Speak! Your Audience Listens!

From my article in CM Pro in February 2010: (the article, scratch that, the entire ISSUE is FREE for downloading below!) There is an old saying that says, if you want to get a message across to a large group of people you must say it “seven times in seven ways.” When it comes to church ministry, there is no doubt this is a great principle to take into every planning meeting for any program or event. The chances are you know them all and have used them all. As you should, and should continue! Rather, my aim is to change your thinking from “how can I better get information out” to “why aren’t they listening?” I bet those you are trying to reach have no problem knowing when their sports teams are playing and on what television channel, or where they need to drop off their kids for all their various non-church activities and at what time and at what theater the latest blockbuster movie will be playing. (Is the hair on the back of your neck rising?) Before you wring your hands and start complaining about how the church is such a low priority in the lives of…

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iPad First Impressions

If you follow me on twitter, you may have caught that I was not initially that excited about the iPad. Yes, I’m a Mac fanboy who even waited in line for an OS release and have done other silly Apple posts. After waiting in line to be one of the first to get an iPhone, and later reviewing it, and suffering through some of the early iPhone issues (even getting the $100 credit when they dropped the price!), I initially decided I would wait out the iPad rush. My first evaluation was that this was a consumption device rather than a creative device, more for those who don’t already own a Mac and/or iPhone, and since I already have both, I saw no need for one. I liked the look and feel of it, but thought I had no need for one personally. I was in the “its just a giant iPod Touch” camp. But I slowly caved for a number of reasons. First, I decided to get my wife one for her birthday (which was today) because I had given her aging laptop to a new employee last fall and it died and she needed something for around the…

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