Props to Rob M. for telling me this old adage...
"When you have a boy you only have to worry about one boy in town. When you have a girl you have to worry about all of the boys in town."
For the record, I will be on the porch before every date. I won't be holding a shotgun, though. Baseball Bats are so much more fun...
"I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them."
Isaac Asimov
Time for a vote:
The graphic "Sunday isn't Suck Day Eve" is a marketing campaign currently being used in what context:
A) NFL purists claiming Monday Night Football should be back on ABC (as opposed to ESPN)
B) Churches, after hearing "Sunday @ Church Sucks" so many times, have started a slander campaign against the other days of the week.
C) Job Finder website, trying to convince people to get out of the depression that is the work week.
Here's your answer... Go Career Builder!
Pretty sad, though, that to a large portion of the population 16% of the week is lost behind the drudgery of their 9-5 lives. I guess that's what happens if a person's identity is locked into what they do...
Who are you? What is your identity? Job, Kids, Church, Hobbies, Sports, Friends? Lately I've been reevaluating my own identity and I'd love some feedback...
"...That whole week I chain smoked as I prepared my sermon..."
Hilarious true story from one of CFs Teaching Pastor's during todays All-Staff Worship. I'm not going to out which one, but imagine a young man, nervous about speaking for the first time that buys a carton of Marlboros to calm his nerves as he prepares to preach the week before his first sermon...
JACK: Wait, wait, wait, where are you going?
LOCKE: To find some more water.
JACK: I'll come with you.
LOCKE: No. You need to finish what's you've started.
JACK: Why?
LOCKE: Because a leader can't lead until he knows where he's going.
LOST, White Rabbit
Season 1 Episode 5
Written by Christian Taylor
Directed by Kevin Hooks
Thanks to About.com for the photo.
A bookstore is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking.
I met someone today who says to me, "I read your blog...". My response to readers in real life is always awkward... Honestly, if you read my stuff, don't tell me. I'm better off not knowing. I mumbled something stupid in response... Anyway, he went on to say "I try to keep up on all the Christ Fellowship Blogs." My response once again, awkward, "oh, I'm not a Christ Fellowship Blog."
CF plays a very important - and increasing - role in my life. But please, understand that while I may spout crazy nonsense about how Apple will take over the world, or how "infrastructure" is the new buzz word... I never claim to have the answers about God. I try (and occasionally succeed) in helping to create an avenue to "Connect people to God." That doesn't mean that I'm an expert in GOD. I ask a lot of questions. My prayer life has become a Q&A session with God.
This post is about a question I do not know the answer to.
Republican President John McCain was recently quoted talking about his faith. Honestly, I have no idea as to the ethics or morals of McCain. It's not important to this blog. I do, however, want to look at two of his statements...
1) "The most important thing is that I am a Christian."
2) "It [My faith] plays a role in my life. By the way, I'm not Episcopalian. I'm Baptist. Do I advertise my faith? Do I talk about it all the time? No."
Let me walk you through my train of thought.
- McCain doesn't buy into the denominationalism that is literally tearing the body of Christ apart! Awesome. Really, I believe this is a good thing. Good for you, McCain. Way to make your faith real.
- McCain says being a Christian is the most important thing in his life, but he doesn't advertise it. Wait, I'm not sure I'm okay with that. The most important thing in your life, but you don't tell people? I'll be honest. In the grand scheme of things, Apple is like #7 in my priority list. But if you know me, you know I bleed AppleJuice. (Sorry for the pun). How can one be a Christian and not have the grace of God radiating through their skin to the point where they ache to tell others about the change that Christ has brought into their lives. McCain is talking political crap here. Move on.
- Wait. So McCain is not an evangelical beast... so he's not witnessing to people like crazy and hasn't started a church yet... He's in politics, and therefore in the business of not offending people. And we know that our faith is offensive to people... maybe he's missional in sharing his faith. Should it be a requisite that all Presidents need to recite the Romans Road by memory? I don't think so...
- Honestly, I struggle with this. As a Christian, do I want to vote for a President that is a Christian just because he's a Christian. My gut says yes, but then I read Romans 13, where Paul implies that God has established all governing authorities. Wow, even the democrats and liberals? Sure. Maybe He can use the left-wing to some extent... Wait, all governing bodies? Even Hussein? Stalin? Hitler?
All of a sudden I don't like where my questions take me. All this because McCain doesn't advertise his faith. Stupid McCain...
What do you think. My readers are predominately Chrisitans, although I've heard from some spiritual skeptics along the way... How important is Faith in context of leadership, especially in Government?
During the night, Apple had a press conference in England, where they announced they are releasing the iPhone in the UK. Here's the story from MacWorld. At the end of the news story, Steve shares some insight into the future of iPhone...
Jobs said the company is really focused on the iPhone and developing the device.
“We’re already working on the next iPhone, and the one after that,” Jobs said, adding, “and we’re already thinking about the one after that.”
I love the fact that Apple is physically "working" on iPhone v2, and iPhone v3. AND THEN they are dreaming of iPhone v4. While some are worried about the iPhone's impact, Steve's able to look ahead and see that the success will come, and is investing resources into making the future "v"s great...
Wow, wish I had that kind of faith...
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943
Interesting, Microsoft.com has a powerpoint slide of this quote on their website, but Wikipedia says the quote MAY NOT be true...
After the iPhone Surgery, I'm doublechecking everything...
"Oops"
Apple Employee at the Mall at Wellington Green when trying to ring up an iPhone to the first person (who waited close to fourteen hours) in line on iDay. After 5 minute slowdown and two managers looking at computer, it worked again.
Seth Godin says what I'm thinking...
Why doesn't Puma or Adidas (or even Nike) pay the management of the SF Giants to bench Barry Bonds before he hits the record? Now you'd have a brand that really stood for something.
I have totally tuned out of baseball this year. I'm usually a huge fan, but I want nothing to do with the game until it purifies itself.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist. - Usual Suspects, 1995.
According to a recent Gallup poll, 90% of America believes is God, or the "universal good". Alright! 81% believes in Heaven. 70% believe in Hell or the Devil. 20% of those believing in God will not acknowledge the "evil" side of spirituality...
I thought these numbers would generally be lower. I'm always shocked to see that only 10% of America doesn't believe in God (however, did you know every major contender for the 2008 Presidential Election claims to be a Christian?) Involvement in the church is at an all-time low. So we are seeing that people believe in God, yet they do not want to be involved in an "organized religion" that is dedicated to Him... (I'll let you come to your own conclusions there...)
Having seen what Gibson's Passion of the Christ did for cultural awareness of Jesus in America, it will be interesting to see what the number of movies dedicated to Lucifer will do to the acceptance of the fallen angel.
Thanks to CROnline.com for the scoop.
I'm not the guy that likes to sit and wait for things to happen... I like to make them happen. Patience is, in fact, a virtue. However, it's not my virtue. It's hard, though, because sometimes you have to wait for the pieces to come together. Although I'd love to get in a time machine and jump six months, two years, five years into the future, I find myself waiting... wanting...
Patience stinks. I'm finding out what my issues are. I hate it when I am tasked to do a job, yet something/someone is holding me back from doing it. I'm project-oriented, and when other people prevent me from getting projects done, I feel like I'm "sitting by the side of a river..."
During these down times I strive to find something to do. Today may be slow, tomorrow will be chaotic. So what can I do today to make tomorrow less chaotic? So, while my roast duck may not be served today, at least I'm getting ready for dinner.
I'd love to give credit to who I got this graphic from, but I can't find it. Thanks to Guy Kawasaki for the quote.
"Christians are hard to tolerate, I don’t know how Jesus does it."
Bono, Lead Singer U2
Multiple people have the quote...
I've started reading Dan Kimball's They Like Jesus But Not The Church. Wow. I'm 20 pages in and this book is hitting me hard. Great stuff!
"Keep in mind... Triumph = UMPH! added to Try"
Algebra, copyright 2006
Frank Schaffer Publications, Pg. 6
I had the pleasure of taking part in the CF church-wide staff retreat. Russ Olman is Director of Community Campuses at Lake Pointe Church in Dallas, TX. Lake Pointe has a "Central Campus" and has six satellite campuses. Russ is also the campus pastor at their Town East Campus (the largest satellite). In addition, Russ started "Ministry Advantage", a non-profit international coaching organization that has served hundreds of pastors and church leaders in the areas of leadership skills and church development.
While Rockwall, TX is a completely different environment than Miami, FL, Russ brought some great insight into the multi-site model.
Below are several nuggets Russ impressed on me:
First Year
* first year, disregard numbers
* focus on quality, systems, procedures (I wanted to yell out "Infrastructure")
* nobody knows how difficult it is to start a church (until you do it)
Volunteering
* get good at helping people identify their passion.
* know the difference between a committed volunteer and a passionate volunteer
* buyers remorse - sometimes volunteers buy into an idea w/o realizing what is involved in serving.
Features on Campus
* site/size appropriate - when starting campuses, don't create all features, all services immediately.
* offer what would be appropriate for your size.
* offer services/features when volunteers are available (satellite campuses will not be a full-service provider)
* "size appropriate ministry" - backed by communication, expectation, alignment
* be conscious of the services you provide
What we do
* 80/20 effect - 20% of your effort creates 80% of the impact (I'll be revisiting this at a later point).
* whatever we do, do it well (I've heard this somewhere before, too).
* Biased towards action
* when you're 80% confident on your action, pull the trigger (I'll revisit this too).
Communication
* what does the satellite campus communicate to the main campus? about the main campus? vice versa?
* Central campuses are "used to" doing things certain ways. It can be difficult for central sites to think multi-site.
* Satellite + Central = marriage relationship (if you're married, you understand)
* Get to the solution side of the problem, don't stay on the problem side.
Miscellaneous
* not sold on thematic worship elements, good worship cuts across cultural demographics
* re: video teaching - it's the message, not the medium
* campus identity is defined by texture, color, layour, standardizing equipment, etc.
* Delegation: "Don't do anything someone else can do for you." - Bill Marriott, Sr.
From the "Wish I was there..." section of my life, Tony Morgan posts 10 Stupid Technology Mistakes that Churches Make (which was part of his talk at the Dynamic Church Conference).
1. Letting technology drive the ministry rather than letting ministry drive the technology.
2. Assuming everyone thinks like a techie.
3. Using multiple databases.
4. Not building a team.
5. Not documenting processes.
6. Implementing technology solutions without considering the strategic systems.
7. Creating solutions to capture data but neglecting the solutions to report data.
8. Focusing on development and implementation without creating systems for training and support.
9. Hiring the best geek rather than the best leader...that knows geeky stuff.
10. Not making technology a priority to reach today's culture.
Every one of these I've been guilty of in the past (especially 1, 2, 4, 6, 7). Some of these I'm guilty of now (see 3, 5, 8). The good news that we're still striving to make this technology work, and we're focused more than we ever have been before.
It's good to have some guidelines, though. Thanks Tony.
Here's a hilarious story from Email Marketing Voodoo. (I've got a good point at the bottom, so read through it.)
Monday, May 14, 2007 - Oh, the Ironystart rant//
If you own an Xbox 360, you’re most likely a subscriber to their Xbox Live online feature. Well, I do own an Xbox 360 and guess what… I play games online. Yeah yeah yeah… point and laugh all you want.
When signing up for Xbox Live, you’re also offered to sign up for their email list, which I opted in to without hesitation.
So I have been receiving messages here and there for the past six months from Xbox. Their emails are designed modestly; its content is concise and personalized with my gamer tag. Last week, they sent out two emails. One focusing on systems updates, the other focusing what I’ve been missing since I played last. I skimmed over both relatively quick, but one thing was glaring at me. Both emails had the same header:
Please add Xbox@email.xbox.com to your address book to ensure delivery.
Read this issue online if you can't see the images or are using Outlook 2007.Does anyone see the irony here?
Xbox 360 -- a product developed and manufactured by Microsoft -- sends out emails to their users and they say in plain English, “Hey nerds, this simply won’t work using our new email software, because well… that would just make too much sense”.
You would think that those responsible for Xbox 360's emails would at least design them so they'd show up for those using Outlook 2007.
//end rant.
JEFF'S TAKE: Lately I find myself saying "Infrastructure" a lot. Is our Infrastructure capable of handling what we are asking it to do? In the case of Microsoft, can an e-mail sent to Microsoft Gaming fans be read on a Microsoft E-mail application. Evidently the answer is no. (Truly, how stupid is that).
Let's look at the larger picture. It makes perfect sense to send an e-mail to gamers. But shouldn't someone have checked with the Outlook guys to see if it would work, or better yet when they saw it didn't work, ask the Outlook guys what needed to change in the e-mail get it to work?
Infrastructure will only get you as far as you will let it go.
Is it strong enough to stand on its own?
If you pull one of its legs out from under it, will it still function?
As time goes, and as growth continues, does it get stronger or weaker?
And that's the problem with Microsoft. As the Infrastructure grew, communication stopped. I'll wager the XBOX guys have no idea who the Outlook guys are. There's probably in completely separate departments (if not separate cities/states), and it's easier to ignore the problem than to get it working right. That is infrastructure failure.
In my own businesses I'm constantly trying to evaluate our infrastructure.
Is there communication between top and bottom?
Is the manager reading/understanding the situation properly?
Are the employees respecting the managers?
If there is no communcation from top to bottom, then what chance is there to truly succeed? One of my favorite quotes right now is from Marketing Guru Seth Godin:
"99% of the time, in my experience, the hard part about creativity isn't coming up with something no one has ever thought of before. The hard part is actually executing the thing you've thought of."
To function properly, top and bottom need to be in communication. The Boss, The Manager, The Frontliners/Pawns/Minions. If the top doesn't understand where the bottom is, frustrations will arise at the bottom. If the bottom doesn't understand that the top is driving towards a new vision, the Boss becomes frustrated that the vision isn't being executed. If the managers miscommunicate the vision/direction, everyone is screwed.
The wider the infrastructure, the more difficult communication becomes. The harder it becomes, the more vital a role it plays.
As part of Christ Fellowship's series "Pursuit of Happiness" on the Beatitudes, Rick preached this week on seeing the face of God. Excellent message on the crux of the Beatitudes.
In that same vein, Mark Batterson (National Community Church, Washington DC) posts "Ten Ways I Hear God." Some of them fit me very well. Some of them I need to work on.
Ten Ways I Hear God:
#1 I hear God better after I've confessed my sin.
#2 I hear God better when I'm worshipping Him.
#3 I hear God better early in the morning.
#4 I hear God better after I've read my Bible.
#5 I hear God better when I'm not in a hurry.
#6 I hear God better when I'm out in nature.
#7 I hear God better when I'm on a rooftop.
#8 I hear God better when I'm fasting
#9 I hear God better when I'm out of my routine.
#10 I hear God better when I'm going after a dream
He also referenced a quote by Blaise Pascale:
"All of man's miseries derive from not being able to sit quietly in a room alone."
Christ Fellowship Miami got permission from the Gov't to do Mission Trips to Cuba! How cool is that! I've been praying about going on the trip in August. One of the trips just got back. I've heard plenty of stories about their dwindling economy and how the blackmarket has their own currency printed. What I wanted to share, however, is a quote:
Cubans over there say that America is better than Cuba only in two areas: MOVIES and EVERYTHING ELSE.
That's a quote. Having been exposed to preCastro International Cinema, we do make better movies... but I do think there are some things that Cubans do better...
10 things done in Cuba better than done in America:
10) Cigars
09) Speak better spanish
08) Driving - (sorry, I can't even pretend on that one.)
07) Cigars
06) Arroz Con Pollo
05) Stronger Passion: Do you really see an American clinging to a raft for a couple days in the tropical heat to escape to another life? Answer: NO. We'd rather complain about the conditions than do anything about it.
04) Cigars
03) Loyalty (who else would have stuck with Communism this long?)
02) Play Follow the Leader: they follow Castro to the brink of implosion. Meanwhile, we gripe at Bush every chance we get.
01) Cigars
What's your country's top 10 list?
CF Palmetto Bay has done some remodeling of the main campus worship center. "Some remodeling" does not do justice. They have done major renovations, and it's my understanding that there's more coming! (I'm jealous that we're not doing it in Homestead (yet!))
As part of the remodeling, they covered the gorgeous stained glass in the worship center... I gotta admit, I viewed this with mixed emotion. Growing up in this church, the stained glass is actually very sentimental for me. However, with the lighting and the other visual work we do, I understood why it had to go. (You can see in the picture on the right how much natural light would come in through the stained glass window).
Then I read a quote from Mark Batterson, pastor of National Community Church (and quickly becoming my "most quoted" person on this blog)...
I'm sure I've blogged about it before, but we view the movie theater screen as postmodern stained glass. The medieval church used stained glass to tell the gospel story in pictures. We use the screen and videos to tell the gospel story in moving pictures.
Sort of put it in context. Stained glass used to bring people into an environment of worship. Today, we use three video screens to help contribute to the process. Who needs stained glass after all?
Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers go out to the students, faculty and supporters of VT.
“It certainly doesn’t shake my belief in God. It just affirms my belief in evil.” Mark Batterson, National Community Church
"You don't learn very much when you yourself are talking."
Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google
Thanks to Guy Kawasaki for the quote.
I'll be honest here. I gotta learn this one. I talk/type too much and there are times I should really just shut up. Like right now, rather than learning from the quote I'm still talking endlessly about the quote in an attempt to add something to the experience? Why do I do that? :)
Enjoy.
I don't know if you've heard of this guy, "The Friendly Atheist". His story/blog can be found online, and you can read an article about him at Christianity Today. Rather than focus on his story (as great as it is) I want to share some of his thoughts... (as reported by InternetMonk.com):
Clearly, most churches have aligned themselves against non-religious people. By adopting this stance, Christians have turned off the people I would think they want to connect with. The combative stance I’ve observed is an approach that causes people to become apathetic—and even antagonistic—toward religion as a whole. Many evangelical pastors seem to perceive just about everything to be a threat against Christianity. Evolution is a threat. Gay marriage is a threat. A swear word uttered accidentally on television is a threat. Democrats are a threat. I don’t see how any of these things pose a threat against Christianity. If someone disagrees with you about politics or social issues or the matter of origins, isn’t that just democracy and free speech in action? Why do Christians feel so threatened?
You need to spread the message of Christianity—the message being what Christianity stands for—loving each other, helping the people around you. Those are things everyone can get on board with.
I am looking forward to reading Hemant Mehta's book, I Sold My Soul on eBay. I can guarantee there will be a bookstore in Miami stocking it (wink wink). And yes, the title is ironic because Atheists do not believe in souls.
PS - I feel like I should clarify something. I am in no way endorsing any of the views expressed my Mr. Mehta. I am, however, extremely happy that he is sharing his thoughts openly. How can we understand how to reach the lost if we don't listen to the lost? What hope do we have to change lives if we are not investing in them?
"I’m pissed off at those Jesus weirdoes who are trying to trick kids into religion by putting a skate park up in a f***ing church," [It's] bull***t."
(Thanks to San Diego CityBeat for the quote)
Matt, 30 year old hardcore skater, sharing his anger at Bonita Valley Baptist Church (Bonita, CA) for opening a skate park on church property. Check out EternitySkate.com for more info on the ministry.
Jeff's Take: Sometimes we in church like to gauge what people in the outside world think of our ministry. Eternity Skate now has a direct quote to use. This is a powerful testimony for Eternity Skate and I hope that other churches will invest and use the resources available to reach a generation in very unconventional ways.
I've got another quote for you as well (from the same San Diego CityBeat article).
"Even some of the faithful seem to agree that the new Christian bid for relevance among the youth is disconcerting. An Episcopal minister in El Cajon, who asked to remain nameless in this story because he didn’t want to offend others in the faith community, calls the effort a “watering down of Christianity to make it more palatable,” or, in other words, a type of public-relations campaign for Jesus."
Jeff's Take: No, by all means, let's keep using the King James Version because everybody says "thee" and "thou" today. No, wait, KJV was a translation from the original text, therefore it must have been watered down. Let's make everyone take 2-4 years of Greek/Hebrew before they can accept Christ. And if you die before you finish the required linguistic courses, to Hell with you! To say that setting up a skatepark is "watering down" a message is, I would suppose, a slap in the face to many people - my Christ included. Were not parables a way of his to teach His message to everyday people? I do not understand how that is different than setting up a skate park and sharing the Good News though it.
Matt's F-Bombing the church doesn't make me angry. The lost will be the lost. He can think what he wants. Spiritual warfare is going to come from the outside. This Episcopal minister who takes shots at an outreach ministry but is too afraid to put his name next to the quote... well, honestly he makes me want to start talking like Matt does. But to you, Episcopal guy, do you really think that you understand the motivations/actions/theology behind what God does? Do you really know it all? If you do, please, teach the world so that we all can be better Christians. But you don't know, do you. You can't. That's where Grace comes in. I need the theology of God watered down. I hope that in Heaven I will have complete understanding... and if you think that you have complete understanding, let me awaken you: You don't deserve anything, neither do I, neither do those skaters. But to say that the skaters don't deserve Grace (in a form they can understand)... sir, maybe you should go back and truly see what Grace means. Unconventional ministries get enough spiritual warfare from the outside world...it hurts far worse when it comes from your own Christian brothers and sisters.
Sorry, off soapbox. San Diego CityBeat is a great article. Check it out. Also, it has a couple paragraphs on C28 in El Cajon, CA - shedding more light on our ministry!
The Gospel is meant to offend. Jesus was never afraid to mince words with those in the church. To think that we should apologize today for our views or methods of Christ is appaling. If you're convicted, though, at least be man enough to stand up and allow God the opportunity to protect you.
Great Job Eternity Skating! We'll be praying for your ministry! Reach out to these kids where they are!
"It was my fault. We just didn't do it right. We didn't have the right people. We tried to be all things to all people and didn't do anything right."
Jim Davis, CEO of New Balance as quoted in the Boston Globe in response to the question "What was wrong with New Balance's approach to apparel?"
Thanks to Seth Godin for bringing our attention to this.
Jeff's Take: Yet another quote giving examples of simplyfing in the business world. This seems to be a repeating pattern within the blogosphere... Know what you do, do it well, change the world.
"It's a Dog Eat Dog World out there, and I'm wearing Milkbone Underwear."
Norm Peterson
Cheers, 1986
Episode Title "The Peterson Principle"
"If you do not allow God to change the way people do church, you will miss out on what God wants to do."
Dr. Charles Stanley of First Baptist Church (Atlanta, GA), on doing church.
Thanks to ChurchRelevance.com for the quote.
"I want my staff members taking risks and making mistakes. That means they’re being innovative and it means they’re not afraid to try. Now, I don’t want them making the same mistake every week - that means they’re not learning, and that is bad. But I tell them, ‘Make a new mistake every week.’ I tell them, ‘Show the innovation and creativity to do something really stupid that you’ve never done before.’”
Rick Warren
Thanks to Monday Morning Insight for the quote.
"Marketing and evangelism are the same thing," says Mara Einstein, associate professor of media studies at the City University of New York and author of the forthcoming book Brands of Faith: Marketing Religion in a Commercial Age. "A product becomes a part of a user's personality, and the users of the product become evangelizers of the product."
Thanks to ChurchMarketingSucks for the quote.
"The ultimate result of this behavior will not be greater denominational purity – it will be missed evangelistic opportunity...Perhaps it is time for a new generation of Southern Baptists to work together for the sake of the Gospel."
Bill Curtis, chairman of trustees for the North American Mission Board, and pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Florence, SC, in response to the denominational struggle going on between SBC churches over theological differences and worship styles.
Thanks to theCROnline.com for the quote.
10 Signs You're NOT Ready for Change (Taken from Tony Morgan's Blog):
Jeff's Take: I've learned that sometimes it's better to hesitate than to jump quickly. In this age of growth, move, run, sprint, grow... sometime it really is better to wait for God to strengthen you before you jump. More than anything, though, I think Tony serves a great reminder to the fact that with change comes struggles, questions, and even controversies... Plan accordingly, and be ready to take a stand when necessary. It has been in my experience in Ministry in Miami that the churches do not work well together. Actually, they just don't work together. Maybe if we stopped looking at numbers and figured out how to work together to save Miami-Dade County for Christ...
From Mark Batterson's Blog: These quotes are from Leonard Sweet. Leonard was indirectly responsible for eBeliever.com, my first company. SoulTsunami revolutionized my thinking of the church, and probably is one of the top 3 books I've read, all time.
Regardless, Leonard is responsible for the quotes below:
"Ask the grandparents in your church: how many of you would lay down your life for your grandchildren? Every grandparent will raise their hand. Then ask them: how many of you would lay down your musical preferences for your grandchildren?"
“Sometimes God is more active in the world than he is in the church. Who's had more impact alleviating suffering in the world: your church or Bono?”
ChurchMarketingSucks.com did an interview of Tony Morgan:
What’s happening outside the church that should influence innovation inside local churches?The biggest thing happening outside the church is that most people are not looking to the church for anything. Because of this, any attempt at being innovative may very well be seen as the second grader who didn’t get chosen by the red team or the blue team, so he’s showing off his cool moves on the side of the field, hoping someone sees.
What we need is to be communicating the message in ways our communities understand. This is a critical component of understanding where the church fits in a culture full of innovation. Any innovative influences from the "outside" should be studied from the perspective of impact, not impression. What is working and why? Not what is cool and how can I use that in my church. Just because blogs are cool doesn’t mean everyone should have one.
Jeff's Take: I wrote on this a while ago, how the church has not been able to influence technology as much as the porn industry has. And here we are, another posting of how the church struggles stay innovative, relevant.
As Quoted from Seth Godin:
"99% of the time, in my experience, the hard part about creativity isn't coming up with something no one has ever thought of before. The hard part is actually executing the thing you've thought of."
Air Florida Flight 90 was an Air Florida flight of a Boeing 737-222 airliner that crashed into the 14th Street Bridge across the Potomac River near Washington, D.C. on January 13, 1982 immediately after takeoff in a severe snowstorm. The accident claimed the lives of 78 people, including four in cars on the 14th Street Bridge.
During the plane's taxiing, the cockpit voice recorder picked up this conversation between the pilot and co-pilot, in which they discussed the icing situation.
Co-pilot: "It's a losing battle, trying to de-ice these things. It gives you a false sense of security, that's all it does."
Pilot: "Well, it satisfies the Feds (the federal government)."
The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the cause of the accident was aircraft icing and the failure of the pilots to use all of their anti-icing equipment or abort the takeoff.
Jeff's Take: I don't think I'll ever use the phrase "Good enough for government work" again!
"The church ought to be using any and every means at its disposal to make disciples...."
-Craig Groeshel, Senior Pastor LifeChurch.TV, Chazown Book/Curriculum
Jeff's take
So often I hear from churches that technology has everything to do with the front door of the church, the Church service. But when it comes to technology (which is often seen as "cold, impersonal") it is not wanted in the intimate setting of discipleship. What would a model look like that used technology to disciple?
