Go Do and Be

Q conference reflections

Brian Atkinson — Fri, 01 May 2009 17:42:27 +0000

Kickoff guitar playing and singing

Having just recently returned from the Q conference, I found at least a little something to take away from every speaker. That’s a pretty impressive lineup in my opinion.

I’m making personal vows to:

stop digging my current hole deeper and go dig where I want
become more event oriented instead of schedule oriented
collect the rent and give up the privilege
get rid of nuclear weapons
slow down and ask people how they are doing
be truly present
cut down on multitasking
create participation instead of visitation
recognize the motion toward the limitless, calls for restraint, and capitulation
continue to expunge any misogynistic tendencies
keep working toward the Spanish language versions of my sites
be expectant of the justice from people and grateful for the grace
avoid trickle-down spirituality
avoid golden-calf marketing
lead counter-culture for the common good
get rid of nuclear weapons

Note to David Crowder - Please start doing web-isodes called “David Crowder - Overhead”. Seriously, he did a presentation using an overhead projector and markers. It made total sense for him.

As for now… I’m catching up on work.

Content Content?

Brian Atkinson — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 00:28:31 +0000

Are you content with your content?

Web sites fall into one of the 3 Cs:

Content
Commerce
Community

Selling a product or service? Looking for donations? You’ve got yourself a commerce site. People need things and want to buy stuff - it makes sense.

Does your site connect people with other people around like-minds, ideas, concepts, causes? People like other people, care what they think, and like to have a sense of belonging to something larger than themselves.

Every day people search the web for information about something or other. Are you positioned to provide them with the information they want? Can they find it? Can they search for it? Are you sharing? Can they share it with other people?

I submit there is also a fourth C.

Context

Context is your ministry; the “why” behind what you do, or who you are. In short - we’ve got content coming out of our ears, community sites spring up everywhere, and Wal-Mart is online. What are you providing that someone else doesn’t? If you’re not content with simply selling, connecting, and brain-dumping - give people something to think about. Help them understand HOW to use what they bought, Why they should donate, Who else might like what they like, and ultimately what to do with that content.

Get Your Mission Statement Right

Brian Atkinson — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 17:11:15 +0000

I’ve relocated to Pennsylvania and have started going to a new church. Now I have some strong ideas about the role of the church and what it’s purpose should be. One of the reasons I’ve liked going to this church for lo these 3 weeks in a row is that I think we see eye to eye on what the church is supposed to be. Today Brian Jones pointed out how this church has been successful in fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission and how it has failed.
The church started out in a movie theater in Q4 of 2000 and since then has grown from an average of about 300/week to about 1200/week. That’s a successful, even wonderful, example of church growth, on anybody’s scale. Looking at another statistic however, the church is failing. Baptisms went from 30% of attendees to 7% during that same time. In fact, there was a little spike-up in new faith-commitments a couple of years ago during the decline when the church moved into their building. But, in 2008 the number hit bottom and the church leadership was very clear about why. At the end of 2007, they changed their mission statement.
The mission statement during the last year has been, “Love God, Love each other, Love the World.” That’s great, warm, fuzzy, inclusive, easy-on-the-ears, and pretty easy on people. As of today, they are going back to their old mission statement, (I may not have the words just right here) “Helping to bring people who are far from God, into relationship with Jesus.” That’s a huge difference. We are supposed to go and make disciples. That recapitulated purpose gets to the heart of the great commission and is a call to action. That’s what I’m talking about!
Don’t think that genuinely bringing the good news about Jesus to people who are far from God, and doing so in a loving way can make a difference? Watch this video they played in church today.

Penn on Proselytizing

Penn Jillette, the vocal half of the comedy-magic duo, Penn and Teller, is an affirmed, outspoken and even passionate atheist, as you’ll see from this clip. But he’s also someone who may understand what it means to be a follower of Jesus, better than most of those of us who claim to be do.
Big question - are you living a life like a mustard seed (starting small and growing into something big) or yeast (a small amount working throughout the flour to make the dough huge and having a catalytic influence) or are you more interested in keeping things the same?

Vote when you’re not around

Brian Atkinson — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:22:41 +0000

Now I know I’ll be out of town on election day - no problem:

yeah it matters

Brian Atkinson — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:43:29 +0000

It really does matter how you pronounce your words, your grammar, and usage. Regional accents aside, there are far too many people running around with “prevent-a-tive” and “orien-tate-d” on their lips.
We’ve seen 8 years of the President of the United States look like a fool because he makes up words, uses good words incorrectly, and mispronounces some common ones.
Poor Sarah Palin needs a coach. She’s committing the same laughable verbal blunders the way our current administration does.

For the last time - it’s pronounced Nu-cle-ar.

Mourning Don LaFontaine

Brian Atkinson — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:45:31 +0000

In a world…
In a time…
There was Don LaFontaine
Don LaFontaine passed away this weekend at age 68. The Godfather of the movie trailer voiceovers was in the right place at the right time when an announcer failed to show up for a job and Don was engineering the session. Don recorded his first trailer for “Gunfighters of Casa Grande” that day in 1965.
When the time is right for you to go, do and be what you’re supposed to be - will you be ready?

Why spell-check isn’t enough

Brian Atkinson — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:50:04 +0000

If I had to pick a weakness, spelling has got to be one of them. This advertisement is a fantastic example of why we need people to help us in our weak areas.

Why we need editors

Attention
Deficit
Disorder

Plus

Advertising

One could interpret this “add” in a couple of different ways. Both (any) make the author look foolish. (not to mention the poor guy in the suit) The bad news is, the last one to proofread the text used a spell-checker instead of a person who hadn’t seen the copy before and it slipped through the cracks. Or maybe this ad really means A.D.D.?

When we rely on our own expertise - and try to be the expert in everything - we often make mistakes that would have otherwise been caught by people who are experts. Who do you have in your corner to counteract your weakness?

How do you feel?

Brian Atkinson — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:41:13 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I feel GREAT!

Here’s a guy who made up his mind to do something and by golly, he’s doing it. Spirit like this is contagious and gets around the office simply by being near it.
One problem, he based his new plan on a snack-bar instead of a really good idea. This is where planning really has to come into play.
What is the one thing you do really well?
Are you ready to go, do, and be that?

What do you mean?

Brian Atkinson — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:56:05 +0000

Go Do and Be - it might not be all that obvious to some what it means. So here’s the story. I asked Sylvia to help me brainstorm a name for my speaking and consulting business while we were on a road trip to Alpena.

Sylvia Dana - my girlfriend

She pointed out that I regularly say, “Go Do and Be” as it relates to one’s mission or even just a project. I often work that into my speaking as a short way to describe The Great Commission.

Put simply, Jesus told us to “Go”, teach people to “Do” what he said, and that He would “Be” with us. In a less religious context, Go - get out there! Do - whatever it is you’re supposed to do! and Be - whatever it is you are supposed to be! - don’t do things half-way.

So that’s the principle of what I’m here for. I’ll encourage you and your group to follow a calling or commission to Go, Do, and Be.