Archives for category: community

Let’s Go Idea Camping!

December 1, 2008 //

I’m so stoked for The Idea Camp, which will be from February 27-28, 2009 in Irvine, California! Charles Lee has been a catalyst for bringing together this unconference. From their site:

The Idea Camp is a FREE, open source hybrid conference designed to help people move from the realm of ideas to implementation.

We are gathering some of the most innovative and creative leaders from around the country (this means YOU!) to share ideas, intentionally network, and move collaboratively into idea-making. Whether your passion is church leadership, non-profit work, social entrepreneurialism, technology, media, creativity, culture making, church planting, spiritual formation, compassionate justice, etc., this is the conference for YOU.

The focus of this conference will be on the participants (yes, You!) and not on keynote speakers. We function under the belief that the crowd is always smarter and wiser than any one speaker. In fact, you are invited to create and refine some of the major components of the conference prior to the gathering itself via our web interface. You are welcome to suggest specific topics for our workshops (called Idea Sessions), leave comments, ask questions, share case scenarios for discussion, and even volunteer yourself to facilitate one of our Idea Sessions.

We desire the Idea Camp to be a conference for friends by friends.

In keeping with the trend of confessions around here, I didn’t really know what an unconference was until reading DJ Chuang’s helpful notes explaining the unconference concept (thanks, DJ!).

In related news, support Charles’ idea for how the Obama administration should change America at change.org! Charles has put forth the idea of a national campaign to build more shelters for the victims of human trafficking:

In light of the recent growth of awareness and practice of reporting human trafficking suspicion around the country (which has resulted in more rescues and arrests), I would like to see our government help fund a national media campaign to build more trafficking shelters around the United States. In addition, our government could also award some of our private, recognized service providers with funding for building and operating shelters for trafficking victims.

Categories church, communication, community, freebies, ministry

Listening is an Act of Love

November 29, 2008 //

I must confess that I haven’t yet read the book by the same title from StoryCorps (hmm… this is turning into a running theme here), but I love what that title says: Listening is an act of love.

Our family spent the last week back in Michigan so that our daughter could have some quality time with her grandparents (and get onto the Jumbotron during the Pistons game, thanks to some fervent dancing/prancing on my part!). I was also able to catch up with friends (thanks again for the polar bear!) and catch up on some reading.

During the flight from California to Michigan, I read through Rob Bell’s provocatively titled new release, Jesus Wants to Save Christians. Hopefully, I can post a full review soon, but Jesus Wants is thoughtful and challenging — in particular, I appreciated Bell’s re-framing of the Decalogue through the lens of the Exodus. On the return flight to California, I was able to make substantial headway into Scot McKnight’s new book, The Blue Parakeet. Again, a review is on its way (maybe!).

In Parakeet, McKnight offers those of us who are weary of the polarization between reactionary fundamentalism and extreme liberalism a much-needed alternative to reading the Bible. Far from being a half-hearted compromise, McKnight’s Third Way urges us to engage Scripture — and, more importantly, the God of Scripture — with love, creativity and passion. Above all, perhaps, McKnight calls us to listen:

Reading the Bible is an act of listening. Listening, to quote the title of a popular book, is an act of love.

(In the footnote to this quote, Scot reveals that he has not read this book yet either. At least I’m in good company!)

As we head into this Advent season of watching and waiting, let’s take time to listen — both for the still small voice of God and for the voices of friends, family and those in need.

Below you can find the Advent graphic I designed for our church community:

Categories church, communication, community, design, faith

Broken Hearts are Blue (and Red)

November 12, 2008 //

I know this is totally presumptuous and kind of manipulative even to write, but I wonder how God must feel when He watches the post-election reactions of many people who claim allegiance to Him. My guess: not so great.

Whatever your political persuasion, I hope we can all agree that the historic election of Senator Barack Obama as the next President of the United States is worthy of recognition, even celebration. While his election does not mean that racism in America has been “solved” it does reflect the significant progress we’ve made over the last hundred, fifty, and even ten years. As a person of color, I resonate with many reflections I’ve heard recently about how now we can honestly tell our children that they can be anything they want, even President of the United States.

However, the conversation among many Christians has been anything but celebratory.

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Categories church, communication, community, faith, politics

Asian American Voices

November 8, 2008 //

DJ Chuang posted today about who mainstream media outlets could contact to be a voice for the Asian American community.

I am glad to hear that our voices might be included in mainstream media discussions, rather than being an afterthought, especially with all of the negative portrayals of Asian Americans in the media these days (as wimpy nerds, well-intentioned but hapless, or just basically non-existent).

However, given the incredible diversity of Asian American communities it would be hard to imagine someone who could speak for all of us. Hopefully, as spokespeople for Asian Americans begin to be raised up, we can address some of these issues.

Actually, I think DJ would be a great candidate himself!

Categories asian american, communication, community

What Was that about Adding Stuff to the Bible?

November 7, 2008 //

Oh yeah, something about plagues and general badness…

Occasionally at church we get these crazed fundamentalist pamplets, flyers and even handwritten notes proclaiming certain doom because of our denomination and/or the current state of America and/or San Diego and/or just because someone’s feeling a little apocalyptic today. Ask Bruce Reyes-Chow — the crazies will conjure up any reason to launch their attacks.

Call it paranoia, but whenever we get these things I always feel like they’re going to be laced in anthrax (no, not them (and, seriously, Scott Ian: stop the Stryper-bashing!)).

Anyhoo… last week we received a particularly panicky looking pamphlet from some group, and on the back, in huge repentance-worthy blocky font is this message:

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Categories church, communication, community, faith