I have recurring Saturday evening nightmares. I think it’s a part of being a song leader or church service director. But today topped them all! First some background: At least once a month, and some times more frequently, I pillow my head on Saturday evening only to be tormented all night by some nightmare experience [...]
(This one’s just for fun…) When iPad was introduced, nearly every blog and media outlet had an article about it. Some were sceptical, some critical, some more analytical, and some prophetic. Six months into using an iPad, and a couple years for the iPhone, I wanted to share how these devices have impacted my ministry [...]
We are excited to announce a new podcast flowing from the ministry of Lancaster Baptist Church—SM127 Podcast, which simply stands for Student Ministry! This podcast will be a part of the free Ministry127.com family of resources and will be for teens. It will feature messages from our ministry events for teenagers—West Coast Baptist Teen Camps, [...]
To TV or not to TV? Many Christians wrestle with this question. Many choose to not have a TV at all. Others choose to have limited TV and tight controls. Yet others open the floodgates completely. Regardless of where you are on the TV decision, this experience was too powerful not to share. For several years [...]
The following is a list of people that represent some great reasons to use twitter—even if you’d rather not post anything! They are wonderful, genuine servants of God. These are lives worth emulating! If you use twitter, you would benefit and be encouraged by following these leaders: @PaulChappell – Dr. Paul Chappell, Pastor of Lancaster Baptist [...]
USAToday published an interesting article today about the impact of the internet and social networking. Here are a few of the statistics they shared: How social-networking services affect the everyday behavior of millions of Americans: An Ohio State University study links Facebook to lower grades. According to a survey of 219 students, published in April, [...]
Media will eat your family alive unless you tell it not to! In part one we uncovered five challenges that modern media brings into our lives and homes. To beat the challenges, tame this monster, and prepare your children to have discernment and wisdom, may I make the following suggestions: 1. Build healthy relationships committed [...]
Media will eat your family alive, unless you tell it not to! I have a deep inner aversion to living things that crawl, creep, fly, or slither around and find their way into places they don’t belong. They bother me. They creep me out. I just want them dead as quickly as I can make [...]
Introducing Our Ministry Podcasts and How to Use Them When it comes to technology and helpful tools, I’ve decided to quit making assumptions. After all, there was a day when I asked this same question—what in the world is a podcast?? (If you are already familiar with the concept, you might want to skip down [...]
Both TIME magazine and the San Francisco Chronicle recently reported on some dangers surfacing behind the many hours that teens are spending in social networking. Here are a few quotes from the San Francisco Chronicle article that relayed the results of a poll of 1,000 teens and 1,000 parents: “From behind their bedroom doors, more [...]
I have written a couple of posts about twitter—why I decided to use it and things I’ve learned from the experience. Overall, twitter has been a positive experience, but not entirely. Here is a short list of the best and worst ways to use twitter: The Best Uses of Twitter: Encouraging Connections—Twitter is a great [...]
After a lot of encouragement from friends over the past two years, I have decided to develop the blog a bit more. This new design and collection of new features is the first step. (Not to mention that the last design was barely more than basic.) Here’s a quick highlight of what’s on this new [...]
The Blessings and Benefits of Learning the Art of Microblogging! A little over 90 days ago, I began using Twitter. Eight months ago I was sure it was the dumbest thing I had ever seen. But after a little examination and consideration, I decided to give it a try with my family and friends. It’s [...]
Why I Decided to Start Using Twitter Why blog? Why Twitter? Is there a good reason for these things? That is the question I’ve been asking myself for the past year or so. I’m not usually an “early adopter” of potentially harmful things. Rather, I like to study, to watch, to pray, and to consider. [...]
Reconnecting a Disconnected Family In last month’s edition, we were working on solving the problem of being a disconnected generation. Sure we have our high speed internet connections, our iPods, our Xboxes, and our high-tech homes, but we’ve lost the most important connection—that direct connection to the heart of our teenager! Perhaps it’s common in [...]
