4.28.2009

Beautiful

This is amazingly beautiful. It makes me wonder how close we get to others without actually connecting.


Parallelostory from impactist on Vimeo.

4.20.2009

Something New

Hey all, so I have an idea for something new for us. I know that there are several of us here at FBC who take photos, I also know that there are several who take really good photos! 

I've been trying for a while to come up with a way to access and outlet all of the creative photogs that are running around this place, then Carlos started something at his church in Atlanta and I thought, "Maybe we could try it here."

So here's the scoop. Let's call this the official start of the discussion about the Pocatello Photography Project.

Sketchy details...

  • Open to anybody
  • We would have a different project three or four times a year (relationships, power, moments, etc.)
  • We would take photos that center around the project theme
  • Photos would then be submitted and chosen for display and other creative uses
  • We would build community together by meeting at the beginning of each project

It's just the start of the idea. 

What do you think?

I've already been approached by one local artist (who goes to church @ FBC) about using his work in our worship services.

The creative opportunities are nearly endless.

This is something we are going to do... but I want your input as we start.

Let me know what you think and if you want to be involved.

4.15.2009

Technologicality or something like it...

When it comes to culturally relevant technology there are no shortage of options. Ipod, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and many more. The big question is how can the church use them to be more effective? Perry Noble said this,"What we allow to distract us can often be the very thing that eventually destroys us!" The funny thing is that he said on Twitter. Which can be distracting...

I've been mulling over ways that I can use these technologies to spread the Gospel of Jesus. I have some ideas but I don;t know if they will work. I recently had a conversation with some pastors about Twitter and how I use it. They had some good questions but the one that kept coming up was basically "why do I care if Perry Noble likes ice cream?" 

See, their idea of how Twitter is used leads them to a particular place of thought. Now I happen to know that Perry does indeed like ice cream, but that's not the main way he uses Twitter. Through his blog, and his twitter, the people in the church he pastors as well as others around the world get a better picture of who Perry is. That's what we've been trying to do with the staff blogs here. We use them as a way to communicate, encourage, and be known to all of you!

I want to see some of these work but only if they make sense...
More of us blogging and connecting to each others online life
Twitter as a communication tool for teams
TokBox as a way to do small groups, and training
Some others that I don;t have figured out yet...

I want them to be used technologically. They need to make sense for us. 

What say you?

Does any of this make you excited to try it?

I'm serious about this.

Let me know

4.09.2009

I'm Broken

I'm broken. I know that you don't hear that kind of thing very often from people. It usually comes at the point of recognition of a major problem. Addiction, financial ruin, etc. But here's the deal My major problem is me. I'll admit it, though it's only recently that I would. I am my biggest problem. 

I find myself doing and saying things that I will tell myself i didn't mean, but, when it comes down to it, if I didn't mean it I wouldn't have said it. See, that's the issue. I doesn't matter what I want because what I do shows who I really am. And I can't change that! Sure, I can alter behavior patterns for a little while, but I've never seen lasting change come from myself. 

Maybe you see this too. It could just be me, but I don't think so. The truth is that I can't change me. I just can't. Maybe some of you have been able to, but I can't. That's why I am so utterly and desperately thankful for Jesus. Because of his sacrifice, I can be changed. 

Things I have struggled with don't tempt me anymore. They don't have a foothold in my life. Not because I wanted to stop doing them, because I did, but because my life has been and is being transformed by Jesus. I'm not perfect. Never will be. However, as I let go of trying to affect change in my own life and let Jesus create change in me I see the way I act, think, feel, speak, all of these get better and better. 

If you already know Jesus, do you see that transformation in your life, or not? Take a good look. 

If you don't follow Jesus yet, come check him out. Easter is a great time to do it. 
Sat. 11th @ 5 & 7 p.m. and Sun. 12th @ 9 & 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church, 408 N. Arthur, Pocatello

Transformation is possible. Jesus wants to create it in you.