Foursquare is a very hot social networking tool that allows its users to posts updates to their friends of where they are, earn badges and even become a mayor of a location.  But, Foursquare is more than a game, it is a way for people to find out about restaurants, businesses and yes, even your ministry/church.  Foursquare is rising so quickly that it has been compared to the rise of Twitter and will be a dominating force in the next year.

Before we begin, to fully understand Foursquare, you need to sign up for a free user account at http://www.foursquare.com. Once you are signed up, try checking in at your church/ministry to confirm that it shows up on the map with the right information. If your church/ministry does not show up, then manually add it.

Here are 7 great ways your ministry can use Foursquare:

1.    Have foursquare users check in any time they attend a special event or visit your ministry/church.  Foursquare is a stand-alone social network, but like all popular social networks it integrates with Twitter and Facebook. Many users of Foursquare automatically send their location updates to Twitter and Facebook.  Non-ministry/church goers see that others are attending your church/ministry event and that brings awareness to your ministry/church.

2.    Encourage users to post their comments about your ministry/church.  As users post comments others will see what they say and may come to investigate.  People are far more likely to visit a church where they heard good things from other people then they do with traditional advertisement.

3.    Encourage teens to compete for mayor.  Every time a teenage visits your church, have them check in on Foursquare.  Foursquare will then award that user with the most check-ins mayor.  You can then post their name in the youth room… that is until they get ousted by another teenager.

4.    Have a Foursquare party.  Once you have a bunch of people in your ministry using Foursquare, you can throw a party. Invite everyone to come at a certain time and to check in using Foursquare. Remember, those check-ins go out to the users friends, so this is viral marketing at its finest.

5.    Have a Foursquare Car Rally!  Give each group a list of places to visit and have them check-in on Foursquare.  They can even use their cell phones to take a picture and up load it for everyone to see.

6.    You can create a “Swam” by asking your Smartphone users to use Foursquare at meetings/events.  When 50 or more users click on a ministry/church at the same time, every user gets the hard to attain “Swarm” badge.

7.    You can use Twitter to promote your ministry by tweeting a special offer for Foursquare users.  You might send out a tweet that says that anyone who checks in using Foursquare in the next hour will get to play free games at your harvest party.

Then end result is that Foursquare is more than just a fun activity.  People are often influenced by their friends, and Foursquare helps people in your ministry share about the activities and events going on in your ministry.  Add this one into your marketing mix, for sure.

How might you use Foursquare in your ministry?

Picture of Hawking via Wikimedia Commons

Stephen Hawking made a very provocative statement when he said, there is “no need for God.” No doubt this comment was intended to bring recognition to his new book The Grand Design, but is what he said really all that new of an idea?   Stephen Hawking argues that physical laws such as gravity are responsible for the creation of the universe.  Seeking to counter this notion with a Christian perspective, in an article written for the Daily Mail, Dr. John Lennox argues that physical laws alone cannot explain the universe’s existence, and poses the question of what created those laws in the first place.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1308599/Stephen-Hawking-wrong-You-explain-universe-God.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Death is sobering thought, but it does not need to drive us to hopelessness. Right now, I’m preparing to perform my grandfather’s memorial service. While it is sad to know I will not see my grandfather here on earth any longer, I can focus on a life lived with hope. “And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.” 1 Thess 4:13-15 (NLT).  Here are three truths you should know when facing death.

1. Death gives us Hope for those gone before us! We don’t need to be sad, because “God will bring back with him the believers who have died” (vs. 14).   Many of us will die before the return of Christ, but we need not fear for when we are absent from this body, we will be present with our Lord (2 Cor. 5:6-9).  In other words, when a follower of Christ dies, he/she will go to meet Jesus for eternity and be in his presence.

2. Death gives us Hope for a new life. “Jesus died and was raised to life again” (vs. 14). This single act gives us hope, because we are not going to come back as some spiritual ghost, but rather we will receive a physical eternal bodies that will not age or get sick.  Believers will not come back in their own power, but believers will comeback in the proven power of Christ and we finally will get the bodies we always wanted.

3. Death gives us Hope for the future. “We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.” (vs. 15). Followers of Christ will see their loved ones and be reunited once again. We will once again see our grandparents, our parents and all those who went to heaven before us once again and never again shall we be separated.

I encourage you, if you are facing death be steadfast in your faith and take comfort knowing that in the Bible is say’s “For if we believe,” happiness without sadness, health without sickness, holiness without sin and you will finally be home and never separated from God and loved ones ever again (Revelation 21).

Talking with the controversial pastor about doctrine, growing up and if he regrets some of his past statements.

Controversy has never been far behind Mark Driscoll, the founding pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. Most notably, his outspoken support of a complementarian view has sparked debates anew around gender roles within the Church. And his infamous comments on Jesus’ masculinity—he has written that the mainstream church has transformed Jesus into a “Richard Simmons, hippie, queer Christ,” a “neutered and limp-wristed popular Sky Fairy of pop culture that … would never talk about sin or send anyone to hell”—certainly pitted many against him. However, the reformed pastor has only risen in popularity and his loyal following has grown to include a large number of churches through his Acts 29 network, an average of 84,000 weekly podcast listeners and more than 61,000 Twitter followers. We talked to Driscoll recently about his new focus on doctrine, whether he regrets some of his more controversial statements and why he believes immature men are the Church’s most urgent crisis.

Read the Rest of Roxanne Wieman ‘s Article at relevantmagazine.com

A view of The Nines at Saddleback

Today I attended The Nines at Saddleback Church with some great people . The topic was Game Changers and pastors/speakers talked all day about major events/moments that changed them or their church. These Game Changer moments shaped them and helped them move from doing the same old thing to doing something extraordinary for God. It may be that a pastor realized he needed to stop perusing his own glory to peruse God’s glory; it may be a moment where a pastor learns that it is not his job to minister to everyone, but rather teach the church to be the ministers. In all these video confessions these people talk about the Game Changers that changed their lives.

Recently, I had a Game Changer event. Seven months ago, due to finances, I lost my primary job as a children’s pastor at a wonderful church. At first I was not to concerned, I was a very experienced pastor at a large church and I had a lot of desirable skills. I was certain I would have a job within a couple of months. In effect, I was so sure of my own abilities that I forgot to rely on God. Five months after that, and still without a job, I suddenly realized I was not as great as I thought I was. It was in that moment that I realized I had been dependent on my own ability and not following the leading of the Holy Spirit. I was so ashamed that I talked to God and really began to pray. Instead of prayer being a side thing I did out of duty or to teach my children about prayer, I began to pray and really open up to God and have deep conversations with him. God has since blessed me in so many ways, both spiritually and physically.

Physically God has blessed my family twice now, last month I received two separate checks that where for the amount of my house payment. What a blessing that is for someone who is making very little money. Spiritually, I am closer to God than I ever have been. Despite the lack of financial income, I am at peace. I said this in my last blog and I really mean it, “It is better to have peace in the Spirit than to be content in the flesh.”

What was a Game Changer for you?

It does not take much to be the most humble person you know. Just be content with a little less than everyone else you know and PRESTO… You can honestly say, “I am the most humble guy/gal I know.” But, does that really mean you are humble?

Six months ago if a person asked you, is Paul a very humble guy? Most would have said, “oh yes he is,” and by the worlds standards I was pretty humble. Unlike much of my generation, I did not carry a chip of entitlement, I was down to earth, gracious and content with what little I had. I might have even been able to proudly say, “I am the most humble guy I know,” but as soon as I would have said that it would have no longer been true. The problem was I was not as humble as my Christ was on this earth. I still had a quality of life I was not willing to let go of. Therefore, in the last six months the Holy Spirit has taught me one big lesson, I have a long way to go to being like Christ.

The first question I was forced to ask myself was am I really willing to do what the Holy Spirit is asking me to do? Sure, I lived with less than many of my peers, but was I willing to live with less than I currently had. How would you react if God said to you, “I want you to give it all up for me?” It is easy to quickly say, “of course I would go if God asked me.” But, be brutally honest with yourself, would you be willing to give up a standard of life you currently have?

It has taken six long months, but I would say that at this point in my life I can honestly say, “I am willing.” This came about when I was driving home the other day and I began to think about Elijah. Elijah was God’s servant and being the servant of the God of the whole universe you would expect him to live fairly well off. We’re talking about God here, the creator of everything. He just has to say the word and presto, it appears! However, that is not how Elijah lived; in fact he lived well below the standard of living that most of us are willing to submit to. At one point in life he lived in the desert wilderness and was feed leftovers by the ravens and he drank from a dinky little stream (1 Kings 17). Despite his living conditions he trusted the Lord. Are you willing to give up the life style you are accustom to if God asked you? It is not uncommon for Him to ask of such things.

I encourage you to look at what you have and ask God how you might serve Him better. He may bless you more so that you may give more to those around you. He may say that you need to give up something’s so that he can grow you and be a blessing to those around you. Do not expect a long term plan, but rather look for what the Holy Spirit is asking you to do right now. He has a unique plan for each of our lives and you will find no better blessing than by doing what God is asking you to do, even if you have to give up some things. It is better to have peace in the Spirit than to be content in the flesh.