Encouraging Words from Cary Schmidt » media & tech

To TV or Not To TV?

caryschmidt — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 13:00:32 +0000

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 we’ve had cable TV’s most basic set of channels—primarily to occasionally watch sports or news, and that with heavy blocks, controls, and caution. The only other things we watched were Andy Griffith or a parentally supervised kid’s show.

A few weeks ago, one of my boys approached me and said, “Hey Dad, why don’t we just cancel the TV service? We hardly use it anyway?” The question was seemingly out of nowhere. I glanced at Dana who nodded approvingly, and a few seconds later, the four oldest members of our family decided unanimously we would cancel the cable. I was thankful for a son who pushed the rest of us to take a helpful step.

Haylee was the only one who hesitated a bit because of one show that she enjoyed after school. But after a moment of explanation, she accepted the news and emotionally moved on. Later that day, it was officially disconnected.

A few days later in Haylee’s Sunday School class, the teacher asked the kids to share one of the best gifts they had been given. Without hesitation, she raised her hand and said, “The best gift I’ve ever gotten was the cable TV being disconnected.” When I later asked her why she said that, she replied, “I’m just really glad we did that.”

Turns out the only one in the family who wanted to keep it felt deeply freed and impacted by its absence! It makes me wonder how many other times in my life my kids were hoping I would make a godly decision—waiting for me to take the step. It also reminded me that doing the right thing isn’t always popular at first, but is always blessed later!

Since then, not one of us has missed a single thing about TV, and every child in our family has shared positive impacts of the decision. Lesson learned—I should have done this long ago.

Second lesson learned—I could have saved a lot of money at Christmas by just giving Haylee a pair of scissors!

14 Encouragers to Follow On Twitter

caryschmidt — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:32:57 +0000

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 Church, a great pastor, great leader, and a genuinely godly man. It’s a blessing to serve the Lord under his leadership.

@wcbcdrr – Dr. Mark Rasmussen, Vice President of West Coast Baptist College, one of the most encouraging, faithful, knowledgeable, and fruitful men I’ve ever known. He’s a great leader and a great educator with a huge heart for people.

@johngoetsch – Dr. John Goetsch, Executive Vice President of West Coast Baptist College. He’s a great preacher, a very authentic Christian, a tireless laborer, and a steadfast life worth emulating.

@timchristoson – Tim Christoson, an Associate Pastor at Lancaster Baptist who leads and administrates adult ministries, Sunday school, and building programs. He’s a great leader with a servant’s heart and a faithful testimony.

@LarryChappell – Larry Chappell, Assistant Pastor, Sr. High Director and leader of the video and multimedia production of Lancaster Baptist Church. He’s a humble, godly, faithful Christian servant with an encouraging spirit and godly influence.

@cnav – Carlos Navarrete, Spanish Pastor of Lancaster Baptist Church. Carlos is wise beyond his years and a great encourager and leader.

@bryansamms – Bryan Samms, West Coast Baptist College teacher, leader and a tremendous preacher of God’s Word.

@JRWhitman – Jeremy Whitman, Assistant Pastor at Lancaster Baptist Church and Pastor Chappell’s assistant. Great man and friend!

@jeremylofgren – Jeremy Lofgren, Director of Graphics and Web ministry for Lancaster Baptist and extremely knowledgeable about media ministry. He’s one of the most faithful men I know and I have great admiration for him.

@TheBaptistEdu – Dr. Manuel Salazar, Administrator of Lancaster Baptist School, an exemplary Christian and a great educator with an amazing heart!

@petermordh – Peter Mordh, Director of Advancement office at West Coast Baptist College and one of the finest young leaders you will ever know.

@danaschmidt – Dana Schmidt, my wife and best friend!

@terriechappell – Terrie Chappell, Pastor Chappell’s wife and the greatest pastor’s wife on this planet.

@LBC_Today – Lancaster Baptist Church updates and announcements.

Do Social Networks Change Behavior?

Cary Schmidt — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:33:26 +0000

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, those who said they use Facebook had grade-point averages of 3.0 to 3.5, and studied one to five hours a week.
Non-Facebook users had GPAs of 3.5 to 4.0 and studied 11 hours or more a week.
Nearly 80% of Facebook users said they believe it had no impact on their grades.
Corporate employees may fritter away nearly 1.5% of office productivity by using Facebook at work, according to a Nucleus Research study announced in July.
The University of Melbourne, however, says people who use the Internet for personal reasons at work are 9% more productive than those who don’t.
Fourteen states have passed measures to ban texting while driving.

Read the full article here: Real-time Web keeps social networkers connected – USATODAY.com.

Defeating the Media Monster-Part 2

Cary Schmidt — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:44:20 +0000

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 to purity and godliness—this is the foundation. Teach your children biblical principles of holiness and honorable living, and engage their hearts with real and abundant time together.

2. Get on a media learning curve—Just like driving a car—first you learn, then you teach. The principle is the same with media. Simply—if you allow it, you must learn it. You can’t afford to have media outlets or gadgets in your home that you do not understand. For instance, you must know everything your child can do with his cell phone—and if you allow it, you must teach it as well (text messaging, etc.).

3. Train your children in the proper use of each media tool you allow—Again, like driving, you wouldn’t toss your sixteen-year-old the keys and say, “Go figure it out.” A learner’s permit requires that you ride along first, showing the way and correcting the mistakes. While this is annoying to the teen and harrowing to the parent—staying alive makes it ultimately “worth it.” Take the same approach to media. Get in the experience and teach and train along the way—correcting, instructing, and nurturing with biblical wisdom.

4. Set ground-rules, protected entry-points, and check points—teach your child the rules of the road, install filtering software, and grab that cell-phone and ipod periodically just to monitor how it’s being used. This is essential, and there is a wide variety of services (some for free) that help parents monitor their children as they use tools like email, instant messaging, online activity, cell-phone texts, etc. In addition to this take advantage of helpful resources like review sites that inform parents of the content of movies, TV shows, etc. Get informed and stay informed.

5. Be familiar with every form of media in your child’s life—trust nothing when it comes to media—not disney, not the family channel, and certainly not internet friends. Know what music they listen to, what books they read, what shows they watch, what people they follow, and what they post. Make no apology—for you cannot train up a child unless you are immersed in this world with them.

6. Provide clear and biblical boundaries and limitations—you may opt completely out of one form of media or another. You may restrict emails to a short list of people you know. You may limit access to only a few websites. You will definitely need to set time limits. I can’t answer all of the possible scenarios, but the Holy Spirit can guide you to set the right limits on the way your family uses these forms of media.

7. Provide healthy alternatives to media—help your kids stay in balance by practicing moderation (Philippians 4:5). Lead your children to read, play games, learn an instrument, play a sport, develop a hobby, or find interests that don’t involve screen-savers and tweets.

8. At times, just unplug on purpose—have times when media is just put away, turned off, unplugged, or even taken away. For instance, if you really want to get a feel for how powerful your child’s cell phone is, take it away for a few days and read the text messages that come in. If this creates world war three, then Houston, we have a problem. If your children can survive without these things and if they don’t mind you looking at their world of communications, that’s a good sign that they are learning appropriateness and moderation. If they freak out—then that’s a good sign you need to be a lot more involved in the “train up” stuff.

Media will eat your family alive unless you tell it not to. Parent, it is possible to tame the media and technological tools of our lives. Better yet, it is possible to use them for good and for God. I hope you desire, as I do, to train up the next generation to use media in a way that pleases the Lord and advances His purposes. Don’t let the media monster rampage through your home. Bring it into containment—tell it where to be, what to be, and how to be—and don’t ever back down, even for a second! God speed in your quest!

Note: Share your insight below and any ideas you might have in dealing with media challenges! Also, think of someone you know who could benefit from these thoughts and encourage them in this area!

Defeating the Media Monster—Part 1

Cary Schmidt — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:11:21 +0000

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 it happen. It’s not really of fear, but of something that has more to do with dominance and my human right to “not be creeped out”! (After all, it’s in everybody’s basic rights—life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and the freedom to be uncreeped!)

Not long ago, I had a bat in my office. Another time, a bird came flying in—yes, a BIRD—into my third-floor office! Shortly thereafter, a lizard showed up in a secretary’s office. And as you might imagine, these things not only hindered work flow, they significantly raised the threat level on the “creep-ometer.” They were nasty little living things that found their way into areas they didn’t belong. They disturbed and disrupted, and they had to be dealt with. And in each case—they were. (The sentence was “death by broomstick.”)

In much the same way, only on a spiritual level, the media of our society is constantly and forever trying to creep its way into places it doesn’t belong—in our hearts and homes. The tools of that media come in a wide variety—from TVs, to computers, to video game consoles, to cell phones, to iPods, to social websites and dozens of other helpful and potentially enjoyable gadgets and toys. The message of that media depends upon our day to day choices—who we communicate with, what we listen to, what we post, what we watch or play, and who we follow or befriend. The media itself isn’t all bad and the tools of media are not intrinsically wicked—it’s what that media can become and the unrestrained messages it brings with it that poses great risk.

Simply put: media will eat your family alive unless you tell it not to. When unrestrained, media can be like little roving creatures looking for a new place to settle. Uncontained, it will creep and crawl its way into every possible area of your life, family, and relationships—threatening a lot of good stuff along the way. In our society, media is Satan’s primary tool of communication and destruction—in spite of the good that modern technology can bring.

So what do Christian families do with so many varieties of media threats? There are two extremes. The first is to completely ignore the threat, letting each family member have complete media freedom. In this case media becomes a raging monster rampaging through a home with an insatiable appetite for destroying relationships and addicting hearts to sin and vice. The second extreme is unprincipled abstinence—the decision to remove all media from our lives without explanation or biblical training. This approach results in our children eventually facing the media monster alone in their adult lives with no biblical foundation on which to stand. In the first extreme, media becomes dominant in the home and relationships die early. In the second, media waits patiently to ravage an unprepared life later.

In a multimedia age, it’s time that parents and children engage in the day to day process of understanding, discerning, taming, and containing the media beast. Proverbs 22:6 teaches us, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” The process of “training up” is a time-consuming, fully-engaged, active, and deliberate course of action. Yet, I find that few parents have intentionally determined to “train up” their children in defeating one of the greatest threats to their future spiritual well-being—mass media (including airwaves, music, internet, video games, cell-phones and all that comes with them.)

Some parents desire to “train up” but they feel overwhelmed or are not sure where to begin. Yet, the risk is too great not to jump on this beast and ride it into submission. Honestly, we’re all still learning and media is ever changing, but for the next page, let’s examine the big challenges media brings, and then some practical steps to defeating and taming this monster. There are five huge challenges that media brings into our homes:

First, the challenge of perversion—whether it’s a TV show, an inappropriate website, or a profane facebook posting, the media of our culture has given a loud and long voice to a massive amount of perversion. It’s difficult to even buy a gallon of milk without having to see and hear the filth of our world being broadcast or displayed. Even the conservative news outlets are shameless when it comes to advertising or stories having to do with sexual matters. This challenge threatens our purity, and God commands us to flee youthful lusts (Ephesians 4:29) and to be wise to that which is good and simple concerning evil (Romans 16:19).

Second, is the challenge of deception—the media of our culture is constantly heralding Satan’s lies about love, happiness, and life. Additionally, the internet gives someone a lot of opportunities to “be someone else” or to participate in gossip, slander, and harmful chat. The deception of anonymity has drawn many into second lives, inappropriate relationships, and deceptive communications. But God tells us in James 4:8 to cleanse our hands, purify our hearts from double-mindedness and draw nigh to God once again.

Third, is the challenge of obsession—emails, twitter, blogs, cell phones, video games, internet chat, forums, and a variety of other media tend to become dominant in our lives. Frankly, these mediums impact us in ways we don’t even fully understand yet. Science has only just begun to examine the power that these things can have over us and the developmental results over time. Practically speaking, in counseling, I’ve seen that these things can literally become obsessions—almost holding us hostage and causing us to disengage from real relationships. But in 1 Corinthians 6:12 God instructs us not to be “brought under the power of any”—speaking of things that may not be evil, but also may not be expedient (or helpful).

Fourth is the challenge of disconnection—media is so dominant in some families that it has completely over-run real family connections. A healthy marriage relationship or parent/child relationship requires a close heart connection—the product of time, eye contact, heart-to-heart conversation, frequent affection, and real-time interaction. Abundance of media literally kills time, robs focus, shortens attention span, and makes human relationships seem boring and shallow. But Ephesians 4:32 and 6:1-4 teaches us to develop loving, tenderhearted, nurturing relationships in our homes.

Fifth, is the challenge of emptiness—this is the result of the first four challenges. When media is allowed to “take over,” everyone in the family is familiar with everything in the world except each other, and that leaves the heart very, very empty and hungry. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:17 that he gave his heart to know madness and folly and ultimately is was nothing but, “vexation of spirit.”

Stay tuned for part two of this post when we will examine eight practical steps we can take to protect ourselves and those we love!

Note: Please share your thoughts and insight regarding the challenges of media in today’s society, and consider someone else who might benefit from these posts and encourage them in this area!

What’s a Podcast?

caryschmidt — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:32:23 +0000

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 to the descriptions of our present podcasts.) If you’re new to the word, then keep reading—this is really cool!

First—What’s a Podcast? A podcast is a broadcast that can be downloaded to your computer and music player (iPod, phone, etc.) and listened to at your convenience. Podcasts are free and the software to play them is free. They are easy to use, convenient, and give you access to a wealth of content! Frankly, podcasting has changed the world of broadcast media—giving access to audio and video programs on demand from our computers or handheld devices.

Second—How do you use a Podcast? Most podcasts are available through Apple’s free software iTunes. iTunes runs on both windows and mac computers. It can be downloaded here for free. Once iTunes is installed, you can search for a podcast. For instance, you can find all of our podcasts by simply searching for “Paul Chappell” in the iTunes store. Here’s a link to the Spiritual Leadership Podcast. From within iTunes you can subscribe to a podcast and tell iTunes (via settings) how often to check for and download new podcasts.

From there, you can sync iTunes with an iPod or iPhone and take your podcast programs with you. Once it’s set up, the whole process is seamless and frankly, awesome! Podcasting gives you control of your own content and makes it all available on demand—no matter where you are.

Introducing the Podcasts of Lancaster Baptist Church and Ministries:

Presently, our ministry offers four podcasts. They are offered freely as a resource for your edification. We have a great team of people who labor weekly to produce and publish these podcasts:

The Spiritual Leadership Podcast—for nearly 10 years, monthly subscribers have paid for this lesson and outline. Thanks to podcasting, we can now offer it at no charge. This monthly release features a challenging lesson on spiritual leadership, an interview with Dr. Chappell, and a complimentary outline that can be emailed to you. You can subscribe to the outline here.

The Daily in the Word Podcast—this is Dr. Chappell’s 26-minute daily radio program (also heard on 450 radio stations across America) and features Bible preaching and encouragement.

The Lancaster Baptist Video Podcast—this is the video of our weekly services—Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday nights—and is posted within a couple of days of the service.

The Lancaster Baptist Audio Podcast—this is the same as the video podcast but it’s only the audio. The files are smaller, for faster downloading.

If you haven’t started benefiting from podcasts—now is a great time. You can get them right now on your computer for free, or you can pick up an iPod and take them with you. Stay tuned to Lancaster Baptist Church and Striving Together Publications as we plan to expand our podcast efforts. Until then, we hope all four of our present podcasts will greatly encourage you!

Are you listening to our podcasts already? If so, let me know your thoughts. And maybe you know someone that could benefit from this article and our ministry podcasts…

New Research on Social Networking

Cary Schmidt — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:16:08 +0000

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 than 1 out of every 10 teenagers has posted a nude or seminude picture of themselves or others online—a “digital tattoo” that could haunt them for the rest of their lives.

A quarter of the young people polled had posted something they later regretted, made fun of others or created a false identity online.

While teens are spending more and more time on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace—with 22 percent saying they check their sites more than 10 times a day—they don’t seem to be aware of the long-term personal havoc they could create with a click of a button.

And their parents generally have little idea about what their children are up to, the poll found.

[Social Networking] feels less personal; it’s easier to do mean things… It’s almost simulated behavior. You can be risky and do riskier things in a digital context.

Yet there can be enormous consequences: That alcohol-related post-prom picture? Someday an employer or college admission officer might come across it with a quick click on Google. Hitting delete to get rid of a questionable photo won’t help. The digital imprint never goes away and could be flitting across computer screens around the world.

Whether we like it or not, kids live in the 24/7 digital world… It affects virtually every aspect of their lives.

‘It’s a playground with no parental supervision,’ said Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis, George Adkins Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington, who found in a study released earlier this year that 54 percent of teens demonstrate risky behavior online.

[Among parents] there’s definitely a not-my-kid syndrome.

Technology doesn’t create new behaviors, it just may exploit them.”

Teen social networking by the numbers:

51 Percentage of teens who check their sites more than once a day.
22 Percentage who check their sites more than 10 times a day.
39 Percentage who have posted something they later regretted.
37 Percentage who have used the sites to make fun of other students.
25 Percentage who have created a profile with a false identity.
24 Percentage who have hacked into someone else’s social networking account.
13 Percentage who have posted nude or seminude pictures or videos of themselves or others online.

In a TIME magazine article entitled “What Facebook Users Share” recent studies point to lower grades as a common trait among people who use Facebook extensively. It’s not that Facebook would be the cause, but that extended time and use of social networking could impact attention span and other factors that influence grades and relationships.

The quote that most arrested my attention was from UCLA neuroscientist Gary Small:

“He warns of a decreased ability among devotees of social networks and other modern technology to read real-life facial expressions and understand the emotional context of subtle gestures. Young people are particularly at risk for these problems, he writes, because young minds tend to be the most sensitive, as well as the most exposed, to digital technology.”

The article warns of the tendency of teens to obsess over these technologies, giving too much time and influence to them. Amazingly, research continually reveals that parents have little knowledge of what their kids do online.

In the next week or so I will be posting two articles for parents and spiritual leaders related to controlling media—including social networking. May God give us wisdom to train up the next generation to be guarded and discerning in these areas!

The Best and Worst Uses of Twitter

Cary Schmidt — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:39:10 +0000

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 means of encouraging others and staying connected with helpful and strengthening relationships—friends, family, and ministry acquaintances—and what’s going on in the lives of others. I love following Pastor Chappell’s posts—they encourage me in a multitude of ways. Hundreds of times others have strengthened and encouraged my spirit through their posts.

Edifying Words—Twitter is great for sharing quotes, scriptures, and principles that edify. I love following people whose hearts are obviously focused on spiritual matters and challenging subjects. Positive thinkers and spiritually minded people have a joyful heart and challenge me to be a better Christian.

Equipping Resources—Twitter is a great way to share ideas, helpful information (eg: blog posts, stories, useful media). I have often been informed of a good article, a new book, or a resource that proved to be beneficial in some aspect of life.

The Worst Uses of Twitter:

Arguing Foolish Questions—On or off twitter this is just wrong. But it is especially undiscerning to bring an argument into the public arena of 140 character posts. What an impossible and pointless way to carry on, and a fantastic way to ruin your testimony, hurt the name of Christ, and nullify the little influence that twitter might afford. Twitter isn’t the place for airing grievances, issuing reprimands, or broadcasting contention. (Only by pride cometh contention.)

Arrogance or Narcissism—Twitter doesn’t make someone arrogant, but it does reveal it. Pride and narcissism show up easily when you’re only allowed 140 characters. Twitter is a really bad way to tell the world how great you are and how much you love yourself.

Amplifying the Wrong Voices—Twitter is a tool of communication. It publishes, influences, and amplifies—and not every voice should be amplified. Before you quote, link, or otherwise amplify a voice, think it through. Don’t inadvertently give greater exposure to voices or philosophies that are unbiblical.

Aimless and Pointless Posting—For some, twitter is nothing more than a place to post mental rubbish. Strange. In truth, Twitter is an invitation to influence. It is permission to publish. If even one person follows you, they have asked you to share your life, your heart, your thoughts. That influence is a stewardship. Before you post, ask: Does this in any way honor the Lord and encourage others?

The bottom line—twitter is influence by invitation. If you misuse it, your invitation will be revoked. If you use it wisely, others will appreciate and benefit. As Christians, our communication should be biblical, pleasing to Christ, and helpful to others.

To those who have positively influenced me through twitter—I say, “Thank you!” Keep exemplifying these best uses!

One person recently said it this way, “Twitter is simply magnifies what you already are.” May every part of our lives—including twitter—magnify Christ and that which He loves!

How have you seen twitter used positively and negatively? Share your thoughts below…

A New Design

Cary Schmidt — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 06:55:26 +0000

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 site as it goes “live.” I sincerely hope that the articles and thoughts posted here will encourage and edify your life and service to the Lord.

All past articles/posts—but not photos yet, that will follow soon.
A link to a clear gospel—what most religions don’t tell you…
Some new header links to be developed
Subscription options on the top right
Share this post buttons at the bottom of each article—I hope you will use them
Related posts listed at the bottom of each article
A verse in the header that pretty much defines the purpose of this blog
The same twitter post updates
Photo updates—just a selection of life moments
Same “tag cloud”
Great quotes from various sources to be added to over time
Recent and popular posts lists as well as an archive section
An overall new look—trying to keep it simple, clean, and friendly

Much thanks to the guys who helped! Be patient—I’ll probably be making minor tweaks and adjustments over the next month or so, as time allows. Honestly, I’m enjoying the godly dialogue and friendships that this blog and twitter have opened up in my life and ministry. Thanks for carrying on an encouraging and edifying conversation! We could all use more of that.

Ephesians 4:29, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”

Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!

Twitter—90 Days Later

caryschmidt — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:12:25 +0000

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 been a very interesting experience so I thought I would share a few thoughts.

At the beginning I posted a blog article about why I was going to give it a try. You can read that here. Below are some reasons that I will continue, at least for now.

Things That Have Made Twitter a Positive Experience

1. Staying Connected to Family and Friends—it’s been great to stay a little more connected with every one I’m related to—even my own kids. I really love reading what they post throughout their day. It’s a great glimpse into their hearts and it usually puts a smile on my face just when I needed one! In addition to this, I’ve enjoyed staying more in touch with young people in our student ministry.

2. Connecting with Like-Minded Men in Ministry—this was the greatest unexpected blessing. I’ve met some new friends in ministry from various places in the country. I’ve prayed for them, shared requests with them, and benefited from their spiritual insights and encouragement. Without twitter we probably would have never met, or at best, our fellowship would have been extremely limited.

3. Sharing Helpful News and Posts—I’ve come across some very helpful resources and articles because of what godly people have shared in their posts.

4. Sharing Christ—I have had one opportunity to share Christ and to encourage and pray with a very nice gentleman that contacted me through twitter. What a delight.

5. Being Aware of Good Things God is Doing—I’ve read of ministry happenings among other independent Baptist Churches around the country. It’s given me a greater spirit of appreciation and a higher awareness of others who are fighting the same battles I am. That’s been an encouragement.

6. Getting a Glimpse Into the Hearts of Good People—I’ve seen a lot of posts that just made me think more deeply, laugh more frequently, and appreciate the insight and wit of those I interact with. It’s been encouraging and edifying.

7. Giving Family and Friends a Glimpse of My Heart—I’m hoping for my family and friends that my posts are as encouraging as theirs are. I’m trying.

8. Finding Encouragement From A Lot of People—It’s just been good to read the posts and thoughts of other people who have good attitudes and godly perspectives on life and ministry.

9. Uplifting a Biblical Technology Example—I’ve had several of our students and college and career friends begin using twitter with me and I believe it’s been helpful to them to see a form of social networking used in a way that honors Christ. I have seen twitter used to encourage, edify, strengthen, support, and uphold Christian friends. That’s been a blessing!

10. Enjoying dissecting my day into 140 character increments—There’s just something fun about coming up with 140 characters quickly to try to encapsulate the wonderful blessings of each and every day.

I’m sure there are a lot of people in the world who waste time and words or who do inappropriate things with Twitter just like every other form of technology. It certainly can be used too much or pointlessly. Like many, I was skeptical of its usefulness, but over all, my experience has been positive and I can see twitter and technologies like it being used very effectively for ministry and for Christ. Without a doubt, the young people we are presently training for ministry will live with these technologies as fixtures in their lives—like we do with phones and computers. We should at least do our best to prepare them.

I’m still not a big “early adopter” of many new things, but I want to do my best to not rule something out just because I don’t “get it” or because it’s new. If you haven’t tried twitter, or like me, you just don’t understand it—it’s very difficult to explain it. You probably just need to try it for a few weeks and then decide. It doesn’t take any time (you can only post 140 characters at a time! How much time could that possibly take?!) It can flow with your normal routines and schedule with minimal to no interruption (My posts usually happen in my “in between moments”—like when I’m walking somewhere, etc.) It’s completely controllable. It’s helpful once you establish some folks that you interact with regularly. It’s a blessing to share and receive biblical encouragement with others. And in many ways, it’s just fun.

If you try it, just remember, it’s public and it falls under the same biblical guidelines as every other form of communication! Moderation and discretion are both very important principles to practice in this venue. Be sure not to post anything you wouldn’t stand and announce to the whole world. It’s probably not a good idea to put a lot of personal information, personal schedule, or personal details—like when you’re getting dressed or showering—pretty much everybody gets showered and dressed some time during the day!

Blogs and Twitters—Is There a Point?

Cary Schmidt — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 01:11:55 +0000

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. I like to let the dust settle and evaluate the positive side of a new form of communication or some new use of the internet.

A little over a year ago I started blogging—minimally. And six months ago I was introduced to Twitter—a form of micro-blogging if you will. I must admit, I didn’t get it and I didn’t see a point. So I waited and watched. Is it about ego? Is it about social-networking? Does it really have a point at all? I wanted to see more than just the “dark side” of all of these things. I do believe there is a bright side!

Well, after six months I decided to grab my wife by the hand and jump into Twittering. You might say it is sort of an experiment, but one with a purpose. After a week, I sat down yesterday and wrote out some thoughts about “why I twitter” and I wanted to share them. You might say these reasons apply to everything we do online—whether a blog, a website, or a twitter feed.

All of life is a stewardship—a gift from God, and God’s child should see himself and every level of his life as an offering—a living sacrifice to the Lord. Every word, every moment, every opportunity, and every deed should be lived out with a heart of surrender and submission to the God who gives us breath. With that in mind, here are the reasons I’m giving twittering a try:

Training and Example – This is perhaps one of my biggest reasons. One of my great burdens is for the next generation—especially my own kids. A long time ago I decided to live my life as positively and loudly as possible as a good example to those coming behind me. I want them to see a genuine walk with the Lord, love for family, commitment to ministry, and the deep joy that accompanies all these things.

Well, the internet and the world of social networking is killing our kids! They are becoming addicted to it and using it in all the wrong ways. They are getting sucked into all sorts of wickedness and perversion through things like “myspace.” They are wasting their lives with mindless web time and pointless chatter. While I could bury my head, make rules against it all, and pretend it isn’t happening—it is. And it isn’t going anywhere. We need spiritual leaders who will learn technology and then teach future leaders how to use it and how not to use it. Our young people need to see moderation, appropriateness, and strategic caution when it comes to these things.

I pray that God will use my blog and twitter feed as an example to others—a positive, God-honoring way of promoting truth and encouraging others.

Accountability – I have found after a week, that the few seconds a day that I might write something for twitter causes me to pause and review if I’m investing my life into that which is most valuable. The simple question “do I have anything worth saying publicly about this moment?” causes me to think more deeply and live more purposefully in every moment.

Encouragement – There are two types of people in the world—those who put things into you and those who take away from you—those who energize you and those who deplete you. I have always been passionate in asking the Lord to make me an encourager—an energizer. Sadly, I fail at this more than I care to admit, but I am still passionate about it. I want to encourage others. It is wired into me and into my calling. If posting 140 characters a few times a day could encourage someone, then count me in.

Prayer Support – We are living in a strange day and more than ever, Christians and those in ministry need to support each other in prayer. One thought I have with twittering is that perhaps my family and friends would follow it if only to be able to pray for me when I post about an afternoon of counseling or teaching. We all need the prayers of others as we seek to please the Lord and I would be grateful if my twitter would remind you to pray for me and my family.

Spiritual Edification—Again, if I can edify someone today by taking a few seconds to post a quote, a life lesson, or a simple truth, then I want to take that opportunity. I want my words to build, to teach, to strengthen, and to equip others to live for the Lord and serve Him better. I want all my words to be like “apples of gold… fitly spoken.” Hopefully this little post will be a small part of that ministry.

Savoring the Simple—I have found that posting little positive things on twitter causes me to notice and savor the simple yet profound things in my day that I might otherwise have missed.

Wise Use of Time—Twittering doesn’t take more than a few seconds, so it’s easy to find a dead moment—standing in line at a restaurant, waiting at a pharmacy, sitting at a red light—to post something encouraging to others. To think that I could take a lost minute and reclaim it by posting something that could possibly instantly benefit a group of people from any where on the planet—that’s a very cool thought!

Wise Use of Influence—Everybody has influence, and your influence is a stewardship. For me, a blog or twitter is simply about using whatever influence God gives me for His glory. It’s about wise stewardship and about being a good ambassador for Christ.

Keep in Touch With Friends and Family—I haven’t found Twitter to be the best way or even a great way to keep in touch, but it is “one way.” Maybe “keep track of” would be better phrasing. I can imagine how some might find it useful that way, but for me—a phone call or a personal email is still much better.

Communication Skills—This is a far lesser reason, but I have always taught my church communications class to “say what you want in as few words as possible.” Twitter really causes you to edit your message to the most important 140 characters! I like that challenge—to say something worthwhile in 140 characters or less. It’s been fun to work at it.

Well, let me wrap this up with a few things that twittering and blogging is NOT:

It’s not about Idle Time—I don’t believe we should be sitting around with nothing to do… so, oh well, let’s just twitter! Twitter doesn’t take a lot of time, but it certainly could if you let it.

It’s not about Self-Absorption—at first twitter just seemed stupid or silly to me—but that’s because I was reading the wrong posts. Why do I care that someone is toasting a pop-tart or mixing cool-aid? Well, I don’t think that should be the point of it. For me, it won’t be.

It’s not about Mindless Posting or Rambling—For six months I read some of the dumbest things on twitter. I just didn’t get it. Why take the time to log on and post words that have no point whatsoever? We will all give account to the Lord for every word!

It’s not about Fascination with Technology—I know some people who are like Mogley from the Jungle Book. He was raised by wolves. They were raised by social networking. Their family, the world-view, their whole life and identity is “the internet.” I know many others whose fascination with technology has replaced real-world relationships. Their marriage and kids suffer while they are up late twittering, blogging, networking, and who knows what else! Let’s move past the addiction and use these things to enhance real relationships and to uplift God’s truth.

These technologies should be peripheral to our lives, not central. God still loves people and desires our lives to be invested into real, healthy, and growing relationships. May God enable us to be in balance—to use technology for His glory and the edification of people He loves.

I’m sure there are other reasons one might use twittering or blogging, but for me, this sums it up. I hope it helps you think through your use of technology as well. Thanks for reading! Feel free to share your thoughts.

Matthew 12:36, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”

1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

Cyber Families Part 3

Cary Schmidt — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 14:39:51 +0000

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 todays’ society for parents and teens to have a great relational divide, but that doesn’t mean it’s “normal” or that it’s right. More than ever your teenager needs a strong connection to your heart, and there’s no easy, quick fix to having it. Nurturing a relationship takes time and deliberate action. Now is the time, and last month we discussed the first three actions—pray together consistently, play together abundantly, and resolve conflict immediately. Let’s look at the final four steps to reconnecting.

Nurture the heart faithfully. What does this mean? It means to get below the surface in your conversation. It means to spend enough time together that your connection goes deeper. You cannot force this, but you can create an environment where it will happen naturally. If your teen is closed up to you, then it may take more time, but persist and pursue! Don’t’ give up.

This also means you shepherd the heart with good things. Break out of your parental lecture mode and sit down and say nothing but good positive things to your teen, one on one for a solid hour. Tell him what you are proud of. Tell her how much you love her. Recognize and call attention to the good things he is accomplishing and the little victories that you may have missed.

Serve together joyfully. This is one of the best secrets of church life! Parents and teens can serve God together. Get on a bus route, go soulwinning together, do something together for others! Some months ago, I took my boys soulwinning and had been praying that they would be able to be present as I led someone to Christ. That night, we visited a family and led a dear mother and her 19 year old son to Christ. It was wonderful, and the fact that my boys were there to see it made it even more wonderful. We celebrated by getting a milkshake together afterwards! We’ll never forget that moment. Serve God with your teenager. God will use it greatly in their lives.

Respond to intuition tenaciously. What we call “intuition” a godly parent should call “the leading of the Holy Spirit.” Too often, we as parents feel that we have to reason away our intuition because we don’t have a “good reason” for feeling the way we do. Since when do you have to explain your reasons for obeying the leading of God in your heart. When God places a hesitation on your heart—about a friend, about a party, about an event—no matter the case, go with God. Explain to your teen that you can’t fully explain, but that God isn’t giving you a peace about it. Whatever you do, obey the Holy Spirit. On more than a few occasions my wife and I have said “no” only to find out later that God was using that “no” to protect our kids from something very dangerous.

Finally, purify your home tenaciously. The Devil often gets to our kids through the back door of things we’re selfishly holding on to as parents. Are you willing to give up what might be harmful to your teenager? Many parents are not. These are called “strong-holds” and until you pull them down by the power of God, you won’t get very far in leading your teenagers heart to being open to God. Music, movies, internet, and a host of other things need to be either removed or completely moderated in our homes to protect our hearts and the hearts of our children.

Reconnecting isn’t easy. It will take work, time, and focus. It will cost you something, but the product is well worth it. Do you know your teenager? Well? If I asked your teen how good of a friendship they have with you, what would they say? The clock is ticking. In just a few short years they will be leaving your nest. Make the most of the relationship while you have it, and may God give you the grace and courage to reconnect and stay connected.

Written by Cary Schmidt
Originally Printed in the May 2006 Baptist Voice

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Cyber Families Part 2

Cary Schmidt — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 14:29:03 +0000

Reconnecting a Disconnected Family!

In last month’s Baptist Voice, we talked about the fact that we are the most technically “connected” generation in human history, yet we’re also the most relationally “disconnected” as the same time! More than ever teens and children are left to themselves while Mom and Dad have to work harder and longer than ever to pay for our modern lifestyle. As never before, the hearts of fathers are turned away from their children and the hearts of children are turned away from their fathers.

The most tragic result of this pattern is that we are losing our kids (from Christian homes) at an alarming rate. As our Christian teens are graduating from high school, we’re seeing more and more of them toss God in the back seat and launch out into a “have it my way” future of self-centered, hedonistic living. They haven’t simply lost their connection
to “us.”

They’ve lost their connection to God.

As parents, it’s time for us to revolt! Culture, technology, work, entertainment, materialism, and over-time are terrible altars upon which to sacrifice our children! If you are courageous and serious enough to confront this massive cultural current that is rapidly pulling your family apart, then here are some practical things you can do to reverse the trend. But be prepared for resistance. Spiritual forces don’t let go of their strong-holds quietly. Your clients, your culture, and even your kids will probably at first resist the major priority shift that needs to happen to bring your family back to God’s pattern. Yet, the struggle is worth it!

You may turn down overtime, put a new career on hold, say goodbye to a needed promotion, or miss your favorite TV show from now until its cancellation—but these are small prices to pay to recover the heart of your child and set his feet upon the solid rock of God’s purpose for his future. You can win this battle, but here’s what you must do. There are seven powerful tools—God’s “atomic bombs” for nurturing and leading your family spiritually. They are powerful and they work, when applied faithfully. Here are the first three, and we’ll see the other four next month.

Pray Together Consistently. Easy you say? Try it. I dare you to make a a covenant with God and with your spouse to pray every night, one on one, with each child in your family as they tuck into bed. The devil will fight you hard on this, yet it’s such a simple thing. Use this time to truly pray, visit, and reconnect with your child. Few things can touch their heart like your prayers, especially as they fall asleep with that lingering moment on their minds.

Play Together Abundantly. This takes time, time, and more time! Can you possibly spend too much time together as a family? Probably, but I don’t see that there is much danger of that happening in today’s culture. Let me ask you this question. When is the last time you planned an entire day as a family just to play? The older your kids are and the busier your family is, the harder this is. But can I say loudly—this is VERY important! It’s more important than sports practice, school, or cheerleading. The secret here is not cost, it’s consistency. Your kids don’t need a $1,000 two-day get-away once a year. They need three hours every Saturday shooting hoops or half a day each week spending time together, or a family game night once a week. Consistency is the key, and it’s the free stuff that they will appreciate the most, because it’s truly from your heart. Even teens know that you can’t buy true love!

Resolve Conflict Immediately. Unresolved conflict is like a festering cancer that’s left untreated—it doesn’t “just go away.” It’s time we parents grow up. It’s ridiculous that parents and teens give each other the silent treatment for days on end. Go to your teen and work it out. You’ll know it’s worked out when you can pray together, hug each other, and laugh together when it’s all over. Refuse to let arguments or offences go unresolved.

We’re just getting started, but focus on applying these three principles this month and see how God will bless. It may take some time, but gradually you will see the hearts of your children drawn back to you and to the Lord. Are you courageous enough to reclaim your children from the snares of Satan? May God give you great grace and strength to stay in the battle!

Written by Cary Schmidt
Originally Printed in the March 2006 Baptist Voice

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Cyber Families Part 1

Cary Schmidt — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 14:20:39 +0000

Connected Families Losing Their Most Needed Connections!

A few weeks ago, my wife and I decided to stay up late to work on some projects. I chose to stay in my chair in the living room, while she chose to sit up in bed and work—both of us on our laptop computers. Before long, we were both thinking of things we needed to tell each other, and we found ourselves sending off little emails to each other. I’m embarrassed to admit this, but after about thirty minutes it occurred to both of us that we were only about 40 feet apart! My wife wrote me and said, “Why are we doing this?” That’s when it hit me… we’re so connected in 2006, we don’t even have to talk to each other anymore!

It’s 2006, and we’ve never been more “connected”—or less connected! The average home in America has multiple TVs, Dish Network, Pay-Per-View, wireless LAN, high-speed internet, multiple gaming systems, a few computers, internet cell-phones, game-boys, portable playstations, PDAs, and now video capable iPods! We’re the most technologically advanced culture on the planet, and we’re so infatuated with our toys that we’re paying a devastating price in our homes! Now, I must admit, I’m a bit of a techno-junky myself but before we get too carried away (or has that already happened?) let’s take a second look!

Unfortunately, with all the glitz and dazzle of our “connectedness,” there’s a very dark and dangerous side effect. We’ve become the most disconnected culture in human history. We’re losing our kids in record numbers (in Christian homes), and we’re living with total strangers! We’re giving precious time that can never be recovered to online chats, internet games, and the latest xbox release; and all the while our family relationships are dying on the vine.

We’ve become addicted to time-wasting, relationship-killing, side-lining activity that is absolutely empty and meaningless at the end of the day! An outside observer might guess that we’re intentionally trying to avoid each other. While one might argue that some of these toys are not inherently sinful, the pull of both the sin and the weights can be seemingly irresistible and ultimately devastating to the 21st century family. Fox News recently called Myspace.com “a parent’s worst nightmare and a predator’s dream come true!” Another tech review called it the cesspool of humanity! On and on the list could go as to the dangers and dark side of the information age.

Our families have lost the connectedness that God intends, and our kids are being destroyed by a ruthless and invisible enemy. And we’re to blame, because we’ve handed off our connection to their hearts—we’ve wired our kids directly to the world so we can work more, make more, and live more! It’s not supposed to be this way! This isn’t God’s design or intent for your family, and you must reclaim the true connection before it’s too late. Parent, it’s time to reconnect! Our kids don’t belong on myspace—they belong in your space! Where you are. With you. Talking, relating, laughing, enjoying, playing, praying—being loved, accepted, nurtured, trained up! They belong close to your heart and you close to theirs. It’s time to reclaim their hearts and minds. It’s time we stop giving them wholly over to the information age! It’s time we begin building relationships that perhaps we never had.

It’s time to start using the OFF button. Start turning some things off—start disconnecting and start reconnecting. Start now—today! Tonight! Do something extreme! Do something that will make your family look “freakish” in today’s society. Take a walk. Read a book. Have a conversation. Play a game. Laugh a little. Pray as a family. Be intentionally together and intentionally simple concerning the evils of our media-crazed culture. Be old-fashioned—family—fun!

A high-connection family is a lot more important than a high-speed connection. Be a high-connection parent. Keep your heart plugged in to your kids and keep theirs plugged in to you. Keep God first and foremost in your family life and defy the odds. Choose that yours will be a well-connected home—every heart connected to the other with high-speed access! You’ll discover something—you probably forgot how much you really love (and like) these people you live with. Now go turn something off, and start reconnecting.

Written by Cary Schmidt
Originally Printed in the February 2006 Baptist Voice

For a Free Subscription: info@lancasterbaptist.org