I forgot to post this the other day but I guess it’s better late than never. There are so many new technologies out there that we can use in ministry…or simply in real life. The hardest thing is figuring out which ones are worthwhile. Here are some things that I think are worthwhile and I am currently using (or about to start using):
1) Twitter- I have been using twitter for about eight or nine months now. For those of you that don’t know, it’s a “microblogging” service that allows you to tell everyone what you’re doing at any given moment. I use it update my Facebook page, as well as the “what I’m doing” part of my website (over on the right). It’s interesting to see what other people are up to. I also use it to contact others in ministry that I honestly haven’t even met in person (kind of like sending them a text, only I don’t have their cell phone number).
2) 12 Seconds- I’m just starting to test this out, but it’s kind of a video version of twitter. Basically, you have 12 seconds to record video updates of what you’re doing from your computer or your cell phone. You can then share it online and even link it to your twitter account.
3) Remember the Milk- I am one of the most unorganized people in the world, so this site is a Godsend. This site allows you to keep track of any lists, events, or tasks that you need to keep up with. There are so many features of it, but the main thing to me is that you can keep up with everything via email, text message, and tons of other methods. It can even create a map of where your tasks will take place! Check it out for all the features.
4) Seesmic- Seesmic is a site that you can use to microblog, but it allows others to post video responses. I was amazed on Monday when I did a quick recording on Seesmic and less than 10 minutes late I had a response from a guy in Holland. Once again, you can even link it to twitter (see a pattern here).
All of these things have tons of features that I didn’t get into. Check them all out for yourself! Are any of you using these tools?
1) You say…”Give 110 percent.” I say…”You suck at math.”
2) If I ask people to give 110 percent, am I setting them up for failure?
3) If I ask people to give 110 percent, am I setting unrealistic expectations?
Discuss.
Yesterday was a great day! I experienced two things yesterday that I have never experienced before. First, we took our student leaders to NewSpring Church’s Greenville campus for church. It was the first time that I have experienced a video venue first hand. I have to admit, it was incredible! I’ve heard some people say, “well…it just can’t be as effective without the pastor physically standing there and teaching. With the quality of teaching and the quality of technology, it was as if Perry (the pastor) was standing right there. Heck…I even heard people respond to his comments out loud as if he were standing there.
The other thing that I experienced was part of a collaboration between Life Church and Carlos Whitaker called LifeShare. Last night, our whole family watched the LifeShare event and sang along to a live worship stream. It was simply ‘Los leading worship from the downstairs of his house and with over 100 other people joining in from around the country. Some say you can’t have community online, but I beg to differ.
I think that the web is revolutionizing the way we do ministry. We can reach more people than we ever could have imagined if we take advantage of what’s available.
Tomorrow I’m going to share some new tools I’ve found online, but I’d love to hear your response to this question: Do you think that the Church can develop true community online? Either leave a comment by clicking “Comments” below, or if you have a webcam, post a video reply to the video below. This might get interesting.
So I found this website that archives content on the internet. If you go to this site, you can see what was on a lot of websites up to 10 years ago! Long story short, I looked up my site and found some posts that I had thought had been lost when I changed blog hosts. Anyways, here’s a flashback to October 22, 2005. It’s a post that I had written after going to a Byrnes football game called “Freddy and the Byrnes Game.” As a side note, it was also right when Patty and I started dating and when Robin Hunt had just moved to the Upstate.
Tonight I went to see the infamous Byrnes Rebels beat the snot out of Dorman. The crowd was huge so we had to sit in the grass towards the endzone right in the midst of an interesting variety of people. Anyways, there was this dude that was sittin’ down in front of us that was going ballistic whenever Byrnes was doing something good. He would fling his arms around and give people high fives. SO….I decided that my the goal for the football game was to get a high five from this guy at some point before the game ended. I am pleased to announce to you that I got not only one, but TWO high fives from the man, who informed me later that his name was Freddy. I had no clue who the guy was before the game, but I started talkin’ to him cuz he seemed like a dude that would be interesting (that’s an understatement). After a while, Freddy was tellin’ me about how he played football (and two or three other sports) in high school, loved Nascar, and I heard countless stories about sports and life in general. It was hilarious!
Freddy is just another example of something that I have noticed lately. I’ve noticed that people generally will open themselves up to you and tell you about their life if you take the initiative and strike up a conversation. It has happened with me in so many places lately that I can’t help but sit back and think of the possibilities that could result if believers would invest themselves into the people around them. I’m not talking about a fleeting “hey…how are you” conversation, nor conversations that must include a gospel presentation. What I am talking about is breaking the ice with people and listening to their story. I’m talking about not seeing them as a target for conversion or for church membership but rather listening and interacting with them wherever they are in life. Heck…you can even (gasp) end your own masquerade and reveal who you really are to them (but that’s a whole other topic).
By the end of the night, I felt as if I had made a real connection with Freddy and with some other people that were with him. I listened to their stories, laughed with them, exchanged high fives, and genuinely had a good time. And to think, I would have missed out on all of that if the ice hadn’t been broken. Just somethin’ to think about.
This is part four of an ongoing series on the blog. Make sure to check out Part One, Part Two, and Part Three.
9) The Underwear Shot- Underwear is the new outerwear. There have been lots of pictures posted on social networking sites of people in their underwear. Often paired with the “mirror shot”, the “underwear shot” loves to show off what once was considered sacred. The underwear of choice is often the boy cut underwear, whether on a boy or a girl. Girls may even choose to show off their latest Victoria’s Secret purchase, or guys may unveil the boxer briefs (and abs). It’s a new twist to the saying…make sure you’re wearing clean underwear…just in case someone sees your picture on Facebook or MySpace.
10) The Bits Showoff (a.k.a. “The Cleavage Shot)- One of the most popular shots of the Facebook and MySpace whores is the Cleavage Shot. Starting about as early as they develop, girls are posting more and more pics that reveal part of their breasts. Typically a self shooter, these girls seem to feel as if they must put one arm above their head and take a picture at a downward angle. Of course, this shot must also include a tank top, a loose fitting shirt, or simply a bra (because the bra wasn’t revealing enough). The most ambitious of the Bits Showoff skanks also love to notify their friends that they have new pictures and that they REALLY want you to offer them some “comment love,” although “comment lust” would be more grammatically correct. Fortunately, guys have not personally embraced this trend as much, despite the fact that a lot of them are developing large breasts while spending so much time with video games and the internet.
Just to let you know, this will not be the last you see of the “Facebook/Myspace whore” series. I have at least a few more blogs in the works in regards to it, so make sure you check back often!
This is part of an ongoing series on the blog. Make sure to check out Part One and Part Two.
7) The Katy Perry Shot (aka The “I kissed a girl and I like it” shot”)- There is this phenomenon that is ever increasing in popularity amongst younger people. It is the tendency to post a picture of a girl kissing another girl. Spurred on by a society that encourages youth to explore the “bi-curious,” the pattern usually starts out with an “innocent” picture of a girl kissing a girl on the cheek. It then progresses to the make out picture (once again, often paired with a Solo cup in hand), or even the “kiss the cleavage” shot. What’s interesting to note is that you really don’t see guys kissing other guys, because “that’s just gay.” One final note, this is occasionally accompanied with the “Boob Grab Shot.”
The “I’m in a bikini, so I have to pose seductively” Shot- Buying a bathing suit that is skimpy and doesn’t leave much to the imagination? $80. Positioning your body to reveal as much as possible without being totally naked for the camera? $5 to put batteries in the camera. Posting slutty pictures online of your bikini, softcore porn self that will haunt you for the rest of your life? Priceless. There are some things that money can’t buy…like innocence, purity, and respect for yourself. For everything else there’s MySpace.
Check back tomorrow for the final two on the list! You can leave comments below by clicking on “comments.”
Continuing this post from yesterday:
4) The Boob Grab Shot- A lot of girls apparently see nothing wrong with having a picture of someone grabbing their boobs being posted online. Sometimes it is a picture of them grabbing their own boobs, while other times it is a girl or a guy grabbing them. When the latter happens they usually have a (fake) look of shock or embarrassment on their face. It seems that everyone in the picture has a cup in their hands, whether it be a bra cup or a red or blue plastic cup(Although a bottle of alcohol is sometimes substituted for the red or blue plastic cups). As one final note, guys may have pictures grabbing their own boobs or chest. This is a sure sign that you’re an idiot and you will never get a date.
5) The Tanline Shot- It is not unusual in our culture to want to have a tan. What is odd (and a definite sign that you are a Facebook/Myspace whore) is when you want to show off both your tan and the areas that are still cracker white. The most common skanky “tanline shots” on Facebook are the “pull my bikini bottoms down to show off my tanline” shot, the “slide part of my top over to tease people” shot, or the ever popular, “I have a playboy bunny from the tanning bed” shot. ‘Cuz nothing says “classy” quite like Playboy.
6) The Status Update or Mood Ho- Status Updates are definitely intriguing. You can let people know what you’re up to and how you’re feeling at any moment of the day. However, the Status Update Ho and Mood Ho feel as if they have to share T-M-I. The Status Update Ho can be found on both Facebook and MySpace. We can learn about how they are “getting drunk,” “feeling lucky,” and so on. The “Mood Ho” is typically on MySpace, where they can let us know how they’re feeling. I have seen numerous teens let the world know that they are “feeling horny” at a given moment. Word of advice….You better be careful flaunting that you’re “feeling horny” because you may end up feeling used, itchy, or pregnant (or all the above).
Okay…I have had hundreds of hits for these posts and only two comments. Have you experienced these things online? Leave a comment by clicking “comments” below.”
