Probably some of you have seen this before, or something similar. I can’t resist passing this on since it is so very appropriate for the times. By the way you see he is using a MAC!! Click the picture to blow it up.
Tags: Mac, God, God’s Inbox
I recently started a couple user groups near where I live. I thought this would be a great way to get involved within the community and do ministry. Meetup.com is an online tool that allows you to take the social networking concept and bring real people together collectively at a decided place around a common interest. I think this brings the cynics of online ministry to a better understanding of how one can do ministry in an online context. I to often hear that you can’t do effective ministry online, without that personal touch. Well this tool will make those cynics a little happier where it blends both methods of ministry together. All are welcome to join the two Meetups that I have created. I will keep you posted on what progress is made at these two meetups.
Tags: Meetup, Social Networking, Apple, Ministry, User Groups
Take a look at this interesting video from Rob Bell at Mars Hill.
What do You think?
Since the democratic debates were on TV tonight I thought it appropriate to ask the question, who do you think Jesus would vote for? All the candidates have their faults but which one do you think stands out of the pack and represents more in line what Jesus would do if he was a earthly president. I don’t have an answer for you but I do have a link that tries to cover the candidates and where they all stand on issues. Go down each listed item and ask yourself where would Jesus stand on this topic. I personally liked the comment that Senator Mike Gravel said tonight. He said if you want to find out the true intentions and a good candidate follow the money trail. Because of the the original sin (Greed) committed by the Satan himself, we live in a world where money drives our decisions and outcomes. Instead of allowing us to be sucked into the downward spot of consumerism let’s follow Christ example and look at what Christ did for us.
Tags: Mike Gravel, Democratic, President, Debates, Jesus, Consumerism, Greed, Candidates, Sin, Satan
With the Latter-day Saints advertising and marketing on TV and Radio so much, this brings about the question why aren’t other ministries using the power of mass media to bring about awareness and image building. I don’t like dealing with the media, but because of the reach and power it has, it can be a wonderful opportunity for you to tell everyone who you are. So I was very pleased to find “Spot Runner” where they make it easy for you to advertise on TV/Radio and do it cost effectively. Keep me aware of your experiences with this service like all the many services I talk about.
Tags: Latter-day Saints, Spot Runner, TV, Radio, Advertising, Marketing
A few weeks ago some friends and I attended part of the Buzz Conference held at a Church coffee shop in Washington D.C.
National Community Church has created a church that is very innovative and is thinking outside of the box when it comes to doing ministry. I didn’t get to attend all the sessions, but National Community church did post some of the sessions online in audio and video format. I would strongly recommend this conference to anyone involved with ministry. Their story is worth checking out and a inspiration to the ones that want to make a difference in today’s postmodern world.
Tags: Buzz Conference, National Community Church, Washington D.C., Postmodern
I found a social networking site that now gives religious institutions, churches and religious based organizations a chance to share in the social networking popularity of today. LightsTogether.com is a social network designed for the church organization, even though they also accept personal accounts. I would say it’s the Myspace.com design for the church. I haven’t created an account yet, this is one of those services that I’m going to watch and see what ministry possibilities transpire. As with any social networking site I believe this is where the heart of ministry is in the 21st century. I see it becoming and developing into a primary method of conversation in future generations.
Tags: myspace, lightstogether, social network, converstation
3.1 billion people in the world are considered to be illiterate today. This begs the question how one can read the bible effectively no matter how easy the translation may be. There are several organizations that have put out audio versions of the bible but they have been limited on the number of translations and lack of languages. “Faith Comes By Hearing” has put into practice MP3 Audio Bible versions into many different translations and also has put together a “Bible Stick” for kids, that includes the “New International Readers Version for Children” (NIRV) that has dramatized the bible and while making it convenient and cool to listen to God’s word. For only $29 it’s worth every penny.
Happy 777 Day!!!
Tags: bible, nirv, mp3, audio, faith, illiteracies, illiterate, read
In my previous post, I discussed the alarming trend of the exodus of young people from the church. The statistics lead us to the 2 questions that we have a responsibility to ask. Why? And what can we do to fix it?
To address the first question, I talked to a number of my friends, some who are still involved in the church, most who are not. When I asked them why they think that the numbers show this trend, initially they replied in a variety of ways. It is not relevant to me. I’m too busy. It doesn’t meet my needs. Each of these answers, as well as the others that I received, appear to be very different. But by digging deeper and seeking clarification an interesting trend began to develop. The true root of most of the disengagement from the organized Church was disillusionment with the church. See the big c little c difference there again?
While nearly all admit that one should look to Christ as the model for true Christianity, they also state that a examples of unchristian like behavior in the church(little c) effect their spiritual standing. 3 areas came up again and again, so I thought I would share them.
The first is Integrity. The definition of integrity speaks volumes.
in·teg·ri·ty [in-teg-ri-tee] –noun
1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.
One of the challenges of having a common moral standard, is that it is just that common. The structure of that moral standard outlined in the bible is open and available to anyone who is willing to pick it up and to have it shared with them. Thus observers have a certain expectation of those who claim to be Christians. This is not an unreasonable expectation, as the very name Christian means that living according to the teachings of Christ and thus we are examples of Christ.
The motivation behind our actions often become very clear very quickly to an outside observer. Are we acting in genuine Christian love and concern for our fellow man? Or are we letting our selfish agendas dictate how we behave. The disparity in the stated values by taking the name Christians, and the values that we demonstrate by our behavior are what frequently call our integrity into question.
Now, don’t get me wrong the church is a place sinners, just as the hospital is a place for sick people. But this observation is only a piece of the foundation of disengagement problem. Part 3 coming soon.
I often find great sites on the web that converse or link to some form of ministry, but rarely do I run across a site that just blows my mind, of course in a good way!! Such a site is change.org, where a social network is built around social activism, linking and connecting like minded people together for a social cause. It’s where non-profits, politicians and others can build community around social change. I think is a wonderful platform where non-profits and like can raise money and where a grass roots group can make a real felt impact on a social issue. I also find the “tag cloud” on the homepage a wonderful way to see where people’s hearts are and where a real social change is needed and accepted.
Click the link below to join Todd Mace’s network.
http://www.change.org/admin/sign_up?invited_by=11580
Tags: Change, Social, Activism, non-profits, politicians, social networking, ministry
Sky3c Sponsored by Web Hosting
rɪ