methoblogosphere

There is a discussion going on in our district/conference about lay speaking and the changes in the curriculum for lay speakers. I have some idea about the lay speakers in our district and will be getting answers as to the courses that they have taken in the past. But I want to get some idea of the nature of lay speaking on a broader scale. So I have come up with these questions:
1. Are you now or have you ever been a local lay speaker? Are you now or have you ever been a certified lay speaker?
2. When did you take your first course to become a local lay speaker?
3. Describe the course or courses that you took when you became a local lay speaker?
4. When did you take your first course to become a certified lay speaker?
5. Describe the course or courses that you took when you became a certified lay speaker?
6. How much of your being a lay speaker (local or certified) is more leadership than speaking? (an approximate percentage of the total time)
7. How much of your being a lay speaking (local or certified) is leading worship rather than speaking? (an approximate percentage of the total time)
8. If you are a certified lay speaker, how many Sundays in a given calendar year are you at other churches?
9. Are you aware of the category of lay speaker known as “Certified Lay Minister”?
10. Is your conference aware of the category? Is your district aware?
11. Are there any individuals in your conference qualified as Certified Lay Minister?
12. If so, how are they utilized in this position?
Thought provoking question – “In your opinion, should a person be a lay speaker before they consider full-time ministry?”
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If you are not a lay speaker, can I be as bold as to ask why not? And would you mind sharing these questions with your friends who happen to be lay speakers? Thank you!
Answers may be posted to my blog (http://heartontheleft.wordpress.com/2010/02/13/a-questionnaire-about-lay...) or you may mail them to me at TonyMitchellPhD@verizon.net. I will try to have a summary of the answers up by the 1st of March.

I recently conducted a workshop entitled “Technology in the Pulpit”.  It was designed to explore many of the ways that computers and its attending technology can be used not only in the pulpit but in other ways to facilitate evangelism and the work of the church.  This include exploring how to become a blogger.

For me, it was an interesting time because it allowed me to do what I am supposed to be doing, teaching, and in an area that I have explored since it became part of the educational and religious landscapes some twenty years ago.

More importantly, the two “graduates” of the workshop are now bloggers in their own right and a part of the Methodist Blogging community.  They are

1. The Odd Thought, and
2. Living Water

Please visit their sites and help welcome them to the neighborhood.

many of you, my faithful readers know that community can happen over the bits & bytes of the internet. the folks behind the disciple study series are seeking to cultivate some disciple communities that will study and grow together. they are currently looking to fill out their facilitator list if you are interested visit the site and drop your name into the hat. tell them i sent ya & they might still let you in. haha! shalom, -gav

one of our progressive methodist pastors, don heatley has a great article posted up at the emergent village blog. if you don't know don, get to know his work, which is much of what his blog is about.

I wonder if, like the student in the parable, this person was studying for the wrong test. When we pass out the number two pencils and evaluate the orthodoxy of others, why are the criteria always issues that Jesus himself never addressed?

As we moved into the Advent season we celebrated the life and morned the death of the beloved Rev. Kathleen Baskin-Ball.

I personally met the reverend at Youth 2007, a quadrennial global um youth event. She was one of our speakers and being cool like I am (not) I was back stage to briefly meet this pastor I had heard so much about. Her words were graceful and love filled to the congregation of 7,000 teenagers. She shared of her fight with cancer and her friendship with Celia Whitler, who is where I first heard of her passing.

The methoblogosphere community, not to mention her facebook pages, has errupted in an outpouring of celebration of the woman that meant so much to so many.

Amy has a wonderful posting, sharing an intimate and powerful witness of her baptizing individuals while in the deep days of hospice care.

Eric shares a his emotional thoughts being close to the family (receiving a call from Bill, her husband).

No blog, no memorial, can ever be eloquent enough to honor the life of such an incredible woman.

One thing I know as a member of the United Methodist Church and constant observer of the church. We are not the best at uplifting all the gifted people in our church as examples for others (especially the younger ones whom I am most concerned with) especially the women in leadership of the church. It is sad to not only feel the loss of a young mother, but a gifted pastor who had not only been recognized by her own tribes, but the church as a whole for all to see and be inspired by. This week is a true loss for the Baskin-Ball family and friends as well as our church.

hey all, i am not the expert, but i've been hanging around with the seo (search engine optimization) geeks a lot lately. what i've been trying to implement from them that i would implore you to do the same is to be a friend to methoblogosphere.

how can yo do this? link!

link, often to other methodist bloggers, and link with descriptive keywords.

what does this mean? the first is easy, go through the blogroll or the aggregator and find some of the interesting posts for others to read. don't assume we all read everyones blog. the number is just too much to be able to do that these days. we count on you to help lift up good postings.

the second part, if you have done the first, is to use keywordings when you link. ie. instead of just saying, "dale has a good video on his church here." say something like "dale tedder posted a great video about Southside United Methodist Church in Jacksonville Florida." this isn't the end all be all of seo, but if we are all in these two practices then we will help each other gain more relevant inbound links & do better for people who are looking for what our various voices are saying. its not something that takes terribly long, and the long term impact on the methoblogosphere on the internet world could be significant.

give it a shot!

shalom

-gav

1. i have worked way later than i should have to find and roll in some new blogs for the general conference aggregator. hopefully you will check that out as they should update pretty regularly.
2. as i have been reading the many blog postings it gives a very great expansive understanding of all that is happening. i encourage you all to check that out. if i knew how to make it all one feed i would.. but i am not able to work miracles, that is jay and he's off in the Holy Land.
3. i found this link of the "cell phone-gate" from gc08 over the weekend, via rmn blog. it is slanted, to be expected, but cool part. it has video footage from "cell phone-gate" meeting.
4. so i was wondering.. anyone video blogging from gc08? there is someone, meet warren. you can also do a search like this via youtube for all the most recent general conference uploads.
5. i'd encourage all in the blog world of folks finding this site for conference info to say prayers for their delegates as from what i am reading the days get more intense as all the committee work comes to the floor. while you are doing that, go ahead and throw up a prayer for the various workers operating logistics, serving food, etc.