Let’s Run the Church Like a Business
I’ve heard it many times. And each time, it grates on my ears. I’ve done both. And I’m convinced there are very few similarities between running a business and, if you will pardon the phrase, “running a church.” Read more…
The Challenges of Church Communication
Church communication involves dealing with constant tensions… a pull between either/or. Rather than seeing these tensions as problems, perhaps we can replace “or” with “and.” By re-framing the issue, we begin to deal productively with the challenges. Read more…
Communication = Connection + Community
If you had to summarize the role of communication in the church with two words, I can’t think of any better than “Connection” and “Community.” It’s not just about technology and not just about transferring information. The Church Communicator spends most of his time and energy Handling the Message. Read more…
Storytelling – the future of church communication
The future of communication in the church is all about storytelling, not technology. That’s what I’m telling the folks who are looking ahead and thinking about the Ministry of Communication at Richmond’s First Baptist Church. They’re laying the groundwork for what kind of person they want to lead the ministry after I retire in September. Read more…
Thoughts on Creativity – a sampler from TEDxRVA
The first-ever TEDxRVA event launched my mind, soaring skyward, fueled with inspiration, imagination, ideas, hope, new connections, and exciting possibilities. It is impossible to capture in one brief blog post the true spirit of the day… the full range of tones and harmonies in that symphony of creative energy. But here are a few gleanings… some of my takeaways.
Why would a church group want to make a movie?
Why does the church need to be involved in producing movies? I hear that question often… especially when we talk about how much it is going to cost to produce “The Prodigal Project.” “Doesn’t Hollywood already do a good job of it? And aren’t there other churches producing Christian films?” Read more…
What I learned about life from hiking Old Rag
I’ve been looking at Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park for years. While hiking the many other trails in the park, I’ve often looked over at that rocky summit and promised myself that one day, I would climb up there. Well, that day came a couple of weeks ago. Read more…
No Rocking Chair for Me
It is official. Lord willing, I will retire on September 1, 2013… the same day I celebrate my 20th anniversary on the staff of Richmond’s First Baptist Church. What will I do in retirement? Well, God willing, I won’t spend my time in a rocking chair in a dark room. I plan to continue, on a freelance and part-time basis, using the medium of video to tell compelling stories. Read more…
The Sermon in the Oboe Solo
It was one of those situations where TV just can’t capture the experience. We try to overcome the medium’s limitations. Sometimes we succeed. Other times, we fail miserably. Mother’s Day was one of those other times.
Read more…
The Prodigal Project
A generation of people in their 20s & 30s see Christians and the church as hypocritical and judgmental.
On the other hand, many Christians in the United States are too comfortable with our religion. Our faith has become institutionalized.
It seems that both groups need to hear a word from Jesus.
Can Jesus’ story of the Prodigal be told in a way that speaks to our 21st Century culture with the same impact that it had when Jesus told it 2,000 years ago? Read more about “The Prodigal Project…
