Thursday Three For All
It’s Thursday, kiddies: the day when I roll out a few things I’ve been reading over the past week. Three of ‘em, to be exact. Enjoy. (Remember: click on the big bold print to read the entire article.)
Beyond the Mug: Connecting with Guests Coming In Your Front Door
(via @ryanstigile) Be warned: Ryan takes a trope that’s common to many of us and makes us rethink why we do it. I winced more than once as I read – and re-read – this great article (I do take some comfort in the fact that we do not hand out coffee mugs. We do tumblers. So there.)
As church leaders, it’s easy to forget what it’s like to be a real “church guest;” especially someone with little church experience. So imagine this:
You just walked into a new store where you’ve never shopped. The clerk smiles politely and says, “In exchange for phone number, email, and street address, we would like to offer you an incredible, brand new, store-branded……coffee mug.”
Would you really trade access to your inbox and cell phone for a small gift?! You might give them an email you never check and the receptionist’s landline at your office. But that’s far from making a personal connection with the organization. It’s simply a small, impersonal exchange.
The Candy Diet
(via @thisissethsblog) Another wince-producing post in today’s lineup (fun fact: I’ve never once used the word “wince,” on this blog, and now I’ve used it twice. Win win. (Or…wince wince?)
The bestselling novel of 1961 was Allen Drury’s Advise and Consent. Millions of people read this 690-page political novel. In 2016, the big sellers were coloring books.
Fifteen years ago, cable channels like TLC (the “L” stood for Learning), Bravo and the History Channel (the “History” stood for History) promised to add texture and information to the blighted TV landscape. Now these networks run shows about marrying people based on how well they kiss.
And of course, newspapers won Pulitzer prizes for telling us things we didn’t want to hear. We’ve responded by not buying newspapers any more.
The decline of thoughtful media has been discussed for a century. This is not new. What is new: A fundamental shift not just in the profit-seeking gatekeepers, but in the culture as a whole.
Worship Leader Destroys Church
(via @premiumfunny) Nah, I don’t know for sure that he’s a worship leader. But ain’t no way that guy is a Connections Pastor. (Also, kudos to Pastor Argyle for not skipping a beat.)
photo credit: Jason Mathis
