LaRosa Johnson {dot} com

It’s nice when you wake up and get an unexpected surprise. Today I had a twofold surprise. First, I woke up this morning and was checking Google Reader and was going through all of the blogs I follow. There’s nothing unusual about that, except for the fact that Logos mentioned me in their latest blog entry. Last week, I posted an article on Trailblazin Ministries that gave an overview of Logos Bible Software 4. So, in their blog post, they were talking about all of the different users who had made videos talking about the software, and I was one of the few mentioned. That was really nice to see given the fact that I put it up on the site and only publicized it through a single tweet on Twitter.

The bonus to this is that the desktop app pulls in the Logos blog and displays it on the home page. So, I get the extra blessing of seeing my name displayed in my Bible software’s home page. How cool is that?! I don’t know, I’m a geek like that, but it just made me feel good. More than anything, I’m just glad that people appreciated the video and found it worth talking about.

The second surprise when my in-laws, who are in town for Thanksgiving, unexpectedly gave me a few dollars to have as spending money. That was a pleasant gift, the kind that gives you warm fuzzies. Now to figure out what to spend it on, LOL. I’m thinking about buying more books for Logos. I’ve got my eye on the MacArthur & McGee eBible packages so that I can import the unlocked books into Logos 4, but I’ll think it over.

Anyway, both of those were nice surprises and I thank God for them. A nice way to round out all the thankfulness that I expressed this past week. Thanks God.

LaRosa Johnson LaRosa, Life, Stuff on the Web blessings, Family, gifts, link love, Logos 4

This morning I received an email in my inbox. Nothing unusual about that, but the email itself was interesting. It came from a Christian website that I joined to investigate why my site was getting so much traffic from them. It turns out that this website was designed to pirate Christian music and software. Anyway, I wanted to share the email with you because I found it rather amusing.

Dear _______ member,

I’m writing this announcement to inform you that in the following couple of days ______, ______ and ______ websites are going offline for an indefinite amount of time. It may be for a few hours, it may be for a few days, it may be for some months… no one can tell at this point. The reason for going offline is that our current host won’t host us anymore for reasons that I don’t agree with but I totally respect.

We’ve been through much trouble as a community all these years and if it wasn’t for God’s grace covering us, and some people’s dedication and really hard work, we would have been just a distant memory by now. Whatever your feelings are, please pray for this community as a whole, for the individual members, and for us the administrators as we all really need it at this point.

If anyone has any hosting solutions, suggestions, or connections, please let us know.

The only official way to contact us for the time being is by e-mail on _________

"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all" – 2 Corinthians 13:14

Thank you all for your continuous support,
_________

Seriously?! You would think that their webhost is trying to tell them something. Most webhosts only take your site down because of excessive bandwidth (which wasn’t their problem), pornographic material, or illegal activity. Given what the site was engaging in, it’s definitely option number three. Yet, these people continue to think that what they’re doing is legitimate and covered under the grace of God. It amuses me how people try to justify their sins, lusts & evil desires, especially when it’s under the guise of doing a work for the Lord.

It’s my hope that this site and others like it don’t come back online and that any other host keeps them off of their servers. It’s definitely my prayer that while the site is offline that the Holy Spirit will prick them and make them aware that what they’re doing is wrong and cease any attempt to move or resurrect the site.

LaRosa Johnson Stuff on the Web downloads, email, piracy

This made my night, and even made my head stop hurting (at least for a little while). Thanks guys!

http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23youknowyouachristianrapper

Goodnight!

LaRosa Johnson Holy Hip-Hop, Stuff on the Web hip hop, twitter

My man AppleJaxx just hit me up with a link to a video of him preaching and I just wanted to share it with you. I already knew my man was an ordained minister, but I had yet to hear him teach. So, without rambling on, I present “Alive in Christ pt. 2″ by AppleJaxx aka E.O.

Alive In Christ pt. 2 from Fadacy on Vimeo.

LaRosa Johnson Bible, Stuff on the Web

There are a few blogs that I tend to frequent very often, and one of those is the ESV Bible Blog and they have often posted about how users of the ESV have made their own “blank Bibles” for personal study of the Scriptures. After reading their latest installment titled “More Blank Bibles” I got to thinking about whether I should make my own, or do something altogether different.
I like the idea of the blank Bible as it allows me to quickly jot down notes as I’m reading and have them easily accessible for future reference when I am reading that passage again. Plus, it’s a nice way to write my own personal commentary of sorts and quickly get a feel for how far along I am in the process. The one thing I don’t like about that idea is having it spread across eight or so volumes; that just seems to be a bit much for a project like that. Indeed, it’s a novel idea and will work for many, but I’m not sure that this will work for me.
I then had the idea of writing my notes in a separate notebook, which I had started to do at one point. This way, I can still use my favorite Bible (at this point in time, it’s the MacArthur Study Bible NASB version) without having to destroy & rebind it and have my notes separate from it. Logistically thinking, at least for myself and the way I work, there is a problem in this too, for a few reasons. First, in keeping things separate I will have to go flipping to search for what I’m looking for in a notebook, with no kind of reference system to quickly find what I’m looking for (of course I could make one). Secondly, I’m not a big fan of writing because: 1) I write sloppily, 2) I write slow, and 3) my hand tends to cramp up rather quickly, so just imagine me trying to write a long discourse by hand. That idea alone has kept me from doing this method, which also makes the blank Bible not much of an option either.
Now, there’s the third option, which is probably the most feasible, but another that I still don’t like too much. WORDsearch 8 has a Bible notes feature which works very much like a notebook or a blank Bible. It allows you to type your notes into a word processor type window that is synced to a particular verse (or range of verses). This is great when working on a study as it allows you to quickly find your notes when searching on a particular passage. The only downside to this really, is that you cannot name your notes at this point (a feature that I really wish was available, so as to distinguish between multiple notes on a single verse). Logos provides a similar feature that is not quite as intuitive, but it is a lot more flexible in how it allows you to lay out the data. The only drawback to using the system is that the notes are not searchable from within the system, whereas they are in WS8.
That option sounds nice, but there’s a catch. I’m the kind of person that doesn’t like to use an electronic Bible when I’m reading; I prefer to use my hard copy, that way I can sit on the couch, or wherever and read. It’s much harder to do that when sitting at a desk staring at a computer screen. I don’t know, I just get in a different mindset when I’m reading my hard copy, it just feels more real and personal to me versus using my computer. Now don’t get me wrong, I love using my computer for doing my intense studies (i.e. my devotions and Bible studies) where I need all of my reference works available to me. I just feel that a package like WS8 or Logos is more than I need for simple not taking (even though both are designed for such).
I guess the best solution is going to be for me to try and do this: learn to read my physical Bible @ my desk (just bought a new one from Wal-Mart for $45 that’s just big enough for my laptop, and using the keyboard drawer as my workspace [i.e. for my Bible & notebook]), and then have WS8 open & ready to take notes on passages as I need to. I think that’s going to be the best bet and work best for me, presenting the best of both worlds. And hey, when it comes time to publish (if that time ever comes) it’s already in an electronic format that simply needs to be exported and pasted in to Microsoft Word and then formatted properly.
Yup, I guess that will work… I’ll try it tonight.

LaRosa Johnson Bible, Stuff on the Web

Off and on for a while now, my friend Antoine and I have been discussing the concept and schematics for a church that is built around the Internet and technology, a church without walls shall we say. We have gone back and forth with our thoughts and ideas, bouncing things off each other as we try to figure out the reality of this and to what extent something like this could possibly happen. Well, this morning I was reading an announcement at a Christian forum that I had recently joined, and they made an interesting remark about how they were not, nor intended to be, an online church. Let me quote a portion of their announcement:

…For those of you who consider Bible Forums as your “church/fellowship” then let me be the first to tell you… Get real. This is not a local gathering of believers and that is what we need and it is very much a biblical requirement. We operate in a biblical manner as best as can be done within this medium. We are a gathering of believers. We can talk about the Bible and pray for each other and do many things that are similar to that gathering of believers laid out in the Bible. BUT there are MANY things that we cannot do and it is those many things that discount us as your “church/fellowship.”…

On the one hand, I wholeheartedly applauded their statement because they firmly knew what they were trying to do with their forum, and also knew what they didn’t want to do; on the other hand, I felt that there were drawing a pretty harsh line in the sand when it comes to the capabilities of the Internet and their use within the Body. Right now, I’m sitting on the fence because I do not know which side I fall on, so let me at least try to explain my current thought processes so you can see where I’m at.

Read more…

LaRosa Johnson Ramblings, Stuff on the Web

I was just recently checking out my friend Jesse’s blog and he was talking about his thoughts before becoming an ordained minister/pastor. His father is also a minister and is on the counsel that he has to sit before; being a gracious father, he gave Jesse his questions beforehand, which he decided to publish up on his blog. I took a look at them and decided to take a stab at answering them. Here are the questions:

1. Do you desire the office of a bishop? (1 Tim 3:1)
2. What are your top 3 priorities as a pastor?
3. What do you see as the greatest challenges the church faces in the 21st century?
4. How far should the church go in seeking to attract the unsaved to worship services?
5. You mentioned your belief in the preservation of Scripture. In what sense is the Bible preserved: in a single translation, manuscript, etc.
6. How should your church respond if a convicted child molester begins attending your services?
7. Describe the process and purpose of church discipline.
8. Explain your understanding of the Bible’s teaching on divorce and remarriage. Address ministry limitations regarding this issue.
9. Is there any reason we should not approve your ordination?

Here were my answers that I posted as a comment on his blog:
1) Yes
2) #1 – leading my flock, teaching them the Word of God and how to read/study it for themselves… #2 standing for Biblical truth and sound doctrine, standing against false doctrine… #3 being a voice for the Lord in the community, being a witness of the gospel and sharing the love of Christ
3) The constant rise of false doctrine and people having no desire for the things of God, and showing people that the Bible is true in every way possible
4) Not very far; I believe church is for the edification of believers and equipping them to go outside the walls of the church and share the gospel with the unsaved
5) Manuscripts are the greatest tool we have in preserving Scripture as the shear number of manuscripts that we have allows us to have as solid as a text as possible. But even when translating, we should do our best to keep from straying from the original meaning of the text and reading our own interpretation & feelings into it
6) Welcome him/her with loving arms because even they can receive the saving grace of our Savior, treating them like we would any other member. Even with that, still recognizing that we are fallen, thus, being aware not to put them in a position of ministry where they are alone with or overseeing children.
7) The short answer: approach the believer, if they don’t change, bring along another witness or two… from there, if they still fail to comply, bring it before the church as a whole and excommunicate if they still refuse to submit/turn from their sin… and this is the same with an elder/pastor, although this instance does require at least two or three witnesses to establish the matter (so as to prevent slander or false witness)… i forget the passages right off hand, but one was in Matthew and I believe the other is 2nd Timothy Marriage is supposed to be a lifelong commitment that isn’t entered into lightly, as it is a covenant made before God and man. Quite frankly, we shouldn’t divorce, but the few biblical allowances for divorce that I’ve seen include: adultery, abandonment, and abuse. If divorcing for one of those reasons, then remarriage is a possibility. As far as limitations towards ministry, it does say that we are to be the husband of one wife. Personally, I think this should be taken literally, but it more likely implies that we should be a “one woman man” only having eyes for our wife; thus a person can be remarried, as long as their previous marriage ended for one of the above reasons (or becoming a widow/widower)
9) Nope. I’m just a sinner saved by grace, relying on the Lord and the Holy Spirit on a daily basis to lead, guide and direct me in this. This office is not one that I can hold and carry out in my own power, but only through the strength of Him who is in me. But I firmly believe that He has called me to this office to be a leader in His church.
Needless to say, it’s food for thought and something to consider when the time comes for myself.

LaRosa Johnson Faith, Ministry, Stuff on the Web

This past week, I’ve had opportunity to read two very interesting articles, one by way of a friend sending me the link and stumbling across the other on one of the forums I frequent. All I can say is that I am completely shocked by what I read. The first article that I read had to do with the issue of pastors “stealing” sermons from outside sources (Pastor Inspiration: Divine or online?). Basically the heart of the matter is how pastors are utilizing online resources (and sermons from colleagues) to use as material for their own sermons. A very interesting article indeed. The second spoke about many mega churches sending mixed signals to their congregations. This article spoke of how one church allowed a secular rapper to perform during worship service and made mention of another pastor using multiple references and catch phrases from many of today’s popular hip-hop and R&B artists (many of which have vulgar content in the songs he quotes from). Both of these articles were an interesting read and definitely spirit-stirring as I couldn’t believe, in some manner, that this kind of stuff would go on in the church, but on the other hand I wasn’t surprised one bit.
Now, there was something interesting about these articles that really stood out to me. In both of these articles, there was one pastor and church that was mentioned in particular: Bishop Eddie L. Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, GA (an Atlanta suburb). In the first article, Bishop Long was one cited for preaching a sermon that he had gotten online (without giving any attribution whatsoever), preached it as if it were his own given by God and gotten through personal study, and then was selling said message for profit via his church and website. Then, in the second article, he was the pastor that let secular artist Young Dirty perform at his church during a worship service (allowing him to sing a song that contained references to ballin’, bling, hoes, and pimpin’). What’s more is that the references to secular artists & their catch phrases came from an elder who pastors one of Bishop Long’s satellite churches. Oh yeah, did I mention that Young Dirty is Bishop Long’s son?!
On the one hand, this was particularly difficult to read, considering that Bishop Long was one of the few pastors that I had grown accustomed to listening to and gleaning “spiritual truth” from. He was one of the pastors and ministers that I looked up to, at least until I had purchased one of his series in MP3 format (spending well over $100 total for all the MP3s) and noticed a very heavy emphasis on prosperity gospel with poor exegesis and consistent eisegesis throughout the entirety of the series. Then I had watched a few of his sermons on television (which I liked to watch regularly on Sunday evenings) and noticed him saying things that were totally not in Scripture. I won’t go into details as that’s not important; but let’s just say that after hearing that kind of stuff (and seeing the same sort of message in many previous messages of his that I had owned), I had decided to turn a deaf ear towards anything else that he had to say.
With this whole issue of “stealing” sermons, it makes one wonder how many sermons of his are actually original or did he get it from somewhere else and then making a profit with it? As someone with the pastor-teacher gift, I seriously take issue with this concept of using places like sermons.com to come away with a completely pre-packaged sermon and preaching it as if it were your own. I even have issue with hearing a colleagues sermon and then using it as your own without giving the originator any credit whatsoever. Where’s the integrity in that? How is that using your gift to the fullest? A well gifted speaker without the gift can get up there and “preach” a sermon from someone else’s notes! Last time I checked, the role of a pastor-teacher was to shepherd his flock and to hear the voice of God (through His Word and prayer) so that he might speak a message specifically for his congregation. This is not to say that you won’t occasionally borrow material from other places, but you should give credit where credit is due. One thing I love about my pastor (Pastor Bob Bolender) is that he is very quick to let you know when he has gotten material from an outside source, and even when he has modified it, which is exactly the way that it should be. I don’t care how busy you are as a pastor, your job and obligation is to hear from God and speak to your flock.
Quite honestly, you’re doing yourself and your congregation a disservice by not hearing from God directly and getting your messages from elsewhere. First, you’re not growing in your knowledge of the Word and preparing yourself to use what you have learned if you are not studying for yourself. What benefit do you get from using someone else’s work? How is a pastor supposed to be ready to counsel his congregation and give them direction if he is unable to hear from God for himself? Sure, I know most of these pastors will say that they only do it on occasion, but that is too often! What about being held to a higher standard and being held accountable to God? Do you think He’s pleased with a pastor using someone else’s work, and then not giving them credit for it? Thou shalt not steal? That was a commandment last time I checked. Secondly, the congregation suffers as a result. How are they benefiting from a message that was not specifically for them? Sure, they may come away with something, but it won’t be anywhere near as personal and powerful had the pastor-teacher done the studying himself. As a result, how can you expect the congregation to continue to grow deeper in the Lord if the pastor isn’t? What’s more, the congregation is being duped because they have no idea that this message wasn’t from their pastor, and then those that do find out have to always question whether each sermon was original or not.
Personally, I try my very best to make sure that everything I teach is given to me by the Lord and comes from my own study. Sure, I may hear or see something that I may use, but I, to the best of my knowledge, give credit where credit is due and let you know where I got the information from. If I ever slip, it’s not because I willingly chose to conceal the source, but as a result of absentmindedness. I truly appreciate those who take their calling seriously and put in the work required to be a pastor-teacher, and do it the right way. It’s that kind of thing that makes me enjoy the fact that I’m in a smaller church that is more intimate in nature.
That’s enough about the sermon stealing because I’m rather heated on that subject (not to say that I’m not heated about this other topic). Point blank, what was Bishop Long thinking by having Young Dirty perform during a worship service?! I don’t care if he’s your son or not! It’s one thing to want your child to succeed in his career path, but it’s another thing entirely to allow him to come into the church with it, as a professing believer or not. By no means (and I do mean no means) does a song that refers to what I mentioned above give glory and honor to our Lord and God! And if it doesn’t give glory to God, why is it even being sung in a church during worship service, or in a church at all? I don’t care if my own son was a secular performer, there is no way in the world that he would be coming up in MY church singing a song like that. That speaks for itself, so I won’t go any further.
What about the pastor using quotes and phrases from many of today’s popular secular artists? On the one hand, I have to ask myself: why is a pastor even listening to this garbage? Sure, I know the usual answer of: I need to know what’s going on so that I can minister to my people. That’s ridiculous; that’s like saying that you need to sit down and watch XXX movies so that you can minister to someone who has a struggle with pornography. We don’t do that, so why should we do this? So we can be relevant and hip? At what cost? Are we compromising our holiness and “set apart-ness” so that we can be the most relevant church on the block and “speak the people’s language?” In the rare circumstance, I can understand it, but it shouldn’t be a normal occurrence on a Sunday to Sunday basis. Every sermon you preach shouldn’t need to have pop culture references in it. Isn’t the Word sufficient on its own? Apparently not, if we think we need to spend so much time keeping up-to-date with the latest in pop culture and incorporating it into our sermons. When will pastors realize that there is a price that comes with being relevant? Seriously, how much is your congregation learning about the Word of God when they’re hearing the latest secular vernacular?
Yeah, I’m pretty down on the church right now when I read articles like this. But at the same time, I know that these are just a sign of the times. Scriptures say that the time would come when people would no longer desire after sound doctrine, and follow after what tickles their ears and makes them feel good. Sadly enough, that’s what’s going on in too many of today’s churches that are focused on prosperity (especially in the natural, instead of spiritual prosperity) and being relevant and in-line with the current popular culture. When will the light bulb come on and they start teaching sound doctrine again? Unfortunately, many have turned a deaf ear towards anyone who speaks anything “negative” about their ministry and their teachings, even when it is spoken in love and brought from the perspective of the Bible. The experience of some has been to send a letter speaking against their teachings, only to receive an envelope asking for monetary “blessings” for their ministry. What?!
So, since these pastor-teachers are so “untouchable,” I’m just going to continue speaking the truth and doing what I can to make sure that everything I teach is sound and lining up with the Word of God so that He alone can get the glory in all that I do. I will also continue to remain steadfast in prayer that they will have their eyes opened and see the error of their ways and return to the truth of the Bible. I’m still left shaking my head, but I know that in the end God will ultimately get all the glory.

LaRosa Johnson Faith, Stuff on the Web

I remember when I first got involved in the holy hip-hop scene back in 1999 and early 2000, I used to think that every album that released was the biggest thing to come out; I would get so excited and had to put the album on pre-order and would sit on pins & needles waiting to get my copy, most times to end up being disappointed with a somewhat mediocre or average project. I remember one time in college when the Tunnel Rats were releasing their Tunnel Vision album on Uprok Records; I had called a local Christian bookstore to see if they would have it in stock (they said they would), so I hopped on the bus on the release date (after class, of course) to go from Chapel Hill to Durham, and then after getting off the bus, walking about 3 miles to the store. When I got there, I found out that they lied and didn’t have it in stock, but only had a promo copy, which they ended up selling me (at FULL price, no less). Now, the album was hot, but I had to walk back disappointed with only a promo copy and having to order the full thing online that evening. Those were the days…
Since then, and having written plenty (hundreds?) of album reviews since then, I have learned to not get myself hype about the latest project coming out that everybody and their momma thinks is going to be the next “classic.” I have gotten to the point of either getting the music and doing the hype myself (if it’s good, like Flame’s Our World Fallen) or just keeping quiet and getting it whenever I get it. Well, now there is an album releasing that I’m very hype about, and it is being put together by Reach Records and the 116 Clique; the name of the album that they’re putting out is titled 13 Letters. Now, I’m not hype because I’m looking for a bangin’ album musically, but I’m more excited about the content that is going to be contained on this project; I mean, as an urban bible scholar, how can you not get excited about an album that is attempting to give a survey of the Pauline epistles over hip-hop beats?! That alone had me sold, and I just had to have that album. Just hearing about it, I knew that this album was going to be one for the ages and one that would really change the way people look at holy hip-hop. As soon as I got some cash, I knew that this was going on pre-order.
Well, it had just so happened that recently, I was given $100 as a gift, and I spent the entire day trying to figure out how to best spend that money. I had thought about blowing it on myself with either some new computer software or game, or maybe even buy some holy hip-hop CDs that I hadn’t gotten yet. Then I remembered 13 Letters and thought to myself that this would be a perfect tool for sparking evangelism and getting the youth to dig into the Word. With that in mind, I went to ReachRecords.com and put 10 copies on pre-order (thank God they offer a discount for orders of 10+ CDs). I didn’t just stop there because I knew that it wouldn’t do them any good to just have the musical version of the 13 letters, so I also decided to buy some ESV New Testaments to give out alongside the CD (plus a TM business card with my contact info & a tract). What better way to spend $100 than buying a CD that is meant for evangelism and discipleship and using it for that very purpose? The goal is to take these materials and give them to the youth that are in my neighborhood (there are a lot of them), share the gospel, and possibly get a little small group study started so that we can study the curriculum together, so that I might disciple them in the faith. That’s the plan, so hopefully it pans out.

You can click the link to the left to pre-order your copy of 13 Letters. I really think that this CD is going to change lives if it gets in the right hands. Just like I was talking about in my last entry, when I spoke about Trailblazin Ministries being a teaching ministry, this is the kind of stuff I’m talking about; taking hip-hop and completely infiltrating it with the powerful Word of God! If you can afford to, I really think you should do the same, as this is a great tool for witnessing and spiritual growth. With the samples I’ve heard, this is quality hip-hop and the message of the gospel is there for everyone to hear, loud and clear. Lecrae and his crew have a serious heart for ministry, as do I, and this album is proof of that. I can’t wait for the DVD to drop with the curriculum and other bonus features. Maybe one of these days we’ll be able to collaborate and do some ministry together and do something more like this.
Now, as I was looking into the information surrounding 13 Letters, I once again ran across the ReachLife Ministries website as it really got me to thinking about ministry and what Lecrae is doing to fulfill the Great Commission. Recently, he has traveled to both Asia and Honduras to take the gospel to the unreached, which is unheard of for a lot of urban ministers in the hip-hop scene. So many are concerned with the local area (of which there is nothing wrong), but this dude and his ministry are willing to travel and in some respect risk their lives to go across seas to take the gospel to an entire group of people who have never heard the name Jesus before. Needless to say, a brother was very impressed. This makes what he’s doing with his CDs really come into perspective and proves that it really is about ministry and not just putting out music for the masses.
That is when the banner for “2007 in 2007″ caught my attention. I had seen it before on the Reach Records website and never paid it much mind, but this time it sparked something. So, I went to the ReachLife site again and watched the latest video blog from Lecrae that happened to speak on “2007 in 2007″ and what he’s trying to do with ReachLife Ministries. The basic idea is to have 2007 supporters of ReachLife Ministries in 2007; God did great things in 2006, and Lecrae is expecting bigger and better things for the ministry this year, all of which requires our help and support. After watching it, I felt hard pressed to support, even a measly $10/month, which is a lot when I’m the only provider of income. What’s more, I hadn’t felt the desire to give to an urban ministry since Cross Movement Ministries folded a couple years ago; I used to donate to them whenever I had some extra cash on hand, which wasn’t very often, but I gave when I could. Not since then have I even thought about supporting an urban ministry, but that changed last night. I showed Robin the video and asked her what she thought about us supporting, and she eventually agreed. I mean, on the real, I am really impressed with what Reach is doing, and I want to be a part of that, no matter how big or small my contribution is. I trust and believe that God will multiply my seed sown in order that more souls are able to enter into the Kingdom.

If you’re at all interested in helping urban missionaries who are willing to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, both local and abroad, then consider supporting ReachLife Ministries. It’s only $10/month, which for most of us is snacking on fast food during the month. I have even determined to donate a portion of any donation that Trailblazin Ministries receives to their ministry, so that they know that other ministries are backing and supporting what they are doing. If you feel led, then click on the “2007 in 2007″ banner to the left and join today.
God is good and truly glorified when we are working to fulfill all that He has commanded of us. I thank Him for ministries like ReachLife, and I praise Him for all those that would choose to support a ministry such as theres. The harvest is definitely plentiful, but the laborers are few, so it’s up to us if we’re going to reap the harvest, and raise up to disciples who can walk alongside us and reap the harvest as well. I am definitely excited about all that they’re doing, especially 13 Letters! Praise God!

LaRosa Johnson Faith, Ministry, Stuff on the Web

Last week, I wrote an article chronicling my search for a new church home (read it here). I got a pretty good response from it at the various message boards I posted it on, so I was pleased with it and felt that it was one of my more well written articles. Anyway, early this morning, I was by chance checking the statistics for this month and checking some of the people who had linked to my site and ended up finding two sites that had made mention of my article.
The first was the Christian Web Trends Blog @ OurChurch.com. At their site, my article was the featured article in their week in review for March 10-16. Secondly, ChurchBlogger wrote up a little something about my article, as well as linking to a few others with similar content & ideas. What I enjoyed most about both of these sites is that they got the reasons why I wrote this article and why I was using the Internet to find a new church. I also liked how they pointed out the things that church webmasters need to be aware of when designing & building a website for their church.
As an addendum to my article, I would like to say something to church webmasters. The most important thing about a website isn’t the flashiness or the visual appeal of the website, but most importantly content and accessibility. I should be able to easily find what I’m looking for on your website, and the information I’m trying to find should be there. The church I ended up visiting was the one with the simplest design of all, but all of the content was there & easily accessible. With some of the flashier sites, it was hard to find some of the info I wanted to read about, and the look of the site didn’t sway me one way or the other about wanting to visit the church, as my reason for visiting the site was about its substance. So please keep that in mind when designing & updating your sites. God bless!

LaRosa Johnson Faith, Stuff on the Web