I ran across this little tool when I was at the HOW Design Conference…I remain a big proponent of a tailored solution that fits your personality and resonates with you brand keeping everything consistent but it’s a tool worth looking at that can bring some dynamic content to your blog or website (without having to call us to develop it for you.)
It’s called Sprout Builder and it can do all sorts of things from calendars, embedding video, you name it. Now don’t get me wrong, this does not replace the effectiveness of a fully integrated element within your website and I really don’t recommend a large deployment on your church’s website but it is worth looking at when you need something in a pinch.
Here’s an example of embedding an RSS feed
Or perhaps you’re trying to raise money:
So give it a try and let me know what you think of it and how you’ve used the tool.
What happens when a creative director has to take the bus? Some crazy creative bus stops.
Take a look around your church, look for that boring info area, sitting area, dark corner…what can you do to make it enjoyable and interactive, something worth talking about?
Ok, I wasn’t a huge fan of the Left Behind movies…they just weren’t the quality I think we should be pushing out. BUT…the upcoming Fireproof, from the creators of Facing the Giants, looks like it could be a winner. I’m also impressed that Kirk Cameron has committed to only kiss his wife…even on screen. I never understood (or I guess believed) that just because there are people with lights and cameras around that kissing the beautiful leading lady is nothing but ‘work’. Right.
So Bravo Kirk Cameron, set the bar high…I hope everyone’s done the same with the movie and will deliver something that is top shelf.
Your turn.
Would you kiss someone other than your wife on screen?
Are you planning on seeing the movie?
Do you think the movie’s title graphic is a bit cheesy or ultra clever?
I have to be honest, I immediately thought of my friend Mark when I first saw this…or as you probably know him Hardly Normal. He’s crazy and he knows it…and because of that I really believe he will help change the world he lives in.
Here’s a video that should remind all of us - creatives, pastors, designers, technicians, communicators - that i innovation is most always preceded by a bit of craziness. Aim for the impossible and be bold enough to go against everything that we call normal.
When we say the word “church” we usually think of the building..you know Sunday morning, a pulpit and stage, maybe some pews. But do we need all those things to have a church?
Not for a community in Pheonix, AZ.
For many people living at the Stone Oaks apartment complex church means block parties, poolside socials and Saturday morning breakfast. For this group church isn’t so much about the order of service, it’s about building relationships.
“As a society we relate well where we work and play but don’t relate very well where we live. We pull into our garages and never come out to get to know our neighbors. It’s a very segmented, very private world,” Louis says.
I love this idea not matter what your Sunday morning routine is. We used to know our neighbors, and then we moved our front porch to the backyard and called it a deck…we’ve disconnected with our neighbor. Hard to love your neighbor when you don’t even know their first name. Imagine if we as the Church embraced an idea like this…I’d bet that your invitation to church on Sunday would be met with much greater acceptance.
I’m getting ready to head down to Oklahoma for ministryCOM 2008 and would love to see as many of you who are either going to the conference or are in the area. I think one of the best things that come out of conferences aren’t the workshops and keynotes…it’s the relationships that are created.
I am planning on invading Pops Thursday night after the conference with a bunch of people from the Lab and would love as many of you as possible to come out. We’re talking 66 ft soda bottle tricked out with LED, over 500 types of pop at their soda ranch, and killer architect at this new hot spot on Route 66…and a great opportunity to spend time with people that are just like you!
If you can’t make it Thursday night and want to connect, give me a shout.
What do the Joyce Meyer Ministry, .85 cent gas and Sex billboards have in common? They are all part of the 25 Years of Life, Innovation, and the Church time line which gives us a nice snapshot and highlights of the last 25 years. While it’s by no means a complete time line…it does give a nice reference. It also reminds me that while it sometimes feels as if we, as the church, are spinning our wheels, we are in fact making progress.
I also like what wasn’t shown…the next 25 years. It stirs me up to think of what is ahead, it is exciting to consider the ways God will stretch all of us. I’m not sure who is responsible for the time line, but thank you for reminding me that there is much ahead!
Here’s an interesting reflection on design and what it looks like in relation to the Israelite’s journey.
Whether you are a designer, pastor, tv producer or whatever part you play realize that the journey you are on, just like the journey of God’s chosen people, is part of His plan. You have some choices: you can embrace the journey, including the difficult parts, knowing that it is part of God’s refining and perfecting…or you can drag your heels and complain and live a life of defeat.
Craig Groeschel has announced that LifeChurch will no longer have “church members”. What I love is that they are killing it because
the reason is because for years and years we’ve done it, and we just did it because other people did it and in my mind, it always kind of bothered me some because I thought, ‘Well, if you are a believer, you’re already a member of the family of God, but you still join a church because that’s what you do,’
How many other things do we do in the name of doing church that simply get in the way? Is church the way it is because that’s how God wants it or because that’s how everyone else is doing it? If we got rid of some of these things, like membership, would we create something more authentic with less of us and more of Him?
Does the special music during offering bring people closer to God?
Do you have to have a bulletin?
What would happen if there wasn’t preaching every Sunday?
Could we survive without the clever signs? (that’s a rhetorical question)
One of the churches we work with, a college ministry, just moved their service from Wednesday to Thursday. Is it weird to have church on Thursday? Yep, but for this group of college students it works since they don’t have classes the next days and also allows them to spend time hanging out afterwards.
Don’t get rid of things just for the sake of slimming down, and certainly not for the attention it might get. I’m just suggesting that you look at your ministry and things that surround it and make sure that everything has purpose…if not slim down.
Thank you Terrace for pointing this out, I hope it shakes us up enough to get us thinking about how we can change the way we do church.
When we say the word “church” we usually think of the building..you know Sunday morning, a pulpit and stage, maybe some pews. But do we need all those things to have a church?
I’m getting ready to head down to Oklahoma for ministryCOM 2008 and would love to see as many of you who are either going to the conference or are in the area. I think one of the best things that come out of conferences aren’t the workshops and keynotes…it’s the relationships that are created.
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