David Odom, Executive Director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity School, recently blogged about the increasing tendency of shoppers, including church shoppers, to shop online. When it comes to those who are looking for a church, Odom notes that they "frequently visit the congregation online by watching services, reading about services and asking questions." This activity is a part of the screening process many now use in making a decision about whether or not to attend Read More …
Social Media
The Problem with Facebook (#1306)
Derek Muller of Veritasium, an educational science channel on YouTube, recently posted a 7-minute video exploring the current problems with Facebook. If you and/or your organization spend any time on Facebook, then I encourage you to listen to Muller's video in its entirety. So What? Muller comments, "The beauty of social media is that it's the user who gets to control the content, who they interact with and how." As Facebook increasingly limits what content users see and Read More …
Scribalishess (#1304)
I enjoy discovering new blogs. When I encounter people's listings of their favorite blogs or compilations of the best Christian blogs I tend to click through and browse each site. Most of my discovery consists of becoming familiar with well established blogs. While I hope to continue that exploration, I also want to connect with new bloggers and to encourage you to do the same. Susan Pigott is Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Hardin-Simmons University. I had the Read More …
The 1 Minute Worship Service (#1302)
Gold Hill Lutheran Church is an ELCA congregation in Butte, MT that averages just over 130 people in worship each Sunday morning. Their pastor's one minute worship service (January 12, 2014) has gone viral. It took less than a week for the video to reach 1 million views. So What? Timothy Christensen's announcement was initially misunderstood by many as having been the full worship experience. In the days since, numerous corrections or updates to blog Read More …
BYODD to Worship (#1300)
BYODD (Bring Your Own Divine Device) may become the acronym of choice at many houses of worship. Jeff Brumley's recent Associated Baptist Press article, "Divine Devices or Digital Distractions," provides a hopeful, realistic look at the increased use of smart phones and tablets in worship services. Not only are fewer congregations banning the use of such devices during worship, but many are being intentional about encouraging their use for looking up Bible verses or sharing Read More …
Elements of a Great Blog Post (#1293)
Paul Steinbrueck, co-founder and CEO of OurChurch.Com, recently shared 7 must have elements for a great blog post: tantalizing title, hook in the opening paragraph, connecting image, unique style and perspective, new insight, formatted for easy reading, and conversation-starting question. So What? I have been blogging since 2009, and am always interested in learning how to be more effective. While many of my posts contain these seven elements, a good number contain a Read More …
What Impacts Your Mood? (#1290)
A new two minute viral video from BuzzFeed, "Everyday Things That Affect Your Mood," has been viewed nearly 1 million times. As you watch it, consider your own life experiences. So What? Among the "surprising" things that can affect your mood, the video lists disorganization, colors, smoking, Facebook, job promotions, and your bedside lamp. Mood matters. What additional factors do you find affect your mood? Do you try to control the variables on the video's list and Read More …
Church Website Reality Check (#1209)
Recently Adam McLane, a Partner at The Youth Cartel and Principal at McLane Creative, wrote about his experience visiting more than 1,000 church websites. Being completely frank, McLane notes that many sites suck and are "truly crappy." Since your congregation's website is a key way potential newcomers gather data and determine whether or not to participate, it should accurately reflect your congregation's identity. Not only should the site be aesthetically pleasing, but Read More …
Church Social Media Community Building Opportunity (#1197)
Marcus Cylar, itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, is seeking your help with his Doctor of Ministry project centered around the question: "What are the characteristics and benefits of an effective, life-giving online pastoral support group in a social media setting?" The working title for this project is Examining Social Media's Role in Community Building and Spiritual Formation. Get Involved Marcus is looking for 30 participants of all ages (3 groups of 10) Read More …
Tweeting at Quality Matters (#1194)
This week I have been in Nashville, TN attending the Quality Matters annual conference. According to their website, Quality Matters "is a leader in quality assurance for online education and has received national recognition for its peer-based approach to continuous improvement in online education and student learning." It is the standard Hodges University has chosen to adopt, and will soon be implementing. As has been the case at all of the professional conferences I have attended Read More …