I am blogging from Taiwan. You can't get much farther away from Nashville.

While here I will be working with the Upstream Collective and another organization. For some contextual reasons, I won't be saying the name of that organization in my blog posts.

And, as you can tell we will be avoiding some other terms as well. Many of our M friends move between different regions in the area and they have asked us to be careful.

I am bringing several pastors with me on the trip and we will be post video content here are on several other blogs. Our hope is that we might give some global focus on the missional conservation.

Here are some of my friends who will be posting content in the next week.

Andrew Jones (Tall Skinny Kiwi)
J.D. Greear
Matt Chandler
Ed Stetzer
David Phillips (Integrating Missionally)
Almost an M
Michael Carpenter (Dining with Sinners)
Derek Webster (re:frame)
Grady Bauer (Missional Space)
C. Holland (Missionary Confidential)
Kevin Mullins (Life.Outpoured)
Guy Muse (The M Blog)
Ray Short (Cultural Dichotomy)
Todd Littleton (The Edge of the Inside)
Paul Chambers Cox (OMS International)
Tim Patterson (Travel Light)
Justin Powell (Urban Idealist)
David Jackson (Moving at the Speed of God)
Ernest Goodman (Missions Misunderstood)
David Putman (DavidPutmanLive)

I will be moving my SBC-specific blogging to here. I am privileged to be a part of the faculty at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and am excited to be a contributor to their blog.

I posted my first blog entry there this morning. It is called "Looking Back to Louisville."

A list of the Top 100 Church Blogs have been posted by Kent Shaffer at Church Relevance. This little corner of the blogosphere came in at #23 (up from #39 last time) so we are celebrating around LifeWay Research today and wondering if we get a prize. ;-)

Kent explains that he chose 181 well known blogs, collected data from each blog (Alexa Rank, Compete Visitors, Google PageRank, Google Reader Subscribers, Technorati Authority, and Technorati InLinks), and then ranked them in comparison to the others. A composite rank for each blog is determined by averaging each blogs ranking from the 6 measured criteria. Kent is up front about his method, that he chose some of the well known blogs, and asks for input regarding those he's missing. Yet, I have seen some unhappy bloggers out there.

I hope to see you on the web today at 2p.m. CDT for a live event.

Over 1000 people have signed up-- and you need to register to participate.

I'm kind of a big deal-- or at least that is what the faceless bureaucrats at Facebook insist. They tell me that I cannot have any more friends beyond my current 5000. And, if I want to have more friends, they have to become "fans."

Needless to say, I was not pleased. I don't want "fans," I just wanted more friends.

I have found great value in social networking, with Twitter and Facebook in particular. In the beginning I wasn't easily convinced that it would be worthwhile, but I have really enjoyed connecting with friends all over the world. Earlier this month I shared my dilemma - Facebook has a 5,000 "friend" limit, and I was maxed out. Of course, I realize that many of those friends are not people who know me personally, but I was using facebook as a means of broadly communicating with others and interacting around my Facebook "Wall" and "Notes." I have substantially more interaction on my Facebook wall than I do here on the blog.

The options weren't great, and I wasn't really sure what I was going to do, but my publisher went ahead and created a Facebook "Fan Page" for me-- without asking. This allows for as many fans/friends as desire to connect, and so I am reluctantly moving all discussion from my personal Facebook page to my "fan page."

For the record, I didn't make this move because I think "I'm kind of a big deal." Let's be honest, being a big deal on Facebook is sort of like being the Dungeonmaster in a game of Dungeons and Dragons. It really doesn't matter. This fan page is simply the best way to continue discussion on Facebook while allowing others to join in. And, all of my Twitter updates will now go there (and I have discontinued the feed on my personal page as that will soon go away).

So, if you are "friend," and want to connect, you'll need to become a "fan." I know; I hate the word "fan," so let's not even use that. Let's just be friends on a different kind of page!

I hope to see you there!

P.S. If you do not get the pop-culture reference, "I'm kind of a big deal," please forgive my attempt at self-deprecating humor. I read about it in one of my many leather-bound books. ;-)

Well, I have a conundrum related to my Facebook page.

Facebook has been a good place to network. It regularly suggests friends (sometimes in humorous combinations as this picture demonstrates).

However, Facebook now tells me I cannot have any more friends. It appears that there is a limit of 5000 friends and I am now at that limit.

So, I have been told that I have to have to create a "fan" page in order to go over 5000 friends. Actually, the my publisher has already done this before I officially gave them permission. ;-) (B&H Publishing's Aaron Linne is a go-getter.)

Of course, anyone can create such a page. Just yesterday, I discovered a group called, "All I Really Need to Know About Church Planting I Learned from Ed Stetzer." I had to join that group just to see what they were saying!

Anyway, I like Facebook. I about 50 Facebook comments a day so I enjoy the interaction, but I need to make a decision. I do not like the idea of anyone being my "fan." So, I am unsure how to proceed.

I would like your help to decide.

As I see it, I can:
1. drop off of Facebook completely and just go with Twitter and the blog.
2. eliminate my personal Facebook account and move completely over to the fan page posting and interacting on the "wall" there.
3. keep it as is and just let the current 5000 be my friends and that's it.

Option 1 is easiest and Twitter is a fine alternative. But, Facebook provides public conversation in a way that Twitter does not. (Having a back-and-forth conversation with Twitter goes to over 15,000 people whereas Facebook just goes to the people in the conversation).

Option 2 assumes that the good people at my publisher will let me link and have control of the wall there. (I know they will. I asked!) But, it also assumes that people will switch over to the new page. I am not sure the will.

Option 3 leaves a page out there but I cannot add any friends.

An obvious additional option is to do both a personal page and a fan page, but I do not see that as viable because people will try to be "friends" and then get no response from me on the personal account. For that matter, I don't like the idea of creating another site I need to check.

Finally, Facebook won't raise the friend limit. I asked.

So, what do you think? What do I do with Facebook?

Between Two Worlds includes quotes from my time on the radio yesterday. The full details are here.

Robbie Sagers wrote:

Why do so many people say that they like Jesus, but not the church? And how can Christians go about changing that perception?

Dan Kimball, Kevin DeYoung, and Ed Stetzer joined guest-host Russell Moore yesterday on the Albert Mohler Program to talk about how unbelievers view the church, and how the people of Christ can reach lost men and women--those at the coffee shop, or sitting next to you on the bus, or those working in the cubicle adjacent to yours right now--with the only gospel that saves.

DeYoung and Kimball are both quoted. Dan and I have been friends for years and I appreciate his perspective. Kevin and I have not yet met, but we are speaking together and a forthcoming Reformed Church in American "classis" in Grand Rapids, so I look forward to meeting him. I have enjoyed his writings.

Robbie quotes my comments about authenticity here:

I think that authenticity is basically a simultaneous admission that I'm imperfect, in need of the work of Christ and the cross, but at the same time sharing that struggle in that journey along the way... I think that authenticity is built from pastors and leaders, but also from everyday people who say, 'Here's what Christ has done, how he's changed me, how the gospel shapes me, but I'm also the one who's filled with faults and failures--struggling, but trusting in the power of Christ.

You can listen to the whole program at the Albert Mohler show radio show site. Who knew that Russ Moore would have such a smooth radio voice?

And, in another post, Robbie also quoted me bringing some stats:

We asked a total of 1,000 twenty-something unchurched people; 900 American, 100 Canadian. And we compared them to a sample of 500 older unchurched (30 or above). ... And what we found is that yes, there are negative views of the church, two-thirds saying the church is full of hypocrites, people who do one thing and say another. But there was also great openness that's there. One of the questions that we asked them to agree or disagree with was: "I would be willing to study the Bible if a friend asked me to?" Among twenty-somethings, 61-percent said, "Yes." Among their older counterparts of 30 and above, 42-percent said, "Yes." That was a statistically significant difference saying there is something going on, there is an openness that's there. So we're seeing that as an opportunity that in the midst of some negative views of the church there is also some openness to the things of God.

This data comes from Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches that Reach Them (B&H 2009).

Thanks to Russ and Robbie for the invitation.

This month Leadership Network and Lifeway Research conducted national research projects to find out how churches are being affected by the current economic slump. Warren Bird and I recently got together to talk about the findings from both surveys in this fast-paced interview with Dave Travis.

Weathering the Storm - How Churches Are Holding Up in the Current Economic Downturn
Download (it's free, people!), listen, and give your thoughts below.

How is your church being impacted by the recession? And, what are you doing in the midst of the recession?

Here is an excerpt from my recent blog on our economy research:

LifeWay News has posted the story with downloadable graphs here.

In this morning's USAToday, you will find Cathy Lynn Grossman's article pointing out the growing numbers of people in need looking to the church for help as we continue through this economic crisis. She includes research that Lifeway Research recently completed. Cathy brings out a few important details and provides some helpful examples.

Nearly two in three pastors (62%) report more people from outside their church asking for help, and nearly a third (31%) see more such requests from church members, according to a survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors.

.....

The survey, by LifeWay Research, a Christian polling firm based in Nashville, finds that 40% of pastors say they have church members out of work, and 37% say their church has increased spending to help the needy. (The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.)

What we found is that while the needs are greater at this time, most of our churches are ready and working to serve those in need and may be in a better place than other sectors of society. The average church actually saw their offerings grow by 4 percent in 2008. Only 12 percent of churches saw their giving decline by 10 percent or more in 2008.

This doesn't mean our churches aren't experiencing difficulty. These are challenging times that demand sacrificial giving by membership and wise spending by churches. And, depending on where they are in the country (and thus the severity of the recession), the situation can be and is different.

We just released this article at LifewayResearch.com that provides much more information about the economy research.

This last year has also brought changes in how those within congregations approach expenditures. Thirty-five percent of churches have a heightened sense of caution within their congregations about trying new things that cost money. A small number of congregations (11 percent) have seen increased reluctance to attend church functions or church-sponsored events that carry a cost or admission charge. Among the other effects the economy has had on churches:

• Seven percent delayed hiring that was planned.
• Six percent reduced staff salaries.
• Four percent laid off one or more employees.
• Four percent reduced insurance benefits for staff.

With these challenges comes greater opportunities for our people to demonstrate love, kindness and support to one another and those outside of the church. In fact, these difficult circumstances are motivating churches to mobilize people for the work of mercy ministries. Be sure to read the USA TODAY article, "In times like these, more people are going to church for help." and "Bad economy challenges churches but provides opportunities" by our team at LifeWay Research. And, as always, you can find the full PowerPoint at LifeWayResearch.com or download it directly here.

How is your church being impacted by the recession? And, what are you doing in the midst of the recession?

I have been serving as the guest host of the USAToday Faith & Reason blog. Cathy Lynn Grossman has written with USA Today for a decade and asked if I would fill in for her on the blog while she is in Europe on assignment.

I chose an easy topic to handle: the issue of exclusivity in terms of obtaining eternal life. You know me; I do not like controversy. No sir. Keeping it nice and light.

I started by discussing some recent research. Here is the wrap-up to my second comment that will give you a flavor of where the discussion is going:

To further the discussion, let's talk about the core issues of exclusivity of beliefs and how that affects culture, religion, and human interaction.
How do you view those who hold such exclusive beliefs? Why do you think that people increasingly seem to hold universalistic and pluralistic beliefs?
Let's make it personal, as well: Many faiths believe there is only one way to God, heaven, righteousness, etc. If you are a person of faith, does your faith teach that? If so, why does it matter?

Be nice. Engage the culture. Listen.

As a Christian, a researcher, a pastor, and a father I am very interested in the spiritual temperature of the younger generations. In surveys conducted by Lifeway Research we found that many have been getting it wrong concerning the younger unchurched.

In fact, 73 percent of unchurched twentysomethings consider themselves "spiritual" and would like to know more about "God or a higher supreme being." This is 11 percent higher than among unchurched individuals who are 30 years old and older. They are also significantly more likely to attend church or a small group than older, unchurched generations. This research is included in my newest book, Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches That Reach Them, co written by Richie Stanley and Jason Hayes. You can get some more numbers and thoughts from the authors of the book in this article at Lifeway.

Below you can check out a podcast where Jason Hayes and I discuss the younger generations and the churches that reach them. Give it a listen and share your thoughts in the comments.

As you may know, I am kinda' into Twitter. A few of us at LifeWay have jumped in (including the big boss, Thom Rainer) and we find it to be a helpful (and enjoyable) tool.

But, I know that some of you blog readers have been hesitant to jump in. There are some obvious pros and cons in social networking (and I have opined on that subject here.) But, let me encourage you to start a Twitter account and get going.

In order to help you make the leap into social networking, I am giving away some signed copies of my new book (written with Richie Stanley and Jason Hayes), Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and Churches that Reach Them.

Here's a quick look into what it's all about:

Who are the young unchurched, and how can they be reached with the good news of Jesus Christ?

In a poll result highlighted by CNN Headline News and USA Today, nearly half of nonchurchgoers between the ages of twenty and twenty-nine agreed with the statement, "Christians get on my nerves." Now, researchers behind the larger study present Lost and Found, a blend of dynamic hard data and modern day parable that tells the real story of an unchurched generation that is actually quite spiritual and yet circumspect, open to Jesus but not the church.

And, here is a video the fine folks at B&H made. It made me chuckle.

Now, here are the giveaway rules:

Once my Twitter "followers" reach 6000, I will give away a free book to every tenth person that follows. That should be 6000, 6010, 6020, etc. up until 6100. However, the count is based on my notifications. (Each time someone follows you get an email notice.) So, I will simply mark when I get the 6000th follower and then count every 10 after that until 10 books are given away.

If someone "unfollows" during that time, it could mean that the count you see and the number of follows I receive do not line up. My count is final. And, since more than one person might "follow" at 6000, my notification will be the signal for a free book.

And, these are for new followers I am encouraging to connect with via Twitter. If you are brand new Twitter, that will be great, but if we are just new "Twitter friends," that is OK, too. (And, I follow back all who follow me.) Now, for the 26 of you who "unfollowed" after I announced the contest on Twitter for "new" followers, I will let your conscience be your guide. ;-)

Everyone will be notified via Twitter direct message within 24 hours.

I hope to see you on Twitter.

I have been "tagged" by about 20 people (mostly on Facebook) and asked to share "25 Random Things" about me. If you're on Facebook you already know what this is. Even if you're not you probably do. Time Magazine covered it, as did most major newspapers. (Yep, they still print those things.) And yes, I usually ignore these things (see my earlier post on social networking) but the opportunity to talk about myself and blame others for it just took over. ;-)

So, here goes:

25 Random Things About Me

1. I signed papers to join the Army once but they rejected me (after accepting me) and I never served. I was rejected due to a unique eye deformity discovered in MEPS (Military Entry Processing Station), but the paper work was slow.

2. My grandfather was a fire battalion chief in Manhattan and my dad was a union iron lather and helped build the World Trade Center (among other things).

3. I participated in "Jeopardy" tryouts in Buffalo, NY. If I knew that the Volga was the largest North flowing river in the Soviet Union, I would have made it to the television.

4. I married my high school sweetheart. We even went to prom together.

5. In the seventh grade I was given the "most loquacious" award. I was very excited until I went home and found out what it was.

6. I own the web page, postmodernism.net. I never have used it. I also own about 40 others.

7. My wife and I started dating when we were 16 years of age and we had no other serious relationships.

8. My dream job was to be a professor until I became one and decided that was not for me (full time, at least).

9. Rick Warren recruited me to be the first Nehemiah Project church planting professor in a partnership with North American Mission Board and Southern Seminary-- that's right, Warren recruited me to consider a job at Southern. Al Mohler interviewed, approved, and hired me for the job that Rick Warren encouraged me to do.

10. My sister died in 1987 of a rare form of skin cancer. She wanted to sing at our wedding (August 13th) but instead saw if from heaven.

11. You can see the building of the very first church I planted (when I was 21) right
here. It was (and is) in a very rough neighborhood in Buffalo. It is now pastored by one of the layman we started with 20 years ago.

12. I have 4 graduate degrees and have never been a full time student. My wife told me I was not allowed to do any more education. Ever. ;-)

13. I have slept on the floor of an African hospital paying "extra" money to nurses to use new needles on a student I brought from America.

14. As best I can tell, I spoke to over 70,000 pastors and church leaders last year.

15. I graduated High School with a "D" average. I struggled in school from the second grade froward-- taking summer school classes for two years in high school.

16. I studied Spanish in Puerto Rico in a three week immersion school--it did not work. (Well, it got me through my PhD language test, but that is all.)

17. The first Christian book I read (other than the Bible) was The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

18. I've had my license suspended for speeding while driving home from speaking at Liberty University.

19. I have rolled my car and climbed out of the sunroof.

20. I was once on the Rush Limbaugh show and on CNN Headline news. But one does not know about the other.

21. I grew up on public assistance for much of my childhood.

22. I studied Reformation History at a Roman Catholic seminary... turns out, they have a different view of what it was all about. ;-)

23. I have lost 90 lbs without going on a diet (just exercise and changed some eating habits).

24. I have never been to Australia and have always wanted to go so that I can say I have "trained pastors on 6 continents" instead of five. ;-)

25. I think these lists are a pain and won't be tagging anyone else to do one. ;-)

And, #26, I am on vacation today with my daughter in Chicago. I hope your day is as good as mine!

Something to think about over the weekend concerning the generation gap in our churches because of technology. The Barna Group recently published some research on the role tech plays in widening the generation gap.

Technology is fast becoming the latest driving force behind what is often called the "generation gap." While Americans of every age have become quite comfortable with and dependent on technology, a new study by The Barna Group explores how technology is shaping different experiences and expectations among generations.

Some bloggers have already responded to The Tennessan article on SBC decline that I mentioned yesterday, including:

Michael Spencer (Internet Monk)

SBC Impact

Pat Hood (cited in the article)

I will add more if I see them. Feel free to link yours or suggest others below.

Here is the final installment, looking back to the start of the blog from October through December 2007.

For the other sections, see parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

October

• Explained our methdology for doing the largest and fastest growing list in Outreach Magazine.
• Did a podcast on preaching with my friend Michael Duduit from Preaching Magazine.
• Asked opinions on a book cover, and received a lot of helpful comments.
• Shared some important new research I did for Leadership Network.

November

• Responded to Dan Kimball's suggestion I get a new haircut.
• Reflected on guidelines for missiological contextualization.
• Linked and posted the presentations at the Building Bridges Calvinism conference. I was one of the most clicked pages on the blog.
• While speaking at the Assemblies national church planting summit, created a list of Assemblies of God fun facts (which, I have been told, was subsequently read aloud at the Springfield, MO headquarters).

December

• Announced that I was named the "Interim Teaching Pastor" at FBC Hendersonville. I had been preaching already a couple of months and I am still there today. A great church and I love teaching there.
• Was publicly accused of plagiarism and responded here. (The author of that post, David Wayne, is struggling with cancer. Pray for him and follow his blog here.)
• Talked about my time in Philadelphia and discussed "third place" churches.
• Corrected an erroneous report on The Trinity Broadcasting Network which they later clarified.
• Posted new research on the decline of younger leader involvement in the SBC.

I received some nice comments about the blog "look back" (see parts 1, 2, 3, 4) and some encouragement to summarize the whole blog. So, here is another installment, looking back to the start of the blog from July through September 2007.

July 2007

• After an intro post, the blog began while speaking after John Piper at his church in Minneapolis. He made some challenging statements, particularly at a church planting conference (good comments-- but also a bit surprising in that context). That led to more comments from my friend Kenny Stokes and the video of Piper's comments finally being posted.
• Spoke at Concordia University in Irvine and shared some helpful insights from a Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Bishop.
• Posted on the future of mission agencies.
• Questioned whether there really is a "call to preach."
• Posted new data from LifeWay Research reported in USAToday on youth dropouts. Guest bloggers included Mark Lydecker, Jim Johnston, Scott Stevens, and Jeff Schadt.
I gave my own thoughts in an interview.

August 2007

• Reflected on my 30th spiritual birthday.
• Started my "Meanings of Missional" series (full series listed here) that are still the most commonly read posts on the blog.
• Called for more civil discourse in denominations (particularly mine).
• Talked some about my time with some Anglicans and what was happening in their movement.
• Reported on an article in Christanity Today by Collin Hansen that included an irritating reference to my friendship with Mark Driscoll. Collin and I talked later and he had a great line: "how could I not include that?!" So, I (sort of) moved on. ;-)

September 2007

• Talked about racism in the 9 Marks journal.
• Posted my SBC sermon (reprinted in SBC Life) and provided the full length video of the message that some loved... and some, not so much...
• Posted the Evangelical Press Awards. I judged the biblical exposition and listed my choices.
• Became a columnist for Catalyst Monthly and posted my first article here. It received many good comments, but many objected to my defense of the church.
• Rejoiced concerning a commitment to end the sniping between SBC agencies. Still rejoicing while I wait for that to be fully implemented.
• Talked about the Emerging Church and shared some upcoming conferences and publications related to it.

And the last installment of the blog "look back" covers October through December.

October

• Shared my notes from my talk at the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta.
• Most of the month was taken up with posts from Krakow, Poland and Rome, Italy. Near the end, I opined on "When the Mission Gets Lost in the System" and listed the posts at the end of that entry. A final wrap up and summary came a bit later.
• Launched the B&H Leadership Book interviews with Thom and Sam Rainer.
• LifeWay Research released new research on the voting plans of Protestant pastors (and they did not reflect how the general public voted).
• Ended the month with some seasonally appropriate research on haunted houses.

• One of the more widely linked posts was "Speaking of Jesus and Justice," which was an expanstion of my comments in USAToday.
• In the month of November, we started and ended a conflict with a self-centered missional thinker named Al.
• Discussed the house church movement and how widespread it really is.

December

• A series on cooperation (still to be finished) overlapped November and December and included posts on cooperation, the SBC, denominations, and networks. The Next-Wave e-zine will be reprinting the post on denominations as an article. More on that later...
• Published a post responding to a critique of our research.
• Shared a series of videos about Comeback Churches with the Assemblies of God.
• Posted a humorous (but pointed) post on Social Networking.
• One of the more commneted-upon posts was from Penn Jillette, an atheist, talking about proselytizing.
• My response to some criticism of my comments from Michael Medved.
• A blog post on the problem with lying among many Christian leaders.

The blog "look back" rolls ahead. Be sure to see part 1 and part 2.

Below are some blog highlights from July through September 2008.

July

July was a busy month here at the blog. Some of the posts came from presentation, others from articles written in print publications, and others just started here at the blog.

• I posted my notes from a conference. I had spoken to the Founders Conference, a group of SBC Calvinists. I had cautioned them against being "functional hyper-Calvinists," borrowing the term from Bill Ascol. Well, some latched on to the comment and I found it best to post my notes so that people could get the context of what I said.
• Mixed it up a bit about Bill Hybels, Willow Creek, and their Reveal study. One guy got mad, but I think we ended as friends.
• LifeWay Research released another research project, this time dealing with the ongoing loss of young leaders at the SB convention. Some responded by burrowing their heads deeper in the ground. Others saw the trend. Many proposed differencing solutions.
• Got a bit nostalgic (my wife said "sappy") about how I miss being a pastor.
• World Magazine picked up on the earlier conversation on the blog and quoted Geoff Surratt and me in their story about multi-site churches.
• Continued a blog tour throughout the month that ended several weeks later in the Dallas Morning News (full tour details are in the final blog).
• One of the more widely read posts was when I wrote about "apostles" and their place in the church today. That also lead to a follow-up post here.
• Shared my presentation (which I will expand in a future book) about what a movement of multiplying churches would look like in North America.

August was a mix of topics, but some of the posts I thought would garner discussion did not--and at least one that I thought was an obvious conclusion brought much discussion.

• The second most "commented" blog of the year was my non-meeting with now President-Elect Obama. It turned into quite a debate. Recent stats show my prediction was (mostly) right.
• Commented upon the gullability of evangelicals and asked, "does anyone still have a Bible and some common sense?" Lots of long comments on this one.
• Visited and blogged about Community Christian Church where the Ferguson brothers serve. My favorite part of the comments was comparing Tom Petty's "Learn to Fly" and the Foo Fighters "Learn to Fly." To my great relief, I could tell them apart-- unlike a certain intern at CCC :-).
• Gave some Twitter advice.
• Talked about how the "theologically preoccupied" and the "evangelistically fixated" can learn from one another.

September

September generated much interest in the Emerging Church and megachurches (an odd combination, I know).

• Visited the Rolling Road Show with some folks from Emergent. I reviewed the show here and it was nice to see Tony Jones and Doug Pagitt come by and comment. I also released my 40+ page paper on the Emerging Church that I started while speaking for the Evangelical Free Church Mid-Winter Ministerial. The paper will be edited as part of a new book on the Emerging Church Movement coming out later this year.
• LifeWay Reserach released new data on the church and politics. It has been reported in multiple sources.
• Shared the presentation I gave at The Washington Post to the Religion Newswriters Assocation.
• Started megachurch week (which grew, ironicalyl, to two weeks) including interviews with Perry Noble, Kerry Shook, Joel Hunter, and others.

One final note: It seems that the "look back" drew some attention to a long dead conversation on this blog. Thanks to those who added their insights yesterday to the discussion or different-sex relationships.

Continued from part 1.

Here are some blog highlights from April through June, 2008.

April

• Our research about church architecture was reported in a dozen different places. We first released it here.
• Made a trip to rural Missouri, ate frog legs (pics included), and talked about the history of the Second Great Awakening. It bought out a few folks concerned about heresy in the movements.
• My most recent book (with Philip Nation), Compelled by Love, was released.
• Tim Keller and I discussed research and his new book in a podcast here.
• My most commented upon post was this one explaining and opining upon the decline in the SBC. It brought Danny Akin out of blog-comment exile and prompted many other responses. The strangest thing-- the Associated Press and other media outlets quoted the blog and I decided I needed to be careful.
• A follow up to the SBC decline post explained why this decline will probably continue in the future.
• The month ended as I spoke at the Dwell Conference in NYC and "slow blogged" the experience.

May

• Shared some rules I follow about interaction between married men and women and I was surprised that some people found them controversial.
• Listed some historic and current accountability questions that some have used to keep themselves in accountable relationships.
• Listed the candidates for SBC president and Johnny Hunt allowed me to list him as a candidate here, making it public on the blog that night.
• Mixed it up with Neil Cole and Alan Hirsch about the challenges caused by the professionization of the clergy.
• USAToday reported on our politics research and it ended up getting involved in the conversation about the Evangelical Manifesto. It led to several other posts involving the Evangelical Manifesto.
• Joined the faculty at Southeastern Seminary.
• Was glad to see 11 Innovations in the Local Church (my book with Elmer Towns and Warren Bird) be a finalist for Outreach book of the year.
• Opined on what plagarism in preaching really is.

June

• Mixed it up on multi-site churches with Geoff Surratt. First, my article, "Questions for McChurch" from my monthly Outreach Magazine column. Then, Geoff's response. World Magazine picked up on the debate and Geoff and I were interviewed in the story-- with Geoff on the cover. (He says he is going to buy me dinner.)
• Updates from the SBC annual meeting on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. I then penned my analysis and hope for the SBC.
• Kristen and I went on her 10th birthday trip to Yosemite.
• The Pew Forum released some research and we shared some additional research which asked a similar quesiton but with different wording. The comparison of the data became a national story. (I actually will post again about this next week-- Pew has updated the data.)

And I forgot this from February:

• Tim Keller clarifies some issues from a Newsweek story.

Part 3 coming tomorrow...

I thought I would start the new year with a look back at 2008.

The blog was still young in January 2008 (having started 5 months before). Now, the blog seems a bit older as this post is the 438th.

Here is a tour of what happened this year at the blog.

I pulled out those posts that had significant traffic and I thought were most helpful. You can find the full list here in the blog archives.

January

January had some big downs and then ups, including:

• Blogging my own car accident (with a picture!).
• Joining the faculty at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.
• Talking research on CNN. (That clip has a glitch so I uploaded a clearer version here.)

February

February started with a trip to Europe and ended with a bit of fun. It was a heavy travel month and the posts reflected that.

• In Barcelona. I spoke to missionaries and brought some pastors along to create partnerships. Those posts are here, here, and here.
• LifeWay Research asked for, and received, a clarification from Trinity Broadcasting Network.
• Dealt with some race issues related to the SBC.
• An ER clip related to some of our recent reserach.
• Had my most Pentecostal week ever.
• And, one of the most visited posts, was a humorous post I wrote about a meeting planned by my new friend Ben Arment called the "Whiteboard Sessions"

March

March had some time off, some trips, and some thoughts, including:

• A trip to Disney World and a pic we love at our house.
• Three posts (all linked in the last one) about my time speaking at Highlands Fellowship.
• Comeback Churches in Rick Warren's Ministry Toolbox.
• Comeback Churches and what the Landmark movement is.
• A bit on my visit to Criswell College.

More soon...