the Pope 'could' have a blog.........

I was about to go to bed BUT had to post this! The site this was posted on said this "I have no idea if the pope has a blog, but it is always interesting to me how organized religion can embrace modern ideas and technology, while keeping one foot so firmly planted in the dark ages."


H/T Jake Bouma

Church & Technology................

I grew up in a 'Church' that had no musical instruments and no powerpoint screens. When i was a kid a lot of 'churches' had no screens though, that came later. I grew up in a brethren 'church' so my early exposure to technology in 'church' was a big fat none! The use of screens, powerpoint and other techie stuff has become so common that i cannot remember the first time i experienced these devilish methods. It is a blur! According to the Barna Group "during the next half of this decade we expect increased broadband access, podcasting, and ubiquitous adoption of handheld mobile computing devices by consumers to further alter the way churches conduct ministry.”
I could list dozens of brilliant ways that technology is being used in the 'church' these days, i won't!! I will pick one!
LifeChurch.tv is a great and innovative approach to 'church'................

share some of your favorite ways that technology is used at your church?

H/T allennoakes

Polar Explorers

Here is the "intentionally" silly video to advertise our Holiday Bible Club in Church

Los talks to Driscoll

If you have a spare 18 minutes do watch this conversation between my favorite blogger and Mark Driscoll. Its relaxed, its informal but its very informative & funny! Driscoll discusses music, his preaching style and the huge selling book 'The Shack' in his usual unique way. Whether you like the guy or not, tis worth a watch.............

Web TV provided by Ustream

Songs of Praise subtitled.......

You MUST watch this & MUST also not be offended, its just for laughs!



H/T Cherry

Hugh Hewitt got me thinking part 2

After the last post i was thinking about this post and the vast diversity that the word 'evangelical' covers. Hugh Hewitt said "don't tell me or imply to the public that you speak for evangelicals" and rightly so. If you say this, then what section of the "evangelical group" do you speak for. Diversity is inevitable in the "church" but sometimes it really gets me uptight when i consider what we have become. The denominations within denominations and the splits and disagreements that have caused a word like 'evangelical' to no longer mean very much are just endless. So, when Rolling Stone Goes Undercover with the Christian Fringe i get upset!! Why? Well in this instance Rolling Stone went to John Hagee's Church! You can read their article here. I suggest reading it for a better explanation of why perhaps Hagee's Church wasn't a great choice, and that way i don't have to give my own opinion and get into trouble. I would hate him to "speak" my blog into obscurity!!
I came across the article on Jollyblogger but there are some other great posts about this here and here. When a journalist decides to do this they never end up at a regular or normal Church do they? Hang on, is that an oxymoron? I guess to the "unbeliever" it is but my point is that so often the reputation of all Christians is based on the extreme teaching or activity of a minority. That extreme may fall under a very large umbrella of "evangelical" practice just because they say "Jesus" or "repent" from time to time but as Hugh points out, you cannot "speak for evangelicals." Maybe you could 30 years ago but not now!

Pop Goes the Church..........

Ok, so this book hasn't landed in the UK yet but i am looking forward to reading it. On the author's blog i just read some very interesting facts about the book industry. Check that out here. Now, heres the thing, there has been some debate about culture & our role in it floating around the blog world recently. Context, does it matter? Well, read Tall Skinny Kiwi's great post here, it is a series of posts and is quite long, but worth reading. The idea that we should engage culture & embrace contextualization is getting a battering from some right now. I agree with Andrew who said in his post 'I believe that the Apostle Paul listened and conversed and looked for the redemptive analogies that would help him convincingly and prophetically shed light on the good news of Christ.' These Folks do not agree, though they tend to slam everything that exists!

Thoughts?

I'm Fine with God, Its Christians i can't stand.....

"A nationwide survey by the Barna Research Group found that very few adults outside of Christianity have a positive view of Christians. In fact, in comparison with other groups, evangelicals were ranked only slightly more favorably than prostitutes. Bickel and Jantz agree—Christianity has an image problem. They take an unflinching look at the sometimes humorous, but often offensive, behavior of some Christians. With a refreshing call to authentic Christianity, they help believers and non–believers alike get past the peripheral issues so they can communicate openly and honestly about God." (from the publisher). So, I just picked this one up, here's hoping i do not upset anyone with my thoughts on this book! It is a VERY important subject i have to say. The fact that "we" are often regarded as judgmental, hypocritical, irrelevant and obnoxious is not something i like to be reminded of but it is fact and truth is, Christians need to know this and need to think long and hard about it. That includes me, who can be all of the above and more quite often. Stay tuned

The Full Story........

When i saw this picture it reflected a few conversations i have had recently. It has become obvious that more and more, we need to tell the 'full story.' My dad was telling me about some guys he knew who were setting up a forum/meeting that catered for people who were not aware of the 'full story' of Scripture. I think many of us are starting to realize that we are surrounded by people who do not understand the 'phrases' and 'cliches' that often get lost in our 'evangelism.' As well as this we often assume too much about what people around us already know in relation to creation, fall, redemption & restoration..............



These are only 2 reasons why we need to tell the full story

H/T *The Blogstar

Art Alexakis, Everclear & Mars Hill

Ok, i love Everclear and especially the album 'Songs from an American Movie vol 1' and as you will possibly know from previous posts, i LOVE stuff like this.............



Obviously some folks do not approve...................

Mars Hill site

HOPE....................

Hope is a buzz word this year, it keeps coming up. I read an article today regarding this HOPE, please bookmark the link or take a few minutes to have a look around the details of HOPE08. In short it is an initiative of the churches of Britain and Ireland which is helping to demonstrate Christian faith in action and to explain the meaning of that faith in villages, towns and cities throughout the UK. The article i read today was asking the question why nobody is hearing much about this, why people are backing away from this and it is in danger of disappearing into a black hole. In Northern Ireland it has been ignored.
Last night saw the start of this HOPE in belfast and there was 10,000+ people in attendance. Can you guess what my question is? I am not sure how many people will attend tonight and tomorrow but my guess is that the Odyssey Arena will be full over the next two nights. Thats 30,000 people in 3 days, impressive eh? Remember the 'other' HOPE i mentioned? The web details show lots of partners and support in the UK mainland but on the ground here in Northern Ireland did i mention that we have backed away and left it out to dry? Oh yea i did! I don't even want to mention the amount of CD releases due in the first half of 2008 that feature the word HOPE, its definitely a favorite word right now!
In the words of Silvio Dante, "Here's the thing;"
It sickens my sensitive little stomach when i look around and see groups and organizations tripping over each other to declare what is seemingly the same HOPE. I can hardly make an appeal for unity when 30,000 people will grace the seats of the premier arena in Northern Ireland this weekend, that is an unprecedented achievement at an 'evangelical' event BUT nobody in these circles EVER seems to know what each other id doing or planning and if they do there is little thought of uniting. I "hope" i am not being harsh but after reading the article today and then hearing about the crowds supporting the Belfast event i was angry and a little gutted for the organizers of the 'lesser HOPE' that is indeed, or at least in my opinion, the same HOPE!! I did hear one person say that the HOPE08 initiative hadn't enough fundamentalists around it to get it support in Northern Ireland but i would be best to avoid that line of thinking, unless you want to buy me a Grande Americano in Starbucks, il discuss anything over a free coffee :)
In conclusion, i do not know enough about the politics of how these 2 HOPES are working but i find it sad that HOPE is being declared here and on about 25 CD releases this year and there is no apparent collaboration anywhere. If you know otherwise please let me know to cheer me up...............................

How we Interact................

The web never ceases to amaze me! Los is one of the most fantastic bloggers around and he continues to innovate and create brilliantly through his blog. Here's the thing! He just filmed a Promo for a new series at his Church via a really cool site called Mogulus which i have an account with but have not yet used! So, while they filmed, those of us who had been following his blog today or who stumbled across him were able to join in. Join in? i hear you ask! Well, we chatted on-screen while he filmed, with occasional checks by Los to see what we were all saying to each other. It was awesome to be able to interact in this way with someone on the other side of the world while he worked. It was awesome to be invited to see Los and his crew at work and mmm playing cards!! hehe!! Connor stopped by also and we both got to say hi to Los, yes, geeks we are!

One more thing, some of you know i manage a Bookshop. Well, it is becoming more popular in N.Ireland for Churches to have bookshops in their buildings, or at least a few have taken the lead and others are sure to follow. Buckhead Church, where Carlos is on staff have a bookshop, go take a peek here

Just being honest..........

" I grew up in church. I can’t imagine my life without it. My whole life I have been going along on Sunday and singing the songs. I know when to lift my hands and when to keep them down, but the thing is, I spend most of my time wondering why I feel like I’m missing something. Sometimes I feel like everyone else is getting it and I’m just not. I hope I’m not alone; the only one who doubts and questions. The more I talk to people, the more I see a desire to be honest, to share struggles and questions, to discover the truth by being authentic about our doubts.This isn’t theology or doctrine; it’s a reflection on my journey. I hope it will help other people to be real, to cherish the questions in an environment where only the pure, holy and sorted seem to survive."

Dave Magill Is Youth Coordinator at St Michael le Belfrey, a large evangelical anglican church in York. Dave is also part of the leadership teams of G2 and Conversations, two congregations of the church. Dave is married to Joanne and has no lovely children.

This Book is coming soon, i will keep you posted

Find us on Facebook.........

I just set up a group on Facebook for our Church. It wasn't an official commissioned thing and to be honest for about 24 hours after i set it up i was a bit worried that i might have over-stepped the mark a tad. We all know that Church's can be funny about stuff like this don't we? Well if you are not aware of the Church not liking things like Facebook then read this. I was glad to find that within a few hours we had people accepting my invitation to join the group and a small indication that perhaps it could be a good idea for us. Ok, we are not on a par with such facebook favorites as Mark Driscoll and i wont expect the members to reach 5000 too quickly but I also had a conversation on Friday which encouraged me with regards to the group and blogging etc etc. My employers have also began thinking about using some of my thoughts and ideas on facebook and blogging so its been brilliant to dream about how i can make this work for our business and also incorporate our ministry into it. So, no doubt you will hear more about this as we develop the thoughts and ideas but do share your own thoughts................

What do you think about Facebook? Is your Church on facebook or have a blog?

Mad Church Disease.....

This book is not due for release in the U.S until Feb09 so i guess it won't arrive with me in the UK until a little bit after that but i will periodically put some updates up about what is going on with it. Looks like a good one! Check the website out here and visit the Authors Blog here



update: ah what the heck, iv put a link in my sidebar! maybe il get a free advance copy :) eh anne?

Sunday, Church and all that.....

This post is appropriate i guess because its Sunday and we will go to Church soon. Cherith is upstairs and i am chilling, checking emails etc etc. I really had nothing to say and was not going to blog but then i read this....

“what’s the deal with most modern churches? i understand the idea of local churches, but doesn’t that mean a body of believers within a community (not necessarily a “building”)? and with technology the way it is nowadays, can’t a community be practically anywhere? why do i feel guilty for not serving in my local “building” when i know i serve others daily in my life. why do i feel guilty for not being in a small group or always going to a service that my local “building” coordinates when i know i hang out with other believers regularly? why do i feel guilty when i don’t tithe to my local “building” but i give money to other believers and causes that i feel led to give to? is the culture of the modern church one that is so singularly focused that the local church has become an institution and not a lifestyle, which i think is the way the new testament intended it to be? i know there is a need for churches in our culture, but why do those churches make other ways seem unacceptable?”

Flowerdust has already got 30+ comments to this post so you can contribute there or here. My thought initially was to something someone said to me yesterday. I have been routinely questioned in recent weeks about why i have not yet joined our "music ministry" in Church, they are very short of bass players and i could help but that in itself is another blog post. Yesterday someone said to me in relation to this topic "so what exactly are you doing for the Lord?" Now, i know the person well enough to realize that they were being a teeny bit sarcastic with me and whilst i was not offended i felt the jag that accompanied the comment, the guilty feeling that the writer above mentions pierced me for a second.

Any thoughts?

Update: it came up again after Church!! I am not sure what to do now!!

Sunday night not so regular.....

We just heard Tre Sheppard speak tonight. Philip, my bro (atiG) manages his band. Anyway, Church was a little different from the usual, we had Johnny Parks leading worship during our 6.30 service and then afterwards he entertained us in a shindig that featured Tre speaking. Tre is simply awesome, a great guy with a wonderful gift for communicating. He is also hilarious and crazy and combines these attributes brilliantly with a message of hope from God. It was cool to have some laughs with him in "The Minister's Room" between services. We need to hang more with Tre i reckon..........though he may just have unsettled me a tad with his message, perhaps i will talk about it another day. Now, im tired and i need to sleep.

Little Preachers............

The preacher sat in the blue booth, lips pouted, arms crossed. His shirt was covered in Rocky Road ice cream, his shorts in cheese pizza sauce. It was a quarter past 5 on a Saturday. Nearly three hours had passed since Terry Durham arrived at a suburban skating rink, and the 8-year-old didn't want to leave. Yes, you did read that correctly, the preacher and the 8 year old are one and the same person! We are watching a documentary about this kid and two others like him, i am very troubled by this! I have had to see it to actually believe that it is not a hoax, im speechless. It is weird to see a preacher being naughty and get a spanking from his mother whilst on the way to preach at a conference though! On a serious note though this is absolutely awful, these kids are being destroyed by crazy parents with an agenda and God only knows what other mental problems, im disgusted!

Read more about Terry here
read about the documentary here

The Supremacy of Christ................

I am not sure if iv ever read a book so quickly! I flew through this in about 2 days so yep, you guessed it, i will most likely read it again. The book is essentially a series of messages/essays that came out of the Desiring God national conference of autumn 2006 so the style of writing and the relatively short chapters probably helped to make it a fast read. Coupled with my experiences as a "Mentor" (i hate that word) and from work i have recently been a little dejected with the state of us, the "Church" and our standing in this world. In chapter 5, Tim Keller quotes Martin Lloyd Jones and specifically a series of sermons on revival he gave in 1959. One of the expositions was on Mark ch9, where Jesus comes off the mountain of transfiguration and discovers his disciples trying unsuccessfully to exorcise a demon from a boy.

"This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer." Jesus said

So, Jesus was saying that in this case the "demon" was in too deep for the "ordinary" way of doing ministry that the disciples knew. He goes on to propose that our "ministry methods" are, in many cases, no longer good enough. The "demon" is in too deep. This is, in essence what Martin Lloyd Jones was saying in 1959 and boy oh boy have things changed since then? So, in our age when people are professing no religious preference, especially in "secular," Pluralistic Europe, what is our response? What is the response to "the Church" that is constantly changing, splitting and damaging what little respect followers of Jesus have left?

Well, the answer is in the title of the book and i have to say that within it's pages i saw some hope, i saw that hope through Jesus Christ, the dejection i was feeling has shifted slightly. Thats why i will re-read and ponder and pray about what iv read.
I will come back to this, but for now the Supremacy of Christ in this "postmodern" world is on my mind, perhaps it should have been in my thoughts a lot sooner.......

Where is the "Church" headed part1.....

In light of the previous post i had been reading some differing opinions on the relationship between the Muslim & Christian faith. I will not hide the fact that some of the teaching within "the Church" frightens me these days, some of the things i read by best selling authors are dangerous and it would seem that Mark Driscoll was right when he recently suggested that so called evangelical book publishers will let you say anything just as long as you can pull a crowd and subsequently sell a book. I do not want to be one of those bloggers who becomes known only as a critic but this troubles me:

"When it comes to what is ultimately important, the Muslim community's sense of commitment to the poor is exactly in tune with where Jesus is in the 25th chapter of Matthew. That is the description of judgment day. And if that is the description of judgment day what can I say to an Islamic brother who has fed the hungry, and clothed the naked? You say, "But he hasn't a personal relationship with Christ." I would argue with that. And I would say from a Christian perspective, in as much as you did it to the least of these you did it unto Christ. You did have a personal relationship with Christ, you just didn't know it. And Jesus himself says: "On that day there will be many people who will say, when did we have this wonderful relationship with you, we don't even know who you are. . . " "Well, you didn't know it was me, but when you did it to the least of these it was doing it to me."

This is not in a book but is the thoughts of a very well known "evangelical" speaker & writer. You can read the full article here. My faith and more importantly Gods word lead me believe that much of what is stated in the article is very very wrong and terribly dangerous. The above quote twists Gods word to say something that it does not state. These are the kinds of scary views that are driving "Christian" leaders to opinions as stated by the archbishop of Canterbury last week. Is this where the "Church" is headed? I will return to this question again, these are just some initial thoughts....................