creatives that are exploring new ways to share their passion with the world. 10 years ago if you had a beloved music collection of rare jazz recordings and wanted to share it with the world, it would be practically impossible to do so. The internet and social technology is changing that... -
Power of Circles
30 Dec 2011 | 2:47 pmSocial technology is giving us the ability to form circles of specialization in new ways and there is tremendous benefit to this. Though the power of circles isn’t new per se, who we form them with, how we form them and how often we engage in them is entirely new. Social technology gives us reach... -
Steve Jobs on Why Apple Exists
4 Nov 2011 | 5:14 pm
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Revitalize Your Church
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First They Came for Catholics
9 Feb 2012 | 9:00 am -
He Died at Church and Prayer Brought Him Back
8 Feb 2012 | 10:43 amPerhaps the sermon bored him to death -- but everybody was awake for what followed! HT Todd Rhoades -
Country Church Pastor
7 Feb 2012 | 11:58 amCheck out this new blog by Travis Cox. He's a rural pastor, sharing insights, stories, and how-to's of country church life. -
Realistic Love Songs
7 Feb 2012 | 6:54 amIn light of Valentine's Day approaching, My friend, Jim Watkins, has provided a few realistic love songs. For example: The Rose—and Thorns Some say love it is a feeling, that makes the heart rate rise, Some say love it is a hormone, that makes our race survive. I say love it is a diaper that's changed at three A.M. It's attendance at recitals, and games that never end. I say love is buying Playtex products for your mate, I say love it does for others, the things you truly hate. Several more here -
Halftime in America
6 Feb 2012 | 9:39 amThis was a great Super Bowl commercial!
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Challies Dot Com - Informing the Reforming
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Asking Better Questions
9 Feb 2012 | 8:32 amSo how many people go to your church?” That’s a question just about every pastor faces at just about every conference he attends. It usually doesn’t take long for a conversation to progress to that point. For the pastor this can be a moment of great pride or great humility, great freedom or great shame. Regardless, it is a question that always seems to come up. And it comes up for those who are not pastors as well; you begin to talk about your church and your friend inevitably asks that same question.Today I’d like to make a two-part proposal: Let’s stop… -
A La Carte (2/9)
9 Feb 2012 | 7:21 amReceiving Criticism - Dane Ortlund: “Seems to me there are two wrong ways to receive criticism and one right way. By ‘criticism’ I have in mind love-sent but hard words from a believing brother or sister that are meant for our good, in the spirit of so many NT passages (neglected by many today, first and foremost by me) that call us to exhort, rebuke, and sharpen one another.”9 Good Purposes in Suffering - Rebecca has a helpful list, taken from scripture, of good results that come from the suffering of believers.Radiant Inspiration - There are some nice… -
Are You Living by "The Prius Fallacy?"
8 Feb 2012 | 8:06 amThe Prius Fallacy: “a belief that switching to an ostensibly more benign form of consumption turns consumption itself into a boon for the environment.” That’s how David Owen, in his recent Wall Street Journal article, “It’s Too Easy Being Green,” defines the Prius Fallacy. Here’s how he illustrates it in action:A favorite trick of people who consider themselves friends of the environment is reframing luxury consumption preferences as gifts to humanity. A new car, a solar-powered swimming-pool heater, a 200-mile-an-hour train that makes… -
A La Carte (2/8)
8 Feb 2012 | 6:31 amKeller on NYC’s Decision to Ban Churches from Schools - “I am grieved that New York City is planning to take the unwise step of removing 68 churches from the spaces that they rent in public schools. It is my conviction that those churches housed in schools are invaluable assets to the neighborhoods that they serve. Churches have long been seen as positive additions to communities.”Asperger’s - “Psychiatrists working on the latest edition of their profession’s diagnostic manual are thought to be tightening the definition of autism and dispensing with… -
An Ordinary Podcast
7 Feb 2012 | 11:49 amDownload the audio file.This week’s episode of the Connected Kingdom Podcast (another of our new, shorter episodes) has David Murray answering a question I asked him last week: What’s it like to be ordinary? You can listen in or read along…What would you say if one of your friends asked you, “David tell us what it’s like to be ordinary?”Well I had the privilege of “enjoying” that experience last week. When offered the opportunity to challenge me to speak on a subject of his own choice, my friend Tim Challies said, “David,…
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Desiring God Blog
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A Conversation with Doug Wilson and John Piper
8 Feb 2012 | 7:00 pmThe recent Conference for Pastors concluded with this two-hour-long conversation between John Piper and Douglas Wilson, moderated by Joe Rigney. Download the audio and video. Time-markers — 0:01:06 — Unpacking the meaning behind the individual mission statements. 0:07:09 — The differences in how those mission statements are framed. 0:10:48 — Unpacking, comparing, and contrasting two sub-themes: "Don't waste your life" (Piper) and "Living out the good life one family at a time" (Wilson). 0:19:14 — Counteracting the negative tendencies of these sub-themes… -
This Momentary Marriage — Small Group Special
8 Feb 2012 | 3:10 pmIn This Momentary Marriage Pastor John unpacks the biblical vision of marriage, with all of its unexpected contours and weighty implications, for married and single folk alike. Pastor John: Most foundationally, marriage is the doing of God. And ultimately, marriage is the display of God. It displays the covenant-keeping love between Christ and his people to the world in a way that no other event or institution does. To encourage churches to use this resource for small group studies, we are making the book available as affordable as possible — 24 books for a suggested donation of $75. -
Where There's a Praying Mother, There's Always Hope
8 Feb 2012 | 12:00 pmMark 7:26, ". . . Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter." J. C. Ryle comments, The woman who came to our Lord, in the history now before us, must doubtless have been in deep affliction. She saw a beloved child possessed by an unclean spirit. She saw her in a condition in which no teaching could reach the mind, and no medicine could heal the body — a condition only one degree better than death itself. She hears of Jesus, and beseeches him to “cast forth the devil out of her daughter.” She prays… -
Free Seminar on Future Grace on March 16-17
8 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amOn March 16-17 at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Pastor John will be giving a free, two-day seminar on the theme of Future Grace — Details Bethlehem Baptist Church 720 13th Ave S Minneapolis, MN 55415 Day 1 Friday, March 16 7:00 - 9:00pm (two sessions, + Q&A) Day 2 Saturday, March 17 9:00am - 12:00pm (three sessions) Register Please register online. There is no cost to attend, and included in your registration is a free copy of the book Future Grace. Recommended Hotels Comfort Suites 425 South 7th Street Minneapolis, MN 55415 612.333.3111 Holiday Inn Metrodome 1500 Washington Ave… -
Q&A with Pastors Conference Speakers
7 Feb 2012 | 7:00 pmOne highlight of the Conference for Pastors is the hour-long panel where speakers interact with questions from the pastors in attendence. Download the audio and video. Time-markers — 00:50 — What is biblical femininity? (Wilson, Patrick) 05:12 — Does Christianity have a feminine feel? (Piper, Loritts, Patrick) 11:25 — How can fathers best care for their daughters? (Wilson, Patrick, Loritts) 15:44 — How do we know to apply strictness or mercy? (Wilson, Piper, Loritts) 24:55 — How do we model Christ in parenting foster children? (Piper, Wilson) 28:40 — Lessons for courage,…
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ToddRhoades.com
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Church OMG Sign Sparks Controversy
8 Feb 2012 | 11:12 am“People forget what they are actually saying when they say ‘OMG’. “We’re reclaiming ‘oh my God’ for the church.” IT TOOK only three letters for a church to become the talking point of the neighbourhood. The ‘OMG’ (‘Oh My God’) sign on St Paul’s Anglican Church in Australia, has become the subject of photos, laughter and an internet frenzy. The Rev Howard Langmead said the sign was put there to “catch attention and be unexpected”. SOURCE -
Sermon Kills Man, Church Resurrects Him
8 Feb 2012 | 10:21 amThis church believes they raised a man from the dead. What do you think? -
Wycliffe: Oh No We Didn’t
8 Feb 2012 | 10:01 amWycliffe Bible Translators denied allegations that it removed the terms “father” and “son” from Bible translations meant for Muslim countries and said any problematic texts are no longer being distributed. Russ Hersman, senior vice president of Wycliffe Bible Translators USA, told The Christian Post that many of the works that critics like the organization Bible Missiology have pointed to as changing familial terms for God and Jesus have either done no such thing or have already been pulled from circulation. Read more here from the Christian Post… -
Ewwww… God’s Plan for Sex
8 Feb 2012 | 9:32 amSomebody please scratch my eyes out now. This is an article promo over at Christian Post this morning. At least change the picture. Just sayin’. -
Paula Was Queen Way Before King Eddie
8 Feb 2012 | 9:01 amWow… we totally missed this from back in 2009… eerily similar cerimony from the same Rabbi… no crown though. Wonder if Paula feels ripped off in some way.
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Pastor Steven Furtick
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Code Orange Revival Recap
24 Jan 2012 | 5:15 amGod moved in a mighty way during the past 12 days of Code Orange Revival! These pictures are just a glimpse of some of the most powerful moments. And here’s a video our team put together to celebrate what God has already done through the first part of 2012. This is not a highlight reel – it’s a preview of what God is going to do this year. -
The Vision Behind the Elevation Network
12 Jan 2012 | 5:15 amThis is such an exciting time for our church. Not only did Code Orange Revival kick off last night, but we have also launched a brand new initiative that will open up unlimited opportunity to reach people all over the world with the power of the gospel. As a church we have always sought to leverage technology to increase our platform for ministry, so we have launched The Elevation Network: a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week Gospel preaching ministry. The Elevation Network is our gift to you, and is a free online network that will stream round the clock gospel preaching. When you tune into the… -
Code Orange Revival Behind the Scenes
11 Jan 2012 | 5:15 amWe wanted to share a quick insider, behind the scenes look on the eve of the launch of the Code Orange Revival. Make your plans to join us starting tonight at 6:12pm. -
The First Step to Realizing God’s Purpose—Special Sneak Peek
10 Jan 2012 | 5:15 amI got such an encouraging response the last time I did this, I felt like it was time to do it again. In September of this year, I’m planning to release my second book, Greater. It’s getting hard for me to be patient, because now that the final edits are complete, I am bursting to get this message into your hands. I feel confident that it is going to help you ignite God’s vision for your life, whatever that vision may be. But production schedules are what they are, and we’ve got to wait a while. So, in the meantime, I thought I’d give you another sneak peak into one of the chapters… -
If You’re Feeling Stuck…
9 Jan 2012 | 5:15 amAbout two years ago, I completed a personal evaluation exercise in my journal. I wanted to uncover the 3 main factors that keep me from moving forward and embracing new paradigms in my life and leadership. In other words: why do I stay stuck? From my journal to your computer screen, here’s my short list. I blogged it in 2009, but felt like it may be appropriate to share as we begin this new year…to help somebody go forward in God. 1. Complacency Change is hard. Positive change is just as hard as negative change. Sometimes it’s easier to stay stuck than to move forward. Often it’s more…
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adrianwarnock.com
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Is writing “God can heal today” on this website now illegal in the UK?
4 Feb 2012 | 12:37 pmThis week, the Advertising Standards Authority upheld a complaint against a Christian group who’s leaflet claimed God can heal today. To be fair, their adjudications do not represent a legal judgement as such, and nobody is going to be sent to prison. But they apparently do have the power not only to stop people advertising [...] The rest of this article is available by following the link above -
God really does want to bless you!
2 Feb 2012 | 3:43 pmI know, some of my readers will have read a headline like that and panicked. Has Warnie slipped into “Health wealth and prosperity” or “Word of Faith” ? Nope, not at all. But I do feel that it is so easy for us to throw out the baby with the bathwater. I remember at one [...] The rest of this article is available by following the link above -
A Sermon on enjoying the ‘spoils’ of salvation – ‘The power of Total Freedom’ by Terry Virgo
1 Feb 2012 | 3:29 pmThis sermon is a good illustration of the difference between what Ed Stetzer calls an “aspirational charismatic” and one who pursues God for all he has for us today. I urge you to watch it, and be stirred to enjoy what Jesus has purchased for us. Downloads are available on the Jubilee site. The rest of this article is available by following the link above -
How to move the immovable God
28 Jan 2012 | 11:11 amChristians in the West are often quite good at trusting in God as our rock. We are taught doctrine, told that God is sovereign. We are taught that he stands behind every event that happens and is working for our good (Romans 8:28). Even when other people do things to us from a bad motive, [...] The rest of this article is available by following the link above -
The Church, a refuge for God’s people who are struggling
24 Jan 2012 | 2:03 am“The Lord has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” Isaiah 14:32 I have found myself thinking a lot about the church in the last day or so. This is no doubt prompted by Tope’s excellent sermon on Sunday. But what strikes me afresh is how easy it is to [...] The rest of this article is available by following the link above
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Reformissionary
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Lots-o-Links 2.9.12
9 Feb 2012 | 2:43 pmMark Beeson on community & mission... Church is not an event; it's a community. Mission is not an event; it's a lifestyle. Tim Chester on meals, discipleship, & mission... People often complain that they lack time for mission. But we all have to eat. Three meals a day, seven days a week. That’s twenty-one opportunities for mission and community without adding anything to your schedule. You could meet up with another Christian for breakfast on the way to work—read the Bible together, offer accountability, pray for one another. You could meet up with colleagues at… -
Bon Iver Plays "Perth" With The Roots on Fallon
9 Feb 2012 | 1:10 pmOh dear, this is good. Bon Iver plays "Perth" with The Roots. Gorgeous. For haters of the abuse of autotune (like me), this is how you take someone with a really good voice and use autotune to tweak the feel of a voice/song for the art of it, rather than to use it to make people think you are a better singer than you are. This is also how you take the already-awesome of a song and make it more awesome...play with The Roots. After watching, go buy Bon Iver, Bon Iver. I'm not sure how you can resist! -
Will Ferrell Introduces Bulls & Hornets Lineups
9 Feb 2012 | 11:47 amDerrick Rose's favorite movie is The Notebook... -
Alabama Shakes on Conan with "Hold On"
8 Feb 2012 | 1:20 pmAlabama Shakes play "Hold On" on Conan. Buy the song. -
Sharon Van Etten: Tramp
7 Feb 2012 | 11:53 amSharon Van Etten's excellent new album, Tramp, is out today. I've been waiting for this day for months. Her previous album, Epic, had me hooked. If you want to try out Tramp first, it's still streaming free at the moment.
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Worship Matters
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Show Us Christ – Video from The Gathering
7 Feb 2012 | 4:37 pmWhen we were putting together the songs for The Gathering: Live from WorshipGod11, we ended up having not one, but two songs that served as a “prayer for illumination.” One is Your Words of Life, written by Pat & Joel Sczebel. The other is Show us Christ, which I co-wrote with Doug Plank. Show Us Christ reminds us that the purpose of preaching God’s Word is not simply to give insights for living, impress people with our knowledge of Greek, or to tell people they need to try harder. The primary goal is to display the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:6). -
Have Mercy on Me – Video from The Gathering
24 Jan 2012 | 1:12 pmThe first song I heard that I thought would be on our most recent album, The Gathering, was Have Mercy on Me. Co-written by Dale Bischof and Pat Sczebel, it combines grief over sin with an assurance of God’s mercy in Christ. Even though as Christians all our sins are completely forgiven (Col. 2:13), we can continue to battle either ongoing condemnation or arrogant presumption. The first results in an attitude that binds us, discourages us, and makes us fearful of approaching God. The second equally dangerous mindset supposes that because our sins have been paid for by Christ’s… -
David Peterson on Revelation and the Songs We Sing
19 Jan 2012 | 7:36 pmMy top recommended book on a biblical theology of worship is David Peterson’s Engaging with God. If you’re responsible for leading in your church, either as a pastor or a musician, I think you’ll serve people more faithfully and biblically if you read it. I go through it every year with my interns and never fail to come away from our discussion times with fresh understanding and inspiration for leading corporate worship. Peterson focuses on worship as it’s understood in the Old Testament, the gospels, and various epistles. The chapters on Hebrews and Revelation by… -
As You Go – The Evolution of a Song
12 Jan 2012 | 8:15 amHere’s our latest video from The Gathering: Live from WorshipGod11. As You Go was written by Mark Altrogge, who has been writing songs for Sovereign Grace Music since the early 1980s. That’s a long time. It amazes me how he continues to write such theologically rich, relevant, singable songs. What you may not know is that even with the decades of experience Mark has, he is one of the easiest people to work with when it comes to suggesting changes to his songs. Rather than giving you a detailed explanation of why he wrote what he did, or sharing 5 reasons why no alternative could… -
The Piano in Contemporary Worship, Part 3
7 Jan 2012 | 2:53 pmLast month I posted two sessions from the pre-conference workshop I taught at WorshipGod11 on the Piano in Contemporary Worship (Part 1 and Part 2). We finally finished editing the third session. This one took a little more time to edit because people were regularly walking past the window of the door in the video, which is a bit distracting. My good friend Dave Mackenzie performed his video wizardry and edited the movement out. In this session I deal with many of the specific questions I’ve been asked over the years. Those include: chord coloring inversions playing hymns developing…
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Deep Thoughts by Gman
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One Time Blind - Marriage Promise
9 Feb 2012 | 10:57 amhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/ZioO -
Transformation Happens.
8 Feb 2012 | 1:15 pmthe following illustration hits home .... that Christianity isn't just about a one time thing but it is about ongoing transformation. That Change should and is happening. As Romans 12 says: "1-2 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed… -
Standing Firm in the midst of Tragedy.
8 Feb 2012 | 1:11 pmYesterday was one of many hard funerals I had done. A young 26 yr old mother. Here is what I gave as a comfort to people I. God loves you.And that never changes. II. We're to stand firm in God's Word. III. God is the God of all comfort. I'll never forget holding this young lady's baby who died in the accident as well. In the midst of it all, I'm glad and humbled that I had a chance to be the hands and feet of Jesus to hurting people who lost a loved one. Continue to keep the family in your prayers. Two lives taken too soon!! Thanks.http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/ZioO -
Comparing a Fan of Jesus to a Follower of Jesus.
8 Feb 2012 | 1:06 pmHere is something I wrote as I finished up my series of "Not a Fan...." "A Fan of Jesus brings attention on them. A follower of Jesus - attention on Him! A Fan of Jesus has extremes of Worst day ever or best day ever ... A Follower of Jesus recognizes the blessings, trials, and tribulations. A fan of Jesus treats people as if they were the Boss of them. A Follower of Jesus treats people through His eyes. A Fan of Jesus only looks out for themselves ... A Follower of Jesus ...looks out for others. http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/ZioO -
Feb 5 2012 0001
3 Feb 2012 | 11:05 amhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/ZioO
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Church IT Network
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Farewell Free OpenDNS For Businesses (and Churches)
8 Feb 2012 | 7:00 amWell, it's been a good run, but we recently got an email from OpenDNS that they are shutting down their free content filtering solution for businesses. They will still offer a free home solution, but a business (or church) will have to pay starting March 15. Here's a snipet from the email: ...OpenDNS Basic has been redesigned as a product for home use solely, to focus on delivering the best possible experience for individuals and families. OpenDNS Enterprise, which launched two years ago and now has over 2,500 customers, is our product geared toward professional and commercial use of our… -
GCC’s Servers & Storage have a new offsite home! Part 2
7 Feb 2012 | 6:41 am(Psst, hey you. You may want to go read Part 1 first) After months and months of planning and prep work GCC's main IT production gear moved offsite to a real datacenter just a few weeks ago on Sunday Jan 22nd! w00t! We've always wished we could have our gear in sweet colocation (colo) space, but I never would have guessed we'd be there in early 2012 or even 2020 due to costs. How this came to be is a fun story, but it's not short … so that will be another blog post or 2 down the road :-) Until then, here's a few details and pictures. Oh and monster props to Justin who did all the heavy… -
Twitter Hashtags for Church Technology & Media
7 Feb 2012 | 1:31 amTwitter hashtags are a community-driven convention for adding context to your tweets. They are much like tagging a blog post or a Facebook or Flickr photo, thereby allowing tweets to be grouped and more easily searchable by topic. Hashtags are noted with a # sign preceding a word or abbreviation and were popularized during the San Diego fires in 2007 when Nate Ritter used the hashtag #sandiegofire to identify his updates related to the disaster. Over the last few years, there has been an emergence of hashtags among those using technology within the church to help facilitate conversation,… -
Testing Lync Failover to Backup Registrar “Got Ya”
6 Feb 2012 | 10:07 amProject Scope Preparing for Deployment – Research and Education and Pricing Deployment of Standard Server & Director Role Deployment of Edge and Reverse Proxy Deployment of Lync Voice Capabilities Configuring Lync PSTN Calling thru Avaya IPOffice Configure Lync 4 Digit Extension Dialing without DIDs Configure Asterisk as a SIP Proxy for Avaya IPO and and Lync Deployment of Lync Client to users Testing Configuration of Backup Registrar Training Continuing the series in our Lync Deployment. As we are approaching the date that we will completely cut over all users to lync we wanted… -
Google Apps For Nonprofits AGAIN Open to Churches/Ministries
6 Feb 2012 | 6:30 amAs many of you probably know, in March 2011, Google decided to no longer allow Churches/Ministry/Places of Worship access into their FREE Google For Nonprofits program (see article in Christianity Today). The result was churches/ministries would be required to pay $60/yr per user just like any other business. Yes, a number of Churches applying to the program were NOT happy and the fear was that churches already accepted and using Google For Nonprofits could be dropped from the free program without warning. Google never did give a reason why they decided to exclude Churches from the free…
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markartrip.wordpress.com
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KALAHARI 2012 MIND DUMP
5 Feb 2012 | 7:14 pmSeven years ago two churches came together for a retreat at the Kalahari Resort. One year later we (HSM and The Zone) jumped in. In the last six years we have grown to 1475 people and 25 churches. Every year I love the Kalahari retreat more and more because of the way I see God move in my students and the overall weekend. Sounds like a reason for a mind dump… This year we finally were able to book Clayton King as our speaker. I first knew of Clayton through his connections with Steven Furtick, Elevation Church, and Perry Noble and Newspring Church. He is also a campus… -
ARTRIP LIFE UPDATE – WE ARE PLANTING A CHURCH
29 Jan 2012 | 3:14 pmThis past week has been the public communication of something that has been happening in our hearts for years and now even behind the scenes for months. The communication timeline has had me tell our My lead pastor, our church administrator, our pastoral staff, our Elder’s, our student leaders, Student Ministry volunteers, my small group, and finally our students and parents this last Wednesday. It’s a bittersweet time for us that has been tiring to navigate, but I am excited to finish well and look forward to what God has called us to. The letter below is the best way I could… -
THOUGHTS FROM @BRANDONRIKE
24 Dec 2011 | 5:21 pmBrandon Rike is a designer, friend, cousin-by-marriage, and man that I respect the heck out of. He has a blog and recently wrote some posts (post 1, post 2) that were (kind of) about design but also about life. I think anyone who is living in the years of 25-35 (or any age for that matter) can relate to them and learn from them. Here was my favorite quote of all…. “I must maintain a certain amount of reckless abandon when it comes to pursuing my ideas. I must be ready to learn from failures. I must not take myself too seriously. I must allow myself regular time to do the things I love. -
ADOPTION UPDATE
16 Nov 2011 | 2:16 pmFirst, we want to say “Thank You” to everyone who gave towards our adoption fundraiser. We have raised almost the whole amount! Amazing! The baby we hope to adopt in the future will be possible because of your sacrifice. We do not take any of this lightly and it has been such a humbling experience to fundraise. Thank you again. Many of you knew that we were contacted about three months ago to consider a baby boy who was due on Thanksgiving Day. We were one of three families that matched with Erica. It has been a very interesting three months waiting to hear since her due date is so close. -
MIND DUMP…IN CASE YOU THOUGHT I WAS DEAD
13 Nov 2011 | 11:02 pmOnce upon a time I used to do a little something called mind dump and I feel like its time again, so here we go…. This fall has been a learning curve taking over middle school and doing high school too. I went through the predictable phases – digging in, overwhelmed, and as of two weeks ago I found normal and settled in. Not saying I have it all figured out but I know the new normal. I know some people are reading this and thinking “I do 6-12 he’s a whiner”. I might be but all I know is the scope and size of our ministry had afforded me the chance to specialize for a while and it is…
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Gabe Taviano
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Skillet and Winter Jam 2012 photo gallery
29 Jan 2012 | 8:10 pmWe took our three daughters (11-9-6) to their first Skillet show tonight, and also saw 9 other bands perform at Winter Jam 2012 here in Columbus, Ohio. We appreciated our friend (and crazy talented violinist for Skillet) Jonathan Chu coming over to chat before the show. The other nine bands included We As Human, For King & Country, Dara Maclean, Group 1 Crew, Building 429, Kari Jobe, Newsong, Peter Furler, and Sanctus Real. You know you had fun when the girls were rocking and saying that their ears and throat hurt….and that their heart could feel the Skillet rock, LOL. Enjoy the… -
Santa doesn’t belong in Cambodia
20 Dec 2011 | 5:41 pmWas kind of confused what to title this post, a VERY RARE written blog post from me! I prefer to be posting a photo each day, but I just thought I’d share a few thoughts while in Cambodia. I’ve been in Cambodia now (with my wife and three daughters) for over a week, and we’re getting ready to celebrate Christmas here. This post doesn’t really have much to do with Santa at all, but more about what God (the giver of the true meaning of Christmas – in His Son, Jesus Christ) has given us. We’ve snapped over 2,000 photos this past week, but more importantly,… -
After the heart attack
1 Nov 2011 | 11:22 amLife has changed. I had a heart attack on Saturday evening (Marla shared all of the details better than I could over on her blog). I’ll try to keep this as short as I can – since I’m trying to rest, eat better, start my 4 minute walk exercises, etc, etc, etc. Every day of life we get is borrowed time that the God who created us has given. Thankfully I know just how much He loved me and sent His Son to die for me. Without that understanding, I’m not sure I would have dealt well at all with the anxiety or stress that an event like this could bring with it. The plans and… -
Dennings family
15 Oct 2011 | 8:22 pm -
Our Family – Fall 2011
13 Oct 2011 | 7:51 pmBefore all of the leaves fall off the trees, I thought it would be fun to take the family out for our own photo shoot (thanks to a tripod and wireless studio light). It’s crazy for Marla and I to look at this photos and realize how tall the girls really are getting. Thanks God, for my beautiful family!
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Marketing Integrity
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You’re Still Here?
2 Feb 2012 | 9:49 pmDon’t you have anything better to do? Go on…get going! Go. Honda’s extended 2012 Superbowl ad that plays off a classic movie from our past… If you cannot see the video, please click here… -
Knowing Your Audience
19 Jan 2012 | 7:07 amWe are just a couple weeks away from the 2012 Superbowl Ads weekend. One of my favorite times of the year…for the game and for the ads! The smart companies, who have invested a ton in their ad production and placement are leveraging social media to advance their marketing reach and impact. Volkswagen knows that one of their core demographics is the Star Wars generation. To to play on that nostalgia, they have created another ad themed around this and integrated…dogs. People of all demographics like animals in ads don’t they? The combination is a perfect mix that… -
Technology Just Makes Sense
17 Jan 2012 | 6:51 amSometimes, Dilbert just says it perfectly… -
In 2012, I Hate Religion
13 Jan 2012 | 7:54 amI am trying to re-calibrate my life. Everyone needs to do that right? I am not talking about starting a new year and making a whole ton of resolutions that I will never keep. I am talking about assessment. 2011 was a phenomenal year for me. I ran my church marketing and communications company full-time for the full-calendar year. It was an amazing journey and an amazing privilege to work with so many ministry-passionate clients. I started a church communications podcast, teamed up with a great bunch of guys to launch a Christian Business Magazine, and served in my Halifax church as… -
God’s Not Dead
10 Jan 2012 | 11:36 amI realize we are already 10 days into 2012 but I thought I would start off the new year of posts here with a statement: God is Not Dead I think the Newsboys sum that up nicely in their latest music video. If you cannot see it below, please click here.
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Blog
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The Church & Extreme Poverty
8 Feb 2012 | 8:56 am"Make Poverty History!" "End Poverty Now!" -
Question of the Week
7 Feb 2012 | 6:00 pmEach week, Neue asks a question that is meant to challenge, inspire and encourage today's ministry leaders. Feel free to respond and discuss in the comment section. This week, we want to know: How does your church contribute to eliminating global poverty? Does your congregation support any charities that do? -
Dan Russell
5 Feb 2012 | 6:00 pmWe talk to Dan Russell, fundraiser for Green Pastures, an organization that works to provide homes for the homeless. Click to listen now or subscribe at iTunes. -
A Place for Christian Refugees
1 Feb 2012 | 10:25 amFor the past several years, I have taught a class at our church called "For Skeptics Only." Usually populated with spouses and friends of church attenders, they all had one thing in common: disbelief about the Christian faith. Since it was a class for non-Christians we told everyone up front that if they were Christians we would kick them out. And boy was it easy to spot them, with their ironically serious questions about the rapture and whether or not we would still be here for the tribulation. You might imagine how difficult it would be to talk about whether or not the Bible was… -
Question of the Week
31 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmEach week, Neue asks a question that is meant to challenge, inspire and encourage today's ministry leaders. Feel free to respond and discuss in the comment section. This week, we want to know: How does your church make room for doubters and skeptics?
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Thinking Out Loud
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Our Non-Interview with Author Todd Burpo
9 Feb 2012 | 4:48 am53 weeks atop the New York Times’ Non-Fiction Paperback chart and counting. That’s a great accomplishment for any writer, but even more so for a title which began its life with copies shipped to Christian retailers. But we figured that a full year should have caused some of the excitement to die down, and thought this might be a good time to ask Todd Burpo about that side of his life that never comes up in media interviews: His role as a local church pastor. Furthermore, we thought he would find the change in interview direction somewhat refreshing. We were wrong. Apparently… -
Wednesday Link List
8 Feb 2012 | 4:40 amYes, it's that giant drum kit from last week; only now we know it's at Breath of Worship church in Livingston County, NY and played by pastor Dr. Mark Temperato. See below. Don’t just sit there; click something! Like I said earlier this week, I don’t agree with everything James MacDonald does, but I love this quote in reference to T. D. Jakes, “I don’t think that throwing grenades in his lap as he seeks to ascend the hill of biblical orthodoxy represents the behavior ethic of Christ.” The article is over MacDonald’s resignation from The Gospel… -
Ten Commandments for Pharisees
7 Feb 2012 | 5:50 am…plus, in keeping with the Pharisees’ penchant for adding to the law, one extra! This is from Grace Guy and appeared on his blog as The Pharisees’ 10 (+1) Commandments. Thou shalt believe that your truth is THE only valid truth. Thou shalt interpret and judge a man’s heart through those actions you see. Nothing else is to be considered. Thou shalt use your vast knowledge of God to be right in any and all arguments, especially if others think you should apologize. Use favorite Scripture pieces at will. Thou shalt debate this vast knowledge vigorously with others. They… -
Non-Biblical Terminology is Counter-Productive with Men
6 Feb 2012 | 6:20 amThis was a fairly busy weekend here at Thinking out Loud, so be sure to check out the posts from Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Today’s article is from a rather unique blog, Church for Men and features the writing of David Murrow, author of Why Men Hate Going to Church — now available in a revised edition released late in 2011 — where this book excerpt appeared under the title Terminology Matters to Men. The word religion gets a bad rap in our culture. It conjures images of people practicing empty rituals, going through pointless motions, devoid of power and bereft of love. -
I Was Wrong: Some Christians Really Do Hate Gays
5 Feb 2012 | 4:29 amFor the past decade I have strenuously objected to the notion that the defining feature of Christ-followers is that we are homophobic. Maybe it’s because I live in Canada, and we’re a more pluralist, tolerant, softer-spoken bunch up here. Maybe it’s because I’m a Christian and I really don’t know — nor would I say I have ever met — anyone who is an avowed gay-hater. Maybe it’s because I’ve watched the Phelps gang on newscasts and consigned that type of hatred to “the lunatic fringe.” But there are places in the United…
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Ministry-To-Children.com
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Who is God Calling to the Church Nursery?
9 Feb 2012 | 7:50 amPhilippians 4:19 tells us that our God will “meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” What an awesome verse. Did you notice that it said “ALL” your needs? Do you think this even means your need for nursery workers? If we believe that God provides for the needs of His church, then we should expect every church has people called to minister in the nursery. Here are some groups that we have identified who are often called to serve. - Grandparents: These days many families do not live close to each other. Grandparents may not have… -
“J is for Jesus” Coloring Page
8 Feb 2012 | 9:36 amClick above to download It wasn’t a surprise when our readers chose Jesus as the theme for our free letter J coloring sheet. The illustration shows Jesus welcoming children, as he often did in the Gospels. It’s important for kids to know that Jesus considers them just as important as the grown-ups at church. Directions: To download this free printable, simply right-click on the links below. We’ve made the sheet available in two different formats. PDF ~ easy to print JPEG ~ for advanced editing Please take a moment to leave a comment below. You can share how you will use this… -
How To Earn Trust with Parents
8 Feb 2012 | 9:19 amRecently our community experienced a great tragedy in which it was revealed that an individual who was highly respected and trusted had been living a life of unbelievable sin for decades. Yet again, a trusted leader who claimed to be a believer in Jesus had broken trust with an entire town. Our world hears these stories over and over. In this case, it was a highly esteemed teacher. In many cases it is a pastor, a youth pastor, a government official, or some other high level leader who messes up big time and causes many to wonder who can truly be trusted. We live in a world where… -
“Uncle Charlie” Giveaway from Only 144
7 Feb 2012 | 9:10 amWe’ve just worked out a new giveaway for our readers sponsored by ONLY144.com. There’s something cool happening at ONLY144.com this Friday. They’re offering the entire UNCLE CHARLIE Children’s Worship Video and Music collection for only $97 for 144 hours. It’s $1600+ worth of stuff, and it’s really an incredible deal. And, we’ve got one to give away here on Ministry-to-Children.com this week to one lucky reader. All you have to do is enter your email below and you’ll be registered. We’ll announce the winner on Thursday, February… -
Valentine’s Day Object Lesson for Loving God’s Family
7 Feb 2012 | 8:08 am“Love one another,” is the command Jesus gave to us in John 13. He also said that the world would recognize us as his disciples because of this love for one another. Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion for presenting kids with this loving command. Teach kids what this kind of love is and how kids should show this love. Valentine’s Day need not be about candy hearts and falling “in love.” What a great opportunity for building important truths in the hearts of your kids! Introduce the concept of loving God’s family by reading this to kids: “Love has many faces. You love your…
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beyond the noise
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Sunday Setlist: January 29, 2012
31 Jan 2012 | 9:31 amWe continued our Going Beyond Our Comfort Zone series this week looking at the area that everyone loves to hate: Giving. People seem to hate hearing about giving but what I think they fail to realize is that most churches hate talking about it as much as people hate hearing about it. But giving back to God is an important part of our relationship with Him. It’s a way for us to show our gratitude and a way for him to bless us even more. This Sunday’s Setlist: All to You by Lincoln Brewster Beautiful One by Tim Hughes, By The Tree’s arrangement Holy is the Lord by Chris Tomlin… -
Sunday Setlist: January 22, 2012
24 Jan 2012 | 10:27 amWe started a new series a week ago called Going Beyond Our Comfort Zone, looking at things like Sharing Your Faith, Growing in Faith, Giving and others. We found a great graphic over at CreationSwap.com that plays off of a Twilight Zone theme, because going beyond your comfort zone can feel a lot like going into the twilight zone! This week, we looked at Growing In Our Faith. This was a bit of a challenge because many people who regularly attend church feel like a message like this is just for those who are new to Christianity. They’ll tune out and decide that there’s nothing for… -
5 Ways to Use Technology at Church
17 Jan 2012 | 2:07 pmIn case you might not have picked up on it, I’m a fan of technology. I’m also very pro technology when it comes to church and leveraging that technology to make things interactive, engaging and user-friendly. So if your church isn’t on the technology train yet or you’re wondering if there’s something new that you might be missing, here’s some places to start: 5. Get On Facebook Unless you’ve been under a technological rock for the last 5 years, Facebook is pretty much the biggest thing since, well, the internet. Right now, Facebook boasts some 800… -
Taking my next steps
10 Jan 2012 | 9:32 amAt Journey, our mission is about helping people take their next step. For us as a church that usually means taking a next step in their relationship with Jesus, and EVERYone has a next step. When we stay in one place too long things start to stagnate – and that goes for all aspects of life, not just spiritual. That’s why last fall, I decided to take a next step in my life. I decided to go back to school and continue my education. It’s something I’ve thought about doing for some time but never really knew how I was going to make it work. Working full-time in ministry is… -
Sunday Setlist – January 1, 2012
1 Jan 2012 | 3:24 pm2012 is here and starting it with worship on New Year’s Day was the right way to begin! This is the first time since Journey of Faith began that New Year’s Day has fallen on a Sunday and we’ve never done a New Year’s Day service before, so I didn’t know what to expect. It ended up being a light service, but still a great time of worship. Our Setlist this Sunday: All We Need, Charlie Hall Your Grace Is Enough, Matt Mahar Glorious One, Steve Fee The Message All Glory, Tim Hughes Offering & Prayers Everyday, Joel Houston Music this week focused on God’s…
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Man of Depravity
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Moving Without Direction
8 Feb 2012 | 8:30 amIn many conversations I’ve had recently I sense many of us struggle to know what God’s will is for our lives. Especially in the emerging adulthood time of life, direction can be tough to come by while working dead end jobs, looking for a significant other, and trying to find ways to live a life of significance. I often find true Christian faithfulness to be doing something without realizing God was pushing in that direction all along. God often calls the unqualified to do miraculous things in His name. I’m a realist. Meaning I never ever dream big. I never think about what… -
The Window of Our Lives
6 Feb 2012 | 8:35 amRecently I spent some time with a local Eastern Orthodox priest who delved into the role of icons during their times of corporate worship. Icons are used in the normal worship practices of many Eastern Orthodox churches. While most evangelical church services spend their times of worship around music, I was intrigued by the use of art in corporate worship. The Orthodox priest describes icons as a lens to show the Kingdom. To me, the icons were, at first, nothing more than old pictures, but for the priest they delivered Him to a place of experiencing the Divine. Madeleine L’Engle describes… -
The Three :: Super Bowl Edition
4 Feb 2012 | 9:45 amComing to you this week is 3 videos that I have enjoyed recently. Some you may have seen, some you may not have seen. Sunday marks the biggest television and sporting event of the year. So the first two videos have to do with the game and all it entails. 1. Starting with one of the great comedies of all time…Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and the spin Honda put on it for this extended commercial. I’m sure a shorter section of this will make it on during the game and it will be a big favorite for best commercial. 2. Most of you will watch the Super Bowl, either with your own family… -
Help Me Choose My Book’s Cover
3 Feb 2012 | 8:30 amFor those of you in the dark here, yes I am writing a book. I finish up the manuscript writing process in the next few weeks. One the things the team at Moody and I have been working on lately is the book cover. I have my opinions, but mine aren’t always best so I thought I’d post a few of the book cover options that are on the table and let you pick out your favorite. As you’ll see the title of the book has already been determined and it is Why Holiness Matters || We’ve Lost Our Way — But We Can Find it Again. I’ll admit it’s extremely surreal to see… -
It Will Never Be Enough
1 Feb 2012 | 8:30 amA while back I wrote a post that I really loved. I mean really loved. I won’t say which one because that isn’t the point. I bragged to Rose about how good it was. Surely, I thought, this would gets lots of traffic. By the end of the day it hadn’t made much headway. Sure it had a few hits, but nothing substantial, nothing even close to what I had I hopes for. And then almost the second after having that thought I had another thought. Where does my satisfaction in life come from? Why am I even disappointed in numbers or hits? I’ll never get enough followers on Twitter,…
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BubbaSmith.net
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The 57 Rules of Success
9 Feb 2012 | 6:54 amThe 57 Rules of Success: 1.) Deliver the Goods! 2.) The other 56 don’t matter. Photo Courtesy of JapanItUp If you want to be successful, if you want to get promoted, if you want to be noticed, be someone who makes things happen! Deliver the goods! Be the person in your organization that people know that if they need something done, you are the one they are going to go to. Find out what is expected of you, find out what a “win” is in your position from your supervisor, and do whatever it takes to make it happen! One you deliver the goods, don’t be afraid to ask for more… -
One Question That Changes Everything
8 Feb 2012 | 5:48 amOver Christmas break, I was watching an interview on CNN with Kelsey Grammar. He was talking about how he is on his fourth marriage and how he had overcome a cocaine addiction. In talking about his addiction, he said, “Cocaine is amazing. It’s so much fun. I loved doing it.” The interviewer then asked, “Then how did you overcome the addiction?” He said that he went through therapy and his therapist asked him one question that changed everything. Photo Courtesy of the ExtrernallyFocusedNetwork His therapist asked, “How’s that working out for… -
Missing Out
7 Feb 2012 | 5:15 amThis means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! II Corinthians 5:17 Yesterday I talked about the power of single decisions and their ability to change our lives forever. The greatest decision I’ve ever made that has changed my life forever is the decision to have a relationship with God. It’s changed everything. Photo Courtesy of ParkLife One thing I like to do often is reflect on what I have missed out on a result of going after God and what I would have missed out on had I not gone after God. It helps me remain… -
Decisions that Change Everything!
6 Feb 2012 | 6:57 amFor we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. ~Ephesians 2:10 It is amazing to me how God can use one decision we make to change everything! If we are honest, we often don’t know what we’re supposed to do or what decision we are supposed to make. For the first 18 years of my life, I made my own… -
Top 10 Blog Posts January 2012
4 Feb 2012 | 6:45 amHere are the Top 10 Blog Posts You Read in January 2012: 1.) Idolatry, Ministry, and Being a Friend to Your Spouse 2.) Your Choices and God 3.) My Favorite Tony Horton Quotes 4.) The Best of 2011 5.) High Five and a Smile 6.) 25 Years of Life and My Conclusion so Far 7.) Don’t Forget Who You Are 8.) Don’t Put God First 9.) P90X2 Phase 1 Review 10.) Walking Through Walls by Dan Herod Powered by Disqus
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Cory Center for Children's Ministry
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Dealing with Anger: Confrontation
7 Feb 2012 | 7:32 amNot to long ago we came home late and my boys needed to get showed and get to bed. I wanted this to happen quickly, it was pushing 10pm. Unfortunately my younger son was the last to use the tub and once again left toys scattered about – driving my 9 year old over the edge. I heard him complain about it to his brother and then heard the water start…seemed like things we moving. As I listened it didn’t sound like anyone was in the shower. They had been moving slow and my own irritation was rising…but I gave it some more time. Still no sounds of actual washing. I went into the… -
Children’s Ministry Ideas: Qpon Monkey
6 Feb 2012 | 7:02 amThis weekend my senior pastor talked about three reasons why people should take God’s challenge in Malachi 3 and give to the church. One of the three reasons was “financial accountability.” In my ministry context, every dollar in the budget goes through a robust, detailed budgeting process. When ministry dollars are spent, each purchase is scrutinized to make sure it was worth the investment and placed in the right budget. At the end of the year our church invites an outside auditor to look over our records and publish a public report. Financial accountability is part of our… -
this month in #kidmin | ep. 05
3 Feb 2012 | 8:00 amJanuary edition of ‘this month in #kidmin’ where each month we explore the hot topics swirling around the twitter-sphere in regards to Children’s and Family Ministry. click here to download podcast To give comments or suggestions, tweet using #tmikidmin links from this months podcast: @briandollar “I Blew It” ToddMcKeever.com Kidmin360.com The Napkin Conference @dalehudsoncm -
The Toddler’s Bible Review
2 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amSeveral months ago I found out that one of my favorite children’s Bibles was being rereleased. The Toddler’s Bible, written by V. Gilbert Beers, came out in 1992 to great acclaim. The author, a ministry and publishing veteran, knew that in order to engage the 2-3 year old mind, heart, and eyes that he would have to “become a toddler.“ It worked. Here are five things I love about this children’s Bible. 1. Brilliant artwork: When you glance at The Toddler’s Bible cover, you’ll immediately be struck by the vivid illustrations created by Claudine Gévry (click here to visit… -
Dealing with Anger: Rights vs Forgiveness
31 Jan 2012 | 6:28 amLast week I began to talk about minimizing outbursts of anger in your classroom by providing order so that we can help our children know what to expect. However, there is a catch: when we establish rules and routines not only do we help children understand what to expect (a good thing) we can also lead them into the perception that they have certain “rights” and perhaps they do. When these rights (actual or imagined) are violated children can become angry. In these cases it is vital that we make sure that we are debriefing children who are angry so we can understand their…
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STEVANSHEETS.COM
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Quoting Quotable Quotes
9 Feb 2012 | 12:29 pmI’ve been thinking a lot about quotes lately. They show up in my life nearly every single day. I read them, I post them, I even look for them as illustrations and as point-makers. But occasionally, I have trouble finding “that quote” – the one that undoubtedly adds the verification and/or exclamation point to whatever it is I’m trying to say. I’m sure I’m not alone, that’s why I’ve decided to help us all out and list some helpful quotes here for your copying-and-pasting pleasure. “This is by far, one of those books that you read and… -
Collapsing Cooling Towers
9 Feb 2012 | 10:10 amLove this commercial for Ecotricity. Giving ‘life’ to inanimate objects as they are demolished is a great idea! -
Swaziland Update – 47%
2 Feb 2012 | 11:46 amIn case you didn’t know, I’m going to Swaziland in October as a part of a district team that will be there for 2 weeks. More information on what we’ll be doing is available here on my Swaziland page. As of today, February 2, I am now at 47% of my fundraising need to participate in this mission trip! I am so grateful for each gift that has come in to support me in this adventure and opportunity to serve Christ’s church. I am excited to participate in the “pastor’s conference” we will be doing while in Swaziland. At this almost halfway point in my… -
Caring Counts
1 Feb 2012 | 7:53 pmThis is so cool. As people arrived for our prayer and Bible Study tonight at church, one of our ladies asked me, “Do you want another copy?” as she handed me today’s “Shippensburg Sentinel”. I said, “Why would I?” I had no idea that our adorable Kindergartner had her picture in it! Ella was recognized as one of two in her class for displaying the character trait of “caring” in the month of December! We knew about her being recognized for this (we have a certificate she brought home), but we had no idea it would be in the newspaper! -
Pennsylvania General Assembly declares 2012 “The Year of the Bible”
30 Jan 2012 | 12:45 pmHow cool is this? On January 23rd, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives declared this year, 2012, the “the year of the Bible”! “As not only Pennsylvania, but the United States, continues to face great tests and challenges, House Resolution 535 serves as a reminder that we must look to our faith in God and the Holy Scripture to provide us with the strength, wisdom and courage to conquer these great trials,” Rep. Rick Saccone (R), who sponsored the resolution, said. Link to House Resolution #535 More information here. Yet another reason I’m proud to be a…
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Church For Family
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Wholly Holy Part Five: Wholly S_x!
6 Feb 2012 | 11:47 amGod created it. God encourages it. Yet our culture takes sex out of context and it’s hurting the most important person in your life. In this frank talk we discover together why God calls us to be Wholly Holy, especially in the context of sex. -
Wholly Holy Part Four: Defying Gravity
2 Feb 2012 | 4:58 pmIf you are a genuine Christ Follower you have a power living inside you that allows you to overcome the gravitational pull of sin. In this survey through Romans chapter eight we discover together how God’s power is realized in our lives. -
Wholly Holy Part Three: Holy Treats
24 Jan 2012 | 8:12 pmIf it’s holy we should treat it as wholly. Many times we fail to treat people the way God treats them. In this talk we discover what it takes to treat others as wholly. You can download a discussion guide for this talk here. -
Wholly Holy Part One: Holey?
17 Jan 2012 | 10:36 amIt’s only holy if it’s wholly. Often our plans are to give God the pieces instead of the whole. We hold back and as a result we live our lives in pieces instead of wholly holy. You can download a discussion guide for this talk here. -
Wholly Holy Part One: Holy What?
10 Jan 2012 | 6:57 pmWholly What? When it comes to the topic of holiness most of us have been left to hymns and Sunday School lessons. Few people understand that holiness does not mean sinless or perfect; it simply means to be set apart. In this introductory message Pastor Paul Newell explains that Whatever God says is holy – [...]
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REyouthpastor.com | Home
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A Frequent Question Middle Schoolers Ask: Is My Pet Going To Heaven?
8 Feb 2012 | 7:13 am(cute pet pic brought to you by: Some rights reserved by Apogee Photography) I will never forget a particular prayer request I received once at the end of a middle school youth group. An 8th grade guy nervously raised his hand, requesting that we pray for him because his cat had died earlier that day. As he was sharing his request, he started crying–very intensely. I could sense that this 8th grade student was literally destroyed because his little cat had died. He wanted God to not only heal is pain, but also to know if he would ever see his cat again. I was so moved by… -
Sir Isaac Newton’s Advice For Youth Pastors: How The Law of Inertia Can Strengthen Students’ Faith
1 Feb 2012 | 9:39 amSee, there is a reason why I call this website an experiment lab for youth pastors. I thoroughly enjoy looking at the laws of physics and intersecting them with youth ministry. Granted God engineered these systems (Psalm 19.1) so I think it is fair to say there is overlap between physics and youth ministry. My hypothesis: For the postmodern teen I believe putting them in unfamilar and uncomfortable environments “to do hands on” ministry will greatly test their spiritual maturity. The Law of Inertia states: Unless acted upon by an outside force, a body at rest stays at… -
Top 5 Board Games That Get The Youth Group Party Started Immediately
25 Jan 2012 | 8:51 am(Board game pic brought to you by: All rights reserved by dennoir) I know this post may seem elementary and that youth group is NOT about games. But I need to share why I had so much success using these 5 board games. By using these 5 board games you can build instant community and fun in youth group in a matter of minutes. In years past I have had to really work hard at blending different type of student clusters in order to make youth group manageable. Some student clusters would not talk with other student clusters, so it was very difficult to have a productive time–… -
Students’ Spitefulness On Social Media: How To Stop Students From Hatin’ Online
18 Jan 2012 | 10:01 am(pic brought to you by: Miss Blackflag) As a youth worker, one of the nastiest teen bullying episodes I encountered was on facebook. I knew cyber bullying was happening, but I didn’t know it got so mean, dirty and out of control. I quickly learned: Students can leverage their social media influence to bully students they don’t like. And the scary thing is that the cyber bully can easily frame any student by easily manipulating and destroying their online presence in a matter of seconds. Students are more inclined to be really unkind online. So how do we (parents, peers and… -
New Beginnings: Thoughts On Starting A Youth Group From Scratch
11 Jan 2012 | 7:32 amDisclaimer: This post has been sitting in my queue for the past 7 months. I kept rethinking, updating, deleting and adding content, which made this post a little long. So I am sorry for the lengthiness. _____________________________________ Starting or sustaining a youth ministry is very unrewarding. Basically you build and don’t see the fruit and results for a while. I found myself spending a lot of time working ON my youth ministry and not so much IN my youth ministry. I would prefer to think about youth ministry systems and strategy rather than think about my youth…
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Kevin Campbell
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Mr. & Mrs. Better Half: No Strings Attached
6 Feb 2012 | 1:50 pmHere are some thoughts from week one of Mr. and Mrs. Better Half at Elevate Church: The first week we shared a message called No Strings Attached. We opened up the message with some well known love songs to help get everyone in the loving mood. :-) Huge props to our stage design team! They did a great job with the look of this series. My wife joined me for the welcome time. I love her so much and she is truly an incredible wife! We gave away a marriage book to an engaged couple. We will have giveaways each week of the series. If you are interested, here is the link to… -
Trust Me, Watch This Video!
3 Feb 2012 | 8:30 amTake a minute and watch this video. It is hilarious and SO true! Be sure to join us THIS Sunday at Elevate Church for the kick off of this relationship series - Mr. & Mrs. Better Half! -
Mr. and Mrs. Better Half...Starts This Week!
2 Feb 2012 | 4:24 pmElevate Church | Mr. and Mrs. Betterhalf Home | Times/Directions | Share on FB We want to invite you to join Elevate Church for the kick off of a highly anticipated relationship series called Mr. & Mrs. Better Half. Searching for your Better Half? Married and wonder what happened to your Better Half? If so, this series is for you! My wife and I have been married almost 11 years and dated four years before that. We have been through a lot of ups and downs learning a lot along the way. I can't wait to share with you from God's Word and our experiences of how to become Mr. & Mrs. Better… -
How The Revolution Multiplies
30 Jan 2012 | 1:26 pmHere are some thoughts from the end of our Ne Year's ReVolution series. On Sunday we talked about how the revolution multiplies: COMMIT. We must commit to be reproducers. Are you a spiritual receiver or a spiritual reproducer? The goal isn't disciples. The goal is disciples who make disciples. Elevate exists to lead people to become passionate followers of Christ! This series was about HOW we do that: How the revolution begins: COME. How the revolution gains traction: CONNECT. How the revolution thrives: CONTRIBUTE. How the revolution multiplies: COMMIT. Are you a 4 C Christ… -
40 Days In The Word Challenge
25 Jan 2012 | 8:00 amNEXT WEEK we start our 40 Days In The Word Challenge at Elevate Church Christianity is personal but is not private. Love can not be learned in isolation! We are challenging everyone to get in one of our Life Groups for at least the next six weeks to go through 40 Days In The Word. This is success: "Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only THEN will you prosper and succeed in all you do." - (Joshua 1:8) You will be challenged to: Read The Word Daily Study the Word weekly in a life group…
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Worlds of Wow Blog
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North Texas KidMin Leadership Training
3 Feb 2012 | 4:22 pmThis past week we hosted a group of North Texas large church children's ministry pastors at Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. We brought in two children's ministry gurus, Greg Baird (KidMin360.com) and Kenny Conley (ChildrensMinistryOnline.com) to share leadership principles and lessons for leading teams, leading across ministries and up to their leaders.Greg and Kenny opened up the discussion to the nearly 50 attendees for shared experiences, practical advice and creative take-aways. Gateway Church's Ken and Mary Jackson hosted a tour of the amazing children's facilities and shared the… -
12 Jan 2012 | 5:00 pm
12 Jan 2012 | 5:00 pmWIN 2 TICKETSTO THE ORANGE CONFERENCEWorlds of Wow is all about fun, so we're hosting a Facebook contest and giving away two tickets (a $638 value!) to The Orange Conference! This year's conference theme is "GAME CHANGERS", so our contest is for your children's ministry to show or tell us about the GAME CHANGER that will rock their ministry in 2012.2 WAYS TO PLAY This contest is only on our Facebook Fan Page, so here's how it works: 1) Post on the Wall of our Worlds of Wow Facebook page what GAME CHANGER your children's ministry team will be doing in 2012!OR2) Share a photo on our Worlds… -
Theme Pictures from White's Chapel UMC - Southlake, TX
21 Dec 2011 | 2:17 pmOur team has just finished out the second phase of a new digital theming project at White's Chapel United Methodist Church in Southlake, TX. Leila Carlson, the Director of Children's Ministries, shared her excitement about the latest addition: "I am thrilled with the project!!! The guys did an amazing job of installing everything and they are always delightful to be around!"This project included creating a whimsical, bright Faithville. One hallway is the Zoo, another is an amusement and water park, and the others include a sports/fitness park, city hall, bakery and shoppes. Together,… -
KidTown Photo
3 Dec 2011 | 11:14 amThis is one of our favorite install photos, ever! Absolutely love this hallway and the immersive environment it creates for the kids at Overlake Church. To see all of the photos from this project, click here.One of the main children's hallways at Overlake Church -
Preschool Project Completed at Calvary Baptist Church in Clearwater, FL
29 Nov 2011 | 4:15 pmOur team was able to work with an existing theme concept and add new elements and artwork in the new construction of a Preschool area as well as incorporate theming into the existing children's space.The project with Calvary Baptist in Clearwater, Florida, was a significant upgrade from the previous theme. Part of their issue was the peeling stickers and decals used by the original theme company. Our team replaced the peeling decals by painting airbrushed appliqués on-site to both remedy the problem and add a 2D relief to the walls for a cleaner look and feel.We also added a new…
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Digital Evangelism Issues
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Facepainting with a difference – try the test
9 Feb 2012 | 8:20 amPlease share: Take your index finger, and draw an imaginary letter ‘E’ on your forehead. Or have fun with some friends and use washable finger paint or marker, to make the letter visible. Do it now, before you read any further. Recent research from Kellogg School of Management [more] has suggested that the way you do this expresses something about your perception of yourself in relation to others. Of course, there are two ways of doing it, making the letter: a readable right-way-round ‘E’ to people looking at you ‘readable’ from inside your head, and… -
Are social media changing our brains?
6 Feb 2012 | 9:10 amPlease share: Is ‘change’ the same as ‘ruin’, as the infographic below might suggest? It is certainly the contention of Nicholas Carr in his book The Shallows, and some other commentators, that our brains are being rewired by the Web and social media, and not always in a good way. However, as Len Sweet points out in his forthcoming (and excellent) new book Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Revival – when the printing press first came in, some Christians opposed it because they felt it would inhibit people from memorizing stuff. In any case, we are… -
Kimberley’s story – finding reality and purpose online
2 Feb 2012 | 8:33 amPlease share widely: The 24/7 always-on searchable Internet is an ideal match for a seeker. Here, Kimberley tells her story of seeking and finding. Watch on YouTube: To watch Kimberley’s story in Dutch, and other life stories from visitors to the Netherlands outreach Jesus.net site, go here. Note how: she found the page because she was already a seeker. The Internet did not initiate the seeking mindset (although a Bridge Strategy page can achieve this). a period of interaction and question-asking within relationships (an Alpha course) was an integral part of her journey. her story is… -
Win book ‘Evangelism in the Digital Age: Media Case Studies’
30 Jan 2012 | 9:15 am#winmsc Please share widely: Just published – a new book by mediastrategist Dan Henrich: Evangelism in the Digital Age: Media Case Studies (Volume 1). The book is a series of case study reports on various film, radio, web and mobile phone initiatives in Africa, S America and Asia in the last few years. You can win a copy – see below. And read a sample chapter in PDF format. Digital media are hugely strategic for evangelism and discipleship in the Majority World, as well as the West. Our new ‘Digital Communication Culture’ is strongly audio-visual rather than print-based, and… -
War Horse is a powerful story of redemption
26 Jan 2012 | 9:11 amPlease share widely: Spielberg’s latest movie is getting rave reviews. And rightly so. The popular children’s book by Michael Morpurgo has been faithfully adapted: read story of the film and its making. (Trailer below.) And there are many redemptive echoes embedded in it. Here are a few (spoiler warnings): Joey the horse is sold into, essentially, slavery on the Western Front, for the biblically-resonant 30 currency units (Zechariah 11:12-13), having already been bought – extravagantly – for that price by Devon farmer Ted. This brings huge pain to the farmer’s…
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Brad Lomenick
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Favorite things from 2011
8 Feb 2012 | 11:46 amGot this idea from my buddy Jon Acuff. Listing out my favorite things from last year in 2011. I’m a little late to the game in reviewing 2011 since it’s now already the first part of February 2012, but oh well. Here you go: Favorite new band: Seryn Favorite new artist: Josh Garrels Favorite song: 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman Favorite organization: Atlanta Mission Favorite movie: Moneyball Favorite book: Unbroken Favorite TV Show: Gold Rush Favorite App for iPad: Fruit Ninja and Netflix Favorite new person: Katie Davis, founder of Amazima Ministries and author of Kisses from… -
Look me in the eye
6 Feb 2012 | 4:56 pmSo I had the chance last week to attend all the festivities in DC tied to the National Prayer Breakfast. Every year this event is put on by Congressional leaders, and high profile leaders from all over the world are invited to attend. I’m always honored to be in the room with many well-known folks. One thing I’ve noticed about those who have “arrived” in terms of influence, and stature, and credibility, is that they are usually the kind of leader who authentically takes an interest in you when you first meet them. They ask good questions, and are genuinely interested… -
People to Avoid When Flying
4 Feb 2012 | 10:26 pmFrom the Archives for Your Enjoyment Reality is, most people shouldn’t fly on airplanes because they simply lack airplane etiquette. I have flown in the last 16 years around 850,000 miles, on basically every carrier, and visited 14 countries and almost every US state. Many of you have flown much, much more than me, and have way more experience and insight, so feel free to add your own points to this ever evolving list. Power to the flying people on this one. Will make a good coffee table book in the future….. The 14 people I try and avoid when flying…… 1. The middle… -
Write it Down
2 Feb 2012 | 5:16 pmYoung leaders consistently ask me: “what’s one practical piece of advice for becoming/being a leader who gets things done?” A leader that is trustworthy and reliable. The kind of leader when you ask them to get something done, you have complete confidence that it will happen. My answer is always the same: Write It Down. Always. What do I mean? 1. never show up to a meeting without a pen and a notebook. My preference is a sharpie and a moleskine notebook. But doesn’t matter whether it’s a legal pad or a Red Big Chief pencil, Or your iphone or laptop. ALWAYS show… -
The Real You is Needed
1 Feb 2012 | 6:51 amAuthentic. Who I really am. The REAL YOU. The REAL Me. True Authenticity might be the hardest thing for us to do as leaders. Deep down, we constantly want to be someone else, act like someone else, talk like our favorite speaker, pray like our favorite pastor, be funny like the guy who is always making everyone laugh. You get the point. We are wired to improve, get better, constantly change, and keep moving. We wear the same clothes, memorize the same lines, tuck our shirts in the same way, tilt our hat similarly, drink the same coffee, watch the same TV shows, and somehow think that someday…
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Scribblage
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Creative Writing Course Description
8 Feb 2012 | 4:35 pmPractical & Creative Writing Lessons : How to Write a Wedding Thank-You Note hopfeed_template=""; hopfeed_align="LEFT"; hopfeed_type="IFRAME"; hopfeed_affiliate_tid=""; hopfeed_affiliate="frankinfo"; hopfeed_fill_slots="true"; hopfeed_height=300; hopfeed_width=346; hopfeed_cellpadding=5; hopfeed_rows=5; hopfeed_cols=1; hopfeed_font="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif"; hopfeed_font_size="9pt"; hopfeed_font_color="#000000"; hopfeed_border_color="#FFFFFF"; hopfeed_link_font_color="#3300FF"; hopfeed_link_font_hover_color="#3300FF"; hopfeed_background_color="#FFFFFF";…
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MOVING FORWARD - pastor mike landry
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Suffering Always Precedes Freedom
9 Feb 2012 | 9:59 am“But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” Hebrews 2:9 NASB This morning I received an email from a good friend with the words, “Valley Forge Park this morning.” As he drove to work, he stopped and took a picture of the park and sent it to me; knowing I love Revolutionary War… -
Relational Numbness Is Not Acceptable
31 Jan 2012 | 5:49 amJohn 11:33, 35 (NASB) When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled...Jesus wept.God empathizes and has compassion. It is not a detached show of emotion that Jesus has here. He is not acting. He genuinely hurts for Martha and Mary over their grief concerning the death of Lazarus. Jesus knows the rest of the story. He is going to raise Lazarus from the dead. But this knowledge did not prevent Him from identifying with Mary and Martha and mourning with them as they mourned.God… -
POLITICAL CAMPAIGNING CAN MAKE YOU MAD…BUT ARE YOU PRAYING?
28 Jan 2012 | 1:33 pm1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NASB) First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Our nation is faced with an upcoming election that will have critical consequences. We’d better be on our faces before God and praying… -
Thinking Comes First…But Be Careful What You Think
20 Jan 2012 | 4:21 pmMy wife and I recently went on a date and saw the movie, “The Iron Lady.” It was an excellent biographical portrayal of Great Britain’s former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. Her determination, decisiveness, and common sense gave her the edge she needed to ultimately become the first woman Prime Minister of Great Britain. The movie is definitely worth seeing and there were a number of quotes worth remembering. Let me tell you what my favorite Thatcher quote was. "Watch your thoughts for they… -
2012 - Time To Go Through The Door
16 Jan 2012 | 9:11 pmThe beginning of a new year invigorates me. I like it because it has the aroma of a fresh start. It prompts me to refocus, retool, rejuvenate, and return to doing what's most important. It's not so much a time for resolutions as it is a time for repositioning and realigning. Launching into 2012 with a renewed purpose will require clear navigational coordinates. Repositioning and realigning means we must remember our calling from God and make sure our life's rudder is pointing us in that direction.And just exactly what direction is that? Jesus said His was…
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Glocalnet Blog
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The Cat is Out of the Bag
8 Feb 2012 | 7:37 amGuest Blogger - Jodi Pafford Well, I did it. I stood on stage at church and let hundreds and hundreds of people know how much I weigh. The truth is, it was a freeing experience. No, really, it was. I have nothing to hide behind. I have nowhere else to go but up…well, I mean down on the scale, but up in life!! So those of you who are following my journey but did not attend Northwood this morning are out of luck on knowing my weight. Just kidding. It’s seems odd to share this with the whole world via the World Wide Web, but I pray that my… -
EATING - RIGHT FOODS & RIGHT TIMES
7 Feb 2012 | 9:22 am1345 calories yesterday and on the elliptical did 5 miles in 1 hour 3 minutes, doing 8800 steps, and burning 970 calories! I’m trying to learn what things to eat and when during the day - I like eating oatmeal late - it makes you feel full, BUT it’s carbs late in the day and is like sugar. Been thinking a lot about that - like walking with God, there are certain things you do first, like prayer, then ministry, then prayer, then work, then ministry - in all of life it’s not just the substance but the order of that substance that makes it powerful. I lost… -
THE BIGGEST LOSER COMES TO NORTHWOOD!!!
6 Feb 2012 | 12:34 pmOk, it’s true, I’m a little . . . heavy shall we say? Pleasingly plump, weight challenged - well, let’s call it what it is. . . . fat! So when Laurie Graves had the idea to do the Biggest Loser, we didn’t talk about all of these weigh-ins and an actual competition. This year is the year of multiplying disciples at NorthWood. The first month we focused on putting on our Identity in Christ, who he says we are and how to live it. This month the theme is putting things off that rob us of our walk with God. We are calling it losing… -
Searching for an Unknown God
31 Jan 2012 | 7:21 amTake a look at this story about an amazing young man. -
PEOPLE DON’T CHANGE THE WORLD - THE WORLD CHANGES PEOPLE
27 Jan 2012 | 6:41 amPeople don’t change the world, the world changes people. I know that sounds like heresy from an evangelical, but it’s true. There are those few “world changers” that seize moments, but it isn’t because they thought it up, it’s because the environment was created that allowed them to see it first and then do something about it. Paul didn’t come up with an idea to change the world with the Gospel. It came from Jesus. His first encounter with Christians is to stomp them out. He’s traveling and persecuting the church around the Middle East. These Christians have spread out because…
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TeamRCIA
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RCIA with teens: who’s in charge?
27 Jan 2012 | 10:39 amLoading… -
Four ways to keep your children’s RCIA catechesis from boring your kids to tears
17 Jan 2012 | 11:33 amWhen twelve-year-old Connor started nodding off in our children’s RCIA session, I knew it was time for me to stop talking and for everyone else to get up and move. As a catechist in children’s RCIA, I sometimes have to resist the urge to talk too much. No matter how brilliant our RCIA session may be, talking too much can bore our children to tears! Here are four ways keep boredom at bay. Get up and move One of my favorite ways, and the kids’ favorite ways, to keep the session moving along is to actually get up and move. I like to call them “field trips.” We go and visit and a… -
6 essential rules for communicating a new RCIA vision
2 Jan 2012 | 12:16 amWithout looking it up, can you tell me what your parish mission statement is? If you can, can all the members of the parish council? And what about the RCIA team? And if they can, can the parents whose children are in the school or religious education process tell me? What about the neophytes in your parish? Do you know what your parish mission is? In most parishes, hardly anyone can say clearly what the parish mission is. In some cases, they’ve never heard it stated. In other parishes, it appears on the cover of every Sunday bulletin and is sometimes read aloud at Mass. And still people… -
Get an RCIA vision for your parish (angelic visitation optional)
28 Dec 2011 | 1:37 pmYour parish is about to change. Here’s why. This Sunday, look around at the people in the pews. Then estimate what percentage of those people will be retired in ten years. Now look for the 20- and 30-somethings. Are there enough of them present to fill the shoes of those who will be retiring? Trends that will change RCIA ministry Here is another indicator of change. How many Masses in Spanish did your parish have ten years ago? How many does it have now? How many will it have ten years from now? And one more trend. Ten years ago, how many people in your parish had a Facebook account? How… -
Make the shift from “RCIA team” to “coalition for change”
21 Dec 2011 | 12:53 pmIn 1983, I interviewed for my first job as a parish liturgist. The silver-haired pastor sat behind an imposing desk in his wood-paneled office. I sat on the other side of the desk in one of those chairs that you sink into and that makes it impossible for you to sit up straight. At one point, he looked down at me and said, “We don’t operate as a team here. I’m the boss, and my word is final.” “Team ministry” was often neither Well, that was just fine with me! After a decade of high-school and college youth ministry, I was fed up with “team ministry.” While on paper, the idea of…
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Brandon A. Cox
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Celebrating the Diversity of the Church
6 Feb 2012 | 10:13 amCelebrating the Diversity of the Church is a post from Brandon A. Cox.I grew up white, middle class, and in the mid-south. My high school was diverse, but not peacefully so. Tensions ran high between races, classes, and groups, which was to some degree a reflection of the entire community. I very well should have grown to adulthood with all kinds of prejudice. But God, in His grace, showed me a different way. As a teenager, when I studied the Bible, I couldn’t help but notice that diversity is something God celebrates. Yes, He chose the Jewish people as His own special people, but His… -
The Pro’s and Con’s of Planting a Church In a Movie Theater
30 Jan 2012 | 1:53 pmThe Pro’s and Con’s of Planting a Church In a Movie Theater is a post from Brandon A. Cox.This past Sunday made the fourth week in a row we’ve worshipped in a local movie theater with January 15 being our official launch. We didn’t intend to launch in a theater. I fact, we spent a great deal of time looking at retail spaces, but eventually landed at the Malco because of space, price, and availability. There’s a part of me that fell in love with the idea before we moved in, and has remained attached to it since. Advantages of Meeting In a Theater We know that we… -
Fellow Church Planters, Check Out Velocity 2012
26 Jan 2012 | 6:39 amFellow Church Planters, Check Out Velocity 2012 is a post from Brandon A. Cox.I remember Shawn Lovejoy telling the story of how, when they had their opening service at Mountain Lake Church, he totally forgot to take up the offering, and they couldn’t meet the following two weeks because of ice. I love guys that are real who pour themselves into others, and that’s Shawn. He and his team host an annual conference for church planters and Angie and I have officially purchased plane tickets – so there’s no turning back! If you’re a church planter or a church planting… -
Bobby Minor’s Coaching Network and Truly Mutual Church Planting Partnership
25 Jan 2012 | 6:49 amBobby Minor’s Coaching Network and Truly Mutual Church Planting Partnership is a post from Brandon A. Cox.There are four elements necessary for a church planting movement to succeed: assessment of potential planters, ongoing training, partnership with existing churches, and personal coaching. Bobby Minor has a unique idea for creating a truly mutual partnership between his church plant and existing leaders, while also providing coaching from some of the nation’s leading church leadership thinkers. Bobby is planting Mosaic Church in Durham, North Carolina, a new campus of Mosaic… -
The New and Improved Pastors.com
24 Jan 2012 | 9:00 pmThe New and Improved Pastors.com is a post from Brandon A. Cox. I love Pastors! And I love serving and connecting with Pastors through the greatest website in the web wide world for them – Pastors.com. In January of 2010, I was taken aback by a phone call from David Chrzan, Chief of Staff at Saddleback Church in southern California. We talked for an hour about blogging, online publishing, pastoral ministry, WordPress, and many other related topics. Then he invited me to attend Radicalis, Saddleback’s leadership conference, and I gladly agreed. That was the beginning of a pretty…
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Build the Church
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Build the Church 438 - Sonia V
30 Jan 2012 | 2:00 pmToday we have a special Build the Church, today we feature the music of Sonia V. Along with some old favorites we throw in a brand new song off her album "Oh Sweet Tragedy."Enjoy the podcast! MP3 File - Click Here to Download Podcast Click here to go to Sonia V.'s website.Find Sonia V in myspace by clicking here.Make friends with Sonia on Facebook by going here.Send Sonia V a tweet on Twitter right here.Shout out to Sonia on Shoutlife by clicking here.Buy Sonia's music by clicking here. -
Build the Church 437 - A Sleeping at Last Christmas
24 Dec 2011 | 4:18 pmGet ready for another special Christmas music only edition of Build the Church featuring music from a favorite of ours, Sleeping at Last. All the music is from Sleeping at Last's Christmas album which you can get for free by following the links below.Enjoy this special Christmas edition of Build the Church. MP3 File - Click Here to Download Podcast Click here for the free Sleeping at Last's Christmas Album.Go to Sleeping at Last's website by clicking here.Go here to find Sleeping at Last in myspace.Download songs by Sleeping at Last on PureVolume.Buy Sleeping at Last's music on iTunes by… -
Build the Church 436 - More Podsafe Christmas
9 Dec 2011 | 4:48 pmGet ready for more great Podsafe Christmas Music on Build the Church! Today hear 3 Blind Mice,The Hot Rods, Allison Crowe, Adrienne Pierce, Geoff Smith, Candy Butchers and the Podsafe Artist Compilation,Podsafe For Peace!Enjoy another special Christmas edition of Build the Church. MP3 File - Click Here to Download Podcast Click below to find these artists on the Mevio Music Alley.Podsafe for Peace3 Blind MiceThe Hot Rods Allison CroweCandy ButchersAdrienne PierceGeoff Smith -
Build the Church 435 - Christmas is in the Air
1 Dec 2011 | 2:19 pmChristmas is in the air and the trees and decorations are everywhere! To celebrate the season, enjoy great Podsafe Christmas Music by Derek Miller, Allison Crowe, Bree Noble, The Alice Project, Richard Taylor and Jimmie Bratcher on Build the Church! MP3 File - Click Here to Download Podcast Hear all these great songs and artists on the Mevio Music Alley.Just Click their names to find them on the Mevio Music Alley.Derek Miller Allison Crowe Bree Noble The Alice Project Richard Taylor Jimmie Bratcher -
Build the Church 434
22 Oct 2011 | 4:41 pmFeeling a bit nostalgic so I pulled music from artists that have been with Build the Church since it's start many years ago. Today hear the Electric Reverend Jimmie Bratcher, Carrie Pettit, Adrina Thorpe and Hundred Year Storm.Enjoy today's Build the Church.MP3 File - Click Here to Download Podcast
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Biblical Preaching
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The Bible Story – Plots in Plot
9 Feb 2012 | 7:18 amWe tend to be trained, both by Sunday school instruction and by NIV section headings, to separate out each individual story and treat it as a stand alone. But the Bible always presents plots in the context of larger plots. I’ve been trying to get hold of a commentary series on the books of Samuel that does a stunning job of demonstrating the interconnectedness of the individual stories (a rarity in commentaries on narrative books!) I’ve been pondering how the gospel writers wove together events and parables in a way that honoured their historicity, yet communicated their own… -
The Bible Story – People in Plots
8 Feb 2012 | 8:07 amWhether we are looking at a parable, an event in the life of Christ, an historical portrayal in the inspired account of a Patriarch or the early church, Bible stories are about people in plot. Plot – the skeleton of every story, both fictional and historic, is the plot. Every story has a plot, for without one it wouldn’t be a story. At its most simple, a plot consists in a tension eventually resolved. A tension is created in the context of an imaginable situation. Somehow that tension is then resolved, or left uncomfortably unresolved in some examples. Our primary task as we… -
The Bible Story – Theology Dressed Up In Real Life
7 Feb 2012 | 7:49 amWe tend to tell Bible stories to children and teach theology to adults. Perhaps we err in both. All too often I come across childrens’ ministry that seems like random ancient tales with a moral. An interesting little tale from long ago and far away that is offered with a moral moral – do this, don’t do that. But then children go to school where the tales told in the classroom don’t begin with “once upon a time,” but with “the scientists know that…” All too easily the children in our Sunday School classes make the inevitable observation that there is more… -
No Theory Test
6 Feb 2012 | 10:51 amIn the UK we have both a theory and a practical driving test. In life, the Bible only offers us the latter. So is living the Christian life primarily about what you know, or about who you know? Today’s post is over on Cor Deo – click here to go there. -
Saturday Short Thought: Fresh Over Abundance from a Can
4 Feb 2012 | 1:02 pmThis week the blog has been pondering issues of recycling sermonic materials and also recycling other peoples’ materials. Meanwhile we’ve welcomed a healthy baby daughter into our home and we are both thankful to our gracious Lord and very tired! So just a short thought to finish off the week. I understand the challenge faced by many preachers with other work commitments and family priorities. I understand the feeling that some express, namely, that without borrowing the outlines and sermons of other preachers from the internet, they would never be able to preach a sermon on…
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samluce.com
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Christians today are Theological idiots.
8 Feb 2012 | 9:26 amIt’s true. I ashamed to admit that for a long time in my life I looked at Theology as an obstacle to “real” ministry. I started working with kids in my early 20′s and shamefully thought that Theology and doctrine were of no use to me as they were to weighty for kids. Most Christians and many churches have no use for doctrine as we have successfully made Christianity a personal thing. Understanding the personal nature of Christ’s sacrifice is very important but thinking that Jesus is my personal Genie in a bottle is devastating. It’s plainly seen in… -
Guerrilla Parenting: Teach your kids that their self-worth is tied to peoples acceptance of them.
6 Feb 2012 | 12:06 pmHere is the first post talking about how to ensure your kids will end up on “The Bachelor” If you want to ensure your kids will be on the “The Bachelor” 1. Never show your daughter physical affection. 2. Teach your kids that connections are more important than commitment. 3. Teach your kids there is no consequences for their behavior. 4. Give your kids whatever they want. 5. Teach your kids that their self-worth is tied to peoples acceptance of them. The last thing you must do if you want to ensure your kids end up on the Bachelor is teach them their self-worth is… -
Guest Post Dustin Nickerson: Why kids and parents leave the church.
3 Feb 2012 | 10:01 amDustin Nickerson has been a good friend of mine for a while now and I am very honored to have him guest post on my blog. I could not agree with what he says more. We as ministers and especially kids ministers need to devote ourselves to theology more than we do. We do what we believe many times to disastrous consequences. As kids ministers we need to ask ourselves deep questions to provide distilled truth for the kids and families we serve. We as the church in the day we live in need to be the church like never before. I hope you enjoy Dustin’s post as much as I did. I read… -
Guerrilla Parenting: Give your kids whatever they want.
2 Feb 2012 | 10:30 amHere is the first post talking about how to ensure your kids will end up on “The Bachelor” If you want to ensure your kids will be on the “The Bachelor” 1. Never show your daughter physical affection. 2. Teach your kids that connections are more important than commitment. 3. Teach your kids there is no consequences for their behavior. 4. Give your kids whatever they want. 5. Teach your kids that their self-worth is tied to peoples acceptance of them. If you give your kids whatever they want you will teach your boys to be lazy and your girls to be manipulative. I… -
Why the stat stating 90% of kids leave their faith is dead wrong.
2 Feb 2012 | 6:52 amI am not a huge soap boxer but please indulge me this. I have heard for the past few years that 90% of Christian kids leave their faith when they leave their homes. This stat has never sat well with me. It still doesn’t. Upon hearing that stat for the first time I asked God to have mercy on our kids and began to think how I could turn the tide in our church. Being in the same church church for 14 years is very sobering. It’s sobering because I get to see the end result of my theories about ministry as well as the theories of others. I remember a couple of years ago I started…
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Godvertiser.com
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How a Perfectly Timed Press Release Can Bring Tons of Exposure To Your Non-Profit Campaign
23 Jan 2012 | 9:00 amHere’s an excerpt from a press release I sent out today for a project I’m working on right now — The Adoption Journey Project (www.adoptionjourney.org) There’s two factors of this example I’d like to highlight. But first, here’s the content about the campaign first: This year’s football fans gathering at various watch parties will have access to one Super Bowl coach’s personal thoughts during halftime. A free downloadable video kit is available to local game watching party organizers which features Super Bowl winning coach Tony Dungy and his wife… -
First Time Visitor Gift Bag Ideas
10 Jan 2012 | 9:11 pmYour church marketing worked. New people that have never been to your church before walk through the doors. So what do you do? Do you accost them and demand they fill out the “visitor card” so you can stalk them or nag them like a telemarketer? Do you have a committee that instantly has a dozen people “friend” them on Facebook out of the blue? Do you ask them to stand-up in front of everyone during service and make them stand out literally like a sore thumb with the intention of making them feel “welcome”? One tactic that is widespread is the first… -
Finding More, Raising More, Sustaining More: Part 3
8 Jan 2012 | 4:55 amThis is the third in a series of guest posts by Howard Freeman – Founder and Principal of Zoey Creative Development, a charitable giving consultancy in NYC serving both organizations and also individual philanthropists. He is also the author of the upcoming book on online giving called, ‘Making A Difference 2.0’ (Skyhorse Publishing, May 2012) and can be reached at howard@zoeycreativedevelopment.com GARDENING IS ACTUALLY THE WORLD’S OLDEST PROFESSION During the last two segments, we’ve looked at finding more money and raising more money. This week, we look at tending to what… -
Finding More, Raising More, Sustaining More [Part 2]
1 Jan 2012 | 12:06 pmThis is the second in a series of guest posts by Howard Freeman – Founder and Principal of Zoey Creative Development, a charitable giving consultancy in NYC serving both organizations and also individual philanthropists. He is also the author of the upcoming book on online giving called, ‘Making A Difference 2.0’ (Skyhorse Publishing, May 2012) and can be reached at howard@zoeycreativedevelopment.com GIVE TO GET Last time we looked at how to find more money. Christian organizations should avail themselves of select professional tools like prospect research, because fundraising… -
Christmas is Virtually Here
21 Dec 2011 | 9:22 amWe’re in the 11th hour before Christmas Eve services here at Liquid Church and our Church Online team is totally pumped about our first ever Christmas Virtual Choir that we’re pulling together. What started as an interesting idea to allow our Church Online community to participate in our church-wide services, has become a great tool to talk about Christmas at church — and invite family and friends to one of the 6 services being held on Saturday at our campuses as well as 2 services for Church Online. Since there is some novelty in a webcam- or “YouTube Christmas…
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Children's Ministry Online
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Orange Week: I need help!
8 Feb 2012 | 12:13 pmIt’s been almost four years since I first learned about the Orange strategy. One of the most compelling concepts was it idea of two combined influences – church and home. This really clicked for me as a long-time children’s pastor who felt such an unbelievable burden to raise and disciple kids yet struggled with doubts about long term effectiveness. Clearly defining the family as the other part of the combined influence wasn’t an “out” for me, but a moment of clarity on how I could use my time more effectivity… or even strategically. However, as a… -
Never get too comfortable
8 Feb 2012 | 10:10 amLast week I came across this article I found in someone’s facebook feed. America’s largest church is facing a 10+ million dollar lawsuit because of something that happened (or didn’t happen) in their children’s ministry. Who knows what is going to happen, but this whole thing probably could have been prevented. The article states: The lawsuit accuses the church of negligence in its investigation, in reporting the alleged incident to police and in lacking surveillance that could have saved Guzman from being wrongfully accused of a crime. The church also is accused of… -
A free and highly accessible kidmin resource
31 Jan 2012 | 9:09 amI’ve learned that most kid’s pastors I’ve met are highly resourceful. They’re always looking for great new resources and the cheaper it is, the better. If it’s free, well that’s incredible. So, I figured that all the resourceful kidmin peeps who read this blog would be interested in this great free resource. Are you ready for this? Really? Here goes…. It’s called following #kidmin on twitter. Wait a second, before you bail on this blog post, hear me out. Some of you have refused to get on twitter because you’ve not seen it’s… -
Systems help you win
30 Jan 2012 | 2:50 pmOne of the things I’ve learned most this year from the books I’ve been reading is the critical nature of systems. I’m absolutely convinced that systems help you win. You can be a great leader with a lot of charisma, but if you don’t have solid systems, you’ll never maintain what you want to achieve, if you even get there in the first place. I mentioned this in a post a few weeks ago along with the books I’ve read this year that supported this idea. So, a few weeks ago I rented the movie Moneyball. I don’t like baseball, but I LOVED this movie. I saw… -
The birth of Kidmin
30 Jan 2012 | 10:30 amI’m always intrigued the origin of things. Why we say certain words or how names come about. What’s even more interesting is when you see the origin of something new right before your eyes. A handful of children’s pastors saw the very thing happen almost three years ago… the birth of “Kidmin.” At this point, the term kidmin is still catching on, but I suspect that will change in the coming years and perhaps more people will refer to children’s ministry as kidmin as opposed to… well, children’s ministry. For those of you who are new to this…
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daveingland.com
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Why church diversity falls short
6 Feb 2012 | 2:45 pmI’ve been seeing more posts lately on other blogs about church diversity, and they constantly remind me about how the church focuses on the visible, without digging deeper in this issue of diversity. When a suburban, white, middle-class church attracts a few people of different ethnicities, it becomes something to be celebrated. Why? What does having a black family, or a Chinese family coming to your church service have to do with anything if your songs are contemporary, white America, Christian radio songs and your message speaks to your white American congregation? We quote lots of… -
Creativity has gone and done it again
5 Dec 2011 | 1:22 pmI just experienced a calm November with no stress or conflict. It was such a great feeling to be at peace. However, there is always this feeling within me that I’m missing--or missing out on--something. This feeling resurfaced again when I found myself working on tidbits of graphic design: dabbling in some elements to start considering a whole makeover of this blog and creating a new business card for my current full-time gig. In total, I probably spent about 3 hours doing this. As odd as this may sound to some, it was 3 hours of feeling connected to something in my core that brought me… -
Who is this Dave Ingland?
21 Nov 2011 | 1:17 pmLiving life online doesn’t really give one much of a glimpse into the true person that I am. Maybe you’ve seen me tweet some things that have merit, yet you don’t know if I’m qualified to validate those tweets. A lot of times, people just have questions when they learn that I’ve spent most of my life as an atheist, only to sell off a successful business and enter into full-time, unpaid ministry for 7 years. Every once in awhile I devote a day on the blog to answering questions about myself so that those of you know that may only know me through Facebook and… -
Life is like a box of chocolates…
12 Nov 2011 | 10:07 amMany people remember the movie Forrest Gump very well. I, on the otherhand, only remember this phrase: “…Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are gonna get.” I convinced myself that life--my life--was going to be just like that. I never knew what I was going to get and just tried to make it through each day in preparation for the unknown coming my way the next day. As of yesterday, I had to put this way of thinking to rest. Think about it… When we go to the store to buy a box of chocolate, we are faced with many choices. We can choose the… -
Thoughts the day after my birthday…
7 Nov 2011 | 12:12 pmI guess the most memorable thing about my birthday yesterday is that it marked the changing of Daylight Savings Time--clocks went back one hour. It was an uneventful day with two exceptions: I had some things of note happen at a church service My wife forgot it was my birthday. In previous years, number 2 would have stolen the day for me. It has actually happened before… more than once. This time she was busy with preparing to sing worship songs at a Spanish language church in Santa Barbara (about 45 minutes away) in the evening and spent the day practicing for that. However, this time…
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RELEVANT Magazine
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When Jesus Meets TMZ
9 Feb 2012 | 8:32 amWhy celebrity culture is overtaking our pulpits. Much has been said in recent years about the rise of so-called “celebrity pastors” within Christianity, particularly within evangelicalism. Just mention names like Ted Haggard, Rob Bell, Mark Driscoll, Joel Osteen, John Piper, Francis Chan, Bill Hybels and Joyce Meyer, and you’re guaranteed to get a fair share of impassioned praise or heated criticism. But students of Scripture will know this is not a new phenomenon, that even the early Church developed something of a "celebrity apostle" culture in which Christians were aligning… -
Why I Am Not Joe Paterno
26 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pmEDITOR'S NOTE: Earlier this week, Joe Paterno passed away from lung cancer. His death added a new dimension to the controversy that has surrounded Penn State and the charges against former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Many wondered, what will be Paterno's legacy: as the winningest college football coach in history or as an accomplice to a child sex-abuse scandal? RELEVANT posted an op/ed column by Shaun King addressing this question. King's stance was that, on some level, "we are all Joe Paterno"—that with the horrors of rape and abuse taking place all around the world, many of… -
Is There a Place for Creative Christians?
25 Jan 2012 | 8:28 amRestoring the relationship between faith and art. When people describe the Church, "creative" probably isn't the first word that comes to mind. This sad truth isn't the result of a lack of creative Christians, but rather, Christians who don't know what to do with their creativity. Many believers struggle to balance their art and their faith. Some think that to be a truly successful poet, painter, musician or producer, their work must be held separate from their faith. Others may believe unless their song, design, book or film is not littered with overt spirituality, it cannot… -
We Are All Joe Paterno
23 Jan 2012 | 3:50 pmJoe Paterno died yesterday morning. For 50 years, he was a god of college football; he may be the best college football coach of all time. While coaching, he not only won more games than anybody, but his Penn State team produced 250 NFL players, went undefeated five times, finished in the top 25 over 35 times and won two national championships. He did all of this while producing a score of academic all-Americans and having one of the highest graduation rates of any football programs in the country—certainly better than any program that was actually good at football. In this way, none… -
Confessions of a Catholic Christian
19 Jan 2012 | 3:19 pmFrom behind a hand-carved, wooden podium at the front of a colorful classroom, my fifth-grade teacher spoke. The students listened quietly, fascinated by her lesson: how to get to heaven. "I used to be Catholic," my teacher said. "But it’s a lot harder for Catholics to get to heaven than it is for Protestants." She told us about the Sinner's Prayer and how awful it is to confess sins to a priest, how questionable the Catholic mass is and how rarely the Gospel is preached in Catholic churches. While she suggested we steer clear of Catholics and their church, my heart…
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Managing Your Church
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Appeals Court: No Housing Allowances for Two Homes
9 Feb 2012 | 9:21 amRuling overturns controversial 2010 Driscoll decision. -
Trademarking the Church
9 Feb 2012 | 8:00 amWhen should churches seek legal protections for names and logos? -
The Top 7 Paid Positions at Churches
7 Feb 2012 | 8:00 amAcross all paid church positions, men are paid 28 percent more than women. -
Before You Share Your Space
31 Jan 2012 | 3:09 pmWhat to know—and do—before opening your church to outside groups. -
Hosting a Super Bowl Party at Church—Is It Legal?
30 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am
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Branded With Love
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Baptisms, Paintball, and White Flags
6 Feb 2012 | 9:32 amI’m so excited we’re doing this series, White Flag. The story of Jonah is amazing. We get to address some questions like, “Why do you run when things get hard?” “Who is really in charge of your life?” “When God asks big things from you, are you willing to listen?” “When things don’t go your way, how do you handle it?” “What will it take for you to wave the White Flag and let God be in control?” Here’s what has got me so pumped- it’s talking about topics like these which lays the groundwork for God… -
Sunday Extras
6 Feb 2012 | 7:45 amYesterday at Forefront had some great energy. Even more than normal which was cool. If you missed service, here are something things to help you out this week: The band keeps cranking out amazing worship song sets. I love getting to work with Justin and the musicians here. If you want to listen to some of the tracks they played (by the artists who wrote them), click here. If you don’t have Spotify, you should! It’s free and a great way to listen to music. Each week we post the messages online for you to listen to. You can listen on our website, via iTunes, or we post it on the… -
I Have A Crush On Alice In Wonderland
30 Jan 2012 | 10:37 pmWe pray together every night baby. I always end with, “God, thank you for letting me be Chloe’s daddy. Amen.” With every beat of my heart, I mean it. You’re a gift. But tonight, you broke down your big ol’ daddy to a puddle of emotion. As we opened our eyes you looked at me. I drown in those baby blues every single time you bat your lashes. You’ve got me whooped. You’re mommy and sissy have the same eyes. I don’t stand a chance. As you gazed into my face, you looked intently as you whispered- “I’m glad I get to be your Chloe. -
Make It Meaningful.
30 Jan 2012 | 10:04 pmJust the other day I was talking on the phone with a fellow Forefronter. As we were chatting it up for a bit, I began to imagine he was one of the cool kids in high school. Walking the halls with a swagger that Kanye or Jay-Z would be envious of. Giving high fives & fist bumps with the other athletic kids, and enjoying “hellos and hey bros” from people as he strutted through his little kingdom, that we mere mortals call high school. To be honest, he had confirmed many of my thoughts I was thinking in previous conversations. He was admittedly a cool guy in high school. -
Broken Down Cars, Dogs Almost Ran Over, And Stop Thinking Someone Else Will- You’re The Someone Else. And People Are Watching
27 Jan 2012 | 9:22 amI had just dropped off my girls at school. It’s my day off. All I was thinking was, “My bed is waiting! Ahhhhhhhh!” I turned the corner, and… Traffic. At. A. Stand. Still. Ugh. Don’t these people know my day off is freakin’ important?! Then I saw it. A broken down car with the lights blinking. People flying by her. Not stopping to help. Honestly, I debated it in my head. “Help this person out, or maybe someone else will.” “Wait, I am not that guy. Quit being a selfish bastard jerk.” (my inner dialogue censors itself sometimes) So, I…
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david kenney
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Bible History 201
8 Feb 2012 | 9:47 amphoto credit: Rushay In 1947, a young shepherd boy discovered a series of caves that contained clay pots and what would later be called the Dead Sea Scrolls; wherein archeologists and bible scholars found 972 texts of scripture. Before 1947 the oldest biblical manuscript we had was dated from 900 AD. After 1947 the oldest biblical manuscript we had was from 125 BC. Why is that significant? Well, for your friend who insists the bible has changed or been altered as it’s been rewritten from language to language or from translation to translation… Once the Dead Sea scrolls were… -
Bible History 101
6 Feb 2012 | 11:23 amphoto credit: kelsey_lovefusionphoto You and I both know that the bible didn’t just appear in a written state – already finished. God didn’t breathe out a book the same way he spoke the world into place – so where did it come from? I think sometimes in order to trust something we’d like to know something about it. That’s why we ask questions before we make a purchase – we do research. Well, I can’t possibly teach you everything about bible history in this time that we have – but let’s see how much I can throw out there. The bible as… -
God’s Breath
5 Feb 2012 | 10:08 pmphoto credit: helenogbourn The Bible is one of the most widely read books in history. It’s one of the bestselling books in history; (in a single year it has sold over 40 million copies) and it is one of the most widely translated books in history. (2,200 languages – which is roughly 90% of the world) But what makes it the Word of God? How do we know it’s the Word of God? Psalm 19:7-9 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of… -
Go back to square one
3 Feb 2012 | 5:01 pmphoto credit: elleinad. Because there has been a lot of talk about Church discipline, I thought I would write out my own thoughts on the matter. Jesus says in Matthew 18:15-17 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would… -
the CEB tour is over!
2 Feb 2012 | 4:59 pmphoto credit: Adarsh Upadhyay So if you were wondering why I was posting so many articles using the Common English Bible, it was because I was taking place in a blog tour created by the publishers to promote its release. Each week I posted articles I was able to give away one of the bibles as a promotion to a reader (I think all in all, I only gave out 4 or 5, so if you didn’t get one – you snooze, you lose) And the good news is…. I WON! We’re thrilled that we had 150 bloggers participate in the tour. As we said at the outset, the person who blogged the most about the CEB…
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(re)made
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Worst Church Singer Ever
5 Feb 2012 | 11:27 pmHappy Monday! I thought I’d start your week off the right way… with a smile. Enjoy. View the video after the jump… Yep. You’re welcome. Thoughts? « Previous Finish This: Quick Question of the Day -
Finish This: Quick Question of the Day
1 Feb 2012 | 10:58 pmCreative Commons Photo Credit by b-tal Over time, I have learned that the number one rule of creating a great relationship is ______________. « Previous Taking Some Time Off Next » Worst Church Singer Ever -
Taking Some Time Off
30 Jan 2012 | 11:21 pm“Vacation Starts Now” on instagram It’s ok to take a break. There I said it. Having fun is ok! But, you have to be honest with yourself and know when you need a break. Some need time away more than others, but start thinking with your family about how often you need vacations. Here are a few reasons that you have to get away every once and awhile… 1. Things will keep going, even without you. No matter who you are and how important you are, there are other capable people that will help you take care of things while you are gone. Find your “go to” person(s)… -
I Don’t Know
18 Jan 2012 | 1:44 amCreative Commons Photo Credit by photojonny You don’t know everything. I promise. Once you realize this, you can begin seeking what answers you need. It makes you vulnerable and that in itself makes your team trust you more. A leader that shares what they know and is humble in the areas of where they need to grow, shows others that it’s ok to know where your strengths are and those areas where some work needs to be put in. In the process you will pick up skills that make you better along the way. Once you know that you don’t have the answer, you can begin to find it. You can… -
You Are Just Down One Step: The Idea
11 Jan 2012 | 6:31 pmCreative Commons Photo Credit by pascalbovet Ideas come and they go. Some of those ideas that come are bad, some are good and then some are those great ones in life. Forget about the bad ideas once you recognize which ones those are. There is no use in spending mental capacity on ideas that aren’t going anywhere. As for the good ideas, write those down somewhere where you can come back to them later. You may need to spend extra time thinking about how you can make those good ideas even better. With some strategic planning, those will most likely become great later on. Great ideas are…
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Paul Clark
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10 Ground Rules for Staff Meetings
6 Feb 2012 | 6:40 amDisarm people’s fears or hesitancy to speak up (humor, affirmation, win-win questions). Talk about the problems; listen first, delay judgment. Don’t take “push back” personally. Healthy debate is healthy. Be sure people walk away with clarification of roles and responsibilities. Allow the team to make team decisions. Be sure you have skin in the game. Be encouraging- mentor and coach. Make sure there is mutual respect for opinions. Insist the team supports a team decision. Don’t use age and experience as your “trump” card. It doesn’t work with millennials. -
Some vital statistics for 2011
29 Dec 2011 | 12:25 pmI’m a firm believer in measurable outcomes. The New Testament is full statistics. Just this morning I was reading in Mark 8 where Jesus reminded the disciples that he had fed 5,000 people on one occasion and another 4,000 people on a second occasion. He knew exactly how many baskets of bread were leftover each time. He kept track, right? I like to see data to know whether we are accomplishing the things we say are important to us. Since our adoption of 13 Measures of a Healthy Church several years ago, below are some of the vital statistics we report on each month. The data below is… -
Congregational Meeting
20 Dec 2011 | 11:06 amThis past Sunday we held our only annual congregational meeting for the purpose of electing new officers to our Boards and for conveying to the congregation our approved 2012 budget. I think our presentation was excellent and so with that in mind, I thought I’d share the handout with you. It led with vision and inspiration, which is critical, and conveyed the figures with a sense of “let’s join God in what he is doing at Fairhaven Church.” The meeting was positive and forward-looking. We are blessed. 2012BudgetBooklet -
Six factors toward an effective team
31 Oct 2011 | 8:07 amI was reading an HBS article this weekend, “Why Some Teams Succeed” and appreciated a set of six factors which the author believed contributes to team success. Since I both lead teams and participate on other teams, I am a student of good team dynamics. Here is the list, in my own words: A clear set of goals and objectives which everyone can understand. Why are we here? What are we trying to accomplish? A method for measuring success, i.e. good metrics. What does success look like? Ongoing training so that key skills necessary for success are reinforced. Do we need improved hard… -
Top 10 ways to relax
28 Oct 2011 | 3:51 pmWow– these past few months have been off the charts. So busy that most days it seems like I don’t have time to even take a breath. A new construction project, dashboard reports, Board meetings, meetings with bankers, the 2012 budget, staffing puzzles to solve, overseeing staff, writing curriculum… it never ends. How do you relax in the midst of your crazy stressful work life? Here’s how I spell relief: Take a walk in the woods. Play a round of golf. Spend time with my grandson. Do some woodworking. Read a Civil War novel. Get away for the weekend with Kay. Relax in…
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Vineyard Church of Ithaca
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Missions Report From Peru
1 Feb 2012 | 11:39 amThis past January, the Vineyard helped support Josephine Chen’s missions trip to Peru. Jo is one of our undergraduate students at Cornell. We’ve asked her to share a little about her experience in Lima. Pamplona This year, from January 7-15, I took a trip to Lima, Peru, with the non-profit organization MEDLIFE (Medicine, Education, and Development for Low-Income Families Everywhere). For half the trip, I worked with medical professionals in a mobile clinic offering primary care to community members. My tasks included everything from teaching kids how to brush their teeth to… -
Pastoral Search Update from Sunday
19 Jan 2012 | 8:54 amThis past Sunday James gave a quick update about where we are in the Pastoral Search Process. We want to pass the text along from what he said. Thanks to everyone for your prayers during this process. The Pastoral Search Team will be available for any questions following our 10 am worship service on January 29th. Here is the text from James’ Pastoral Search Team update given on Sunday, January 15, 2012: Morning everyone. I wanted to take a few minutes to give you a brief update on behalf of the Pastoral Search Team. First of all thank you for all the praying and fasting and… -
Prayer & Fasting
7 Dec 2011 | 12:27 pmStarting on Monday, December 12, we are having 5 days of prayer and fasting to seek God concerning our pastoral search. While many of us have been doing this individually, we would like to tak Monday through Friday of next week and ask people to consider taking a 24 hour period of time to pray & fast. On Sunday we will provide a place on the connection card where you can sign up for a day. Or drop us an email if you’d like to sign up now. More info on Sunday. -
Pastoral Search Update
20 Nov 2011 | 5:45 amJames Cherian Usually, when I think of meetings and committees and group projects, I think of a million other things I’d rather be doing. Being on the Pastoral Search Team has been a different story- It’s actually fun and exciting. I look forward to doing the work in preparation for our meetings, and enjoy the time we have together. The things I most dread about these types of meetings (long, pointless debates, passive aggressive personalities, lowest common denominator decisions) have been met with a refreshing, thoughtful, engaging, and meaningful process in discerning who it is that… -
Working on the Website
14 Nov 2011 | 11:05 amIf you landed on our website, we’re glad you found us! Look around, email us if you have questions. We are in the process of changing our website around a bit, so if things seem like they are in bizarre places – we’re tinkering. We’re sorry for any confusion. Thanks!
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HalMayer.com
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Doubters Anonymous
6 Feb 2012 | 9:36 amHave you ever asked God for something so BIG that when it happens He is the only one who can get the credit? I am praying that prayer right now and asking God to do miracles this week at Church at the Bay! Here is the miracle I am praying for- that many people stop chasing their plans and surrender their lives to Jesus. That is the kind of miracle that not only changes now but eternity. Often, when I think of a miracle I am thinking of physical healing. Oh yes, I believe God still heals and yet I believe the biggest miracle is a changed life- someone surrendering to Jesus. I trusted…
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ChurchTechToday
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Order of Salvation [Infographic]
8 Feb 2012 | 12:06 pmTim Challies has been putting together some really amazing and inspirational infographics on theology. Today, I couldn’t resist sharing this one with you. I hope it inspires you today and helps you take a moment to stand in awe of what God has done for each and every one of us. Kudos to Challies for using technology tools to glorify God and inspire us all! Order of Salvation [Infographic] is a post from: ChurchTechToday -
8 Great Reasons for Using Twitter in Church Communications
6 Feb 2012 | 9:30 amTwitter is a wonderful ministry tool to harness and use for good within your ministry’s goals. Often, churches aren’t sure where to start and what to say. Below are eight great reasons for using Twitter as a communication tool at your church: 1) What you have to say is important. Every church is different. If you haven’t already uncovered your church’s personality and ministry goals, so do this first, then reach out to people with similar desires. Share the heart of your church. Share how you envision impacting the community. Chances are people will listen if what you… -
WORDsearch iPad App Enhances Digital Bible Study
1 Feb 2012 | 9:45 amWith the advent of computers, Bible study has been forever changed. Fast forward a good 25 years and now the iPad and Tablet PCs are yet again changing the way that people study and interact with God’s Word. That said, one of the leaders in Bible study software, WORDsearch, has just announced its free iPad app that hit the iTunes store this week. Acquired by LifeWay Christian Resources in July of 2011, WORDsearch has thousands of users who will now be able to sync and access their content on their iPads to take with them anywhere. Users will be able to view, read and study the same… -
Top 10 Features of Effective Church Management Software
30 Jan 2012 | 7:53 amIt’s not every day that a company polls their customers and is overwhelmed with positive feedback. That’s exactly what happened when Icon Systems did a recent survey of their customers to gather information on what their customers most liked about their software. The results indicated that 96.4% of customers were extremely satisfied with their IconCMO church management software (chms). “We like to stay in touch with our church software customers to find out what’s working and what’s not,” says Bill Gifford, president of Icon Systems, Inc. “When we decided to survey our… -
Social Media is NOT a Waste of Time [Infographic]
27 Jan 2012 | 10:02 amAfter reading emails, writing articles and sermons, and keeping up with industry articles, I thought you’d enjoy an infographic today about why social media is NOT a waste of time (ok, perhaps some of the time it’s a waste, but certainly not all the time): Social Media is NOT a Waste of Time [Infographic] is a post from: ChurchTechToday
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Blog
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The Church & Extreme Poverty
8 Feb 2012 | 8:56 am"Make Poverty History!" "End Poverty Now!" -
Question of the Week
7 Feb 2012 | 6:00 pmEach week, Neue asks a question that is meant to challenge, inspire and encourage today's ministry leaders. Feel free to respond and discuss in the comment section. This week, we want to know: How does your church contribute to eliminating global poverty? Does your congregation support any charities that do? -
Dan Russell
5 Feb 2012 | 6:00 pmWe talk to Dan Russell, fundraiser for Green Pastures, an organization that works to provide homes for the homeless. Click to listen now or subscribe at iTunes. -
A Place for Christian Refugees
1 Feb 2012 | 10:25 amFor the past several years, I have taught a class at our church called "For Skeptics Only." Usually populated with spouses and friends of church attenders, they all had one thing in common: disbelief about the Christian faith. Since it was a class for non-Christians we told everyone up front that if they were Christians we would kick them out. And boy was it easy to spot them, with their ironically serious questions about the rapture and whether or not we would still be here for the tribulation. You might imagine how difficult it would be to talk about whether or not the Bible was… -
Question of the Week
31 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmEach week, Neue asks a question that is meant to challenge, inspire and encourage today's ministry leaders. Feel free to respond and discuss in the comment section. This week, we want to know: How does your church make room for doubters and skeptics?
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mattofact.com
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Proclaim Church Presentation – Free in February with a Facebook Post
16 Jan 2012 | 12:32 pmNew Church Presentation Software Free through February. Join something awesome. Proclaim, the latest church presentation software, has simplified Sunday morning. Now pastors, worship leaders, and production staff can build the entire service presentation online throughout the week. No stress. No rush. No madness. Download Proclaim for free or go to www.proclaimonline.com. And for now, it’s completely free through January. Plus, see below how to get continued free use of Proclaim through February with a simple Facebook post. Details below. Why Proclaim? Proclaim is super simple. It’s the… -
The “I can do anything I want to” Generation
15 Jan 2012 | 3:05 pmSNL nails on this one. I didn’t see it live, but forwarded to me like the few things they get right. When you’re marketing or promoting, don’t forget about this crew. You may be doing great talking to their parents, but this crew is a special breed. This SNL skit probably describes a few people you’ve run into. Enjoy! http://www.hulu.com/embed/xOR__JDNXqDVbyr2vZEdzw Mattofact: You can’t do anything just by putting your mind to it. You might be able to do something great if you give your life to it. -
How is your church doing with honoring copyrights?
13 Jan 2012 | 7:26 pmYou may not even know how to answer this question. The smart copyright guys over at Copyright Solver know exactly how to answer this questions, and they’ve made it into a fun AND ANONYMOUS game for your church staff. Simple click the banner below or go to http://www.copyrightsolver.com/reportcard and answer a few questions. You’ll get a grade on how you are doing. You may have a CCLI license, you may work with Copyright Solver, or you may have a number of other licenses. If this quick report isn’t helpful, make sure to connect with a professional on it. For those churches… -
‘Ask the Expert Live’ sponsored by Musicademy
5 Dec 2011 | 4:28 pmThis week on Wednesday 7th December – 7.30pm GMT (London) 2.30pm EST (New York) 11.30am PST (Los Angeles) 6.30am (Australia on 8th Dec) I will be paneling a live discussion with killer group of industry insiders below. We’ll be fielding questions on anything from guitar pedals to info I will comment on – in the area of Church Presentation Software. I hope you can make it! This should be a great time of diving deep into some areas of ministry that worship leaders find useful. Along with any questions that you might have on church presentation software and church media you might… -
RAYSD – Doodle
7 Oct 2011 | 6:23 pmRAYSD is out. This is the a blogazine our editorial and design staff here at Logos have put out. I’m honored to work with a crew that can put a product like this together. Check out the newest issues. They have done a killer job at drilling into great design on the site, and follow suit into each article page. You can get there by going to RAYSD.com or clicking the image below. You’ll enjoy the free music downloads, movie reviews and great articles. Let me know what you think about the site. I was luck to have my “doodle” featured by our design staff in this article.
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Artie Davis
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I’d Rather Be Wrong Than Send Someone to Hell
9 Feb 2012 | 7:12 amI know that sounds kinda crazy. Like I could actually SEND people to hell… I can’t. It’s not up to me. What I can do, though, is put a sour taste in the mouths of unbelievers. What I can do is miss my opportunity to represent Jesus the way He wants to be represented. What I can do is spend my time arguing with other believers about the particulars of our faith rather than sharing what we can agree on with people that desperately need it. So, what do I often do when other believers want to ‘argue’ specialized doctrine and minuet details of our faith? I surrender. -
They Haven’t Met Jesus! They Met You, and Don’t Like YOU!
2 Feb 2012 | 11:31 pmHad a friend Tweet this yesterday… “Just had to defend my faith in a grocery store, a guy just talking junk about Christians, faith…don’t mess with my savior man.” I don’t know many things, but I do know this…Jesus doesn’t need defending. He can certainly defend Himself, quite well. I know my friend didn’t fully understand what they were writing, but the statement causes me great pain. Those Outside the Kingdom Need to See When we make it our mission to “defend” the Gospel, what we do is “Offend” with the… -
10-That Never Change While Leading
1 Feb 2012 | 7:24 amWhen you lead, some lessons are learned easily, some are learned through fire. Wisdom is gained by learning through your own failure, and observing the failure of others. 1- You will never be able to give more to others that what you have gotten from God 2- Those that you choose to be with you will complete or completely destroy the vision 3- No matter what is happening with you, never neglect those with you 4- If you lose your passion you will lose those who followed you for your passion 5- If you lose the vision, you will lose those who followed the vision with you 6- Never let hurt or… -
Are you Paying For it? Twice?
25 Jan 2012 | 7:42 amThe Isrelites constantly lost ground! As they followed God into the promised land and began to take the very ground God had promised, they would sin against God and then fall under His judgment. Consequently, ” I dont like to Retreat. It’s like paying for the same ground twice” ! Gen George S Patton There’s something disheartening about gaining ground, gaining territory, and then having to get it back later. You’ve fought for the land, you’ve battled for the ground you’ve taken, blood has been shared, you’ve stayed awake with it, you’ve… -
Is Your Church Closed… For MLK Day?
16 Jan 2012 | 9:09 amToday is a national holiday honoring one of our countries greatest leaders. The question is… Is your Church office closed? Or, if it’s a smaller church, is the pastor or other PT staff given this day as a paid holiday? Take Our Poll Keep Reading! IF… I could just see what was coming! 10 Signs of a Mult-Ethnic Church What Are Your Greatest Struggles?
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Brandon A. Cox
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Celebrating the Diversity of the Church
6 Feb 2012 | 10:13 amCelebrating the Diversity of the Church is a post from Brandon A. Cox.I grew up white, middle class, and in the mid-south. My high school was diverse, but not peacefully so. Tensions ran high between races, classes, and groups, which was to some degree a reflection of the entire community. I very well should have grown to adulthood with all kinds of prejudice. But God, in His grace, showed me a different way. As a teenager, when I studied the Bible, I couldn’t help but notice that diversity is something God celebrates. Yes, He chose the Jewish people as His own special people, but His… -
The Pro’s and Con’s of Planting a Church In a Movie Theater
30 Jan 2012 | 1:53 pmThe Pro’s and Con’s of Planting a Church In a Movie Theater is a post from Brandon A. Cox.This past Sunday made the fourth week in a row we’ve worshipped in a local movie theater with January 15 being our official launch. We didn’t intend to launch in a theater. I fact, we spent a great deal of time looking at retail spaces, but eventually landed at the Malco because of space, price, and availability. There’s a part of me that fell in love with the idea before we moved in, and has remained attached to it since. Advantages of Meeting In a Theater We know that we… -
Fellow Church Planters, Check Out Velocity 2012
26 Jan 2012 | 6:39 amFellow Church Planters, Check Out Velocity 2012 is a post from Brandon A. Cox.I remember Shawn Lovejoy telling the story of how, when they had their opening service at Mountain Lake Church, he totally forgot to take up the offering, and they couldn’t meet the following two weeks because of ice. I love guys that are real who pour themselves into others, and that’s Shawn. He and his team host an annual conference for church planters and Angie and I have officially purchased plane tickets – so there’s no turning back! If you’re a church planter or a church planting… -
Bobby Minor’s Coaching Network and Truly Mutual Church Planting Partnership
25 Jan 2012 | 6:49 amBobby Minor’s Coaching Network and Truly Mutual Church Planting Partnership is a post from Brandon A. Cox.There are four elements necessary for a church planting movement to succeed: assessment of potential planters, ongoing training, partnership with existing churches, and personal coaching. Bobby Minor has a unique idea for creating a truly mutual partnership between his church plant and existing leaders, while also providing coaching from some of the nation’s leading church leadership thinkers. Bobby is planting Mosaic Church in Durham, North Carolina, a new campus of Mosaic… -
The New and Improved Pastors.com
24 Jan 2012 | 9:00 pmThe New and Improved Pastors.com is a post from Brandon A. Cox. I love Pastors! And I love serving and connecting with Pastors through the greatest website in the web wide world for them – Pastors.com. In January of 2010, I was taken aback by a phone call from David Chrzan, Chief of Staff at Saddleback Church in southern California. We talked for an hour about blogging, online publishing, pastoral ministry, WordPress, and many other related topics. Then he invited me to attend Radicalis, Saddleback’s leadership conference, and I gladly agreed. That was the beginning of a pretty…
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The Navy Christian
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Christian Leadership and Planning
2 Feb 2012 | 6:10 amThe question may come up about planning for the Christian leader. I think you'll answer this question depending on your denominational slant. If you are from a more conservative background, you'll probably think that planning is practically paramount. On the other hand, someone from a Charismatic background might think that planning stifles the Holy Ghost's activity. I am going to base my -
2012 Goals Update: January
1 Feb 2012 | 8:37 amOf the main goals I have for 2012, the first 2 are in running. Both of these take place later in the year as they are two races. While I haven't exactly failed in this goal, since I haven't had a chance to run them yet, I haven't exactly started training for them yet. I could come up with excuses, such as the fact that I was just now able to get new shoes, but the fact is that I've just been -
Biggest Loser Week 2 Update
31 Jan 2012 | 7:38 pmGood thing I'm not on the real biggest loser. I would have been booted off for sure. This week, painful and embarrassing as it was, I GAINED 2 POUNDS! Actually, it wasn't painful at all...just embarrassing. Sometimes I really just screw myself over. This weekend I did that for sure. I ate way too much junk this weekend without keeping my head in the game. So, in the spirit of the Biggest Loser.. -
Week 1 Biggest Loser Results
25 Jan 2012 | 5:23 amI am truly so grateful that I lost any weight at all this week. I know that's not very motivational, but it's true just the same. This week I lost 4 pounds, which again I'm very grateful for. My eating has not come under control, and my workouts aren't great yet. Still, 4 pounds if 4 pounds, and takes me closer to the goal of passing my upcoming Physical Fitness Assessment and winning the Great -
Christians and the Fear of Success
23 Jan 2012 | 6:23 amA lot of Christians are afraid of success, especially in the vocational ministry setting. Even outside of that, in a secular job setting, people are scared of it for some reason. Yet I look at Christ's example and see Him dripping with ambition. He was out to change the world. So it is most certainly possible to be out to change the world, or be successful, and still be meek and humble. This is a
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Cory Center for Children's Ministry » Blog
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Dealing with Anger: Confrontation
7 Feb 2012 | 7:32 amNot to long ago we came home late and my boys needed to get showed and get to bed. I wanted this to happen quickly, it was pushing 10pm. Unfortunately my younger son was the last to use the tub and once again left toys scattered about – driving my 9 year old over the edge. I heard him complain about it to his brother and then heard the water start…seemed like things we moving. As I listened it didn’t sound like anyone was in the shower. They had been moving slow and my own irritation was rising…but I gave it some more time. Still no sounds of actual washing. I went into the… -
Children’s Ministry Ideas: Qpon Monkey
6 Feb 2012 | 7:02 amThis weekend my senior pastor talked about three reasons why people should take God’s challenge in Malachi 3 and give to the church. One of the three reasons was “financial accountability.” In my ministry context, every dollar in the budget goes through a robust, detailed budgeting process. When ministry dollars are spent, each purchase is scrutinized to make sure it was worth the investment and placed in the right budget. At the end of the year our church invites an outside auditor to look over our records and publish a public report. Financial accountability is part of our… -
The Toddler’s Bible Review
2 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amSeveral months ago I found out that one of my favorite children’s Bibles was being rereleased. The Toddler’s Bible, written by V. Gilbert Beers, came out in 1992 to great acclaim. The author, a ministry and publishing veteran, knew that in order to engage the 2-3 year old mind, heart, and eyes that he would have to “become a toddler.“ It worked. Here are five things I love about this children’s Bible. 1. Brilliant artwork: When you glance at The Toddler’s Bible cover, you’ll immediately be struck by the vivid illustrations created by Claudine Gévry (click here to visit… -
Dealing with Anger: Rights vs Forgiveness
31 Jan 2012 | 6:28 amLast week I began to talk about minimizing outbursts of anger in your classroom by providing order so that we can help our children know what to expect. However, there is a catch: when we establish rules and routines not only do we help children understand what to expect (a good thing) we can also lead them into the perception that they have certain “rights” and perhaps they do. When these rights (actual or imagined) are violated children can become angry. In these cases it is vital that we make sure that we are debriefing children who are angry so we can understand their… -
Children’s Ministry Ideas: Office Hours with Michelle Anthony
30 Jan 2012 | 6:52 amI’ve spent the last 8 years in full-time ministry. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that ministry is done best in collaboration. Yet, there have been so many times in ministry that I have pulled away from conspiring with other children’s and family ministry leaders and as a result become far too self-dependent. However, asking questions and networking with leaders is a great way to spur personal leadership development and grow in ministry. This is why I’m so excited about Office Hours with Michelle Anthony. Michelle Anthony, Family Ministry Architect at David C…
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the running reverend
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David Fitch asks, "Is church planting difficult?" What do you think? (( tags: church, planting, church planting, mission, missional))
9 Feb 2012 | 3:42 pmDavid Fitch from Together in Mission on Vimeo. -
"Can't Buy Me Love," But You Sure Can Try...
7 Feb 2012 | 11:46 amThis morning I stumbled across this iconograph from H&R Block. According to their data, the... -
Generation Flux and the Church
6 Feb 2012 | 11:50 pmOur institutions are out of date; the long career is dead; any quest for solid rules is pointless,... -
Running Shoe Review: VivoBarefoot Evo Mesh
6 Feb 2012 | 3:15 pmI’ve been a proud owner and wearer of Vibram Five Fingers. Originally, I purchased my Vibrams... -
"Read the Bible It Will Scare the Hell Out of You."
4 Feb 2012 | 12:15 pmToday, on our way to Clearfield we passed a church whose sign contained the aforementioned message....
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Matt Carlisle
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New Website Launch for Northern Illinois Conference Foundation
7 Feb 2012 | 9:04 amI am proud to announce the launch of http://www.nicumf.org, the official website of the United Methodist Foundation of the Northern Illinois Conference, Inc. The Foundation partners with individuals, United Methodist churches, agencies, and the Northern Illinois Annual Conference to increase funding for ministry. Charitable websites often focus too much on the money and miss the mission and ministry. I believe that the Foundation's new website illustrates the impact of their benevolence. -
New Website Launch for Christ United Methodist Church
2 Feb 2012 | 5:44 pmI am proud to announce the launch of ChristUMCFranklin.org, the official website of Christ United Methodist Church located in Franklin, Tennessee. Christ United Methodist is a congregation that is about relationships—with Christ, with one another and with God’s hurting world. -
Profile: Steve Fogg of Crossway
2 Nov 2011 | 10:40 amI recently had the pleasure of conducting a virtual interview with Steve Fogg. A great resource for many church communicators, Steve serves as the “big cheese” of communications at his church, Crossway, located in Melbourne, Australia. -
Don’t Miss Upcoming Church Social Media Training
29 Sep 2011 | 11:29 amNext week I will be traveling to Springfield, Illinois to lead a social media ministry training event for the Illinois Great Rivers Conference of The United Methodist Church. If you live in the area, I encourage you to join me. -
Archiving Church History Forever
22 Sep 2011 | 10:34 amAt the heart of any web development project or communications strategy are the stories. Stories of how the church is reaching out in ministry to the community, member testimonials, as well as the history. Often times these stories are lost because they aren’t passed down to the next generation, or no one has taken the time to keep a record.
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Mark Batterson
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Connoisseur of Testimonies
8 Feb 2012 | 3:56 pmI’ve never used the word “connoisseur” in any context besides food, but I feel like I’m becoming a connoisseur of testimonies. I’m loving the stories I’m hearing from readers of The Circle Maker! My faith is on fire! I’m always praying that God would get my books in the right hands at the right time. I heard today from a pastor in Tampa who was reading The Circle Maker and when he got to the paragraph where I wrote about praying circles around our children he stopped reading and started praying. At that very moment, his son was in a car… -
Pick a Fight
8 Feb 2012 | 6:46 amLast week I was in a symposium on human trafficking at the National Prayer Breakfast and one of the speakers was Bob Goff. I’ve wanted to meet Bob for quite some time. In fact, we’re inviting him to speak at National Community Church this year. His life is a prayer, an art form, an example to follow! One thing he said got in my spirit and I can’t get it out: pick a fight. That’s his motto or mantra and that’s what you’re doing if you’re going after human traffickers! Isn’t that what Jesus did when he threw down in the temple and drove out… -
The Circle Maker Curriculum
6 Feb 2012 | 9:23 pmOne of my prayers for The Circle Maker is that people would NOT read it by themselves! It’s best read in community as prayer partners, small groups or book clubs. The ultimate goal is for readers to form prayer circles and one of the best ways to do that is to leverage the DVD and participant’s guide for small groups. Both are included in The Curriculum Kit. Check out session 1 of the curriculum here. We’ll launch 30+ Circle Maker groups this week at National Community Church. And that comes on the heels of The Circle Maker sermon series and 21-Day Prayer Challenge. … -
A Prayer Tsunami
5 Feb 2012 | 5:56 pmI know that tsunami has a negative connotation because it brings destruction, but it’s the image that comes to mind when I think of a prayer movement. Every prayer starts a ripple. The ripple becomes a wave. The wave becomes an unstoppable force. Ultimately, our prayer waves catch up and overtake us with the power of a tsunami. A tsunami consists of longer waves that form a wave train. The genesis is often a shifting of tectonic plates deep beneath the surface of the ocean. That subterranean shifting sends shock waves to the surface. Pray long enough. Pray hard enough. The… -
Outer Courts
3 Feb 2012 | 6:56 amWhen you are living in prayer mode–an open mind, open heart, open spirit–it’s amazing how much you can hear. All I know is that Spirit is speaking all the time. But only he who has the ear of Samuel can hear the still, small voice. During our 21-Day Prayer Challenge, I filled an entire prayer journal with promptings, impressions, thoughts and ideas. The flow of revelation went from a trickle to a fire hydrant. I’d be talking to people and God would start talking to me. There was a heightened sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and His prayer promptings. …
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Liberty Church NYC | New York City
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Video: Liberty Church News Feb 5th
7 Feb 2012 | 12:34 pmAll the latest from Liberty Church NYC. Liberty Church News Feb 5th | Liberty Church NYC | Paul & Andi Andrew | New York City Related posts: Video: Liberty Church News Video: Liberty Church News Jan 1st Video: Liberty Church News Jan 8th Related posts: Video: Liberty Church News Video: Liberty Church News Jan 1st Video: Liberty Church News Jan 8th -
Video: Liberty Church News Jan 29th
1 Feb 2012 | 2:56 pmAll the latest from Liberty Church NYC. Liberty Church News Jan 29th | Liberty Church NYC | Paul & Andi Andrew | New York City Related posts: Video: Liberty Church News Jan 8th Video: Liberty Church News Dec 18th Video: Liberty Church News Related posts: Video: Liberty Church News Jan 8th Video: Liberty Church News Dec 18th Video: Liberty Church News -
“Finding Your Voice” Andi Andrew – Podcast
1 Feb 2012 | 8:17 amSubscribe in iTunes to the LibertyChurchNYC podcast to receive new teaching automatically. Andi Andrew preached this message called “Finding Your Voice” at our services in Tribeca and Union Square on January 29th. Sunday Services- Tribeca – Tribeca Cinemas 11am Union Square – New York Film Academy 7pm Related posts: “The Year Of The Lord’s Favor” Paul [...] Related posts: “The Year Of The Lord’s Favor” Paul Andrew – Podcast “It Is Written” Andi Andrew – Podcast “No Turning Back” Paul Andrew –… -
“The Year Of The Lord’s Favor” Paul Andrew – Podcast
26 Jan 2012 | 10:54 amSubscribe in iTunes to the LibertyChurchNYC podcast to receive new teaching automatically. Paul Andrew preached this message called “The Year Of The Lord’s Favor” at our services in Tribeca and Union Square at our First Anniversary Celebration services on January 22nd. Sunday Services- Tribeca – Tribeca Cinemas 11am Union Square – New York Film Academy 7pm [...] Related posts: “No Turning Back” Paul Andrew – Podcast “Remain” Paul Andrew – Podcast “Go” Paul Andrew – Podcast -
VIDEO: “Our Story” – First Anniversary Documentary
25 Jan 2012 | 7:12 pmThe story of Liberty Church being planted in New York City. This documentary was shown at the First Anniversary Celebration services in 2012. (select 720p for HD quality) Related posts: First Anniversary Celebration – Sun Jan 22nd “It Is Written” Andi Andrew – Podcast New Year’s Day – 7pm Service in Tribeca Related posts: First Anniversary Celebration – Sun Jan 22nd “It Is Written” Andi Andrew – Podcast New Year’s Day – 7pm Service in Tribeca
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MarkHowellLive.com
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Dilbert on Conference Call Etiquette
9 Feb 2012 | 5:57 amMy 2012 Small Group Ministry Coaching Network kicks off today. This classic Dilbert seemed like an appropriate opener. Anyone who’s spent time on a conference call will get this right away: Top 10 Posts for January, 2012 2011's Most Popular Articles Here Are My Favorite Posts -
Can a Church of 300 Exceed 100% in Groups?
8 Feb 2012 | 5:50 amI get a lot of questions. I love getting them and when possible, I love answering them individually. And sometimes they’re so representative of the questions many people have…I just have to answer them here. Here’s one that I think will hit the needs of a lot of people. It came in last week. In the last two years our 8 year old church has doubled in size and we average about 300 in weekly attendance, with about 170 adults and about half of those adults regularly attending a small group. Over the last two years our small group participation hasn’t grown at nearly… -
They Like Jesus But Not the Church…a Great Resource from Dan Kimball
7 Feb 2012 | 5:50 amLooking for resources that will help your group members begin to understand the culture in which we live? You may want to take a look at Dan Kimball’s 6 session study, They Like Jesus But Not the Church. Published by Zondervan in 2008, it is nowhere near out of date. Extremely relevant and very much in line with the discoveries in David Kinnaman’s unChristian and You Lost Me, as well as Gabe Lyon’s The Next Christians, this is a very good resource. If you’re unfamiliar, Dan Kimball has been a leading voice in the emerging church movement as well as a sought… -
The Teeny Tiny Detail at the Bottom of this Saddleback Page
6 Feb 2012 | 5:50 amIn a recent article I pointed out 5 Transferable Website Concepts from Saddleback’s Recent Campaign Launch. I believe you can learn a lot about how the most effective small group ministry in America works…if you just keep your eyes open. Can I point out one more super important concept? Honestly, I think I noticed it subliminally, but it was only when I got an email from Steve Gladen pointing it out that I really recognized the potential impact of this simple idea. What is it? This is the page I pointed out last week. If you take a look, you’ll observe several of the… -
Celebrating 800: Here are My Favorite Posts (501-800)
3 Feb 2012 | 5:50 amIn December of 2010 I wrote my 500th post here at MarkHowellLive.com. I celebrated the mile-marker by compiling a list of my 10 favorite posts. Not ranked according to pageviews (the way my monthly top 10 most popular is ranked), but on the basis of my favorites. If you’re wondering what I’m about, you might go back and take a look at that post. This morning, I wrote my 800th. Actually, it kind of slipped up on me. I meant to mark my 750th post, but missed it. So…here are my favorites from 501 to 800. If you missed anything, hope you’ll take a look: Clue…
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the mayward blog
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The Grey
6 Feb 2012 | 8:42 amIn a film season usually devoid of quality new releases, The Grey is a breath of fresh air. Well, maybe not as refreshing as that. This is about as grim and grisly as they come, but it might not be what the trailers lead one to believe. If you approach this film as a Liam Neeson action flick ("it's like Taken, but with wolves") then you may miss its meditative tone and spiritual insights. The Grey centers on Ottway (Liam Neeson), a broken and hardened man living at the end of the world in northern Alaska. He works for an oil company as a sniper, defending the pipeline workers… -
Sarcasm and Justice
1 Feb 2012 | 9:18 amIn 1865, a Tennessee man wrote to his emancipated former slave, Jourdan Anderson, asking Jourdan to come back and work for him on his farm. Jourdan, who lived in Ohio with his family and had subsequently found work, wrote a brilliant (and sarcastic) response, in which he asked for all the wages for the time he worked as a slave: Mandy says she would be afraid to go back without some proof that you were disposed to treat us justly and kindly; and we have concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time we served you. This will make us forget and forgive old… -
On Fatherhood, Again
30 Jan 2012 | 3:00 amI'm a father again. My second child was born this past weekend. A daughter. Her eyes are bright, and while she is petite in size, she is strong in heart and grip. When my son was born, I was struck with how much one's capacity for love could miraculously increase in a single moment. As much as I had loved before, the love of a parent transcended all prior experiences, as if a house that had been seemingly explored suddenly produced a hidden door yet to be opened. With that door opened, my heart was flooded with a deep captivation for the tiny boy I held in my arms. Could I love that much… -
Eloise Evangeline Mayward
29 Jan 2012 | 3:00 amWe welcomed our daughter, Eloise Evangeline Mayward, into the world on January 28 at 9:20 PM. She's 5 pounds, 14 ounces, with bright eyes and a calm demeanor. We love her deeply. Eloise means "famous warrior." Evangeline finds its roots in euangelium, meaning "gospel" or "good news." We're grateful and blessed to have a strong and healthy daughter. -
What Is The Gospel, Really?
27 Jan 2012 | 10:50 amWhat is the gospel? It's a simple question, but with potentially complex answers. One volunteer guessed that only about a quarter of the students in our ministry could answer it accurately and with any confidence. I felt like that percentage was too low, seeing that one of my core ministry values is the Gospel is everything. Every message I give, every opportunity that comes up, every spiritual conversation, and every prayer comes back to the Gospel for me. It's all about the good news of Jesus. Yet maybe the news isn't getting through. For a missions trip I'm leading this summer, we asked…
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CharlieWhitlow.com
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The Way I See It
2 Feb 2012 | 2:59 pmMany Christians live under a heavy burden of guilt-a joy & strength zapping feeling because of what they’ve been taught. Certain behaviors & opinions are wrongly made out to be of monumental importance-to be BIG sins, deal killers-that aren’t even on God’s radar screen. If we are not careful, additional standards of righteousness & holiness are gently & compassionately added on until the burden is unbearable. In fact, it was a burden we were never meant to bear. Religious zeal without calm, critical & logical thinking almost always ends up hurting the… -
2011 in Review at Community Church
3 Jan 2012 | 8:17 pmWell, 2011 is in the history books now. Here are a few highlights & 1 low light we shared together as a church family. In February, during our Sextastic series Jill preached to one of our largest crowds on the subject of ‘Marital Sex’. If you missed it…well, what can I say but sorry! Every couple present received the best ‘sex’ counseling for free. Just think about that benefit. Every Sunday we at Community get superior life ‘counseling’ from scripture just by showing up regularly & paying attention…but I digress. For those that missed Jill’s ‘Marital Sex’ talk… -
New Series: BeChristmas
23 Nov 2011 | 12:03 pmChristmas is the time that we remember & celebrate the birth of Christ—our liberator & redeemer. Christ is central to Christianity. In reality, he is the center piece of humanity. But, Christianity is NOT just believing the right stuff about Christ, even though this is critical. It is also doing the right stuff. So, our goal this Advent season, is to focus intently on NOT just celebrating Christmas but being Christmas; on NOT just believing in Christ BUT actually being like Christ; on NOT just thinking right but translating our theology into behaviors everybody can understand. Well,… -
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting
1 Nov 2011 | 11:00 amOur 21 days of unbroken prayer & fasting is on! (Sun Oct 30th – Sat Nov 19th) If you haven’t signed up for a time slot, feel free to jump in at anytime. You can pick a slot here. Ok, here is a reminder about what we’re praying about. (Of course, you can pray about other things but these have our attention as a church family) Prayer Themes: 1) Re-surrender: Throughout our spiritual journeys the Lord continually checks our attitudes (our hearts) to see if they are still right. Truly, the only acceptable offering we can give is to be a ‘living sacrifice.’ (Romans 12:1)… -
5 Don’ts on Halloween
31 Oct 2011 | 9:30 pmIf I were Satan what would I want believers doing on Halloween? To me, that’s the same as asking what does Satan want believers doing any other day of the year whether it’s Halloween, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, the 4th of July or whatever. So, what does he want? He wants us to miss opportunities to intermingle with our neighbors & community. He wants us to excuse ourselves from this ‘pagan’ holiday so we remain holy. He wants us to keep far away from…our neighbors & their Satanic custom of ‘trick-or-treating’ lest we are tricked ourselves into…
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ChurchKreatives
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Mars Hill Using Pinterest: Just More Spam?
7 Feb 2012 | 10:00 amI love Mars Hill. I love their pastor. I love their use of media arts. I love that they are daring, forward thinking, and innovative. But I’m [...] -
Study: Why People Use Facebook
17 Jan 2012 | 2:06 pmThe answer to the question, “why do people use Facebook?” can be simplified with two answers. 1. The need to belong 2. The need for self-presentation According [...] -
Infographic: The World of Megachurches
27 Nov 2011 | 3:59 pmInteresting infographic from Good Magazine. The sources for the stats come from Leadership Network, Christian Post, and Forbes. A few things to note here: Almost half of [...] -
History Of The CBS Eye Logo
26 Nov 2011 | 9:25 pm“The History of the CBS Eye Logo” tells the story of the iconic, 60 year old CBS logo, which was created in 1951 by designer William Golden. [...] -
(video) The Godfather of Typography Videos
15 Nov 2011 | 12:05 amTypographers and designers owe Saul Bass some props. He was ahead of his time with design. He nearly single-handedly turn movie titles into an artform. Previous to [...]
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The Discipleship Diary
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The Deadly Sin of Self-righteousness Part 2
27 Jan 2012 | 5:59 pm“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.” –Is 14:12-14It was a deadly mix of pride, hypocrisy and self-righteousness that, in the beginning, caused the created to revolt against his Creator. Lucifer, the most beautiful of… -
The Deadly Sin of Self-righteousness
20 Jan 2012 | 12:17 pmWould you be surprised to learn that the deadliest of sins, self-righteousness is not as obvious as one may think? It’s curious and decadent wrapping makes it all the more dangerous. Having its roots in hypocrisy, it manifests in myriads of ways that are not often viewed for what they really are. Examine the story of the blind man healed by Jesus in John 9. The Pharisees, critical of all Jesus’ works, sought occasion to accuse Him of breaking the Law of God. They did not see the fruit of His work in the confident, young man that stood before them eloquently sharing the testimony of how he… -
How to make the best of 2012
6 Jan 2012 | 9:19 amHaving finally entered into the New Year, I decided it might be a fitting time to outline some tips on how we can make the best of 2012. I hope you find them encouraging and helpful.-Put God first in your life and seek Him for guidance in your decision - making. (Ps 119:105, Ps 37:23)-Embrace a positive attitude and surround yourself with positive people of faith. (Num 13:30, Num 14:6-10)-Decide on the legacy you would like to leave behind. Your legacy will impact on the vision you have for your future. Remember, legacies are not comprised solely of things of monetary value but rather… -
A Message for the New Year - 2012
31 Dec 2011 | 1:35 pmTime has flown by! Tomorrow, should the grace of God allow, we will greet the first day of the new year. 2011 has been a year of new experiences for some and tragedy for others. We have definitely been reminded of the brevity of time for the coming of our Lord; the signs have been more pronounced than ever before. We should know where our priorities lie.2011 brought with it an increase in natural disasters. Storms, cyclones, floods, tornadoes, tsunamis and earthquakes have been commonplace, and the second biggest nuclear disaster the world has experienced since Chernobyl shocked… -
Pilgrim
24 Dec 2011 | 11:00 amI am a pilgrim on a journeyTo the Promised Land;I have asked God for guidance, That He would take my hand…Often anxious, often wearyAs meandering paths I treadI remember my Saviour;He had no place to lay His head…I will trust Him for He already has traveled this narrow way;He is my fire by night, my pillar of cloud by dayHe will never leave me, nor forsake me;His Promise is sureI will be with Him in His Kingdom, Where we will dwell forevermore…While I journey on this road,I find tokens of His love:The garden of tears, The Cross on which He shed His blood…He died to relieve meOf my…
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Pray Chat
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Tell me that ill never be set free
2 Feb 2012 | 12:40 pmPray i find a new planet with a friendly breed of aliens cause I Hate this place so much and i don’t want to spend eternity in heaven or hell with any of you -
mending souls
30 Jan 2012 | 11:41 amI’ve been praying about this for months, but feel as though I need to ask for help from others. My relationship is slipping away, the man I am inlove with is going through something, I don’t know what. Midlife crisis? Crisis of self? Whatever it is, he’s pulling further and further away. There is a harridan who’s stepped into our lives, as the guise of a “friend” first to me, and then to him. I recognized her lies and uses for waht they were, but he has a ‘knight complex’ and feels the need to help. I would not mind helping, if her need was… -
Urgent Prayer for Relationship close to the edge
30 Jan 2012 | 11:41 amHello My relationship has been so strained lately, things are so complicated and me and her have ended up in a massive argument. Although I am not ‘angry’ towards her, she is very very much so towards me. Please I beg, Pray that her feelings of anger will be wiped away and replaced by a calmness and that we will talk very soon in a calm and loving way about everything. Please help, this is so urgent ~ Thank you, God Bless! -
A maricle
30 Jan 2012 | 11:41 amMy grandmother had recently had a stroke. She is at the peak of death. It seems like every time she improves just alittle the devil sinks his claws in and she’s back to where she started, suffering. Every hope I have that god would heal her is just faded. -
My Brother’s healing
24 Jan 2012 | 2:32 pmPlease pray that my brother is healed spiritually & that he is no longer angry at me. No email reply is needed. Thank you.
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GC Ministry
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What if Starbucks Marketed Like a Church? A Parable.
7 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amGC MinistryI found this hilarious video on YouTube the other day. It poses the question “What if Starbucks Marketed Like a Church?” I thought it was hilarious and yet very thought-provoking. It gets to the heart of why you need a personal real relationship with God. You may never look at church the same way again. Do you see anything wrong here?No related posts.What if Starbucks Marketed Like a Church? A Parable. -
The Power of One
2 Feb 2012 | 9:00 amGC MinistryTraveling What is the power of one? That is the question I am exploring today in my guest post for my friend Kevin Martineau on Shooting The Breeze. Stop in and check it out!Related posts: Favourite Links Friday – 3 Great Posts Favorite Friday Links Sept 30, 2011 David’s Heart – - Rainbow Heart Love Blog The Power of One -
Kari Jobe: We Are (acoustic version)
1 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amGC MinistryKari Jobe: We Are (acoustic version) I had the fortunate opportunity to hear Kari Jobe in concert last year. Her heart was so tender for worship and I had such an amazing time. I wanted to share with you this beautiful studio Version of her song We Are. I hope you enjoy this weeks video. What are some ways we can let our light shine?Related posts: Gungor-Beautiful Things Casting Crowns – Just Another Birthday Chris Tomlin: I Will Rise Kari Jobe: We Are (acoustic version) -
Cover WP Theme Added
29 Jan 2012 | 8:26 pmGC MinistryCover WP Theme New Cover WP Theme As you may have noticed, I changed the theme over the weekend. The previous one broke during some updates and I found this one while looking for a replacement. I hope you like the following new features: Featured Posts Popular Posts on Front Page Lighter Color Faster Code Added Page Navigation on Home Page Let Me Know What You Think. Related posts: Housekeeping Duties Cover WP Theme Added -
Has God Spoken?: Proof of the Bible’s Divine Inspiration – Hank Hanegraaff
27 Jan 2012 | 6:24 amGC MinistryYes He Has! Has God Spoken?: Proof of the Bible’s Divine Inspiration – Hank Hanegraaff Great Apologetics Book Has God Spoken?: Proof of the Bible’s Divine Inspiration by Hank Hanegraaff is a wonderful book dedicated to exploring the topic of the claim the bible is the word of God. Great Christian Resource Has God Spoken is a treasure of knowledge for you to investigate whether the Bible is truly the word of God. Hank Hanegraaff shares this knowledge in four easy to remember components. He uses the acronym MAPS to help you remember what they are: Manuscript COPIES…
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Artie Davis
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I’d Rather Be Wrong Than Send Someone to Hell
9 Feb 2012 | 7:12 amI know that sounds kinda crazy. Like I could actually SEND people to hell… I can’t. It’s not up to me. What I can do, though, is put a sour taste in the mouths of unbelievers. What I can do is miss my opportunity to represent Jesus the way He wants to be represented. What I can do is spend my time arguing with other believers about the particulars of our faith rather than sharing what we can agree on with people that desperately need it. So, what do I often do when other believers want to ‘argue’ specialized doctrine and minuet details of our faith? I surrender. -
They Haven’t Met Jesus! They Met You, and Don’t Like YOU!
2 Feb 2012 | 11:31 pmHad a friend Tweet this yesterday… “Just had to defend my faith in a grocery store, a guy just talking junk about Christians, faith…don’t mess with my savior man.” I don’t know many things, but I do know this…Jesus doesn’t need defending. He can certainly defend Himself, quite well. I know my friend didn’t fully understand what they were writing, but the statement causes me great pain. Those Outside the Kingdom Need to See When we make it our mission to “defend” the Gospel, what we do is “Offend” with the… -
10-That Never Change While Leading
1 Feb 2012 | 7:24 amWhen you lead, some lessons are learned easily, some are learned through fire. Wisdom is gained by learning through your own failure, and observing the failure of others. 1- You will never be able to give more to others that what you have gotten from God 2- Those that you choose to be with you will complete or completely destroy the vision 3- No matter what is happening with you, never neglect those with you 4- If you lose your passion you will lose those who followed you for your passion 5- If you lose the vision, you will lose those who followed the vision with you 6- Never let hurt or… -
Are you Paying For it? Twice?
25 Jan 2012 | 7:42 amThe Isrelites constantly lost ground! As they followed God into the promised land and began to take the very ground God had promised, they would sin against God and then fall under His judgment. Consequently, ” I dont like to Retreat. It’s like paying for the same ground twice” ! Gen George S Patton There’s something disheartening about gaining ground, gaining territory, and then having to get it back later. You’ve fought for the land, you’ve battled for the ground you’ve taken, blood has been shared, you’ve stayed awake with it, you’ve… -
Is Your Church Closed… For MLK Day?
16 Jan 2012 | 9:09 amToday is a national holiday honoring one of our countries greatest leaders. The question is… Is your Church office closed? Or, if it’s a smaller church, is the pastor or other PT staff given this day as a paid holiday? Take Our Poll Keep Reading! IF… I could just see what was coming! 10 Signs of a Mult-Ethnic Church What Are Your Greatest Struggles?
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All Articles
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What is the Holiest Vocation?
9 Feb 2012 | 11:42 amIt's about time someone came out and said it: all vocations are equal before God. All believers and followers of Christ have the same access to the same graces from God. I've been realizing that we should focus more in our lives on who we are becoming, than where we are going. As Martin Smith said at a recent conference at Hillsong, "being a history maker is whole lot less about what goes on up here [on the stage] and a whole lot more about what's going on in here [in our hearts]. I can't stop thinking about Daniel lately. I posted on my facebook two weeks ago - "Daniel knew how to… -
So Much to Do, So Little Time
4 Feb 2012 | 4:00 pmLife is busy for many of us. As we serve the Lord with all of our hearts, He puts opportunities in our path to bless others and build His Kingdom. All of this can add up to an overwelming task. I have seen many Christian leaders who handled incredible amounts of tasks with ease. It would seem impossible, but they work day in and day out accomplishing more than many of us might ever have to handle. There are many things to be done in God's Kingdom. Thank goodness that it does not all depend on us. The Body of Christ is many parts working together for the common goal of lifting up Christ for… -
In the New Year...
4 Feb 2012 | 3:42 pmOne of my prayers for this New Year is two-fold: That I would be bold to pray for, and step into all God has for me, but also that I would not be too ambitious or unwise. There is a fine line here. Scripture says that "The righteous are bold as a lion." There should be a certain boldness to those people who follow God. Do we realize that "everything he has belongs to us?" Do we realize that we have power with God to move mountains? If we are not happy with our current circumstances, we have all authority in Christ to "approach the throne of grace" and pray for change. We are never… -
Steward Your Health - part 3
13 Jan 2012 | 12:45 pmOur health is about more than our weight. Our health plays a role in every part of our lives - including our spirituality and our ability to glorify God and advance the Gospel. In this final article of this "Steward Your Health" blog series, here are a few other key ways to steward our health for the glory of God: Be intentional about drinking water Experts tell us we need far more than 8 glasses of water per day. It is actually more like 11-15 glasses of water. We don't naturally drink this much. We have to adjust our normal to get used to this. I've noticed that I don't even get… -
Steward Your Health - part 2
13 Jan 2012 | 12:43 pmAs part of this "Steward Your Health" blog series, so that we may live long, and live well for the glory of God and the advancement of the Gospel around the world ... part of protecting our health and our bodies is not only watching what we eat, but eating more of the right kinds of foods. Here is a great, short list of several dozen of Mayo Clinic's most potent, foods that are healthiest for your heart: SalmonOatmealBlack beansAlmondsWalnutsTunaBrown riceSoy milkBlueberriesCarrotsSpinachBroccoliSweet potatoRed bell peppersAsparagusOrangesTomatoesAcorn squash CantaloupeDark…
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RobShep.com
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Beautiful Disaster
9 Feb 2012 | 4:30 amI’m a disaster. Without Jesus I’m a mess. I’m lost. I’m spiritually dead. I’m without hope. But Jesus changes everything. He makes me a new creation. He takes my mess and makes it beautiful. I’m still not perfect. I screw up daily. Thanks you Jesus for your grace and forgiveness. I’m a beautiful disaster. 2 Corinthians 5:17 -
I Can’t Support That: Maternity Picture Edition
8 Feb 2012 | 4:44 amI tend to challenge the process. I see things and start asking questions about why things are the way that they are. That has led me to a series that I like to call “I Can’t Support That.” I get that people want their picture taken when they are maternal. It’s an exciting time. What I don’t get is pictures that should be private but are shared with the entire world. The following are some maternity pictures that I just can’t support… How are child services not taking this kid away the moment he is born. I’m scared and therefore I can’t support this. I… -
I’m Either Really Stupid Or I Have A Lot Of Faith
7 Feb 2012 | 4:41 amIn this economy it is stupid to plant a church. Without having a large group of people going with you, it’s stupid to plant a church. Some would say that while there are so many churches that it’s stupid to plant a new church. In fact one person said of me that I’m either really stupid, or I have a lot of faith. I like to think it’s the latter rather than the former. I feel like God is leading me to plant a church. It doesn’t make sense, but that’s why I love it. If it made sense I would doubt that it was from God. I have no financial support, no… -
How Do I Say Goodbye To Waters Edge?
6 Feb 2012 | 4:37 amWhen I was in third grade, I was forced to go to choir once a week at my public school. Now I say I was forced so I don’t lose street cred. The truth is I loved it! I remember singing about Puff the Magic Dragon and believing that the song was actually about a Dragon and not an illegal substance that gives you the munchies. So I’ve heard. I’ve never smoked it. I digress. Another song that I vividly remember is Turn! Turn! Turn! (Everything there is a season). I LOVED that song. I grew up in the 80′s. Come to think about it I’m not sure why my choir director… -
Mind Dump
3 Feb 2012 | 4:26 amMy brain is constipated with random thoughts. It’s time to free up some more space with another Mind Dump… For the first time in my life I’m a thief. I feel so guilty about this. I robbed from a bank. Go big or go home right? To my knowledge there isn’t a warrant out for my arrest…yet. I accidentally stole a pen from the teller at the bank. It’s been sitting in my car for a week. I hope to bring it back to them today. I signed my check and for some reason put their pen in my car. I didn’t notice until I got home. I’m a thief. Sigh. I have a…
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News and prayer information from Richard and Pinuccia Wilson
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Training and equiping
5 Feb 2012 | 4:19 pmDuring the week, there was a training and coordination meeting for all the group leaders – the five Bible study groups, the four “specialized” groups (Youth, Young Adults, university students, English language) and the three Sunday School classes. I was a bit surprised when I counted them all, and arrived at 23 people. And then there is the same number again serving in other ministries in the church: welcoming, preaching, Sunday School assistants, prayer, music, our social-cultural association, and son on. Half the church mobilised for ministry in some way. When I started… -
Social work
29 Jan 2012 | 2:57 pmToday there was the annual general meeting of Altrimenti, the social-cultural association run by people of the church. There was nothing new in the meeting, but it was good to be able to take a step back and see all that has been done in the past three years. It has worked in overseas aid (Romania and Cameroon), helped refugees and other foreigners in the province, and organised cultural events (conferences and theatre on freedom and human rights, games for people at the street markets), which meant a turnover of more than €10,000 last year. But more than that, it has been a time of making… -
Meeting week
22 Jan 2012 | 3:08 pmThis coming week there are a few special meetings to pray for. Tomorrow night Pinuccia leads a meeting to plan for the children’s camp in June. I should be at the meeting as well, as I will be one of the leaders of the camp, but I will be staying at home with the children. I have already written up my contributions, which Pinuccia will take to the meeting, and I hope that the others will not decide in my absence that I will have to do most of the work to prepare for the camp. On Tuesday there will be a meeting of most of the ECM missionaries in Italy at our house, until I have to leave… -
Trips
8 Jan 2012 | 2:34 pmWe arrived back home from Sicily on Friday afternoon. Just enough time to get unpacked, sort the house out, and have a bit of a rest, before the other three go back to school tomorrow. And I get back to preparing Bible studies, other meetings, and programming. As usual, a lot of our time in Sicily was spent with friends and relatives, eating a lot and having late nights. The nights certainly disrupted the children’s usual life style, although in some ways it did make life it a bit easier for me. I tended to go to bed at my normal time, but with the children exhausted and waking up a lot… -
‘Twas the week before Christmas, and beta 1 arrives in many stockings
18 Dec 2011 | 4:15 pmLike everybody else, this week coming up to Christmas is different from normal. I only have the one Bible study to go to, which will be a more informal affair with a video and eating to finish up the year, before starting a new series on Isaiah in January. On the other hand, there is the band’s biggest concert of the year on Friday night (a co-production with a local dancing school in the town’s indoor sports centre, with more than a hundred performers), so there are some extra rehearsals for that. School for the other three family members ends on Thursday, and there will be a bit…
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Will Mancini
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7 Reasons Why Your Church Should Create an Annual Report
6 Feb 2012 | 9:50 amYou’ve heard of annual reports, but have you thought of creating one for your church? The point of course is not to imitate a common corporate practice, but to leverage every opportunity to cast vision. As we scan a few reasons why you should do this, let’s start with a definition. Wiki: An annual report is a comprehensive report on a company’s activities throughout the preceding year. Annual reports are intended to give shareholders and other interested people information about the company’s activities and financial performance. The details provided in the report… -
What’s Your Surprising Proposition?
28 Jan 2012 | 10:44 amIn Church 3.0, Neil Cole discusses several catalysts for creating movement. One of them is called the “Surprising Proposition.” First of all why would anyone want to go through life without a Surprising Proposition to share? If we belong to the infinite creator God, are being transformed into the likeness of the living Jesus, and are leading others into eternally significant ministry, wouldn’t it be natural to have a few bold ideas to guide your leadership? Sure it would. And, it’s more than worth the time to process, pray, dialogue, wrestle, sweat and figure it out. -
Great Vision, Bad Execution – 6 Common Mistakes
23 Jan 2012 | 5:08 pmIt’s a delight to watch teams get clear on the future. But it’s a fright to see that hard work of visioning go south when it comes to execution. If the work of visioning can be compared to taking a journey, there are six mistakes I see most: #1 Spinning Wheel Decision-making. Sometimes a team can have a great vision process only to get bogged down in complex or ineffective decision-making after the fact. On a car ride of a thousand miles, the spark plugs fire a thousands times each mile. If the little steps to make the vision happen don’t fire, you’ll only putter… -
Five Steps for Courageously Tweaking Your Ministry
17 Jan 2012 | 9:17 amStep One: Ask “Who?” Consider who created the pattern, the model, “the how” of your particular ministry area or ministry responsibility. Did it come from a book, another church (conference), the previous pastor? Someone was the designer. Who was it? Step Two: Ask “Why?” Consider the motives and the intent of the person who designed the ministry you lead. Why did the originator of the ministry make the decisions they made? Why is your ministry designed the way it is? What problems were they trying to solve? What were their assumptions? Step Three: Ask… -
Taking Vision Public, Step 6: Talking Your Church’s Vision Daily
6 Jan 2012 | 8:24 amDrip, drip, drip. It’s constant and you can’t not think about it. I know, I know, it’s a double negative. But haven’t you experienced that when you hear a drip somewhere in your house? You become obsessed with finding the source of the drip. Usually I don’t like using illustrations that have a negative connotation, but the final step to taking vision public is to drip it daily, and this constant dripping is a great way to think about it. Near the end of Church Unique, I describe your leaders as the engine of your vision. Without leaders that are aligned with…
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Christian Times Online :: Praise, Worship, Discipleship :: Free Christian Online Newsletter :: 213-325-0977
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A Review Of Our Priorities
24 Jan 2012 | 5:30 pmWhen Delay Allows Us to Review Our Priorities “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?” ~ Robert Browning, ‘Andrea del Sarto’ One of the most common frustrations of ministry is our desire for things to happen faster than they usually do. We may think they should go faster (and perhaps according to some standards, they should), but they don’t. How do we react? Do we redouble our efforts? Do we work to motivate staff to do more? Do we take projects away from volunteers and staff and drive them forward ourselves? It is hard for… -
A Method To Generate Backlinks
31 Oct 2011 | 4:05 pmA Powerful Method That Will Generate Backlinks When it comes to getting backlinks to your site there are a lot of methods to consider. Matter of fact you might want to take into consideration all the methods that are available to you. I am not referring to blackhat tactics, but legitimate methods of backlinking. What some people do is rely on one “magic method”, but when it comes to getting backlinks to your site, there really is not one “magic method.” There may be better methods, but there is no longer one method to backlinking. Depending on how hard it is to… -
Targeted Website Traffic
8 Oct 2011 | 2:58 pmHow Do I get Targeted Website Traffic? Go Where The Target Market Goes Targeted website traffic is without doubt the holy grail of all online businesses, without it you might as well shut up shop and go home. It doesn’t matter how good your sales copy, your offer, your marketing funnel or your products and services, without visitors of an interested variety you will struggle pure and simple. So much has been written about the subject of targeted website traffic and increasing the visitor count to your site, an awful lot of it good quality information that if implemented could see you… -
Two Homes in Five Days
18 Jul 2011 | 6:12 pmSan Diego Habitat for Humanity Partners with Swinerton Builders to Construct Two Homes in Five Days 2011 Builders Blitz will provide homes for two Oceanside families in need SAN DIEGO, California, July 18, 2011 – From August 1 through August 5, 2011, San Diego Habitat for Humanity, in partnership with Swinerton Builders, will construct two homes – from the ground up – in five days. This an annual event is called the Home Builders Blitz – construction will take place 24 hours a day and will include nearly 500 volunteers building homes for two families in need in Oceanside. The Home… -
SD Habitat Facebook Contest
1 Jul 2011 | 5:17 pmSan Diego Habitat for Humanity Competing for $25,000 from The Home Depot Foundation in July Facebook Contest SDHFH One of Four Nonprofits Competing in Foundation’s Aprons in Action Program; Winner to Compete for $250,000 in 2012 SAN DIEGO, CA, July 1, 2011 – San Diego Habitat for Humanity (SDHFH) has been selected as a finalist for Aprons in Action, The Home Depot Foundation’s unique Facebook voting program, and now has the opportunity to win a $25,000 gift card from The Home Depot. Voting begins July 1, 2011 and runs through July 31, 2011 at www.facebook.com/homedepotfoundation. The…
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Live To Worship
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Pursue Your Spouse. Never Stop.
7 Feb 2012 | 9:59 pmIt’s heart-breaking when a marriage falls apart. In recent years Liz and I have seen many marriages of people we know under attack, some seemingly beyond repair. The worrying thing is, this seems to be on the increase. Now more than ever, we need to be focused on our marriages to keep them as healthy as we can. We’ve been married now close to fifteen years. Marriages take work. The pursuit of our spouse must never stop. Every relationship is different, but here are some things that we aim for and I think work well for us. Be sure to let us know… -
Story Church Set List – 05 Feb 2012 #sundaysetlists
7 Feb 2012 | 8:38 pmLike A Lion – Daniel Bashta (B) Glory To God Forever – Fee & Vicky Beeching (B) Reign In Us – Starfield (B) You Alone Can Rescue – Matt Redman (B) God Of This City – Bluetree (B) Related posts: Story Church Set List – 08 Jan 2012 #sundaysetlists Story Church Set List – 14 Aug 2011 #sundaysetlists Story Church Set List – Dec 18 2011 #sundaysetlists -
Don’t Compare Yourself With Others
3 Feb 2012 | 6:32 amThis Sunday at Story Church we’ll be looking at Jealously – one of the enemies of the heart. I’ve been doing a bit of background reading on what the bible says about Jealously. Here’s a great snippet from Galatians 6v4-5. 4-5Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life. What a great reminder that God has uniquely gifted each and… -
Story Church Set List – 29 Jan 2012 #sundaysetlists
30 Jan 2012 | 8:56 pmHappy Day – Tim Hughes (B) God Is Able – Hillsong (B) You Never Let Go – Matt Redman (B) Forever Reign – Hillsong (B) How He Loves – John Mark McMillan (B) This week’s message was on Greed. We explained how it’s one issue not many people will admit to be struggling with. It was fun singing Ill With Want by the Avett Brothers (YouTube), and having Andrew sing with me for the first time. :-) Related posts: Story Church Set List – 08 Jan 2012 #sundaysetlists Story Church Set List – 15 Jan 2012 #sundaysetlists Story Church Set List… -
Story Church Set List – 22 Jan 2012 #sundaysetlists
26 Jan 2012 | 10:13 pmphoto credit: LivingOS Wow! It was such a powerful morning on Sunday. The core of the message was the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. You can read the whole story in Matthew 18:21-35. Our Heavenly King paid our debt. He wiped the slate clean. Because of that we’re expected to forgive others who may wrong us. The debt we think we’re owed does not even start to compare to the debt Jesus paid on our behalf. If you read the parable, you can understand why the king was pretty miffed. After the king showed the servant so much mercy, the servant went…
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Authentic Christian Living
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Never place a period where God has placed a comma (pic)
3 Feb 2012 | 11:03 amRelated article: Are you open to God changing your plans? Pin It -
Inspiration for Today: His Timing
1 Feb 2012 | 9:22 amGod’s timing is perfect. He may not do things on your timetable, in the way that you would like or plan for, but he is never late. Remember, He wants more for you than you can imagine. -
Are you open to God changing your plans?
29 Jan 2012 | 1:15 pmGuest Author: Kurt B. Uhlir Follow @KurtUhlir We make plans and lists for all kinds of great reasons: It’s the beginning of a new year and time for resolutions; a desire to become healthier; we want to improve our relationship with our spouse; a possible promotion at work or job in another city; we feel [...] -
Lead Me – Story behind the song and your part (video)
19 Jan 2012 | 8:19 pmLast year Grammy-nominated, Dove Award-winning Sanctus Real released a song called ‘Lead Me’. The song is a personal confession and prayer written by lead vocalist Matt Hammitt. “My wife and I aren’t shy about sharing that we’ve had some pretty major struggles,” admits Matt after his wife implored him to be a better spiritual leader [...] -
Prayer Leading to 2012
29 Dec 2011 | 8:43 amPrayer leading to the new year: Lord, prepare my heart this week for the goals you would have me set for this next year. Soften and change my heart to be open to Your Will in my life, create within me an unquenchable thirst for the Word and the ability to step aside to [...]
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Kristine Remixed
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Unwrapping Love
9 Feb 2012 | 8:52 amMy lover said to me, “Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one!" Song of Solomon 2:10 (NLT) My husband has never been a big fan of Valentine's Day. In fact, you could say he has spent many years of our marriage actively protesting what many view as the "lover's holiday", You see, my husband is of the opinion that real love is meant to be expressed every day. It's in the things he says to me ("I love you" is an oft repeated phrase in our house which has never lost it's value). It's in the way he fixes my website when… -
Movie Preview: October Baby
8 Feb 2012 | 9:05 pmImagine that you discover you were adopted. That would be quite a revelation to absorb if your parents never told you, right? Now, add to that stunning news that you were also the survivor of an abortion. How would that knowledge affect your life? October Baby (opening in theaters March 23rd) walks us through that journey. Here is the synopsis from the Official Movie Site: As the curtain rises, Hannah hesitantly steps onto the stage for her theatrical debut in college. Yet before she can utter her first lines, Hannah—unscripted—collapses in front of the stunned audience. -
Suppressing My Inner Ninja
7 Feb 2012 | 2:06 pm"A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Proverbs 15:1 (ESV) When I was younger I had what might be called "anger issues". Oh, you wouldn't have known it to look at me. I have always been shy, quiet. The unassuming little girl who liked to read. When I was middle-school age I was the one who got picked on because it took a lot to get a rise out of me. My family thought it was because I was even tempered. I was good at "letting things go". The truth is I excelled at suppressing my anger. I guess I endured some hurtful… -
Confessions of a Former Football Widow
3 Feb 2012 | 1:28 pmThere was a time in my life I would have called myself a "football widow". The woman who's husband parked himself in front of the television to watch football. It didn't matter what kind it was. Professional. College. There were even a few local football games thrown in there back in the day. And I would sit there with my book, or the baby on my lap, or try my hand at crochet as my husband hollered expletives over bad calls. Well—that's how I remember it anyway. The truth is my husband tried to engage me, help me understand the game. He would ask me to… -
Movie Preview: The Vow
3 Feb 2012 | 9:50 amLast night, I had the pleasure of viewing an advance screening of The Vow, starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum. Here is the story from the Official Movie Website: A newlywed couple recovers from a car accident that puts the wife in a coma. Waking up with severe memory loss, her husband endeavors to win her heart again. Inspired by true events, the story follows Leo and Paige from mere moments before the accident which steal Paige's memories of her husband and their life together. Through Leo's flashback memories, we discover what their relationship had been. We walk through…
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What I Learned Teaching Sunday School
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Mark 7:31-34
6 Feb 2012 | 3:57 pmMark 7:31-34 31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. 33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). Jesus goes to a new area next: Decapolis. It’s on the other side of Galilee from… -
Mark 7:24-30
5 Feb 2012 | 6:27 pmMark 7:24-30 24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27 “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 28 “Lord,” she replied, “even the… -
Everyone who needs Christ is Called
19 Jan 2012 | 3:26 pmMatthew 11:28-30 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”Come to me – ALL! God isn’t looking for perfect people, but people who want to be perfected. People who know they need Him. Come! -
Mark 7:14-23
11 Jan 2012 | 6:53 pmMark 7:14-23 14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” [16] 17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods… -
God Is for Us
5 Jan 2012 | 12:17 pmThe following was in our church newsletter this week and I thought it was not only well said, but good to remember:Scripture: Romans 8:31-34 Throughout life, there will be times when our sins and failures lead us to conclude that God is disappointed or angry with us. How can He still love me after what I've done? If I'm really forgiven, why do I still feel so guilty? At such times, we need tofix our eyes on the truth of Scripture and ask the questions Paul posed in Romans 8.If God is for us, who is against us (v.31)? Our heavenly Father proved His loyalty to us when He delivered His own Son…
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Our Rising Sound
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Video: Chris Lizotte, Kirsten Ford and band performing “Love of God” (Live)
4 Feb 2012 | 6:58 pmThis was recorded live at the Burn Bright conference here in Phoenix last year which I had the pleasure attending and blogging from. This was my favorite moment of the conference and really embodies what I still love about Vineyard worship. No pretense…none at all, just some great people, with some great talent laying their hearts out there in a beautiful and inspiring way. And if I haven’t said it before, my friend Ryan Delmore has written here one of the best worship songs I’ve heard in the last 5 years or so. Doesn’t get much better than this tune, well done my… -
Video: Worst Church Singer – killer falsetto!
25 Jan 2012 | 10:00 amNo seriously…he’s killing me with that falsetto. Related posts Worship leaders, don’t chase your mountaintop experience (5) Video: Worst performance of O Holy Night ever! (5) Video: Little kid shows us what “Nu Thang” God is up to (0) -
SNL: Beethoven (funniest skit of the season)
23 Dec 2011 | 11:17 amRelated posts Video: Worst performance of O Holy Night ever! (5) Video: Worst Church Singer – killer falsetto! (5) Video: Little kid shows us what “Nu Thang” God is up to (0) -
You might be a niche blog if…
31 Oct 2011 | 4:35 pm…you come to grips with the fact you aren’t an expert in anything. …you understand that the hour or so you put into thinking about a blog post doesn’t really constitute as “research.” …you don’t try to fit everything into a Top 10 list. …you don’t lose any sleep when you have nothing interesting to post…oh and you don’t post uninteresting things in those cases, which I hereby dub unimaginative blogger tourette syndrome. …you are entirely uninterested in getting a post out to capitalize on the latest controversy. -
13th Floor: Powerful videos on sexual abuse, trafficking, abortion
7 Oct 2011 | 12:28 pmMy pastor, Aaron Dailey, and brother in law, Josh Dailey, run a ministry called Pure Path here in Phoenix and they just released a video teaching series called 13th Floor. These are some of the most powerful, gut wrenching videos I’ve seen about sexual abuse, sex trafficking, abortion and other painful topics. Very proud of these guys as well as those in the videos, most of whom are good friends and/or members of our church, Life Connection Church. We are a small church of 150 when filled, but we have some of the most talented, passionate and committed folks I’ve ever known. They…
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Mobile Ministry Magazine (MMM)
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2011 Mobile Ministry Consultation Executive Summary
9 Feb 2012 | 6:00 am50 mission strategists representing 40 organizations* participated in the second Mobile Ministry Consultation sponsored by the Mobile Ministry Forum (MMF). Presentations and discussions addressed a wide variety of issues critical to the use of mobile devices in ministry (see the topic list below). Collaborative outcomes of the consultation include plans to develop training resources to equip ministries and local believers to implement mobile ministry, publish online courses in “feature phone” formats, develop a taxonomy for mobile ministry, develop a Smartphone app for SMS… -
Always On
8 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amA few days ago my friend Elmo (no, not the one one From Sesame Street) posted this article on Facebook about the power of Introversion. It’s a thought-provoking piece and, coming from the Philippines, one which spoke to my friend about the nature of Western Civilization (particularly the USA). The scales in this culture are set up for Extroverts to thrive, and Introverts to adapt. It’s an astute point. In fact the article actually quotes a pastor who believes that God isn’t pleased with him because he “likes spending time alone.” That’s just twisted. Read of the rest of… -
Carnival of the Mobilists No 260
7 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amAnother week, and another Carnival of the Mobilists has been published. This week’s edition has been published at Blog.AntoineRJWright and features a healthy serving of contributions from various points in and around the world of mobile [blogging]. Here’s a snippet of the selections: Belen Pena’s entry for this week’s carnvial focuses on the schemas and contexts for usability testing for mobile software: The moral to this story is that handset usability affects test results. A wonderfully designed website will feel difficult and cumbersome when used with a phone plagued by… -
Using the Kindle for Bible Study
6 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amSince posting about OSNOVA’s work on the use interface (UI) for Kindle-formatted bibles, we’ve seen some increasing activity on the site in regards to Bibles, religious apps, and best usages of religious apps on the Kindle, Nook, and other eReader devices. Certanely, the acquisition and use of eReaders and tablets is growing, and we would do well to chart and observe some means of using these devices similar to, and as an enhancement from, how we have used print books and smaller mobile devices for study and reflection. And as This Lamp’s review of the Kindle Touch 3G… -
Be Like Dad
5 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amFrom Twitter (@mobileminmag) church, here’s your challenge: don’t make another social network, media site, app generator, [app, website, TV program, radio program, concert, music genre, school], or digital library; be like Dad, create something new Genesis 1:3, Genesis 1:27, Jeremiah 1:5, Romans 8:29
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Ron Moore's Blog
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Are there Old Testament disciplines that we should continue to follow?
9 Feb 2012 | 9:00 am -
Journey Thru the Bible | Leviticus 26:12-13 | Devotional
9 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amLeviticus 26:12-13 I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high. Get ready to be impressed by some “useful” info I ran across. Ready? The Kings in a deck of cards are named: Alexander, Caesar, Charles and David. Didn’t know that, did you? The modern hamburger on a bun got its start at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. The ZIP in Zip Codes stands for Zone Improvement Plan and was… -
What are Women’s Leadership Roles in the Church?
8 Feb 2012 | 9:00 am -
Journey Thru the Bible | Leviticus 23:1 | Devotional
8 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amLeviticus 23:1 The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.’” In Leviticus 23, God instructed His people to reserve certain dates in their calendar for times of national public worship. The length of these festivals ranged from a one-day event to a feast that lasted several days. The purpose of each feast varied from rest, to remembering the poor, to remembering God’s deliverance, to showing joy and thankfulness for God’s blessings. -
Which Version of the Bible Should I Be Using?
7 Feb 2012 | 9:00 am
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the mayward blog
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The Grey
6 Feb 2012 | 8:42 amIn a film season usually devoid of quality new releases, The Grey is a breath of fresh air. Well, maybe not as refreshing as that. This is about as grim and grisly as they come, but it might not be what the trailers lead one to believe. If you approach this film as a Liam Neeson action flick ("it's like Taken, but with wolves") then you may miss its meditative tone and spiritual insights. The Grey centers on Ottway (Liam Neeson), a broken and hardened man living at the end of the world in northern Alaska. He works for an oil company as a sniper, defending the pipeline workers… -
Sarcasm and Justice
1 Feb 2012 | 9:18 amIn 1865, a Tennessee man wrote to his emancipated former slave, Jourdan Anderson, asking Jourdan to come back and work for him on his farm. Jourdan, who lived in Ohio with his family and had subsequently found work, wrote a brilliant (and sarcastic) response, in which he asked for all the wages for the time he worked as a slave: Mandy says she would be afraid to go back without some proof that you were disposed to treat us justly and kindly; and we have concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time we served you. This will make us forget and forgive old… -
On Fatherhood, Again
30 Jan 2012 | 3:00 amI'm a father again. My second child was born this past weekend. A daughter. Her eyes are bright, and while she is petite in size, she is strong in heart and grip. When my son was born, I was struck with how much one's capacity for love could miraculously increase in a single moment. As much as I had loved before, the love of a parent transcended all prior experiences, as if a house that had been seemingly explored suddenly produced a hidden door yet to be opened. With that door opened, my heart was flooded with a deep captivation for the tiny boy I held in my arms. Could I love that much… -
Eloise Evangeline Mayward
29 Jan 2012 | 3:00 amWe welcomed our daughter, Eloise Evangeline Mayward, into the world on January 28 at 9:20 PM. She's 5 pounds, 14 ounces, with bright eyes and a calm demeanor. We love her deeply. Eloise means "famous warrior." Evangeline finds its roots in euangelium, meaning "gospel" or "good news." We're grateful and blessed to have a strong and healthy daughter. -
What Is The Gospel, Really?
27 Jan 2012 | 10:50 amWhat is the gospel? It's a simple question, but with potentially complex answers. One volunteer guessed that only about a quarter of the students in our ministry could answer it accurately and with any confidence. I felt like that percentage was too low, seeing that one of my core ministry values is the Gospel is everything. Every message I give, every opportunity that comes up, every spiritual conversation, and every prayer comes back to the Gospel for me. It's all about the good news of Jesus. Yet maybe the news isn't getting through. For a missions trip I'm leading this summer, we asked…
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ChurchLeaders.com
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Children Are Not Computers – Part 2
9 Feb 2012 | 1:08 am -
Sneak Peek Into a New Preteen Ministry
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What to Do If Your Small Group Is Too Big
9 Feb 2012 | 1:01 am -
Having a Great Ministry, One Like John the Baptist
9 Feb 2012 | 1:00 am -
What is the Bottom Line When There is No “Bottom Line”?
9 Feb 2012 | 12:59 am
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Don't Eat The Fruit
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5 Things I Learned From “Reading” 10 Audiobooks
31 Jan 2012 | 4:56 pmNot Enough Time Last spring, I was finding that I just didn’t have enough time to read several books that I really wanted to read. Then a friend reminding me about something called “audiobooks.” Because I have a long commute, I had always wanted to try audiobooks, but I had dismissed them because I didn’t want to keep track of CDs, tapes, or synced files. But since I last looked into audiobooks, two things lowered the barrier of entry for me. First, smartphone apps like audible.com take out all the work of managing physical media or syncing files. Second, my wife… -
PhoneStack: Next Time We Meet, Let’s Do This
13 Jan 2012 | 8:50 amTech history professor David Stearns pointed out a post on Kempt magazine about a new idea for social gatherings called PhoneStack. It works like this: as you arrive, each person places their phone facedown in the center of the table. As the meal goes on, you’ll hear various texts and emails arriving… and you’ll do absolutely nothing. You’ll face temptation—maybe even a few involuntary reaches toward the middle of the table—but you’ll be bound by the single, all-important rule of the phone stack. Whoever picks up their phone is footing the bill. As Dr. Stearns points out,… -
The Top 5 Technologies that Will Shape the Church in 2012
6 Jan 2012 | 1:19 pmIt’s another new year, one that is sure to be full of predictions about Mayans, American presidents, and technology. Below are the technologies that I think will be the most powerful shapers of Christian spirituality in the next 360 or so days (inspired in part by Wired’s The Best Five Toys of All Time) 1. The Clock This morning when you woke up, what was the first thing you did? Brush your teeth? Make coffee? Read the Bible? Kiss your spouse? I can almost guarantee it wasn’t any of those things. No, the first thing we do when we wake up (and the last thing we do before falling back… -
The Evolution of the Mobile Phone (as told by Christmas presents)
23 Dec 2011 | 8:26 amWhile out shopping with my kids last week, the toy phones caught my eye. I let the kids play with a toy guitar while I rearranged them in roughly chronological order. The original candy bar phones are still available (far left), but I couldn’t find a phone with a cord anywhere in the store. At the high tech end, Fisher Price now sells a “Smilin’ Smart Phone” that looks much like an iPhone. This little evolutionary history lesson seems to show a movement away from the mechanical and physical toward something that mimics it. Early phone had rotary dials and wires, then… -
Dear Technology, Thank You For Cheeseburgers
9 Dec 2011 | 7:59 amMashing Play-Doh Last weekend, my kids and I whipped up some home-made Play-Doh. It’s not too hard – all you need is flour, salt, oil, water, cream of tartar, and whatever colors of food coloring you want, and you become super dad. The kids had a blast both making it and playing with it, and afterward I marveled at how much fun it is to make something “from scratch” together. But at the same I starting to realize that I was not really making Play-Doh “from scratch” because, other than water, I have no idea where to get those ingredients other than Wal-Mart. I’m pretty adept at…
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Nathan Creitz
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Five Marks of a Spirit-Empowered Disciple
9 Feb 2012 | 8:18 amBefore Jesus left the planet, He promised His followers that He would empower them by the Spirit to pursue His mission. When the promised Spirit filled them on the day of Pentecost, He turned ordinary fishermen into extraordinary fishers of men. Simple Galileans began preaching the Gospel in the languages of the nations. Peter, who had denied Jesus three times preached a powerful message of the Gospel and 3,000 people were added to their numbers. A movement began. The next day, and the next, and the one after that, the new believers committed themselves to one another and to God. Acts 2:41-47… -
Three Reasons To Reach Cities With The Gospel
9 Jan 2012 | 1:44 pmTim Keller, the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, often speaks about God’s mission for the great cities of the world. Below, I’m including a 16 minute video of Keller’s plenary session at Lausanne Cape Town 2010 Congress in which he shares God’s global urban mission. Here are a few thoughts from Keller’s talk about why we must reach the great cities of the world with the gospel and a few of my own reasons for sharing the Gospel in New York City specifically. Reason #1: Cultural According to a Foreign Policy article: The 21st century will… -
My Top 11 Posts In 2011 // Plus A Free Gift!
29 Dec 2011 | 4:18 pmI thought I’d take a minute to thank you for reading, commenting, and sharing my blog posts in 2011! As a way of showing my appreciation, I’d like to give one of my readers a new NIV Archaeological Study Bible from Zondervan. I’ll explain how you can get a copy below. But first, here are my top 11 posts from 2011: Making Disciple-Making Disciples - “Sermons, seminars, and classes need to be extra-curricular to the more risky and time consuming core curriculum of modeling a transformed life in front of others.” Bible Translations, Tools and Tech for the 21st… -
Seth’s Secret to Viral Church Planting
2 Dec 2011 | 9:40 amIf you are involved in church planting and have never heard of Seth Godin, you need to pay attention. Seth Godin Seth writes mostly about new marketing but I think you’ll find his ideas are refreshingly compatible with Biblically healthy church practices. This morning I ran across a post Seth wrote a couple of years ago called First, ten. Check it out and let me know in the comments how his marketing “secret” applies to church planters and leaders: First, ten This, in two words, is the secret of the new marketing. Find ten people. Ten people who trust you/respect you/need… -
Downline Ministries: Making, Maturing, and Multiplying Followers of Jesus
29 Nov 2011 | 9:57 amI recently ran across Downline Ministries that exists to “equip Christ followers to make disciples”. It looks like they’ve got training resources, books, and articles to help promote making and multiplying disciples. I haven’t really explored their content very deeply but it looks great. Check out this video for a look at what Downline is all about: Can't see the video in your RSS reader or email? Click Here! What do you think? The irony is that I recently wrote a post entitled Disciple Making vs. Downline: Practicing God’s Presence Or Pyramid Scheme. I wrote…
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Christian Droid
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A Question For Parents
9 Feb 2012 | 4:04 amToday I have a question for all of you who are parents: ”What would you like to say about your child when they reach the age of 30?” If you answered “I would like to say that my child loves Jesus Christ as his/her personal savior” then you can probably move on to another blog post. But if you said anything different, then maybe you should keep reading. In today’s culture, most people will answer that question that they want their child to be successful, or have a good job, or be happy in their marriage. We spend much of our time as parents preparing our… -
Let’s Kick An Album Into Gear
8 Feb 2012 | 3:47 amAfter Edmund. The name sounds like the start of a simple sentence, but the sound that this band makes is anything but simple. The name may not be one that you immediately think of when you think of Christian music but this band is no new comer to the music business. This indie Christian rock band has been performing since 2006. They released their debut album in 2009 and found immediate success being nominated for a Grammy. Since the release of Hello, the band has continued to work and have released several EP’s but the time has come for them to take the next step. After making some… -
The Voice
7 Feb 2012 | 4:04 amIt seems that every day of every week there is some sort of talent show on television. People competing to see who is the best of whatever talent is the flavor of the month. Some come seeking their 3 minutes of fame on television, while others are seeking to actually win with their talent and launch their careers. In my home we don’t watch these many of these shows, however there are a couple of exceptions, one of which is The Voice. As I sat watching this season’s premier after the football game the other night I could not help but marvel at the amount of talented people who come on… -
Instant Communion?
6 Feb 2012 | 4:04 am“Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” These words are familiar to every Christian who will recognize them as the words that Jesus spoke as he instituted the Lord’s Supper prior to making the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. For centuries, all around the globe, Christian’s have been partaking in the Lord’s Supper or Communion in remembrance of our Savior. This is one of the most solemn and moving rituals that the Church practices. As such it is usually treated with the reverence and respect that this occasion deserves. But in our modern day society… -
God Given Talent
3 Feb 2012 | 3:48 amEvery country around the globe has talent. And it seems that every country also has a “Got Talent” television show. This week’s Video of the Week comes to us from Australia’s Got Talent. Watch as this self taught musician demonstrates his God given talent on the piano. You will be amazed at what this young man does on the piano on the spot.
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The BIGBible Project
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Can Social Media Save Anglo-Catholics? (@FrDavidCloake)
9 Feb 2012 | 11:01 amhttp://www.sxc.hu/photo/1354509 My views on the benefits of social media to the wider mission of God are increasingly well documented (by me, if by no-one else). Social media brings people together in dialogue who would otherwise never have communicated in the pen-and-paper era! Respectful dialogue between people can only be to the benefit of all of humankind. A medium of that communication that does away with labels and preconceptions can only add to that benefit. Add the Gospel to that and social media can be (and maybe already is) the most powerful and potent dialogical tool we have. What… -
Jumping on the Digital Bandwagon (@KatieHarrisonTF)
9 Feb 2012 | 12:00 amI’ve always been a late adopter. I didn’t even have my own mobile phone until 2008. Not that I didn’t have one; I just used my work one and didn’t really see the point of having one of my own. And then, when life became pretty much unbearable without one, I succumbed. And so too it has been with Twitter. Given that I’m a Head of Media & Corporate Communications (for my sins), maybe it’s a bit shameful to admit that I came very late to the Twitter party. On a personal basis, that is. As an organisation, we’ve been Tweeting for yonks and testing effective ways to use… -
Lent 40, with @echosounda
8 Feb 2012 | 10:30 amBrian Draper has written excellent material for us for #BigRead12 (Week 2: Echoes). If you’d like more of Brian’s material, he writes an annual series of emails for Lent (new each year), with a focus on taking time, being creative, and giving us the opportunity to be reflective. If you’d like to receive his daily emails, go to Spiritual Intelligence and sign up. -
The Humble Housegroup #bigread12
8 Feb 2012 | 6:30 amLast year New Wine ran an encouraging story about the need for housegroup (although they saw part of the reason as the ‘superficial relationships’ offered by social networking (well, we’ve argued here several times that those don’t have to be superficial!!): Having been brought up in church, I know that church leaders are always talking about the importance of community. On the one hand we’re told, and rightly, that in the individualistic culture of the West, people are crying out for community. In an age where family breakdown is endemic (there are around two… -
Digital Space Fellowship #digidisciple @emptybelly
8 Feb 2012 | 6:30 amhttp://12baskets.co.uk/view/70/images/people/communion-gb11 When I was reminded of my need to do this posting, I asked others on Twitter what they would like to hear about! One of first suggestions came from Richard Littledale concerning the nature of online fellowship. Offline fellowship is a given and obligatory part of the life of a Christian. But fellowship is also part of Digital Space – through social networks and social media. I also don’t think there is a dichotomy between fellowship in Digital Space and offline – they are one and the same thing. Simply, fellowship. What is…
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Children's Ministry Online
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Orange Week: I need help!
8 Feb 2012 | 12:13 pmIt’s been almost four years since I first learned about the Orange strategy. One of the most compelling concepts was it idea of two combined influences – church and home. This really clicked for me as a long-time children’s pastor who felt such an unbelievable burden to raise and disciple kids yet struggled with doubts about long term effectiveness. Clearly defining the family as the other part of the combined influence wasn’t an “out” for me, but a moment of clarity on how I could use my time more effectivity… or even strategically. However, as a… -
Never get too comfortable
8 Feb 2012 | 10:10 amLast week I came across this article I found in someone’s facebook feed. America’s largest church is facing a 10+ million dollar lawsuit because of something that happened (or didn’t happen) in their children’s ministry. Who knows what is going to happen, but this whole thing probably could have been prevented. The article states: The lawsuit accuses the church of negligence in its investigation, in reporting the alleged incident to police and in lacking surveillance that could have saved Guzman from being wrongfully accused of a crime. The church also is accused of… -
A free and highly accessible kidmin resource
31 Jan 2012 | 9:09 amI’ve learned that most kid’s pastors I’ve met are highly resourceful. They’re always looking for great new resources and the cheaper it is, the better. If it’s free, well that’s incredible. So, I figured that all the resourceful kidmin peeps who read this blog would be interested in this great free resource. Are you ready for this? Really? Here goes…. It’s called following #kidmin on twitter. Wait a second, before you bail on this blog post, hear me out. Some of you have refused to get on twitter because you’ve not seen it’s… -
Systems help you win
30 Jan 2012 | 2:50 pmOne of the things I’ve learned most this year from the books I’ve been reading is the critical nature of systems. I’m absolutely convinced that systems help you win. You can be a great leader with a lot of charisma, but if you don’t have solid systems, you’ll never maintain what you want to achieve, if you even get there in the first place. I mentioned this in a post a few weeks ago along with the books I’ve read this year that supported this idea. So, a few weeks ago I rented the movie Moneyball. I don’t like baseball, but I LOVED this movie. I saw… -
The birth of Kidmin
30 Jan 2012 | 10:30 amI’m always intrigued the origin of things. Why we say certain words or how names come about. What’s even more interesting is when you see the origin of something new right before your eyes. A handful of children’s pastors saw the very thing happen almost three years ago… the birth of “Kidmin.” At this point, the term kidmin is still catching on, but I suspect that will change in the coming years and perhaps more people will refer to children’s ministry as kidmin as opposed to… well, children’s ministry. For those of you who are new to this…
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You Begin Here
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Is Porn so Bad?
25 Jan 2012 | 1:56 pmIs porn so bad? Is it not a private matter? It’s not hurting anyone so why not let it go? Just because someone looks at porn does not mean it is affecting their relationships, does it? What’s so wrong about porn? We live in a world where men between the ages of 18 and 34 [...] -
The One You Love
18 Jan 2012 | 4:38 pmDo you realize that the Bible does have different standards? God gives husbands one set of standards and wives a completely different set of standards. It is easy to miss this different set of standards in a quick reading of scripture, but when one realizes the significance these two verses it can redefine ones marriage, [...] -
Why Christians Should be Amongst the Occupy Wall Street Protesters
19 Oct 2011 | 12:48 am“We live in an era that questions authority.” John McArthur. Today, at this moment in history, Americans are frustrated, uncertain, tired and scared. The American dream is crumbling in front of them, finical security is waning, uncertainty is looming and the people are voicing their concern. Since September 17, 2011 Occupy Wall Street has been [...] -
Was Steve Jobs a Christian and Where is He Today?
6 Oct 2011 | 12:54 pmThere is no doubt in the minds of many that Steve Jobs was a brilliant and intuitive visionary that made technology accessible and fun. Never had phones, listening devices and computers been so hip till the introduction of the iPhone, iPod and iMac. However, Jobs is dead and many are left wondering, where is Steve [...] -
Making the Greater Impact
22 Sep 2011 | 2:23 amAs I sat at the table with several friends, who are involved in ministry, we chatted about our ministries, happenings in our community and finally the ministry of some of the pastors of the biggest mega churches we know of in the United States. “Did you know Rick Warren was cooking up burgers for everyone [...]
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samluce.com
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Christians today are Theological idiots.
8 Feb 2012 | 9:26 amIt’s true. I ashamed to admit that for a long time in my life I looked at Theology as an obstacle to “real” ministry. I started working with kids in my early 20′s and shamefully thought that Theology and doctrine were of no use to me as they were to weighty for kids. Most Christians and many churches have no use for doctrine as we have successfully made Christianity a personal thing. Understanding the personal nature of Christ’s sacrifice is very important but thinking that Jesus is my personal Genie in a bottle is devastating. It’s plainly seen in… -
Guerrilla Parenting: Teach your kids that their self-worth is tied to peoples acceptance of them.
6 Feb 2012 | 12:06 pmHere is the first post talking about how to ensure your kids will end up on “The Bachelor” If you want to ensure your kids will be on the “The Bachelor” 1. Never show your daughter physical affection. 2. Teach your kids that connections are more important than commitment. 3. Teach your kids there is no consequences for their behavior. 4. Give your kids whatever they want. 5. Teach your kids that their self-worth is tied to peoples acceptance of them. The last thing you must do if you want to ensure your kids end up on the Bachelor is teach them their self-worth is… -
Guest Post Dustin Nickerson: Why kids and parents leave the church.
3 Feb 2012 | 10:01 amDustin Nickerson has been a good friend of mine for a while now and I am very honored to have him guest post on my blog. I could not agree with what he says more. We as ministers and especially kids ministers need to devote ourselves to theology more than we do. We do what we believe many times to disastrous consequences. As kids ministers we need to ask ourselves deep questions to provide distilled truth for the kids and families we serve. We as the church in the day we live in need to be the church like never before. I hope you enjoy Dustin’s post as much as I did. I read… -
Guerrilla Parenting: Give your kids whatever they want.
2 Feb 2012 | 10:30 amHere is the first post talking about how to ensure your kids will end up on “The Bachelor” If you want to ensure your kids will be on the “The Bachelor” 1. Never show your daughter physical affection. 2. Teach your kids that connections are more important than commitment. 3. Teach your kids there is no consequences for their behavior. 4. Give your kids whatever they want. 5. Teach your kids that their self-worth is tied to peoples acceptance of them. If you give your kids whatever they want you will teach your boys to be lazy and your girls to be manipulative. I… -
Why the stat stating 90% of kids leave their faith is dead wrong.
2 Feb 2012 | 6:52 amI am not a huge soap boxer but please indulge me this. I have heard for the past few years that 90% of Christian kids leave their faith when they leave their homes. This stat has never sat well with me. It still doesn’t. Upon hearing that stat for the first time I asked God to have mercy on our kids and began to think how I could turn the tide in our church. Being in the same church church for 14 years is very sobering. It’s sobering because I get to see the end result of my theories about ministry as well as the theories of others. I remember a couple of years ago I started…
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TimSchraeder.com
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What Do We Do With Church Announcements?
7 Feb 2012 | 10:02 amAn essential part of any church communication strategy is the announcements made from the platform on Sunday mornings. However, I don’t know of a church yet that has figured out what to do with them, how many announcements to make, what style, etc. Today I’ve invited my friend Gary Molander to tackle this question and I believe he offers some great insights for us to consider about church announcement time. Here’s what Gary has to say… When I was a creative arts pastor, we’d have this ongoing weekly discussion about service announcements. We’d talk about the best… -
Monday Mind Dump
6 Feb 2012 | 11:09 amAnother Monday kicks off with some of the lastest news, updates, Likes, and more! I didn’t watch the Super Bowl. I know it’s very un-American of me, but I was actually on a flight home from a weekend trip serving a church in Wichita, Kansas, with the Church Solutions Group team. I don’t really care about the game, but will for sure be catching up on all of the commercials I missed. Churches are taking an interest in Pinterest. I did an interview with Jake Johnson of Mars Hill Church Seattle about how Mars Hill is using Pinterest. Check it out over on Church Marketing Sucks. -
Big Announcement :: I’m Going To…
3 Feb 2012 | 1:53 pmIt’s Friday Fun Day and today I’m excited to share a BIG announcement! The journey begins all the way back in 1997. I was 15. I had grown up in Christian home, attended a Christian school and had accepted Christ at an early age. For whatever reason, though, the connection and understanding that God wanted to have a relationship with me hadn’t clicked yet. I started going to a new youth group and one fateful Wednesday night my heart was captured by what it meant to passionately pursue Christ. That night I went forward and responded to an altar call and that’s when I say… -
Can’t We All Just Get Along?
31 Jan 2012 | 4:12 pmLast week I blogged for The Elephant Room. Usually when I go to a conference I blog my notes and leave it at that, but this experience merited a blog post on my reflections from the event. So here goes… As I had mentioned in a post leading up the event, I’m a bit of a mutt theologically. I was raised an the Assemblies of God, worked for a reformed church, and have been attending a United Methodist Church. I don’t belong to one particular camp or denomination. My faith, for better or worse, is influenced by many different Christian traditions. That being said, one of the… -
Monday Mind Dump
30 Jan 2012 | 9:54 amHappy Monday! Here’s some updates, the latest and greatest in the world of church communication, some favorite videos, links, Likes and more! Well, January is just about over. Seems like yesterday we were just setting our goals and making resolutions for the New Year. How are you doing on your goals? Coaching begins! This week kicks off the start of my church communication coaching group. I’m so excited for what these next six months have ahead and am praying they make an impact. I’ll keep you posted on how things go! This weekend I was in Charlotte and absolutely loved…
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What Christians Want To Know
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My Five Favorite Bible Stories
9 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amWe all grow up with a list of favorite Bible stories. It is hard to decide on just a few, but it is fun to write them down and see what your favorite Bible stories are. Maybe this would be better... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
15 Christian Graduation Quotes and Sayings
8 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amGraduations are times to celebrate great accomplishments and milestones. An inspirational graduation speech will be remembered for years to come. Perhaps you are preparing to graduate, or you are... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Bible Verses About Gossip: 15 Helpful Quotes
7 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amOne of the things that can destroy any church or ministry is gossip. Other terms in the Bible for gossip include: backbiter, busybody, slanderer, secrets, talebearer and whisperers. So then, a... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Is It Biblical To Go To War?
6 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amDidn’t Jesus say that we are to turn the other cheek if someone strikes us? Isn’t it written that we are to love our neighbor as our self? How can Christians justify going to war when we are told... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
How to Interpret the Bible
5 Feb 2012 | 5:30 pmHow do you interpret the Bible? Do you interpret the Bible literally? Do you interpret it figuratively? The answer is “Yes!” How Do You Interpret the Bible? The Bible is full of poetic writings,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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Practical Youth Ministry
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Youth Ministry Tension
3 Feb 2012 | 6:15 amWe want students to have God as their first priority in decision making, but last priority when there are schedule conflicts. We want students to develop primary relationships among Christian students and adults that they see the least. We want students to become spiritually mature in an environment of spiritual consumers. We want students to be integrated in the Body that is segregated demographically. This is the tension I feel as a parent and as a youth minister. What would you add? Related Posts Parent Support for Teen Spiritual Discipline Top 3 Ways to Share Faith -
Internetiquette and Grace Blogging
1 Feb 2012 | 4:21 pmOne of my goals for this year is to learn the art of niceness. Since this blog began in March of 2011 I have deleted 5 posts and rewritten 10+ after realizing my own “jerk” potential. But the ‘delete’ button does not undo pain, hurt feelings, and relationships. Since this is a weakness of mine, I am looking for reader suggested rules or guidelines that allow conversations to be direct, involve disagreement, and engage debate with grace and respect. I will also invite my readers to call me out if you see posts that you believe are unloving. The goal is love, truth,… -
Best 2012 Youth Ministry Conferences
30 Jan 2012 | 11:15 pmHere are the continuing education events that are worth your continuing education dollars along with descriptions to help you choose the right fit for you and your ministry. #1 Simply Youth Ministry Conference, March 2-5 (Louisville, KY)- SYMC is the “SuperTarget” of youth conferences providing most of what youth ministers want all in one place. The conference provides spiritual renewal, opportunities to connect with other ministers, and challenging speakers like Francis Chan. SYM leaders invite critical feedback and utilize a team of youth ministers to improve the experience… -
Winterfest-They Did What?!!
23 Jan 2012 | 9:19 pmThere was a notable buzz among students and youth ministers about the skits that were ongoing during Winterfest 2012 (Arlington). Winterfest is an annual event for students led by Dr. Dudley Chancey, Associate Professor of Youth Ministry at Oklahoma Christian University. Winterfest takes place in Arlington, TX and Gatlinburg, TN hosting a combined total of approximately 16,000 students, youth ministers and other adults primarily from the Churches of Christ. What Happened: The skits followed a teenage girl through her discovery of spiritual disciplines. The discovery process took the girl from… -
Parents Support Teen Spiritual Discipline
21 Jan 2012 | 7:15 amSpiritual disciplines are the focus of the Winterfest 2012 conference in Arlington for teenagers. This event is all that I would hope for in a crash course on a relationship with God, but I believe what will make or break the success of the event is parent support. 3 Reasons for Parents to Support Teen Spiritual Disciplines Spiritual discipline brings greatest possible health to every area of life, in every stage of life, in every circumstance of life. Spiritual discipline gives your teen a relationship with someone who will never break up, divorce, abuse, manipulate, mislead, or abandon…
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beyond the noise
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Sunday Setlist: January 29, 2012
31 Jan 2012 | 9:31 amWe continued our Going Beyond Our Comfort Zone series this week looking at the area that everyone loves to hate: Giving. People seem to hate hearing about giving but what I think they fail to realize is that most churches hate talking about it as much as people hate hearing about it. But giving back to God is an important part of our relationship with Him. It’s a way for us to show our gratitude and a way for him to bless us even more. This Sunday’s Setlist: All to You by Lincoln Brewster Beautiful One by Tim Hughes, By The Tree’s arrangement Holy is the Lord by Chris Tomlin… -
Sunday Setlist: January 22, 2012
24 Jan 2012 | 10:27 amWe started a new series a week ago called Going Beyond Our Comfort Zone, looking at things like Sharing Your Faith, Growing in Faith, Giving and others. We found a great graphic over at CreationSwap.com that plays off of a Twilight Zone theme, because going beyond your comfort zone can feel a lot like going into the twilight zone! This week, we looked at Growing In Our Faith. This was a bit of a challenge because many people who regularly attend church feel like a message like this is just for those who are new to Christianity. They’ll tune out and decide that there’s nothing for… -
5 Ways to Use Technology at Church
17 Jan 2012 | 2:07 pmIn case you might not have picked up on it, I’m a fan of technology. I’m also very pro technology when it comes to church and leveraging that technology to make things interactive, engaging and user-friendly. So if your church isn’t on the technology train yet or you’re wondering if there’s something new that you might be missing, here’s some places to start: 5. Get On Facebook Unless you’ve been under a technological rock for the last 5 years, Facebook is pretty much the biggest thing since, well, the internet. Right now, Facebook boasts some 800… -
Taking my next steps
10 Jan 2012 | 9:32 amAt Journey, our mission is about helping people take their next step. For us as a church that usually means taking a next step in their relationship with Jesus, and EVERYone has a next step. When we stay in one place too long things start to stagnate – and that goes for all aspects of life, not just spiritual. That’s why last fall, I decided to take a next step in my life. I decided to go back to school and continue my education. It’s something I’ve thought about doing for some time but never really knew how I was going to make it work. Working full-time in ministry is… -
Sunday Setlist – January 1, 2012
1 Jan 2012 | 3:24 pm2012 is here and starting it with worship on New Year’s Day was the right way to begin! This is the first time since Journey of Faith began that New Year’s Day has fallen on a Sunday and we’ve never done a New Year’s Day service before, so I didn’t know what to expect. It ended up being a light service, but still a great time of worship. Our Setlist this Sunday: All We Need, Charlie Hall Your Grace Is Enough, Matt Mahar Glorious One, Steve Fee The Message All Glory, Tim Hughes Offering & Prayers Everyday, Joel Houston Music this week focused on God’s…
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The Long View
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Roots, Resilient Communities, and the power of staying put
9 Feb 2012 | 3:35 pm“The spiritual discipline of staying put,” Christianity Today, continues in the same vein as the previous post. It explores what it means to be in a place, long term, and be a blessing to it – and the removal of blessing that happens when those who are successful move out and take the blessing with them. It’s a little bit chilling to think about. The problems of neighborhoods like Walltown are directly connected to a culture where success means moving up and out, and education equals climbing the ladder in order to rise above common places. The homelessness of guys who… -
The death of trust, Resilient Communities and Celtic monastics
9 Feb 2012 | 3:30 pmJohn Robb has a bit of a pessimistic view when it comes to the way the world is going, but his thoughts are worth exploring (he’s an entrepreneur and been monitoring this for a long time). This post is on the subject of trust, the four keys to building it, why it is mostly broken, and why Resilient Communities are an answer. When I think of his Resilient Communities, I am heavily reminded of my beloved Celts and their monasteries in Ireland and in Europe. What is your pioneer mission effort in a community doing to increase the resilience of that community? How are you being a blessing? -
Wycliffe responds to accusations
9 Feb 2012 | 2:38 pmSee “Wycliffe responds to accusations” on Wycliffe UK blog for details. For full press release, click the PDF link. I have full confidence in Wycliffe and my friends there and pray God’s blessings on them. -
Ruthless evaluation, not passion, builds competence
8 Feb 2012 | 12:04 pm“Don’t confuse passion with competence,” HBR.org, highlights an important point. It’s critical when getting involved in missions to build not just passion but the discipline of execution and a knowledgebase gained through practical experience. Obedience-based discipleship, Discovery Bible Studies, church planting movements, boldness, intentionality, reproducibility, model-assist-watch-leave: these and more are key ideas that can seem too-easy or too-difficult. Actually doing it leads to confidence and competence. BUT–and here is what this article gets… -
Violent Clashes in Maldives
8 Feb 2012 | 11:47 amViolent Clashes Continue in Maldives via New York Times. The President unexpectedly resigned after weeks of demonstrations. Some think he was deposed in a coup. A lot of confusion going on. Maldives is an unreached nation.
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The Inclusive Church
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Win a FREE Pass to the 2012 Orange Conference
7 Feb 2012 | 4:17 pmThe Orange Conference recognizes that churches want to do a better job of including kids and students with special needs. That’s why OC12 has an entire special needs ministry track. If you serve in a volunteer or paid capacity at your church and could benefit by attending the OC12 special needs ministry track, we invite you to submit an entry to win a FREE PASS to The Orange Conference. Watch the following video for more information about the special needs ministry track and the contest. Wanna chance to win a free pass to OC12? Here are the rules: 1) The nominated candidate must… -
2012 Orange Conference Special Needs Track
18 Jan 2012 | 3:44 pmMark your calendars for April 25th- 27th, 2012 to be at the Gwinnett Arena oustide Atlanta, GA. Below are the workshops slated to be part of the Special Needs track for OC12. Registration for the below preconference breakouts and workshops are not yet open. ETA for preconference and workshop registration is 02/01/12. HOW TO: Create a Special Needs Ministry Environment - Meaghan Wall In this session will walk through the details to consider as you create a safe and sensory rich ministry environment. Ideas will be offered for every budget and so that you can make your existing… -
When the Children’s Pastor is Impacted by Special Needs
17 Jan 2012 | 8:00 amKristy Moser and I became friends last year when we were both slated to teach inclusion workshops at a children’s ministry conference. We immediately bonded on both a professional and personal level and have since worked together on a number of projects. For the past six years Kristy has served as the Early Childhood Pastor for Crosstown Children’s Ministry at Montgomery Community Church in Cincinnati, OH. Part of her responsibilities include overseeing the church’s special needs ministry, which serves 26 children and families each week. This past summer, Kristy… -
When a Child Shows Signs of Autism – Part 3
13 Jan 2012 | 7:31 amToday is the last in a series of three posts addressing whether or not a children’s ministry team should address a suspected autism diagnosis with parents of a participating child. In Part 1 I shared two variances of a similar question churches often ask related to this question and the background on why churches seek guidance. In Part 2, I talked through the issue of whether or not it is the church’s responsibility to alert parents to a potential learning disability, such as autism. In this post we’ll dive into the issue of addressing the concerns in light of a… -
When a Child Shows Signs of Autism – Part 2
12 Jan 2012 | 7:31 amIt is not uncommon to have a child participating in the typical the children’s ministry environment that exhibits behaviors associated with autism. Oftentimes the child’s parents have not alerted the kidmin team of any diagnosed or suspected learning difference. Inevitably, the child’s teachers and ministry leaders deliberate whether or not they should share their observations with the child’s family. Every situation is different and requires earnest prayer for discernment. There is no perfect answer for how to handle any individual child, family or church. However the…
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RevTrev.com
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Be Encouraged By: 1 John 4:11
29 Jan 2012 | 11:43 amMeditate, Memorize, or Simply Be Encouraged By: 1 John 4:11 design by heartlight Subscribe to My Newsletter Download How to Steward Your Destiny Your Best Email: Powered by Subscribers Magnet -
Be Encouraged By: 1 John 4:10
28 Jan 2012 | 11:40 amMeditate, Memorize, or Simply Be Encouraged By: 1 John 4:10 design by heartlight Subscribe to My Newsletter Download How to Steward Your Destiny Your Best Email: Powered by Subscribers Magnet -
Be Encouraged By: 1 John 4:7
22 Jan 2012 | 11:36 amMeditate, Memorize, or Simply Be Encouraged By: 1 John 4:7 Subscribe to My Newsletter Download How to Steward Your Destiny Your Best Email: Powered by Subscribers Magnet -
Be Encouraged By: 1 John 3:21-22
21 Jan 2012 | 11:33 amMeditate, Memorize, or Simply Be Encouraged By: 1 John 3:21-22 Subscribe to My Newsletter Download How to Steward Your Destiny Your Best Email: Powered by Subscribers Magnet -
Real Marriage by Mark and Grace Driscoll Reviewed by RevTrev
18 Jan 2012 | 11:40 amI was happy to get my advanced reader’s copy of Real Marriage by Mark and Grace Driscoll. I only have a little bit of knowledge of what they’ve been doing at MarsHill Church in Seattle, so I really didn’t know what they were going to say. I appreciate the “principles-not-method” approach they consistently remind the reader of. I appreciate the candid-ness of their story. I appreciate their reliance on the word of God. Here’s a bit about my experience reading the book… The video trailer for the book is here… Do I recommend the book? I’ve…
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Nate Fietzer .:. Leading the Future
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An Interview with Jon Gordon on Leadership
23 Jan 2012 | 7:00 pmRecently I was afforded the awesome opportunity of interviewing Jon Gordon. Jon is a husband, father, and author. His best-selling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. He is the author of The Wall Street Journal bestseller The Energy Bus, as well as The No Complaining Rule, Training Camp, The Shark and The Goldfish, Soup: A Recipe to Nourish Your Team and Culture, and his latest book The Seed: Finding Purpose and Happiness in Life and Work. I could literally write pages and pages about all Jon’s accomplishments from sharing his principles with NFL Teams… -
Jade Raven Design – Review
23 Jan 2012 | 6:02 pmContrary to the belief that has floated around the office I am no graphic artist. As a matter of fact, a couple of months ago I put out feelers on several networks for a graphic artist to create a logo for me. A logo for my blog no less. Within a few days I had a huge list of people interested in this project. With this project opportunity I requested the designers to show me a portfolio of past work. I gotta say that several of the designers had amazing portfolios and so I offered the project to several designers with the understanding that whoever comes back with the best design would get… -
My Top 5 Productivity Android Apps
22 Jan 2012 | 7:54 pmAndroid phones to me are all about productivity. Not saying that Apple phones aren’t … I am just a PC guy and as of the writing of this post, nobody has convinced me that Apple is better. So with that being said, I would like to share with you what I would consider my Top 5 Productivity Android Apps. Planning Center Online This app is one of my focal apps. Our children’s ministry (and worship ministry) utilizes “Planning Center Online” for scheduling, service planning and communication with our teams. This one small app will not only show me the serving schedule… -
Unforgettable Moments Of The Week
6 Jan 2012 | 10:24 pmWould like to share with you some “Unforgettable Moments Of The Week”. This is what Wisconsinites woke up to on January 1st, 2012. The snow held tight to every branch and made a beautiful landscape. God’s turned the drab into beauty. Talk about starting the year off right! Sunday, January 1st, 2012 Wednesday evening Pastor Chris Kliner lead our Konnect ministry (Grades 1st through 4th) into worship. Seeing kids worship like this is what it’s all about. Kids developing a personal relationship with the King. Wednesday, January 4th, 2012 While returning straw from our… -
Bursting Out … Through Vision
3 Jan 2012 | 7:00 amThis is the time of year when everyone is making new years resolutions. As with many, my new years resolution is to become a healthier man. This not only includes losing that unwanted weight but also eating healthier foods and exercising more. According to statistics, 38% of all new years resolutions are related to weight but yet we are the unhealthiest country in the world. Why is this? I believe it’s an issue with our vision. You see, it’s what is in front of us that dictates our actions. Let me give you an example, this morning the daily routine started in the bathroom like usual…
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reconciled
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Moving Past Opinions
7 Feb 2012 | 8:20 pmHow much of what we do as Christians is biblically based and how much is culturally based? I want to expand a little on a couple of my previous posts, Gay Marriage and a Line in the Sand, and Good … Continue reading → -
Theology: Essential to Know God and Useless in Knowing God
6 Feb 2012 | 8:23 pmWhat’s the most important aspect of being a Christian? The most basic and most important aspect of being a Christian is to know God. Everything else is a result of knowing God. When we know God we will glorify Him. … Continue reading → -
Burt Reynolds, The Crazy Cajun and a Christian Nation
3 Feb 2012 | 9:04 pmI drove past one of my favorite restaurants of all time today. Actually, I drove past the plot of ground where it used to be. It’s not anywhere anymore. It closed down a couple of years ago and now the … Continue reading → -
I am Aghast, Shocked and Offended
2 Feb 2012 | 7:47 pmWords are great. You can do a lot with them. - You can build things. - You can destroy things. - You can make people laugh. - You can make people cry. Onomatopoeia My favorite word is onomatopoeia. It has … Continue reading → -
Psalm 51:17 – David Was Bad Too
31 Jan 2012 | 8:13 pmAm I the only one who reads this and pictures a guy in starched khaki’s, running shoes and a short-sleeve dress shirt buttoned to the top praying that God will give him a “heart” for Democrats? Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices … Continue reading →
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Media Outreach
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January 2012 Top Blog Posts
7 Feb 2012 | 5:23 pmHow Your Church can Use QR Codes Using Media During Worship Service Closing the Back Door Presentation Software Review faitHighway offers new website solution with Wordpress themes faithHighway Go... For the full article, please visit: www.mediaoutreach.com -
Empowering Church Volunteers
1 Feb 2012 | 11:19 amOne of the things I find most common as I talk to pastors and church leaders every day is that most churches have a volunteer who is their “webmaster.” The title “webmaster” is the first sign that... For the full article, please visit: www.mediaoutreach.com -
How Does Social Media Affect Your Brain?
31 Jan 2012 | 9:49 amA recent info graphic shows that social media use probably has more of an effect on our brain than we think. What’s most surprising to you? Infographic by Assisted Living Today – Assisted... For the full article, please visit: www.mediaoutreach.com -
Presentation Software Review
26 Jan 2012 | 7:58 amLast week I wrote about tips for using media during church services. One of the things I mentioned was doing your best when putting song lyrics on a screen. I have seen multiple churches use... For the full article, please visit: www.mediaoutreach.com -
Facebook: New Apps for the Timeline
23 Jan 2012 | 2:51 pmHave you converted? I mean, have you converted to facebook’s timeline profile page? I haven’t done so, yet. Every time I visit someone’s profile who is using the new timeline, my eyes kind of do... For the full article, please visit: www.mediaoutreach.com
