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!
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:
Radio – 38 years
TV – 13 years
Internet – 4 years
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?
I can’t believe it’s August and Summer’s almost over! Worse, I can’t believe I haven’t updated my blog in a LONG time.
This fall, I plan to redesign my blog and came to the realization that I get more traffic (and feedback) via facebook than my current blog. People have limited time and are mobile. Also, many carry smart phones and constantly interact with others via facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare. Therefore, I’m thinking that a custom facebook page could potentially replace my current blog.
One of the great features in the LogosiPhone Bible app is the ability to share Bible verses with your friends, family, and followers on Facebook, Twitter, and by email. Not only does the LogosiPhone Bible app make this easy to do, it does so in a way that is easy for your friends and family to engage with God’s Word (See, we all blame God @ some point). More than just sending a scripture reference, the iPhone app uses http://ref.ly to convert the verses into clickable links. The advantage is that you offer people an easy way to get right to the verse you want to share.
Check out this demonstration:
So, will you yield to temptation like I did or will you remain strong?
Today, I received an email fromAppleencouraging me to reserve or pre-order my iPad. Honestly, the more I learn about this device, the more tempted I become. I am beginning to think this could be a game-changer.
Check out this new ad:
Temptation is real…
Temptation always appeals to the vulnerable part of your heart. The taste will be palatable, persistent and powerful.
Don’t believe me, ask Adam & Eve:
“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Genesis 3:6)
Temptation is…
Enticing – It appeals to your hopes and desires (I plan to use the iPad to preach & teach…yea right).
Enjoyable – It promises you immense pleasure (I can see myself smiling as I use my iPad).
Evasive – It evades the truth with excuses (My heart is telling my head to find a reason to justify the purchase).
Escalating – It multiplies your appetite for more (If I don’t control it now, my desire for more will increase…darn it).
Ok, so did I talk myself out of purchasing one…to be continued 😀
Do you plan to purchase an iPad? If so, why? If not, why?
Well, I’ve just returned to blogging after two weeks of vacationing and catching up on some much needed rest. While away, I had a chance to reflect on life, marriage, my relationship with God, ministry, and family. Over the course of the next few weeks, I will blog about my reflections and vacation experience. I’m refreshed and ready to get back to work.
BEFORE WE BEGIN…
Once again (just can’t seem to make up my mind) I switched back to the iPhone and put my BlackBerry Bold away.
Check out this video & you’ll understand why:
Mantis Bible Study 4.0 is the most advanced Bible Study Tool available for any mobile platform. Designed exclusively for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch, Mantis Bible Study was created to be powerful enough for full-time Bible students and pastors, yet easy enough for the casual reader to use. Here are a few features:
Fantastic support for Bibles with integrated Strong’s Numbers – tap a number to open a definition, tap it again to close it
Additional support for Strong’s Numbers: drill-down to root word(s), tap to find where a number is used throughout Scripture, then tap and preview verses
Easily create bookmarks, notes, and highlights for any verse in the Bible, or even for commentaries, dictionaries, devotionals, or other books
References to Scripture inside personal notes are automatically turned into one-tap cross-references
Create, edit, and move bookmarks and bookmark folders
Unique “Analyze Verse” feature shows a single verse in multiple translations on one page, along with any installed commentaries for the selected verse
Fast and flexible, yet simple search system
Save search results as a named folder full of bookmarks
Personal notes and translation notes appear inline with the text and can be toggled on and off, making it easier to view the notes within the context of its related scripture
Highlighting Bar allows highlighting of individual words and phrases in 4 colors
Inline verse-display toggle links for all cross-reference links (in commentaries, dictionaries and other books containing scripture references)
That’s right, it took ONE application to make me switch and after one week of continuous use, I’M HOOKED (for now…)!
By the way, what do you currently use, I’d love to hear your comments!
Currently, I serve as the Senior Pastor of the Mars Hill Baptist Church of Chicago. Contrary to what many believe, pastoring Mars Hill is more than preaching, counseling, and praying. Aside from my pastoral duties, it can be compared to running a small business.
Yesterday, I received a phone call regarding my productivity habits & tools, thoughts on computer hardware, life hacking, and advice for young pastors, entrepreneurs, and leaders. The questions are as follows:
What type of bag do you carry and why?
Currently, I carry a Tumi Laptop Briefcase. It’s the Alpha Expandable Leather Organizer Model. I know this bag is rather expensive, but, after carrying cheaper bags, it’s worth the investment. Tumi bags are always sleek, modern, stylish, and durable. The Alpha model is not exception, with its bold, black, streamlined look. It excelled at each challenge I set for it. Trust me, you’ll enjoy this bag for decades.
BlackBerry Storm (yep, dropped my iPhone until they work out a few kinks OR until it comes to Verizon)
Amazon Kindle (this is the future of publishing – imagine carrying ONE DEVICE around campus that contains ALL your books. Personally, I like it, but, I don’t see myself giving up books).
Reality Check by Guy Kawasaki (This book is a MUST HAVE for leaders – sorta like a desktop reference guide).
What gadgets do you use on a day-to-day basis?
I have such a crowded life and crowded schedule. When people send me a link with a gadget, I’ll look at it and buy it if it looks interesting, but I don’t have time to check out everything I’d like to. Currently, I use the following:
BlackBerry Storm (I use it as a digital camera & voice recorder)
Currently, I use Apple Mail, but, lately I’ve grown fond of Gmail. It has an excellent spam filter and I can access it from any computer anywhere in the world.
What’s your web browser of choice?
My browser of choice is currently Firefox. I do not use Windows Explorer (WE) and may switch to Google Chrome (Mac Version). WE has too many security issues for me and I don’t like its current interface. If they improve WE with Windows 7, I may look at it again.
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Best regards,
Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.
