The Request Lines Are Now Open

The Request Lines Are Now Open

by | Nov 18, 2010 | Christian, Christianity, Communication, Preaching, Sunday Worship Experience

I grew up in an era when radio stations would open their request lines (usually late night) for listeners to call in and hear their favorite songs.  Listeners would share what’s on their hearts or dedicate special songs to their loved ones.  Lately I’ve noticed how many cable stations such as BET, MTV, & VH1 allow their viewers to do the same.

Well, since it works for radio and Cable TV stations, I thought it would be a great to hear from YOU!   Each year in November our team breaks away for our annual teaching calendar planning retreat where we lay out a general idea of where we sense God wants to take us over this next year in terms of teaching and subject matter.   For two weeks, we will spend the next several hours focusing on praying, planning, and brainstorming.  So please pray for us!

But here’s my BIG question for all of you….

What topics/subjects would YOU like to hear teaching on?

I’d love to hear your ideas!  So please leave a comment!

Maybe your feedback will spark a great idea for Mars Hill or even others over this next year!

FYI…YOU DON’T HAVE TO ATTEND OUR CHURCH TO RESPOND!

The Request Lines Are Now Open

Why Are Churches Still Segregated In 2010?

by | Nov 16, 2010 | Christian, Christianity, Church Issues, Current Affairs, Race, Relationships, Teamwork

A couple of years ago, I wrote a blog series entitled “Jungle Fever.” This series took a look at the racial differences between African-American and White churches.  This series touched on how churches are still segregated and it appears this dynamic won’t change soon.  Additionally, I shared the differences between black preachers and white preachers.  Finally, I touched on how remarkably different blacks and whites dress when they attend worship.  It was a great series that generated several comments.  You can read more about it HERE.

There are many reasons why Sunday mornings continue to be the most segregated day of the week.  This video excerpt from the documentary, “Baptists and Racism,” attempts to address some of them.

Why do you think the Body of Christ remains segregated so many decades after the civil rights movement?  In my opinion, any time you call upon the majority group to divest themselves of power and influence, you’ll have fear, insecurity, and skepticism.  In short, they’ll passively sabotage any progress towards inclusion and multiculturalism.

Question: What do you believe are the fundamental reasons churches are segregated?

The Request Lines Are Now Open

A Prayer You May Want To Get In On

by | Oct 8, 2010 | Christian, Christianity, Empowerment, Goals, Money and Finance, Prayer, Vision

This past Sunday, I shared with our congregation how I selected 20 people to pray for who were generous, faithful, and cared about the poor, oppressed, and marginalized.

I’m praying that God would make them wealthy (multi-millionaires) so they could reach back and help the poor & permanent underclass.


Why?  Jesus was/is ALWAYS on the side of the poor, oppressed, and marginalized AND someone has to speak for the voiceless. Also, it’s time for a shift of wealth into the hands of Kingdom-minded people with integrity to do the right thing!

I prayed before selecting people because they had to meet the following criteria:

  1. Compassionate
  2. Unselfish
  3. Have extraordinary faith
  4. Have a genuine concern for the poor
  5. A heart for empowering those who are less fortunate

This Sunday, I extended an invitation for others to join my list & WHAT A RESPONSE!  If you meet the aforementioned criteria, you may want to consider getting in on this prayer.  If you are selfish, lack integrity, & want to be wealthy for the sake of being wealthy, please reconsider your priorities before deciding to join.

In the meantime, the Lord wants you to get your financial house in order before the harvest comes & the hardest step is getting started!

Here’s what you can start doing NOW:

  1. Stop signing up for more debt!
  2. Save $2,500 and save in your emergency fund – pay minimum payments on all debt until you have $2,500!
  3. Find out which debts you owe and how much you owe
  4. Seek to reduce or eliminate the interest you are paying
  5. Calculate your debt freedom date – using the free tool @ HERE
  6. Pay minimum payments on all debts except the smallest one
  7. Attack the smallest debt with as much money as possible
  8. As each debt is paid off, use the freed up payment money to add to the payment of the next smallest debt.
  9. Repeat steps 6 thru 8 until you become debt free!!!

You CAN do this!

The Request Lines Are Now Open

The NINES – What Our National Conventions Can Learn

by | Sep 9, 2010 | Christian, Computers, Conference/Workshops, Empowerment, Events, Leadership, Technology

The NINES is an online conference worth attending!

The NINES is a totally online conference and gathering for church leaders that will happen today, September 9, 2010 @ 10:30AM (CST).  I attended the conference last year and it was brilliant – no seriously, it was brilliant!!  The format is that each leader speaking at the conference is given six minutes to give their thoughts on the conference theme – this year the theme is “Game Changers.”

Here are some answers to some commonly asked questions (from the Q&A page of the NINES website)!

I know it’s short notice, but, trust me: YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!  Registration is free, but you can also register and get lots of good stuff.

See you online @ The NINES!

The Request Lines Are Now Open

The Church of Facebook

by | Aug 19, 2010 | Christian, Christianity, Church Issues, Current Affairs, Leadership, Technology, Vision, Web/Tech

My generation experienced the election of the first African-American President, the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks, Desert Storm, Iraq War, historic government bailouts, the passing of healthcare reform, and the greatest economic downturn since The Great Depression.  However, in my opinion, the greatest shifts we will experience in our lifetime are happening now!

facebook church copy

According to next generation thought leader Blake Mallen, “most new online technologies have one root intention: to make it simpler for people to communicate and collaborate.”  Of all the tools and websites created to connect people, Facebook seems to be the most popular starting place for many.  With more than 500 million users (that’s right – 500 MILLION AND GROWING), we all have at our fingertips the tools to find, friend, and engage with people.  Imagine how churches can use this platform to expand the Kingdom of God!

Consider this:

To reach 50 million users, it took:

  1. Radio – 38 years
  2. TV – 13 years
  3. Internet – 4 years
  4. iPod – 3 years

FACEBOOK ADDED 100 MILLION USERS IN LESS THAN 9 MONTHS

Source: United Nations Cyber School Bus Document/Mashable

Additionally, according to a Grunwald Associates National Study, “at the end of 2010 Generation Y will outnumber baby boomers…96% of them have joined a social network.”

QUESTIONS:

Considering this social trend, how will the church respond and leverage social media to help expand the Kingdom of God?

How will business owners leverage social media to market their goods and services?

How are you leveraging social media?

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