Do something scary

Creating Passionate Users is one of the best blogs out there. Its genre-defying content that purpose-driven folks need to be plugged in. Here is the start of a recent post that can rock your world:

"Eleanor Roosevelt said 'Do one thing every day that scares you.'
I don't know about the every day thing, but taking risks takes practice, and if we keep doing the same things we already know, in the same way, our willingness to dare to be different atrophies. Each day, week, month, year that goes by without doing at least one thing we weren't sure we could do, we lose more of our ability to Just Try S***."

Read more: Creating Passionate Users: Do something scary

Church Marketing Sucks: Gay-Friendly Churches

Maybe we've all been down this path before, but since there is no final answer, here we go again:

Shouldn't gay and lesbians feel most welcomed in the Church? In other words, shouldn't every church be gay-friendly, just like every church should be adulterer-friendly, liar-friendly—in short, sinner-friendly? Me-friendly?

Church Marketing Sucks: Gay-Friendly Churches

One of my fav replies: "my gut feeling is that every movement needs to demonise something, and for many christians the homosexual has become that. our unease with their lifestyle has forced us to legitimise our distance from poor hermeneutic."

The problem with technology

Comments I posted to this blog post: Fools Box: On the "Tech Bus" - Are you a rider or a driver?

It is a feedback loop. Technology changes, we use it, then technology is improved based on our use, and so on.

Even our use of technology is driven by feedback. Why do I sit and attempt to play a game on my PC instead of practicing my harmonica? Because the PC gives instant feedback to my performance. Same goes for blogging.

The fact the the technology has such a low barrier for use (cost or effort) is an additional reason for the continued consumption.

Part of the problem is the addiction to the feedback, without (or in spite of) a vision or goals of what you want to truly achieve.

In the context of this blog, the point is that the addictive and responsive nature of technology can drain our efforts to fulfill our purpose. Very frustrating to realize, isn't it.

What's the purpose of a parade?

Here's a emotional post from Gerah: She hates a parade: Rednecks and Transvestites

I have had it with "GOD BLESS THE USA!" stuff. Look around, folks. We're all overweight, happy, driving SUV's, living in huge homes, and eating bags of candy at a parade while many, many other people on this planet are starving and don't have cars or homes.

If you ask me, God has already blessed us. Stop asking for him to bless us more. I WISH, oh, how I WISH somebody would raise a sign that says "GOD BLESS THE INNOCENT IRAQIS!"

She goes on to pondering creating her own 'condom' float. I see her point, but to me the 4th of July parade is acceptable as a bunch of patriotic fluff. Here's what my comments to her post said:

I feel similarly about all those 'yellow ribbon' magnets on cars. To me, its showy and shallow.

The parade I feel the most strongly about is our town's Memorial Day parade. Sparsely attended and less than 5 minutes long, but so important and emotional to honor those whose actions were so much more than mine.

And, Gerah, this parade isn't about grandstanding for America...its just about these men and women.

For my 4th this year, we visited Jockey Hollow (w/kids) and watched Bowling for Colombine (w/o kids). Both provide great lessons about America.

Are You Happy?

Which do you select at the forks in the road, the happiness path or goal-fulfilling path? Two recent blog posts tugged at me from each direction:

Worthwhile: What makes you love what you do.

Seth's Blog: On thinking big.

Seth's post is like a kick in the gut, but one I can withstand. Perhaps the credit-card execs are pulling down the big bucks and having good eats. The CPAs down the hall (who are a lot like me) are missing out.

But the credit card execs treat their customers like numbers and their goals focus on making more money for themselves.

The CPAs know their customers and focus on helping them make money.

Sorry Seth, I'd rather be a CPA.

More for church webservants

If you dig around a little, you will find some support groups for church 'webservants'. The best one probably is at: churchsite-chat. I've never gotten involved in this group, probably because it never made it to my bookmarks.

I also enjoy the blog Heal your church website.

And if you want to see the best church website go here.

And here's an article to fire you up (written by the creator of the above site).

There's my little primer on church websites. Oh, and my church's website? www.redeemercovenant.org. I built a strong but simple template, but have yet to add in real, significant content.

How can a webmaster support a 40-days campaign?

Or so one reader recently asked me. Here is my reply:

I saw the potential for a discussion group online as part of the 40-days thing. It seemed obvious. As progressive as the leader of our campaign was, he is 'not an email person', so I didn't get any real support from him or others I suggested it to. So I blogged thru the campaign, instead, which I enjoyed...Especially when I get to meet others like you.

At the time the only way I would have known to set up a discussion board would be to create a Yahoo Group. If you check my main blog, you will find this recent post on installing phpBB (in church lingo "its free").

I found the small group sessions to brief and slow to get to the heart of the matter. I'd still recommend trying a discussion board to get to deeper matters. And I suspect that if it is successful, it will sustain itself after, unlike the small group I was in.

Typing is where I can express myself most definitively. I'm sure I got twice as much out of the program by blogging. So that would be your other option, either as a part of the church website, or on your own.

Finding your passion (for God and life) is easy with this program, living it out is hard. Its great you are thinking about what you can do already. My prayers are with you and your church. Let me know what you do or if you need more insight.