Why Memes Matter

Some of you probably think I just made up a word. I did not.

A meme (pronounced meem) is a current, trending thing on the internet. It is usually incredibly goofy and meaningless, though now and then has some actual intellectual value. Examples of memes, both new and old, are:















OK, time to be honest, I'm not sure memes matter. Other than if you use and/or reference them ever, you will gain cred among your techies. Which maybe really does matter.

What was your all time favorite meme?

Instagramming Your Church

Instagram is one of my new favorite forms of social media. It is entirely picture based. You take pictures and share them on your Instagram feed. It also easily connects with Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare. One of the coolest things about this app is that it allows you to very easily add some cool filters and focus options that make your pictures look very cool and professional.

The church is a perfect place for using Instagram. By simply taking photos with my iPhone, I can then quickly edit and share the pictures on Facebook and Twitter, allowing people to get an idea of what's going on there in a way that words can't always capture.

Side note...if the pen is mightier than the sword, how do actions speak louder than words? Let that explode your brain for a while.

Here's some Instagram shots I've taken at our church. Enjoy, and consider downloading the free app yourself!





People coming on stage last week to make a commitment to become a follower of Jesus!




The first Sunday back in our newly renovated sanctuary.




Me preaching during the Not A Fan series.




Pastor Mark preaching during our Six Habits series





"Snow" inside during our Family Christmas Eve service




Sanctuary altar at Christmas Eve




Anderson Hills UMC

Follow Friday: Fake Interview with Rick Warren

In one of my very first blog posts I talked about how well Rick Warren uses social media. It's like he was built for it. I'm pretty sure everything he says is in 140 characters or less. I love this guy.

You can follow him on Twitter at @RickWarren.

The pastor of Saddleback Church and author of The Purpose Driven Life was kind enough to sit down with me for a completely fake and in no way real interview that didn't really happen, ever.

Me: Hey Rick, I appreciate you sitting down with me. Can I call you Rick, or do you prefer Pastor Warren.

Rick: Please, call me Rick. I'm Renewed, Intense, Candid, and Kind. RICK.

Me: Ah! Gotcha! I see what you did there.

Rick: It's who I am. I just have to be me. You asked me to sit down with you, so I SAT: Sincere, Authentic, and Timely.

Me: I see.

Rick: SAT. Write that down.

Me: Done. Now Rick, you are constantly on Twitter. Why do you think it is so important for you to be involved in social media?

Rick: Dan, it's right in the name. It's a place where I can be Truthful, Winsome, Engaging, Encouraging, and Thought-provoking. TWEET.

Dan: Uh-huh.

Rick. TWEET. Write that down.

Dan: Yeah, I did. It's good.

Rick: No, it's great. I only do things that are great. Genuine, Real, Expository, Altruistic, and Terrific. GREAT.

Dan: Sure, ok, it's great.

Rick: GREAT. Write that down.

Dan: Let's talk about something else. Are you married? Tell me about your wife.

Rick: She is everything a wife should be. Wonderful, Impressive, Forthcoming, and Elegant.

Dan: Uh...

Rick: WIFE. Write that down.

Dan: I notice you seem to be really in to Hawaiian shirts. What's that about?

Rick: They fit my personality. They are Happy, Ample, Washable, Anti-bland, Intense, Incalculable, Appetizing, and Nuanced.

Dan: Some of those adjectives don't make sense for both the shirt and you.

Rick: HAWAIIAN. Write that down. And don't question my acronyms.

Dan: Do you have any advice for young pastors engaging in social media?

Rick: Just be YOU: Young, Overwhelming, and Understated.

Dan: OK, that doesn't even mean anything.

Rick: What do you know. Do you have a book?

Dan: No.

Rick: Then I win. Witty. Incapacitating. Nocturnal.

Dan: K, I'm going to leave now.

Rick: I WIN. Write that down.

Why Foursquare Matters

This is not about the playground game.

Foursquare is a social media application that allows you to "check in" to various locations. Any of your friends on foursquare can then see where you are and what you are doing. You can leave reviews of the places you are at and add tips for people who would come along later. If you are the person who checks in at a place the most, you become the "mayor" of that location.

I am the mayor of Caribou.

You can choose to show your check in on Facebook and Twitter also and add pictures. Some of the places you check in have "specials" associated with them. These are essentially coupons for when you check in there. For instance, if you check in at the tanning salon next to Caribou, you get 10% off a lotion purchase.

Not that I've used that.

Lots of people are wary of the idea of foursquare. Why would I want people to know where I am and what I'm doing? How vain am I? Plus, isn't that just inviting people to come rob me when they know I'm out of the house?

Valid points, but the truth is, most of my generation and those younger than me simply don't care. We have no problem exposing every aspect of our lives. It's not necessarily vanity. It's a form of communicating with friends.

"Hey, I'm at Caribou, come hang out."

If you are a church, here's why this matters to you. Most of your churches are on foursquare whether you know it or not. You don't have to be the owner of an establishment to create a foursquare location page. If I'm at a church and I want to check in there, if there is no location found on foursquare, I can make one with the push of a button. And then everyone else who is on foursquare can use that location when they check in there.

At my current church, about 5-10 people a weekend will check in during services. For the tech savvy, this is often their first social media glimpse of the church. Those who have come before have left reviews and pictures and all sort of stuff. Even if you don't know that foursquare exists.

Is this hitting a huge population? No. But it is visible to the most tech savvy people that visit your church. What are they seeing when they show up?

Don't be afraid of foursquare, but get on there and make sure people are having positive experiences. Use it as another tool. For five to ten people a week, this is our front door. If no one has checked in to your church yet, create the foursquare location and have it ready for others when they come.

Do you use foursquare? Have you ever checked in to a church? Tell me about your experience in the comments section below.

How to Strike up a Conversation at a Coffee Shop with a Stranger

So yesterday I talked about how I believe we need to recover the lost art of striking up a conversation and meeting with people face to face.

Let me start by saying I know that for some of you this is incredibly difficult. You are the silent type. The meek. You say "I am introvert, hear me whisper."

The church is full of introverted pastors. I am not one of them, but I have met lots of them. I am aware that you exist. But that doesn't get you off the hook for needing to meet with people where they are at and have conversations with them. And I think you might actually have an edge in doing this once you get past the first part.

OK, let me set up the scenario for you. You approach the coffee shop you frequent. Go up to the counter and make your order. Here's where you get to do a warm up exercise. Make small talk with the barista. Ask their name. Learn it so you can greet them by name next time. Ask how their weekend was, what they've been up to. Get to know them. Do this every time you come in.

Now that you have your coffee, pick your seat.

HA! You picked the quiet corner in the back didn't you. Amateur. Pick the seat that is most in the open, where you can see the most people, and the most people will walk by. Mine is the table by the counter. People waiting in line have to stand next to me. An empty chair across from me just begging to be sat in.

Now, scan the room. Eavesdrop. Find that person that you find to be interesting. Smile at people. No headphones. Appear free and ready to talk.

You now have two options. Since you are in a prime location, you may be able to greet a passerby who you can then invite to sit down. Always extend your hand, make eye contact, and say, "Hi, I'm (Dan), what's your name?" They'll tell you. If you overheard them talking about something interesting, bring it up and start out with "Didn't mean to overhear, but..."

Your second option if no one stops by is to find someone sitting alone at a table. You need to recognize something about them. Maybe they frequent the place also, you've just never met. Maybe they look vaguely familiar. Maybe you're wearing the same shoes. Just an ice breaker.

I've found that people are creatures of habit and most of the people I see at Caribou are not there for the first time. I've seen them come and go before, and so my opening line is usually, "You know, I've seen you here a lot, but we've never met. I'm Dan." Then just make small talk. What do they do here? Read? Work? Relax?

Now here is where you introverts have the edge. Because I usually want to dominate the conversation. Instead, the best thing to do is to just ask questions and let them do the talking. And you don't have to stick around long (I tend to overstay my welcome). This is the introductory meeting.

Now you've talked. Say "it was nice to meet you" and let them get back to their stuff. You've just made their day.

Because you noticed them.

Now, chances are you'll run into them again. You know their name, you've had the introductory conversation, and actual conversations happen. Congrats! You just made a friend!

Always smile. Always say hi. Always have time to talk to them.

None of this is rocket science. This is basic relationship starting 101 kind of stuff. But many of us stink at it and just reading this made you break out in hives.

The best way to become good at it is to just do it.

I challenge you, right now, to talk to strangers.

Why Caribou Matters

I write virtually all of these blog posts in my local Caribou Coffee shop. Caribou is right across from the church I work at and has affectionately become known as our "North Campus." I drink way more coffee than necessary. I spend a ridiculous amount of hours here. And probably not for the reason that you think.

Regardless of outward appearances, I'm not a slacker. It would be easy to think that. I'm constantly on my iPad hanging out in a coffee shop, just shooting the breeze with people. And this is the most important thing I do with my day at work.

Because Caribou is where the people are.

One of the reasons social media is so popular is that it allows us to meet with people without having to actually meet with people. We like the idea of a maximum impact with a minimal effort on our part. And sometimes that's a great thing. I am obviously a huge proponent of using social media. But no matter what incredible forms of social media are created or how well they are used, nothing will ever bring people together better for communication and relationship building than this:





Caribou is of significant importance because it is where I meet with people, face to face, and talk about life. When a pastor begins to believe that this is an expendable part of their job, they need to stop and re-evaluate. A friend on our staff often says, "People don't interrupt your work...people ARE your work."

It can be easy to forget that. It's much easier for us to sit down and write a sermon because at the end we see a finished product and we feel as though we have accomplished something. If you spend an hour talking with a stranger about how his ex wife is driving him crazy (that just happened), it's harder to see how that matters. Where is the accomplishment? Where is the finished product?

The thing is, what Jesus modeled was a seemingly ineffective, people-based ministry where he stopped and talked to ever single person who was clamoring for his attention. Yet somehow, through these constant conversations, he managed to change the world.

I have to imagine that if Jesus was pastoring your church, you'd be much more likely to find him in the local coffee shop (or more likely, bar) than huddled up in his office trying to get work done.

We have to recover the lost art of meeting people. Striking up conversations. Stepping out of our own world to be in someone else's world for a time. I have come to love the times when I am in the middle of something I perceive to be of utmost importance, and I have to stop, close up the iPad, and look someone in the eye while sipping on a nice hot cup of joe. Because that's when I'm really doing my job.

iPad/iPhone Apps for the Church World

If you are a pastor and you are cool, you have an iPad. This is a statement of fact.

But while being cool is REALLY important, it is also important to be able to use the iPad effectively as a tool for your ministry and not just as an accessory. So here is a list of iPad apps I have found to be essential.

1. YouVersion - free! - Bible app offered by LifeChurch.tv is undoubtedly the best one out there. Several translations, places to share nots and thoughts about scripture, ability to share scripture on twitter and facebook, and all sorts of Bible reading plans.

2. Docs to Go - $16.99 - OK, it's a bit pricy. And it's MS Office based. But guess what: so is most of the rest of the world. The great thing about this app is that it is MS Word, PowerPoint, and Excel all in one place with cloud capability. To get this on a desktop is $249. You get it for $16.99. Well worth it.

3. Notability - On Sale this week for $0.99 - My favorite app overall. I use this for preaching, meeting notes, etc. The reason I use this for preaching is that when I start preaching, I can hit the "record" button at the top, it records the audio, and shows a timer right with it so I know how long I'm going. Once you're done, with a touch of a button, you can share the audio on iTunes. Instant webcast! For regular note taking, you can easily switch from text to drawing and sketch out graphs and whatnot. Very convenient.

4. Fruit Ninja - free version - my kids love it. You slice fruit with your finger. Like a ninja.

5. Things - $9.99 - OK, another pricey one. But Things is worth it to organize my life. Unlike the stock Reminders app you get, this allows you to categorize things really well. It still isn't perfectly ideal, but it's the best I've found so far. If you have a better one, tell me. (I tried Bento...SO much potential, but it doesn't do notifications or share with the iPhone app).

6. Notes (stock) - free - The little yellow notepad app that comes with every iPad. Nothing better when you need a scratch piece of paper

7. Dropbox - free - Start now with using the cloud. Servers are eventually going to be a thing of the past and if you aren't in iCloud or Dropbox now, you're already behind. Dropbox is free and gives you a pretty decent amount of storage space for free also. It's incredibly secure and really useful. We use it on staff all the time, though when I move churches, I think we're going to try out Google Docs.

8. Kindle - free - I will never be the pastor with a ton of books on my shelf. But I'll have a bunch in my Kindle app. This basically turns your iPad into a Kindle. Instantly get access to the books you need and want. Have them with you wherever you go. Usually books are cheaper in Kindle than in print.

9. Google Currents - free - This would be up way higher if it didn't take so long to synch every time I open it. But once it synchs, it's unbelievable. Pretty much every great social media and online news source is available in Google Currents and can be accessed in this one app. Makes it easy to skim, read, and share.

10. Twitter - free - The regular old Twitter app is as good as any other in my opinion. I can't justify not having it on the list. I use it more than any other.

BONUS: MUST HAVE ACCESSORY

Bluetooth keyboard case - one of the big iPad complaints is that it doesn't have a keyboard and the display one is hard to use. I got a case made by Belkin from Target for about $80. It has a built in Bluetooth keyboard. Downside: you have to charge it separately. Upside: I've charged it once since having it and it's still going strong. Folds away when you don't want it and is there when you do. Very cool.

What other apps have you found to be helpful? Share them in the comments section below.