Steve Thorngate, assistant editor of the Christian Century, recently wrote these words: The biggest question about social media and the church is not how the church can harness the power of social media for good ends while safeguarding against bad ones (useful as such discussions may be). It's how social media is changing what it means to be church. So What? It is important to understand what it means to be church in America today. More specifically, church leaders should understand Read More …
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Church Website Checklist (#0423)
Josh Henry, Managing Partner with The Church Business Guys, recently shared his list of basic do's and don'ts for church websites: Don’t overcomplicate your domain name . . . Use caution when hiring a relative, close friend, high school student or church member who says they can do it . . . Use free tools sparingly . . . Consider the website an investment . . . Utilize your website as a ministry of your church . . . Take advantage of the communication opportunity. Read More …
Social Networking Users Double in 2 Years (#0418)
The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project recently released Social Networking Sites and our Lives, which is a report based on the findings of a survey on Americans' use of the internet conducted from October 20 to November 28, 2010 with a sample of 2,255 adults, age 18 and older who were contacted via both landline and cellular phones. The research shows: "The number of those using social networking sites has nearly doubled since 2008 and the population Read More …
Reuniting Old Friends (#0413)
This morning I am preaching at Naples United Church of Christ in Naples, FL. You can read the full text of my sermon, Reuniting Old Friends, here. For more information about the books referenced visit my reviews of Missional: Joining God in the Neighborhood (2011) by Alan J. Roxburgh To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, & Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World (2010) by James Davison Hunter Putting Away Childish Things: A Tale of Modern Faith Read More …
Adjusting Expectations (#0403)
In an article published by the Associated Baptist Press, Amy Butler, senior pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Washington D.C., suggests that parishioners' expectations about church are often unrealistic. She writes: I’m thinking specifically about the yawning divide between church members’ expectations and the reality of living in community. What is it really like to be the church, the gathered community of Christ? You know, the place where everybody loves each other, Read More …
More than the Buildings (#0392)
Tari Stage-Harvey, pastor of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Juneau, AK, recently wrote an article for the Juneau Empire suggesting that it is time for Christians to move beyond their fascination with church property and buildings. She writes: Something happened in the history of Christianity where the assembly of Jesus’ followers fell in love with buildings. The building became church. The building became something we went to and often quickly exited so we could move Read More …
What Kind of Disciple? (#0388)
Scot McKnight, renowned New Testament scholar and professor of religious studies at Northpark University, wrote an article entitled "Full Disciple" in the February-March 2011 edition of Neue Magazine exploring the discipleship ministry of local congregations. McKnight asks his readers, "What kind of disciple is your church producing (p.56)?," before suggesting that churches would benefit from aligning their vision with that of Jesus: For Jesus a disciple is someone Read More …
Job Seekers Should Go to Church (#0374)
"Need Job? Try Church" is not a paid advertisement, an evangelistic effort, or a government sponsored initiative. It is the title of Dennis Nishi's May 15 Wall Street Journal article, which suggests: Across the nation, local churches and other religious organizations have stepped up their recession-busting efforts with free career workshops, résumé clinics and networking functions. The latter can generate quick leads if leveraged properly since religious-centered networks Read More …
Time Before Money (#0198)
Wendy Liu, Assistant Professor of Marketing at UCLA Anderson School of Management, and Jennifer Lynn Aaker, General Atlantic Professor of Marketing at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, co-authored "The Happiness of Giving: The Time-Ask Effect," which was published in the Journal of Consumer Research; October 2008, Vol. 35 Issue 3, pp.543-557. Those interested in the full text can read it here. The abstract summarizes the paper: This research Read More …
5 Ways to Use Social Media (#0164)
Scott McClellan is the editor of Collide: a magazine for church leaders who use media and technology to communicate Truth. Additionally, he is the director of Echo: a media and tech conference for creative church leaders. To learn more about McClellan visit his website, friend him on facebook, or follow him on twitter. Earlier this week he wrote about five ways your organization can and should use social media: Listen: follow thought leaders, culture Read More …