Francine Hardaway is "an experienced marketing strategist with special expertise in startup companies," a "geek-to-human translator," and the co-founder of Stealthmode Partners. In a recent blog post she shared how to make your business more successful: The root cause of any business failure is the neglect of a simple, ancient Buddhist idea: the line where I end and you begin is blurry. As the Beatles used to sing, “I am you and you are me together.” As the founder of a business, the line Read More …
Church Announcements = Epic-Fail (#0572)
Adam Stadtmiller's recent post, "The Epic-Fail of Church Announcements," explores a problem that deserves far more attention than it often receives. Stadtmiller offers this hyperbolic analysis of the problem: Nothing in the history of Christendom, save perhaps the Second Crusade, rivals the ineffectiveness of the church’s ability to accomplish an intended purpose more than the medium of in-service announcements. So What? Regardless of denominational affiliation (or non-denomination Read More …
Interracial Couples Denied Church Membership (#0571)
A few weeks ago Gulnare Freewill Baptist Church, a tiny church in Eastern Kentucky, "voted not to accept interracial couples as members or let them take part in some worship activities." This incredibly backwards and exclusion decision, made as the result of the fifteen members present who cast votes, received significant local and national media coverage. This past Sunday, the congregation reversed its early decision by unanimously (16 to 0) passing a motion in support of accepting Read More …
Please Slow Down (#0570)
Tis the season for many things . . . atop my list right now are people who simply will not slow down. Over the last 24 hours I have experienced several examples of this behavior, including: a very coffee-centered individual who asked if I was in a hurry or not because she really was (with my blessing and that of the couple ahead of me, she skipped to the head of the line at Starbucks) people who respond to various forms of communication in a manner that clearly indicates they failed Read More …
The Happiest Job (#0569)
Steve Denning's article on Forbes is one of many that report on the ten happiest jobs, based on the recent General Social Survey by the National Organization for Research at the University of Chicago. The top five are #5 - special education teachers #4 - authors #3 - physical therapists #2 - firefighters #1 - clergy So What? The original article in the Christian Science Monitor notes that psychologist, firefighter, and clergy all make the top ten: Since experts say that social Read More …
Review of The Bible Made Impossible (#0568)
Meet the Author Christian Smith is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at the University of Notre Dame. His research areas include "religion in modernity, adolescents, American evangelicalism, and culture." Smith has written several books, including The Bible Made Impossible: Why Biblicism is Not a Truly Evangelical Reading of Scripture (2011), Souls in Transition: The Religious & Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults Read More …
The 2nd Most Popular Person in America (#0567)
A recent national survey by Public Policy Polling sought to determine the most popular person in America. Only two people included in the survey received a 90% or greater approval rating: #1 Abraham Lincoln (91%) and #2 Jesus (90%). Of course, one could argue the survey data actually ranks them #2 and #3 since the survey respondents gave themselves an even higher favorable rating (93%). A select group received favorability ratings in excess of 80%: George Washington (86%) Read More …
Becoming a Tablet Family (#0566)
My wife purchased her first tablet, an ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, on Black Friday. I purchased my first tablet, a Lenovo Ideapad K1, a few days later for the same price. In the matter of a week we went from living in a tablet-free home to each having a 10.1 inch Android tablet of our own. And, of course, we both know we have the better tablet. Spec by spec the machines are relatively similar: mine weighs more, has more internal memory (32MB vs 16MB), and slightly better battery Read More …
A Survey About my Theological Studies (#0565)
Yesterday I received an e-mail request to complete an Alumni Survey. The survey, sent by the university from which I received my doctoral degree, is a standard instrument provided by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). The survey included a significant number of questions related to the usefulness of coursework for my current position and my overall experience. Since I now work full-time in higher education, I found many of the questions intriguing, Read More …
Reverse Mentoring (#0564)
Leslie Kwoh's Wall Street Journal article, "Reverse Mentoring Cracks Workplace," describes the practice and benefit of reverse mentoring in the workplace. A reverse mentoring relationship involves young employees mentoring old senior level staff. The relationship offers executives the opportunity to learn technology and social media skills while providing the younger workers with "a rare glimpse into the world of management and access to top-level brass." So What? The church, Read More …