Practical

This is an audio recording of a presentation I gave on using technology in ministry. Here's the outline:

1 Church Websites
1.1 Web 1.0, 2.0, 3.0
1.2 Dreamhost free hosting (Lutherans Online is not better than nothing)
1.3 Content Management System vs. Static HTML
1.4 Interactive site possibilities
1.1.1 Blog your newsletter article
1.1.2 Bulletin/Announcements
1.1.3 Podcast
1.1.3.1 Sermon
1.1.3.2 Bible Study
1.1.3.3 Topical
1.5 Video
1.5.1 Streaming: Ustream.tv, Stickam.com, Livestream.com/qik.com
1.5.2 Archived: Podcasts
2 Social Media and Networking
2.1 Facebookread more »

A sermon for Trinity Sunday B based on Acts 2:29-36

A sermon for Pentecost B based on John 16:5-11

A sermon based on Psalm 1 for Easter 7B

A sermon based on 1 John 5:1-6 for Easter 6B

A sermon based on 1 John 4:7-11 for Easter 5B

A sermon based on Acts 4:8-12 for Easter 4B

A sermon based on Psalm 4 for Easter 3B

A sermon based on John 20:24-31 for Easter 2B

An Easter B sermon based on Isaiah 25:6-9

Notice that you likely put coveting and theft pretty low on the list—rightly so. God gives us all kinds of wonderful things that we consider our property, and if those are taken away, we feel upset, violated, and lacking, but those gifts that money can buy are nowhere near as valuable as our families and human life, so when these lesser gifts are corrupted, the sense of pain and loss is comparably less than adultery or murder.

The message we send earns us nothing before God—we don’t need to earn anything, as Jesus has already earned eternal life for us. But our message impacts the world around us.
If you could send one message to the world, what would it be? Is it the message of God’s love?
What message is your life sending? Is it the kind of message you’d like to put on the side of a bus?

But Christianity offers something else entirely and is unique in this offering: Christianity offers forgiveness.

If you’re coasting for a long time, you’re likely going downhill. The time has come for St. Paul’s to stop moving in that direction, turn around, and head to the top. Yes, it’s a lot more difficult and takes some real work to go uphill instead of downhill, but in doing so, we get back to our mission. Of course, we need to define our mission, first!

Christmas: This time of year, you’ll probably hear a lot, as usual, about “keeping Christ in Christmas.” For most people, that seems to translate roughly to, “Keep a nativity scene on the courthouse lawn,” but I would contend that actually sharing Christ in word and deed is a lot more important than a display we don’t even have on the church property, so I’d like to share some holiday-specific ideas.

A sermon based on Jeremiah 31:31-34 for Lent 5B

A sermon for Lent 3B based on Exodus 20:1-17 (The 10 Commandments)

A sermon based on Romans 5:1-11 for Lent 2B

A sermon based on Genesis 22:1-18 for Lent 1B

A sermon based on 2Corinthians 3:12-4:6 for Transfiguration B