If you’ve been following my blog at all over the past month or so, you’ll have noticed that I’ve been changing it around a bit. Okay … a lot. Too much. It seems like every other day I try out a new design. I can’t help it … I’m addicted to finding just the right design for this blog. I need help. I need an intervention. Or, I just need a good design.

Do you ever get that way with something. You know it’s not bad, but it could be better. Maybe it’s something you’re doing on your bike. Or renovations on your house. A paper you are doing for work or school. A hobby you enjoy (like me and web stuff).

How do you say, “enough!” Or do you? Do you wait until you’ve finally got it perfect, or will you settle for less than that once you know you’ve spent enough time on something? For me, it’s easy to settle for less than perfect on something I’m not passionate about. But when it comes to the areas that I would consider my hobbies – the things I do just for the fun of it, I find it very hard to say, “enough.”

Let’s hear your thoughts.

Interesting article on Barna‘s webiste. Thanks to Church Forward for posting it:

February 23, 2009

(Ventura, California) – Technology is fast becoming the latest driving force behind what is often called the “generation gap.” While Americans of every age have become quite comfortable with and dependent on technology, a new study by The Barna Group explores how technology is shaping different experiences and expectations among generations.

Although all Americans – both young and old – benefit from technology, the generational divide brought on by digital tools is significant. The key findings of the research include the fact that each successive generation is adopting and using technology at a significantly greater pace than their predecessors. Yet, the study also shows the exponential reliance on digital tools among Americans under the age of 25.

Importance of Tech

Technology usage is not the only chasm between the young and old. Another gap is each of the generation’s perceptions about technology. Not surprisingly, younger adults are more likely to admit “gadget lust” than is true of older adults. For instance, among the youngest adult Americans – those ages 18 to 24, a group the Barna Group labels Mosaics – more than one-fifth (22%) said they consider owning the latest technology to be a very high priority in life, compared to only one out of every 11 adults over the age of 25 (9%).

Mosaics are the biggest technophiles. However, when taken together, America’s two youngest generations (Mosaics and Busters) are significantly more likely than the two oldest cohorts (Boomers and Elders) to say a desirable lifestyle is being at the cutting edge of technology.

Mainstream Technologies?

The Barna study categorized “mainstream” technology as those weekly activities relied upon by 50% or more of computer users. For example, the use of email and Internet search are mainstream because they are used by more than half of all computer users each week, regardless of generation.

Among Elders and Boomers, of the 14 activities assessed in the research, the only mainstream digital activities are email and search. Among Busters, four behaviors qualify as mainstream: email, search, text messaging and hosting a personal website or homepage (such as MySpace or Facebook). The Mosaic generation doubles this by reaching mainstream status on eight different technologies. These eight elements overlap the same four as Busters but also include: instant messaging, posting comments on other blogs, watching videos online and downloading music online (both legally and illegally).

Emerging Technologies?

“Emerging” technologies were classified by Barna research as those used by at least 20% but not more than half of computer users. These are technologies that have gone beyond fringe activities but have failed to become a weekly digital ritual of the majority.

One example of an emerging technology is online purchasing. It is a common denominator of all four generations of computer users, but fewer than half made a purchase online in the last week (22% of Mosaics, 26% of Busters, 29% of Boomers and 24% of Elders).

Several spiritual elements were classified as emerging among the youngest three generations: listening to church podcasts and visiting their church website (measured for past year, not the past week). For their part, Elders have yet to move beyond limited digital access to spiritual content.

Other emerging activities among Boomers were texting and watching videos online. Among Busters, emerging uses of digital tools included instant messaging, watching videos and downloading music. Mosaics added to their considerable technological footprint by qualifying as budding bloggers. While millions of older adults are active bloggers, realize that just 11% of Busters and 5% of Boomers say they maintain a personal blog.

There were only two areas of limited technological expression among Mosaics: their admittance to viewing online pornography and downloading movies.

Deciphering the Results

The survey data points to a number of conclusions, according to David Kinnaman, president of The Barna Group:

1. Even though young people are sometimes called the “Net Generation,” every age segment is becoming dependent on the Internet. In fact, because Boomers and Busters represent about two-thirds of the adult population, they are far more numerous users of technology than are adults under the age of 25. For instance, the majority of online purchases are made by those between the age of 30 and 55. And many of the bloggers, music downloaders and users of social networking websites are from the Boomer and Buster cohorts.
2. Still, despite the preponderance of middle-age technology users, the nation’s youngest adults (Mosaics) are light-years ahead in their personal integration of these technologies, even blazing beyond the comfort of Busters. While Busters differ dramatically from their predecessors, Mosaics are even further down the path of integrating technologies into their lifestyles. On effect of this is that younger adults do not think of themselves as consumers of content; for better and for worse, they consider themselves to be content creators.
3. All Americans are increasingly dependent on new digital technologies to acquire entertainment, products, content, information and stimulation. However, older adults tend to use technology for information and convenience. Younger adults rely on technology to facilitate their search for meaning and connection. These technologies have begun to rewire the ways in which people – especially the young – meet, express themselves, use content and stay connected.
4. For church leaders, it is notable that a minority of churchgoing Mosaics and Busters are accessing their congregation’s podcasts and website. While technology keeps progressing and penetrating every aspect of life, churches have to work hard to keep pace with the way people access and use content, while also instructing churchgoers on the potency of electronic tools and techniques.
5. Since technology is pervasive, many of the age-old questions about human development and human flourishing are taking on new dimension. How does technology help or hinder communication, or for that matter, relationships between the generations? Are social skills better or worse? Are reading and writing skills improving or not? And what does adequate preparation for tomorrow’s workforce look like? Educators, parents, youthworkers and other leaders must continually fine-tune their responses to these issues.

We are now almost two months into a new year. Can you believe it? It wont be long before the snow begins to melt and we pull out our bikes for another season of riding. I can’t wait!

I’ve had a question going through my mind now for a few weeks. What am I supposed to be doing? It’s a tough question, and to be honest, it’s taking me a long time to truly answer it.

Oh, don’t get me wrong, there are certain things that I know I should be doing. Loving my family, caring for Bikers’ Church, preparing my messages, keeping up to date with those who are a part of the church, etc.

But that’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m speaking more specific. What specific things should I allow to consume my time? I have my hobbies and my passions, but are those things the right things to take up my time? As regular followers of this blog know, I’ve been pretty inconsistent with it lately. Is that okay? Or should this blog be one of the more important things that I do with my time. After all, it does connect me with so many people.

I know some of you will want to quickly answer this question for me. I appreciate the desire to help me out, but to be honest, it’s not a question you can answer for me. It’s something I simply need to keep sorting through with God.

Here’s my point in all this: Maybe God is asking the same thing of you. What keeps you busy? Are those things the things you should be doing? Are they helping you fulfill your purpose in

So, very few things get my blood boiling more than self-righteous, religious, hypocritical idiots. (I’m being really nice with my words here ! )

I allowed myself a day to consider my words for this post, and so I choose them carefully. This post comes as a response to a blog entry from my good friend, Jason.

Jason has been speaking up regarding the recent attempt by a group of atheists to place advertisements on city buses that say, “There probably is no God …” I would encourage you to go to Jason’s blog and read the many posts about the subject, beginning with this one. I didn’t bother writing much about the issue, because I felt Jason has perfectly summed up my heart on the subject as well. He did an amazing job in trying to show love to the Atheist community. Kudos to him.

He received a number of great responses. Some publicly on his blog. Many privately. Most were incredibly positive, thanking him for extending grace and trying to find commonality between two groups who would seem to be very conflicting.

However, he also received a few negative comments. Most of those were anonymous. Most were from so-called Christians who told Jason that he was “going to hell (like the atheists).”

Now, Jason just shrugs off those comments, as he should. Let’s face it, anyone who takes a stand that may seem a little controversial has to be ready for negativity. Launching a Bikers’ Church brought out all kinds of wonderful critics!

I have no idea if Jason is going to Heaven or Hell. The Bible tells me not to judge another man’s heart. I do know that Jason’s fruit demonstrates a life that is sold out for God, in love with Jesus, and passionate about serving him in every way. His fruit suggests to me that he is going to enjoy eternity with God. But, again, I leave that ultimate judgement to God … it’s not my business to make it.

But I want to put out a challenge to all your self-righteous types who love to post behind anonymity. Most of you are cowards by nature and no matter what I say, you wont come out from behind that curtain. You love the Internet because you can blast your condemnation, hate, and nastiness with seemingly no consequences.

You forget that God knows you. He sees right through the keyboard, he sees the log in your eye, and he sees the blackness in your heart.

But do know what he sees most? God sees the delight you take in telling someone they are going to hell. And it breaks his heart. You see, God doesn’t delight in anyone going to hell. It is his desire, his heart’s cry that all open the gift of grace. Not once, ever, did God celebrate the opportunity to tell someone they were damned. Even when he disciplined his children, he did so with a heart that was heavy.

Perhaps you should stop delighting in telling someone they are going to hell. Maybe it’s time to weap over the lostness of those you think are without God. Read Genesis 18:22-33. Notice how Abraham doesn’t take delight in the condemnation of Sodom, but rather pleads for their lives. Maybe you could learn a lesson from that story.

Of course, most of you wont. It’s too easy to stay hidden in your anonymity, criticizing those who step out and try to show love to people who’s view may differ from yours. It’s more “fun” to be self-rigteous, and point out the faults and errors in everyone else, rather than asking God to change your own heart.

I don’t know if Jason is going to Heaven or Hell. I don’t know if you are going to Heaven or Hell. Again, I can’t judge the heart, only God can. All we can do, as his followers, is look at the fruit that is demonstrated. And for some, the fruit makes me weep before God and ask him to spare one more.

(Yes, some of you will criticize me for being just as judgemental as those who hide behind their anonymity. Fair enough. But at least you know my name.)

I read this interesting article in the LA Times. How would your church deal with a terrible tragedy like this?

Steve Smick, a former Whittier resident who police say was homeless, shoots himself at the foot of a cross while a volunteer is conducting a tour.

By Tony Barboza
February 19, 2009

A man walked into the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove on Wednesday, knelt down at the foot of a cross and fatally shot himself in the head.

The man entered the sanctuary about 9:40 a.m. and gave a handwritten note to a church volunteer. He then walked to the front of the pews, knelt before the cross and removed a semiautomatic handgun from his backpack.

• 

He put the weapon to his head and pulled the trigger, Garden Grove Police Lt. Dennis Ellsworth said.

Authorities identified the man as Steve Smick, 48.

Although Smick’s last known address was in Whittier, he was homeless and had been living out of his pickup, according to Garden Grove police, who believe that he stole the handgun used in the shooting from a friend a couple of weeks ago.

“That suggests to us he had some type of plan,” Capt. Mike Handfield said. “But we haven’t talked to anyone who heard he was going to kill himself.”

A friend told police that Smick had attended a Bible study in Temecula several weeks before his death.

“He was spiritual, but we don’t have any record of him being a member at the church,” Handfield said.

Betty Spicer, a volunteer greeter at the cathedral, said that when the man walked in, the sanctuary was nearly empty except for a group of Canadian tourists.

“I said, ‘Good morning, welcome to the Crystal Cathedral.’ ” She asked the man, “Where are you from?” He replied, “Oh, from around here.” He handed Spicer a folded note written with a felt-tip pen. Tucked into the middle of the note was his driver’s license and what appeared to be a business card. As Smick was walking down the aisle, she began reading the note, which referred to a truck in the parking lot and a gun.

“The next minute, there was a pop,” Spicer said. “I thought he was praying. I didn’t realize he had shot himself.”

Yvette Manson, another volunteer, said she was talking to the tourists when she heard a sound that she likened to the noise from a firecracker. “I had just been telling them about the suicide prevention ministry we have.”

Pastor Juan Carlos Ortiz said the shooting was tragic, but may have revealed something about Smick’s faith.

“This must be a person who believes in God because he went to the foot of the cross,” Ortiz said.

Michael Nason, a spokesman for the Crystal Cathedral, said Smick was not a member, employee or former staff member.

“It’s very tragic. He must have felt that he needed comfort,” Nason said. “And he chose the church for that comfort. Unfortunately, it didn’t end well.”

The Garden Grove cathedral, started by the Rev. Robert H. Schuller, has more than 8,000 members. The sanctuary, known for its towering glass architecture, is home to the “Hour of Power” television program.

It can hold about 3,000 people and hosts hundreds of visitors a day.

The last shooting at the cathedral was also a suicide. Johnnie Carl, 57, the church’s acclaimed composer who had struggled with mental illness, barricaded himself in his basement office the night of Dec. 17, 2004, and shot himself.

This is an interesting post over at Church Marketing Sucks.

Starbucks is often used as an example within the world of church marketing. They have an experience, they knew how to tell their story.

Yes, I said “knew how to tell their story.”

I’ve had numerous conversations with church leaders about Starbucks’ concept of a “third place” and how the church could harness that feeling. We have work, we have home … Starbucks was that third place, a getaway, a place to relax, etc. etc.

Then they installed a drive-thru. So much for a third place, it was just a stop on the way to either home or work. They’ve put another nail in the coffin now with instant coffee. Doesn’t get any less third place than that.

Starbucks no longer has a story to tell. Their story is now the same as McDonald’s and Folgers.

I’ve seen the same thing in the local church. They start off with a core calling, know who they are and what God has created them to do. Then they either get bored or see the church down the road try something new and they change there story.

Excellence as church marketers is all about being great storytellers. Know your story and stick with it. Don’t let things–even seemingly good things–distract you from your unique story. When you start to change your story, often you don’t end up with something new, you end up without a story to tell.

Let someone else sell instant coffee or add a drive thru. Put your efforts into creating a more excellent third place, whatever that unique component happens to be for your church.

That's right folks … it's his favourite song:

I borrowed this article from Resurgence and adapted it a little, great reasons for going with a feed reader. Personally, I use NetNewsWire (for Macs) because it syncs with my iPhone nicely, but Google Reader is also an excellent choice.

Four Reasons You Should Get a Feed Reader

Mike Anderson

1. You never miss a blog post from your favorite sites.

Once you subscribe to a feed, your feed reader will make sure that
you see every new post from that feed. Whether you want to read your
websites once a week, once a day, or every ten minutes, any unread
items will be saved for you.

2. You can scan a ton of articles quickly.

When using a feed reader, you can quickly filter through the
articles that you don't want to read. When surfing the web, you have to
shuffle through different interfaces, type in web addresses, and surf
bookmarks. This takes a ton of time. It’s much better to have the
content you want delivered to you than to have to go find it every time
you get online.

3. Stew-pot learning.

One of the great side-effects of using a feed reader is that you begin to learn about various memes in a stew-pot fashion. You'll learn new ideas over time, and understand the relationships between them.

4. You can save articles for later.

Feed readers allow you to save articles to read for later. In Google Reader,
you can put a star next to items you like and come back later to read
them in full. You can also tag articles and search for them later.

What is an RSS Feed?

What is Google Reader?

I'm in a unique season of life right now. Having just completed six months as Interim pastor at City Church, I am having to refocus my time and energy. It's not as easy as I thought it would be.

Have you ever gone through seasons where there seems to be no creativity? That's hard when so much of what I do requires vision. I was sharing with a friend today how difficult it is right now to write my messages. I struggle with finding the right direction to go with what I want to share.

He responded with typical wisdom, suggesting that I needed to take some time away from too much processing. I needed a season of just taking things in. I agree. I need to focus on some of the things that don't require a lot of thought, but allow me to recharge my creative juices. Reading, blogging, dreaming.

What are some of the things you do to recharge creatively? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

This morning, I preached my final message as the interim pastor at City Church. It was a tough message to prepare. This group of people have truly found a place in my heart. They love God and have a passion to see lives touched through God's grace.

After the service this morning, each of the leaders expressed words of gratitude to Heather and I. They also presented us with some gift cards and gave me a new Senator's jersey! Very cool! However, the greatest gift they gave me was their love.

Their new pastor begins in the office this week. He's an amazing guy and I believe he will do a great job in leading this group of people. They will be in my prayers as they begin this new relationship together. For those reading this blog, if you pray, why not say a prayer for them?

Thank you City Church for allowing me to lead you during this brief season. It was an honour.

And thank you Bikers' Church for being so understanding and supportive during this time. Now, we focus on moving forward together again. I can't wait to see what lays ahead for us as a church.