Book Suggestion: Gary V's Crush It

I highly suggest that you read Gary V's book Crush It. This is the first non-Christian book, music, or podcast that I have suggested on this blog. I believe though that the things that Gary suggests in this book are not just game changing for the marketplace, but for the church as well. We live in a different age that is changing so fast due to social media and technolgoy that we have to be in tune to the possibilities.

In this book, Gary lays out a practical Social Media plan that any entrepreneur can adopt and take their passion, product, or organization to the next level. I believe that the ideas that Gary suggests can be easily adaptable when it comes to the church and opens up windows to possibilities that we have never dreamed of before. It is mind blowing to think that a small home church in Indiana can now have a global impact using Facebook, Twitter, and a Flip Cam.

I really can't encourage you enough to pick up this book with an open mind. It's a quick read that took me about a day and a half or so. I have to give fair warning that some of the language is PG-13 but pretty clean in comparison to some of Gary's keynotes. When you've read it email me at nilssmith1204@gmail.com and let me know what you think. I would love to buy you a cup of coffee or iChat and get your thoughts and discuss how we might Crush It together. You can get more info about the book on the Crush It website or at Amazon.

Learning from Kaplan University and Uncle Phil

I just saw this commercial and love it for so many reasons! First, it has Uncle Phil from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air which makes it legit from the start. Most of all, I love the message. He makes the statement that education must change and use technology to rewrite the rules of education. Technology is changing everything including education, entertainment, the marketplace, and the church. There are great traditions in the church, but we cannot cling to our traditions and miss our opportunities that we have when it comes to technology. We have great opportunities as a church to rewrite the rules and begin reaching people, connecting with people, and impacting the world like never before. In the words of Uncle Phil: "It's your time." Let's take advantage of this new age and see how powerfully God might use our efforts in these new opportunities that are before us!

Baptist Standard Article

A couple weeks ago Pastor Les Hollon and I were interviewed by the Baptist Standard about my new role as Community Online Pastor at Trinity Baptist. The article is on the cover of the paper which you can read here on their website. The article was also posted by the Associate Baptist Press and you can also find the article on their website here. It was a privilege to meet George Henson and he did a great job in writing this article for the paper. I hope that our experiences and efforts can be helpful to churches and ministries everywhere in expanding the gospel through online resources. The YouTube video was a clip from out interview with Mr. Henson. If you have any questions about what I'm doing at Trinity or about technology and ministry in general I would love to talk. Feel free to email me at nilssmith1204@gmail.com.

What can you not do online?

I'm continually amazed by everything that I can do online! Tonight I ordered dinner from Outback Steakhouse online and there was a guy that immediately walked out to my car with the food in a bag the moment I arrived. I'm constantly amazed by how so many organizations are maximizing the internet to further their goals. As I consider the possibilities when it comes to the church, I'm overwhelmed by the potential. When it comes to Evangelism, Discipleship, Fellowship, Worship, Missions (my Rick Warren Purposes plug), etc. the possibilities are endless!