This is a video from a conference that took place online this past September called “The Nines“. The speaker is Skye Jethani who also wrote The Divine Commodity.  I would highly recommend checking this guy out.

The question I would like to ask is, “What determines your legitimacy?“

Feel free to share your thoughts.

Is Facebook worth it?

Is Twitter worth it?

Is it really that important that our website looks good and is up to date?

Is social networking a fad that will fade or is it here to stay?

Does it really matter if I have a presence in the social networking world?

I think we’ve all had these questions. Here’s a great video that shows us how effective social networking can be.

What do you think? How have you used social networking? Has it been successful? A complete failure? Didn’t notice either way? We would love to hear your thoughts and ideas!

Social Media ROI: Socialnomics is by Socialnomics author Erik Qualman. This video showcases several Social Media ROI examples along with other effective Social Media Strategies.

by Tim Hawkins

Almost a year ago Johann Hari wrote an article for the Huffington Post called Bananas:  A Parable for Our Times.  Hari uses the history of the banana industry as a parable for what happens when corporations are left unregulated and without accountability.

After telling some of the stories that gave rise to “Banana Republics” Hari writes:

“…corporations are structured to do one thing only: maximize their shareholders’ profits. As part of a highly regulated mixed economy, that’s a good thing, because it helps to generate wealth or churn out ideas. But if the corporations aren’t subject to tight regulations, they will do anything to maximize short-term profit. This will lead them to seemingly unhinged behavior — like destroying the environment on which they depend.”

I wonder if it is not a great parable for campus ministry as well.

We have things like accountability partners to focus on our personal failings as we see them relating to our failure to follow Christ.  But since most campus ministries operate outside typical corporate accountability (like the eldership of the Acts churches) where does our corporate accountability come from?  Where should it?

I’m not suggesting that we treat ministry like corporations.  But, I am suggesting that campus ministry and corporations are directed by flawed people that can fall danger to temptation, power and justifying short-term profit without regard for long-term sustainability.

This may be one reason for us to think carefully about our ecclesiology in campus ministry, and for sure we need to give some reflection to not only “how we define success”, but also “the means by which we get there”.

The following are a few places that might help us to move toward accountability before the need of regulation.

Consequential Accountability – This kind of accountability is the natural result of our methodology.  If our methodology brought people to our events and activities, but not into a life-transforming relationship with Christ, it is unlikely they will have an ongoing connection to the ministry in five years.  Taking a look at giving from alumni and maybe more importantly, the parents of alumni, might provide some measure of health in both the short and long-term.

How do we integrate our faith on our campus? Better yet, how do equip our college students to integrate and live out their faith in an environment that can oftentimes be hostile towards those who love God.

Scot McKnight’s blog today tackles this question and offers a resource that may help us as we strive to lead students to integrate their life of faith with their other lives: academics, social, and so forth.

Read the post at Scot’s blog: “Missional Campus Ministry…Integration.”

In this post, another resource is mentioned. Intervarsity Press is releasing a series of books called The Christian Worldview Integration Series. The first book in this series was released at the end of October and is called “Education for Human Flourishing: A Christian Perspective.” These books are designed to help college students (and others in collegiate educations fields) integrate their faith into all avenues of their college careers.

Anybody going to pick up a copy of the book? (I’d love to discuss it with others!)

Anybody already read it? Thoughts?

How does your college ministry teach or train students to integrate, and truly live, their faith out on campus?