Category — Uncategorized

Sunday my family and I visited Crossroads Bible Church in Grand Rapids. We had heard good things from some of Kat’s students at Cornerstone University who attend there, but hey, we’ve heard great things about some churches that were just plain scarey!

What amazed me was how it resonated with my spirit. I can’t remember the last time that I was in worship and realized that tears were streaming down my face. Not out of need or guilt, but tears of joy and awe as I knew I was in the presence of my Lord.

What went on to bring this response?  [Read more →]

Check out the new Collide site.  I liked the print version of the magazine and was ready not to be impressed with the web version, but it’s tremendous.

My buddies Yuri and Travis at the Church Media Group did an incredible job on this site. (They also did a great job with a kiosk project for me at Grand Rapids First.  I’d recommend these guys to anyone.) The design is clean and intuitive and keeps the cutting edge feel of the print magazine without having the design and architecture draw attention to itself. 

Great article by the first man of non-profit branding, Phil Cooke on the site.  Check it out.

I was listening to NPR today on my weekly trip to Lowe’s, and the anchor did a phone interview with an aid worker named Joy who was in China for Mercy Corps. I produced a series of radio programs for them a million years ago and I highly respect their founder Dan O’Neill, so I really excited to hear they were getting some good PR on NPR.

This girl sounded cute, but come on, take advantage of the PR opportunity. She never talked about the great overwhelming need and that only because of people’s generosity can they immeadiately jump into action. She didn’t have to give a web site (but she could have done that) but she should have at least given people the idea to donate to any charity that is working over there.

What really got to me is that there was no mention of Christ. The reporter really set the aid worker up nicely asking “why do you do this?” The reply was nice but she talked about her career choice and why it’s important to her. Maybe Mercy Corps has left its Christian roots. I hope not.

Finally, we can all learn from this. Joy, the aid worker, seemed to think this was more of a personal profile than a corporate PR opportunity. Please remember this, when someone puts a microphone in front of you first think about God and what He would have you say to give Him glory and second, think about the people who give you a paycheck… somewhere down the list you can think about yourself.

Props to Brad Abare, Michael Buckingham and the geniuses that came up with the Church Marketing Lab. There is a new thread on there that you MUST read. I envision every conference that you’ll go to this year will have at least one slide pulled from this list. Just to get you in the right frame of mind, here’s a few posts that I love:
You know you work in church communications if…

• you’ve ripped off a TV show logo/title to promote a sermon series
• you’ve used a t as a cross
• the only window you have in your office is from microsoft
• your portfolio is made up exclusively of fliers
• you’re asked to make a logo for everything
• for you, coffee isn’t merely a beverage, it’s a food group
• you’re not sure if you should admit to laughing and crying while reading this list

Trust me, it’s classic. Click here now!

Every now and then a deal comes around that you can’t pass up  (like buying oil futures when crude was $50 a barrel).  My friend Cory at 616 Productions has priced his upcoming Defender’s Conference at an incredible rate that I recommend jumping on.

Get this…  Mark Mittelberg, Dr. Norm Geisler, Dr. Alex McFarland, Dr. Jason Reed, Dr. Chad Meitzer and Dr. Paul Maier and Dr. JP Moreland — the top apologists of our day, in an intimate setting, helping you get your head around “WHY” you believe and “HOW” to communicate it. [Read more →]

Today I was in a creative session with one of the largest Christian television ministries and we discussed the needs of the world, and what we should do to help.  Have you noticed what’s going on in the world right now?

• Untold thousands dead in Myanmar, and it’s going to get worse as disease spreads.
• China digging out from a major earthquake, tens of thousands dead and that’s if the dam doesn’t break.
• Tornados flatten towns in Oklahoma and Missouri.
• Violence errupts in Kenya.
• Darfur rebels attempt a coup which will lead to a bloody payback.
• And this is just mentioning the obvious examples.

So, the problem is this: as Christians we must respond, but here in America we’re paying around $4 for a gallon of gas. For many, the pain from filling the gas tank eclipses the pain of those around the world who have lost everything and for whom the cost of gas isn’t even on their radar.

We are the body of Christ. We must respond — both to the hurting in America and to those around the world who will never see the face of Christ unless we show up.

I love technology, I’m not on the bloody edge of tech, but I’m usually an early adopter.  That being said, what’s up with Twitter?  I’m not sure if it’s cool or just weird.  (But that didn’t keep me from signing up!) http://twitter.com/joesindorf

I mean, I love Michael Buckingham, but I’m not sure I couldn’t live without knowing that he was “off to coffeeshop to work on HOW stuff”.  Oh wait, that was a Twit (or is it a Tweet?) from yesterday.

Oh no!  Where’s he now, and what’s he doing?  I must know!

Help me out.  Has anyone found a good reason to twitter your life away?

In a recent discussion with my resident curator of cultural conformity (my 16 year old daughter) (and yes, we do have discussions, where we both actually talk) we chatted about what she thought were the vital characteristics of a church that she would like to attend.  It all came down to two basic components: a head and a heart.

What’s important to her is a church that thinks about the issues that confront the world and its inhabitants and isn’t afraid of intellectual questioning and skepticism (that’s the head); and also has a genuine compassion (heart) for the world that expresses itself in service that is done simply to help those who need help (as opposed to service performed simply as a marketing ploy).

What parts of the anatomy is your church known for?  (I’m not talking about whacky hair, but for some people that defines one Christian broadcasting network.) Is it the mouth? We seem to be good at talking.  Is it the stomach — gorging on the bless me buffet?

Take an honest look in the full length mirror. It might be time for a makeover.

Anna Jarvis worked nine years to establish a national day celebrating mothers. She gave up her job and put her entire time and energy into this quest. She was successful. Then she spent the next 14 years complaining about how people had taken what she had worked so hard for and twisted it, creating a crass commercialization of her dream.

Today is also Pentecost, when we celebrate the visitation of the Holy Spirit and the creation of the Church.  Jesus spent his life pointing toward the cross, redeeming us from sin, He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, sending the Holy Spirit to live within us, and empowering us to witness and become His Church.

Like Anna, I wonder how disappointed Jesus is at how people have commercialized what he worked so hard to create.

I have flown a lot (working in more than 65 nations will do that for you) however, I haven’t flown much in the past two years. Now, the airport lounge is starting to be my office again, and I’m starting to recognize flight attendants. But I’m a travel snob. I’ve been accustomed for years to automatically being upgraded, and given admittance to the private airline lounges.

In the past two years I’ve dropped off the radar. I’m not a premiere executive or platinum flyer… I’m the run of the mill traveler. It’s like being told to sit at the kids table at Thanksgiving.

Today I’m flying and writing this from the nice exclusive lounge of Northwest Airlines. And no, I did not pay for it. I’m sitting in first class on my two flights, and I didn’t pay for that. I checked two bags and did not get hit with the stupid $25 fee for a second bag (when did that lunacy begin?). How did I do it? [Read more →]