2011 July | dave miers dot com

Archive - July, 2011

Clean Water for Uttarakhand, Northern India

July 31, 2011 in culture with 0 Comments

Back in December/January friends and readers of DMDC were part of raising $2835 to go toward a clean water project for India. We were aiming for $2000, but well and truly exceeded that target. 12 months before that we raised some cash for clean water in Rwanda. I dig the idea of using blogs and social media to raise money for works of justice.

Thanks again to all those who gave generously. Below are some of the project details from Compassion. If you contributed and you’re keen for a longer PDF, let me know.
————
DMDC is proud to partner with Compassion Australia to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name.

Together, we will provide deep tube wells to three child development centres in northern India, ensuring they have a long-term supply of clean water. Through our partnership, more than 600 Compassion assisted children will receive the gift of this most precious resource.

Now, mothers and fathers will not have to walk long distances to fetch water, or queue for hours at the town well. Children will be better protected from waterborne diseases and able to attend school, learn, grow and develop to fulfil their potential.

This water intervention is part of Compassion’s Complementary Interventions program.

Complementary Interventions—Completing Compassion’s programs
Compassion seeks to address all the obstacles that can hinder and impede the healthy development of children. From providing clean water to emergency relief, income-generation training and many others, Compassion’s Complementary Interventions tackle some of these additional concerns and provide solutions that enhance, improve and complement their core programs.

For more info on Compassion’s work visit www.compassion.com.au or call 1300 22 44 53.

John Stott 1921-2011 // Christ Abolished Death

July 29, 2011 in Jesus with 2 Comments

John Stott, one of the greatest Christian leaders of the last century, has died this week aged 90. I’ve personally been impacted by his ministry and was saddened to hear of his death. Yet so encouraged by his faithful service and thankful that he is now with Jesus, which is better by far! Earlier this year I read his final book The Radical Disciple. Simple, precise, challenging. Throughout the book he actually spoke about it as his final book. He knew he didn’t have many years left in him, so deliberately wrote this as a farewell book.

We’re currently using Stott’s Basic Christianity as the part of the material in our Confirmation Classes at St Faith’s. It’s good stuff!

His book The Cross of Christ has probably had the most profound impact around the world in enabling Christians to see the multi-faceted jewel that is the Death of Jesus.

I’ve enjoyed reading some obituaries and tributes this week on the life and ministry of Stott.

Here’s a few:

Michael Jensen Facebooked this not long after his death, “Please, you evangelicals out there: don’t say ‘RIP’ for John Stott. It’s a prayer for the dead!” I’ve been uneasy with RIP before, but didn’t know it was a prayer for the dead. Another fella in the comments that followed Jensen’s status quoted Stott (2 Timothy commentary). Check this:

“One of the most searching tests to apply to any religion concerns its attitude to death. And measured by this test much so-called Christianity is found wanting in its black clothes, its mournful chants and its requiem masses. Of course dying can be very unpleasant, and bereavement can bring bitter sorrow. But death itself has been overthrown, and ‘blessed are the dead who die in the Lord’ (Rev. 14:13). The proper epitaph to write for a Christian believer is not a dismal and uncertain petition, ‘R.I.P.’ (requiescat in pace, ‘may he rest in peace’), but a joyful and certain affirmation ‘C.A.D.’ (‘Christ abolished death’)”

Brilliant. John Stott 1921-2011 C.A.D.

What can a Census really tell us about Australia, and about ourselves?

July 27, 2011 in culture with 8 Comments

It’s a couple of weeks until the next Census in Australia. Sweet. Can’t wait. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has a nifty flash application at the moment called ‘Spotlight’. Check it out. It has lots of interest stats along the way. Here’s the snapshot it spat out for me.

It might be useful for getting a snapshot on your suburb? Good for knowing and loving people in it? Maybe? Either way the Census is important for understanding our mission field. Do you use ABS data much in gaining a profile on your community? If so, how?

(h/t Tim)

ps – maybe the census doesn’t pick this up, but Ministers of Religion work more than 8 hours a day!

GOD HAS COME // Soulies Teaching Plan

July 26, 2011 in Jesus with 4 Comments

The latest series at SOULIES is called GOD HAS COME. We will be studying the first 3 chapters of John’s Gospel. I thought it might be useful to share some of the strategy in how we are approaching the teaching at SOULIES this term. (Props to creationswap for art)

It’s from a gospel – any book of the bible would have been good! But, I’m keen to give a more evangelistic edge to our Friday night talks. The gospels are easy to do that because Jesus is speaking and when he’s not it’s about him.
Manageable chunks – rather than 3 chapters at a time we’re looking at approx 1/2 a chapter per week.
Junior and Senior Crew are doing the same series – this may not be the pattern forever, however, I’ve been trying to create an identity larger than just the junior group or senior group by themselves. Even if we’re in two locations, the same series helps us to identify with that larger youth community.
Soulies Small Groups are studying the same section – this helps to create continuity between Friday night and our Sunday small groups. While I value the principle of having leaders write their own studies, I’m also aware that that’s a big job! So I hope that having the series written will be a good service and model to small group leaders.
We are producing the ‘DAILY BIBLE JOURNAL‘ – this is a small booklet that encourages young punks to spend 5 minutes a day in the Bible. It includes: daily reading notes, sermon notes space and Bible study. It seemed to be received well on Friday and Sunday. I’m praying it will help to develop a hunger for the Word among our community.
There’s an Online component – I’m keen to use new media to encourage people to dig into the Bible. So each week, we will have a Sunday (no later than Monday) blog post with a video intro for the week’s readings as well as the daily reading notes and a link to an online Bible. I hope that this helps more people to participate.

See this blog post for a copy of the Daily Bible Journey.

See below for the first Bible intro, as well as our bumper vid

Shine Music Conference 2011

July 25, 2011 in Jesus with 2 Comments

‘SHINE’ is an annual, non-denominational music conference designed to equip & encourage Christian singers, musicians and technical volunteers. Pastors will also find the day most valuable. Each year St Paul’s Castle Hill hosts a guest speaker and professional workshop leaders to help build us up in Christ & to develop the gifts that God has given us.

I really like the work that St Paul’s are doing with their music ministry.

Check out their website for more details and for online rego.

Garage Hymnal – Fairest Lord Jesus

July 24, 2011 in culture with 0 Comments

Garage Hymnal have a new album – Unity. I haven’t heard it yet, but they have a stack of the new song vids on their website. Here’s one:

The Rise of the 2nd Wave Prosperity Gospel

July 19, 2011 in culture with 7 Comments

Mark Sayers – at his new blog location – has an insightful post comparing the old and new wave prosperity gospel. It’s a development of his ideas from The Vertical Self.

Here’s a snippet:

It offers self actualisation rather than self denial. Social Justice without personal cost. Discipleship without responsibility. It repaints the Christian life as a journey fueled by hype. For young Christian who feel marginalised in a secular society which trades in hip, it replaces Jesus call to take up ones cross, with the lure that you can believe and still be cool. It loves John 1o:10 but ignores Luke 9:23.

Read the rest.

The Prodigal God – Sermon

July 18, 2011 in Jesus with 0 Comments

Here is my sermon from this past weekend at St Faith’s Narrabeen. I’ve preached on Luke 15 a bunch of times in the last few years. I gave it bit of a rework over the weekend including a new title, The Prodigal God with a longer discussion on the reckless love of God. I think people found the emphasis helpful. If you had a listen and are interested in thinking through some of the ideas a bit further, check out The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller.

The Prodigal God – Luke 15:11-32 – Dave Miers [right-click to download etc...]

Also, they’ve said that a few bits were missed in the recording. I recorded a copy as well. I haven’t listened, but if you do, and it feels like something is missing, let me know and I can email a full mp3. But I’m sure you won’t miss much.

If you have a listen and realise that you are distant from God either because of your rebellion or religiosity – let me know and we (or I can find someone near where you live) can chat about how to come back to God. No pressure.

Pic from Saltmotion – used by permission.

Soulies Underground – Romans 8

July 17, 2011 in Jesus with 1 Comment

Super-encouraging time at SOULIES UNDERGROUND on Friday night. Good turn out. Good vibe. Solid time in Romans 8. Great to pray for Turkey, South Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan. Sang some quality songs. Simple night. We were aiming to 1) HUNGER for the Word and 2) PRAY for the World. I think both those things happened. Praise God!

The video above is an uncut version of the live web stream. We had no more than 15 viewers at any one time, and perhaps 30-40 different people who watched online. I think it was worth having a go at the live stream. We’ll give it another crack next time!

(If you watch the above video, skip along for 15 minutes or so for it to actually start. We’ll also try to get the mp3s of the talks online this week)

Pure Bronte // Power + Beauty

July 16, 2011 in culture with 4 Comments

Church History in 5 Minutes

July 15, 2011 in Jesus with 0 Comments

Ben Duffin slapped this bad boy together for the crazy kids at SUEU. Clever. Well done.

(h/t Calum Henderson)

Cone-ing is the New Planking!

July 14, 2011 in culture with 0 Comments

Laugh out loud! Stuey showed me this. RATED M 15+ Mild Course Language.

Hunger for the WORD + Pray for the WORLD

July 13, 2011 in design with 2 Comments

SOULIES UNDERGROUND is on this Friday night. As I’ve learnt more about the persecuted church, I’ve been struck by the hunger for the Word of God of underground/secret church members. So SOULIES UNDERGROUND will be an opportunity to be BOUND WITH our brothers and sisters in the persecuted church by learn from their hunger for the Word and also spend time praying for them and for our world. We’ll be looking at Romans 8.

If you’re not part of our youth community, you’re more than welcome to join us online!

We’ve just launched www.souliesunderground.com which will include a live video stream and the opportunity to interact via twitter and facebook. Check it out for details.

Why broadcast it online? There probably aren’t many ‘real’ underground churches broadcasting their gatherings via webcam!!

Here are 3 reasons:

I first read about running an event like this in David Platt’s book Radical. And then Secret Church was simulcast to over 50,000 people around the world in April this year. Our aims are smaller scale, but I like the idea and that leads to point 2…
The technology is fairly straightforward. Livestream is free. LIVE THEME is relatively cheap and easy to customise. And it’s brilliant! (Affiliate link)
If a few more people can be encouraged from God’s Word (in Romans 8 ) and spend some time praying for the persecuted church, then why not?! I’m keen to keep leveraging new technology for good things. I think this is a good thing.

OK Go – End Love – Official Video

July 12, 2011 in culture with 0 Comments

OK Go make creative film clips. Here’s one. Here’s another. And another still:

Tech specs:

“The fastest we go is 172,800x, compressing 24 hours of real time into a blazing 1/2 second. The slowest is 1/32x speed, stretching a mere 1/2 second of real time into a whopping 16 seconds. This gives us a fastest to slowest ratio of 5.5 million. If you like averages, the average speed up factor of the band dancing is 270x. In total we shot 18 hours of the band dancing and 192 hours of LA skyline timelapse – over a million frames of video – and compressed it all down to 4 minutes and 30 seconds! Oh and don’t forget, it’s one continuous camera shot.”

(from here)

South Sudan: A New Nation Rises

July 11, 2011 in culture with 0 Comments

Praise God for the ways that he’s answered prayer for Southern Sudan! The Republic of South Sudan is the newest nation in the world, with Independence Day on July 9, 2011. Read about the nation at Wikipedia and SBS World News. Pray from here and here.

PHOTO CREDIT: A man waves South Sudan’s national flag as he attends the Independence Day celebrations in the capital Juba, July 9, 2011. (Thomas Mukoya/Reuters)

Check out all the other amazing pics over on Boston Big Picture.

Winter Night Longboard in Madrid

July 10, 2011 in culture with 4 Comments

Look for Evidences of God’s Grace

July 3, 2011 in Jesus with 0 Comments

I really enjoyed the past weekend away with SOULIES Youth Leaders. On Saturday we spent some time on a midyear ministry review. Review sessions can easily become unnecessarily negative. And negativity breeds negativity. Which then in turn breeds negativity. And so on. So we spent some time thinking about how to flavour our review by looking for evidences of God’s grace. In this vid, Mark Driscoll explains this concept:

Looking for evidences of God’s grace is not about ignoring areas for growth and improvement, but rather remembering that we have so many places that we see God’s kindness to us. Our review session on Saturday was really encouraging! I’m thankful for the many good things that God is doing among us, and we had a good opportunity to respond with praise and thanksgiving.

My hope is that in the ongoing process of reviewing our youth ministry that we would continue to flavour it with thankfulness to God for his incredible grace.

Hey Christian: Don’t be a jerk!

July 2, 2011 in Jesus with 2 Comments

I’m excited to be spending the weekend with the SOULIES Youth Leaders. Good vibe so far. We’re hoping to have a good mix of business and pleasure. The main teaching content will be on ‘Humble Orthodoxy‘. We’ll reflect on some of Josh Harris’ writing and 2 Timothy. Not sure on what ‘Humble Orthodoxy’ is? Check out this comic that Josh shared on his blog:

That pretty much sums it up!!

I’ve written on Humble Orthodoxy a bunch of times. Click here to read a bit more.

It’s a message I need to keep hearing, and I’m guessing it’s probably a message many of my readers need to keep hearing too!

Josh also posted a recent sermon on Humble Orthodoxy. I might try and listen this weekend…

Familiar with Humble Orthodoxy? How do you try and cultivate it in your life? (ie What do you do to guard yourself form being a Christian Jerk?)

Pinch + Punch // July 2011

July 1, 2011 in life with 0 Comments

New reader of this blog? Pinch + Punch will give you a run down of some popular gear on DMDC for the past month. Likewise, you can check out my about page and/or archives. I’m thinking of selling some targeted advertising on this blog. It would be events/products that I think are relevant to readers of this blog. The aim wouldn’t be to make a squillion dollars, I have a job! But I am keen to try and cover some of the costs of this and other web projects. Let me know if you think it’s a dumb idea!! Or if you’d be interested in buying a spot.