Lowering Gas Prices...Some Food for Thought

In all the heated rhetoric regarding higher energy prices these days, it's nice to see and hear a simple, straight forward approach to addressing higher energy costs.

This is New Gingrich, former Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Training Opportunity for Church Volunteers

Do you volunteer at your church? Do you know someone who does? I have excellent news! The South Carolina Baptist Convention is holding two excellent training opportunities for church volunteers.

This August, the SCBC is hosting two EPIC conferences. What's EPIC? EPIC stands for Equipping People In Churches. These Leadership Conferences cover a wide range of topics important to churches and the ministries they operate. I guess one of the reasons I'm so excited about these conferences is that I've seen the conference in action. In fact, for the last several years, I have been a regular instructor for their "Using Multi-media in Worship" classes. Equipping volunteers with the tools and information they need simply makes them that much more effective.

Here are just a few examples of the topics covered:

• Ideas for Missions in the 21st Century
• Ministry on the Fringe
• Teaching Children at Church
• Ministry Communications Through the Web
• Using Multi-media In Worship (Beginner)
  
• Using Multi-media in Worship (Advanced)
• Enlisting Leaders
• Youth Ministry 101
  

I'll be the intstructor for the Multi-media in Worship sessions. So, if you register and plan on attending either one of the sessions, shoot me an email so I'll know to be looking for you!!

There are many more sessions available to choose from. So, you're probably wondering, what're the details? Where are the sessions being held and where to I register? Good news! The conferences aren't until August, so you have time to notify your volunteers and coordinate travel (hey, gas IS expensive).

For August, there are two convenient locations to serve you:

August 2
Concord Baptist Church
1012 Concord Road
Anderson, SC (map it!)

schedule seminar descriptions

and

August 16
Lancaster Second Baptist Church
1426 Great Falls Highway
Lancaster, SC (map it!)

schedule seminar descriptions

For early registration, please go to the South Carolina Baptist Convention EPIC Leadership Conference site. Additional details are available on that site including cost. The cost if VERY minimal for the value you and other volunteers will receive. The investment will benefit your churches in amazing ways.

Again, if you are able to attend, please stop by my seminar room and say hi!

Now Playing: "We Need Each Other" by Sanctus Real

Technorati: church volunteer training, EPIC

Going Beyond the Walls

As you probably know (if you've read my blog), I am the lead volunteer for our Tech Arts Ministry at our church - Rawlinson Road Baptist Church. Even though we're a smaller church, I am working with the other volunteers to extend our reach as far as we can. In the last few months, we changed how we're distributing our podcasts. Since then, we've also started streaming the sermons live - as well as recording them for later viewing.

It's all new to us, and we continue to refine the process, but we've already seen an impact in people's lives. Both the video stream and podcasts are available at HERE.

You can click on the screen below to watch the most recent sermon video:

Free .TV show from Ustream

The goal of our Tech Arts Ministry is to make our messages readily available to whomever accesses our website. The availability of God's Truth shouldn't be limited to a specific day or time.

So, what are you doing at your church to extend your reach?

Now Playing: "Fine" by Jaymes Reunion

Technorati: Ustream; Rawlinson Road Baptist; sermon podcasts

Winning on Wednesday - So, What's the Plan?

A big hat tip to Jim Walton over at Church Tech Matters for presenting me with a challenge that resulted in this entry.

Our lives are made up of plans. As kids, our parents have plans for us. As we get older and enter college, we start building plans for a career. Marriage is the same way, we try to have a plan for how we're going to start and grow a family. But our plans don't always work out. Our job interests change in college, our career path doesn't follow our plan, and family life has a plan all its own.

That's where I've arrived. The career passion in my life has changed over time. But I don't see a plan. I don't see where it fits into my original plan. I don't how that plan is going to evolve either. I was chatting via instant messaging with Jim and expressed some frustration about the plan. He quickly shot back, "It's not your plan, it's God's plan". That was like getting sucker punched. But, I needed it.

I needed to be reminded that what really matters in life is that I recognize that I should be seeking God's plan. My plans don't measure up. My plans fall short. My plans are insufficient. God's promised me better than I could ever deliver on my own.

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11

My chat with Jim brought me back to this verse and helped me view it differently. What I find fascinating is the use of the verb "declares". This means that God was speaking emphatically and with authority. There is no question. He KNOWS the plan He has for me. Even when I am most confident in my plans, I still have some uncertainty. The last part of the verse is even more encouraging. All of God's plans for me are positive. His plans for me are better than the ones I try to cobble together.

This week's challenge? So, what's the plan? More importantly, whose plan is it?

Now Playing: "Turn On The Lights" by Sanctus Real

Technorati: Winning on Wednesday

What's Your Cardboard Testimony?

If you had a piece of cardboard on which to write your testimony, what would it be?



So...do you have an answer yet?


Now Playing: "10 Good Reasons" by Hello Kelly

Technorati: cardboard testimony

Fireproof the movie - We Have a Date

I've been remiss in not posting this information earlier. As you may know, I'm a big fan of the movies put out by Sherwood Pictures. This is the same studio that created Facing the Giants and Flywheel.

I'm very excited that there is an official date - time to start counting the days!


Now Playing: "Reckless Youth" by Pillar

Technorati: Fireproof, Sherwood Pictures

Obama gaffe

It's nice to see that Bush isn't the only one who gets tongue tied. I guess he is human after all.

Democrats Full of Empty Promises

Ok, it's 2008 and it's going to be an extremely frantic year when it comes to politics. As of this writing, John McCain is the Republican nominee and Barack Obama is the presumptive Democrat nominee - although, I guess someone should tell Hillary Clinton.

Before we get into the chaos and rhetoric of the general election campaigning, let's look at the last election a little. The focus of the last election for the Democrats was regaining control of Congress. Nancy Pelosi, in particular, worked hard to show how the Republican majority was failing "the people". She honed in on one topic in particular that affected every American and used it as a major talking point. What was it you ask? Gas prices.

On April 18, 2006, soon-to-be Speaker Pelosi released a press release with the following statement:

“Democrats have a plan to lower gas prices, taking America in a new direction that works for everyone, not just the few. Our plan would empower the Federal Trade Commission to crack down on price gouging to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices, increase production of alternative fuels, and rescind the billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies, tax breaks, and royalty relief given to big oil and gas companies.”

Then, April 24, 2006, she released another:

“Democrats have a commonsense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices by cracking down on price gouging, rolling back the billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies, tax breaks and royalty relief given to big oil and gas companies, and increasing production of alternative fuels.”

Let me get this straight, according to Nancy Pelosi, the Democrats had a plan in April of 2006 to lower gas prices if they became the majority. Well, in November of 2006, the Democrat party came into the majority position.

As of this writing, it has been 779 days since Nancy Pelosi pledged to lower prices at the pump.

Be prepared to see more empty rhetoric from the Democrats this election season as they try to play on fears that people have to win an election. Look closely at any campaign pledges, promises, etc and consider carefully whether it's a valid promise or merely rhetoric to gain an emotional vote.

Oh...and by the way, Barack Obama has continued to talk of "Change We Can Believe In" without giving any specifics. Be careful, not ALL change is good. But, more on that later.

Now Playing: "We All Need" by Esterlyn

Technorati: windfall profits

Winning on Wednesday - Disconnected in a Connected World

Yes, it's Thursday and yes, it's been a long time since I last posted. Sorry. As it's gotten warmer, I've spent more time outside in the evenings working in the yard, garden and playing with the kids. By the time I get inside, I'm beat and headed to bed.

This post grew first out of a comment I posted over at Kent Shaffer's site, Church Relevance on Youth and depression. Since I work with the Youth at our church, this topic stuck with me and I decided to use it as a Wednesday night discussion topic.

A recently released study by SAMHSA regarding depression and teens had some alarming data. You can go to the above link and read the report, but what I want to look at is one set of statistics.

Figure 1 Table. Percentages of Youths Aged 12 to 17 Who Experienced a Past Year Major Depressive Episode (MDE), by Age: 2004-2006

Age	Percent
12	4.1%
13	6.2%
14	7.9%
15	9.7%
16	11.5%
17	11.5%

Source: SAMHSA, 2004-2006 NSDUHs.

A large number of teens have had depressive episodes. What can we do to address this?

One very good solution, I believe, is Talk. Real simple. I work with the Youth at our church. It’s a strange phenomenon, but in our ever more connected world, I believe teens feel less connected. Although our Youth IM, SMS, blog, vlog, myspace, facebook, twitter, etc., I believe they’re missing out on true interaction. Effectively, these teens are "Disconnected in a Connected World. What does that mean?

Going back to my list of communication methods, teens may use all of these, but they have one thing in common. The communication is largely ONE WAY...outward. Youth are constantly stating what they are doing, what they are thinking, who and what they are thinking about, among other topics. They want someone to listen. They want someone to care. But, they get responses back don't they? Of course they do, but this interaction is still lacking the human-ness of active, personal listening. Active listening involves tone of voice, eye contact, facial expressions, and body language.

I believe that this is exactly what teens are yearning for. If they didn’t want to be heard they wouldn’t have a MySpace page or blog or twitter, etc. But I think too, they not only want to be heard, but they want someone to listen to them and provide appropriate feedback.

As my wife has told me plenty of times when she’s frustrated by something, “I just want you to listen. Don’t try to fix it, just listen.” That may be the best medicine of all.

My challenge this week? I'm sure you have a teen or college person in your life. Even though you may IM, SMS, blog or otherwise communicate with them, make a concerted effort to actively listen to them and what they have to say.

Now Playing: "Those Nights" by Skillet

Technorati: Winning on Wednesday