Goodmanson.com – 500th Post

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Nov 3, 2006 in Church, Church Planting, Church Technology, Culture, Ekklesia, General Technology, Leadership, Monk Dev, Sermon, Sheep&Goats, Teaching | 3 comments

Welcome to Goodmanson.com .  If you are new(er) here, I began this blog in July of 2004 and today I've posted for the 500th time.  I got out my calculator and discovered that over these 825 days, I've made a post every 1.65 days.  Over the years I've posted a lot on church planting, technology, churches, leadership and culture.  Here are some posts I'd recommend if you haven't been here the whole time.

CHURCH PLANTING 

Five Trends for the Future of Church Planting 26Aug06

The State of the American Church – Why Church Planting is Critical to the Future of American Christianity 16May06

CHURCH

A Partnership of Externally Focused Churches 11Aug06

Emerging From Church De-Construction to Church Kingdom Building 19Sep05

Fun with Angry, Yelling, Legalistic Christians who Know Everything 03Apr05

Is the Twelve Tribes a Cult? 02Nov05 (From my year-plus stint as a weekly Sheep & Goat column for the San Diego Reader)

LEADERSHIP

Preaching the Gospel to Yourself 26Oct06

Deacon Training & Development 02Jun06

Triperspectival Ministry Assessment 12Oct06

The Dangers of Confession while in the Pulpit 20Oct06

TECHNOLOGY

Why God is more glorified by Web 2.0 09Oct06

Technology and the Mission: Conference Session 25Sep06

List of Church Technology & Website Blogs & Resources 27Sep06

CULTURE

My own ‘Sin City’ 18Apr05

The role of the Christian artist in the secular world 20Aug04

FAMILY

New Son Roman! 30Jan06

Gideon Turns 2 Years Old 26Mar05

2007 National New Church Conference

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Oct 23, 2006 in Church, Church Planting, Church Technology, Ekklesia, Leadership | 0 comments

The 2007 National New Church Conference website has launched.  This years theme: Exponential:  Moving Beyond Addition

It was Jesus that cast the vision for this emerging, seeker-targeted house church that would soon exponentially grow to impact the world.  As Jesus spoke it was very clear that this church had an unlimited potential – the potential to alter eternities and to change the world.   In the midst of the resulting chaos, the church experienced explosive growth; growth well beyond addition, and even beyond multiplication.  Exponential growth characterized by a spirit-led, missional, and reproducing DNA.  The conference experience is designed to inspire, encourage, train, equip, and connect church planting leaders.

Speakers include: Bill Hybels, Wayne Cordeiro, Ed Stetzer, Dave Ferguson, Bob Roberts, Bil Cornelius, Mark Batterson, Jim Putman, Rick Rusaw, Matt Chandler, Darrin Patrick, Shawn Lovejoy, Vince Antonucci, Bob Logan, David Putman, and more. 

This year their will be several different 'tracks' for people to choose between:

• pre-launch track – If you are considering planting or you've already decided to take the plunge, this track is for you. You will learn Biblical principles that will shape the way you think about church planting and how you shape the DNA of your new church. As leaders and influencers for the work of the coming harvest, it is crucial that we prepare well. Regardless of the church planting model you pursue, the next generation of church plants needs healthy DNA.
• post-launch track – You survived the stresses of launching a new church and now you face a whole new set of challenges. In seeking to establish traction and momentum, you experience a range of emotions including joy, anxiety, frustration, fatigue, peace, humility, rejection, encouragement, discouragement, and fear.
• reproducing churches track -The Reproducing Churches Track is all about expanding your influence to help more people find their way back to God! This track will inspire and equip you in whatever stage of church life you now find yourself. You will discover the basics and innovations in Reproducing Leaders and Artists which will revolutionize your local outreach and is foundational to reproducing at a macro level.
• networking track – The National New Church Conference is like a reunion for many church planting leaders. It's a great networking opportunity, a chance to catch up with friends, and to take care of a little business. Recognizing that up to 25% of conference attenders may choose to spend their time networking rather than participating in other tracks, we've added a networking track. Although attendees selecting this track are in charge of their own schedule, there will be several special optional sessions of interest to people taking the networking track.

Their is a Super Early Bird Registration Special for $99 for those who sign-up now.  This is a great gathering of church planters, those who are considering church planting and churches looking to grow in their ability to plant churches.

Second Life Virtual World – Will there be a Virtual Church?

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Oct 22, 2006 in Church, Culture, General Technology | 20 comments

For those who are unaware, the online virtual world industry is booming.  As America recently hit the 300 million mark, Second Life, launched in 2003 reached it's 1 millionth resident.  By the tens-of-thousands users are creating an alter-ego of their real self, they can choose to be ripped, lean and beautiful in another world.  According to one article:

The population and economy of Second Life have grown so massive that major corporations are paying attention. Companies such as Sony/BMG Music, Nissan and Toyota have converted marketing dollars to Linden Bucks to buy virtual real estate. Nissan built a Second Life campaign around its Sentra car, hiring programmers to create a gigantic driving course and digital cars that players can drive, as well as billboards and other promotional spots throughout the virtual world. Retailers including Reebok, Nike, Amazon.com and American Apparel have set up shops to sell digital as well as real-world versions of their products.  A few recording artists have used Second Life as a performing venue.  (Source: San Diego Union-Tribune Second Life)

You laugh at the absurdity of this?  Just last week Reuters news service announced that it would have a full-time “embedded” reporter covering the virtual news on a new Web site, www.secondlife.reuters.com. The economy of Second life recently reached $500,000 exchanged a day, and it's growing by as much as 15 percent a month.

How should the church respond?  Most would agree that Christians living missionally inside this community should be a witness as they build relationships online.  I imagine it won't be long until a church broadcasts a virtual service inside the game.  This wll most likely create more controversy than the use of video venues.  As the world embraces more and more virtual worlds, the church is going to be faced with many difficult challenges as how to respond.  Being the church requires that we be in community, but could it be a virtual community? 

5 Blogging Questions

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Oct 19, 2006 in Church, General Technology | 1 comment

Cory Miller has launched a blog dedicated to church communication.  His current ongoing series is Blogging 101 for Pastors is to assist pastors on how best to use blogs in their ministry.  Cory is wise, he sought many well known bloggers (Church Marketing Sucks, Strategic Digital Outreach, Mark Batterson, Tall Skinny Kiwi, Internet Monk…) to post early on, and often they would link back to him.  Meaning Cory's site is sure to become a powerhouse. 

Here's the request I received:

I'm currently doing a blog series on the subject of "blogging 101 for pastors" … I'm hoping to help other ministers (a) see how easy it can be to get a blog and (b) show them how they can blog without killing themselves.

As a prolific blogging pastor, I'd love to share some of your insights in a future post … here are the five questions I'd like to share with my readers if you're available to give a brief answer for them …

Why (or how) did you start blogging?
What subject do you post most about?
What are your favorite blog tools? (from platforms, to feedreaders to stats, etc.)
How often do you post?
What one piece of advice would you give for prospective blogging pastors?

My Response: 5 Blogging Questions with Drew Goodmanson

Christian Venture Capitalists

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Oct 18, 2006 in Church Planting, Church Technology, Culture, General Technology, Leadership | 62 comments

How would you like: (1) Access to capital and entrepreneurship networks. (2) Theological foundations. (3) Professional consulting services.  These are three of the components of Redeemer's Entrepreneur Incubator.  Here is a church leading the way in thinking through how to connect 'capitalism' with 'Kingdom'.  Keller connects how investment banking can be Kingdom minded in his seminar Cultural Renewal: The Role of the Intrapreneur and the Entrepreneur.  He argues that God is keenly interested in this world and restoring it from the fall.  We are called to bring about this change, but ultimately, it will be fulfilled when Jesus returns.  He goes so far as to say, "the purpose of salvation is to make this world a great place.  Salvation is only a temporary means to an end."

This thinking is most certainly novel.  Are there Christian venture capitalist who desire to seek both earthly and spiritual returns?  A search for "christian venture capitalist" brought only one 'venture capitalist' organization, Kingom Ventures, that "is a philanthropic venture capital firm focused on supporting emerging Christian ministries around the world."  The search also brought an article (Venture Capital and God: Commentary on Kingdom-Based Investing ) by Ken Eldred, who has founded many successful companies including Ariba Technologies, Inc (NASDAQ: ARBA) the leader in the Internet Business-to-Business industry and which has reached a market valuation as high as $40 Billion. He was also Founder, Chairman and CEO of Inmac a company which he took Public in 1987 and grew to $400 million in yearly revenues as the first business to sell computer products, supplies, and accessories by direct mail and later merged with MicroWarehouse.  I searched for 'Ken Eldred ' and found his own venture capital company, Parakletos Ventures.  Ken served as co-editor of the book, On Kingdom Business: Transforming Missions Through Entrepreneurial Strategies.

On Kingdom Business proposes a new model for using business in missions: kingdom entrepreneurship. Kingdom entrepreneurs are "job-makers," starting for-profit businesses of all sizes–real businesses that meet real needs. This book provides a conceptual foundation for kingdom entrepreneurship and explores its contemporary development using case studies of kingdom businesses and reflecting on the lessons kingdom entrepreneurs have already learned.

I don't know why there aren't more Christians rallying behind the physical expression of God's restorative plan.  It is encouraging to see Al Weiss form Vision USA, with the aim to raise $300 million over the next 10 years for aggressive church planting in 50 of the country's most influential cities.  Weiss is reaching out to business leaders to invest in this necessary plan.  But…

how great would it be to login to a site like Kiva to provide funding support to Kingdom-minded entrepreneurs, church planters, missionaries and the lot.  

Gospel-Centered Entrepreneurship

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Oct 17, 2006 in Church, Church Technology, Culture, General Technology, Leadership, Monk Dev | 1 comment

As Christians, we need to be concerned with the needs of the people in the city. The Bible is greatly concerned with the economics of the poor and their well being.  I believe one powerful way for Christians to represent the already/not yet establishment of God's plan for earth is to be entrepreneurial, starting companies rooted in our desire to see the gospel transform the city for the common good.  (I preached a sermon dealing with some of this, entitled, The Christian Social Revolution based on much of Keller's/Clowney's influence.)  In fact, Redeemer already is doing this:

Redeemer’s vision is to cause cultural renewal in all the institutions and professions that comprise New York City and impact the world around us. As part of this vision, we hope to not only empower intra-preneurs, who create change within existing companies and organizations, but also support entrepreneurs, whose new ventures challenge or augment the services of existing institutions and help advance both the private and public sectors.

The Entrepreneurship Initiative is designed to equip, connect, and mobilize entrepreneurs within Redeemer’s congregation to create new ventures that bring about gospel-centered transformation for the common good.  The Entrepreneurship Initiative plans to form a community that will support entrepreneurship through workshops, conferences, mentoring relationships, and The Redeemer Incubator.

I'd encourage you to visit Redeemer's Center for Faith & Work. Or listen to a few of their presentation on how the gospel impacts the creation of business:  (Their Entrepreneurship Forum lists a few add'l presentations on this.)

Cultural Renewal: The Role of the Intrapreneur and the Entrepreneur (click on title to listen)
Rev. Dr. Timothy Keller, Senior Pastor, Redeemer Presbyterian Church

Gospel-Based Leadership: Total Integration of Faith and Work (click on title to listen)
Dennis Bakke, Co-founder of AES Corporation and Founder of Imagine Schools 

Principles for Action (click on title to listen)
Rev. Dr. Timothy Keller, Senior Pastor, Redeemer Presbyterian Church 

If this is a topic that interests you,  I spoke with Justin Browne @ Redeemer, who said the next forum will be on March 10th, 2007.  Redeemer is planning a Business Plan Competition within their church to select, fund and become incubators for companies & non-profits.  It is similiar to Urbana's Business Plan Competition:

InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA is sponsoring a business plan competition for triple-bottom-line businesses: businesses that have financial, social, and spiritual impact. A total pool of $40,000 is available to winning business plans! Two-page Executive Summaries are due October 27, 2006.

There are many opportunities for Christians to impact society, for churches to find catalystic leaders who are missional in their field, but also seek to redeem their area of expertise.  Don't just reach the accountant seek to change the accounting industry by the gospel.

Question – How is your church going to equip and send business leaders that seek to redeem your city's industries?