Metro Church Alliance

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Jun 30, 2006 in Church, Culture | 2 comments

Metro Church Alliance is launching. Metro Church Alliance is a city-centered community of churches who are committed to serving and renewing cities through a movement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We believe that nothing promotes the peace and health of the city like the spread of faith in the gospel. It renews both individual lives and reweaves the fabric of whole neighborhoods. We believe that nothing moves Christians to humbly serve, live with, and love all the diverse people of the city like the gospel does.

Join a relational community of church planters seeking to spread the gospel by being invested in and redeeming cities.

Church Website Designs

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Jun 29, 2006 in Church, Church Technology, Ekklesia, Monk Dev | 2 comments

Ekklesia 360 relaunched our website and we’re proud to announce that we have six design companies that are now partners. If your church needs a website here are the companies to contact:

Church Plant Media specializes in creating custom web sites for church plants. Through the process of working with many church planters, they recognized that the majority do not have the financial resources to create a custom web site. Church Plant Media was born to help church planters in this situation.

Aaron McClung Design is an award-winning design firm specializing in high-end custom designs. AM Design often integrates flash and cutting edge web design for churches.

316 Design is a design firm with many years of experience designing high quality professional graphics and advertising material. Their experience and professionalism can deliver for any church’s need.

MindLightning Design Group In today’s progressive society, successful churches are deploying culturally-relevant websites to create a response and impact lives. This process reaches beyond graphic design. MindLightning offers web design, print production, outreach planning, brand management services, and photography to aid churches in conveying their message of hope. The words and images you use to communicate should be bridging the gap between your church and your community. What are you showing them?

Rockbeatspaper is a design consultancy that creates simple, elegant and intuitive websites for churches and corporate clients. Rockbeatspaper has deep knowledge about web standards and modern design.

Direct Steps is spearheaded by Matt Heerema. Entering the field as a programmer, Matt has six years of experience in the Web design business. He has background in each aspect of the Web development process, and is currently obsessed with user friendliness in graphic and interface design.

Interested in becoming a Design Partner?

We continue to seek excellent partners to build the best websites for churches. If you would like to offer your church clients a state-of-the-art Content Management System and more or if you have tremendous church design experience, please contact Monk Development.

Church Planting Conference & Bootcamp

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Jun 27, 2006 in Church | 5 comments

The San Diego Bootcamp for church planters and re-planters Kaleo is hosting has released most of the speakers/sessions. The Acts 29 Boot Camp is considered by many to be one of the best available. It is required for Acts 29 applicants, but is open to anyone! Are you considering planting a church? Are you ready? Nearly 80 percent of church planting attempts fail. The Acts 29 Boot Camp can help make the difference between success and casualty.

NEW: I corrected the error, you can now download the Missional Church Article & Test for your Church. [Word Doc] There is now a site dedicated to the church planting conference. (Domain www.churchbootcamp.com). Secondly, Scott Thomas, Director of Acts 29 is going to be speaking on Renewing Dying Churches and Replanting.

Americans’ circle of close friends, confidants shrinking

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Jun 23, 2006 in Culture | 2 comments

Great article (reminds me of the book Bowling Alone) about the shrinking circle of community in America:

“Americans, who shocked pollsters in 1985 when they said they had only three close friends, today say they have just two. The number who say they have no one to discuss important matters with has doubled to 25 percent, according to a nationwide survey to be released today.

It found that men and women of every race, age and education level reported fewer intimate friends than the same survey turned up in 1985. Their remaining confidants were more likely to be members of their nuclear family than in 1985, according to the study, but intimacy within families was down, too. The findings will be reported in the June issue of the American Sociological Review.

Taking a Hill – Developing Leaders

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Jun 17, 2006 in Church, Church Technology | 2 comments

As we (Kaleo) continue to talk about our call to Redeem San Diego by bringing the gospel, I’ve really been thinking about who are the people in our church who can ‘take a hill’? Knowing that Jesus Christ went out and took a hill (Calvary) that conquered all hills, we can know go out, powered by the Spirit to do the same in His name. This is done through mercy ministries, developing externally focused leaders in the church and a general sense of urgency for the mission. I’d really like to help people in our church who have been changed by the gospel (gospel pacesetters) and who now know their identity in Christ and have a heart for the least, the last and the lost but who are asking, “Now What Do I Do?” [Prophet/Priests if you are taking triperspective notes at home.] Our church must equip these people to see and develop a mission [Kingly functions] to redeem San Diego and even go to the ends of the earth.

Here are a couple of books I’ve picked up that may help develop these leaders:

The Leadership Challenge Some insight from the book:

Practice: Challenge the process
Commitments: (1) Search for opportunities and (2) Experiment and take risks

Practice: Inspire a shared vision
Commitments: (3) Envision the future and (4) Enlist others

Practice: Enable others to act
Commitments: (5) Foster collaboration and (6) Strengthen others

Practice: Model the way to the desired objectives
Commitments: (7) Set the example and (8) Plan small wins

Practice: Encourage the heart of everyone involved
Commitments: (9) Recognize individual contribution and (10) Celebrate accomplishments

Leading Change Some insight from this book: