Socializing The Church

I really like Twitter.
 
Not only do I think it’s the most versatile communication platform available right now (I’m still waiting for a Google Wave invite), but it’s helped many organizations and businesses reach their consumers/ members in a very personal way. That’s not to say that every business that is on Twitter uses it resourcefully (see @BritishAirways and @eleven2). But for the most part, Twitter and also Facebook, allow for companies and brands to leverage great PR in an inexpensive fashion.
 
The same goes for the church. We should be able to use the power of social media tools to propagate the Good News to the world. There are already some great examples of churches that do this well (see @tonysteward and @scottwilliams, pastors for LifeChurch.tv). So what type of excuses does the church have left when it comes to ministering to the unbeliever?
 
I’m not saying that we cannot reach the unsaved without the likes of Twitter. God can use anything to spread the Gospel. But doesn’t He also want us to be at the forefront of the social media movement? We shouldn’t be playing catchup with everyone else. The church should claim to have the top web designers, entrepreneurs, and innovators! God has graced everyone with gifts and talents. Why not invest them in to your own church community?
 
I also want to thank @GregAtkinson for his mission in getting the church prepared for this kind of ministering. His recent Church 2.0 tour has opened the eyes of many church leaders across the country.

Rex Barrett Talks OKC

Recently, I had the pleasure of doing an email interview with ProjectOKC.com founder, Rex Barrett.  He shares his vision and inspirations here:

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Ryan Fife: What was the inspiration for you and Lanie to start ProjectOKC?

Rex Barrett: I ran for office in 2006 and saw needs that needed to be met as I knocked the doors of people in our community. We decided to use social networking to get our online networks offline to do GOOD. We didn’t want to reinvent the wheel with ProjectOKC. Instead of trying to start just another organization that does GOOD, we figured we’d be a catalyst to get organizations to work together synergistically. To get companies, churches and community organizations to pull together and deal with local issues as a team. Pooling resources, time, talent and energy to help pull off events like DoGoodFriday.

RF: How does DoGoodFriday expand on your mission?

RB: Volunteerism is a big part of my families’ life. We’ve seen how just a few hours a month can transform not only the lives of the people you are helping, but our own lives as well. DoGoodFriday is an invitation to volunteerism. What starts as just an hour or two on Good Friday will hopefully turn into monthly acts of service.

RF: I know that you ran for the State House in 2006.  After getting to know the community, what did you learn about it’s members?

RB: I learned that there are serious needs in the lives of our senior citizens. Many are alone and can’t take care of their homes. There are a lot of great people in nursing homes around our city too, each of them with amazing stories that need to be told.  I learned that while Forbes has ranked Oklahoma City very recession proof, there is a lot of poverty around us. Debt has purchased a lot of homes and cars that only mask the fact that friends on our very block are living paycheck to paycheck.

The education system in Oklahoma City needs to be reinforced with programs designed to inspire creativity. One in five girls will not graduate from school in Oklahoma. We must work as a team to combat this horrible stat.

RF: God and spirituality are obviously strong in your’s and Lanie’s lives.  How do you use your beliefs in your work?

RB: While ProjectOKC is working towards its nonprofit status and isn’t a “religious” organization, my faith plays a huge part in what I do and how we live. I believe in building our society into a better place and I try to live the teachings of Jesus. When studying Jesus one thing you notice is how inclusive he was and how much love he gave. He wasn’t trying to start some club but he was trying to inspire real change in his society. We are not a “church group” and I am not a pastor. ProjectOKC is a group of friends in Oklahoma City who have a passion to see kids read, senior citizens smile and hurt people become whole.

We work with all people to help this city with no discrimination towards anybody. Our example and our love for all speaks for itself.

RF: In your mind, what’s the best thing about OKC?

RB: OKC is a hot bed of innovation. Startups are popping up all over the place in every field you can imagine. As a social entrepreneur it is exciting to see the growth of the community. We hope the growth of OKC in the areas of entertainment and excitement will continue into altruism and true compassion for people around us.

I am excited to continue to be a part of the effort to bring real help and positive change into this great city! We look forward to working with the many groups who want to partner to make OKC a fantastic place to live for everyone.

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Rex’s Sites:

projectokc.com

dogoodfriday.com

twitter.com/rexbarrett

All The Small Things

Sometimes God uses the little things to bless those who love him.

Today, I had to return my parent’s vaccum to them after borrowing it for a few days. My fiancée and traversed the wet roads of Choctaw to meet my dad at our church and gave him the vaccum. We chit-chatted for awhile and then it was time for us to go our seperate ways.

I got about half a mile down the road when my dad called asking me to turn around and meet him back at the church. He didn’t say why so we hooked a u-turn and met up with him again. He then proceeds to tell me that he felt like God was telling him to give us some money. I thought it odd but didn’t question him and followed him to the nearest ATM.

He hands me some money, I express my gratitude and I started to pull away. He then tells me to stop again. At this point he notices that the front-left tire on my vehicle is badly damaged and the steel threads are rearing their ugly heads through the rubber. Not at all a good sign.

Immediately, we all realize what has just taken place.

Because the tire was so badly damaged, a blowout was imminent. We checked the other ones and the front-right tire was also in bad shape.

By some miracle, the tire shop was still open and they were able to replace both tires.

I did not have the cash on hand to get the tires replaced at that moment and more than that, who is to say that we wouldn’t have been in a serious auto wreck as part of one of the tires blowing out? Because my dad listened to God’s little prodding, he may have saved Tammy and I from serious injury.

I think it’s funny how He works sometimes. Whenever we keep an open heart and we are sensative to those around us, God can do miracles. He may not be speaking to you through the burning bush and He might not be putting gold dust on your Bible, but He will constantly do miraculous things.

It actually reminds me of Acts and the early church. After Jesus ascended to the right hand of The Father, He sent the Holy Spirit in his place to empower us to go further and preach His good news. Peter was no great scholar in and of himself, even the Sadducees knew that, but because Peter was open to God’s works, he was able to show God’s signs and wonders.

I think that we can perform great things too, if we will only keep ourselves aware of our surroundings. God provides us the avenues, we just have to turn in the right direction.

Rain, Rain

I’m sitting here in a house that is not my own but somehow, I feel at home. The rain is pounding the leaves and I can hear the wind whipping everything in it’s path.

It’s a good night.

Ever notice how there is something calming about bad weather? It makes me feel at peace. It makes me feel as though it is something that I cannot control and I should just sit back and enjoy it

And it is weird because it is really the only ‘bad’ thing that I can enjoy. Other bad things can happen to me and I will only think of how terrible it is. I may be having trouble financially and I become so stressed. I might have an issue with work and I cannot stop thinking of how to make it better.

But with rain, I feel entirely different about it. Rain can be a bad thing. It can mean the arrival of thunderstorms, strong winds, even tornadoes. But I cannot control it, so why bother worrying about it?

Why not enjoy it?

Maybe, I should start looking at the problems of everyday life with a different perspective. Maybe, I should try to enjoy the good things even though the bad surrounds me. Maybe, I should just sit back and listen to the rain.