From the category archives:

Evangelism in Crisis

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Palau Targets Vietnam

March 20, 2010

Vietnamese pastors told evangelist Luis Palau this week that big changes are taking place in their country.

Palau was in Vietnam March 11-17, meeting with church leaders, officials and U.S. diplomats.

During a two-day event with more than 500 pastors, they discussed a recent Christian celebration that drew 40,000 people, all with government permission.

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Crowdsourcing

December 4, 2009

This is going to sound weird to some who are yet to enter the age of technology which surrounds us today. I predicted over a year ago that Chicago would be without the Tribune and/or the Sun Times within the next decade. Since then both papers have been in bankruptcy and the Tribune has changed to a tabloid format, something which the paper has said it would never do. I say all of this to make the point that things are not and will not be as they have been in the past.

The New York Times is branching out and experimenting with the latest area of crowdsourcing – crowdfunding. Similar to crowdsourcing, the idea of crowdfunding asks people to donate small amounts of money to support a larger cause. In this case, users on the site Spot.Us raised funds to help reporter Lindsey Hoshaw travel to a remote part of the Pacific Ocean in order to report on an environmental story. It was the Times’ first crowdfunded story – and will most likely not be its last.” (I will let you read the full store at the link above.)

Suffice it to say that whether you are trying to solve a problem or raise funds as we go forward, you will be using technology and those who do not might as well look for something else to do to fill their time. The old ways just are not going to work anymore.

Let’s take a test. Describe what is a ‘mob’ and how does it work?

Take a look at all those folks on the train or in cars or walking on the streets with their heads inside that iPhone, Blackberry or other wireless device that is in their hand. Let’s say you have developed a group of ‘followers’ or contacts or call them what you like. This group cares about what you have to say or what you are doing. By texting your group to do something that they are supportive of, an immediate response will occur.

>watch?v=jwMj3PJDxuo&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=9C5623622606791F

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Logan Square Pastor Speaks Out

November 19, 2009

November 19, 2009
Angry Preachers or Gospel Musicians?
What types of witnesses are our churches forming?
by David Swanson
There wasn’t much that could have distracted me on the way to the train station on a recent Saturday evening. After two days at an outdoor music festival—in the rain one day and under the blazing sun the next—I wanted nothing more than to return to our apartment for a long shower and some blessed quiet. Lollapalooza was a blast, a great opportunity to see some new bands and observe Chicago’s diverse youth culture. I might have stayed for the day’s final acts, but I’m a pastor and my ringing ears and tired legs needed a good night’s sleep before Sunday morning.
Before I’d walked even a block from the festival, I bumped into a small crowd whose attention was fixed on two men speaking loudly to the bedraggled onlookers. One held a handmade sign that read—I kid you not— “TURN OR BURN!” He spoke into a bullhorn, warning the young people of God’s coming judgment and listing in vivid detail the sins that would lead them to an eternity burning in hell. The other man held an open Bible and vigorously debated anyone who disagreed with his companion’s portrayal of God.
Turn or Burn
Continue reading “Angry Preachers or Gospel Musicians? “…
David Swanson is Community Life Pastor at New Community Covenant Church in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood

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Russia to Limit Evangelism

November 2, 2009

Draft legislation introduced this month threatens to make evangelism nearly impossible in Russia. If the legislation passes, minors in Russia will not be able to attend religious activities without the permission of their parents. “Only religious groups that have been registered in Russia for at least 15 years will be allowed to engage in any [...]

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Chicago Transit Authority Affirms Right to Preach on Platforms

November 19, 2008

CHICAGO, November 13, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Mauck & Baker, LLC, and the Thomas More Society in Chicago have announced that they reached an out-of-court settlement after joining forces to preserve the constitutional right of Moody Bible student Matthew Rivera and his classmates to share the message of Jesus on Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train platforms. [...]

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