Today, I had the pleasure of doing something which I believe hasn’t ever been done!

It was a first. A first for me, and most probably a first for the world:

I bet that no one has every pursued seriously theological ponderings in the world of Chuck E.

It was one of the best reading sessions I’ve had. Complete concentration and complete fun with the kids afterwards. I found out that no one bothers or tries to interrupt you when you’re busy with a highlighter and serious reading in front of you at Chuck E. Cheese.  The kids are fully occupied within a couple of feet of me all the while in a contained environment.  And just to put it into context, we’re talking a brand new, two-story, fully renovated with “new carpet smell,” stocked with all the latest video games for $0.125/game facility (and of course, complete with singing animatronics and purell stations throughout!).  A win-win situation, I proclaim!

Go ahead, let the predictable *jokes* comments get posted. Just saying ahead of time that “suffering” can be relative and based on perspective!

Today, I’m sharing a public service announcement here on Godvertiser.com

Look what I found around town recently…

Sometimes “Mom knows best”. So much so that they make a sign to remind everyone – including you and me!

If you have a PC and want to dive deep into the Scriptures, you’ll likely come across Bibleworks Bible Study software. It’s a robust package that aims to help you with Biblical exegesis work. There are tons of bells and whistles to keep you occupied when doing research about any verse, passage or chunk of the Bible.

I’m happy to have gotten my hands on a copy of Bibleworks 8, their latest version to try out.

CALLING ALL BIBLEWORKS 8 USERS: If you’re already a BW8 user, would you share either (or both) of two things with me in the comments below?

1) What’s your MOST used function or features of Bibleworks?
2) What’s the one thing you wish BibleWorks would have or change to make your life easier?

Disclosure of Material Connection: Here’s some legalspeak about sponsored posts. . .I have not received any compensation for writing this post other than a complimentary review copy of the software package mentioned. I have no material connection to any of the the brands or products/services mentioned in this post. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Last year, we packed our bags and headed to Virginia Beach for Wave Conference.

It was a great time for me to learn from some great ministry leaders, meet one of my fav pastors, spend some great family time together on the beach and really recharge my soul. The worship center at Wave Church is just awe-some. If you ever have a chance to go see Pastor Steve at Wave Church, you really should.

This summer we’re trying to figure out what to do, but it looks like the combination of Wave Conference 2010 and getting a chance to play with the kids on one of the best beaches on the east coast is making Wave 2010 a very strong candidate for a summer trip at the beginning of August.

Early bird registration of $70 doesn’t hurt either. A great price for a great weekend. [fyi, don't know about this year, but last year, child care was available for only $5/child...and no, that's not a typo. They have a great kids ministry area complete with indoor jungle gym, they rented outdoor bouncy inflatables, did crafts, etc]

If you’re going to Wave 2010, definitely leave a shoutout in the comments below! Perhaps we can coordinate a meet-up at the event too!

What conference(s) are you going to this year and is there anything that makes it a must-go-to experience? Please share your planned big trips and leave a comment below!

If I walked into your church today, just how many people do you think would have said “Hello” to me?

Most churches think evangelism and visitor retention is a big deal. Churches create tactical plans, committees, strategy and more.

But the big secret is that it all starts with “Hello!” — Does EVERY PERSON in your church or ministry live this out?

One of my randomization rituals entails taking one day a month and committing to saying hello to EVERY PERSON that I cross paths with throughout the day. Sounds easy, sounds silly, but it is actually pretty hard to do! Our culture and society (especially in NYC!) has become a society of strangers existing together. Just get onto an elevator full of people and you’ll understand just how close we can be with others and still never bother to say a simple greeting.

If you are self-aware of this simple practice, you might be surprised at just how often you choose to look away, look at the floor, stay silent, or just simply walk right past people you do not know.

Remember that culture is formed top-down. So your behavior is critical in influencing how others in your spheres of influence actually act. What’s more is that I’m willing to bet that if everyone in your church has a mindset to simply say “Hello!” or “Good morning!” or “Good afternoon!” or “Hi there!” to every person they personally see coming into the building, you’re attendance will change within weeks. Seriously.

Do you yourself say “Hello!” to everyone you see at church? And what do you think about this one-word answer to visitor retention in your church? Please leave a comment below and share what you decide after reading this post.

For those of you that feel a little dizzy after opening up Bibleworks the first couple of times from the plethora of features available, there is an upcoming BibleWorks Training Workshop in the Northeast region. These training workshops are being aimed at Westminster Theological Seminary students and faculty, but are open for registration to others in the Philly/NJ area. If you’re in the area, it’s the best $30 you can spend this month.

LOCATION: Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, PA

SCHEDULE: Saturday, February 27, 2010

BibleWorks Essentials Workshop — 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.

BibleWorks Intermediate Workshop — 1 – 4 p.m.

FEES: $30 per workshop

REGISTRATION: Online or call 888-747-8200

Any seminary scholar or pastor serious about engaging with the Scriptures understands that Bible Study Software is one tool worthy of investment. It will not only bring new resources to your fingertips, it will dramatically cut away hours and hours of tedious research and analysis. The question is which one to choose? If you’re on a Mac, most people know about the Accordance software package. It has a reputation for intuitive interface, powerful search and great integration of other resources.

And recenlty, Oak Tree Software recently shipped me a comp review copy of their Accordance 8 Bible Study Software for Mac.

The only thing is that I have a PC!

No worries though — Because their software works completely on the PC — all you need is their Accordance 8 with a twist. . .

Disclosure of Material Connection: Here’s some legalspeak about sponsored posts. . .I have not received any compensation for writing this post other than a complimentary review copy of the software package mentioned. I have no material connection to any of the the brands or products/services mentioned in this post. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Dave Ingland is one of the people that I know who always has a new book on his night stand. One of his latest reads focuses on the “Word of Faith” movement and the “prosperity gospel” in our current times. His review of Hank Hanegraaff’s book below retains a healthy perspective which you’ll hopefully appreciate.

Let me first state that I have somewhat of a bias towards Hanegraaff’s theology and his personal stand on truth. He conveys his theology and truth very well in Christianity in Crisis, but he does so at the expense of extreme prejudice against pastors that have been categorized as being in the Word of Faith movement. In essence, he uses this book as a tool to discuss what he perceives as being untruths regarding the gospel in the context of teachers of the prosperity gospel. He even uses the acronym: F-L-A-W-S to discount the position of some Word of Faith pastors.

If Hanegraaff chose to take a stand against the propserity preachings (which I personally disagree with as well) and explained why he feels the Bible opposes such teaching it would be one thing. However, Hanegraaff chooses to name some pastors and devotes a chapter to explaining the specific context of each individual pastor and why some words that were quoted by them are unbiblical. It delves into becoming too much of a personal attack on others at times, which discounts the arguments he makes in some cases.

Christianity in Crisis: 21st Century appears to have been written as an expose against specific individuals and this is where I take most issue with the book. It creates strife and causes damage to the church in my opinion. It comes across almost like gossip.

If you are not familiar with some of the Word of Faith teachings and want to see how they contrast with the author’s view of Biblical truth this is a good book to read as it is comprehensive and well- researched.

However, if you are looking to find some dirt on why you should speak against a Word of Faith preacher’s ministry I would hesitate in recommending this book.

Learning about various interpretations of Scripture can be a very important part of how we view our faith and I am all for encouraging it. In that context this book has a purpose. It would be my hope for any that read this book, that they would do so with an open mind and just as a primer to further study on the Faith movement.

Dave Ingland is a church planter based in Sacramento, CA. He’s a husband, father, activist, agent for change, advocate for the arts, and lead revolutionary of Revolution Church Sacramento. When he’s not building out his ministry you can find him twittering under @daveingland.

Nooma videos are awesome. Let’s just say that upfront.

They are great small group discussion starters, they are great mini films for devotional. They are just great in general.

I just caught wind that the folks at Flannel are now launching another series, like NOOMA, but instead of featuring Rob Bell, the new film series will be put on by Francis Chan.

You can watch two intro videos to the new BASIC series on the Flannel site as of now. BASIC is the name of the series and I’m sure each episode will be highly anticipated like its counterpart, NOOMA.

Are you excited? How have you used NOOMA videos in your ministry before?

One of the brothers at our church, Gil Kim, offered up this congregational prayer during a recent Sunday morning worship service. Throughout the prayer you could feel his trembling and crying out to God coming from inside — which gave these words below tangible authenticity in spirit. While some prayers are completely ad-hoc, I was glad to find out Gil had some written cues for his prayer offering. I asked him if he could flesh them out into a publishable text representing the prayer he led during service to share here with you. As you read this text, perhaps you can join in with your own prayer following Gil’s A-C-T-S framework.

Let us go to God in prayer….

[Adoration] Father God, we come before you in prayer, humbled by your majesty, feeling small and unworthy of your Grace. Lord, before a word is spoken from our lips, you know what is in our hearts. And although we strive to know your thoughts, we will always be short. We wish and hope to follow your will, for if we do the things that are pleasing to you, who or what can be against us? Not one soul . . . not a whole nation. Lead us in the way everlasting. (Inspired by Psalm 139)

[Confession] Lord, teach us how to repent. Teach us to hate evil and move away from sin. Lord, we have done so many bad things in our lives. We have made others cry for all the wrong reasons. We have coveted other people’s wealth and given respect to the amount of money or the size of the house our neighbors have. We have spread rumors and lies on occasion, all the while thinking we are good and Godly people. Lord, teach us to repent.

[Thanksgiving] Lord, we thank you for giving us your only begotten son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for the Bible, which shows us how to live our lives. Thank you for the cross, for when Jesus sacrificed himself, he became the Lamb of God. With his blood, he washed away ALL OF OUR SINS. He made us pure in your eyes and gave us an opportunity to have fellowship with You again. Please let us not squander this opportunity, but instead share it with others.

Thank you Lord for our beautiful wives, our endearing husbands, our loving parents, and for our adorable children. Thank you for letting us understand through our children, why we are punished, why we are disciplined, why things are withheld from us. We know now that we do the same things to our children because we love them. All of these things are signs of love, difficult to understand to the child and also difficult for us to understand with you. Please continue to teach us how to live our lives in Christ.

[Supplication] Lord, we pray for those in need. We pray for the hungry, for the homeless, for those who have not yet been saved. Teach us to embrace them, to help whomever crosses our path, for that random meeting is not coincidence, it is a divine opportunity to show the love of Jesus by action. We hope through the suffering, you create perseverance, character and finally hope in us. And hope does not disappoint us because YOU have poured out YOUR love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom YOU have given us (Romans 5:5).

Lord, we pray for our pastors and their families. Let the Holy Spirit continue to guide them in all things. We pray for all the ministries in Cornerstone. For all the people who do not get worldly praise, but are building treasures in heaven. Praise God for all who serve Christ; to serve is to live in Christ and to serve to grow in Christ. May we continue to grow, work in unity and harmony with each other.

[Closing] As Christians, we have been taught to live a life of humbleness and forgiveness. Please let us remember to remove our pride and always love one another.

We pray ALL of this in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

How do the congregational prayers offered at your church resemble or differ from this sample congregational prayer above? Please leave a comment to let us know how so?