A bit of crisis now and then is a good thing

There is no true change without crisis. Developmental psychologist, Erik Erikson states that we move through stages of development and that maturity comes from moving through the various stages. To mature to the next stage we need to experience a crisis, something that challenges our usual approach to life. With this understanding crisis = opportunity. Opportunity to improve, to mature. But it doesn’t comes easily. We might need to let go of something cherished, a security, a comfort, so as to move on.

The same applies to the church and to ministries: to change requires a crisis of sorts.

For very understandable reasons those in ministry establish methods and approaches and stick to them. Any change is minimal and carefully managed. It is rare to see major shifts. Most churches continue to use the same approach on a sunday that has been used for decades. Each denomination has their version and each church their local interpretation, but most churches all basically follow what they are used to.  The question is, Is it still relevant? Continue reading »

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Short tiny attention spans.. uhh ohh

Attention spans are on the decline while our capacity to be distracted is on the increase.

If something hasn’t caught our attention immediately we move on. We invite distraction to feed our appetite for stimulation and the next new moment.

Focusing on one thing for a long period of time is becoming increasingly foreign and difficult.

Which is why I don’t write really long blog posts. Which is why my sermons these days are around 10 minutes long. Which is perhaps one of the reasons why so many are turned off from the Bible with its long passages and dense meanings (?).

It is also why I see a dumbing down of what is communicated. With shorter space to share we simplify arguments and points. It is the age of catchy sayings.

My major source of news is Continue reading »

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What makes a good sermon?

Preaching is the big fat elephant in the room. Most preaching is appalling, disconnected and boring and yet no one talks about it. We all pretend that everything is ok.. we wouldn’t want to offend the preacher. They are doing there best and all that… But I think we need to talk about it. What actually makes a good sermon? What is it we want to hear? I have been asking people what they look for and the following 4 points are common: Continue reading »

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The number one middle class disease

I am middle class. I have a nice house, a nice car, an iPod and a nice set of golf clubs. I am also suffering from Comfortitis: the number one disease amongst the middle class.

Comfortitis can cause severe bouts of ambivalence which eventually results in the sufferer doing very little for anyone other than themselves and their immediate network.

But most serious is a range of delusions that plague the individual. Continue reading »

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My Top Five Web Resources

An oldy but a goody…

From time to time I will re-post something that got a lot of attention.. and still is fresh enough to give another airing.

This one from Jan of this year:

Ok here are my top five web resources, all of them are free and very user friendly:

1…Facebook//

Facebook is an amazing resource for staying in touch with people in your network. Once you have joined you invite others to join by emailing them (Facebook makes this very easy.) Then you stay in touch by a ‘news feed’ where information posted from those in your network is summarized; such as thoughts or photos. You can also add a range of applications such as Scripture Union’s PrayLive, where you can record your prayers for friends to see. Facebook is very easy to use and I recommended it to assist in building community. CLICK HERE to check it out. CLICK HERE to visit my Facebook page

2…Flickr//

Flickr is a free photo storing and sharing site. You create an account, upload the photos from your computer to Flickr and then send the link to interested parties to check the photos out. This is very easy to use and an excellent resource. CLICK HERE to check it out.

3…Blogging//

Every ministry should have a blog. Whether aimed at the staff involved or as a communication tool with supporters, it is an excellent way of sharing your news and thoughts. But more than that a blog provides the ability for others to make comments. Sometimes questions, and sometimes statements. I was excited to receive the following comment today on my post on what makes a good sermon:

In the Anglican Church, where I have worshipped for 80 of my 87 years, I cannot recall hearing from the pulpit an invitation to remain at the Communion rail (or alternative) to make a decision for Christ. I would be surprised if more than 75% had actually asked Jesus into their lives - including Church Wardens! I think this aim should be considered in every sermon.

So here are my tips on blogging:

• Post three times a week

• Set it up so that people can subscribe to your blog. So when a new post is made, they get an email alert to check it out. I recommend feedburner as a simple way of doing this. To subscribe to my blog CLICK HERE

• Work out what the aim of the blog is and work towards that. Mine is ‘fresh thinking about Christian Ministry’

• Keep the posts short and make use of images plus the occasional video. Youtube videos can be placed in most blogs

• Be topical and interesting

• Wordpress or blogger provide free easy to use blogs. Once you have chosen your design all you need to do is add content!

4…Skype//

Skype is famous for being a free telephone service computer to computer over the internet. But I have found the quality of the phone conversation to be patchy. What I mostly use Skype for is the instant messaging. This is a real time text conversation.. so I type a message and they receive it instantly and can respond. Skype also allows you to send documents. But the coolest thing about Skype Chat is the ability to add up to four people to the chat conversation. So where I am chatting about an event that involves a number of staff, I will invite them to participate.. Very efficient and helpful. CLICK HERE to download it.

5…Second Life//

No surprises here for the regular readers of my blog!! Second Life is a virtual world where you are represented by a character and can walk around a three dimensional space. Communication is through voice and text. I am one of the leaders of a Church in Second Life. (For more information CLICK HERE). The power of Second Life is that it is somewhere between being physically present and chatting on the phone/instant messaging. A number of organisations are holding meetings in Second Life when meeting in person is difficult through distance or expense. But it is also an effective tool for delivering your mission.

To read some more of my thoughts on Second Life and ministry CLICK HERE.

To check out Second Life CLICK HERE.

 

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