Blog hopping

Sorry about the broken links/RSS feed. I’ve officially moved on to a self-hosted blog here.

mattmccomas.com

Feel free to RSS me again. This is the last move for a while.

Why fly when you can use the interweb?

Ok, it’s time for Campus Crusade (and other ministries for that matter) to start thinking more about using video conferencing and webinars.

Skype has changed the way I keep in touch with our staff around the world and we’ve been using free conference calling services for regional meetings for a while. But now it’s time to start utilizing technology, specifically video conferencing for regional meetings and national meetings.

My wife just purchased a $440 airplane ticket to go to a conference at our national headquarters on reviewing staff applications. Could we figure out how to do the same content online? Obviously online meetings won’t ever completely replace face to face meetings, but the potential to cut costs is huge. If Leadership 2.0 is about collaboration and cross communication we need to master this medium.

I haven’t used any of these yet, but I’m starting to do my homework. These video conference services look promising:

• Tokbox: Free online video chat with up to 20 people. You can also send video messages.
• Oovoo: Free two-way video chat and pay per month service. Looks solid but requires some software download…ala Skype.
• gotomeeting.com: Pay per month service. This seems to a popular option in the business world. Screen sharing is available.
• Adobe Connect Now: Free for up to 3 people and then a pay service. Screen sharing and whiteboard service.

Does anyone have any success stories in their use video conferencing? Am I missing a killer service out there?

Donald Miller – A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

Thanks to Michael Hyatt and Thomas Nelson publishing I got my hands on two pre-release copies of Donald Millers new book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. I’m supposed to do a review on my other more random blog on Sept 29th, the day it releases, but I can’t not talk about this book right now. Donald Miller and innovation go hand in hand.

Bottomline… this book is good. The best one of Donald’s since Blue Like Jazz. It’s challenging, thought provoking, hilarious, inspiring and moving. I loved it. You’ll want to go out and ride your bike across America or dig wells for clean water in Africa after reading this. I recommend it.

Michael Hyatt is the man

If you haven’t added Michael Hyatt’s blog to your Google Reader yet, you’re missing out. He is the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishing, a brilliant businessman and a standout when it comes to spiritual leadership. He is passionate about using social media to influence those around him for Christ. In fact he’s coined the term Leadership 2.0 (i.e. Web 2.0), where people will be interconnected and dialoguing across multiple platforms instead of the old-school uni-directional communication model.

Listen to this recent Catalyst podcast to get a taste of what Michael Hyatt is thinking about, including his take on using his blog and twitter to connect with people around the globe.

Social media…a fad?

Mind blowing statistics about Social media…if they’re true. The better question, what are the implications for the Christian community?

Leadership Summit #5 – Key Seats

Reality is our friend. Answer these tough questions for your organization or local ministry:

• What number of key leadership seats are there?

• What number are filled with the right people?

• What is the plan to fill the rest?

• Are you prepared with back-ups in case those seats empty?

Jim Collins questions via Bill Hybels

Why your ministry should have a Facebook fan page

This screencast (before Screenr) is a great argument for why your organization should have a Facebook fan page. It’s also a reminder that static websites are on the way out.

The creator of the video is Brian Barela who leads the Campus Crusade ministry at Chico State and blogs here.

Screenr

Screenr is the lastest screencast application to come out and the best of the ones I’ve seen. Let me just say…it’s AWESOME!

This was the first one I did. It took me about 3 minutes to do this.

Screenr uses your twitter login and with about 3 clicks you can begin recording what you see on your screen and your voice. No downloading and it’s free!

Once the recording is done the fun begins. You can actually send your Screenr screencast link via twitter, you can publish it to youtube, you can embed the video or share the link…all super easy! The possibilities are endless. A friend just sent me his Screenr link to help me connect a twitter account to his facebook fan page. Uhhmaazing!

Think about training people in technology using this tool. Create a quick screenr to teach your staff how to use a google calender or anything else! Visual learners love it! Go crazy.

“Faith-full” imagination

Faith sets the imagination to work.

Lively faith can envision numerous ways in which God can work. And there is nothing wrong with that as long as we realize that God is not restricted  to our range of possabilities and methods.

What if all of us let our imaginations run riot in regard to the adequacy and suffiency of God?

Sadly in the Christian church culture imagination often brings up connatations of falsehood and fancy. But this isn’t true of “faith-full” imagination. You might even say that faith needs imagination to pull out all the stops if it’s to begin to grasp the grandeour, majesty and ability of God. “Faith-full” imagination doesn’t falsify God it finds him!

We have a desperate need for imaginative faith.

Am I leading with “faith-full” imagination of what God could do in our midst? Am I dreaming of what the future could look like in light of an all-powerful God?

(Thoughts originate from Davis’s commentary on I Samuel…specifically I Sam 26)

Can Social Media change the world?

Some of you have seen this, but it’s a great summary of the tech change we’re experience right now. The question is, how can we as full-time Christian workers use this new technological landscape to help fulfill the Great Comission?