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church ministry renewing the church

How to Launch Online Worship or an Internet Campus for Your Church

This is a collection of posts from this blog that you might find helpful when considering beginning online worship or an internet campus at your church. These are collected blog posts from my experience as Pastor of Resurrection Online. Before Launch 4 Ways to Consider “Spiritualising the Internet” Four Narratives for Online Spiritual Community Top […]

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ministry

Sparked: Micro Volunteer Opportunities

I am looking for ways to develop serving opportunities for those who worship with Resurrection Online. An intriguing model that may be helpful in this effort is from Sparked. I cannot do a better job of explaining the concept than their About Page, so here is an excerpt from their website. What are your thoughts, […]

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ministry renewing the church

My Response to Top 12 Questions before Launching Online Worship

A couple weeks ago I posted the Top 12 Questions before Launching Online Worship and received the request that I share some of our responses to these questions from Resurrection Online. These will be brief responses. For each of these questions there were long conversations that lead to these conclusions. In addition, the answers to […]

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ministry

Resurrection Online Update for 2 Nov 2010

On the last Resurrection Online Update, I asked for you response about guidance for next steps for Resurrection Online. I want to share with you some of the next steps. In the months ahead, I will work to create the highest quality online experience with the best possible connection and follow up with you and […]

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ministry renewing the church

Ministry Expenditures ≠ Outcomes

This week, I read The Importance of Outcomes by Gil Rendle and Susan Beaumont. I commend this article to you from The Alban Institute and want to share a key quote: “The number of hours, visits, calls, reports, and so on is not a measure of what is produced in ministry but rather a measure […]

Categories
communications ministry

Top 12 Questions before Launching Online Worship

Resurrection Online has been streaming worship since November of 2008. If you are considering launching an online worship service at your faith community, you first have clear answers to these questions first: Why are we launching online worship? Why does worshiping online make sense within the culture of our church? Will this effort be supported […]

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changing lives ministry united methodist church worship

Is Communion for Christians Only?

A few weeks ago, I visited a church where this sign was displayed during communion. The method of serving was passing a tray through the aisle and taking a piece of bread and a small cup of juice, so it would not have been obvious if one chose not to partake. United Methodists practice open […]

Categories
leadership ministry

The Power of No

It is far better to tell someone No than it is to tell them Yes when the answer should be No. It does not matter how it feels, how excited the person is or how much you need to fill a particular role.

Categories
changing lives leadership ministry

Clergy: Will You Learn to Manage Stress or Burnout?

Last month, I read an article from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership about Myths about Clergy Burnout and Managing Stress. From the article: Myth Three: Older leaders are more likely to burn out than younger leaders. Recent research on clergy age seems to indicate that younger clergy are more likely to burn out than […]

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church ministry

Resurrection Online Stewardship

This is the first year that we will intentionally collect annual giving commitments from those who worship with Resurrection Online. I am excited to offer this opportunity to grow in faith for those that worship online. This also will help us plan for ministry in the year ahead. If you would like to help support […]

Categories
changing lives ministry

Listen for God’s Yes and No

I want to add a postcript to my recent reflections on Calling in Your Life. My Ethics professor in seminary reminded our class: If God says yes to a particular opportunity in your life, God may say no to that same opportunity in the future. It is important to continue to listen to God – both […]

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annual conference kansas leadership ministry

My Ordination

This is a video of highlights from the 2010 Ordination and Commissioning Service at the Kansas West Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. It has been edited to highlight my ordination. Thanks to the Kansas West Communications team for their work in producing the entire service.