The Table Project is live

The Table Project
The Table Project’s Jason Wenell | Via ChurchMarketingSucks.com

With a slogan like “We’re not about connecting people all over the world, we’re about family” – the Table Project has grabbed my attention.

In a time when Christian Facebook alternatives are popping up everywhere, the ideas behind the (non-profit) Table Project are refreshing.

The Table is a relational, online web application, custom-tailored for the church. We aim to engage the community, empower leaders, and move people beyond the pews and into authentic, life-changing friendships.

The site is based around “four legs of the table” – Introduction, Engagement, Prayer & Sharing/Serving.

Now sure you can do all these things on Facebook, or Myspace, or whatever network comes along, but The Table Project gives you an opportunity to share these things in a more private setting with members of “your family/tribe” verses broadcasting them to the world.

In fact, the team behind the project addressed the differences between The Table Project and Facebook in a recent blog post…

The Three Big Differences

  • The fact that The Table is designed for “us” instead of “me” is a fundamental shift from the traditional social media mindset.
  • The Table’s atmosphere of privacy and intimacy causes different behaviors to arise that are not seen elsewhere online.
  • The fact that The Table is designed specifically for the church directs what we create and helps us to define “success” differently.

And I love their explanation video, which includes some history of the church and the importance of church as family… and not just a place we go each week.

Read more via ChurchMarketingSucks

So what do you think? Think this would be useful for your community of faith?

Or is it just another site adding to the noise?

The power of love and forgiveness

LOVE at Love Park
LOVE at Love Park | Photo by Headphonaught

Tony Campolo recently spoke at Desert Vineyard in California and shared how the power of love and forgiveness can bring even lifelong enemies together.

I’m sharing the story below, but watching/hearing it on the video (starts around 28 minutes in) brought me to tears. So feel free to watch it instead.

Continue reading The power of love and forgiveness

Make money from your blog

Updating my blog | Photo by Jonathan Blundell

I doubt it’s a secret, but I would love to be able to blog/podcast full-time (here, here, here or even here) if I could, or at least add a decent supplement to my regular income (click the “stuff I like” page up top to find some ways you can do that – hint, hint).

And from time to time, I receive random offers to advertise this or that product on my blog for various amounts of lengths of time and money.

Most of the time I trash the offers (solely based on the e-mail or the type of product they want to sell), but depending on the offer, I may take the time to actually investigate the offer and respond.
Continue reading Make money from your blog

Top 10 things we hear when taking our twins out in public

They graduated to their big boy seats... | Photo by Laurie Blundell

Taking our boys out in public always brings a lot of stares, pointing and questions.

We took our boys with us to Costco and WalMart yesterday and I was amazed at how many people stopped and just stared. Some will then strike up a conversation, while others will pretend they weren’t staring when we catch their eye.

But for those who do strike up a conversation… it’s almost a guarantee that we’ll hear one of these questions/statements before its all said and done…

10. Do the sleep at the same time?
9. God bless their mom, she must be a saint.
8. Their mom must have her hands full.
7. How do you do it?
6. Are they boys, girls or boy-girl?
5. Are they identical?
4. They’re so big!
3. They’re so cute!
2. How old are they?
1. Are they twins?!

And a new one from yesterday – “Do they go at the same time?”

Our response was, “Sometimes.” My first instinct was to say, “Do they go at the same time? Well, it depends on where we’re going. Sometimes we take them together, sometimes we take one by themselves, sometimes we leave them both at home.”

But what I really wanted to say, “Why yes, they talk these things out at night. They have a rotating schedule as to when they’re gonna go.”

Civil liberties need a strong education

Blundell and Gov. Rick Perry
Gov. Rick Perry and I after a 2006 interview | Photo by Perry staff member

Amid budget shortfalls and huge cuts predicted in public education (K-12 and higher ed) it’s interesting that I came across this bit from The Texas Declaration of Independence.

it is an axiom in political science, that unless a people are educated and enlightened, it is idle to expect the continuance of civil liberty, or the capacity for self government

The statement was made in support of Texas’ reasons from seceding from Mexico, citing no educational system had been put in place in Texas at the time, even though the resources where definitely there.

Porcelain Dolls continues it’s work in Waco

Porcelain Dolls

Just in time for Valentines day…

My friends Kari McHam and Jana Vanderburg have just put together a short video detailing some of the work their doing — caring for and loving on the women in Waco’s adult entertainment industry.

Through Porcelain Dolls, they’ve built a number of real relationships with the “un-loved” in their community and have witnessed some serious life changes in some of the women as well.

Over the weekend the girls took part in a Valentine’s Day outreach and also recently gave away 3 computers to several girls who are trying to further their education.

I’m so proud of their efforts in stepping out and loving the unloved!

Watch the video and consider how you might get involved to help…

Find out more on Facebook, Myspace or donate online.

You can also listen to Kari’s story and Jana’s story on the podcast.

UPDATE: I love how my dad shared this video on Facebook…

I met some people who regularly go to strip clubs. I want you to meet them, too.