Funny.... BUT Sometimes True

Lately, I've been dabbling in a little of everything when it comes to media. I've started updating the church website, working on powerpoint slide designs, making backgrounds for sermons, doing print and web artwork... basically trying to get into everything. It's been fun trying on different hats and I love wearing them all.

So I've been scanning the internet, looking for some inspiration. It's been really interesting and I've learned alot. Take a look at what I found on Church Marketing Sucks:

YOU’VE EVER CONTEMPLATED BREAKING INTO YOUR
OWN CHURCH IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT SO YOU CAN
DELETE THE COMIC SANS, PAPYRUS AND CURLZ
FONTS FROM STAFF COMPUTERS.

YOU’VE EVER USED A CROSS INSTEAD OF THE LETTER
T OR X.

YOU’VE EXPLAINED DPI MORE TIMES THAN YOU’VE
EXPLAINED YOUR FAITH.

REDESIGNING THE CHURCH LOGO IS A WEEKLY
PROJECT, YET YOUR NEW DESIGN IS NEVER USED.

THE WORDS “DON’T WORRY, THIS WILL ONLY TAKE A
MINUTE,” SEND YOU INTO FITS OF RAGE.

STAFF MEMBERS TRY TO MAKE YOUR JOB EASIER BY
ASKING YOU TO SEND THEM LAST YEAR’S FLIER AND
THEY’LL JUST ‘UPDATE IT A BIT.’

YOUR SUGGESTIONS ARE ALWAYS BRUSHED ASIDE
WITH, “BUT THAT’S HOW WE’VE ALWAYS DONE IT.”

THE DESIGN THEY HAD TO HAVE TOMORROW IS
NEVER USED. AND YOU’RE NEVER SURPRISED.

STOLEN IMAGES, PIRATED SOFTWARE AND BREAKING
COPYRIGHTS IS JUSTIFIED BECAUSE IT’S “GOD’S
WORK.”

YOU’VE EVER WONDERED WHY GOD GETS THE
CREDIT WHEN THINGS GO RIGHT, BUT YOU GET THE
BLAME WHEN THINGS GO WRONG.

YOU’VE EVER CAUGHT YOURSELF PROOFREADING
THE POWERPOINT SLIDES DURING WORSHIP.

YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF BILINGUAL BECAUSE
YOU’RE SO ADEPT AT TRANSLATING CHRISTIANESE.

YOUR ONLY INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP INVOLVES
LATE SATURDAY NIGHTS WITH THE CHURCH
PHOTOCOPIER.

YOU CAN’T ACTUALLY ATTEND THE EVENTS AND
PROGRAMS YOU WORK TO PROMOTE BECAUSE
YOU’RE TOO BUSY PROMOTING THEM.

RESEARCH FOR SERMON SERIES BRANDING MEANS
WATCHING TV.

YOU CAN’T INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO CHURCH
BECAUSE YOU’VE TOLD THEM TOO MANY NOT-SO-
FLATTERING STORIES ABOUT YOUR PASTOR.

YOU AND THE SENIOR PASTOR HAVE CONFLICTING
DEFINITIONS OF THE WORD “DEADLINE.”

IT’S PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE TO USE A VOLUNTEER’S
WORK OVER YOURS, BUT USING A VOLUNTEER’S
SERMON? THAT’S A GOOD JOKE.

PASTORS INEVITABLY BECOME YOUR ART DIRECTOR,
AND THEIR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH “ART”
INVOLVED CRAYONS.

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A LEGITIMATE EXCUSE FOR LAST-
MINUTE CHANGES.

Now, most of these don't apply to myself, but I thought they were funny! I laughed so hard reading it because I've heard tons of friends mention a bunch of these!

This is my Hero!!!!

"Big Bang" Test

Scientists are preparing to smash protons together in a 27-kilometre tunnel underground in late October. The team hopes to detect extra dimensions, 'dark matter' and the mysterious Higgs boson---- the so-called 'God particle'. They are trying to recreate what happened immediately after the Big Bang.

Personally, after reading this I am mystified! I never knew that science could come up with this kind of experiment. The only problem I have is that they are trying to collide protons together @ such high rates that the quarks inside the protons will collide. If you know anything about physics, you will understand that colliding protons together at such a high rate causes a huge amount of energy to be released. Now I really don't know much about the facility they are conducting this experiment in, but I do know that it is located in a mountain. I am thankful for that!! The fact is that releasing this amount of energy several times over (they are colliding several strains of protons together) can be pretty dangerous. If this were taking place here in St Louis, I might find myself out of town for a few days when it occurred. In any event, plenty of my friends have been talking about it!! They've said they are worried science is trying to disprove the existence of God and that this could be some sliver of hope for those trying to debunk God.

Personally, I have no problem with this! Go for it scientists! Try and prove that God doesn't exist! Finding out that there is some particle that started this whole thing does not prove that God is fake or that He doesn't exist! Quite the contrary! To me, that proves that God exists and that He actually works through science. Does it seem logical these protons and neutrons and gases all came from nothing? There has to be an existence greater than these few particles randomly colliding! Space is so expansive and so large that the likely hood of these particles colliding @ any point is so extreme without a greater being pulling them together.

My point being this, Christians are sometimes afraid of science and that is sad! Science is a wonderful thing. Every time science refines it's theories and practices, we are brought closer to the very existence of God! He constructed the universe! He brought things into existence with His very hands. Whether He used the "Big Bang" or some other way, the fact is that God created science and created our universe. He is not above using science to aide in creation. In fact, I'd bet my money on the idea that God used and uses science every day to bring about His will.

I'm pretty excited about this experiment and can't wait for the results! I just hope it doesn't rip open some weird black hole and swallow us all! Then I wouldn't be able to go to Sonic everyday for a Route 44 coke!

We've Launched

So it's Monday morning around 11.45 and yesterday we launched New Life Community Church. To understand what a moment this is you have to understand all the work that has gone into this church over the last few months. It started with small projects like cleaning up the office and moving Jason and Ashley into their apartment. Then a team from Ohio came down and helped us clean up the closets, fix broken drains in the parking lot and general cleaning around the place. Then we cleaned out the garage (which was one of the dirtiest places I've ever seen). We then organized the office and had a garage sale which all went great. Then a Young Adult team from Wisconsin came in and really got this thing movin! They painted most of the church (inside and out) and really helped us change the way the whole building looked! Since then we've painted a few more rooms, got the bathrooms rehabbed, tore down the chandeliers in the sanctuary (Hallelujah!!), redecorated the whole stinkin' place and replaced the sound board.

So after all that work has been completed (which is only part of what we've actually done), I have to say that I am so thankful for all the people that have been involved at New Life Community Church! With out all of you, we'd be up the creek without a paddle!

So as I sit here, thinking it is really nice to have launched New Life, I can't help but ask....... WHAT'S NEXT?

This Helped Me....

This video was truly inspirational to me. I think this guy has it right!!!
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=nyB-PpF20kI&feature=related