No response
I tweeted this last week:
I have over 700 followers on Twitter, many of them Christians, and plenty of them leaders. No response to the above tweet. I did get a couple retweets from good guys, though (thanks @sdresser and @crucialencountr.)
What’s our fascination with conferences? What do you get there that you don’t get in the Word, going to church on Sunday, living life in a small group, and working with the needy?
I’m not dissing the occasional conference, mind you. But I’m seeing Christian leaders on Facebook and Twitter talking about going to conferences nearly every other week. Why? Wouldn’t those resources be better spent taking care of those who aren’t sure where their next meal is coming from?
Listen, I’m as big a hypocrite as the next. I’m not saying I’m better than anyone else. I just can’t help but think we’ve got our priorities all screwed up.
Jesus didn’t come to hang out with other Christians, pay hundreds of dollars to hear great worship songs and hear some rock star pastors tell us how much we suck. So why do we?
What is Compassion Thursday?
If you’ve been hanging around my blog long enough you may have seen some Compassion Thursday posts. You may have even asked yourself, “what is Compassion Thursday?”
Compassion Thursday is a group of bloggers that get together every Thursday and highlight a Compassion child that has been waiting six months or longer for sponsorship. Sponsorship through Compassion costs $38 a month but it literally saves a child’s life and gives them a chance at a future that they otherwise would not have.
Who is Compassion?
I took this right from their website:
Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.
Why a group of bloggers?
Because we’re not Anne Jackson or Carlos Whittaker. One of them could ask for sponsorship and the child they highlight would be picked up in a jiffy. The Compassion Thursday bloggers have less influence individually but, together, we’re able to get children sponsored.
So, who are the Compassion Thursday bloggers?
- Toby Keathley – What’s This Life For? – on Twitter: @pastor_t
- Andy McMahon – Crucial Encounter – on Twitter: @crucialencountr
- Andrea McMahon – Shalom Existence – on Twitter: @shalomexistence
- Adam Thomas – Caffeinated Faith – on Twitter: @caffeinefaith
- Scot Longyear – reson8 – on Twitter: @longyear
- Tam Hodge – inprogress – on Twitter: @inprogress
- Duane Scott – duane~scott – on Twitter: @duane_scott
- Danny Eason – danny eason – on Twitter: @dannyeason
- Shawn Wallace – shawnw (that’s me!) – on Twitter: @shawnw
We need your help on Thursdays
But how, you may ask? Lots of ways. Understand, though – you do NOT have to be a blogger to help us on Compassion Thursday. If you’re reading this, you can help!
- Post to your Facebook wall – when we post our highlighted child (easiest way to find our post is to follow the #compassionthurs hashtag on Twitter), just copy that Thursday’s link and post it to your wall.
- Post to Twitter – have a Twitter account? Just follow the #compassionthurs hashtag and retweet our tweets to your friends.
- Tell friends, family and coworkers – share our link with them and ask them to sponsor a child through Compassion.
- Sponsor a child yourself – maybe you’d like to sponsor a child through Compassion? If so, great! Just click on the child in our Thursday post and follow the instructions.
I hope this post has helped clear things up a bit (if you had questions.) Got more questions? Just leave a comment and I’ll be glad to answer them!
Updated 9/23/2010 to add three new bloggers to the group!
Be a white knight
Already sponsor a Compassion child? Tell me this video doesn’t make you want to write your sponsored child (or children) a letter right now.
Don’t yet sponsor a child through Compassion? You can do so here.
Uniting prayer and technology
On October 2nd Shan Smith and I will be presenting a one hour session at the Midwest Prayer Conference. I’m unofficially titling the session “Uniting prayer and technology.” Can you guess what it’s about?
In today’s super connected world, if you’re a church, you MUST have an online presence of some kind. You MUST have a Facebook page and a church website. And, because of this, it’s only natural to extend this technological footprint into the world of prayer.
My question to you is this: has technology affected your prayer life? Ever texted someone asking for prayer, or been texted with a prayer request? Taken part in an online prayer event? Prayed for someone because of something you’ve seen on Facebook or Twitter?
Let me know by clicking here and leaving a comment. I’d love to hear from you!
One Act (can change everything)
During the Wide Soul series at Maryland Community Church earlier this year we played this video. It affects me today just as it did when I first saw it. Watch it, then decide if you’re ready to do one act that can change everything.