An Open Call to Open Source Ministry

Perhaps you’ve read Jeff Howe’s now classic book Crowd Sourcing or at least familiar with the concept. For those of us who aren’t, it goes like this.

• We live in a world that is more Cconnected than we could have ever imagined.
• We live in a world where the Crowd is more Empowered than at any point in human history.  The Crowd now has the Tools, Technology, and ultimately the Power to not only threaten traditional Top Down power structures, but to Eradicate them.
• Those who can Serve, Lead, and Unleash the Crowd will change the world.

Jeff’s work was eye opening at the time:

• Empowering the Crowd to do what we traditionally PAY Experts to do
• Empowering the Crowd to do what they already WANT to do
• Empowering the Crowd to do what ONLY they can do at a Level only they can achieve

It is however, not a NEW idea.  This is what the Church was created and intended to be.  A revolution of people using the gifts, talents, and abilities God has given them to serve the church and serve the world.  This was the ONLY way the church could exist and why (I believe) it grew so rapidly.  

When you not just involve, but UNLEASH people to do what they were already created to do We will acheive so much more than we ever could by simply paying and depending on a small handful of experts.  The only problem is that very few churches and businesses are structured to handle this sort of seismic shift.  And so we continue to do what we know – Hire and Pay experts to do the “work”.  But could there be another way?  

What would it look like to truly give the “power” to the people at your church?  What would happen?  What do you think would need to change for that to happen?

Watch this, then discuss.
 

Your Turn :: What does / would Crowd Sourcing or Open Source Ministry look like at your local church?

Create and Destroy

This is a great micro-mentary about how important Physical Space is and what it represents to those that interact with it.  And what happens to the soul and identity of a neighborhood when the slow march of Gentrification makes it’s way into town.

It’s also about the beauty and power of COLLABORATION.  What happens when Artists collaborate with each other.  What happens when Developers collaborate with Neighbors.  What happens a City collaborates with it’s Citizens.

You can check out the uber-urban hipness of Wooster Collective HERE

Your Turn :: What, if anything, are you CREATING right now?  Are you COLLABORATING on that art?  I’ll share my answer in the comments as well.

It’s been One Week since you looked at me

It’s been a full week now since Nuvement launched.  And I love what is already happening here.

I’m loving the comments that are coming in and the conversations and connections that are starting to happen.  

I’ve been working hard to keep my blogoals and to keeping my commitment to my family to not get totally consumed by this thing.  I’m gonna keep doing my part, but here’s what YOU can do:

Subscribe to Nuvement through an RSS Reader.  I use Google Reader.  It’s the easiest and most integrated reader you can find.  If you follow more than one blog…you need an RSS Reader.

If you haven’t already done so, register at Intense Debate It will make your comments more complete.  And it helps us know who you are and gets peeps to check out what you’re working on.  It takes 3 minutes to register.  We’ll be glad you did.

Finally, if this is first time signing up for either of these let us know in the comments.  We will show you mad love and welcome you with open arms.

I’m excited to see where this whole thing goes.  We’ve got some fun new things coming down the wire in the next few weeks.  I’d love to have you be a part of it all.

Stevens out.

The Best Animal News You’ll See All Week

There’s been a lot of Animal Talk in the news lately.  A lot of it, really sad. 

I figured you NEEDED this.  Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Bizkit, the Sleep Walking (and sometimes RUNNING) Dog.

Enjoy.

I’m kinda like the A-Team

If you happen to be at Nuvement on a Saturday, you’ll notice that I’m kinda hard to find…underground…MIA…gone dark…Black Ops…kinda like the A-Team. The only difference is that instead of rescuing orphans from an evil drug lord with highly explosive jeeps just across the border of Mexico, I’ll actually be chillin.

 
The only way for Nuvement (and my life for that matter) to be vital is to program Sabbath into it. To stop. To rest. To free myself from feeling like I have to say something. It’s for me. It’s for my family. And ultimately it’s for you.

 
It’s a discipline. One that I fail at more than I succeed. One that is esspecially difficult as I’m getting Nuvement off the ground. I feel the temptation to work the crap out of this thing. To do whatever it takes to see Nuvememnt become what I envision it to be. But I love my soul, my family, and the idea of Nuvement too much to not walk away from it every week. It forces me to further trust this thing to God.

Difficult? Yes.
Over Spiritualized? Maybe.
Necessary? Most Definitely.

What about you :: Do you have a rhythm of rest (sabbath) programmed into your life? What does it look like?

For those who drop a comment…you can enjoy this. If you click this without commenting, so help me, I’ll sick B.A. Barackus on your butt!  Don’t make him pity you.
See you on Sunday.

I hope that Heaven is a cool as Cirque de Soleil

Jeanne and I went to our very first Cirque show last night (about 10 years AFTER everyone else) and we were absolutely blown away.  Our jaws were dropped and our eyes gazed in wonder at moment after moment of sheer amazement as we witnessed things unlike anything we had ever experienced.

At several points throughout the “show” I thought to myself – I bet this is what Heaven is going to be like.  An infinite multitude of angles and others gathered together in sheer amazement as moment after moment melts into eternity.  Experiencing wonder.  Gut clinching, jaw dropping, wide eyed wonder at the sheer glory of God.

We will watch and participate with saved sinners and saints throughout history and from every corner of the earth.  All together one in the experience of the full presence of God.  

Last night gave me a small glimpse of the hope that dwells deep within me…and you…and anyone born with eternity in their hearts.

I have a feeling that Heaven will be as good as cirque de soleil…but with a little less makeup.

3 bands that are all up in my dome

There’s a lot that I’ve been listening to lately, but these are the three bands that keep making thier way to the top of my iPod.  And here are my reasons why.

MGMT

1. If The Stones and The Talking Heads made babies, they would sound like MGMT.

2. There is no one else that sounds like these kids right now.

3. They’re kids.

The Arcade Fire

1. If Bruce Springsteen (1981) and The Water Boys (1987) made babies, they would sound like The Arcade Fire.

2. They have an instrument that you have to CRANK (very cool)!

3. Said instrument is played by a girl (even cooler)!

Cut // Copy

1. If New Order and New Order made babies, they would sound like New Order…which sounds a lot like Cut // Copy

2. These guys are so freakin’ committed to Neo New Wave, they would kill for it…don’t let the fact that they are 110 lbs combined fool you…these guys are killers!

3. They’re not trying to save the world…they’re just trying to get it to shake it’s booty (in true white boy fashion)

What about you ::  What BANDS are all up in your dome right now?

God is in my butt

Last night as Elijah was sitting on the toilet doing his thing, he asked me the question that all parents long to hear their children ask – “Daddy, is God in my butt?”

“Uhhhh.  What do you mean pal?” (my mind flashed ahead to conversations the next day at pre-school)

“You know how Jesus and God are in my heart?  Well, is God in my butt, too?”

Great question.  My quick answer revealed what concerned me most.  ”No, buddy.  God lives in our heart with Jesus and the Holy Spirit.”

I was more concerned about Elijah repeating this at Pre-School than I was the beauty of the question he was asking.  And, I was theologically incorrect.  If Colossians 1:27 is true…

“The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is IN you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory!”

…than I sold my son short with my safe answer. What I should have told Elijah was, “You bet pal!  You are made in the Image of God AND God lives IN you – So YES, God does live in your butt!  He lives in ALL of who you are.”  That’s how you were created to live, with God at the center of who you are and all you do.  Including, but not limited to…your butt.

So, my question for us is this :: Is there any part of your life that you assumed God doesn’t need to be a part of OR that you are keeping God out of.  

It’s time to get real.  Don’t hide.  Post up and let us know.

five minutes with Dr. Cornel West

(This was clearly recorded on some dude’s VCR, but the goodness still comes through.)

As always, Dr. West says a lot, but what he has to say about the difference between Success and Greatness speaks powerfully to those of us who might be involved in Big and Successful things for God.

Dr. Cornel West is the Professor of Religion and African American Studies at Princeton University and one of the most Powerful Christian Voices we have…that harldy any of my friends have ever heard of.

To learn more about him go here.

So…anything pop out at you?  Let us know by leaving a coment below.

What Does Your Soul Look Like?

I just spent the last couple days on a Spiritual Retreat of sorts where we discussed the importance and significance of the SOUL.

To me there are few things more important than listening to, reflecting on, engaging with, and living from your soul. It’s the truest truth of who you are. The place where God knows you best and all too often the place where we know ourselves too little.

How is it that this Central Component of who I am is the thing that I am often the most disconnected from?
There are many things that will try to rob, or numb, or distract you from your soul. Some of them are outside forces. Often times though, they are self imposed. Busyness, Pace, Fear of Rejection, a Culture of Superficiality. All of these things are at work at all times, even right now, to keep you from listening to and living from your soul. But there is another way.

When you…
:: Stop what you’re doing (even for just 5 minutes)
:: Listen to and look at how you are responding, reacting, avoiding, controlling people and things around you
:: Reflect on how LOVED you are by God
…your Soul begins to break through. Your soul begins to be healed, be calmed, be reminded. Your soul begins to take the wheel. And you begin to live and engage with God and those around you like you were created to…and be.

So today….What’s one thing you are GOING TO DO to engage your Soul in the life you are living?