After writing a previous post about using sandboxes in church, I got to thinking about another topic that piques my interest: open source software. For years, I have been a big fan of open source software. In web development, the first content management system (CMS) I used was Mambo -- an open source CMS that used PHP and MySQL. When Mambo transformed into Joomla, I followed along. The componenets, extensions, and modules were created by fellow Joomla users who made their work available free of charge. Open source software is simply software where anyone can contribute to its development. Many projects may feature a core team of developers who do much of the heavy lifting. However, one of the great benefits of open source software comes through the community that is created around the software. With the best software, its often the community that surrounds the software that finds bugs,…
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The other day while leading a collaboration meeting with our ministry leads, I mentioned that we needed to create a sandbox where people could experiment with new ideas without a fear of failing. The idea of a sandbox is familiar to those with a technology background -- it's when users are allowed to go in and put new software (or systems) through the paces. Users become comfortable with features, bugs are found, and the product gets better (hopefully!). The beauty of a sandbox is that you can test and experiment without the pressure of producing results. Users are typically forgiving of beta releases; not so much with final versions. What if your church had a sandbox budget that allowed ministry folks to test and experiment ideas -- gaining input, confidence, and creativity along the way. From my experience, the usual way a new ministry gets rolled out is in "final"…
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"If you don't like change, you're going to like irrelevance even less." -- General Eric Shinseki, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army One of the things I've learned over my years as a pastor is this: change does not always equal relevance. Often we made changes because we were trying to answer questions no one was asking. Our answers were good; unfortunately they were also irrelevant. Yet I've always seen the wisdom in General Shinseki's words. Our task is not to keep pace with every change and breakthrough, but to speak to it in a way that makes sense and leads towards transformation. Change isn't always easy, even when it's necessary. New musical styles may not be your style of choice. I've often joked, "What will I do when rap becomes the predominant music style of a new generation?" Move to Canada, maybe. But if rap will reach a new generation…
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Ed Stetzer has posted a great blog about the importance of reaching our global cities for Jesus. His point is simple: large cities exert tremdendous influence over more than just their geographic area. At a quickening pace, large cities such as New York and Los Angeles influence areas not only across our country but across the world. Starting new churches is one solution; starting church planting movements is the best solution. Be sure to check out the links Stetzer includes in his post.
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I just came across this quote from Ben Franklin and thought I'd pass it along: "He that waits upon fortune, is never sure of a dinner." -- Benjamin Franklin
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