What a great way to start this day…

*Well, it’s not really the “start” of my day. The start of my day was (per usual) wrangling two small children, bundling them in layers and layers of winter clothes, and driving them up to daycare (while singing our ABC’s at the top of our voices).

But once that was all sorted, I settled in in front of my laptop, opened my web stats site (I use GetClicky.com because it shows real time stats) and saw that I someone found Kingdom Strategist by searching Google for:

“ministry opportunities for 59 year olds”

Let it sink in for a minute… ministry opportunities for 59 year olds, how awesome is that?

I’m not talking about the fact that my blog is some what relevant to that search (but I’m glad that it is).

I’m talking about the fact that someone, somewhere is searching for that in the first place! It means that there is a (presumed) 59 year old somewhere who is feeling God’s call to ministry and they are actively looking for opportunities. That makes me smile.

It also brings a few things to mind.

First, why did they find my web site?

If you search for “ministry opportunities for 59 year olds” on Google, you’ll see that most the results are career-related, seeking to help people in this age demographic in their job search. Kingdom Strategist shows up because of one of my posts sharing my Business as Mission research. The specific article looks at the demographic make up of the Business as Mission movement and actually includes the specific phrases “59 year old“, “ministry” and “opportunity” (though not in sequence).

So, it was accidental yet not entirely erroneous that Kingdom Strategist would show up. Business as Mission is a ministry opportunity for 59 year olds. It’s also a ministry opportunity for 63 year olds, 41 year olds, 33 year olds, and 25 year olds. But of all the ministry opportunities out there, Business as Mission is better suited for people in their 50′s and 60′s because Business as Mission leverages an individual’s knowledge, experience, professional network, and net worth… so generally, the older you are, the more of these you have to draw from.

What are the ministry opportunities in Business as Mission?

This particular visitor did spend a good bit of time looking through my site, I hope I inspired some ideas for ministry opportunities. But I want to make sure that I help people to get started in Business as Mission (if that’s where God is calling them).

If you have a business background and are looking to become more involved in advancing God’s kingdom, Business as Mission might be a good fit. Here are some great resources for you to learn more about Business as Mission:

Websites:

• Business as Mission Network
• Business as Mission LinkedIn group
• YWAM Business as Mission resources
• Faith Venture Forum

Books: (affiliate links)

• “God Is at Work: Transforming People and Nations Through Business” by Ken Eldred
• “Business As Mission: A Comprehensive Guide to Theory and Practice” by Neal Johnson
• “Great Commission Companies: The Emerging Role of Business in Missions” by Steve Rundle and Tom Steffen

And of course, I recommend Kingdom Strategist for strategic and practical Business as Mission resources. I also provide Business as Mission consulting services and would be happy to work with you as you get started in Business as Mission. I specialize in market and opportunity assessment, business planning and strategy development, and Business as Mission strategic advisory.

Second, churches, ministries, and missions organizations are missing a HUGE opportunity to connect, care for, and mobilize inspired Christians.

Like it or not (pastors), studies show that search engines are the first place people turn when they need answers or advice (link opens PDF report). The Church needs to recognize this and make sure that they are represented (through search engine optimization) in the search results.

Now I know that churches, ministries, and missions organizations have a hard enough time accomplishing their core objectives, especially given the hardship that the current economic climate creates. Who has the time or the budget to learn about, set up and manage a comprehensive web effort?

That is why I am working with Monk Development to develop strategic web solutions specifically for churches and ministries that:

• are built upon years of experience, thought leadership, and proprietary research;
• that support and strengthen kingdom advancement (while discouraging the negative influence of Internet usage to spiritual growth);
• and that fit constrained budgets.

Sounds like a tall order, right? Let’s just say it hasn’t been easy… but worthwhile ventures seldom are.

If you are a part of church, ministry, or mission organization, I encourage you to check out the following resources:

Solutions:

• Monk Development (www.monkdevelopment.com)
• Ekklesia 360 (www.ekklesia360.com) – Complete web solution for churches.
• Cause 360 (www.cause360.com) – Complete web solution for non-profit organizations.
• Church Web Optimizer (www.churchweboptimizer.com) – Church Web Optimizer is a powerful combination of core services such as: Search Engine Optimization, website content strategies, local search listings, audience research, website analytics and online strategy consultation; designed specifically to help churches in advancing the Gospel.

Resources:

• Church Website Guide (www.churchwebsiteguide.com) – Church Website Guide is an initiative created by Monk Development to evaluate, study and educate churches on how best to use the Internet to further the gospel. We see it as proper stewardship as thousands of churches use our church website content management system.
• Church Tech Review (www.churchtechreview.com) – Church Technology Review is a website for churches and technology enthusiasts to find the latest technology solutions for Christians. Find out the newest Church Web 2.0 companies or read reviews of church-focused technology prior to selection.
• The State of Ministry Online (www.stateofministryonline.org) – State of Ministry Online is a collection of studies, surveys and research to benefit how ministries do ministry online.
• The State of the Church Online – (in development) – State of the Church Online is a collection of studies, surveys and research to benefit how churches can be the church online.
• Goodmanson.com (www.goodmanson.com) – Church and church technology thought leadership from Drew Goodmanson.

And, of course, if you would like to discuss any of the things I’ve talked about here, I’d love to connect with you. Feel free to leave me a comment below, letting me know a little bit about yourself and your interest and indicating the best way to get in touch with you. (This offer is open to people of all ages… not just 59 year olds.)

According to a Jan 19, 2010 USAID Fact Sheet, at least 65,000 people are estimated to have died. Another 200,000 people have been displaced and the total population who has been significantly affected is approximately 3 million people. The global response to this crisis has been amazing. As of February 3, 2010, $644 million has been contributed to private non-profit organizations from US citizens (source: Washington Post). This is only part of the total world effort. Organizations like the American Red Cross, World Vision, and Compassion International have mobilized their base and are just some of the organizations contributing to the on-the-ground efforts.

Despite the tremendous magnitude of these first-response efforts, the road to recovery is going to be long and difficult. The challenges facing the country prior to the earthquake were great. The country is the only country in the Western Hemisphere (North America, South, Central, and Latin Americas and the Caribbean) on the U.N.’s list of the World’s 50 least developed countries¹ (source: UN-OHRLLS). According the the CIA World Fact Sheet, 80% of the population of Haiti live below the poverty line. Additionally the country is plagued by drug trafficking and human (both forced labor and sex) trafficking.

The need in Haiti is great.

The lives of the men, women and children there were hard before January 12th. They’re even harder now. They face threats and hardships every day that we are isolated from. Things you and I can not even imagine. Hope for progress has suffered a major set back. Before people were struggling to make the most of their existence given how little they had to rely on and work with. Now what little they had has been destroyed.

As I sit and write this I don’t have to think about where my next meal is going to come from or where I’m going to sleep tonight. I do worry about the safety of my family but the threats I imagine are exactly that: imagined. Although it’s tenuous these days, I still am fairly sure the bills will get paid. I’m confident that there is work to be had.

Not only that but I live in a world where the things I need and want, the conveniences of life, are available. To get to work this morning I had a car to drive, roads to drive on, and gas to power the car. My computer is plugged into the wall, I don’t think twice about whether the lights will turn on when I flip the switch. Not only is there going to be plenty of food at the grocery store but there is a store to go to! There is food on the shelves because there is this amazing infrastructure that connects the farms from around the world to processing and packaging facilities to distribution centers to stores. And I don’t see any of it, I just trust that food will be there.

The message of the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37 ESV) is that we are to love our neighbor. Our neighbor is identified any person we meet on our path who is in need. We are to show mercy to those in need.

But what is interesting is that the Samaritan shows mercy in two phases. First he bandages his wound and brings him to shelter — he tends to his most immediate needs with compassion. But what he does next is even more amazing (the importance of this is often lost): he invests in continued care and rehabilitation.

³³But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. ³⁴He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’

See, he doesn’t bring him to the inn and drop him at the door. No, it explicitly states that the Samaritan “took care of him” at the inn. It is after this intense investment of caring for the man himself that the Samaritan make additional provision for continued care, making a down payment with the innkeeper and promising to return and pay for whatever the man needs.

How are we planning to invest in continued care for Haiti?

There are a number of ways to do this, but I want to highlight two in particular that must be a priority.

First, it is important that we build up the Church in Haiti.

Whatever your views on the spiritual history of Haiti, the people of that country are utterly and completely in need of Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord just as you and I are. And it is local churches — proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom of God, caring for the physical and spiritual needs of the people, and coordinating and leading people to live their lives as children of God — that the love and redemption of Christ will flow through.

I want to draw your attention to Churches Helping Churches, an organization founded by James MacDonald and Mark Driscoll to “address the immediate and long-term needs of churches when disaster befalls a country, region, city, or people in the spirit of Galatians 6:10—“…let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” If you are interested in how you or our church can support local churches in Haiti, I highly recommend you check out Churches Helping Churches.

Second, it is important that we build up infrastructure in Haiti.

This means investing in the physical structures, services, and facilities necessary for the Haitian economy to develop. Recent studies have argued that foreign aid doesn’t work. At the same time, a lot of attention has been given to the role business plays in developing economies. In recent years, Christian business men and women have been leveraging the power of business in order to spread the Gospel in countries whose governments are hostile toward Christian missionaries. The global Business as Mission movement has developed as more and more people are awakening to how God can use their business talents as part of his redemptive plan.

Haiti needs Business as Mission companies now more than ever.

The need and opportunity to develop creative business solutions to many of the problems facing the people of Haiti is great. If you believe that this is a way that you can get involved I want to encourage you to do something. I wish I could point you to specific ways that you could help but I don’t know of any right now. Many organizations are rightfully focused on meeting the immediate needs in Haiti. But as the dust settles our efforts must not lose momentum.

To help spark ideas about potential business opportunities I’ve include some facts about Haiti below. These factors will help identify what opportunities for business exist  in Haiti. Obvious needs are infrastructure and construction. Additionally, the Haitian people will need resources to get back on their feet, so opportunities for micro-finance might exist. I’ve also included quality of life statistics in the hopes it might spark some ideas about opportunities to address some of the less critical issues facing the people there.

If you or your organization are serious about engaging in Business as Mission, I offer a number of services that will help you develop an appropriate Business as Mission strategy and maximize the impact of your efforts. You can contact me through my company website: http://www.unconventionalmethod.com/contact/.

Facts about Haiti

source: originally published at The Resurgence; Data from the CIA’s World Fact Book

Location and Size

Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic (which is two-thirds of the eastern side of Hispaniola). The terrain is mostly rough and mountainous.

17,243 sq miles (slightly smaller than Maryland).

Natural resources

bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower

Agriculture products

coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum; wood

Industries

sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, light assembly based on imported parts

Labor force

agriculture: 66%
industry: 9%
services: 25% (1995)

shortage of skilled laborers, abundance of unskilled laborers
widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs
80% of the population is below the poverty line

Population

9,035,536

Age structure

0-14 years: 38.1% (male 1,735,917/female 1,704,383)
15-64 years: 58.5% (male 2,621,059/female 2,665,447)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 120,040/female 188,690) (2009 est.)

Ethnic group

95% black, 5% mulatto and white

Urbanization

urban population: 47% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 52.9%
male: 54.8%
female: 51.2% (2003 est.)

Government

Type: Republic
Port-au-Prince (capitol)
Independence from French in Jan 1, 1804
Their constitution was approved March 1987

Note: Suspended June 1988 with most articles reinstated March 1989; constitutional government ousted in a military coup in September 1991, although in October 1991 military government claimed to be observing the constitution; returned to constitutional rule in October 1994; constitution, while technically in force between 2004-2006, was not enforced; returned to constitutional rule in May 2006

Infant Mortality

total: 59.69 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 37
male: 66.18 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 53.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life Expectancy

total population: 60.78 years
country comparison to the world: 181
male: 59.13 years
female: 62.48 years (2009 est.)

Total Fertility

3.81 children born/woman (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS-adult prevalence rate

2.2% (country comparison to the world: 28)

Living with AIDS

120,000 (2007 estimates)

HIV/AIDS deaths/year

7,200

Major Infectious Diseases

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)

Natural hazards

lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes; periodic droughts

For those of you who don’t know, I am a Type 1 Diabetic. Typically, people with Type 1 diabetes develop it while they are children (hence it sometimes being called “Juvenile Diabetes”); however, I developed it in 2004 when I was 26 years old.

Diabetes is a disease where the body either:

• (for Type 1 diabetics) does not produce insulin; or,
• (for Type 2 diabetics) does not respond to insulin.

As a Type 1, I do not produce insulin. Insulin is produced by the pancreas and facilitates the absorption of glucose into the body’s cells. At some point in 2004 my pancreas stopped working, probably because my immune system got confused and sent my white blood cells to attack it. Stupid immune system.

Diabetes is interesting because it’s both a chronic and an acute illness. Poor glucose absorption wreaks havoc on the body causing:

• poor circulation,
• excess retention of fluid,
• cell damage,
• mental and physical fatigue,
• and other complications.

The long term (chronic) dangers are eye damage (caused by pressure from the fluid retention), heart disease (from having to work harder and not having consistent nutrients), kidney damage (from processing all the excess glucose to get it out of your blood), nerve damage (from the excess fluid), and foot disease (from the poor circulation, the feet just aren’t as healthy which ultimately can lead to amputation). The immediate (acute) dangers are diabetic coma which can result from both hyper- and hypo-glycemia (too much or too little glucose in the blood stream).

Type 1 diabetes is treated by injections of synthetic insulin aimed mimicking the body’s natural cycle of insulin production. Due to advances in medicine, synthetic insulin is readily available and convenient, so (so long as you can afford it… I pay on average $100+ a month on insulin and I have health insurance) the main goal is to regulate the body’s blood glucose levels keeping them within the same thresholds that your own endocrine system would. Synthetic insulin is introduced into the bloodstream through shots.

I give myself between six and ten shots a day.

The things that affect the level of glucose in your bloodstream are:

• Food (the amount of carbohydrates, the type of carbohydrates (simple sugars versus complex fibers), the amount of protein and fat (which affect the rate that the food is metabolized), timing of meals)
• Physical activity (increasing your need for glucose to be transferred into your cells)
• Insulin (the amount taken, the timing of taking it (it takes about three hours for insulin to do all its work))
• Physical health (things like sleep, illness, stress all have been shown to affect blood sugar levels)
• Alcohol (increases the processing of metabolizing glucose)

Other than that, you have to maintain a healthy lifestyle so as to not accelerate the heart disease/kidney failure/eye damage/foot damage. I will take cholesterol medication for the rest of my life even though I’m only 31 years old and my cholestorol levels are perfectly healthy on their own (at least for a non-diabetic… we hold ourselves to a higher standard). My diet is pretty healthy which wasn’t that hard to achieve since my wife and I are both foodies and probably would have adopted most the major dietary changes (substituting wheat- for white-breads, substituting leaner meats like ground turkey, steering away from saturated fats, cutting down on sugary foods… though those last two have been more difficult for me since I still crave desserts and the deliciousness of things like fast food and pizza).

To manage these factors, (if you’re fortunate enough to have access to these things because of health insurance if you’re an American) I work with my primary doctor and a nutritionist (and other specialists from time to time) to prescribe and refine an appropriate insulin regimen. I meet with my doctor four times a year to monitor my health, review the effectiveness of our strategy and address any issues.

But the day to day is up to me. That means I have to give myself six to ten shots a day, frequently check my blood glucose level (which involves drawing blood from my fingertip), paying attention to what and when I’m eating, making an effort to stay active and not get sick, pay attention to my mental state in case my blood sugar goes low (or high) so I don’t put myself or others in danger. Pretty easy, right?

On top of that, the fact that the longevity of my life is threatened wears me down. My mother died from breast cancer when I was 19 years old. My biggest fear is making my two children and wife go through losing me. I don’t want to die…

The point of all of this is that diabetes is hard. And it commands my attention all the time. I don’t get a break. It sucks.

So I was encouraged to read about a new organization that is dedicated to studying and addressing the psychological aspects of living with diabetes. According to this article in Medical News Today:

The Behavioral Diabetes Institute (BDI) is the world’s first organization dedicated to tackling the unmet psychological needs of people with diabetes. The BDI offers an array of evidence-based clinical programs, all designed to help people overcome the emotional and behavioral obstacles to living well with diabetes.

Not that this will affect me anytime soon but it’s encourage to see that someone is addressing these very real challenges. It makes me hopeful, and for that I am glad. Thank you Behavioral Diabetes Institute (http://www.behavioraldiabetes.org/)

While I can say that while I never lost faith through all of it, I definitely lost momentum… and frequently lost my bearings. So that’s where we are right now, sifting through the aftermath of this past year and focusing on moving forward. It was good to re-read this, just because it reminds me that what is the most important thing I can do this year is to focus on Christ – making sure my all is centered in Him: my sight, my attention, my hope, my identity, my love. I know that if I do, everything won’t just fall into place. But if it does, or if it doesn’t, it will be good because I will be Christ’s. And Christ will be mine.

This is fear of sucess. Or of failure. Or both. I desire the safety of mediocrity where no one asks, or rather, expects anything of you.

But that is not where I am called to. I know this: I am called. Kaleo… yet, I want to hide. I am Adam, hiding in the garden covering my shame.

That is what this is: an attempt to reclaim the freedom that I (we) was created for. The recognition that the enemy wants me defeated, ashamed, broken, and, thus, useless… unable to serve, a barren tree. Fruitless. That is what this is about, rendering me lame and crippled (at least deceiving me into thinking that way), so that even though my Savior has said to me (gently, patiently, stooping low to pick me up) “Stand up and walk,” I would doubt.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?” Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God! Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We Were born to maifest the Glory of God that is within us… and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” — Nelson Mandela

This is truth and this is my confession. I am a sinner. I am made in Glod’s glorious image. I am made beautiful. Yet I am broken. Yet I am healed by God’s grace! I withdraw into my brokenness and cling to it as my protective garment. I claim a truth about myself that denies the Lord the chance to clothe me in His righteousness.

Father God, this is my confession:

I am a perfectionist.

I procrastinate.

My mind has difficulty resting.

I am fearful.

I lust.

I do not work hard.

I get mad and bitter toward others who do things in the fields I feel called to serve.

I am not a good steward of my time.

I expect loss in my life and fear it.

I get anxious about money.

I get anxious about interacting with people who have hurt me.

I seek my own solution instead of trusting Your providence.

I am proud.

I consume way too much, way too fast.

I mock and make fun and tear down.

I do not love selflessly. I do not love well.

Father God, this is my prayer: that I would be in Christ just as Christ is in me. I pray that I would die to myself, to my sin, to this world, so that I may live and love unto you and unto others with all my heart, mind, body, and soul. Amen.

Jesus Christ is on Facebook

I personally am a huge proponent of Christians leveraging the power of the Internet to advance the Kingdom and to give glory to God. I recognize that the web is changing the way people live their lives, I see it in my own family. My nigh-two year old is already comfortable with video calls and would rather look at pictures of her mother and brother on the computer than look at them in person. It is apparent to me that Internet will be a integral aspect of the lives of future generations of Christians.

As Christians around the world are exploring new expressions of faith within the virtual context of the web, people are forming strong opinions on what it means to be a church online. Though there has been some discourse on these issues, most of people’s attention is focused on making online church a reality. As a result, foundations are being laid for future generations without truly understanding what it is that is being built.

People argue that subjecting online church to examination and measurement will stifle progress and even discourage people from coming to the faith by online churches. While those are both valid concerns, I believe our generation has an obligation to study online church, subjecting our theories and practices to critical analysis and testing, and debating the issues. Here’s why:

15 reasons why “online church” should be debated:

1. We have a limited capacity to discern God’s will

Scripture tells us that we can not achieve the fullness of knowledge of God and his will. So if our desire is to build God’s church, then we must acknowledge that no individual or no group of people will be able to fully understand what or why or how we are supposed to be the church online. If we recognize this to be true then the natural response is to humble ourselves and say, “If what I know and believe is incomplete and may not be right. Then I should supplement it with counsel from diverse backgrounds and beliefs.”

2. God has revealed a lot as to what church should be

Scripture is chocked full of guidance and examples that shape our ecclesiology. The broad range of church formats and traditions that exist offline demonstrate how complex the topic is and how varied different interpretations are. Moving church online adds additional complexity and will most likely compound any errors in our thinking.

3. The stakes are high

It’s easy, especially when dealing with the context of the Internet, to dehumanize the effort of building the church. We conclude that the point is to bring people in; the point is to get God’s message to as many people as possible. We see this dehumanizing in traditional churches who focus on attendance numbers or conversions or other metrics.

At the end of the day, everything that we do around church online is about you, the person sitting at your computer reading these words right now. It is about you and about how much God loves you and what he has done and is doing so that you might be restored to him. It isn’t about making you feel better or just giving you hope when you are facing tough times. It is about saving your soul from an eternity of separation from God, your maker, your Father, your source of life and love. We must never forget that it is you that we are here to serve.

Because if God loves you so much that he would send his own Son to be tortured and killed… and if God asks me to help him in bringing you home… you better believe that I am going to take my responsibility seriously and do everything I can to make sure I am not messing up. That means engaging in critical thinking about what it is that I’m doing.

4. Satan wants us to fail

Ultimately the point of any church, online or not, is to glorify God. Satan HATES that. He hates it when God is glorified and he is working very hard in this world to do whatever he can to steal God’s glory. As we strive to build a church online that gives greater glory to God, you can bet that Satan will be against it. If the forces of this world are set against our efforts, is it not wise for us to draw together, unified as the body of Christ, as we work to build the church?

5. Opportunity to show off Christ in how we engage the process

Engaging in debate with other Christians is a tremendous opportunity to show off the beauty of Jesus Christ to the rest of the world. A willingness to listen to others (especially others that we disagree with) is so contrary to what the world’s culture expects that the world will take notice when actively and civilly engage in this manner. More importantly, through this process we have an opportunity to model what Christ called us to when he said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35) We can not walk away from engaging other Christians just because they disagree with us and what we’re doing. We must actively love them and the best way to do that is showing up.

6. The world IS watching

How Christians engage in this time is especially important because the rest of the world is watching. In the last four months, CNN.com has published three different articles reporting on how faith is expressed online. The most recent one from November 13th addresses this very debate. The world is watching what we do.

7. To encourage accountability

Not only is how we approach online church being observed by the secular world, but other Christians are watching too. We can preach and teach and challenge and train and disciple others all we want. But the best way for us to encourage Christians to be Christ-like is through the integrity of our own actions. Being willing to critically analyze what we’re doing as we build churches online demonstrates a willingness to be accountable to the greater church. Accountability to other Christians who are committed to building the church (whether or not they agree with the different points of online church) minimizes the risk of our motives becoming about anything other than Jesus Christ.

8. Traditional churches don’t get it “right”

While the context of the Internet does change a number of things and it definitely creates opportunities for the church that have never existed before. Much of the appeal of online church is the opportunity to start new, to do things differently than what traditional churches have done. We talk a lot about the “churched” and in many ways, the success of some modern churches comes from ministering to those who have been hurt by a church in the past. Righting the wrongs of the past, so to speak.

In the history of all churches, regardless of denomination, modern, post-modern, post-post modern… no one church has ever gotten it “right“. As we embark into uncharted territory, we do have a unique opportunity to learn from the mistakes of the past and, in doing so, create a solid foundation for the churches of the future. Not only that but it would be arrogant to assume that online churches will get it right. Refusing to engage in debate or to study what online church is, robs us of that opportunity. You know what they say: “Those who do not learn from history…”

9. The Peter Principle

The Peter principle states that people rise within organizations to the level of their own incompetence but no further. I bring this up because, despite the fact that the development of online churches is being driven by some amazing and talented leaders, men who I respect a lot, what they are able to build is limited by their own incompetence or inability or whatever limitations that may exist.

I don’t say this to be mean, I say this to be realistic. On their own, based on their own vision, the online churches they lead can only go so far. We must all seek to grow in our understanding of what we are called to be as the church. One of the best ways to ensure our vision does not become stagnant is to engage different perspectives in debate.

Doing so creates additional benefits to the process as well:

10. To eliminate confirmation bias

Online church is a relatively new concept and there isn’t a lot of history or experience to draw from. Much of the vision for what an online church should be is based on individuals’ own beliefs. Human beings are subject to a quirky cognitive phenomenon known as “confirmation bias” which is “a tendency to search for or interpret new information in a way that confirms one’s preconceptions and to irrationally avoid information and interpretations which contradict prior beliefs.” (Wikipedia)

Basically we see things how we want to see them, whether we are right or not. In order to ensure that I’m not recklessly pursuing an idea just because it is mine, I need to seek the contribution of others.

11. To avoid group-think

Seeking the contribution of others is not enough. Research has identified a tendency of groups to make decisions and reach consensus on issues without critically testing the merit of that consensus. They do so in order to avoid conflict. Group-think, as it is called, results in individuals conforming to the will of the group and thus negating the benefits that the diversity of a group can create. Engaging in a greater debate on online church will bring together alternative viewpoints that allow us to test the validity of what we believe.

12. To be adaptable

The rate of growth and change of the Internet is astounding. Here are some statistics on the growth of Internet usage. And if you haven’t yet, you should watch the “Did You Know? videos.

Keeping up with all the changes in technology, content, resources and trends is taxing. It’s impossible for a single person to stay ahead of all of the change. Plus as the scale of the Internet grows, the amount of (for lack of a better word) crap that is out there grows as well, making it easy to get distracted.

In the environment of the ever changing, ever-shifting Internet, our ability to stay on task and to focus on what is truly important is diminished. By committing to critically evaluating what exactly it is that we’re trying to do through church online, we create focus for our efforts and guard ourselves against our purpose becoming overwhelmed.

13. To sustain innovation

Innovation requires continual investment in and commitment to learning. Focusing our efforts is one component for sustaining the innovation that is one of the hallmarks of online church. Additionally, we need to periodically stop and try to understand what it is that the Holy Spirit has done and is doing through our efforts at building the church online. Doing so builds a foundation of knowledge and learning that will support future efforts.

14. To facilitate learning

If we want our efforts to build church online to have a lasting impact then we must also make it easy for other churches, those who aren’t pioneering online church, to understand what we’ve done and to integrate it into their own vision for their church. If you are a proponent of online church and you believe that this is the future of Christianity, then wouldn’t you want for other churches to get your vision, to become as passionate about this as you are.

If we desire for other churches to leverage the Internet to benefit their mission and we are motivated by love for them, then we need to make it as easy as possible for them to understand what it is that we are doing. It is our responsibility to lovingly and patiently come alongside other churches and help them to move past whatever objections to online church are holding them back.

15. Ultimately none of this will matter

But at the end of it all, the most important reason to engage in debate and study of online church is because ultimately none of this will matter.

Christ will return and complete his work of redemption in this world. At that time all of the sin, challenges, context and culture of this world that defines how we are doing church online will be wiped away. All of our work to create meaningful worship online, to facilitate evangelism and mission through the web, all of it will be gone. It won’t matter how robust our infrastructure was or how cool our website was. It won’t matter how well we understood SEO or social media marketing. Our ability to create compelling and visually stunning videos that reduce thousands of people to tears  simply. won’t. matter. anymore.

I have a friend who started a company in China that makes many products, one of which are these beautiful replica Tiffany lampshades. They’re amazing.

The beauty lies not just in the end product, but in the whole story. The vision for bring Christ to the people of China, the opportunities to create a business and employ hundreds of people. Not only the way that the employees are developed to be excellent craftsmen, but also how they are lead to see themselves the way that God sees them, as beautiful and worthy. All of this is the Truth in the glass that they make.

But in the end, my friend would argue that everything that he has built is not important, despite the tremendous Kingdom impact he has had. He explains it this way:

I believe that when I die, I’ll go to heaven and I’ll sit down at a table with Peter and with Jesus and they’ll conduct what can best be described as a job interview. The point of all of which will be to determine what I should do in heaven.

I imagine Jesus starting off by saying, “Bill, it is so great to see you! I am so happy that you are here. I’ve really enjoyed what you’ve done while on earth. Why don’t you tell us a little bit about what you can do?”

So I think to myself and say, “Well, I can make these really amazing lampshades.”

And I look at Jesus, who never stops smiling, and he says, “That’s great! But… there’s just one thing… there isn’t any darkness here… So, what else can you do?“

In the end what we do as we strive to build churches online, to use the power of the Internet to reach the unreached, to love the unloved, to care for the widows and the orphans, to spread the beautiful name of Jesus Christ to all the nations, simply won’t matter.

I believe that Jesus cares less about the what and more about the why and the how. So let’s commit ourselves, in love, to work together to figure this out. Let’s engage in civil but critical discussion. Let’s let go of our own pride and our own beliefs and assumptions that we hold tightly in our clenched fists. Let’s come together, with open hands, and approach the throne of God and say “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done.”

• Jon Acuff of StuffChristiansLike.net is inspired by his 6 year old daughter’s sense of injustice that there are hungry children around the world;
• Jon, still reeling from how many people have come to enjoy and support SCL gets an idea: leverage the power of the community to do something big for a charity;
• Jon reaches out to the community for inspiration as to what charity to work with;
• Jon settles on Samaritan’s Purse and works with them to coordinate the building of a kindergarten in rural Vietnam… all Jon needs is to raise $30,000.

Which brings us to today. This morning Jon shares his idea, asks the readers to support the project and raise the $30,000. Jon sets a goal of raising the funds by December 31 of this year.

Throughout the day, we watched as the donations came pouring in. No one expected to raise this much money so quickly.

This evening, sometime around 10:30 pm Eastern timezone, the total donations given in support of this project surpassed $30,000.

The Stuff Christians Like blog community raised over $30,000 for charity in 18 hours.

The StuffChristiansLike.net online community raises over $30,000 for charity in one day!

I’m am so excited to process this, synthesize what happened and share any insights. But for right now, I’m just going to sit back and enjoy the power of what Christ has done and how God has been and will continue to be glorified through it.

[Update:] We’re not done. The tremendous momentum built up yesterday can’t be just cut off, so Jon and Samaritan’s Purse are asking everyone to continue their support and raise another $30,000! That’s right, the goal is now to build two kindergartens for the people of Vietnam. Let’s do it!

Read the updated post here: http://stuffchristianslike.net/2009/11/lets-build-a-2nd-kindergarten/

Click here to donate: https://www.firstgiving.com/scl

And be sure to follow the #SCLVIETNAM conversations on Twitter.

The topic for this year (climate change) is not something I’m passionate about – BUT – that does not mean it is not an important issue. In fact, environmentalism is part of our Christian calling and every Kingdom strategist needs to consider how their work as part of redeeming creation, impacts creation.

Environmentalism is part of our Christian calling

Like everything else, this fact can been taken to an extreme which loses sight of God’s intention for us. Environmentalism, or put another way, Stewardship of Creation is part of our calling. Most Evangelicals ignore this by focusing solely on the Great Commission. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus commands his disciples, “¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

In Genesis, when God created man He said “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26). Man’s first commission from God was to have dominion over the earth, what is known as the Cultural Mandate. Christ’s coming did not negate this call, thus caring for the earth is part of our service to God.

Environmentalism is glorifying to God

What? I know, right? But consider this: inherent in all creation is a reflection of God’s glory. It is especially evident in the beauty found in nature. Man’s reaction to the beauty of nature (and art, music, etc), (regardless of that man’s cognitive acknowledgment of the existence of God) is a sub-conscious reaction to nature glorifying God. Tim Keller describes this this way:

“Why does nature move everybody?” Why may even the most hardened atheist find that a forest dawn prompts tears, laughter, or joy? Keller dismisses explanations offered by evolutionary psychology and suggests that we are moved as we sense creation’s song of praise to its Creator, a glorious fulfillment of its God-given nature. We are moved, Keller says, because we wish to join that chorus and cannot. He points to the Cross as the way by which we can regain that song.” — “How Tim Keller Found Manhattan”, Christianity Today

Thus, if our ultimate aim is to bring glory to God, then (whether intentionally or not) it is sinful not to protect the environment. Dismissing environmentalism or climate change is equivalent to dismissing the derivative glory of God int he natural world.

Environmentalism honors and serves other human beings

Sure global warming may seem like a fad. But I challenge you to look at the quality of life of people around the world who live in areas with rampant pollution. Pay extra attention to the fact that it is often the poor and marginalized who are living in these areas, lacking nutrition, exposed to dangers and health hazards, breathing dirty air, drinking unclean water. As a Christian, if you are called to love, serve, care for, and protect the causes of the poor, the sick, the needy and the marginalized, how then can you ignore the environmental issues that have such a tremendous impact on their lives?

Dismissing climate change is sinful

With respect to climate change in particular, maybe there isn’t enough evidence to convince you that climate change is a threat. Or to draw the conclusion that the industrial practices of the developed nations are having significant impact on the global climate. Say you find it hard to believe that driving to work is going to cause the oceans to rise. Let’s assume that you’re unable to say that climate change is anything more than a hypothesis. … that is okay. I’m in the same boat as you.

Even so, if we start at the end, focusing on the potential outcomes of climate change and the effects it may have on the people of this world (which is what it means to love others as your self – to PUT THEIR NEEDS FIRST). There is a relationship between climate and the availability of food and water in all regions of the world. Currently, many people around the world do not have access to food or clean water. This is a world problem that we do not have a handle on. And it is not likely that changes to the global climate will improve the situation.

So as a Christian, called by your God to love and serve others, to be Jesus in this world, we can not be passive when it comes to any threat to God’s creation. And I believe that treating the issue with disdain, as many of us do, is arrogant and disrespectful to God.

Kingdom Strategists need to take the lead on Environmentalism

In spite of all of these points, the world is corrupted by sin and to some extent environmental destruction and climate change are inevitable. As Kingdom Strategists our duty is not to throw our hands up and say “Oh well.” But rather to show the world that there is hope and that hope is rooted in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.

Our approach to environmental issues should demonstrate Kingdom Excellence, presenting the world (Christian or not) with the first-fruits of Christ’s redemption. Our goal with respect to environmental issues needs to be: How can we give people a taste of Heaven here and now? We need to open people’s eyes to the truth that God cares about this world because it is His creation. We have been place in dominion over the whole earth and all the creatures that inhabit it.

If you truly desire to love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, then environmentalism and climate change must be something you care about.

http://i.pbase.com/g3/70/417470/2/53389438.Untitled1copy.jpg

http://pilgrimagetozion.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/sunrise-1.jpg

http://gigapica.geenstijl.nl/2009/05/mooi_milieu.html

You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life. –Winston Churchill

In an article in The New York Times Magazine from August, 2007 William Safire discusses how title “Strategist” is replacing “Adviser”  in American politics and the nuance behind the shift. What says it reveals a desire to differentiate oneself from the overused “campaign manager” and “political adviser” and while implying high status within the ranks of a staff.

I personally have been frustrated by how most business labels which describe my profession, skill set, or the value I offer are either so commonly used that they’ve become sterile and weak or carry some negative connotation (think: consultant). I have often struggled with how to succinctly and accurately describe myself (while trying to remain humble) and have routinely settled on “strategist” after much soul-searching and field testing (What word comes to mind when you hear the word: AWESOMESTAR?)

The difference between Strategist and Adviser? Safire quotes Joe Pickett, editor of the American Heritage Dictionary: “A strategist is someone who has a plan of battle and the situation is always one of contention.” (emphasis mine).

Kevin Ring is a Kingdom Strategist.

An early version of my personal mission statement reads:

I serve individuals and organizations that are set about a purpose greater than themselves to anticipate, neutralize, overcome, and rise above the threats that they face.

This version captures a key aspect of my calling: to serve an ideal greater than myself. For me (and I hope for you as well), that ideal is the Kingdom of God. My purpose is to serve God’s purpose.

As a servant of God’s Kingdom, I choose to stand up against the ways of this world so that others might see Christ glorified in me. As Christ said “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34).

I know that the work is and will continue to be difficult. I know that I will make enemies. I know that there will be suffering. Make no mistake, I struggle with this. I want to be liked. I want to be comfortable. I fear confrontation. This is (like most things) is easy for me to say but harder for me to actually live out.

But I do what I do in Christ’s name, assured by His promise and strengthened by His grace. And so I will count it all as blessing, because I know what I stand for.

Do you?

As the body of Christ we are Christ’s envoys to the world today. His rescue mission is our rescue mission. Tonight I got a first hand look at a broken, shriveled, and hardened heart. The kind of heart that only the pure and perfect love of Jesus can heal.

I participate in a ministry every Thursday night called EMS (short for Elementary and Middle School). We provide dinner, playtime and Bible lessons for about 50 kids in our neighborhood. Tonight one of the boys came in looking for a fight. During playtime he got in the face of one of the leaders for no apparent reason. During the lesson, things just blew up and he had to be escorted out. Fortunately a fight did not happen but this kid was made. And when his dad came to pick him up he was mad too, and he yelled at one of the leaders.

It was scary and sad and maddening all at the same time. And to see the hurt and anger rooted deep in this boy’s heart reminded me why we do this. I am a Kingdom Strategist, I am in my God given glory when I am working with organizations creating strategies for improving their ministry and service efforts. I work with strategies, ideas, principles, trends, research, organizational design, programs… conceptual tools for coordinating the efforts of multiple people. But none of it is effective if I am not humbled and constantly reminded that my heart was once broken, shriveled, and hardened too. And every Kingdom strategy, no matter how creative, is empty if it is not rooted in the very truth that only the free grace of Christ can pour love into the hearts of those we seek to serve.

Father God, thank you for Your grace which is the power to heal my heart and others. Please work powerfully in the lives of the young men and women of EMS. Pour your love into their hearts and in their lives that they may be redeemed. Amen.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.