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Aha! – A Free Online Ministry Conference

// March 2nd, 2010 // No Comments » // conferences, leadership, technology

Ministry is hard.  It just is… there are challenges we face in ministry that invigorate us and challenges that discourage us.  However, there is something that I find extremely helpful to pull me through the discouraging challenges… OTHER LEADERS.  Connecting with others in ministry is vital to the life of a pastor, and we’ve got to realize that we are not alone. There are others have face the challenges and conquered the issues we’re staring down today.

Once again Leadership Network is pulling together some new voices around the country to encourage Christian leaders everywhere through this FREE online conference. The Leadership Network puts it this way, “Ideas come from everywhere. On March 3rd, you will be confronted with some of the best thoughts and ideas about the church that you have never thought of, from people you may have never heard of… yet.”

Here are some reasons you should participate in Aha!

• IT’S FREE – no cost to you or your church
• IT’S EASY – just login from any computer and enjoy
• IT’S REFRESHING – I get tired of hearing the same stories from the same leaders
• IT’S EXCITING – new leaders have new ideas
• IT’S COOL – any time you can win an i-pad, well that’s just cool…
• IT”S FREE – oh wait, did I already say it’s free???

To register – click here

To see the list of speakers – click here

Bringing Hope to Haiti

// January 25th, 2010 // 3 Comments » // life struggle, stories, technology

Haiti is among the poorest nations in the world and the poorest nation in the western hemisphere.  Before the earthquake the average Haitian would live on less than 2-3 dollars per day.  One missionary recently said this on twitter,

“The worst effects are emotional… no smiles on the street and a sense of despair.”

Haiti needs hope.  Yes, as Christians we need to help with disaster relief, we need to lead our nation and the world in providing water, food, and medical care but we also need to share Jesus.  Haiti needs hope and that is where organizations like Faith Comes By Hearing are doing some great things.  They are partnering with disaster relief organizations to bring hope to Haiti through the distribution of solar powered audio bibles. 

Not only do I love the idea but I love the technology. The other wonderful thing about their approach is that  literacy doesn’t stand in the way.  With the use of these audio bibles there is no need for batteries and even those that are uneducated can still hear the message of hope that God has for them.  Currently the organization distrubutes audio bibles in two ways.  On is through the Bible Stick which is basically an mp3 player that is compact, easy to use and practically indistructable.  They also distrubute a version of these units to military personnel in the battlefield.

To get an idea of what a bible stick looks like you can preview their bible stick for kids below…

To help on an even greater scale in Haiti Faith Comes By Hearing has designed a solar powered audio bible that has the kind of amplification needed to play audio for up to 300 people to listen to a life changing message. So not only are they distributing audio Bibles to the US military and numerous countries around the world, but they also have over 400 different versions available for download and distribution.

“Faith Comes By Hearing is committed to reaching the nations with the Word of God in Audio, offering the Bible in a format that will connect with the world’s 50% illiterate population.” 

Click here to learn more about their work, how your donation can provide people with hope, and make a difference in Haiti or other parts of the world.

Is God Mac Or PC?

// January 12th, 2010 // No Comments » // blogging, humor, technology

One of my favorite blogs on the web continues to be Stuff Christian’s Like.  Jon just continues to entertain me in a unique way as he comments on Christian culture and how silly we are at times.  One battle I continue to fight in the office is the whole Mac vs PC thing and Jon recently posted this list to help us sort it out.  I couldn’t help but laugh my way through as I read…

Is God Mac or PC?

That is, up in heaven, is he cranking away on a Mac or a PC? Does he love the iPhone or is he currently listening to Michael W. Smith’s greatest hits on a Zune? Does he have a little apple sticker stuck anywhere?

I feel like lists work well on blogs, so let’s break it down list style and weigh all the facts.

1. Macs are beautiful and glimmery white in their design. Christ and God are always represented as the “light of the world.” PCs are often dark. God is definitely a Mac.

2. As soon as you own an iPhone you start to feel a potpourri of pity and shame for anyone who does not own one. Someone whips out a Blackberry and you immediately, smugly think inside, “That poor person. Pushing on physical keys. The horror.” God doesn’t like that arrogance. God is a PC.

3. Apple makes real efforts to improve the planet and recycle their products. God loves that. God is a Mac.

4. Apple is notorious for rejecting apps that people try to put on the iPhone. God doesn’t reject anyone. God is definitely a PC.

5. PCs are often plagued by viruses and crashes. Much like sin, God hates that. God is definitely a Mac.

6. Mac commercials are constantly mocking people who use PCs. God hates mockery. God is definitely a PC.

7. You don’t have to learn a complicated operating system to use a Mac. You turn it on and go. Same with God. Repentance and salvation are not complex systems designed to confuse people. God’s a Mac.

8. PCs are constantly needing to be upgraded and updated with the latest software and operating systems. Just like sanctification. You are constantly changing and being renewed. God’s a PC.

9. Macs take a very holistic approach to computing. There’s iLife and iTunes and iPhone. They all work together seamlessly. Just the way God wants to be integrated into every part of our life. God’s a Mac.

10. Some people treat Apple’s Steve Jobs like he’s God in a mock turtle neck. Turns out God is not cool with that. God’s a PC.

11. Macs are very intuitive. When you want to do something, you don’t look up how to do it, you just do it. With a PC, things are often backwards. When you want to shut down for instance, you have to click “Start.” The Bible is very intuitive too. Proverbs lays out pages of simple wisdom that just makes sense. God is a Mac.

12. Macs are all about outside appearances. They look fantastic. But God cares more about what’s inside. Macs are too vain. God’s a PC.

13. Macs make music easy to enjoy. They’re more artistic and often the choice of graphic designers and photographers. God is a great fan of the arts, as evidence by the colorful sunsets and sunrises he paints each day. God’s a Mac.

14. Macs are really expensive. God’s not. He paid the cost. He paid the debt we owed to him. God’s a PC.

15. The Mac logo, an apple with a bite out of it, is reminiscent of our fall from grace in the garden of Eden and God’s forgiveness of us. God’s a Mac.

16. The Gates Foundation has given millions and millions of dollars to help people around the world. God’s all about generosity. God’s a PC.

17. Apple stores are not designed like traditional retail outlets, but are more like aesthetic sanctuaries. They’re practically consumer churches. God’s a Mac.

18. Mac is constantly teasing us with information. There is a tablet. There’s not a tablet. God, on the other hand, is much more direct with his love and purpose in our lives. God’s a PC.

There’s the list and I’ve got to tell you, I’m stuck. I have a PC desktop and an Apple laptop. I don’t know who to score this one as anything other than a tie. How about you?

You can read more of Jon’s funny stuff or even buy his book by clicking here.

Is God a Mac or a PC?

What evidence would you offer to support or deny either decision?

Google Voice – My New Favorite Blackberry App

// October 13th, 2009 // No Comments » // free tools, technology

Google Voice is a favorite new tool I’ve begun using this year.  Don’t confuse this with the voice activated search on your phone, Google Voice is a new phone number assigned to you by Google.  A phone number that saves you, your friends and family time and frustration.  People don’t have to make a decision to call you at home, work, or on your  mobile… no, they call one number and you decide where that number rings. 

The best part for you… no more listening to long voicemail messages!!!  Google Voice transcribes all your voicemail into an email.  I can’t even begin to tell you how much easier this had made things for me.  My voicemail hits my blackberry as an email and I can click through and call that number back if I need to return the call.  SOOOOOooooo convenient.  If your still now just beginning to catch on, watch the video below for a simple explanation:

Now here is where it gets better, If you’re smart your already thinking, “But my caller ID will still show up, they won’t see my new Google Voice number.”  That is where the nifty application comes in.  If you are using a Blackberry or Google Android phone, this app fixes everything.  Using the app you have access to your entire address book and you place calls through the application instead and PRESTO – your caller ID number that is displayed is your Google number.  Again, here is a video that explains it quite simply:

Click here to learn more about Google Voice

Is Social Media A Fad?

// September 3rd, 2009 // No Comments » // social media, technology

Social media is not a fad.  It is a new form of communication.  It provides faster and increasingly more relevant means of communication that are becoming more and more seamless with everyday living.

- If 96% of Gen-Y has joined a social network… social media is not a fad.

- If social media has kicked pornography out as the #1 activity on the web… social media is not a fad

- If facebook added more than 100 million users in 9 months… social media is not a fad.

- If 80% of companies are using Linkedin to find employees… social media is not a fad.

Watch the video below for more great statistics on social media: