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.)
4 Digital Connection Tips for Easter
(via @tonycaudill) There are more goodies than an Easter basket in this article. Out of curiosity, have any of you played around with aware3?
One thing we can count on each Easter (in addition to those nasty goo-filled chocolate eggs) is the Easter bump. Like Christmas, most of us experience a surge in our attendance on Easter morning. Many of us have to add a service, adjust times, or pull out extra chairs to accommodate the swelling crowds. And then a few weeks later, our attendance is usually back to normal. Unless we prepare to communicate and help those new people connect to the life of our church, they simply won’t come back.
There are quite a few reasons for this. Some guests are family from out of town and some are the Christmas/Easter-only crowd; yet, even with these factors, there are several visitors on Easter morning who are looking for a place to call home. While we may not retain 100% of the increased attendance, with proper planning we can make it easy for people to connect.
Preparing Your Church for Transgender Guests
(via @samrainer) Sam gives us wise, timely counsel for this very real, very complex issue.
You cannot dismiss this issue, as if you’ll never face a situation in which a transgender person comes to your church. According to LifeWay Research, over 40 percent of young adults (18-24 years old) report having a transgender acquaintance. Across all ages, 27 percent of Americans personally know someone who is transgender. About one out of three women and one out of five men say they know a transgender person. If your church gets the Great Commission right, then you’ll have transgender people as guests, simply because your congregation is reaching out to people they know.
A Seal Slaps His Belly Fat in Slow Motion
(via @premiumfunny) Just a friendly reminder: spring shorts season is just a few weeks away!
photo credit: Jason Mathis
