This post is part of our series ‘Direct Mail and Church, A Love Story’.

The design is done, now you just need to figure out who gets this awesome mailer you just created. There are several administrative tasks to accomplish before you are ready to mail. Think of them as a check list. The only thing more boring than this part of the process is reading an article about it, so I will keep it brief.

Addresses

Earlier in the process, you decided who this mail piece was directed at or who your target audience is. This can be as specific as “young families with children under 12″ if you like. Once you have decided on you target demographic, you have to buy the mail list. Typically, the mail house you use can also label and drop the individual pieces at the post office for you. The more specific you get with your target, the more expensive the mail list will be. Depending on how many ZIP codes you buy and the population density of those areas, do not be alarmed at the cost. The mail list can be one of the most expensive parts of the mailer process.

Indicia and Other Details

Most of the time, the mail house will take care of these details for you, but when things go wrong with direct mail, they most likely are because the return address or the indicia. The indicia is the little square where the stamp would normally go, it contains the permit info and tells the post office who to charge for the bulk mail fees. If your return address does not match exactly with what the post office has on file for the permit number in the indicia, they will not mail your piece. Not only that, most of the time they will not tell you there is a problem. It probably is no surprise, but post offices can be very difficult to work with. Double check the indicia and return address, make sure the font and formatting are exactly as they should be. Keep the space for addresses clear of everything but white space.

Drop Date

Picking a drop date is an art form. The drop date is the day you plan to drop your individual mailers to the post office for delivery. Unless you can afford first class postage, you have little control over when the mailers get put in the mailbox. Typically, the post office will do it when they feel like it, but roughly speaking, you can expect the mailers to hit homes 3-5 days after you drop. The tricky part is figuring out when you want the mailers to get to the homes and then counting backwards.

Weekends are a bad day to get mail, the best target day is Wednesday or Thursday for mail to arrive. If you want people to respond by coming to church on a weekend, it would be a good idea to drop the mailers at the post office on the Friday of the prior week. The best thing to remember when going through the detail part of a direct mail campaign is to pay close attention. There is no need (or room) for creativity, so just get the checklist done on time.

So, just to review:

• Addresses: Look at a map and pick out the closest ZIP codes to your location
• Indicia: Do EXACTLY what the post office says
• Return Address: If you have moved or changed names, this needs to be updated with the post office internally
• Drop Date: Unless you can afford first class mail, you will have to guess when your mailer will hit

Because they are religious pornography. I hope that none of you have ever seen a porn movie, and I’m not going to suggest that you go watch one so you’ll have a frame of reference. But let’s be frank, the only thing porn is good for is showing naked people get it on. If that’s what you want to see, then you’ll like any porn movie. The story will be entirely absurd if there even is one, the acting is… beside the point, and technically the whole production would be imbrued with bland insipidity. So why watch?

It’s all just a ruse to get people naked! It’s sex exploitation, and it can hardly be called filmmaking or storytelling.

Christian movies follow the same formula – sans the nudity. The entire film serves as an excuse to dispense the gospel without regard for what makes a movie a categorically good movie. These are “God Exploitation” films, and if all you want to see is people believing in God, then you’ll like them. Just like if all you want to see is naked people, you’ll like porn. It serves no other purpose.

I just made a huge generalization of an entire genre – which even the idea of Christians having their own genre is troubling… that’s another article – but I don’t want to just vilify these types of films either. So if you’re still with me let’s talk about some of the specific problems that most “Christian” movies suffer from, and maybe we can have a conversation that will help elevate the excellence of films that contain the message of Jesus.

Story: Written by the right people

The source of the story issues in these movies comes from the source of the movie. Why is this movie being made? Why was it written? Who was it written by? Most of the time you will find that these movies were not written by writers, screenwriters or even story tellers, but by pastors and other christians who just want to use cinema to share their faith. Yet, they have no creative story telling ability. It’s like this:

If I was an upholsterist – maybe I’m the best upholsterist in the world! – I would not build a car in order to put my seats in it! I don’t know the first thing about making a car. It would be one of the worst vehicles ever made! This car would suck, and nobody would say, “Well…it’s not that bad. These seats are fantastic!!” Nope, I would just have a reputation for producing lousy cars, not for being an amazing uphosterist.

So what happens here is the message of Jesus is packaged in a terrible film and rendered utterly worthless. You wouldn’t sit in a car that didn’t run no matter how awesome the seats were.

Story: Written for the right reasons

Story comes first. I’m not saying you’re doing this for the wrong reasons. I’m saying your finding the story for the wrong reasons. You find a story, and then you figure out what it means and what it’s saying. If you are an artist you know that what is a huge part of your life generally influence your art. Your passions come through when you create. So when you write, if Jesus is genuinely a passion of yours, you’ll find him in your art. He will be laced through every facet of your story. Story is wrapped in lessons and meaning, not the other way around. If you’re trying to tell stories for Jesus focus on the art of story, and Jesus will be in it.

Actors: Hire real ones

Plainly… the acting is almost always horrendous. Why? Because they don’t use seasoned actors who know their trade. I’d be willing to bet that most of the time the criteria for acting in a “christian” movie is first, “Are they a ‘believer’?”, and then “Can they act?” This more than story is often the most distracting part about christian made movies.

Raise the money, and hire real actors.

Production: sweat the small stuff

This has been improving over the years. In fact, this area of indie filmmaking has probably seen the most improvement in quality over any other. With the advent of HD video all low-budget productions – not just christian ones – are able to create a film with a relatively hight production value for much less than in the past. But they still have to know how to use all of these newly found and affordable tools; and even if they do it still doesn’t solve all the problems. It’s pretty obvious when all you have is an awesome camera, and no talent.

Honestly, if your story is amazing, and your acting is impeccable, but your production value is pretty weak your final product will still be pretty competitive in an indie market. But if the story’s lame and the acting is abysmal it doesn’t matter how awesome your lighting framing or sound is, it’s going to be a pretty poor movie. And this, unfortunately, is the problem that plagues most, perhaps all, movies with a christian label.

Budget: don’t skimp

Most of the other issues above – save maybe the story – can be solved if an adequate budget is given to the film. Talented actors and crew members can almost always be hired on a set given the right price. This, to me, is one of the most confusing problems these movies have, and one that I don’t know that I have the answer to. We’ll spend 10s or even 100s of millions of dollars on buildings for our church community, but we can’t seem to raise more than about 500k for a film? What this says to me is that the church doesn’t see filmmaking as an effective means to share the message of Jesus. I’ll contend that we haven’t done it effectively yet, but maybe that’s because we’ll only invest a small fraction of what it would take to do it right – and all the reason listed above.

Just make it good.

I agree with Derek Webb who said, “There is no such thing as christian music. There is good music, and bad music.” I believe this to be true in film as well. If artists who are also followers of Jesus pour their life into their art, you will find Jesus in it. We need to stop being so focused on forcing the message of Jesus into creative mediums, and focus more on being masters of our craft. Jesus will make himself known through the excellence of our work. If you’re trying to make a film who’s purpose is to promote the message of Jesus don’t treat it like a tract, then it just becomes propaganda. Treat it like art.

Propaganda is just obnoxious. Art is powerful.

There is a lot more I would like to say on this subject, but that will have to wait for a later post. That said, here are two questions I’d like to focus on:

1. What do you think the “Christian movie” industry should do to improve their reputation for producing lousy movies?
2. Do you think there should even be a “christian” genre of film?

Speak up!

This post is part of our series ‘Direct Mail and Church, A Love Story’. Tune in next week for the next installment.

Scene 2: A Book is Only Worth its Cover

Congratulations, you have decided to mail! I sure hope you know what you are doing. If not, this post will help you figure some things out. If you just want a few pointers, skip to the highlights at the end of the post.

First things first, understand the problem: you need to make what is essentially a piece of junk mail not seem like junk mail. The way you accomplish this will be your church’s custom solution. You believe in your message and care deeply that the person who receives the mailer responds positively. However, the guy selling cars or insurance also believes about his message and wants the person receiving his mailer to respond in a certain way.

The biggest factor and first step in convincing your target individual to not dump your piece in the trash is the look and feel of it. Basically, your mailer has to make an impression on a person for longer than 1 second. In that 1 second, their eyes will absorb your visual message and their brain will interpret and apply it. Believe it or not, what your mailer communicates visually is more important than what it actually says. Visual cues are received and judgments are made instantly. What the individual experiences in those split seconds will determine if they read or not.

Size Does Matter
The size and shape of your mail piece are definitely things to spend a lot of time thinking about. Both factors play a huge part in whether or not your mailer gets noticed right out of the mailbox. If it is too big and bulky, it can be nuisance or be assumed to be junk mail along with the bulk mail ads and coupons. If it is too small, it can get lost in the shuffle or wedged in a copy of Cosmopolitan… pause for irony. The truth is, you CAN mail just about anything these days. I have heard of churches mailing paper plates as an invite to community picnic and one church even mailed balls with the tagline, “Come have a ball with us!”

There is a standard “church size” mailer out there: the tri-fold 11×17 paper with the tabbed clasp. Unfortunately, if you live in a church-mail saturated community like me, these sized pieces have lost their affect. Think long and hard about the size of your mailer by asking these questions:

• How much content do we really need?
• What do we want people to do with this mail piece if they keep it?
• Does it fit in the mailboxes in our target community?

The answers to these questions will help you land on a size. If your goal is to get people to put the mailer on the refrigerator, than a hug mailer is probably not the best way to go. Instead, try a oversized postcard (5.5” x 8.5”). If you are communicating a simple message, you can probably get away with a smaller mail piece that is two-sided as opposed to feeling the need to fill up space inside a large pamphlet.

The paper weight and texture are also factors to consider. Personally, I love the heavy, glossy mail pieces I get because the sharp corners make great toothpicks. If I am mailing a post card, I prefer a matte finish with about 110 cover stock. Your printer should be able to give you options and a good designer should have an idea what would look good as well.

Design and Visual Message
Speaking of designers, make sure you have a good one working on your mail piece. Often times, the person with the creative mind who is familiar with print collateral is the most qualified to make decisions but they end up being put in the corner while pastors and church leaders try to cram words into every bit of white space possible. Empower and trust your design person to make important decisions about your mail piece.

The visual message is the most important thing when it comes to a mail piece. (Read that sentence again and put it on a Post It note on your computer.) Churches often try to create images that visually “stand out” but in doing so, they sacrifice their key message. A few examples of this: I once received a mailer from a church nearby that featured an image on the front of a baby chewing on an electrical cord that was plugged in to a power socket in a wall. The headline was something about preparing to be shocked and the design was excellent, but the message to me as a parent was disturbing. Typically, women and stay-at-home moms check the mail, I can imagine this image was even more negative for them. Even though the image stood out and I took time to absorb it, my first experience with that church was a negative one. Their mailer evoked a negative response from me… always bad.

Your mail piece design should create a visual message that stands out in a positive way.

Similarly, avoid asking questions with your mailer’s headline. A recent mailer I saw said “Are you depressed?” with the picture of a woman sitting with her head in her hands in a dark room. A negative message that caused me to say, “No, I am not depressed” and throw it in the trash. The problem with asking the question is that people will consciously answer that question in the head and their answer can be an reason not to come. Basically, questions warrant answers like: “No, I am not depressed and if I was, I would not admit it to you, therefore I am not coming to your church,” or “No, I don’t ‘Got Jesus‘ and I am doing just fine with out Him.”

Think about what your visual message is and how it works with your overall goal of the mail piece. Often times, these sorts of discussions lead to new ways of doing things.

In general, your church can stand out from other churches and mail pieces by being unique in its design. Avoid the typical design trends that are overused by churches: grunge, swirly vectors, simplistic, and even retro 80’s. Visually, these styles automatically categorize your mail piece and can cause the recipient to mentally file it in a box in the attic.

Here are a few key pointers when designing a direct mail piece:

• The visual message is more important than the content.
• Decide on the size and paper before starting anything else.
• Trust the instincts of your designers and creatives.
• No negative visuals!
• Avoid asking questions, just give facts.
• Be unique in your design by avoiding overused design trends.

Next week, I will cover the dirty details of the mailer (mailhouse rates, questions to ask, etc). In the meantime, what are your experiences with good and bad church mailer design? Share below.

Scene 1: To Mail or Not to Mail

It can not be found in any canonized Scripture, but we are pretty sure sometime after the Ascension, the early Church purchased a demographic study of the Roman Empire, designed a 5.5” by 11” mailer, and sent it by chariot and carrier pigeon to the most densely populated ZIP codes around their local catacombs.

The result was “thousands added to their number daily,” as it says in Acts 2.

Obviously I exaggerate, but the fervor and blind ambition with which many churches mail these days would almost suggest my hermeneutic is not that blasphemous after all. Like clockwork in the Fall and Spring months, suburbanites across America can expect their mailboxes to be filled to the brim with all sorts of cheesy headlines and attention-grabbing images from local churches trying to woo them in to their “church that isn’t like any other church anywhere.” Somewhere along the way, direct mail has become a sacred cow and this series of posts is designed to help you determine if it still has a place in your community and if so, how to do it right.

Right now, churches are beginning to put together their mail pieces for Fall (aka Back to School). This season and Easter are the two periods when churches typically mail and experience attendance surges. When trying to decide whether or not to mail, it is a good idea to look at your church’s attendance patterns. If you are like most local bodies, you experience the same bump around mid to late August when families settle back into their routines and return from vacation. Typically, churches who mail try to capitalize on this trend by sending out a mail piece, but that might not make much sense. If the growth trend happens naturally around this time, it seems it might make more sense to seek out ways to retain newcomers than to woo new ones. A different approach may be to drop your mailer during an off-peak season. By doing this, your mailer would have a monopoly in religious mass mail section of the individual mailbox and you could better isolate the effectiveness of the mail project by comparing to previous off-peak attendance numbers.

The stats in favor of mailing aren’t that strong either. In the business/commercial world, a response rate of 1% is considered decent. Basically, if I mail out a coupon for 10% off merchandise in my store to 100,000 people and 1000 use the coupon, it was a success. But the average return for church mailers is even smaller. In terms of customer commitment, a 10% off coupon requires little of the customer except to come to the store and shop. But a church mailer asks people to step out of their routine or comfort zone, pack up the family on a weekend morning and enter a new church with all its stigmas and flaws. A much tougher sale. If a church gets .5% return on its mailer it can be considered a miracle.

Direct mail pros always contend that a single mail piece will not be as successful as a direct mail campaign… a planned and timed series of mailers to the same group of high value targets. Unfortunately, not many churches have the budget for this sort of marketing.

At recent planning session with a church staff, I asked those in attendance to list all the possible ways people in the surrounding community send and receive info on a daily basis. The final list looked something like this:

1. cell phone/text
2. face to face
3. email
4. websites
5. Facebook
6. TV
7. mail

Then I asked the same group to arrange those things in order of how much time/money/staff they spend on them:

1. mail
2. email
3. website
4. Facebook
5. face to face
6. cell phone/text
7. TV

Do you see the disconnect? The two lists are basically inverted mirror images of each other. A better use of the church’s time and money would be spent developing a communication strategy that uses the channels that the community is already used to: text, grassroots, email, and web 2.0. According to the first list, little or no resources should be devoted to mailing because they all concede that mail is largely ignored in their community.  I would suspect that the majority of churches in America would also generate similar lists.

Newcomer response (used with permission)

This begs the question, why do we mail at all? The short, inadequate answer is:  because that is what we have always done. But a direct mail campaign can be effective and is not always a waste of money. For starters, a church or organization who has the capital available can use a target mail campaign to extend it’s brand and profile within the community. The more people see and and get used to the logo/brand, the more comfortable they will be with it and the more prominent it will be in their conscious. This is marketing 101 and is the basis for the “all publicity is good publicity” theory. Still, there are better ways to accomplish this that do not consume as many resources as a mail project. Recently, a megachurch in my area launched a marketing campaign to assist the grand opening of their new building and Stc was there to track how things went. Several forms of marketing were used including TV, grassroots, social, web, and direct mail. In the end, the stats showed that the mail piece was not a great success and those resources could have been better spent on the grassroots stuff. (see chart)

Ultimately, it boils down to what works for your church and your community. This first post is not meant to talk you out of direct mail but to get you to think about this question before charging head long into an expensive mailer without thought: “Is a direct mail piece right for our church right now?” The best way to approach this question is to start with the desired end result and work backwards. If your goal is to raise awareness about your church in your community some other options may be to do a major service project and attract local media attention (free advertising), or to make thousands of invite cards and give them to your regular attenders to distribute to friends. If your goal is to bring 100 new families to the church for one weekend, then a well-done mail piece that hits 50,000 homes in your area may be the best option after all.

If you have decided to mail, stay tuned for out next post in this series: Always Judge a Book by its Cover. If not, what is your church doing, if anything, to communicate with the community?

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Deep V-neck shirts. Designer jeans. Custom Toms. Messenger bags holding an assortment of Apple products.  Salon hair massaged with product. Perhaps even a tattoo peaking out of a flurry of chest hair. No, it’s not a contestant from Design Star, its probably your worship leader.

Styles have always changed and adapted, and modern worship leaders have always had their own sub-culture: a mix between tradition and MTV.  Yesterday it was Journey and the NIV, today its Coldplay and Bible iPhone apps. Native habitats of the modern worship leader include the Apple Store, Buckle, American Apparel, indie record stores, and any place serving hummus.

Today’s modern worship movement features songs steeped in programming, delay, 4 on the floor kick patterns, and every keyboardist’s nightmare: pads. The environment has changed as well. Floor monitors are replaced with in-ears, set list CD’s are replaced with Planning Center, and PowerPoint is replaced with Propresenter. Concert lighting and fog machines help set the mood. Popular songs include All Because of Jesus, Song of Hope, How He Loves, and Everlasting God.

Now these are of course generalities that don’t begin to sum up all of the different styles and genres we have today. Additionally, none of these observations question the integrity or leadership of an individual. These observations may not describe your resident worship leader, but I think we can agree that we have, at one point or another, come into contact with this “modern” or  “pop” leader.

But where have we come from? What trends have we come out of? Let’s take a look at some of the roots of today’s modern style worship leader. We will discover some key qualifiers to help you identify some stylistic evolutions.

Frankie Says Lift Your Name on High

Mullets, perms, silk shirts, and Dockers (acid wash jeans for the contemporary service). Perhaps a pastel jacket paired with penny loafers. These are a few identifiers of the 80’s worship leader. Songs tended to drip with chorus and flanger, and bands took their cues from sheet music. The 80’s worship leader favored colored, foam-topped mics for the vocalists.  Almost every song had an electric guitar or synth solo, and the drum sets had to be loaded in through the bay doors in back (thanks, Phil Collins). Musical weapons of choice included Kurzweil and Roland keyboards, Yamaha baby grands, and Jackson electric guitars with Picasso paint jobs (the acoustic guitar was still to come as a worship regular).  Regardless of service or style type, a Bolo tie was always the right choice for neck dress. Key 80’s worship songs include As The Deer, The Battle Belongs to the Lord, Awesome God, and of course… Lord I Lift Your Name on High.

Hootie Could Sing of Your Love Forever

The 90’s worship leader loved technology. Cell phones were usually clipped onto a leather-braided belt just below a tucked in short sleeve shirt (perhaps Tommy Bahama). Acid washed jeans began to give way to stone washed, and Bolo’s gave way to “sport your flare” ties.  The outdated “mic on a stand” was replaced with the headset mic…though the huge mic capsule and foam cover stayed (this is an important factor…it allows you marvel at the fact that YOUR worship leader has a HEADSET mic).  This was of course attached to a belt pack the size of a VCR (clipped next to the cell phone). Drum sets were replaced with every sound guy’s dream: electric drums. Tube amps were replaced with solid state and guitar effects were replaced with the multi-effects processor. Acoustic guitars replaced the keyboards as the main worship instrument, and Ovations were the acoustic guitar of choice. If you ever had to lead a song from the baptismal you were good to go…those synthetic bodies wouldn’t warp in water! Shakers, chimes, and percussion sets rounded out the 90’s worship sound.  Sheet music was replaced with chord charts, and the overhead projector gave way to PowerPoint. The 90’s featured “worship choruses” which would become the staple among church services for years to come. Key 90’s worship songs include: I Could Sing of Your Love Forever, Open the Eyes of My Heart, Shout to the Lord, and Better is One Day.

Clash of the Worship Titans

The 5-year period after the turn of the millennium brought some very memorable styles within the worship leading culture, including an array of Christian slogan shirts. In the event someone wasn’t sporting Abercrombie, you might catch him or her in a “Know Fear,” “Pick Jesus,” or “His Pain, Your Gain,” shirt. These were of course accented with puka shells, leather sandals, and cargo shorts. Hair was spiked with some good old L.A Looks, and bleached tips ran rampant. Carabiners replaced cell phones as the belt décor of choice, and jeans began to see the modern age of distress and bedazzle. Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, and the rest of the Passion movement dominated the late 90’s and 2000’s with anthem after worship anthem.  Following in Tomlin’s footsteps, goatees thrived (though cut shorter than the 90’s goatee…except for the case of David Crowder and Charlie Hall). Synth strings gave way to pads, drum kits began to sneak back amongst the V-Drums, and delay became a lead guitarist’s best friend. Tubes and analog tone returned among the solid-state amps and digital processing. Worship leaders began to trade in their acoustics for Telecasters and Strats and their PowerPoint slides for MediaShout. Key songs of 2000-20005 include Famous One, Blessed Be Your Name, and God of Wonders.

That brings us up to the last 5 years, where labels abound and pop culture continues to evolve.  “Traditional” seems to mean “archaic, “ contemporary” ironically now means “traditional,” and “blended” means “no one is happy”.  “Modern” gives way to “post-modern”, which gives way to “minimalism” which gives way to “neo-traditionalism”. However you label it, worship leaders continue to evolve their styles to engage and invite the surrounding communities to join in the conversation. What we call “traditional” used to be cutting edge. Many hymns were Christian lyrics set to the tunes of bar songs, so if a drunk stumbled into church they would know the melody!  The music may change but the message stays the same. The beauty of the whole thing is that worship is so much more than music. Worship is giving God the rightful place of authority in your life.  When God’s fame is the focus of your endeavors, He is glorified.  I truly believe that our God loves to hear praise in every sort of style and genre when our hearts are in the right place, though sometimes we may look a little ridiculous doing it.

So these are some of my observations… what are yours?

I love to play computer games. As a child I enjoyed them, as a teenager I played them and now as an adult I still enjoy computer games. They fascinate me, I played Burger Time on an ATXT, before that I had an Atari 2400 and played Paddle Tank. I’ve played Space Quest, Kings Quest and every Mario version there was. I’ve played StarCraft, Quake, Doom, Duke Nukem, Unreal and Diablo. Today I play Halo 3, Gears of War 2, Call of Duty and Fable.

Sure they can be a distraction and yes, I think they can be addictive.  I believe that there is such a thing as playing too much computer games and the stories these days are epic in computer games, the budgets are bigger. Big name actors play major roles in computer games. Graphics are better, game play is more immersive, multiplayer is better and there is more interaction and emotion. The gaming industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and its not just teenagers playing.

Here are some gaming industry facts, according to the Entertainment Software Association :

• In 2008, gaming software sales grew 22.9% to $11.7Billion
• 68% of American households play games.
• The average gamer is 35 and has been playing 12 years.
• 40% of gamers are women.
• 63% of parents believe games are a positive influence.

So why can’t we talk about God in games? Look at the character of the Master Chief in Halo. This genetically enhanced being, Spartan 117 is genetically designed for one purpose, to protect humanity. The Master Chief rarely speaks, never gets angry, is a good listener and is willing to do anything to rescue humanity. He will risk life and forgo his own self for a cause greater than himself. This unlikely character battles the forces of evil relentlessly in an effort to carve out a better world for humanity.

Isn’t that similar to Jesus’ mission? Jesus who was sent to earth to give up his life, so that we might live.  John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that he gave up his one and only son.” Strange, the Master Chief is the last of his kind, a Spartan 4 solider. When you peel back the layers of this game you start to find Biblical undertones.

Perhaps Call of Duty is another example, simple stories of soldiers in epic battles to make the world a better place. War forges friendship, it is a place where the band of brothers concept is formed. For years in Christian circles we have talked about these concepts in men’s ministries. More to the point, these unlikely characters come together on one common purpose, to rescue humanity from a greater threat. Kinda like the Apostles and the Disciples in the New Testament. Unlikely people coming together for a common purpose.

What about Marcus Fenix in Gears of War? The anti-hero who’s life is changed by an encounter with the locust horde. Suddenly and enemy becomes the worlds greatest ally. That story kind of reminds me of Paul’s journey to God and his encounter on the road to Damascus. Saul becomes Paul, an enemy becomes a friend and humanity has a new hero fighting for Jesus.

Many modern films carry on the same motif. The Matrix is littered with Messianic references. Neo is a computing nerd who is the savior for humanity. Isn’t that kinda similar to the Galilean who rescues the world from their sin? Luke Skywalker is born on a desert planet in some backwater part of the galaxy, turns out he is humanities last home. Even more recently Jake Sully is the lone person who can rescue the nation. Each one is a messianic figure, sure there are layers of New Age religion and Philosophy, but they give us a perfect point to teach the real story at heart.

Jesus.

Jesus frames everything that we see in modern media. Spend enough time in the words of God, and the stories in games start to look similar to those in scripture. Some are even blatant about it, Darksiders is about one of the 4 horseman. Sure the eschatology is horrible, but it gives us a chance to tell the REAL story. The key is learning to examine culture, see the bright spots and leverage the conversation to tell the real story of Jesus, God and Scripture. The stories of games may not be right, or even close to it. There, buried below the surface, is some hidden truth which we can leverage for a conversation about God.

Back in March, Ron Merrell submitted a post to the first-ever Guest Blogger Derby here on Stc. Since his post generated the most discussion on Twitter, Facebook and Disqus, he won a brand-spankin’ new iPad. Of course it wasn’t totally free — we made him write a review of it for your reading pleasure. You can read his iPad-winning post here and the review below.

Meet iPad.  He’s definitely the coolest thing I’ve ever owned.  He’s a brilliant picture of where cool technology is headed.  He’s a slim, cool, social media hipster.  He’s a good-looking, cool, digital reader.  He’s a cool, lean-mean-app machine.

Did I mention he’s cool?  Because iPad is really, really cool.

With that said, I’m still trying to figure out the iPad’s real purpose in my week.  Between my iPhone and my MacBook is the iPad, and while it’s definitely the coolest of the trio, you can tell it’s still trying to find itself.

My two-year-old son, Brody, has dubbed the iPad the “big phone.”

Actor, Rainn Wilson, tweeted about his iPad back in April saying,  “I wish my iPad were smaller and made calls, or that it folded up and had a keyboard.”

I’ve started referring to the iPad as the El Camino.  Chevrolet once released a vehicle that was half sedan, half pickup truck.  In trying to do both things well, it ended up doing neither very well – although lots of people thought the El Camino was cool.  Especially if you were a middle-aged, heavy-set, white guy who smoked.

I’m fast approaching both middle-agedness and heaviness, and with the El Camino thankfully no longer in existence, I’m magnetically drawn to the iPad.

So after a month of playing with it, here’s what I really like about the iPad and here’s what’s a little weird about it:

What I Really Like:

• The Interface of the Apps. The base apps for photos, music, mail, calendar, etc. are all incredibly clean, beautifully designed, and easy to use.  Way better than on the iPhone or Macbook.

• The Movie-Watching Capability. So far we’ve got the most actual use of the iPad in portable-movie-screen mode with our boys.  Plane flights and car rides have been awesome with our movies on the HD screen.

• Certain Additional Apps. There’s a Dictation app by Dragon that is really cool for transcribing sermons as you preach – although its accuracy is a little dodgy so far.  I like the USA Today newspaper app.  I never read the newspaper until now.  Tweetdeck for iPad makes me feel like Tom Cruise in Minority Report diving into Twitter World.  A free Logos Bible Software app for iPad is really, really cool – although mildly cumbersome and hard to navigate.  A pretty sweet IndyCar app has kept me up to date with live timing and scoring for races – and there are similar ones that seem really amazing for NBA, MLB, and NFL.  If you’ve got little kids, Disney makes a few interactive books for iPad.  The one for Toy Story has been heavily used by Braddock and Brody so far.

• Battery Life. This thing is the Energizer bunny of iThings.  I took a 24-hour trip out of state with it.  For a whole day, I tweeted, checked email, surfed the web, watched FOUR movies, and only used 70% of its battery life.

What’s a Little Weird:

• Typing On It. I’ve yet to master it.  Originally, I set out to actually write this article on it.  But after 3 days had passed and I was still on the second sentence, I switched over to my laptop.  If you’re going to do a lot of typing on it, definitely opt for the external keyboard.

• Angle of View. If you’re just reading on it, you’re probably fine.  Just pick which orientation you like best, horizontal or vertical, and you’re set.  If you need to interact with the screen AND read, it’s a different story.  I’ve found myself hunching over it a lot or trying to figure a way to prop it up at an angle without it sliding off my lap or my desk.  I think the optional stand for it would be helpful as well.

• Pretty Easy to Fill Up. Between all the apps you can load up – and especially media like music and movies – the iPad fills up pretty quickly.  Keep the movies off and you’ve got room for days.  A couple good HD flicks on it and you’ll be maxed out quickly.  It’s more like your iPhone in this regard.

• There’s No Cover. It’s not like your iPhone that you typically carry in a pocket – or purse.  You’re either going to be carrying it like a little book or throwing it in a backpack or bag – often up against books or your laptop – and you’ll feel like it’s going to get scratched easily.  Even if it won’t get scratched easily you’ll feel like it’s going to.  Splurge for one of the sleeves or notebook-style covers for it.

I’m sure I’ll continue to get a handle on all the amazing stuff this thing can do.  The iPad is assuredly a sign of things to come. In about 3 years, I can see the iPad setting the stage for all sorts of ministry applications – like a simple, powerful way to consolidate Planning Center cues, sermon notes, ProPres slides, Bible verses, audio recordings, and countdown apps all from an iPulpit.

Right now, though, it’s best application for me has been for my family’s own personal enjoyment as an entertainment center and learning tool for my boys.  I’m sure it won’t be long before every home with kids has a “big phone” in it.  Better than having an El Camino, that’s for sure!

P.S.  I’ve got a new friend who may benefit from the iPad even more than I.  The best ministry value for it right now may be giving it away – either for someone else’s pleasure or financial benefit.  The heart of SHRINKthechurch is to see the church get back to embracing the connectedness of its people. Giving this sucker away, like they gave it me, might be the next article on the journey of this particular iPad.  And it might be the best ministry application for it in my life.  I’ll keep you posted.

Hajj pilgrim at prayer in al-Haram Mosque in Mecca. Photo by Ali Mansuri.

On September 11, 2001, I walked out of my classroom at Mesa Community College and saw a group of people huddled around a television. The TV was about 15 feet away from me. Little did I know that those 15 feet would be the first steps on my journey to becoming a peacemaker. You can read about it here.

I wish I could say that I was level- headed; that I patiently waited for the facts to unfold, and that I didn’t jump to quick conclusions. But, that wasn’t the case. I began ranting about revenge, expressing a syncretistic faith that was strange mix of nationalism and Christian clichés.

Fortunately, God used the loving rebuke of good friends to lead me to repent of my unloving attitudes and embrace this peacemaking journey. This journey has landed me in the homes of Saudis, Iranians, Pakistanis, Lebanese, Palestinians, and more.  Some people are afraid of these places. My only fear is that I will get cavities from all of the sugary tea I drink.

As sweet as the tea is, I’ve developed even sweeter friendships with many Muslims. True, we have theological disagreements. They want me to become a Muslim and I want them to follow Jesus. However, our mutual respect for each other has created a good context for fruitful dialogue.

I would encourage you to choose the road of gospel-centered peacemaking, but if you would rather be bitter and afraid, I’ve sarcastically compiled a list of five things you can do to cultivate a crippling and irrational fear of Muslims. Unfortunately, I speak from experience.

1. Read lots of “End Times” Fiction

That’s right. Fill your bookshelves with Left Behind books and your walls with strange “End Times” charts. The more newspaper clippings you can add to your chart, the better. Start making predictions about when the rapture will happen, speculating about the anti-Christ, and stocking your cupboards with canned foods (for the tribulation, of course). Soon enough, you will be very afraid.

2. Shape your worldview around email forwards from your crazy Uncle Howard

You may not have an Uncle Howard, but everyone has that distant relative or friend from high school whose goal in life is to forward the latest conspiracy theory to the masses. If you read the Bible or listen to wise people, they will lead you to a loving, nuanced, view of the world and God’s redemptive plans. Therefore, if you really want to fear Muslims, let your worldview be shaped by the crazy emails that talk about Obama’s secret Muslim agenda or how France will soon be the next Islamic Republic. Just be sure to forward the email to 10 friends, or else…

3. Love Politics More Than God

Gotta be honest, I’m politically fickle. I bounce back and forth from center-right to center-left like a ping-pong ball.  I’m not the best guy to take advice from, but I do know that Scripture teaches that government is a good thing, but not the ultimate thing. If you are going to cultivate crippling fear in your life, then you need to make politics your “everything”. You need to view your political ideology as your savior and your favorite news pundits as your prophets. Soon enough, your daily devotions will be 30 minutes of the oh-so-edifying political talk radio. Your life will certainly lack joy, but you will have plenty of fear to fill in the gap.

4. Don’t befriend Muslims

If you want to be afraid of Muslims, then I wouldn’t recommend becoming friends with them. Muslims typically make great friends and this might confuse your black and white categories. Befriending them might result in humanizing them or even appreciating them. That would truly thwart your plans to fear them.

5. Selectively Read Your Bible

The Bible is filled with pesky commands about loving your neighbors, being a peacemaker, not being filled with fear, welcoming foreigners into the land, and thinking about issues with wisdom. So, if you want to continue in your fear of Muslims, then you will want to avoid these Scriptures. The problem is, the Bible is filled with them. The only way to maintain your status as a Muslim-fearer, will be to either not read your Bible at all (just get audio sermons from you crazy uncle Howard) or limit your reading to isolated verses that are out of context and obscure passages that are highly debated.

The Bible says that perfect love casts out fear. Frankly, I think the reverse is true as well: Perfect fear casts out love.  Fear and love are like oil and water, like peanut butter and guacamole, like the Los Angeles Clippers and winning. They just don’t go together. In this interconnected world, we face an important choice. Will we pimped by the proponents of fear or gripped by the love of God in Christ?

If it’s too good to be true, you can probably find it online. At least, that is how the new version of that wise old saying goes. Today, the web has made possible a soft tech market where supply is endless and demand does not really matter. The winner in this economy is you, the consumer. There are plenty of free tools and resources on the web and we are going to help you find some of them. Each of these listed below can be used by your church and staff to help do what you do but better, with more efficiency and cheaper.

But first, take a look at your budget. Can you afford free? Ok then, lets get started.

For Your Website

BowserLab by Adobe (https://browserlab.adobe.com)
If you are a web designer, you may already know about this web-based tool created by the good folks at Adobe. If you are not a designer, you should get familiar with it. One of the most difficult steps in building a website is making it cross-browser compatible. Unfortunately, over half of the world still uses Internet Explorer to view sites and the other half something else, you want to make sure your website looks good for all of them. This free tool allows you to view your site with any browser you choose.

Google Analytics (http://www.google.com/analytics)
You can put a big “duh!” next to this one, but I will mention it nonetheless. Google Analytics sets the standard for web traffic analytics and even rivals some of its not-so-free counterparts. All you need is a Google account and a few lines of code embedded in your site and you are ready to roll.

W3C Validator (http://validator.w3.org/)
In the ever-changing world of the web, it is important to have design and function standards. It is not smart to build a house without a contractor and it isn’t smart to have a website that isn’t standards compliant. The W3C features a free validator tool that scans your code and highlights errors worth fixing. Run your current website through this tool and see what happens.

For the Social Stuff

SocialOomph (http://www.socialoomph.com/)
Twitter can be a pain to manage and maintain but SocialOomph makes it easy for you. The free version of this web-based tool allows you send welcome message to new followers, auto-follow (and unfollow), and sends you reports of mentions, messages and trends with your username. For a church with little time to devote to social media, this tool can keep your Twitter profile fresh for you.

CoTweet (http://cotweet.com/)
Another great Twitter resource, CoTweet is also web-based and gives you the ability to let multiple Twitter users post to one account. We use this for Stc and so far it has been the best $0.00 we have ever spent. Besides, WordPress of course.

TweetDeck (http://www.tweetdeck.com/)
You may already be using a social media management app, but this is my choice. With TweetDeck, you can manage multiple Facebook and Twitter accounts in one window. Its a download and install thing but it is free.

For Planning and Organizing

Planning Center Online (http://planningcenteronline.com)
I can’t say enough about Planning Center Online, unless they pay me. This is one of those things that you say “How did we ever manage with out this?”. Planing Center gives you the ability to host all your service and event planning in one, web-based location and makes scheduling volunteers less of a headache. The free version is limited to service type and users, but still very useful.

Writeboard by 37Signals (http://writeboard.com/)
37Signals is best-known for Basecamp, the robust, web-based project management tool. If you can afford the monthly rate it is well worth it for your churches planning and internal communications. If not, check out Writeboard, a broken down version of Basecamp that allows you to still manage tasks and ideas in one location.

PDF Converter (http://convert.neevia.com/)
Not everyone has MS Word and not everyone has Publisher. As a matter of fact, we do not know what everyone does and does not have that is why this free PDF converter is useful. We do know that everyone has the ability to view PDFs so it is a good idea to convert your docs (especially the downloadable ones) to PDF.

Skype (http://www.skype.com)
I have raved about Skype before on Stc and I am going to do it again. This is also a download and install tool but it is 100% free. I have seen Skype single-handedly revolutionize the internal communication of a church staff. The features include: chat, file transfer, screen sharing, video conferencing, and phone calls. Download now.