Mister Nifty

Google is everywhere. It is plausible that almost every website you visit will be attached to Google somehow visibly or invisibly. Its footprint on how we communicate is simply massive and mind-boggling. Check out this video which better illustrates the point.

Whether we like it or not, Google is everywhere. Every click leads to another Google application, widget, or urchin. They have figured out how to permeate every part of the Internet with their message and method. There are no boundaries. They aim to index and control how content is served and analyzed on the net, and they’re doing an incredible job at it.

I was thinking about how this translates to the message and method of the Church. Can it be said of us that anywhere you turn in the community we are there? Can we look at any given neighborhood and see the footprint of a Bible study group or a prayer meeting? Can we go to any park and see the Message being preached? Can we walk into the projects and see the footprint of the church? Do we see a global effort in our community or just a territorial boundary that defines our small finite local effort? Do we have influence with the leaders and officials of our city? Can we say that every part of our region has been permeated with the Gospel where no one in our community can take a step without feeling its impact whether visibly or invisibly?

If a company can saturate a global network with method and message, even more so, we should do the same with the Gospel of the Kingdom.

When Internet Protocol or IP addresses were created 30 years ago, they created them using a 32 bit system. They never dreamed that we would ever run out of IP addresses. But, with the onslaught of smart phones and mobile computing, the world is slated to run out of IP address by next year. The developers of the current IP system never imagined the network would grow this big so they capped it at 32 bit. We are now facing a 128 bit system which would be similar to the USA forcing everyone to switch to HDTV signals. This would mean hardware and software tweaks worldwide.

How many times do we plan too small in our church structure only to find later that we should have increased our structure to match God’s vision and His harvest?

Listen to this interview explaining the IP shortage.

I found this study fascinating and fantastic. I think a lot of churches could learn from this behavioral study how to motivate their staff members and volunteers.

(via @stephenjudd)

Here’s an interesting read about frequency usage of wireless microphones. I might be a good idea to learn the law if your church uses a lot of wireless microphones so you keep your system up-to-date.  Also, it’s a great idea so you don’t get slapped with a fine for interference with the new digital television frequency range.

Read the Original Post at Video Maker

One of the most curious things to me about the modern church is the graphic medical detail of the prayer list. In the past years, I’ve seen prayer requests ranging from “Bleeding Liver” to “Colon Exploded”. I have a pretty weak stomach when it comes to other people’s medical issues, and reading a graphic prayer lists makes me want to add my name to the bottom of the list. Before I proceed, let me affirm my deep belief in prayer and its power in real situations. I am not against praying for the needs of others at all.

Since the inception of HIPPA, health organizations providing care are not allowed to transmit any patient information to unauthorized persons. The church or ministry however is not required to keep a patient’s information private unless they operate a care facility. (more…)

If you need a quick way to put together a worship plan for your services, check out Lifeway’s free online tool. It has a nifty search feature if you’re looking for just the right song. You can also add notes and other elements such as prayer, announcements, etc… They offer a premium plan which allows you to schedule individuals and send notifications via email. Their premium plan also offers a communications portal to manage all of your teams.  Another great thing is you have music resources at your fingertips. Depending on the songs you choose, you can download soundtracks, lead sheets, and much more.

Go to Lifeway Worship

(via @kjhouk)