Or is it MyBook?
Despite my appearance as someone of great technical insight, I do have a few weak spots, the biggest of which is FaceBook.
I’m looking to ramp up the use of MySpace and FaceBook for The Launch, but don’t want to be the daily manager of it all. If you’re interested in helping out, leave a comment and I’ll get in touch with you about it.
Jan 22
Big changes announced about The Launch.
Last
Sunday we announced that we will no longer meet on the second Sunday of
the month for a sermon-type meeting. The people spoke, and we listened.
The Launch will always hold to our mission, but will always be flexible in our methods.
We will continue to host weekly life groups, and strongly encourage everyone to prayerfully consider joining one, at least for a one-semester try out.
We will continue to host monthly dinners for the HOPE Community, this year on the 3rd Sunday of every month. Visit the blog to learn more, or to sign up.
Finally, we’ll be adding a monthly event in place of the Sunday night meetings, usually social in nature. The first is a bowling tournament on February 16th.
If you didn’t receive an e-vite and would like one, or you want to help
plan future events, just reply to this email and we’ll get the ball
rolling. Pun intended. 
We hope you’re excited about the RE:Launch. We are! Don’t forget to check the website for anything else you’d need. See you soon!
Dec 19
Simplicity is all the rage these day. Justifiably so.
Ben’s been highlighting it this week.
The Launch is simplifying. Re-focusing. Re-establishing.
The big announcement is coming January 13th.
The website reflects it now. Thoughts?
I’m in the process of revamping communication for The Launch, our 20 and 30somethings community within Every Nation, Tallahassee, and it’s pretty annoying. I’ve come to the realization that the internet, contrary to popular belief, may NOT be brining us together. In fact, it might be driving us apart.
Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, emails, Evites, etc. Which to choose? Or choose none and do all of them? These technologies are not helping me to bring people together, they’re helping me to reach segmented groups, but not to be able to bring them together online.
Social networks, like much of the niche marketing that now exists in traditional and new media, allow people to stay within their comfortable social circle and not be brought into interaction with those different from them, i.e. members from another social network.
Life should be lived in community. We need to have a hand in every group, even if we have a comfort place. We need to reach across our preferences and find people who challenge us, annoy us, bless us, and make us rethink things. Where is the Web 2.0 technology that allows us to do that yet, bring together all of our networks in one place?
And where do YOU think we should place our communication efforts? Across them all?
…with a big feather, because it’s time to pimp The Launch again!
The Launch returns this Sunday night from 7-8 p.m. The message is entitled "THe BRokEn: you’re just what Jesus was looking for." With all the Christmas celebrations and messages you can hear during the holiday season, we’re going to go straight the to the source: What did Jesus say about the reason He came to earth? Is it only important for those who don’t know Christ, or does it still mean something to those who’ve been following Christ for years?
To continue the bad puns, not only am I pimping it, but I’m super pumped about this meeting. I’ve been waiting for months to share on this topic, so I hope you’ll come with the same level of excitement. There’s nothing better than preaching to an excited group!
See you tomorrow night!
There’s a big annoucement coming tomorrow (not about the Bell Baby)!
Those following The Launch on Twitter will be the first to know…
Dec 3
Last Thursday Sam Febres posted this blog, talking about the "Christian Bubble" that some parents can tend to raise their kids in, and how it usually doesn’t turn out that well when they get older. These parents, with either good or bad intentions, try to keep their kids from the evil, hurt, hate, and temptation of the world. Unfortunately, many kids are then unprepared when they eventually have to face those things. Well, this weekend I heard a great story that demonstrates how one family is working to raise children who choose the right thing, not those who are sheltered from bad things.
A friend of ours called on Saturday to ask Kelly what The Launch does for our monthly dinner. After she explained what we do, the woman asked Kelly if she could bring her daughter with her to the next dinner. She explained that she’d been talking with her daughter (perhaps 3 or 4) about how not everyone has a good home, not everyone has a good life, but that we need to make sure that we should love everyone. Her daughter became very distraught over this news, and a few days later, with tears in her eyes, said to her mother "Mommy, what can do?! How can we help those kids?" So this December, the two of them will being coming to The HOPE Community so that she can help other kids, and love and serve them.
What a great example of showing a child the reality of a fallen world (that they WILL eventually see) and then teaching them to respond as Christ would respond. This is also a great example of what Christ meant when he said that "unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." The wonder, the hurt, the need to help and serve that was expressed in that little girl…may we all react so to the hurt and pain around us!
Due to an insane work schedule, I’ve fallen behind in the regularity of my blogging. My apologies! I should be back on track starting today, with at least one post today, a video (or two!) on Friday, and a whole bunch of hot links come Saturday morning.
One of the reasons I felt compelled to post today was what happened at our life group last night. I think something special happened last night. No, people didn’t levitate, bones weren’t healed, and there was no weeping…but still…I think something very special happened last night.
In a discussion of what biblical community and authentic relationships actually look like, we started discussing what it takes from a personal and group stand point to make them happen. We talked about feeling like you don’t belong in a group, that no one’s like you, that if you say the wrong thing you won’t be invited back…and how those are all lies from the devil to keep us out of community, out of relationship.
We moved past book report-type answers and began to bear our souls. Not our "proper Christian answer" souls, but the genuine us. We’ve been moving there slowly over the last few weeks, but I think last night was the spark that will lead to an explosion of God in our individual and collective lives.
This is one of the reasons that I look forward to Wednesday nights every week. Not because it’s easy, not because it’s convenient for me, and not because going will automatically do anything for me. No, I look forward to Wednesday nights because it’s an opportunity I can choose to take to grow closer to God, closer to people, to be honest and to be encouraged. And last night, a lot of people took advantage of that opportunity. Praise God.
This weekend finally afforded some downtime, allowing me to get to some much-needed updating of The Launch website. Here are the biggies:
The rest of the updates were minor, just cosmetic things here and there. But here’s where I need your help:
Thanks everyone!!!
Nov 7
Just the first of many mentions of the fact that The Launch returns this Sunday night!
Jon Owens will be pulling double duty: he’ll be sharing with us a message entitled "password::thank//you," and then leading us in worship in response to the message. It’s gonna be a great time!
Just a reminder that The Launch is ENT’s ministry for 20s and 30s, and we meet on the second Sunday of every month in the sanctuary from 7-8 p.m. If you want to know more about our Life Groups, community service outreach, or anything else please visit us on the web at www.TheLaunchCommunity.com.
See you Sunday!
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I'm husband to Kelly, father to Caroline, and lead pastor Trinity New Life Church, located in Trinity, Florida. I love Jesus, my family, and my church.
The ideas expressed here are totally my own and do not reflect the official positions of TNLC.