making myself heard above the noise
// April 24th, 2009 // No Comments » // Blogging, Social Network, Twitter
I wrote this post last August before Jonathan Ross and Stephen Fry brought Twitter to the forefront of British social media… (yes by then I’d be tweeting for quite some time!)… just thought a few of you may appreciate it’s thoughts now more so than back then! Be nice to hear what you think too!
Check it out: Surely I have better things to do than blog!
// March 28th, 2009 // No Comments » // Self-Development
For all you religious types don’t worry… Jesus is still the biggest agent of change in me… But I have to say having an iPhone has made a huge difference in the way I work and communicate with others. Here’s a few thoughts how:
1 Personal study: when I study the Bible and prepare for preaching I love to search through the Bible to find similar instances of words and themes. BiP (Before iPhone) I would have to do this at home on a computer using something like Bible Gateway. But now.. AiP (After iPhone) I can access and search the Bible anywhere using the YouVersion app. Which means I can now sit out in coffee shops to prepare…. (which is where I am right now!)
2 Twitter: I love to twitter. BiP again i could only do this on the computer.. But now AiP I can keep uptodate any time of the day.
3 Social Networking: I love it that I can connect with people all day and share thoughts and photos whenever! (as long as I don’t forget my family)
4 Time Management: everything is now synced so i’m not keeping multiple calendars… Which hopefully means I’m never late! Plus our media team are now using Task2Gather.com for keeping track of all the jobs we have on the table… and of course there is a nice little Task2Gather app for the iPhone!
5 iPod: I never had an iPod BiP but now AiP I have one combined in my phone which means my commuting to Sheffield every week is never short of great podcasts to listen to…
6 Blogging: I’m actually writing this blog on my iPhone thanks to a Wordpress app…
7 Looking Cool: an iPhone certainly helps the image!!!!
So there is just a few ways in which this phone is really helping make me more productive and more connected to what God is doing in my world. I just need to stay off the games (all deleted!!) and make sure when I’m home I actually talk to my kids and don’t communicate with my wife via facebook!
Make technology your slave… And not the other way around!
// August 6th, 2008 // 3 Comments » // Blogging, Self-Development, Social Network
One of the media guys in my congregation came up to me about a month ago to show me what he’d been working on. In his spare time (and I guess he has too much of it) he’s built an entire computer 3D model of the new Leeds Megacentre – but not in just any 3D software – he’s used the Level Constructor for the Half-Life game (a first person shooter). The result: you can view the building online, change layouts, decor, try out new floor plans in a 3D environment – and then run around like crazy shooting each other!
I shared this yesterday with one of our staff in Sheffield and she just said, “that’s sooooo Leeds!” For some reason that bewilders me (as if), the Leeds congregation of Hope City seems to have gathered a ‘nerd’ tag – probably a result of having the largest nerd in the church running it – me!
The thing is people see me using Facebook, Twitter, indulging my congregations nerdy whims and writing a Blog and just think, “well that’s Chris and he’s a nerd!”. But I thought I’d try and give some thinking to why I do spend so much time on these things.
There are some great blogs that have already written about why they love blogging so much. So as not to plagerise you can read what Pete Wilson from Cross Point Church, Nashville Tennesse has to say, or you could pop in on Church Marketing Sucks and see why they think you should be reading, “The Blogging Church
But what about me…
Well – let me try and sum it up as simply as I can:
Reason 1: Community
Everything has changed in the last few years. My Grandad used to connect with friends by writing a letter every six months summarising the family goings on. My parents still keep a list of all the friends they have met on their holiday travels and send Christmas cards out to each and everyone of them every year. But today if you make a new friend you facebook or twitter them (to name a couple of the social networking sites that now proliferate the net). The idea of community has changed. It used to be who you lived next door to… but now it’s about those who are connected to your world by so many other means than just sitting across the desk at work, or popping next door for a cup of sugar.
I like to facebook, twitter, blog (let’s call it FTB for now) – because its my way of generating community around me. Especially in a church of over 1000 people it’s a great way of keeping in touch with the Jones’… catching up on who’s going out with who, ahhing at the latest baby photos and generally swapping jibes with the lads. I like to blog to allow others to stick their nose in my world and see what I’m doing, how am I dealing with the challenges that face me, what am I reading, watching, surfing etc.
For me I have a whole host of mentors who don’t even know it – but everyday when I read their blogs they are inspiring, challenging and motivating me to be all that God has called me to be. They’ve become part of my glocal community…
Reason 2: Conversation
I don’t just want to be friends with people – I want to join in a conversation with them. The thing I like about FTB’ing is that its not some voyeristic way of spying on people – used properly its an opportunity to engage people in a conversation. So people write prokoking status lines to encourage some kind of response because they are looking for some conversation – people write challenging blog posts because they’re looking for a heap of comments back so that they can continue the conversation – people direct twitters at others so that they can engage you in a bit of light conversation…
The success rating I’m basing my blog on is not how good my posts are or how many pageviews and visitors are logged in my stats – but how many comments people are making. Because I’m interested in some comeback – some additional thinking – an argument or an encouraging reply. So if you’re reading this – leave a comment and let me know what you think! Let me know what you do to engage others in Community and Conversation.
I posted a skype conversation the other day and someone challenged me on the whole issue of tithing. I loved it because it required me to engage, think and process what I really believe God says through His word.
Reason 3: Conversion
Everything I do sits on one purpose: 1 Timothy 1: 15 says: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..” Jesus Christ came to save souls – so everything I do is about seeing lives transformed by the saving grace and power of Jesus Christ. If through my FTB’ing someone might see something of my life that points them to Jesus then that will be the ultimate success of all I do. I may never know the results until I’m Heavenside but I’ve set apart my life to do ALL I can to see the light of Christ turned on in people’s lives! And FTB’ing is free and simple to do – it’s not the ALL in ALL way of reaching people for Christ – but it is one more way in which I can engage this world I am living in. After all – you’re reading this aren’t you? So do you know Christ? If not then maybe you’ll start a conversation with me regarding why you would want to anyway!
So there you go – hope that makes sense now – but that’s why I’m starting on this journey….
Oh – and don’t forget to join in the conversation!
// August 4th, 2008 // 1 Comment » // Blogging, Leadership
Just picked up on a great blog that is out there called churchrelevance.com filled with some great studies, facts, figures and pick ups on what is happening in the wider church.
There’s an excellent post with some intriguing stats on what the ‘unchurched’ look for when joining a church compared with what those who have already been in a church may look for when changing for whatever reason.
The only thing I’d love is there was this kind of site working in the UK as a lot of these stats are American based – and different cultures can provide a mix of results. So if you’re aware of something similar on this side of the pond do let me know. In the meantime I’ll let churchrelevance.com give me some food for thought from time to time!
// July 5th, 2008 // No Comments » // Blogging, Leadership, Media
Here’s a great 20min extract from this year’s Purpose Driven Summit 08 featuring Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill being quizzed by Tony Morgan – another one of the great American blogstors (my conglomeration of blogger and pastor). Covers all sorts of things – but love Driscoll’s take on getting the Air vs the Ground War… you’ll have to watch it to find out…
(Note: you might need a good connection to watch it as its streaming was a bit awkward!)
Chris is the Congregation Pastor of Hope City Church, Leeds, a husband to his beautiful wife Gosia and a dad to two amazing kids, Joel & Ania. He is also passionate about seeing people get hold of the truth about Jesus and realise what that REALLY means for themselves - but be prepared for a few nerdy-thoughts along the way!
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