West Loop: Guerrilla Truck Show - Tues, June 12 May 30, 2007
Posted by Steve in : The City, Chicago, Urban Church, The Cultural Conversation, The Arts in the City , add a comment
Park Community Church is committed to encouraging and enabling people stay in the city, to establishing and nurturing families within the city, being role models to our neighbors, and passing on the Gospel to future generations —thus impacting the city of Chicago: one life, one family, one block and one neighborhood at a time. From time to time, I want to give you an education on some of the key aspects of Chicago.
This week we look at Chicago’s West Loop, which has been a hidden gem in Chicago and the area, predominately dedicated to meat-packing and warehouses in the past, has emerged over the past several years into one of the most interesting, dynamic neighborhoods in the city — even garnering a writeup in the New York Times. In particular, the Fulton Market area has always been a mystery, since weekdays it is quite congested with trucks shipping and receiving meat, cheese and heaven knows what else! Known for fish, Fulton has a lot more to offer these days…..swanky dining, upscale art galleries, antiques, photography studios and much more!
The Guerrilla Truck Show is Fulton Market’s annual art extravaganza where you are sure to see fantastic art works, lively performances, and new faces. The show, celebrating its third anniversary on June 12th, grants independent artists and designers the chance to reach the public by side-stepping the gallery system. Artists and students can display and sell art (literally) out of the back of a truck, plus attendees can enjoy live performances and other special events. It’s definitely worth a visit if you’re ever in the area…or a Chicago resident who’s just never gotten around to it.
From: Josh Spear
Being Missional: Do Church and Bars Mix? May 30, 2007
Posted by Steve in : The City, Sunday Services, Urban Church, Methods & Strategies, Missional, The Cultural Conversation , 1 comment so farWhat do you think about churches reaching out to those who won’t come to a church and having their worship services in bars and pubs? Read the following stories and let me know your thoughts.
Hal and Mal’s in Jackson Mississippi is famous for a beer after work, but on Sunday nights at 6 — when the alcohol is locked up — the back room of the bar is transformed into a different sort of watering hole, where members of The Journey Church said they meet to quench their thirst for Jesus Christ.
Steve’s Cape Cod, a seafood restaurant and bar outside Tampa Bay FL, known for all-you-can-eat snow crab on Monday and ladies-drink-free night on Wednesday, is reborn each Sunday morning as the Salvation Saloon. Worshippers who go by names like Curly Joe and Wild Bill file in by the dozen — many holding plastic foam cups of coffee, some biting at doughnuts — for a service they say is unlike any other.”This is not your parents’ church,” Paul White, who created the service and serves as the pastor, tells those gathered. “This is going to bless your socks off.”
A Cardiff (Wales UK) nightclub is the chosen venue for a church minister to address his congregation in an attempt to engage with young parishioners. The Reverend James Karran, 26, from Cardiff’s Ararat Baptist Church will hold “services” at Clwb Ifor Bach in the city centre. And his flock will be able to buy alcohol at the bar and listen to live bands as part of the experience. The ‘Solace - church in a bar’ nights will be held every Sunday from April. According to the Ararat Baptist church website, the idea of the services, which is being run by the Baptist Union church branch Solace, is to “make church relevant and accessible to a 21st Century, post-Christendom society”.
On March 4, 2007, NBC’s “Today” show looked at this issue which separates and confuses many.. In their report, “Beer and Bibles: New Churches Lure Young Members,” they interviewed an Southern Baptist pastor, Darrin Patrick, founder and senior pastor of The Journey in St. Louis. Although Patrick said that his church does not condone the use of alcohol, they do sponsor a discussion group, “Theology at the Bottleworks,” that meets in a bar where alcohol is available to participants. In a back room at Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood, about 50 people gathered on a recent Wednesday night to talk rock ’n’ roll. Why are Bob Marley and Kurt Cobain considered by some to be messiahs? When did rock music lose its edge and become another product manufactured and marketed by huge conglomerates such as Viacom?
It was a conversation perfectly suited to the setting. Beer-stained wooden tables and the smell of hops complemented a free-flowing, spirited debate among hip young people in scruffy beards and T-shirts. Theology at the Bottleworks is run by a wildly successful congregation of young St. Louisans called The Journey. The program is part of the church’s outreach ministry. And it works.
Every month, dozens show up at the brewpub to drink beer and talk about issues ranging from racism in St. Louis to modern-art controversies to the debate about embryonic stem cell research. First-timers are invited to check out the church on Sunday, and Journey leaders say many have. Theology at the Bottleworks is just one of The Journey’s ministries, but it has helped the church grow from 30 members in late 2002 to 1,300 today.
Christians have long sought to bring their faith to places outside the traditional church, from the rapid growth of skateboarding ministries to smaller-scale outreach to circus and carnival workers. Roman Catholics have also organized spiritual discussions called “Theology on Tap” in bars across the country.
Randall Balmer, a professor of American religious history at Columbia University, said churches in bars and pubs are one of countless endeavors seeking to attract congregants who otherwise might not be reached. “It strikes me as a fairly good illustration of the ability of evangelicals to speak the idiom of the culture no matter where they find themselves,” he said. “I see this kind of thing as the successor to the megachurch, which is trying to be all things to all people.”
What do you think?
Chicago Photo of the Week May 29, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , 1 comment so farI love Chicago…plain and simple. This is the best place to live, work, play and minister. As I roll through life, I often seek out photobloggers who capture the essence of what Chicago is and when I find those photos, I love to just take them in and see how they are able to see Chicago…and express the clarity of Chicago through the lense. Now I am going to periodically share their excellent work on my blog.
This week’s photo to be featured comes from Ayash Basu who has captured the skyline’s mirror image against the Bean and with such dramatic colors! This guys work is awesome! Check out his excellent work here. What do you think? Leave a comment below.
Back from East Asia May 29, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentJust got back from a 10-day tour of East Asia and China and got a chance to see some really cool sites and meet some really great people. One of the coolest sites I got to see was the new Olympic stadium in Beijing, aka “The Bird’s Nest”. It will be one of the coolest Olympic stadiums ever built. Take a look:
Here is a current view of construction:
Ministry Travel: Ensure the Lowest Fares May 29, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Technology, Methods & Strategies, Tech Tips , add a comment(Yahoo) Have you ever bought an airline ticket from ministry travel only to see the price fall in the enusing weeks and your frustration rise as you try to manage costs? Now there is something you can do about it.
Few customers realize it, but many airlines will give refunds if they cut the price after you have bought a ticket. Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest, United and US Airways all offer vouchers for the full price difference — if the price drops $200, you can get a $200 coupon towards a future trip. Others offer vouchers, or cash, after deducting change fees (which can run up to $100). In industry jargon, it is called a “rollover,” and in most cases it only works if you bought the ticket directly from the airline. (It generally won’t work if you bought them via a Web site such as Expedia.com or Orbitz.com, unless the price drops in the first 24 hours.)
The rollover policies have been in place for decades, but, until recently, it has been tough for consumers to figure out when their flight’s price has changed. The catch is you have to call while the lower price is in effect to get your rollover. That is where a new Web site, Yapta.com, has come up with a clever way to take some of the anxiety out of buying airline tickets.
Yapta, a company run by a former Alaska Airgroup Inc. pricing vice president, was launched May 22. It tracks fares on specific flights you select before or after you buy a ticket. That is an improvement over Web sites that just track markets, but don’t allow you to specify which flights you really want. You can use Yapta before you buy to alert you by email to pricing changes on a particular trip, or let you know if the price drops after you’ve bought a ticket and you’re eligible for a refund. In order to obtain the voucher, you need to phone the airline directly. (You usually can’t snare one online.) So as you are planning on attending that future multi-site conference, input your preferred flights and when they get to your budgeted level, it will notify you and you can then purchase the tickets.
One woman, who signed up with Yapta to test the site before its launch, paid $800 each for four tickets from San Francisco to Kona, Hawaii. A few days later, she got notification from Yapta that the price had dropped to about $400 per ticket. She called United Airlines and got tickets reissued at the lower price plus four $400 vouchers. “There’s no way I would have been checking sites to see if the price went down,” she said.
Check it out now here.
Branding: One Word May 23, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentI saw a great post at Duct Tape Marketing and think it will help us think about the essence and uniqueness of Park Community Church. We are beginning a branding process to better clarify for ourseleves and congregation who Park is and what we are all about as we move into our new ministry center. This sort of exercise requires a discipline to boil it all down to one word and will help us focus on the few key unique values of Park. I think this is a great exercise for any church to go through because it requires ruthless elimination of all items except core values and uniqueness to your church. I don’t believe that we can get down to one word but I think it is a valid exercise to force one’s thinking. John Jantsch asks the following:
What is the Measure of One Word?
He writes for businesses and states that:
It is absolutely essential that you find a way to differentiate your business in a meaningful way. I know I talk about this all the time, but it’s that important. What if you interviewed a handful of clients and asked them this question: “What’s the ONE word you would use that best describes what we do well?” Is it fast, attentive, welcoming, creative, cheap, cool, techie, smart, caring? One word is tough, but you need to get there. One simple word that sums up how you are different. If you can do that, and it’s a word that means a lot to a lot, your marketing job will be significantly easier.
Got your word? Now, how does everyone in your firm define and own that word. Starbucks uses the word welcoming. If you sneak a peak back in the back room of a Starbucks you might find a bulletin board full of “thoughts on welcoming” written by the staff.
One of his ideas is to ask all employees and clients to give their thoughts on what that word means or how they experience that word. He points out that if you did that exercise, you might uncover some incredible marketing material and may even come up with the motivation to inject your word and all its various meanings into everything you do.
So we are asking our elders, staff and leaders — What is the One Word that describes what Park is all about?
Leave your thoughts and comments on Park’s One Word and reasoning here as we think through this issue.
Tech Tip: Gmail Attachment Upgrade May 23, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Technology, Tech Tips , add a commentGmail just upgraded the maximum attachment size from 10 MB to 20 MB. While Gmail in the past let some larger (10+Mb) files, they have now increased the sending size to 20 MB in one message. This may still not work for the folks at the other end as the are few mail providers that will accept a such a big message, (Yahoo Mail Plus, or other premium accounts).
NYT: Shifting Emphasis for Evangelicals May 22, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentArticle today in the New York Times….what do you think about the purported shift? Leave a comment
God Tour May 18, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentI will be out of touch for most of the next few days as I go to visit Park friends in East Asia and China with group from our church. God is doing powerful things in East Asia — I can’t wait to hear about some of those things. Check out World Magazine’s article last year here, which talks about the faith transformation of many CEOs and the impact they have made on their companies. Here is a Feb 2006 about Christianity Comes to China’s Cities.
Tech Tips: 99 Email Productivity Tips May 17, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Methods & Strategies, Tech Tips , 1 comment so farWhen people read out a phone number, they use “phone rhythm.” No one has to explain “phone rhythm,” we all just seem to do it automatically, “…713…555…12…34″. Similarly, when we answer a phone call we all say, “Hello.” No one taught us to do that, but somehow we all seemed to pick it up.
So why is it that when it comes to emails, there are no accepted standards? Even though 6 billion emails are sent every day, almost no one agrees about simple things like email etiquette, how to organize a note, or whether emails are considered private or not.
The 99 tips in this article make up the best in email practices. From how to ethically use the ‘BCC:’ to what attachments will make your mobile emailing compatible with everyone else’s, this list covers everything you need to know about emailing.
Etiquette
We’re all guilty of bad manners once in a while, but when it comes to emailing, some people are downright clueless. Here are my favorites:
Lemond Enters Stage Left May 16, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Tour De France , add a commentI am a big cycling fan and am watching with interest the Floyd Landis doping hearing….For total coverage of the Landis affair, check out the #1 internet source …Trust But Verify
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Here comes Lemond, stage left….I ask myself, what sort of media circus we will see as the USADA brings Greg Lemond up to testify?
1.. Will he testify that he talked to Landis after the announcement last year?
2. What would have been said in THAT conversation?
3. What can Lemond possibly add to the proceedings?
4. Does Greg Lemond believe in his own mind that HE is the only athlete ever to win multiple Tour de France races without doping?
Tomorrow we see as 3-time Tour winner Greg LeMond is expected to (more…)
Chicago Photo of the Week May 16, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Chicago, Urban Church, Photos , add a commentI love Chicago…plain and simple. This is the best place to live, work, play and minister. As I roll through life, I often seek out photobloggers who capture the essence of what Chicago is and when I find those photos, I love to just take them in and see how they are able to see Chicago…and express the clarity of Chicago through the lense. Now I am going to periodically share their excellent work on my blog.
This week’s photo to be featured comes from Sarah Hadley of Chicago, who has captured the skyline from a unique vantage point and with such brilliant color! Check out here work here. What do you think? Leave a comment below.
Parlez Vous Francais? May 15, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentToday was a day of translations at the Floyd Landis hearing as the USADA legal team worked to get a translated understanding of the lab procedures of the French laboratory that analyzed the Tour de France champion’s urine samples. The USADA called the laboratory’s analytical chemist, Cynthia Mongongu, as a witness on Tuesday, grinding through all the checks and balances of the lab’s testing system.
The morning was slow going as the testimony given by Belgium-born (more…)
Wilco Launches Blue Sky Blue May 15, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Chicago, Music That Moves , add a commentOne of my favorite bands is Wilco and today we saw the U.S. launch of Wilco’s new album entitled “Blue Sky Blue“. The common ground about this album for the current incarnation of the band—a six-piece lineup that includes founding bassist John Stirratt, drummer Glenn Kotche, keyboardist Mikael Jorgensen, multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone and guitarist Nels Cline—is the music made between 1966 and 1974, Tweedy says. The band even recorded the music on a 2-inch reel-to-reel tape machine instead of computers, which is practically unheard of in today’s production world. It requires a band to essentially record complete takes of a song rather than overdub and edit parts at will.
Jeff Tweedy told the Chicago Tribune “We built this studio and this environment to allow that to happen without a clock ticking,”. “No headphones, vocal mic 4 feet in front of the drum kit. Not a lot of separation between the instruments. Everything had to happen at the same time.” (more…)
10 Most Commonly Used Passwords May 15, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Technology, Tech Tips , add a comment
Top Ten Common Passwords
Is your password DOA? Is it so simple anyone can crack it? Well, no matter what the experts say, the vast majority of us are likely to choose a password we can remember. Unfortunately, cyberthieves know this weakness all too well, and try to hack into accounts just by using the most common passwords online first. In a church environment, many folks here used to use quite simple passwords. We now require at least 8 letters and numbers at a minumum, which seems to work reasonably well.
PCMagazine just came out with a list of the most commonly used passwords, so if yours is on the list, I recommend you change it immediately.
- password
- 123456
- qwerty
- abc123
- letmein
- monkey
- myspace 1
- password 1
- blink182
- (your first name)
In addition to the list above, here are some things the editors at Switched recommend you avoid:
- Your birthday
- Your pet’s name
- Your girlfriend/boyfriend’s name
- Your street name
- Your social security number
- Your favorite color/number
Can I Get a Witness! May 15, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Tour De France , add a commentFor you non-cycling fans, join us as we review the day to day deliberations inthe Floyd Landis “doping” hearing…..catch all the best and timeliest Landis updates at Trust But Verify
Is he guilty and a cheater whose time is up? Or is he innocent and is being railroaded by an out-of-control authority? Stay tuned right here….
In Tuesday’s deliberations on the Floyd Landis case, a number of potential witnesses names’ were released (more than 40 in total-mostly technical witnesses about lab procedures and analysis procedures), including Eddy Merckx, Allan Lim (a Landis coach), Greg LeMond and John Eustice (retired cyclist). Lemond will be the most interesting and potentially provide the most fireworks, IMHO. You will remember that LeMond has been openly skeptical about Lance Armstrong’s statements that he was able to win seven straight Tours without doping. LeMond also is believed to have spoken with Landis by phone in the days after his positive tests became public. In addtion, the USDA will likely call up retired cyclist, Joe Papp, who is expected to testify how he benefited from testosterone usage during his racing career.
HOW DOES IT ALL WORK IN THE HEARING AT PEPPERDINE?
The San Jose Mercury News states that the hearing is set up with a three-member arbitration panel that will conduct the hearing under the commercial rules of the American Arbitration Association. The arbitrators are Richard McLaren, a Montreal lawyer appointed by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency; Bay Area lawyer Christopher L. Campbell, who was picked by Floyd Landis’ attorneys, and Patrice Brunet, a Canadian lawyer chosen by McLaren and Campbell as a neutral arbitrator. The format loosely follows U.S. court procedures. Both sides will make opening arguments and then present evidence and expert witnesses. All witnesses must answer questions from arbitrators and the other party. The panel is expected to rule in June. Many expect the ruling to be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, whose decisions are binding.
Landis: It All Begins Today May 14, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentToday, Monday, three arbitrators will convene their hearing on Floyd Landis’ case in a moot-court auditorium at Pepperdine University, pitting the one lone cyclist against the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) who has alleged the cyclist used illicit performance- enhancing drugs, with a possible two-year suspension and loss of his Tour title hanging in the balance.
At the hearing, Landis will argue — as he has publicly — that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) testing lab in France made numerous errors in handling samples and interpreting test results. For the first time since the anti-doping enforcement system was created seven years ago, one of its hearings will be open to the press and public — subjecting its quasi-judicial process to public scrutiny like never before.
Dozens of journalists from around the world, as well as many other (more…)
Illinois — In the High Tech Leader Pack May 13, 2007
Posted by Steve in : The City, Chicago, Technology, Internet Resources , add a commentAt Park Community Church, we believe that Chicago (and Illinois) is the most important place to live and minister. It is a place that attracts people for job opportunities, access to culture and the arts, educational opportunities, and quality of life. However, the continued success of Chicago as a global city that influences the world is somewhat dependent on the future job environment and the ability to retain college graduates as the next generation arrives to continuing renewing and regenerating Chicago.
So I was glad to see that Illinois ranked 7th in the nation in a recent report on high tech employment. The Chicago Tribune reports that the Cyberstates 2007 survey, which focuses on employment activity in both 2005 and 2006, ranks Illinois seventh nationally in terms of the number of high-tech jobs. In Illinois, more than 200,000 people had some kind of tech-related work, an increase of 1,200 jobs in 2005. (National employment data was available for 2006 but state-specific information from the Bureau of Labor of Statistics lags by nine months, the survey notes.)
“Chicago is a fabulous place to live and attract talent,” Kelly Smith, vice president of corporate marketing for Navteq, the digital mapmaker. said, noting that the city’s central location helps employees travel (more…)
