Twitter Me This

Twitter Church : : : Word Gets Around

Vacation has been great. I haven’t “unplugged” but I have certainly taken longer breaks between 2.0 exposure and the iPhone.

One of the things that have kept me coming back to my computer has been the massive response to my blog posts on Twitter Church. I have followed links to blogs that have linked backed to my posts. I have read the banter. I have read the responses. I have read the comments and the emails.

Most of the blogs have said wonderful things about Twitter Church experiments at Westwinds. On the other hand, I think it’s hilarious how some bloggers must have never heard of “Google Alerts” and either didn’t think I would find out about their post or they don’t care that I read it—either way, some folks haven’t been all that nice. I DO know about Google Alerts so I will reserve the name calling I have for some of them for the conversation I am having in my head.

The “Twitter Church” post—in and of itself—generated quite a few links to other blogs and the subsequent posts generated quite a few as well. If you are interested in reading a few of the responses click here.

I also received a tip that Twitter Church was being talked about at PodCamp Ohio and listened to on of the podcasts. Check it out!

One Less Child Waiting

I am so stoked right now. Our Experience Team at Westwinds is sponsoring a little girl in Uganda as of today. This morning.

Munezero Hope, welcome to the Westwinds family!

Munezero lives with her father and her mother. Her duties at home include carrying water, gathering firewood and helping in the kitchen. There are 5 children in the family. Her father is sometimes employed as a laborer and her mother is sometimes employed as a laborer.

As part of Compassion's ministry, Munezero participates in church activities. She is also in primary school where her performance is average. Singing, telling stories and art are her favorite activities.

It is so great to be part of something this special. I cannot visit the Compassion site without crying. Every stinking time. I want to sponsor every child.

It is so hard to “choose” a child. Every one of them is God’s child and every one of them is our brother and sister and son and daughter.

They all have needs. They are all waiting.

Here are a few little tips on how to pick a Compassion child—from my experience. My family and I sponsor other children as well and these guidelines have been helpful : : :

• Look at the children who are having a hard time getting sponsors first. Cute-as-a-button younger kids get snatched up first. So do the ones who are younger.

• Look at the kids who have ribbons and hearts on their photos. The ribbons represent children who live in areas greatly affected by the AIDS epidemic. The hearts are on children who have been waiting more than 6 months for sponsors.

• Look for a child with similar interests to your own so you have plenty to write about.

• Perhaps pick a child who is close in age to one of your children or siblings.

I would like to send out a special thanks to all my blogger friends who visited Uganda recently and reminded me of the part I can play there. We have sponsored children throughout the years but your commitment to Uganda, your blogging efforts, and your stories have captured us. This has infected our church.

We don’t have final numbers in but, sponsoring a child in Uganda through Compassion has been a focus for our whole church this past two months through our spiritual life portal called Causemology. Sponsoring a child was an option in our “Something for Your World” area. Many have responded.

Extra special thanks to my friends Randy and Chris Elrod for your efforts.

P.S. We noticed that Munezero's birthday was a few days ago so we sent her a gift today as well.

PLEASE CONSIDER SPONSORING A CHILD IN UGANDA. GO HERE FOR MORE INFO.

Here is a copy of the first letter we sent Munezero today : : :

Dear Munezero,

My name is John Voelz. I am a pastor of a church in Jackson, Michigan, USA. Michigan is a beautiful place with a lot of lakes. It is very cold here in the winter months but we are excited that the weather is getting warm.

I work in all areas of the church but I am most involved working with music, art, and technology. The name of our church is Westwinds Church.

Today is a very exciting day for us! We are excited because all the people who help out at the church with music and art and technology are working together to sponsor you through Compassion International.

We have been praying about this and planning this for a while. We know there are so many children and families who need help but we believe God wants us to help you specifically.

The name of our art and music teams is the “Experience Team.” We believe God has great things in store for you. We were excited to hear that you enjoy many of the same things we do. Music and art are very important to us and we understand they are important to you as well.

We believe God has created us all with special gifts to be able to worship him and communicate with him and with other people. Music and art are very special gifts from God.

I am 40 years old. I have been a pastor for about 15 years. I am an artist, a singer, a painter, a storyteller, and a writer. My wife’s name is Tahni. We have three children. Their names are Karysa, Connor, and Kasidy.

Karysa is married to a man named Charlie. He is a good man and takes good care of her. She is almost 19 years old. She is extremely talented as a writer and an artist. Connor is 16 years old. He enjoys sports and music and playing games. He is very athletic and very good at sports. Kasidy is 9 years old—almost as old as you! She is extremely talented as an artist, a poet, and a musician.

From time to time, some other people on our Experience Team will send you letters. I will be your main contact. I will be communicating with you most of the time. But, if you get a letter from someone else on our team at church, I will make sure they mention my name and our church so you now they love you and are part of sponsoring you.

Please write us letters as often as you can to let us know how you are and how we can pray for you.

We already feel like you are a sister and a daughter to us. Please tell your family hello and tell them we love them and are praying for them.

Keep singing. Keep telling stores. Keep making art. While you are doing those things, remember to pray and follow God with all of your heart. God has made you special and has special things in store for you, Munezero.

We love you and are praying for you.
Love, Pastor John and the Experience Team at Westwinds Church

Third Day News

I have been a Third Day fan since I heard the first bit of amp feedback before the words were uttered, "on and on and on and on and on she goes and where she stops no one really knows."

If you don't know what I am referring to, go buy everything Third Day ever recorded.

I have seen these guys play countless times and I have had the opportunity to take my kids backstage twice (which leads me to say--when you are any age it is cool to go backstage at a rock show but when you are 15 there is nothing greater).

I became an even bigger fan of the band when I had my first conversation outside of a quick handshake with Mark Lee--Third Day guitarist extraordinaire-- a few years ago at cre:ate in Nashville. Mark was approachable and funny and his wonderful wife Stephanie was very kind to my wife Tahni.

So, being the fan that I am--of the band and the "people" of Third Day you can imagine the great week I am having in light of the following two things taking place:

#1 Yesterday, I got an email announcing tickets go on sale Friday for the "Music Builds" tour starring Third Day, Switchfoot, Jars of Clay, and Robert Randolph and the Family Band. August 21st at 6:00pm Detroit Rock City will get its hot pants rocked off. Yeah, guess who is going to that show. I am taking the whole freaking day off so I can eat a good breakfast and prepare for the rocking.

#2 I check my Google reader today and find this:
Mark Lee, Third Day guitarist posted about my blog--the blog you are reading-- on his blog This Guy Falls Down!

I have enjoyed Mark's blog immensely over the past few years. It is full of all the good rock and roll jargon and humor I would expect from a rock and roll guy's blog. Mark has great taste in music, tells it like he sees it, and often shares fun bits of trivia and invites his readers to participate in the conversation. Mark is also very tech savvy and has a lot of good web 2.0 talk on his blog. The thing that impresses me most is Mark's commitment to his family.

If R.E.M. or The Black Crowes are a regular part of your vocabulary, you will especially dig Mark's blog.

So, read Mark's blog. Subscribe to it. Buy Third Day tickets. Buy the t-shirt. Look for the new album, Revelation out on July 29.

Guest Blog for Hugh Hewitt

Years ago, I got serious about blogging through a conversation with my friend Randy over the book we both read entitled, "Blog" by Hugh Hewitt. Hugh is a blog rockstar. I don't always agree with Hugh on politics but I highly respect him and his blogging efforts.

Well . . .

Today, my friend Randy was a guest blogger on Hugh's site. Randy's post is a response to An Evangelical Manifesto. Read the Manifesto here. Read Randy's post here.

After you read his post, you can read my response below : : :

I appreciate Mr. Elrod's post. While we need creeds and a core orthodoxy as Christ followers, we need to be careful to stand "for" rather then "against." "Christians" for too long have been known as the "stand against" group.

It is wise to know what mountains you are willing to die on. But, manifestos--or more specifically the way they are marketed--run the risk of further distancing Christians from the people we are called to love into the kingdom and perpetuate an asceticism that does not give us any right to speak into the lives of others.

If you want to speak into my life, you need to have my ear. If you want my ear, I need to trust you. I need to know you love me. Period. The old adage, "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care" is very true. I am not "opposed" to the Manifesto as much as I am not motivated by it.

We will be effective when people have to stop and ask why we love them so much. What compels us to love? When they start asking those questions, we know we are in the right dialogue.

Mr. Elrod's brief mention of "Taylorism" should cause each careful student to do some reading and investigate that one further. Insightful. Christians for far too long have concerned themselves with scientific measurements of rhetoric to know exactly at "what point" we have shared the gospel.

Evangelism doesn't "happen." It "Happens." Evangelism comes from the same word as gospel--good news--good headlines. People want to hear good news. They seek it out.

Rules, regulations, etc. do not change a culture. If anything, we need a Jesus manifesto. We need a refocusing on Jesus as our sovereign. External regiments will never change the heart of a people or a nation. Just ask Moses.

When the Post is Called up Yonder

Yesterday’s post on “Posts that Don’t Suck” stirred some interest, some comments, some Twitters, some emails, and some phone calls.

P.S. Follow me on Twitter here.

Most people wanted to know if I think “they suck” or “their posts suck.” I got emails from some asking if I would rate their post suck-level. I found this quite amusing. Some said the post was very helpful for them and they are already making changes.

Others, like Ann Jackson (fellow blogger and Tweet) wanted some examples of good posts and I think that is a great idea.

Let me add we all “suck” at posting from time to time. If having a degree in Public Address and being a professional public speaker for years have taught me anything it is that we will never hit it out of the ballpark every time. BUT, we can get darn close with a little thing called preparation and minimize the suck factor.

Most communication efforts that fall short do so because we don’t take the time to prepare. I would venture to guess that most posts that suck achieved suckiness in haste.

So, unless you are incredibly witty and superbly gifted for creating things and communicating well on the fly, pay attention to what others are doing that make it “work” for them and emulate what you see working.

So, with that . . .

Remember the Top 20 list from yesterday (I posted a short list at the bottom of this post). That list is our guide.

Here are a short list of posts that don’t suck from around the blogosphere this week (You would think I would be tempted to just link to all my friends’ blogs here but I promise I won’t. Some of my friends’ blog posts suck to be honest). The following short list of recent posts are examples that are hitting on “almost” all if not all cylinders.

Look at the layout, content, design, and check them against any-ol’ post out there. I think you will see what I mean.

Flowerdust (good going, Ann. And, no, I didn’t post about Ann because I felt obligated after her comment. It’s the first place I went and it’s a good example. So there.)

Ethos (nice, Randy. Randy has a lot of good examples on his blog.)

GuerillaHost (always great content! Check out the flow and spacing of this post—so easy to read and enjoyable)

Jesus Needs New PR (Matthew Paul Turner cracks me up. His posts usually hold up great to “the list”)

Jason Boyett (good use of color to break up links. Good spacing. Great grab-your-attention title)

Normal Rockstar (ahhh. The Hat Tip. The links. Gives his opinion and then points to the article rather than re-posting.)

Vertizontal (yep. The post you’re reading does not suck. Ha.)

Blog on!

Short List on Non-Suckiness
1. An interesting post title is essential.
2. Forget what you learned about paragraphs.
3. As often as possible, use links.
4. If everyone has already posted about it, don’t post about it.
5. Mention other bloggers in your post and make sure you link to them.
6. Speak your mind. We want to know what you are thinking.
7. Talk about your personal life but not too much.
8. Use images. Photos. Art. Etc.
9. Be original. Develop your own style.
10. Don’t talk to a small audience.
11. Create an identity.
12. Break from the routine every once in awhile.
13. Don’t be a downer.
14. Don’t give us old news.
15. Don’t sell the sizzle without giving us the steak.
16. Grab attention.
17. Surprise us with a "new find" every once in a while.
18. Don't re-post.
19. Break up the text.
20. Use Spell Check.

Posts that Don't Suck

Lore Sjöberg once commented on Wired.com, “Creating your own blog is about as easy as creating your own urine, and you're about as likely to find someone else interested in it.” While that may be true, keeping someone interested in your blog long-term outside of people who go to your church and/or share your last name is a bit more difficult.

You can have the slickest looking blog in town but if the posts suck, well . . .

Not all posts are created equal.

I have made a list of the things I believe are essential for good blog posts. In order to stay creative, hold attention, garner an audience, and ensure longevity there are a few unwritten rules every blogger should know. Ummm, now they are written I guess.

This is my personal opinion and I am sure I have broken my own rules a few times but, nevertheless here are the observations I have made as I grow as a blogger and continue to read countless blogs.

1. An interesting post title is essential. Draw us in. You don’t have to be funny or witty (although that helps) but you do need to surface a need to know. Titles like “what I did today” do not make we want to read any further than the title.

2. Forget what you learned about paragraphs. This is not English Lit—it is the web. It is still “written language” and it does follow some of the same rules but it is always better to write a post as close to the way you speak. Use short sentences. Incomplete sentences. Break your post up by “ideas” even if this means you have “floating” ideas. Space is good.

3. As often as possible, use links. We want to know where you got your info. We want to check out the things you did that led you to write. Plus, links often lead to other ideas and some of us like to go down the rabbit hole.

4. If everyone has already posted about it, don’t post about it. Unless you have something really interesting to say. A twist. Some humor. A different side of the story. Otherwise, don’t be a copycat.

5. Mention other bloggers in your post and make sure you link to them. People tend to talk more about your blog if you are talking about them in your posts. However, few things are more frustrating than reading about someone without that someone being linked.

6. Speak your mind. We want to know what you are thinking. However, don’t be offensive just because you can. Remember the many you represent. But, don’t be afraid to say what you think either.

7. Talk about your personal life but not too much. Sure, we want to know what makes you tick but inert ideas about the mundane don’t make us want to come back to your blog. If you can talk about your personal life but frame it in a larger story it is helpful. Too many blog posts about nothing is danger Will Robinson.

8. Use images. Photos. Art. Etc. We like stories with pictures. Pictures also help your overall blog by making it visually interesting and constantly changing.

9. Be original. Develop your own style. Reframe stories in your own vernacular. It’s easy to tell when someone has cut and pasted or stolen and idea form elsewhere when their post doesn’t sound anything like them.

10. Don’t talk to a small audience. Mentioning your friends by nickname and using insider jargon is annoying. Let us in on the joke. Fill us in. Your post is on the WORLD WIDE WEB. Too many posts written for “you and your homies” is a big turn off. Tune out.

11. Create an identity. Sure, you can blog about whatever you like—it is YOUR blog. But, it is fun to know we can go to your blog because “you are the guy who always . . . “ or “you are the girl who often . . .” Hosting a regular weekly or monthly feature can be helpful.

12. Break from the routine every once in awhile. If your blog posts are predominately about “church stuff” or “politics” or “justice and mercy” break it up with something to hold our attention and give us a breather.

13. Don’t be a downer. Woe is me blog posts get old real fast. We all have seasons. Just don’t stay there long. Say what you have to say and move on. Don’t whine.

14. Don’t give us old news. Sometimes it may be tempting to post “old news” because you can’t think of anything else to say and you don’t want to go a day without a post. Resist. Resist.

15. Don’t sell the sizzle without giving us the steak. In other words, don’t talk about the “great meeting” you had where you solved the world’s problems or “the giant revelation” you had or the “whole bunch of cool places you visited” without filling in the details. What did the meeting solve? What was your revelation and how will it help me? Where are the places?—I may want go there.

16. Grab attention. An apt quotation, a startling statement, a short story, a joke, a cultural reference, a statistic, or a controversial headline are all good examples of something you may want to include in the intro to your post. Posts that start boring usually end boring.

17. Surprise us with a "new find" every once in a while. A teacher once said he'd "rather his students drink from running water than a stagnant pool." In order to be a creative post-er you are going to have to invest some time in research, in honing your surfing skills, in knowing where to go to get the info your readers want.

18. Don't re-post. Re-posting is kinda like re-gifting. Except, re-gifting is acceptable and re-posting is shady. Re-posting is when someone posts what someone else has already posted without giving them credit. Use blockquotes when quoting more than 2 or three sentences from another source. Reprinting entire articles make your readers lose respect for you and/or confidence in you as a blogger they want to follow.

19. Break up the text. Learn to use italics and bold and ALL CAPS where appropriate (Note: ALL CAPS sometimes looks like yelling so use wisely). These devices help the reader stay on track and move them through the text.

20. Use Spell Check. Please. Please. Please. If your blog editor does not have a spell check option, type it in Word first and then copy and paste. An occasional oops is bound to happen but repeat offenders get sidelined. No excuses.

Can you think of anything else?

This post is part of the cultural phenomenon known as Watercooler Wednesday. Check it out! Be part of the in-crowd. Everybody who is cool is doing it. How is that for peer pressure?

Another great community to check out is Creative Chaos where this little diddy is also posted. Go there now!