John W Snyder

Posterous theme by Cory Watilo

Online Community

I have become more and more intrigued by church internet campuses and what church can and will and should look like online.  I really like how Lifechurch.tv does theirs and I am looking for more.  I have probably a thousand questions on this topic.  Thankfully I have a good friend, Tony Steward, who has been patient with me and has answered a lot of my questions. Currently, I am on the leadership team for a new Sunday Night Service at Mariners Church in Irvine.  We have started a facebook group and I am really trying to figure out how we can use this group page as a way to interact with everyone who comes on Sunday nights.  I know it will not be an overnight process and could even take up to 3 or 4 months for this catch on as a place to interact.  I believe there is more and more of a need for an online community pastor in churches.  And the more and more I look at this and what it would entail the more and more I would love to have this job somewhere.  There are a couple of churches who are staffing this position now and of course there are going to be a lot of churches who don't understand why this position would be necessary.  I believe you can have this position without having an actual online campus.  You need someone to love on people who are part of all the social network sites.  These social media sites are also great places to get your church out there. If you have any input for me please let me know.  Books to read, blogs to read, sites to check out and whatever else is out there that might address this topic would come in very handy. SNYDER

Spiritual Gifts Tests

Last week I had some great ministry conversations with some really good friends who I have known for 25 years and one I have known for just over a year. The conversations were great and I really miss working in a church. Anyways, as you can see the title of this blog is Spiritual Gifts Tests.
We some how got on the topic of these tests. One of the guys I was talking to was mentioning the fact that every time he has taken a test his gifts change. What he realized was that what ever stage he was in in his life reflected the results of his tests. For example. If he was in a leadership role at his job then leadership was his number 1 spiritual gift. If he was teaching a small group at this time then teaching and discipleship were his top gifts. I got to thinking about this in my life too and the times I have taken Spiritual gifts tests. Very similar and the same results. When I was a full time volunteer and I took the test, Serving was my top gift. The next time I took it I was leading a small group and discipleship was my number 1 gift. I really don't know what all this means, but it was just interesting to look at. If you have taken spiritual gifts tests have you noticed this trend? What does it mean, if anything? Is it even a big concern? Just thinking outloud. Thought it was an interesting thing.

SNYDER

Who is worship really for?

I have heard a lot of people over the years say they do not like the worship at ________ Church or I don't like so and so as a worship leader. Or the music is too loud. The music is too slow. I don't like hymns. Now, who is to say that God doesn't enjoy all of this. And I understand that we want to enjoy worship and what it is all about, but we have to remember that worship is not for us. Worship is for God and to God. So the next time you are worshiping remember who it is for and why we do it and you might have a different perspective on it.

SNYDER