When you engage in public relations as a non-profit organization, every move must be strategic and thoughtful. The road to visibility can be long and arduous, and there is nothing more important than your integrity and your reputation. For more than three decades, we have been providing counsel and service to organizations and public figures in the Christian and non-profit sectors. We’ll unfold ten things we’ve learned.
Tip #6 Tell Stories
People will best remember your message if you illustrate it with a story. Whenever possible, tell a story. When I worked with Chuck Colson, I was continually reminded of this principle. When a reporter asked if there were inmates too tough and too bad to be reached with the Gospel, Chuck told the story of a hardened prisoner who had had his nose bitten off in fight and had later come to faith in Christ; he had become a strong leader in the prison church and a tremendous Christian witness. I’ve never forgotten that story and the image of a tough, noseless inmate ministering inside prison walls.
Jesus, of course, told stories—which we call parables—to vividly illustrate the principles of the Kingdom of God. It has that highest recommendation. And it is time tested recommendation.
Look for opportunities to tell your story--your message--in stories. The only thing people will remember longer is a good joke (but don’t try that; most of us should never rely on humor to make our points).
--Jim Jewell
29 Ocak 2010 Cuma
Rich Cizik Re-emerges with New Partnership for the Common Good
Here's a piece from Newsweek on Obama and the religious moderates (these are really the evangelical liberals).
Watching two good men, Rich Cizik and David Gushee, and their just-announced New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good.
The article reads:
Watching two good men, Rich Cizik and David Gushee, and their just-announced New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good.
The article reads:
Richard Cizik, the erstwhile lobbyist for the National Association of Evangelicals, has just emerged from hiding after being fired for telling NPR's Terry Gross that he voted for Obama in the primary and supported civil unions. Now, together with David Gushee, an evangelical theologian who has written against torture, Cizik has founded the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good, which aims to redefine the Christian agenda. Cizik first met Obama at a June 2008 meeting with evangelical leaders. "I came away exceedingly impressed. But that person, the person I first heard articulate his values—I don't think it's come through as it ought."
Public Relations in the Age of the Sound Bite
PR tips: "[Don't use 'bizspeak' in interviews]. Rightsize your paradigm-shifting, outside-the-box thinking on your owntime. Unless you're talking to a trade magazine or some kind of technical publication, stay away from any type of BizSpeak. Take into consideration what the article is about and what the media outlet's audience is and you can figure out whether talking in technical language is appropriate."
Fuller Center for Housing to Build in Haiti
Delighted to see the experienced folks at the Fuller Center for Housing setting up to build low-cost houses in Haiti.
The Fuller Center is teaming up with Lazarian World Homes to build earthquake-, fire-and hurricane-resistant homes made of rebar, concrete and styrofoam blocks. One 16'x16' home is $3000.
Building a quality, low-cost house is a good way to jump into the Haiti crisis.
The Fuller Center is teaming up with Lazarian World Homes to build earthquake-, fire-and hurricane-resistant homes made of rebar, concrete and styrofoam blocks. One 16'x16' home is $3000.
Building a quality, low-cost house is a good way to jump into the Haiti crisis.
28 Ocak 2010 Perşembe
Leaders of the Evangelical Generation: #4 Ted W. Engstrom
[I am working on a project that may become a book on the most influential evangelicals leaders of our generation, since 1976, and the impact they've had on the church and their times. I will introduce them briefly on this blog from time to time.]
# 4 Ted W. Engstrom. Executive Leadership 1916-2006
The strength and breadth of today’s evangelical movement—the evangelical part of the Christian church—is due in large part to the foundations started in the 1950s and built over the last generation. Among these foundations are the organizations, associations, and businesses that many call the para-church. These groups, focused on a specific part of the church’s overall work, complemented the ministry of the churches, but they also clearly transcended the churches in public perception and effectiveness on many tasks. This may be because of their focus, the attractiveness of these endeavors to entrepreneurs and their ability to attract expertise, absence of geographic boundaries, and the ability to raise funds in new ways.
This growing wing of the church was led by a new crop of individuals who at first came from the churches—pastors who had a calling to pursue a specific area of ministry, such as international relief, child evangelism, or radio programming—and over time included more and more management professionals who moved from their secular jobs to lead these Christian organizations.
[As the new para-church flank developed over the last generation, many church insiders—pastors, church staff, denominational executives—naturally began to resent the higher profile of these groups, and especially their ability to raise large budgets, even as individual churches struggled to build a new children’s wing or put in a new furnace.]
One of the early giants was Ted W. Engstrom, a large kindly man with round edges and a hitch in his step who led through spiritual infusion, seasoned wisdom, and a steady hand.
For more than half a century, Engstrom’s colleagues became accustomed to his frequent correspondence (signed with his initials, TWE), which graced the management logs of three of the early giants of the para-church. Engstrom, who graduated from Taylor University, was editorial director and general manager of Zondervan Publishing House, and became president of Youth for Christ International (where some of the crusades featured a young evangelist named Graham) before joining World Vision International in 1963. It was his leadership at these organizations, and then his role as a mentor for scores of up-and-coming executives in the Christian world, that provided a steady hand to the rudder of the growing evangelical movement.
Engstrom’s management advice could apply to many situations we face today: He said:
I worked at World Vision during Engstrom’s years as Executive Vice President, and I was his ghost writer for many internal and some external communications. During this years, Engstrom emphasized three things above all:
Evangelism: While many of the projects of groups such as World Vision concentrated on practical problems, Engstrom continued to drive for an evangelistic element in every program.
Time Management: he led Managing Your Time seminars for many years with World Vision colleague Ed Dayton.
Generosity: His motto—“We are in business to give ourselves away.” He recognized that groups such as World Vision were becoming centers of not only funds but also expertise, and he demonstrated his commitment to sharing this with others in the church.
The Christian Leadership Alliance established the Engstrom Institute as a home for their executive leadership training and resources. CLA says that Engstrom “is recognized for making one key contribution to 20th century American evangelical culture: introducing standard business practices and management principles to churches and other faith-based institutions. These often went awry because they paid too little attention to the bottom line."
The evangelical firmament has relied not only by the brightest stars, but also the gravity that held the constellations together. Ted Engstrom had that gravity—the para-church was his platform and an emerging force in the focused activity of the American church.
Jim Jewell
# 4 Ted W. Engstrom. Executive Leadership 1916-2006
The strength and breadth of today’s evangelical movement—the evangelical part of the Christian church—is due in large part to the foundations started in the 1950s and built over the last generation. Among these foundations are the organizations, associations, and businesses that many call the para-church. These groups, focused on a specific part of the church’s overall work, complemented the ministry of the churches, but they also clearly transcended the churches in public perception and effectiveness on many tasks. This may be because of their focus, the attractiveness of these endeavors to entrepreneurs and their ability to attract expertise, absence of geographic boundaries, and the ability to raise funds in new ways.
This growing wing of the church was led by a new crop of individuals who at first came from the churches—pastors who had a calling to pursue a specific area of ministry, such as international relief, child evangelism, or radio programming—and over time included more and more management professionals who moved from their secular jobs to lead these Christian organizations.
[As the new para-church flank developed over the last generation, many church insiders—pastors, church staff, denominational executives—naturally began to resent the higher profile of these groups, and especially their ability to raise large budgets, even as individual churches struggled to build a new children’s wing or put in a new furnace.]
One of the early giants was Ted W. Engstrom, a large kindly man with round edges and a hitch in his step who led through spiritual infusion, seasoned wisdom, and a steady hand.
For more than half a century, Engstrom’s colleagues became accustomed to his frequent correspondence (signed with his initials, TWE), which graced the management logs of three of the early giants of the para-church. Engstrom, who graduated from Taylor University, was editorial director and general manager of Zondervan Publishing House, and became president of Youth for Christ International (where some of the crusades featured a young evangelist named Graham) before joining World Vision International in 1963. It was his leadership at these organizations, and then his role as a mentor for scores of up-and-coming executives in the Christian world, that provided a steady hand to the rudder of the growing evangelical movement.
Engstrom’s management advice could apply to many situations we face today: He said:
“We terribly overestimate what we can do in one year and underestimate what we can do in five. Start by realizing that you can't get out of this mess in one year. But you can lay a foundation that can get you out of this mess in three or five years. By planning now, you can get some control over your time.”
I worked at World Vision during Engstrom’s years as Executive Vice President, and I was his ghost writer for many internal and some external communications. During this years, Engstrom emphasized three things above all:
Evangelism: While many of the projects of groups such as World Vision concentrated on practical problems, Engstrom continued to drive for an evangelistic element in every program.
Time Management: he led Managing Your Time seminars for many years with World Vision colleague Ed Dayton.
Generosity: His motto—“We are in business to give ourselves away.” He recognized that groups such as World Vision were becoming centers of not only funds but also expertise, and he demonstrated his commitment to sharing this with others in the church.
The Christian Leadership Alliance established the Engstrom Institute as a home for their executive leadership training and resources. CLA says that Engstrom “is recognized for making one key contribution to 20th century American evangelical culture: introducing standard business practices and management principles to churches and other faith-based institutions. These often went awry because they paid too little attention to the bottom line."
The evangelical firmament has relied not only by the brightest stars, but also the gravity that held the constellations together. Ted Engstrom had that gravity—the para-church was his platform and an emerging force in the focused activity of the American church.
Jim Jewell
27 Ocak 2010 Çarşamba
New Urbanism: Addressing a Great Threat to Health and Justice
Check out this video from our friends Chris Elisara and John Paget; their award winning piece on The New Urbanism that received top honors from from the Congress for New Urbanism.
More on this from Rusty Pritchard. He writes:
More on this from Rusty Pritchard. He writes:
The effect of the built environment on our bodies is not just felt through violent encounters with cars. Because we have created so many unwalkable, unlivable communities, Americans of all ages have grown heavier by degrees in the last 40 years. We are trained by the diet and exercise industries to think of the obesity epidemic as the result of individual gluttony or sloth, or to excuse it as a genetic predisposition. But America’s obesity problem will not be cured by diet or gym membership: the real problem is a lack of healthy environments that promote routine physical activity—walking as a way of life.
Gendercide in China Decimated Female Population
The horrendous one-child policy and the aborting of girls has resulted in an massive imbalance., according to the Washington Times.
In China, "an entire nation of women" is missing because they were aborted before they were born, said Reggie Littlejohn, founder of Women's Rights Without Frontiers, a nonprofit anti-sex slavery group. "This is gendercide."
Toxic Childhood: The Unique Effects of Chemicals on Our Children
If you live in the Atlanta area and are concerned about how pollution may be effecting your children, consider attending this luncheon, hosted by Emory and others and featuring Dr. Phil Landrigan.
26 Ocak 2010 Salı
Clear Results of Study: Outdoor Time Improves Kids' Eyesight
Fascinating results of a study by the researches at the NIH’s National Eye Institute, explained by Rusty Pritchard, president of Flourish.
The bottom line:
The bottom line:
Two hours a day outside reduces the chance of becoming nearsighted to one-in-five, even with two near-sighted parents. If those kids stay inside much of the time, that risk goes up to 60%.
25 Ocak 2010 Pazartesi
22 Ocak 2010 Cuma
Influence Culture by Reading the Bible
Whitney Kuniholm, president of Scripture Union and a longtime friend and colleague, makes a good point about the importance of Bible reading. He says fighting for more family Bible-reading time is far more important than fight for the public square.
Whitney writes:
Whitney writes:
My encouragement to Christians who, like me, want to see the Bible become a more pervasive influence in society is this: start with "the household of God." On any given Sunday, 45% of Americans attend a worship service. If just half of these church-goers became more regular in their Bible reading it would not only renew the church, but also do more to influence our neighbors for God than anything else we could do.
The best way to win the culture war is not for Christians to hyperventilate about those who don't believe the Bible. Instead, it's for the church to "read it and live it" themselves. Until we do that, our message and our mission will never be fully successful.
15 Ocak 2010 Cuma
LifeQwest Making a Big Difference in Mongolia
In 2004, Debbie and I traveled to Mongolia twice to observe and support the terrific work of a group called LifeQwest. Jerry and Susan Smith, who have been laboring in the barren steppes of Mongolia for 15 years, stretch every dollar to help orphans, teens, infants, and the elderly. It is powerfully effective ministry in literally the most remote place in the world, on the opposite side of the world.
Jerry has provided a very helpful outline that demonstrates how much can be done with a small amount of money. Check this out:
As you can see, every gift and donation, no matter how small, can help care for someone LifeQwest touches in Mongolia.
Jerry has provided a very helpful outline that demonstrates how much can be done with a small amount of money. Check this out:
We want to share with you the stewardship of the resources God provides through His people. Sometime we think it TAKES SO MUCH to make a difference in Kingdom work. Sometimes we think, oh, I just don't have anything extra to help others with. Remember the Widow's mite?
Thought you'd enjoy some interesting numbers about 2010 and LifeQwest ministry to children and elders:
Children's Center Operations - 30 children 24/7 - 365 day care
complete care (food, medical, clothing, education, houseparents, utilities, etc.)
Per year/1 child = $1,037
Per month/1 child = $86.39
Per day/1 child = $2.87
Mustangs - 15 young men 24/7 - 365 care (Includes EVERYTHING)
Per Year/1 mustang = $969
Per month/1 mustang = $80.78
Per day/1 mustang = $2.69
Infant Nutrition Centers - 120 children in 4 center (Nomgon, Khutel, Sant, Baruunburen)
(2 hot nutrious meals per day)
Per year/1 child = $109.58
Per month/ 1 child = $9.13
Per day/1 child = $0.30
Kindergarten Nutrition Centers - 180 children in 4 centers (Nomgon, Khutel, Sant, Baruunburen)
(2 hot nutrious meals per day)
Per year/1 child = $66
Per month/1 child = $5.50
Per day/1 child = $0.18
Elder Care Project - 100 elders (age 65 to 107 yrs old) - These people have no relatives to care for them.
(monthly medicine, monthly medical exam in their ger, food, fellowship)
Per year/1 elder = $20.55
Per month/1 elder = $1.71
Per day/1 elder = $0.05
As you can see, every gift and donation, no matter how small, can help care for someone LifeQwest touches in Mongolia.
Different Generations View of the Bible
Interesting and disturbing study of the view of the Bible by different generations, done by the Barna Research Group. All of the advances, including the amazing news strides in technology, Biblical literacy and centrality is declining at an alarming pace.
14 Ocak 2010 Perşembe
Truth About Haiti and How to Help
There is a great post on the Flourish Blog on the tragic history of Haiti and the need to help, by Joanna Pritchard, a community advocate with a research background in Haitian history and culture, and Rusty Pritchard, a natural resource economist and president of Flourish.
They write:
And this:
Check out this and many fascinating articles at the Flourish Blog
They write:
With so much talk in the environmental community about global warming, it is easy to forget that no matter what we do about it, all it means for poor countries is more of what they already experience–natural disasters that become social and economic disasters. Whether or not global warming is good science, whether or not we should cap-and-trade carbon pollution, we still should be ramping up our assistance to help poor countries. That doesn’t always mean more direct aid: it will also mean making economies more robust and less corrupt, less dependent on trade in commodities, encouraging private enterprise and finding ways for financial capital to stay in place.
And this:
Wacky, discredited ideas from some Christians claim a Satanic pact during the Haitian revolution has crippled the Haitian economy and corrupted its culture. It’s clear from Haiti’s history that human greed by so-called Christian nations (including Haiti’s own leaders) has a great deal to do with Haiti’s present situation. There’s a technical word for the mental condition that leads to crazy claims about pacts with the devil: idiocy.
If you want to read a Haitian Christian’s careful debunking of the Satanic-pact myth, look to the three part article, “God, Satan, and the Birth of Haiti,” by Jean R. Gelin, Ph.D., a Haitian Christian and agricultural expert.
Check out this and many fascinating articles at the Flourish Blog
12 Stone Church/World Hope International Help Haiti
12 Stone church is working with World Hope International to help the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Here's a message to the church from Pastor Kevin Meyers.
Putman on DETOX: raw video about the new book for the overly religious
David Putman talks about his new book DETOX for the Overly Religious.
13 Ocak 2010 Çarşamba
What's that you say, Mr. Robertson?
What's that you say, Mr. Robertson?
On Haiti: theology + bad history + bad manners = disastrous public witness. Today’s Haitians are the descendents of slaves who overthrew their French oppressors. Who was actually doing the Devil’s work? Here’s a perspective from a Haitian Christian.
On Haiti: theology + bad history + bad manners = disastrous public witness. Today’s Haitians are the descendents of slaves who overthrew their French oppressors. Who was actually doing the Devil’s work? Here’s a perspective from a Haitian Christian.
Top Ten Public Relations Secrets for Non-Profits: # 5 Feature Compelling Leaders
When you engage in public relations as a non-profit organization, every move must be strategic and thoughtful. The road to visibility can be long and arduous, and there is nothing more important than your integrity and your reputation. For more than three decades, we have been providing counsel and service to organizations and public figures in the Christian and non-profit sectors. We’ll unfold ten things we’ve learned.
#5 Feature Compelling Leaders
Most causes will not catch on if they are not connected to and sponsored by engaging people. That’s why charities use celebrities or statesmen, or push their chief executive to the forefront. It’s true in fundraising—people give to people. And it’s also true in public relations. You might think that you good and important work can be sold without a compelling spokesperson. That’s possible, but not likely; sorry.
A good, well-trained spokesperson will serve your organization well. Media want to talk to an individual who will speak with authority, and will be quotable. If it’s broadcast media, it helps if he or she is interesting, attractive, winsome, and literate.
We’ve worked with several organizations that want publicity, but their chief executive is too camera shy, too busy, or too tongue-tied to do interviews. A substitute is often acceptable, if the substitute can speak well, and can speak for the organization.
One exception to this is crisis communications. In most crises, the CEO should be front and center. It’s reassuring to people, and it shows the public that the company is taking the crisis seriously.
If you don’t have a good public spokesperson you need to hire one or develop one.
--Jim Jewell
#5 Feature Compelling Leaders
Most causes will not catch on if they are not connected to and sponsored by engaging people. That’s why charities use celebrities or statesmen, or push their chief executive to the forefront. It’s true in fundraising—people give to people. And it’s also true in public relations. You might think that you good and important work can be sold without a compelling spokesperson. That’s possible, but not likely; sorry.
A good, well-trained spokesperson will serve your organization well. Media want to talk to an individual who will speak with authority, and will be quotable. If it’s broadcast media, it helps if he or she is interesting, attractive, winsome, and literate.
We’ve worked with several organizations that want publicity, but their chief executive is too camera shy, too busy, or too tongue-tied to do interviews. A substitute is often acceptable, if the substitute can speak well, and can speak for the organization.
One exception to this is crisis communications. In most crises, the CEO should be front and center. It’s reassuring to people, and it shows the public that the company is taking the crisis seriously.
If you don’t have a good public spokesperson you need to hire one or develop one.
--Jim Jewell
11 Ocak 2010 Pazartesi
National Human Trafficking Awareness Day
It’s National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. I watched the movie Taken over the weekend; if the fathers of victims could step up and put their lives on the lines to save their daughters… (well, if we were all ex-CIA agents, it would help).
Information on what you can do at change.org
Some good organizations that are helping:
Street Grace (in Atlanta).
International Justice Mission
The Salvation Army
Information on what you can do at change.org
Some good organizations that are helping:
Street Grace (in Atlanta).
International Justice Mission
The Salvation Army
8 Ocak 2010 Cuma
Green Christians: Eight Starter Ideas for Churches Who Care about Creation
By Jim Jewell and Rusty Pritchard, co-founders, Flourish
[This article is from a series of weekly ministry ideas on the Flourish Blog called Cultivating Community].
Flourishing churches are those that draw people to God, encourage balanced spiritual growth, grow healthy families, care for their communities, and communicate the gospel to those outside the faith. A big part of flourishing is stewardship. In recent years, strong financial ministries have encouraged churches and families to be good stewards of their money, and have provided advice, tools, resources, and practical tips for them.
We think churches need similar help in the area of environmental stewardship. Some churches doubtless pursue environmental action because they are merely following the culture. But for Christian ministries, being green is not a fad or a fashion. It can’t be about politics or posturing. Biblical environmental stewardship must be about caring for creation in a way that’s deeply rooted in faith and that testifies to the Creator himself. Here are eight ideas for your church:
Go Deep
Start with Scripture, not with a focus on political issues or even environmental problems. Politics and science are constantly changing, but God’s word is constant. Read what the Bible says about caring for creation and the people who depend on it.
Give Thanks
Plan a church emphasis around creation care in the Thanksgiving season, when churches have historically celebrated with gratitude the harvest of crops. Peter Illyn, of the Christian environmental ministry Restoring Eden, says “Thanksgiving is a much more natural time to focus on God’s good earth than secular holidays like Earth Day.”
Keep the Sabbath
Perhaps the most radical thing a church can do in the area of environmental stewardship is to commit to keeping the Sabbath. The scriptures about Sabbath-keeping make constant reference to rest and care for the land as well as for people. God rested on the seventh day of Creation to enjoy His good handiwork. Spending time with family and friends and enjoying the free outdoors is an act of resistance to the pressures of materialism and consumerism.
Get out!
Along the same lines, encourage the children (and the adults) in your church to spend at least an hour a day outside. Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, says, “Christians should take the lead in reconnecting with nature and disconnecting from machines.” Inspire families in your church to turn off the TV, computer, and video games and to help their kids have more “green time” than “screen time”.
Clean up
Pick a local park, stream, or streetscape littered with trash and vandalism, and have a cleanup day. You can find a link on our website to a network of Christians in Conservation called A Rocha (Portuguese for “the rock”); among other useful resources, they have a downloadable guide for how to organize a community clean up. By joining together, they say, “we can visibly demonstrate to our communities that God actively cares for his creation and so do we.”
Reach Out
You may never have been to an Earth Day festival, but the unchurched people in your community have. It’s the fastest growing secular holiday, and it’s a great outreach opportunity. Visit one this year, and make plans to have an outreach table next year, witnessing to the Creator who made the good earth the attendees are celebrating. We can help with a guide to tabling at such an event. Or host a film viewing at church for the local community, with a great nature film or a film about food, health, or sustainability. We help provide discussion guides for films.
Do a church energy audit
Let the youth group help do an initial church energy audit (we can help provide a guide), based on your last year’s utility bills and a facility inspection, and let them use next year’s cost savings for their summer mission trip. Or get professional help, like Prestonwood Baptist Church, a megachurch in Plano, Texas, which did a major energy overall and saved more than $1 million on utilities and water.
Be inspired
You can meet other pastors and church leaders who are growing their ministries and caring for creation by connecting online. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, which bring you the best of Flourish magazine and our online content, and take time to become a member of Flourish. Your support enables us to continue building a network of churches who are caring for creation and their neighbors, and who are restoring the witness of the 21st century church.
Jim Jewell and Rusty Pritchard are the co-founders of Flourish. A version of this article appeared in Ministry Today magazine.
[This article is from a series of weekly ministry ideas on the Flourish Blog called Cultivating Community].
Flourishing churches are those that draw people to God, encourage balanced spiritual growth, grow healthy families, care for their communities, and communicate the gospel to those outside the faith. A big part of flourishing is stewardship. In recent years, strong financial ministries have encouraged churches and families to be good stewards of their money, and have provided advice, tools, resources, and practical tips for them.
We think churches need similar help in the area of environmental stewardship. Some churches doubtless pursue environmental action because they are merely following the culture. But for Christian ministries, being green is not a fad or a fashion. It can’t be about politics or posturing. Biblical environmental stewardship must be about caring for creation in a way that’s deeply rooted in faith and that testifies to the Creator himself. Here are eight ideas for your church:
Go Deep
Start with Scripture, not with a focus on political issues or even environmental problems. Politics and science are constantly changing, but God’s word is constant. Read what the Bible says about caring for creation and the people who depend on it.
Give Thanks
Plan a church emphasis around creation care in the Thanksgiving season, when churches have historically celebrated with gratitude the harvest of crops. Peter Illyn, of the Christian environmental ministry Restoring Eden, says “Thanksgiving is a much more natural time to focus on God’s good earth than secular holidays like Earth Day.”
Keep the Sabbath
Perhaps the most radical thing a church can do in the area of environmental stewardship is to commit to keeping the Sabbath. The scriptures about Sabbath-keeping make constant reference to rest and care for the land as well as for people. God rested on the seventh day of Creation to enjoy His good handiwork. Spending time with family and friends and enjoying the free outdoors is an act of resistance to the pressures of materialism and consumerism.
Get out!
Along the same lines, encourage the children (and the adults) in your church to spend at least an hour a day outside. Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, says, “Christians should take the lead in reconnecting with nature and disconnecting from machines.” Inspire families in your church to turn off the TV, computer, and video games and to help their kids have more “green time” than “screen time”.
Clean up
Pick a local park, stream, or streetscape littered with trash and vandalism, and have a cleanup day. You can find a link on our website to a network of Christians in Conservation called A Rocha (Portuguese for “the rock”); among other useful resources, they have a downloadable guide for how to organize a community clean up. By joining together, they say, “we can visibly demonstrate to our communities that God actively cares for his creation and so do we.”
Reach Out
You may never have been to an Earth Day festival, but the unchurched people in your community have. It’s the fastest growing secular holiday, and it’s a great outreach opportunity. Visit one this year, and make plans to have an outreach table next year, witnessing to the Creator who made the good earth the attendees are celebrating. We can help with a guide to tabling at such an event. Or host a film viewing at church for the local community, with a great nature film or a film about food, health, or sustainability. We help provide discussion guides for films.
Do a church energy audit
Let the youth group help do an initial church energy audit (we can help provide a guide), based on your last year’s utility bills and a facility inspection, and let them use next year’s cost savings for their summer mission trip. Or get professional help, like Prestonwood Baptist Church, a megachurch in Plano, Texas, which did a major energy overall and saved more than $1 million on utilities and water.
Be inspired
You can meet other pastors and church leaders who are growing their ministries and caring for creation by connecting online. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, which bring you the best of Flourish magazine and our online content, and take time to become a member of Flourish. Your support enables us to continue building a network of churches who are caring for creation and their neighbors, and who are restoring the witness of the 21st century church.
Jim Jewell and Rusty Pritchard are the co-founders of Flourish. A version of this article appeared in Ministry Today magazine.
7 Ocak 2010 Perşembe
Excerpts from DETOX by David Putman
“We must be born again from our religion, from our self-imposed yokes, from the weight of our burdens. It isn’t easy, but the result is a chance to break free from the weight we have borne and live in the freedom and simplicity of Jesus.” Page 10
“There is power in the word journey when we use it to describe our relationship with Jesus. That’s why part of my rethinking has involved going back and rereading the Gospels over and over again.” Page 49
“The tendency to control is especially dangerous to someone as religious as I have been. When others don’t’ live up to my moral standards, I want to impose restrictions and guidelines so that they can be taught and changed.” Page 89
“Loving like Jesus is the ultimate expression of love—there is truly no greater love. He loved through the darkness and loneliness of being betrayed by his own creation, and he loved through the hurt that came with seeing his followers fail him.” Page 104
“You can’t follow Jesus and not love your enemies, [but] loving your enemies always costs. Don’t think it doesn’t.…Loving our enemies is a form of righteousness and always leads to some kind of persecution.” Page 129
“If we are gut-level honest with ourselves, it is not unusual for Christians to build religious walls that keep out those who live differently. We can even use our churches to build these walls—instead of being the church that attracts and embraces sinners, we build church buildings that keep sinners out.” Page 138
“When we take the mission of making disciples seriously, it’s a sobering reality that I’m going to reproduce what I am….This is why it is so important we have a clear understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus, along with a clear understanding that our ministry overflows from this understanding and relationship.” Page 173
“If we are to witness the work of God in the church today, we must put away our divisions and petty religion in favor of bringing the church together. There is only one banner under which we can all fit—Jesus—and there’s room for all of us.” Page 215
For an interview with David Putman or to book David as a guest, contact Jim Jewell at (678) 458-9837, jjewell03@msn.com
###
“There is power in the word journey when we use it to describe our relationship with Jesus. That’s why part of my rethinking has involved going back and rereading the Gospels over and over again.” Page 49
“The tendency to control is especially dangerous to someone as religious as I have been. When others don’t’ live up to my moral standards, I want to impose restrictions and guidelines so that they can be taught and changed.” Page 89
“Loving like Jesus is the ultimate expression of love—there is truly no greater love. He loved through the darkness and loneliness of being betrayed by his own creation, and he loved through the hurt that came with seeing his followers fail him.” Page 104
“You can’t follow Jesus and not love your enemies, [but] loving your enemies always costs. Don’t think it doesn’t.…Loving our enemies is a form of righteousness and always leads to some kind of persecution.” Page 129
“If we are gut-level honest with ourselves, it is not unusual for Christians to build religious walls that keep out those who live differently. We can even use our churches to build these walls—instead of being the church that attracts and embraces sinners, we build church buildings that keep sinners out.” Page 138
“When we take the mission of making disciples seriously, it’s a sobering reality that I’m going to reproduce what I am….This is why it is so important we have a clear understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus, along with a clear understanding that our ministry overflows from this understanding and relationship.” Page 173
“If we are to witness the work of God in the church today, we must put away our divisions and petty religion in favor of bringing the church together. There is only one banner under which we can all fit—Jesus—and there’s room for all of us.” Page 215
For an interview with David Putman or to book David as a guest, contact Jim Jewell at (678) 458-9837, jjewell03@msn.com
###
6 Ocak 2010 Çarşamba
David Putman, author of the new book, DETOX
Bio Sketch
David Putman
Author of DETOX
David Putman is executive pastor of Mountain Lake Church in Cumming, Georgia, north of Atlanta. Before writing Detox, Putman was the co-author of Breaking the Missional Code, and author of Breaking the Discipleship Code.
A church planter throughout his ministry, David is co-founder of a church planting organization called churchplanters.com. He is recognized as one of the catalysts of the current church planting movement. He’s been the founding pastor of two churches, and he has coached and trained church planters around the globe.
David loves his family, motorcycles, writing, and hanging out with friends. He says:
“I am a big time family man. I have two awesome kids. My son serves with the 82nd Airborne and recently served in Afghanistan. I’m really proud of him, but I’m really tired of war. I’m praying for peace on earth. My daughter and I are just alike only she’s a good looking version. My wife really is the best person I’ve ever met.”
Prior to his pastoral role at Mountain Lake, David served with the North American Mission Board (SBC), where he developed the Nehemiah Project, a church planting strategy that was used to launch hundreds of church planters in North America.
In 1991 he was a contributing author to Church Planting at the End of the
Twentieth Century by Charles Chaney, writing the chapter, Getting Off to a Big Start. He served as one of the editors and authors of Seven Steps for Church Planting, one of the North American Mission Boards flagship resources.
David lives in Cumming, Georgia, with his wife Tami, their daughter Amanda—who plays collegiate tennis, and their son Dave—who serves in the U.S. Army as a Forward Observer with the 82nd Airborne.
For an interview with David Putman or to book David as a guest, contact Jim Jewell at (678) 458-9837, jjewell03@msn.com
###
David Putman
Author of DETOX
David Putman is executive pastor of Mountain Lake Church in Cumming, Georgia, north of Atlanta. Before writing Detox, Putman was the co-author of Breaking the Missional Code, and author of Breaking the Discipleship Code.
A church planter throughout his ministry, David is co-founder of a church planting organization called churchplanters.com. He is recognized as one of the catalysts of the current church planting movement. He’s been the founding pastor of two churches, and he has coached and trained church planters around the globe.
David loves his family, motorcycles, writing, and hanging out with friends. He says:
“I am a big time family man. I have two awesome kids. My son serves with the 82nd Airborne and recently served in Afghanistan. I’m really proud of him, but I’m really tired of war. I’m praying for peace on earth. My daughter and I are just alike only she’s a good looking version. My wife really is the best person I’ve ever met.”
Prior to his pastoral role at Mountain Lake, David served with the North American Mission Board (SBC), where he developed the Nehemiah Project, a church planting strategy that was used to launch hundreds of church planters in North America.
In 1991 he was a contributing author to Church Planting at the End of the
Twentieth Century by Charles Chaney, writing the chapter, Getting Off to a Big Start. He served as one of the editors and authors of Seven Steps for Church Planting, one of the North American Mission Boards flagship resources.
David lives in Cumming, Georgia, with his wife Tami, their daughter Amanda—who plays collegiate tennis, and their son Dave—who serves in the U.S. Army as a Forward Observer with the 82nd Airborne.
For an interview with David Putman or to book David as a guest, contact Jim Jewell at (678) 458-9837, jjewell03@msn.com
###
5 Ocak 2010 Salı
New Book: DETOX for the Overly Religious
Detox, by David Putman.
B&H Publishing Group. Release date: Jan. 1, 2010
“Finding Jesus is All About Losing Your Religion”
Author David Putman Explores the Path
for Following Jesus Away from Toxic Religion
ATLANTA, Jan. 5, 2010-- In his new book, Detox, church planting expert and Atlanta-area pastor David Putman begins with what may seem like a quip: “Christians should lose their religion.” But he’s really quite serious. Putman says the biggest barrier many people encounter in their search for a meaningful relationship with God is that they are “overly religious” and have allowed the veneer of religion to deter them from simply following Jesus Christ.
Detox, released by B&H Publishing Group on January 1, 2010, provides an easy-to-read 23-step “detoxification devotional” to help wean readers from their dependence on rules and empty religious traditions and to explore the simple-but-profound journey into a relationship with Jesus.
The 23 steps are presented in three sections: Living Like Jesus Lives, Loving Like Jesus Loves, and Leaving Behind What Jesus Leaves Behind (more followers).
Living Like Jesus Lives
Simplicity
Rethink
Come
Seeing
Journey
Frozen
Blessed
Margin
Control
Loving Like Jesus Loves
Cup
Perfume
Sinners
Enemies
Friend
Samaritan
Forgiveness
Leaving Behind What Jesus Does
Study Course
Disciples
Go
Purpose
Hospitality
Temple
Oneness
Each chapter ends with questions for reflection individually or as a group.
For an interview with David Putman or to book David as a guest, contact Jim Jewell at (678) 458-9837, jjewell03@msn.com
Leaders of the Evangelical Generation #45 Steven Curtis Chapman. Lyricist and Musician
[I am working on a project that may become a book on the most influential evangelicals leaders of our generation, since 1976, and the impact they've had on the church and their times. I will introduce them briefly on this blog from time to time].
#45. Steven Curtis Chapman. Lyricist and Musician b.1962
If anyone in Christian music could accurately say “I wrote the songs” it would be Steven Curtis Chapman, the most honored songwriter and one of a handful of the genre’s dominant performers in the last 20 years.
Chapman received Christian music’s Dove Award for Songwriter of the Year every year from 1989-1995, and again in 1997 and 1998. He was also honored as Male Vocalist of the Year in 1990, 91, 95, 97, 98, 2000, and 2001; and Artist of the Year in 90, 91, 93, 95, 97, 2000, and again last year, 2009.
In fact, Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman are the most honored artists in Dove Awards history.
I met Steven Curtis Chapman on the way to prison. In 1994 I had negotiated an agreement with Chapman’s representatives for Prison Fellowship Ministries to be main sponsor of his “Heaven in the Real World” national concert tour. [Heaven in the Real World was one of two albums to go platinum (sold more than a million copies) for SCC.]
Steven had become interested in Chuck Colson and his prison ministry work and call to faithfulness, and had included a Colson voice over on the album Heaven in the Real World’s title song. As part of the sponsorship agreement, Steven would perform in several Prison Fellowship in-prison outreach programs, PF would gather names of mostly young people at concerts and get promotional space in the CDs, a concert hand-out and other places, and the SCC team would receive a sizeable amount of sponsorship money—six figures—from PF.
It was fairly revolutionary for a conservative organization such as PF, and although it was difficult to measure the impact on the organization, it was probably helpful all around—particularly providing more youthful names for the organization’s aging donor list.
It was on the way to one of the prison programs that I met Steven, flying to the area together, sharing a van. It was the first of many visits with a young musician who seemed to get younger with every passing year to stay popular with young audiences.
While stardom has had a bad influence on numerous Christian music stars, Chapman has always impressed with his authentic and consistent life and work. I found that to be true as he sang and spoke with energy and compassion to both arena crowds of tens of thousands adoring fans and to a few hundred often-stone-faced prison inmates—some of whom shared the faith and others who were just looking for a few hours outside their cell blocks.
It was a trip into the belly of one of the nation’s prison beasts—I believe it was in Indiana—that led to Chapman’s striking and inspirational song: “Free.”
Back in the news in the last year with the tragic death of his youngest child, who was hit by the family car in their driveway. He’s handled it was characteristic honesty and class, and some of the passion of the time is evident in his new album, Beauty Will Rise. He spoke about the tragedy and the album recently on Good Morning America.
Jim Jewell
#45. Steven Curtis Chapman. Lyricist and Musician b.1962
If anyone in Christian music could accurately say “I wrote the songs” it would be Steven Curtis Chapman, the most honored songwriter and one of a handful of the genre’s dominant performers in the last 20 years.
Chapman received Christian music’s Dove Award for Songwriter of the Year every year from 1989-1995, and again in 1997 and 1998. He was also honored as Male Vocalist of the Year in 1990, 91, 95, 97, 98, 2000, and 2001; and Artist of the Year in 90, 91, 93, 95, 97, 2000, and again last year, 2009.
In fact, Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman are the most honored artists in Dove Awards history.
I met Steven Curtis Chapman on the way to prison. In 1994 I had negotiated an agreement with Chapman’s representatives for Prison Fellowship Ministries to be main sponsor of his “Heaven in the Real World” national concert tour. [Heaven in the Real World was one of two albums to go platinum (sold more than a million copies) for SCC.]
Steven had become interested in Chuck Colson and his prison ministry work and call to faithfulness, and had included a Colson voice over on the album Heaven in the Real World’s title song. As part of the sponsorship agreement, Steven would perform in several Prison Fellowship in-prison outreach programs, PF would gather names of mostly young people at concerts and get promotional space in the CDs, a concert hand-out and other places, and the SCC team would receive a sizeable amount of sponsorship money—six figures—from PF. It was fairly revolutionary for a conservative organization such as PF, and although it was difficult to measure the impact on the organization, it was probably helpful all around—particularly providing more youthful names for the organization’s aging donor list.
It was on the way to one of the prison programs that I met Steven, flying to the area together, sharing a van. It was the first of many visits with a young musician who seemed to get younger with every passing year to stay popular with young audiences.
While stardom has had a bad influence on numerous Christian music stars, Chapman has always impressed with his authentic and consistent life and work. I found that to be true as he sang and spoke with energy and compassion to both arena crowds of tens of thousands adoring fans and to a few hundred often-stone-faced prison inmates—some of whom shared the faith and others who were just looking for a few hours outside their cell blocks.
It was a trip into the belly of one of the nation’s prison beasts—I believe it was in Indiana—that led to Chapman’s striking and inspirational song: “Free.”
Back in the news in the last year with the tragic death of his youngest child, who was hit by the family car in their driveway. He’s handled it was characteristic honesty and class, and some of the passion of the time is evident in his new album, Beauty Will Rise. He spoke about the tragedy and the album recently on Good Morning America.
Jim Jewell
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