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Entries from May 2008

Move Meetings into Homes

May 28th, 2008 · No Comments

Meetings are often dreaded by staff and members alike. But I’ll bet we’d all agree that some of the BEST church meetings are those held in member homes rather than at the church:
= The more personal setting encourages bonding and fellowship between members. The church is not a business. People volunteer in part because they want spiritual […]

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Tags: Advice for Church Leaders & Staff

Be a Better more Effective Manager

May 28th, 2008 · No Comments

Most church staff members I’ve met are faithful people, creative people, and decent leaders, but they are poor managers.  …of time, of people, of talent.
Few pastors receive management training in seminary. Nobody shows a pastor how to organize their week, let alone their day. Most come into the ministry with little or no experience managing people and […]

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Tags: Advice for Church Leaders & Staff

The Last Lecture

May 28th, 2008 · No Comments

The Last Lecture, by Randy Paush. Hyperion Books. http://www.thelastlecture.com/
This book has received a lot of press and definitely lives up to the hype. I’ve read it and had my older daughters read it. Youth groups and adult classes should read it. Pastors should read it. Parents should read it. This is one of those books you’ll […]

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Tags: Recommended Books

Why we left our last church…

May 20th, 2008 · No Comments

…and what can be learned from our experience.
I have edited this thing ten times. I’m sure some folks aren’t going to like what I have to say, or think I’m just ‘bitter’ as a way of avoiding the lessons here. I’m one of those people who does try to learn from my experiences, and share what I […]

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Tags: Neil on the Lam...

Code Snippet: “Email a link to this page to a friend”

May 14th, 2008 · No Comments

Code Snippet: “Email a Link to this Page to a Friend”
Helping members share church website information with each other and their friends is not only a nice thing to do, it’s a form of evangelism. So, say you’re putting up a page about the children’s group, or upcoming church concert or picnic.  Add this code […]

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Tags: Building a Better Church Website

Published Articles by Neil

May 14th, 2008 · No Comments

Over the years I’ve written and published a number of church-related articles. Most were posted at various websites and some have appeared in church-related magazines.
These links will take you to the website where the article is posted…
Too Good to be True (but it is) …Collection of research statistics pointing to the positive effects of active church […]

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Tags: Other Published Articles by Neil

Velvet Elvis

May 14th, 2008 · No Comments

Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith; by Rob Bell. (zondervan)
This is a personal book, a discussion of what it means to be a Christian in the 21st Century. It’s authored by one of the most interesting young and upcoming preachers in the country, Rob Bell, pastor of the Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids MI.
The title is certainly refreshing and intriguing, […]

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Tags: Recommended Books

Green Paul: How to wage against sin

May 12th, 2008 · No Comments

I ran across this cartoon the other day which gets right to the heart of the debate:

Humans and churches have a habit of getting all fired up about the “cause de jour.”  These days that includes the environment. We talk in SAINTLY TERMS about saving the environment, and being good stewards of creation, but let’s […]

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Tags: Green Jesus

Jesus Freaks & Conversions

May 10th, 2008 · No Comments

Jesus Freaks is a book of devotions for teens. Somebody at my church gave a copy to my two older daughters and they actually read it!  I think it was a confirmation gift. Dad, of course, was very interested in what the book had to say, so I started to read it too. It’s a […]

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Tags: Recommended Books

Basics of a Better Church Website

May 8th, 2008 · No Comments

This post is a condensation of my article “Building a Better Church Website” located at www.sundaysoftware.com/webpage.htm
You might be surprised by what I consider to be a “GOOD” church website. It’s not one with all the bells and whistles. I’ve been creating websites for about ten years, including building my former church’s website. And what I’ve […]

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Tags: Building a Better Church Website