From the Out of Ur blog:

Although I agree with Collins’ statement that resources are not goals but simply inputs into our churches, it seems to me that even according to Collins, bodies, bucks and bricks have to factor into our assessment of our churches. Perhaps there is truth to the growing or dying organism analogy. But something in me doesn’t want there to be. Somewhere inside of me wants to believe that attendance can be going down and God might still be blessing our community. I want to believe that giving can be decreasing but lives could still be changed.

But somewhere else inside of me knows that decreases to bodies, bucks and bricks are probably not typical signs of health for church communities. So the question we have to ask ourselves is: how should church leaders define success?

Full article

[tags]leadership, church, ministry, success, church growth[/tags]

My friend Justin is looking to hire a .NET developer. The job description is below. If you’re interested drop by Justin’s personal site.

coaliance is seeking an experienced .NET programmer specializing in C# and web-based applications. The successful candidate will also have skills in SQL, XML, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Responsibilities will include:

* Design and code web-based, line of business applications based on the .NET Framework;
* Design and code administrative command line applications and Windows services;
* Design and development of enterprise-level databases including data normalization, structural changes advanced querying and stored procedures;
* Assist with support and maintenance of existing applications;

QUALIFICATIONS:

* Degree in Computer Science or equivalent experience;
* 3-5 years on the job experience.
* Knowledge of development platforms and tools including: .Net Framework, ASP.NET, Visual Studio .Net, IIS, XML, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
* Solid working knowledge of C#, with complete unit testing
* Knowledge of RDBMSs like SQL Server and related tools such as SQL Query Analyzer;
* Knowledge of Object Oriented architecture and design
* Excellent collaborative and communication skills, including ability to communicate ideas clearly in both spoken and written forms to peers as well as customers.
* Demonstrated ability to recognize and research problems, present alternatives, implement creative solutions, and ensure the highest quality of systems.
* Knowledge of SharePoint Portal Server and Windows SharePoint Services a big plus.
* Candidate must be self motivated with a strong work ethic and enjoy coding.

I’m testing out a new feature that will allow me to post content quickly without it showing up in the main area of this site. Instead the sidebar will contain links to the content. These posts would consist of links to articles, quick comments on news items, quotes, etc.

I’ve been asked to speak at one of the sessions for our church’s annual summer camp. I plan to speak on Revelation 1:9-20 (”A Portrait of Jesus Christ”).

It’s interesting that the Bible gives us so few details concerning Jesus’ physical appearance. This passage in Revelation, however, tells what he looks “like” in order to help us understand who He is. The significance of nearly everything that is said about Jesus in this passage is explained elsewhere in the book of Revelation, especially in the letters to the churches.

I’m looking forward to studying this passage further and pray that the message is a blessing to those who hear it.

[tags]Jesus, Bible, preaching, sermons, Revelation[/tags]

Over the last few months I’ve noticed that a Christian blogger’s favorite type of post to write/read is one full of complaining (just skim the archives at this site for an example). Of course our complaints are about bad doctrine, pragmatism in the church, the politicization of the faith, etc., so we believe that our complaining is justified. I’ve grown tired of writing and reading those kind of posts. The only options I have (I think) are to 1) quit blogging and stop reading other blogs or 2) try to add some complaint-free (or at least complaint-lite) posts to the Christian blogosphere.

I’ve already cut down on the number of blogs I read, but I don’t want to quit writing and reading blogs all together. So I’m going to attempt option number 2.

[tags]blogging, Christian blogs, complaining[/tags]