December 2006

Merry Christmas fellow bloggers.  As the guests arrive, the presents pile up, the posts become scarce and the holiday stress mounts, let us proclaim: Unto us a Savior is born!

Park WiFi is the latest offering from wireless innovation leader Nokia and is designed to bring WiFi technology to 10 major New York City parks.  Already blanketing Central Park and Battery Park, 8 other parks will follow with WiFi coverage.

As WiFi distribution spreads, accessing multimedia services over a WiFi network using your mobile device will become easier and easier.  Whether you want to check email, read the paper, listen to a podcast or browse the Internet for sermon notes, it's now possible. The WiFi network is, of course, free and what's even better is that you can access it from a single, easy to carry mobile device.

Streaming church services, conferences and other resources to remote locations has been increasing in the last 5 years.  However, the situations where it could be the most useful are sometimes limited by lack of electronic equipment.  New and converging technologies will change that soon.

The latest post at FutureWire reminds us that cell phone evolution combined with developing iPod technology will create new opportunities for media accessibility in almost any location.

FutureWire reports: Users of mobile devices who want to display their pictures and videos to others — or who at least want to see them on a bigger screen — may soon have their wish.  A Redmond, WA company called Microvision has developed a 'microprojector' (no Wikipedia entry yet) that will allow cell phones and iPods to project images on a wall or screen. The project uses mirrors and compact lasers that have only recently become commercially available.

I finally had time to listen to the newest podcast from Creative Synergy hosted by Greg Adkinson & Anthony Coppedge.  This 3rd installment is as good as the previous two and further- more it features Brad Abare, who among other things, is the assistant Vice-President of Communications for the Foursquare Church.

I first heard Brad speak at the Foursquare Convention in Washington, D. C. last spring and was really looking forward to what he would use this podcast opportunity to share.  It seems we, as churches, are marketing whether we know it or not, whether we mean to or not, whether we plan to or not.  Brad's goals, consistently, have been to educate the Church, inspiring us to do a better job at reaching people with the good news of the Gospel.

If you want more of Brad's perspective, you can also check out the Center for Church Communications or Church Marketing Sucks.  

While we're waiting for the next Creative Synergy podcast - the "copyright" episode, you can check out Anthony's comments here on The Digital Sanctuary regarding the implications of copyright infringement.  Or listen to previous Creative Synergy podcasts here.

Blogging effectively for the Kingdom of God requires a bit more than sound theology wrapped in a cool theme.  Although I eagerly recommend both excellent theology & every cool widget one can possibly download for free, it seems blogging requires a bit of something more.  A hidden element. A hard to pinpoint essence.  Often times, it may require a sense of purpose. 

Whether your blog is a personal journal, a family archive, an instructional tool for a designated group or an invitation for open dialog with anyone, it represents you.  Our online presence is simply an extension of who we are.  And recently, I find myself drawn to the idea that what really empowers our weblogs may be the element of discovering our own personal, spiritual gift-mix and employing it in our blogging. 

Since a key starting point for understanding our roles in the Body of Christ is knowing our ministry make-up, it only makes sense that our blogs have the potential to reflect our spiritual assignments with the very best essence of who we are and how we were made to function.  Thus, when we blog in accordance with our own particular “ministry mix”, a unique spiritual synergy occurs.  Our blog takes on the extra dimensions (beyond  natural abilities/talents) of our essence, motivations and calling.

For example, Ephesians 4:11 - 13 outlines the ministry giftings that Jesus gives the Church to distinguish us from one another.  This list includes apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.  These roles are not exclusive titles; they are more like functions, ways many of us tend to operate naturally to build up the Body.  They are distinct from other scripturally outlined giftings (the Father’s motivational gifts in Romans 12:6-8 or the Holy Spirit’s gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11).  And importantly, we can’t strive to be or become something we (by God’s design) really aren’t.  What we can do is enhance our blogs by mindfully embracing our own unique mix and make-up, allowing it to distinguish us.

As the blogosphere grows, it has begun to diversify.  As blogging evolves, I anticipate a trend in an additional element of effectiveness in the blogs where there is a correlation between a person’s spiritual gift mix and their site.  It’s not as simple as blogging a passion/interest; that’s usually a given.  I find the most interesting blogs are usually those where the blogger is operating optimally in a God-designed "space".   They have unique tendencies and empowerments that they alone were gifted with.   Additionally, they may have begun to speak to the specific audience they were designed to address (i.e. – Paul to the Jews, Peter to the Gentiles although both functioned as apostles).

Contrariwise, if you’ve never discovered your gift-mix, your blog may offer clues. The same way no two ministries are identical, no two blogs will be the same in either essence or function.  God takes elements of these scripturally outlined gifts and creates a gift-mix unique to each believer.  Thus, each blog is at its best when (content & bling notwith- standing) it is the unique reflection of the individual who hosts it. 

If you pay attention, you’ll notice particular giftings emerging(!) amongst bloggers.  For example, although I am a pastor by vocation, my blogging style almost always has a teaching slant (see?) which I give myself to instead of resisting.  It’s a primary disposition that, like all gift combinations, comes with both strengths and weaknesses.  The prophets pretty much tell it like it is often in a ‘challenge the status quo’ way, the apostles are always starting something new and coming back around to nourish what they’ve already planted and the evangelists are looking for new ways to express Jesus’ offer again and again, etc.

Apart from gifts of leadership, there are numerous other gifts and ministries within the Body of Christ, from hospitality to mercy distributors, we are all endowed with our differences and there are far too many combinations to list exhaustively in a blog post. (Yes, I know posts are supposed to be short blurbs with links, but the teacher in me prevails!)  It's easy to google a list online here.  I’m curious (teachers are often students), do you see your personal gift-mix represented in your blog?  I’d be interested to know if and where you see any of the spiritual giftings reflected or should I say emerging in the blogs of others as well.