michaelshelley.org is online!

So I've been wanting my own name as a domain for quite awhile. Unfortunately, michaelshelley.com and michaelshelley.net are not available. Interestingly, they are both owned by musicians (not sure if they are the same person)...one who calls himself a "rock superstar" and is in a band called The Cheeky Monkeys.

Really?

Anyway, I was just searching domain names, as I sometimes do, and discovered that michaelshelley.org was available. While I'm not an organization, I figured "What the heck?" and purchased the name. I decided to go ahead and use it for this blog. I'm still using blogger.com for it and the old address (themindofl4h.blogspot.com) will still work, but from here on, I'll be promoting the new address.

I'm planning to be much more active here in 2011 and hope to have much to share as I move forward in this walk of faith I'm taking with Jesus. He's put a lot on my heart this holiday season and I feel led to take action.

Stay tuned.

the drop - New Christmas Music

The Drop '10 Album is here!

One of the 4 tenets of Advent Conspiracy is [Spend Less], but that doesn't have to mean giving less.

Featuring five artists from around the country, "Drop" is a great gift idea that can also send the right message to friends and family members. Download the album & CD art, then make a donation directly to Living Water, and know that your contribution will help provide clean water to people around the world.

Let's do Christmas differently this year and from now on...because Christmas can [still] change the world.

Join the Conspiracy...and help Katie dig a well.

My friend Elizabeth has a 7 year old daughter named Katie who could use your help.

Katie has submitted a video to a contest being held by Advent Conspiracy and the winner of the contest gets to go with Living Water International to dig a fresh water well for people who don't have clean water.

Katie wants to save lives. And she's worked very hard, not only to raise money for Advent Conspiracy, but to spread the love of Jesus to people she may never know the names of.

Christmas can [still] change the world.

[Worship fully]
[Spend less]
[Give more]
[Love all]

Please watch Katie's video and then CLICK HERE to vote for her.

Tools vs. Technology

Yesterday's keynote speaker at WFX was Ed Stetzer. It was a very good talk on how to move people from being passive spectators to active participants in the mission of God in our local churches. He cautioned that technical excellence can turn people into passive consumers of the product of the local church. But, that's a whole other discussion.

This morning in a brief conversation with Anthony Coppedge, he noted how Ed used the terms "tools" and "technology" as almost synonomous things in his speech. Anthony argued that they are not the same and that a "tool" is not a "technology." He used the example of a monkey digging a hole in the ground with a stick reasoning that there's no technology involved just a tool.

I believe that the stick IS the monkey's technology. It's all he has to get that job done. Unless and until his job gets bigger, it's all the technology he needs. Advancements in technology, and therefore our tools, only comes out of necessity.

What do you think? Are "tools" and "technology" synonomous? Does a "tool" not count as "technology" unless and/or until it is used for a purpose?

Thoughts from WFX - Day One

This week I'm at WFX in Atlanta and I say this every time I go to one of these conferences.

I am truly BLESSED to be on staff at The Crossing.

There are SO many unhealthy churches out there with people who are hurting...really hurting...yet working to spread the gospel in an environment where it isn't being lived out.

It's TRAGIC...and it's not helping the Kingdom. It's not how He intended it.

I keep hearing folks say that when they come to these conferences, they find solace in the fact that other folks have the same challenges and the same issues that they have at their church.

Really?

I'm not talking about technical issues with gear. I'm talking about culture issues. Unhealthy culture issues. I find it disturbing that these folks are working in such unhealthy environments and yet accept it as normal when they find out others are too.

There's a lot of healing that needs to happen in local churches before the work of the Big "C" church can truly be done. My friend Anthony Coppedge says there should be an altar call at one of these events so that these folks can be prayed over. That might be a start, but I don't know if it's enough.

Is the culture in your church what you would consider "healthy?" What can we, as leaders, do to help spread the culture of our local "healthy" churches to other local "unhealthy" churches?