Decemberween!!!!!!!
I hope you got all your shopping done for Decemberween, and that you don’t forget the presents, run into the door, fall down the stairs, or run outside naked!
Well, today I have 4 worship services that I get to attend and be a part of. I preach the 3:00 and was just in charge of the 11:00 service, so needless to say….I have been busy! heh heh.
Oh yeah…..This is the first post using my new computer! It is up and running, and it all worked out great! It is stinkin fast, and needless to say, even though I have only play Half-Life 2 for a little bit, it is an amazing game! If you have a computer that can handle the game go for it, heh.
Yall take care and everyone have a wonderful Christmas!!!!! KUTP!!!!
I will try to put up the sermon for everyone soon! Take care and God bless yall!
I got an email today from someone who I think I met at a Emerging Church event I went to….But anyway it had a link going to this blog talking about video games possibly being missional in nature. Well, I responded twice with the following (little bit reworked) responses (I thought yall my find it interesting…and please let me know if you know of any church that would actually consider this…I want to be a part of it…even if it is only in the thought processes):
1st Response Post:
Well, this has been a vision of mine for quite some time, and since I am a United Methodist Pastor, I am longing to see a conference/district/church that would be willing to take heavy amounts of risk in ministry to share the good news of Christ in new and different ways.
BTW: Andrew, the gaming world has already taken over Hollywood
see this link.
But, I am seeing that LAN parties with computer geeks (Geeks is now an acceptable term to computer people, not as bad as Nerd, or Looser heh) are becoming the new arcades of the present. Yes, there is lots of start-up costs, but you would be reaching a huge demographic of people (not just kids or teens) and you can develop great relationships with them all! Yes, you will have to get over the mature ratings of the games that most people love to play, but the potential is amazing! If you want you could even provide classes to parents or guardians that could teach internet safety while their children are playing a LAN party. Now this is just the outreach aspect….
(I know of a group of college students in Lexington KY who have already created a LAN Cafe as a business and I am very interested in how it is going)
What if you (or I) could preach a sermon while everyone was playing a game? As they interact with the environment, you give meaning to what they see and bring them into the Biblical Narrative, but this time it is interactive, they decide what they want to see and where they want to go. Yes, it is a streach, but it could be done!
(I know in Halo 2 when you play as the “enemy” sometimes you will find a computer controlled fellow alien bending over a already dead alien, and say something like, “Go now, and begin the great Journey”) Religion and Honor to the aliens is a huge part of the entire story of the game! Maybe game designers (Bungie) are attempting to slowly meet a need in the post-post modern generation?
I am an avid gamer and love playing Halo 2 for the Xbox and especially over Xbox Live. It is amazing the community they have created in that game…just like the amazing community they have created with Everquest (Evercrack). There are people who are getting married online via their Everquest representation, with a Pastor and guests and everything…even the game makers were present and gave them gifts that they can use while they are gaming.
The online gaming world understands how to meet the Post-Modern needs of the world today. Look at the most popular shows on TV…what do you see? You see community……….Friends, Cheers, Sex in The City, Survivor, all of these are meeting a need to allow the view to join into the community represented in the shows with them. Way back when it used to be all about family (I love Lucy, Leave it To Beaver, The Adams Family, etc…and in some cultures it still is (Hispanic) but now it has changed to personalized community. (i.e. “I” like knowing that “I” belong.)
But, I have been hoping that someone somewhere could pull off the new ways of doing ministry via video games!
(I think I bloged this a small amount in the past, but maybe not to this extent.)
Second Response post:
Oh, and another thing….. I consider myself to be an e-vangelist! (Everytime I play Halo 2 I live a life that is one full of Christ, in the hopes that they can see the truth behind the voice. Actually my \\\\\\\”clan\\\\\\\” is made up of several Seminary friends and others who rarely cuss and are always developing relationships with other players.
I have another vision where a local church has classes to teach people how to share the Gospel and make friends online. you could offer computer classes on how to chat, email, blog, and forum post all for the purpose to develop a relationship with others, and eventually share Christ with them. Then somehow get them involved in a church that they would be comfortable worshiping in.
I even wrote a paper on this idea in Seminary.
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(Ok, I am still working on the “GREAT songs” post and I will put it up as soon as I can find time) Thanks for your patience!!!
KUTP!
Ξ December 16th, 2004 | → 3 Comments | ∇ Tech |
I think that I am going to start helping those of you who are trying to find old posts to make your searching a little easier. I will try to title the blog post like they titled the Friends TV series episodes. For those of you who did not know all of the titles of the Friends Episodes have the term, “The one that” before the title and then a small description of what the show was about. Very smart if you ask me (are you asking me? heh) Because all it takes is one person trying to tell you about their favorite episode and they help you remember the episode by saying, “The one that Joey had a hand twin”, or “the one that Ross wore leather pants”, etc….
I also know of a church in Cinnci that the Pastor titled all his sermons just like that too, because he knew his audience was people who watching Friends. Smart, very smart (did you ask me? heh)
Well, this one is about all the parts to my new computer! Now I know this might be a little over the top for most of you, but at least a few of you might know what in the world I am talking about. This is the first computer I have put together myself, and therefore very exciting, but I am sure that i will get through it, and it really does not seem that hard to me, but I am sure I will find out that several phone calls to Jay or Thor will be needed, heh…(BTW Thor what is your phone number email me, heh) Ok 1st off the processor (i.e. Brains of a computer that does all the thinking) My CPU is this one:
CPU (Central Processing Unit)
AMD Athlon 64 3500+, Socket 939, 512KB L2 Cache 64-bit Processor
Motherboard
Next up the MB (Motherboard) This one has been the greatest hassle because it just came out the 2nd week of December and I only had the money to get it this week, and needless to say they were out of the first shipments, and then Asus decided that since the demand for the MB was so great that they would jack up the price until the demand got lower, so needless to say that is killing me but it is order and will get to me probably on Tuesday.
Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe
Memory
2 512MB 400 184 DIMM of Corsair Value Select RAM. (VS1GBKIT400 on the list on the link)
RAM Heat Spreaders
I also bought some heat spreaders for the RAM, that have cool blue LED lights on them that match the case lights and color, heh.
2 Thermaltake Memory Cooling Kits
CPU Heat Sink and Fan
of course got to have the CPU cooling device:
Thermaltake Silent Boost K8
DVD/CD-ROM Dirve
Pioneer DVD/CD Dual Layer burner
Hard Drive
Western Digital Caviar SE 200GB 7200 8MB
Video Card
ASUS ATI Radeon X700 PRO PCI-E Video Card
Case
(A VERY cool (looks and temp) Case)
Aspire X-Navigator Silver
Software
and last but not least Windows XP Pro OEM, and I had to get Half-Life 2
(I mean I had to see if the computer would run properly. right? Oh yeah!)
I am hoping that a lot of my other programs will run on this new computer and be Ok, I might need to get another Virus protection software, but that is just a given…other than that I think everything else I can just get via DLing (downloading).
Well, I am not sure if any of you care, but I wanted to show everyone what I will be putting together as soon as the MB gets in. (should be Tuesday)
I hope yall are having a great week and everyone’s shopping and wrapping, and stuff like that are finished or well on their way to being finished, heh. Yall take care and God bless ya!
Next time look for the post about good songs, and my theory on what makes a GREAT song! KUTP!
aaah yes….
Well, before Firefox had a melt down the last time I wrote a blog post I was writing about how much I can’t stand Church marketing, but understand that it really can be effective, but I wonder if I could make it more effective? You see I just finished (with some challenging difficulty) a direct mail piece that will be sent to 15,000 households in Santa Fe in which the house holds have an avg. age of 44 and younger. Now if what I just said is not amazing then you either do understand what I just said, or you are in marketing and realize that marketers can target their audience decently now-a-days. Well, this is cost the church a little more than $3,000. Now yes that seems a lot, but the marketing group we are outsourcing this with is excellent, and there was a mix-up on when the cards should go out, so we are having t pay for the express delivery and rush order from Outreach.com. We are realizing that our church (BTW: The is always God’s church deep in my heart and must be reminded to the congregation often that this is not their church…sadly) is lacking in a younger demographic, and will eventually go the way of the dodo bird unless it changes and learns to relate and talk with the younger generation and the culture outside the walls of the church. So anyway, for this reason we chose to use this card to reach that younger generation and demographic of Santa Fe:
Now you can see that this card is reaching those who have been hurt by the church or hopefully the ones we are trying to reach….the C&E’ers (Christmas and Easter only attenuator) That is why we liked this card, because we believe this group of people that I just mentioned, are a huge population in Santa Fe. Well, even though this card does not have some Christmas theme on it we will be advertizing our Christmas Eve services on it and hope that we can bring to the services we hope 1/2 of 1% for this first mailing(I think I read this info in an Adam Hamilton book titled Leading Beyond The Walls). Now I am sure lots of you are saying wow! 1/2 of 1% of 15,000 households…is it even worth it? Well, good that is the question you should ask!
Well, lets assume that the 1/2 of 1% is correct that means that we have a decent chance maybe a little less of 75 house holds/people that wont throw away the card as junk mail and will try out one of the Christmas Eve services. Now, at the Christmas Eve services we will be pushing hard a new sermon series that will focus on topics that not only church members but the rest of the community of Santa Fe would be interested in a Christian view point on it was. The series will include preaching on” 1) The end times(Revelation)/is there anything after all of this? 2) Politics and Christianity, 3) Social Justice and Christianity, 4) The problem of Evil/Why do bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people?, and the last one is 5) who is Jesus? We came to these sermon topics because we polled our congregation in worship and asked them what they wished was preached about from the pulpit (except I don’t get behind the pulpit, heh) Now, of that 75 who come to Christmas Eve services lets assume that 3 families join our church and give $1000 over the course of a year(or more families and less $ over the year), then the money it took to produce the mailing would be paid for and the next year you have enough to pay for another one! This whole idea of trying to reach through a sermon series is Adam Halimton’s and we are using the idea that he shared in his book Leading Beyond The Walls<-- I have to get credit where credit is due) Now, I think we should have sent out people to ask the people in the community (@ Starbucks, The Oasis, Walmart, Target, etc...) what they would like to hear, but the Sr. Pastor beleived that our congregation was a representation of the community and by asking them we would be asking the community, while that statement is a little true, I still do not beleive the culture outside the walls of the church is at all the same, and therefore don't know if we are really being effective in who we are trying to reach, but this is the first time and we will evaluate it in the end! Now with all that said, I am going to take a Jerry Maguire moment! If any of you have seen Jerry Maguire, you would know the idea behind the movie was that the sports Agent would focus less on Quantity and more on Quality. So, after writing this huge paper and giving it to all of the higher-ups they call him crazy and fire him. And he keeps one player in the end and through it all shows the world that it can be done and other player start wanting the relationship that Jerry has with his one player.
Well, what if the church does the same thing? What if we focused on quality and not quantity? I have a double minor in undergrad and one of those was marketing so it has always interest me to see how and what marketing techniques are being use all of the time and how they are changing to be more effective. Well, working with Long John Silvers Inc. before I started Seminary I got to know direct mailing very well, and saw its effectiveness, but only if it was done well, and very often! and the last one for the church is difficult when it (and a lot of them are) costs so much money!)
So, if the church is willing to spend $3000 on direct mail to reach 15,000 households, what if you made the direct mail piece more effective (they would not throw it away) and only sent it to $300 people? So, here is my thought. Lets see if we can find a grocery store or Wal-mart, or who ever would be willing to meet you have way and buy $10 gift cards for 300 households? or $5 cards for 600 people? If you could get the company/store to give a discount then I believe that those 300 or $600 people would be more willing to come to the church that really cares about them putting literally money (gift card) where their mouth is. We tell them we love them, and care for them, and yet often we just want to talk to them and rarely drive them to a good dinner, bring them home and help them find a job/school/etc…..
I came to this idea when I watched what the Opera show is doing. One show they gave away a new car to every audience member. Another one they gave all the teachers in the audience (the entire audience was made of teachers) around $13,000 in gifts and also $2,500 for all the taxes on the gifts). It is obvious that marketers are on the cutting edge of advertising, and willing to go beyond the box of what has worked in he past, and I believe that the church must do the same and come up with creative ways to develop relationships with people who need a relationship with Christ, and the church should be willing to go the distance when it comes to reaching those who are in need of Christ. When was the last time you were willing to reach out to the community in a real and tangible way? If it is good enough for Christ why not good enough for us? When was the last time you ate with a tax collector? Stopped a group of people from killing a unfaithful wife? Died on a cross? Well, the last one you and I don’t have to do, but I believe the other tow are two examples of Christ trying to teach us by living and doing what he desires for us. Who is the tax collector in your town, that everyone despises? The woman or man that everyone shuns as if they were not faithful to their spouse.
Now….can you imagine if not only you followed the risk taking life of Christ, but an entire church? That is something I can’t wait to see, and that is something I can’t wait to be a part of.
KUTP!!!!! and God bless you all!
(Oh and BTW: There is an Easter Egg in there somewhere…just a cool place to unwind)
Next time I will let you see the guts of my new computer…that I hope to build sometime…heh.
me sorry that me have not blog in long time. me extremely busy, and me get very mad when me blog last week and me internet explorer crashed and me lost me blog post that took me 45 minutes for me to type and work on, and it all gone now….me got so mad that me not blogged in long time…thanks for patience, and me be back soon hopefully very soon.
In me-time please visit our new church website, www.stjumc.com! It is unbelievable and please send a note to the webmaster and tell her how amazing the new website is. Truly amazing, and a donation of around $10,000 that she has given, please check it out. It was created from the ground up to be a ministry, and not only a place for information. Truly amazing!!!!
Me blog later bye bye! KUTP!
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