Church uses vandalism as social media message
What do church leaders usually do when someone vandalizes the side of a church with graffiti? Cover it up, repaint, or remove the vandalism. A church in Randolph, New York was recently vandalized with...
View ArticleChurch leaders need viral social media
Last night I moderated #chsocm [It’s Church socialmedia. #ChSocM (ch-sock-em)] on Twitter, which is a weekly chat about using social media. We had a great discussion around the topic of viral social...
View ArticleThe stress of the movable Sabbath
Someone at church once asked me, “When is your day off?” I replied, “Friday.” “Wow.” He said. “I wish I could have Friday’s off. Must be nice.” “Well, I don’t get many Sundays off. That must be nice...
View ArticleDoes your church look like a warehouse?
For the last 30 years, it has become popular for new churches to build their worship and ministry space to look like a warehouse or storehouse (or use an actual warehouse). The “Emergent” or...
View ArticleMegachurch trends we small churches must face
The appeal of the megachurch is undeniable: big building, large worship setting, youth and children’s programs, and a semi-celebrity pastor. Yet many smaller churches have not learned from their large...
View ArticleSocial media atonement
Would you ever tweet, blog, or Facebook your sins? Is social media the place for confession and atonement? Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement for Jews, occurred last week. Yom Kippur is the day of...
View ArticleDon’t be “that” wedding pastor
This video of a pastor at a wedding is getting a lot of attention from sites like CNN and Gawker. Please, pastors, next time don’t be “that” pastor. Do your homework and talk with photographer ahead of...
View ArticleIt’s official: the term ‘Mainline Christian’ stinks
It is well established that Mainline Christian denominations are shrinking. According to several prominent Christian practitioners and thinkers, the term “Mainline Christian” officially… well, sucks....
View ArticleWhat you don’t know about Millennials
The Baby Boomer generation is often thought as the generation that worked hard, helped get us where we are, and was the backbone of the 20th century. Now that Baby Boomers are retiring, many have asked...
View ArticleNew York Times gets Senate prayer wrong
Unless you have been sleeping under a rock, our government is at a budget impasse and everyone is mad as hell. Senate Chaplain Barry Black, a retired Navy rear admiral, gave a Senate prayer that the...
View ArticleDon’t forget about associate pastors
Last week I spoke to a group of associate pastors at a continuing education program with the American Baptist Churches of New Jersey. This group of associates was very diverse demographically, but...
View ArticleI gave up fantasy football for my family
Way back in 2003, I was an unmarried rabid fantasy football and baseball fan. I spent anywhere between 10-20 hours a week tracking, reading, and researching statistics to build the ultimate fantasy...
View Article‘Real Preachers of L.A.’ are for real
As if we didn’t need another “Real (fill in the blank) of (fill in the blank)” reality show, the Oxygen Network premiered “Real Preachers of L.A.“. I suppose it was only a matter of time that...
View ArticleThanksgivingization
It seems every year retailers are pushing holiday seasons earlier and earlier. I walked through the home improvement giant, Lowe’s the day after Halloween and saw Christmas decorations, holiday...
View ArticleBe a peace-wager like Nelson Mandela
As the world reacts to the death of Nelson Mandela, we cannot help but read and understand his amazing history of peace. Fighting against injustice and apartheid in South Africa were his notable...
View ArticleIs a funeral selfie appropriate?
It was the funeral selfie heard seen around the world. British Prime Minister David Cameron, Denmark’s Prime Minister Helle Thorning Schmidt and President Obama took a selfie during Nelson Mandela’s...
View Article3 reasons why Bill O’Reilly doesn’t get Jesus and the poor
Bill O’Reilly released his book, Killing Jesus which attempts to trace the historical events and movements leading up to Jesus’ earthly life. However, it seems that O’Reilly could have read and study...
View ArticleDuck Dynasty, free speech, and persecution
By now you have heard about controversy involving ‘Duck Dynasty’ A&E star Phil Robertson. Robertson, recently spoke to GQ about his personal beliefs: Start with homosexual behavior and just morph...
View ArticleMary’s baby bump: a divine scandal?
Every year preachers try to make the Christmas story anew. How do you tell the same story in a different way? One angle that many try to stay away from is on Mary’s “situation”: an unwed mother who is...
View Article5 things associate pastors need to survive
The work of an associate pastor often does not receive the high praise or support compared to their senior pastor. Associate pastors have the challenging task of supporting the mission and vision of...
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