The Technology Revolution

The digital revolution has been upon us for sometime now... and it's great to see that the church is not lagging too far behind.

One of the most exciting developments in the last couple of years has been the creation of YouVersion... an online Bible experience.

Now there is nothing new about an on-line Bible, but where YouVersion separates itself from the pack is it's innovation.

YouVersion has 16 English versions of the Bible. Nice.

But where it really leaves the rest of the pack behind is in the following 3 areas:

1) Interactive focus.

One can make contributions about verses that one has read that are available to anyone reading the verse.

One can also host live events through the mobile application. More on this later in the post.

2) Community Focus

You can form groups, where you can compare notes and even study together.

3) Mobile application.

Lifechurch.tv have made the mobile application available for free. If your phone is web enabled, you can download a version for your phone. 1 out of every 27 iPhones has the YouVersion Bible application on their phone!

Putting these all together is the latest feature... the hosting of 'Live' events.

If you have the latest version of the YouVersion Bible on your phone you will be able to connect with a live event happening in Eastside's 6pm service.

This includes: notes of the message, questions, polls, twitter comments, Bible reader, etc.

We will be running the Live events starting this Sunday in the 6pm service for a time to trial these exciting features.

If you haven't downloaded the app for your phone yet... what are you waiting for? You can download the app from iTunes for free.

I'd love to hear your feedback from this weeks first trial run. Please do leave a comment on this blog or comment through the live event.

PS: If you're interested in hearing about YouVersion and other on-line strategies that Lifechurch.tv are using click HERE.

Evaluate To Elevate

I have recently written a message (which is more for myself than for the church... but that's usually the case) about our need to constantly evaluate ourselves so that we don't drift off course.

A pilot, who is just one degree out will fly 17 1/2 m off course for every kilometer traveled. Not a big deal if you're flying a few kilometers. But what happens if you're flying from Auckland to London, a trip of 18 331 km's? If you were just one degree out... you'd end up in Dublin, Ireland instead of London. Thats 530km's off course!

I am constantly suffering with drift in my life, so I have found that I need to evaluate where I am at least once a week.
Below is one such set of evaluation questions that I have used (I got this from Ps Bill Hybels):

I’m not abiding when:
1. I go through most of the day or week pre-occupied with self concerns. (You’re the big number one on the agenda).
2. I go through long periods of time with no promptings or convictions from the Holy Spirit.
3. I go through long periods without being concerned for the poor.
4. I go through long periods of time not being broken for the Lost.
5. I can sit through worship sessions without being stirred to worship and honour God.
6. I’m easily angered when corrected.

Let me challenge you to try using this set of questions to evaluate yourself weekly over the next month.

If you would like to hear the podcast of this message, you can download it for free from iTunes. Simply open up the iTunes Store, search out Eastside Church, Click on our 6pm service and you'll find the podcast entitled: Evaluate To Elevate. Its a great message... even if I do have to say so myself : )


Leave a comment and let me know what you thought... or perhaps even share with us how you evaluate yourself.

Godspeed & Kaizan
Clive

Lets Keep The Main Thing... The Main Thing!

This week some of the staff and other volunteers have been at the National Acts Church Conference. We had some really great speakers: Jentezen Franklin, Steve Kennedy, Peter Prothero, Jordan Smith and Bruce Monk (our national leader).

The wednesday evening session was the most challenging for me personally as Ps Steve Kennedy challenged us to reach out and share our faith.

We can all make excuses why we cant reach out: busyness, shyness, spending most of your time with Christians, etc.
But as Ps Nick always says, "We need to keep the main thing, the main thing!"

Jesus put it this way:
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
Luke 19: 10

Today as I came into work and read my e-mails I saw the video that I have included in this post. Don't you just love God's gentle nudgings : )



May you feel encouraged to reach out to those in your world.

Godspeed & Kaizan
Clive