In the meantime

Thanks, Team!

This blog is usually populated by articles, devotionals and essays... wordy observations on current events, politics and spiritual matters.  To be honest, I am somewhat envious of blogs I read where the posts are short, succinct, and full of useful information, great quotes, and links to die for.  But I digress...

This post is going to be different.  Just a short word of thanks to an incredible, talented and dedicated group of folks... my Web Team from Multicast Media.  Today we went to Dave and Busters to hang out, eat and play games together.  We call this sort of thing "Team Building" in the corporate world, but it was just pure fun.

The Multicast Web Team is made up of world-class designers Jay Blizzard and Avery Bush, HTML/CSS/XML guru Marshall Grant (also a fine designer in his own right), Web Producer and general jack of all web trades Jason Spradlin, and Content Editor Milan Ford. DMMS and Channel whiz Leah Spradlin telecommutes from Tifton, GA and couldn't be with us today.

Thanks, team!  You - collectively and individually - rock!

Music City USA Under a Blanket of White

NASHVILLE - We arrived here last night for the National Religious Broadcasters Convention which begins Sunday at the Gaylord Opryland, and we apparently brought the snow with us.  The whiteout conditions we experienced yesterday in Kentucky arrived here in full force around 7:00 pm as we were walking down Broadway.  We stopped off in Ernest Tubb's record store and then made our way down to Big River for dinner.  By the time we left 90 minutes or so later, the snowstorm was so intense there was lightning accompanying it.

Nashvillians are about as adept as Atlantans are at handling snow, which is to say they stink at it.  The streets were empty except for a occasional car or truck you would see sliding toward you.  (We were in an Audi equipped with Quattro, which gets high marks from me for keeping us between the white lines, at least those you could see.)  I-40 was closed in both directions because of a nine car pile up, so we had to make our way back to the hotel on secondary roads which were rapidly becoming difficult to navigate.

We got back to the hotel in one piece, although we did have to dodge one Dodge truck (hence the name, I suppose) that was coming down the hill sideways toward us.  Bubba don't do snow apparently, and Bubba also don't understand that it takes BOTH four wheel drive AND common sense to drive safely in heavy snow.

The NRB Convention should be interesting.  At it's core, the NRB represents and exists for mostly traditional TV and Radio broadcasters.  That means we are a new media company at an old media event.  Multicast is sharing a booth with Adobe.  Our partnership with them has been mutually beneficial to both companies in the deployment of live Flash. Adobe has embraced Vidego because it combines ease of use with powerful CDN delivery of video content.

One of the rewarding things for me about working for Multicast has been to see some of the church media market be on the leading edge of new media technology.  We've noticed the NRB folks have been a little slow to embrace new media, but that is somewhat understandable since they are so heavily invested in more traditional broadcast technologies.

It will be interesting to see the blend of new vs. old media at this year's convention.

My Unplanned Experiment in Internet Deprivation

On a normal day, I spend about 18 hours a day awake.  Of the 18 hours that I am awake, I am on the Internet around 15 of those hours.  It's not that I am an online version of the couch potato - it's just that's what I do for a living.  The company I work for is the largest provider of Internet media technology to the world's faith community.  I manage two Internet media properties and supervise the design and deployment of email campaigns that total 8 million sends a month (all opted-in, no spam involved, thank you very much.) Virtually everything we do is online.  Then add to that feeding my blogging habit and time spent on Ebay looking for stuff I don't need but somehow can't live without.

I am almost never without an Internet connection.  If I find myself somewhere that doesn't have a WiFi connection, or if my home Internet connection goes down, I have a broadband card that connects me to the Internet via Verizon. 

This past Friday I was working from home when I was suddenly and unexpectedly confronted with what we PC users euphemistically refer to as the "Blue Screen of Death."  In quasi-friendly text, the screen told me that Windows had shut down to prevent damage to my computer.  If I had never seen this screen before, the ominous white-on-blue text said, I should reboot my computer.  Since I had, in fact, never seen that particular screen before, I felt mildly perturbed but nevertheless hopeful as the computer restarted.  Just a few seconds later I was greeted by a sight far worse than the Blue Screen of Death: The Black Screen of Obituary.

The words now on my formerly colorful screen basically told me that the machine could not start because it could not locate system.cmd.  In other words, "Dude, where's my hard drive?"  At that moment I knew that barring a miracle I was now the proud owner of a ridiculously expensive paperweight.  I could hear Dr. McCoy saying to Captain Kirk, "It's dead, Jim."  Or John Cleese in my head declaring "THIS IS AN EX-PC...IT HAS CEASED TO BE! 

Being the eternal optimist, I spent the next six hours trying to prove that it had not ceased to be, but was just pining for the fjords.  (Apologies to those who haven't the foggiest idea what I am talking about. The Python-impaired can click here for an explanation, or here to see what I am talking about.) Alas, six hours later I was forced to admit that I was not going to have a laptop until sometime on Monday.

Granted, there were two other laptops and two desktop PCs in my house, and an aged Mac running OS 7.  But none of those machines had the programs I needed on them, so I had to face the fact that I was going to have a non-productive weekend ahead of me.

Now this post is not to preach about the wonders of a technology fast (see previous post on that subject) or to give you a lesson in getting offline and reconnecting with real life.  Truth be told it is really just a wordy explanation/excuse for why I haven't posted since the middle of last week! 

But, for what it is worth, my "unproductive" weekend included taking my wife to dinner and a movie, reading, and knocking out several long time residents of my honey-do list.  It was, actually, kinda nice.  OK, it was very nice.

After spending most of today working with our IT folks on the resurrection of my laptop (which involved a complete return to the dreaded "factory settings"), I am now about 75% back into the land of the connected.  I was never without email access courtesy of my "Crackberry," and thankfully I didn't lose any data in the debacle. It could have been a lot worse if numerous documents, including the scope docs for our new media property launch and revisions to existing properties, had been lost.

All in all, I find myself feeling like my Calvinist friends do after they fall down the stairs: "Boy, I'm glad that's over with..."

Note to my aforementioned Calvinist friends: It's a joke.  Really. I found it, um... Irresistible.

Note to those who didn't get the joke: Click here for an explanation, or at least a definition.

God and Gadgets

What is the appropriate use of technology in the church?  When does it help and when does it hinder?  C.A. Phillips has written a thoughtful post about the danger of technology becoming a substitute for the real thing, especially in our spiritual life.  The post was inspired by a conversation about someone saying they didn't need to come to church because they could listen to the church's podcast.

Since I'm no longer on the staff of a church and not constrained by the need for diplomacy, I can say it bluntly: That's just plain stupid.  When I see a commercial for Red Lobster showing me every kind of delicious shrimp imaginable, I don't stand up, pat my belly and say, "Wow, that was great.  I'm stuffed."

There's two reasons we need to come together in worship - to be fed and to lift each other up.  A technology substitute for worship - whether it be a TV or radio broadcast, live stream, or podcast - can accomplish the feeding part, but at best it can only give you some semblance of encouragement and uplift.  You miss out on being an encouragement to others.  Being a blessing to others is a vital part of your spiritual growth.  In his famous prayer, St. Francis of Assisi wisely stated that "it is in giving that we receive."  You need personal interaction with others!

My friend Kurt Kaiser is best known for writing the song "Pass It On" in the 1970s.  He says the inspiration for that song came at a campfire.  He saw a brightly glowing ember roll away from the fire.  Almost immediately the bright glow began to dim and in just a matter of moments it was cold.  That ember needed the fire to keep glowing. In the same way, you and I need the corporate setting to realize we are a part of something bigger than ourselves.

Hebrews 10:25 says "And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." (NLT)  You'll notice that verse doesn't say anything about the "feeding" aspect of gathering together, only the encouragement part.

Let's be honest - when someone tells you they don't need to come to church because they can watch it at home, that is nothing more than a cop out.  If I don't want to come to church, one lame excuse is as good as the next one.  If it's not "I can just listen to the podcast" it would be "I can worship God just as well on the lake or the golf course."

So should we limit the availability of technology because someone will use it as an excuse to not come to church?  Absolutely not!  Why penalize the hundreds of people who will be touched, encouraged and inspired by your broadcast or podcast just because of one disingenuous person who uses it as an excuse to not come to church?  For every one who uses it as an inappropriate substitute there will be scores of folks who cannot come to church due to illness or being out of town who will use it appropriately to stay connected.

I make my living with technology, and specifically with technology that assists churches and ministries in distributing their message to a wider audience.  We help churches around the world stream their services live or on demand and to distribute podcasts and downloadble MP3s.  I can point you to case study after case study that proves conclusively when a church uses these strategies, local attendance goes up, not down.  That's because most people when they see the yummy seafood on TV want to go to Red Lobster. They aren't satisfied with just the electronic image, they want to taste and experience the real thing.

For the past few weeks I have attended the video venue at my church.  We're on the same campus, just fifty yards or so from the main auditorium.  The worship is live but when the time comes for the message, we watch Mike on a high-def screen.  It was interesting to watch the people interact with "video Mike."  They responded just as if they were in the "live" service, nodding their heads, verbally responding when appropriate, even standing in response to the invitation to say, "please pray for me." This is a prime example of where technology not only doesn't get in the way, it literally expands our territory.

Wise ministries look for ways to use technology to make them more effective at both the feeding and the encouraging components of our mission.  You can't fail to take advantage of these opportunities just because someone will use it as an excuse to not gather with the body.  That is nothing new - it was happening back in the first century since the writer of Hebrews included the line "as some people do." 

C.A. put it well in his post: "If your idea of church is listening to a sermon each week, then I guess it doesn't change much in your life."

The bottom line is this: Your goal is to communicate with honesty and integrity.  There's no reason not to use any and all technology you can to help you do that more effectively and to a wider audience.  But when you attempt to use technology to make it appear that you are something or someone that you are not, as a leader or as a church, that is wrong and eventually you will be exposed as a fraud.  Even in things technological, be sure your sins will eventually find you out.

Read C.A.'s post "Technology as a Substitute?" here.

I'm an Uber Cool Nerd

I'm sure my mom will be so proud...

HT: Christian Thinker

Check out GrowthStarts blog

My home church, NorthStar Church, sponsors a great resource that has become a daily surfing stop for me - GrowthStarts Blog.  Postings include Bible Study notes, great quotes, useful links, plus info about special classes and seminars NorthStar is hosting to help you grow in your knowledge and application of God's word and godly principles.

The blog is the work of NorthStar's Pastor of Spiritual Formation and Leadership Development, Randy Elster.  Randy is a multi-talented guy, with a background as a worship leader and incredible creative and organizational gifts... I know, imagine anyone having both of those skill sets!  Randy's blog entries here tell you a lot about the depth of his walk with the Lord.

I especially like the quotes.  Here's a recent example:

M.C. Richards: "A knowledge of the path cannot be substituted for putting one foot in front of the other."

And here's a great link from GrowthStarts:  Michael Wade from Execupundit gives a list of all-purpose scapegoats in The Blame List: 30 Culprits.

Check Out GrowthStarts.  You'll find lots of useful stuff there.  It's a great resource.

A little bit about the NorthStar Church... The church recently celebrated its tenth anniversary, and over the last decade they have become a model for church starts to emulate.  NorthStar has been recognized as one of the fastest growing church starts in the country, and that growth is a result of phenomenal involvement in the community, exciting worship, relevant messages, and an awesome staff team.  Marlon Longacre, NorthStar's Pastor of Community Development is something of a legend throughout Cobb County because of his involvement with schools, businesses, service organizations and other churches.  He was named "Citizen of the Year" in one local community because of his efforts to get NorthStar out into the community.  Over the last ten years, NorthStar has planted or assisted dozens of new church starts.

Mike Linch, NorthStar's senior pastor, is an outgoing, gregarious guy with an infectious smile and laugh. He is refreshingly transparent and his passion for people is obvious after spending five minutes with him.  He is also wonderfully devoid of a besetting ego, more so than any successful pastor I've ever met. Mike loves to talk about his team and their gifts, skills and accomplishments and will almost always deflect a complement aimed at him to them.  To top it off, he is a gifted communicator with an easygoing, conversational style whose passion for what he is sharing is evident.  I'm proud to call him my pastor and my friend.

Mike reached out to me four years ago when I was serving as worship pastor at another church in the community.  We first visited the church in 2003 when I had a Sunday off.  After leaving vocational ministry in 2005, we considered NorthStar our church home, but sadly, for the last two years we were not able to attend regularly while serving as an interim and/or part time worship leader. Since May, Fonda and I have been able to do something we have really never been able to do in our married life - just attend church and be a worshiper and a learner.  It has been so refreshing for us.

Being a longtime veteran and sometime victim of the so-called worship wars, it is so refreshing to go to a contemporary church that is attended by a diverse blend of generations, cultures and social strata.  NorthStar is a wonderful melting pot of different people who are committed to "show God's love in such a way that people would exchange ordinary living for an extraordinary life through the transforming power of Jesus Christ."

NorthStar is going through an awesome season of ministry right now, and we are thrilled to be there to watch God work.

Sunday Morning Surprise

My wife and I haven't taken a Sunday off in over a year.  I mean really off, not just leading worship somewhere else.  About a week ago we decided to take April 1st off.  No foolin'.

At the time we thought our children were going to be house sitting for a friend.  The friend's trip ended up not happening, so now our Sunday off plans included our kids.  No problem there, we love to do stuff with our kids, and with our schedules of late, time together has been precious and rare.

Early this morning I got a phone call from the Bahamas that changed our plans right away.  CNN was doing a profile, or actually a series of segments on "The Worship Experience" and they were highlighting Streaming Faith.  The morning quickly morphed into a series of calls with co-workers, clients, friends, and, oh, yeah, a quick call to Chicago to alert tech support that they were about to be slammed with a huge increase in our already large Sunday morning traffic.

Surprisingly, the CNN segments were incredibly positive, as were all of the teasers and on air talent banter about the subject.  It was obvious the reporter, T.J. Holmes, and the on air hosts were very sympathetic to church in general and online worship in particular.  When the main clip aired again just after 10 am EST, another anchor reviewed the e-mail responses from CNN viewers to the idea of attending church online.

While most of those resposes were positive, a former Catholic priest stated, "I am not for that at all" referring to online worship attendance.  He cited the fact that you could only experience community in person. 

That may be true, but increasing numbers of people are turning away from church and others are unable to attend due to physical limitations.  The church needs to reach out to those folks as well.

Online worship will never take the place of assembling together face to face.  But we must use every means at our disposal to reach both of those groups.

See the main video segment here. 

If you are not a regular reader of this blog, in the real world, Alan is Director of Web Operations for Multicast Media Networks in Atlanta and serves as the Managing Editor of their faith-based online communities, including Streaming Faith.