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Ideas Might Not Change the World, But You Could

February 14, 2012 //
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As I’ve shared here before, the Idea Camp tribe has been such an important part of my life & ministry over the last couple of years. This collaborative movement of idea-makers has been a constant source of inspiration.

No, you’re not crazy if you think that it’s more important to work together for the Kingdom of God than to seek individual credit or accolades. This ethos of partnership, collaboration, and getting things done is rooted in the ethos of Charles Lee, the founder and glue behind the Idea Camp.

I’m grateful for Charles, who has been an encouraging friend and wise mentor to me (and many others)  in so many ways. I’m never surprised to see the caliber of people Charles is able to bring together. For example, check out the roster of speakers Charles has lined up for this year’s Ideation Conference in Chicago.


Today, Charles’ first book, Good Idea. Now What? hits the shelves at brick & mortar bookstores (and, of course, at various online retailers). Good Idea is filled with practical insights, both from Charles’ experience and from his vast network of social entrepreneurs — including Soledad O’Brien of CNN, Scott Harrison of charity: water, and Blake Mycoskie of TOMS.

Good Idea is written for two kinds of people. From the introduction:

1. The idea lover who is sick of just sitting on great ideas: These are individuals who recognize that their ideas may never come to pass without a strategic process and a developed skill set.

2. The idea maker who needs to refresh and reaffirm his or her understanding of the elements for implementing ideas well: No matter how experienced you may be, this book will be a good resource for sparking meaningful conversations about your ideas.

The world needs us to dream better dreams, but even more than that, to act on our convictions. I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation with Charles where I wasn’t encouraged, challenged, and/or inspired to action. I highly recommend Good Idea. Now What? and I’m excited to see the great ideas that get put into action as a result.

You can read a sample chapter here.

Categories books, community, conference, Kingdom of God

Oh, Wait, 2011!

January 3, 2012 //
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I think it’s probably a combination of working two jobs (plus freelance work, whenever I’m able to get it) and reliving past punk favorites on the old Spotify, but I wasn’t able to listen to as much new music as I would have liked last year.

And, as I was reviewing various best-of lists, I realized I left out a couple of albums I really liked. I’m going to blame old age for these oversights. Seriously, looking at these albums, I kept wondering, This came out in 2011?

Devotchka, 100 Lovers 

The Man from San Sebastian is all angular post-punk, Eastern European folk fusion; perfect! As long as we’re hanging out in the baroque, chamber pop neighborhood, let’s throw Beirut’s The Rip Tide into this mix, too.

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Beastie Boys, Hot Sauce Committee, Part Two 

My rhymes age like wine as I get older. Man, I hope that’s true of me in the future as well. After all these years, their hooks are still undeniable.

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Tune-Yards, Who Kill 

Here’s something dumb: the font-nerd in me wouldn’t let me listen to their album for a long time because seeing the alternating lower/uppercase letters in their band name drove me nuts.

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Office of Future Plans, S/T

Sign me up for anything from J. Robbins. Been listening to his post-Jawbox project Channels via Spotify. OFP is all the discordant (puns!) wonder, plus cello!

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While I wait for new releases from Animal Collective, Andrew Bird, Dirty Projectors, and more in 2012, I still have to catch up with 2011 releases from The Roots, F—– Up, The Dodos, Theophilus London, and Liturgy.

Good thing J. Evans will be picking all my new music for 2012!

Categories community, music

India 2011: Freedom Songs

August 26, 2011 //
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This post is the third in a series about our church community’s recent trip to India in partnership with Justice Ventures International.

I’m not sure if was the heat/humidity double-punch combo, the growing realization that injustice permeated so many levels of culture around us or, perhaps, the jetlag playing catch-up with me, but my first thought when arriving in Kolkata was, Can we go back to Chennai?

While Chennai is a massive city in its own right, the humanity stacked upon itself throughout Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta) can make it seem like a small town in comparison.


In Business for Freedom

Our team had the privilege of working with Freeset for a couple of days while in Kolkata.

Read the rest of this entry »

Categories church, community, hope, justice

Death, Life

April 22, 2011 //
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Live through this, and you won’t look back. – Stars 


All Things New 

Jesus’ resurrection is so much more than some kind of “proof” that He is the Son of God or our highway to heaven. When Jesus rose from the grave, He utterly destroyed the power of sin and death. He demonstrates the reality of God’s purpose to renew all of creation, and He invites us to become new kinds of people through Him and to join in His mission of redemption.

Everything that is broken will be made new.

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Categories church, community, faith, family

Collaborate for Good

March 31, 2011 //
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The Idea Camp tribe has been so life-giving to me over the last couple of years.  This amazing group of compassionaries has inspired, challenged, and partnered with me in ways that have changed me and compelled me towards concrete action for good — to demonstrate the reality that God has not given up on the world by becoming better expressions of God’s love for the world.

I loved being a part of #Ideation11, even if it was only for a day. While the Ideation Conference is not strictly faith-based, this gathering of amazing idea-makers, creatives, and doers from both the nonprofit and business worlds moves powerfully together for good. A huge thanks to Charles Lee and the team for bringing together such an incredible gathering.

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Categories church, communication, community, conference, hope, innovation, justice, leadership, nonprofit, social media
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