Modern Ekklesia

How To Memorize Scripture With Your iPhone

Rodlie Ortiz — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:56:13 +0000

Have you ever wanted to memorize Scripture, but haven’t found a good method to do so?

NavPress just released an iPhone app that makes this easier.

Here’s what the website says:

Think memorizing is hard? Try this proven method of hiding God’s Word in your heart! Based on the popular and bestselling NavPress Topical Memory System (TMS) developed by The Navigators, Verseminder Topical Memory System is a tool that helps you memorize Scripture and tracks your progress, all at your own pace. In 10 minutes two times a day you will be amazed at how easy memorization becomes.

I’ve been playing around with it a little and it seems quite nice. My past method to memorize scripture involved a little “holder” where I’d slip in a little Scripture and carry it around with me. The reason why I’m liking this method so far is because I can have everything in one place. I always have my iPhone with me, so I don’t have to worry about forgetting it. It also has a built in quiz functionality to test your learning.

It costs $3.99, which is more than many iPhone apps, but if memorizing Scripture is important to you, it’s more than worth the cost.

To purchase your Scripture memory app click here.

Have you ever tried to memorize Scripture? What method has worked for you?

10 Characteristics of a Missional Leader

Rodlie Ortiz — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:46:05 +0000

I was in a meeting today with a group of pastors and Ken Burrill (he’s like the pastor’s coach/supervisor) gave a great presentation on the “10 Characteristics of a Missional Leader” based upon the life of Jesus.

I’d like to share them with you here.

Jesus….

1. Invested in people (didn’t get the citation)

2. Saw long and far (John 17)

3. Sent people away from Him on mission (Luke 10:1)

4. Grieved for communities (Luke 19:41)

5. Led a balanced life (Matthew 15:39)

6. Embraced other cultures (John 4)

7. Gave up His will. In other words, he always listened to the Father for guidance. (Mark 14:36)

8. Surrounded Himself with lost people (Luke 15:1)

9. His harvest vision was leveraged by prayer (Matthew 9:37-38)

10. Felt the needs of people (Matthew 9:36)

Thoughts? What do you think makes a missional leader?

[image by draml]

Why Lo-Tech Is Often Better

Rodlie Ortiz — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 04:28:29 +0000

Technology promises so much, doesn’t it?

Do more in less time leaving you more time to….i’m not sure. But whatever it is we often buy right into it.

I know for sometime I had been searching for some kind of tool or method to keep track of things that I’ve delegated to others. I researched BaseCamp, an online tool to help you manage projects online. I experimented with various forms of to-do lists and other ways, but some of them are costly and require quite a few steps.

That’s why my eyes perked up when I read the post that Michael Hyatt wrote a few weeks ago: “How to Better Track the Tasks You Delegate to Others.” It’s a great post where he outlines several methods for keeping track of these kinds of tasks. But one of the methods that he says he prefers is that of using a simple notebook. He’ll leave some pages at the end of his Moleskine notebook and delineate what has been delegated out.

He says:

Divide each page into three-columns. In the first column, note the date you made the assignment. In the second column, note the first name of the person to whom you delegated the task, then the task itself. In the third column, note the due date (if any). I don’t use a due dates unless a specific date is mission-critical.

When I read this I felt an odd sense of relief and rebuke. After all, here’s a method that a CEO is using and that works for him, and it doesn’t involve some really fancy hi-tech solution. Sometimes I need to remind myself that hi-tech does not always equal better. In fact, the search for a hi-tech solution sometimes takes more time then just putting some ink on paper.

Sometimes you just can’t beat old-school, I guess.

So what about you? What do you use?

[image by Amir K]

The Great Technology Divide

Billy — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:47:16 +0000

This is a guest post by Billy Gager. To check out his blog and learn more about him click here.

My wife, Nathalia, works part time at a scrapbooking store. Recently, when checking out a new customer at the register, she asked for their e-mail address so the store could send e-coupons and updates about the store’s upcoming events. The customer amazingly replied, “Oh! I don’t use a computer.”

Yes, you heard me right! She didn’t say, “I don’t use a smartphone … I don’t follow blogs … I don’t e-mail.” She doesn’t even use a computer. Immediately, that person is cut off from the major form of communication with the store. That may be a good thing when it comes to buying material possessions, but for my wife and I who had a laugh about it, it would be like not having the telephone 20 years ago.

This raises the question for leaders of the church in an increasingly technologically complex culture, “How do we engage people for Christ who are not ‘up with’ our preferred, or even standard, uses of technology?”

In one of my previous churches, I was startled to learn that the “phone-tree” was really the only method of communication for the majority of members because most did not use e-mail. Or if they did have an e-mail account, they checked it like once every week or two. In my current church, where I work a lot with youth, e-mail is retro and likewise unreliable because most of them simply text or facebook.

Here’s a couple things I’ve concluded about communication and community regarding “the great technology divide:”

1. We must adapt to our community’s best form of communication. That means even going backwards to “retro” forms for some; or going forward into Twitter or social networking sites for others. Technology must not define our community, our community must define our use of technology.

2. Nothing substitutes for face to face communication and interaction. God didn’t send a text message or e-mail, He came Himself. In our high-tech world, we need to be intentionally “high-touch.” While taking advantage of technology for the gospel, we must fight the tug of culture that calls 853 on-line associations “friends.” I bet you could count the people you really trust with your struggles and confidences on one hand.

3. We must lead gently forward into new technology. Most people are excited about advancing church technologies from bulletin announcements to e-mail newsletters, or phone-tree’s to text messages. But these changes take time and we must keep inclusion a priority. Always have a good reason to introduce a new technology and preface change with selling the benefits for everyone.

What do you think? Have you faced any “technology divides” within your friends, family, or community of faith? Do you tend to exclude people who aren’t using the same technology? Or do you go out of your way a little to use methods that are unlike yours to keep the communication alive?

[image by caribb]

Technology at Its Best

Rodlie Ortiz — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:37:29 +0000

My friend, Javier Diaz, is using technology in a wonderful way: to help bring water to people who need it.

He recently opened a profile on CharityWater.org and is doing a campaign to help raise funds to build a water well. I know that this takes a lot of dedication and hard work. The funds don’t automatically trickle in (no pun intended).

So I challenge you to take a moment and contribute to this wonderful cause.

Throw some money in the bucket.

Many thirsty families will thank you.

To see his post and the link of where you can give click here.

How Do You Order Your Worship Service?

Rodlie Ortiz — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:55:05 +0000

I recently received this question from one of our readers:

“I wanted to know if you’ve written anything on “order of worship”. I struggle with this all the time. I feel like calling for tithes and offerings never is placed in the right spot, the children’s story become a sermon for adults, etc. How many times do people stand up and for what, etc. any thoughts on this?”

I’d like to take a moment to share what we’re doing in our church, but I’d like to give an opportunity to bring it to the entire group, here, so you all can share your thoughts as well on how you order your worship service.

So let me get the ball rolling.

1. Opening Song. This is usually an uptempo song that’s used to bring everyone together. In a sense, it’s an ice-breaker that helps everyone to get focused on God and come together.

2. Welcome and announcements. During this time I get up and have everyone greet each other while music plays in the background. After a few moments I ask them to take a seat. I introduce myself and then call the people’s attention to the program and I encourage everyone to begin filling out our response card. In this post I share a little more about what I actually say during this time.

3. Continued worship set. We then sing about 3 songs. The last song in this set is what we call the “prayer” song. So at some moment in this last song, we invite people to come forward if they have a special prayer request that they want to bring to God.

4. Prayer. We then ask everyone to kneel, as far as possible, and then there’s the main prayer.

5. Sermon. I then get up and speak. During the appeal time I pull out the connection card (our response card), and challenge them to take some next step.

6. Receive tithes and offerings. After the close of my sermon I have a short prayer. We then have someone come forward to call for the tithes and offerings. He/she has a short prayer for all those that will give and for all the decisions that have been made. The ushers then come forward and receive the tithes and offerings, as well as the connection cards.

Most churches receive the tithes and offerings before the sermon somewhere, but we do it afterwards so that we can receive the completed connection cars as well as the tithes and offerings at the same time. This way everyone has something to put in the buckets as they come around.

7. Closing song. After the closing song I get up one more time and give a short final blessing. I’ll quote from Numbers 6:

The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.

And that’s it! You’ll notice that there’s a few things missing that many churches have. We don’t have a children’s story, because we have children’s church. As to when people are standing, they stand whenever we’re singing. I’ve found that this helps people to sing better and to be more excited in their singing. During the other times they’re sitting down.

At the end we have some snacks and refreshments in the lobby as people walk out.

So what about you all? If you can, please take a moment to share what you do in your worship service in your church. I’m curious and I’d love to hear about it for myself as well. What do you do and why?

[image by Daniel Pipitone]

What the Church Can Learn From Lady Gaga

Rodlie Ortiz — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 13:13:00 +0000

A few days ago I had the privilege to guest post on Church Crunch on the topic of “What the Church Can Learn From Lady Gaga.” I know for most people it would seem that there’s nothing that we’d every want to learn from her. And I’m not condoning her message, but I think there are a few things the Church can learn. To read the post click here.

And let us know what you think.

[image by Jay Feria]