johnnylaird

Chris Hinton of Geek-Speak has upped the ante on his blog by including his first video post, where he follows up on his earlier “Community is Key” post.

Some great thoughts if you’re serious about community and blogging.

Thanks for the very kind words, Chris.

I am humbled!

Community in Blogging from Chris Hinton on Vimeo.

Chris’ Scottish accent is much purer and more authentic than my elastic one. If you want to do an A/B test, here’s my vid!

More on Geek-Speak on johnnylaird

I knew when I put together the expanded form of my blogroll I’d miss important people out, hence my little disclaimer to say “‘If you’re a friend I’ve accidently left off, please give me a prod and I’ll gladly add you’.

Thankfully my buddy William Stanger took the opportunity to pick me up on the error, and I’m delighted to correct that now.

William’s Two Weeks from Everywhere now gets his own blogpost here at johnnylaird, his own pic – here with Pernell Goodyear – and a link to his Something Beautiful Podcast episode!

Hope that makes amends William

Go check William out, and tell him Johnny sent ya!

Carrying on from where I left off with A through I, here’s the next part of the johnnylaird blogroll - this time from J through R.
• Jim Knaggs is one of very few Salvation Army senior leaders who has enthusiastically embraced Social Media as part of his ministry. I love that he has, and dearly wish more of his peers would do so as well. Currently heading up the Army’s operations in Australia South – and shortly to move to the US West Coast – Jim has been involved in some really significant innovative ministry initiatives wherever he has been in charge.
• Jim Noland is another Salvation Army leader – although Jim is technically retired. That doesn’t stop him being one of the most creative Salvationist voices out there, and a truly inspirational figure who now spends his time bouncing between California and Hawaii.  Mahalo for all the good stuff, Commish!
• Texas based JD Blundell is one of the driving forces behind the Something Beautiful Podcast (together with Headphonaught & Stewart Cutler – a massive personal encourager and inspirational voice. Like many on my blogroll he divides his time between a number of projects. Earlier in 2010 JD self published his first novel St Peter’s Brewery. Check out the interview we did together about how the book came into being.
• Jonny Baker is one of the principal global voices and creative practitioners in the area of Missional Church and Alternative Worship. Based in London, Jonny is massively respected across the Church in the Western Word. Mine isn’t the only blogroll he appears on. You’ll find Jonny Baker cropping up on websites all over the place.
• Earlier this month I interviewed Kevin Hendricks to talk to him about his new book on adoption. He is one of the key contributors to the wonderfully named “Church Marketing Sucks” website.
• The guys from KORE have been coming up with cool little modern animated parables as well other goodies like iPhone apps and quietly working away doing Jesus stuff. Look out for a new interview on johnnylaird soon!
• Missiome was a blog I started to read during my early explorations of the blogosphere. Martin from Missiome wrote a blogpost in 2007 that really impacted me, and prompted me to write one entitled “Missiome’s Blurred Edge”
• There are 2 guys who really captured my attention when I first became enthralled by blogging. I’ve already mentioned Headphonaught. The other guy is Pernell Goodyear. Pernell’s ministry with The Freeway in Hamilton Ontario has had multiple shout outs on johnnylaird. There are all kinds of life lessons to be learned and wonderful examples of what it really means to walk the way of Jesus. I hope one day to connect with Pernell face to face. He’s a top man.
• Carlos Whittaker’s Ragamuffinsoul is a blogging all singing all dancing tour de force. Los’ life is on display for all to see. Carlos’ blog is interesting because his life is interesting. He shares honestly and has built a large authentic community; loads of questions to make you think, some excellent vids a great sense of humo(u)r. It a lot of ways Ragamuffinsoul leads the way in terms of bloggers who are involved in ministry. So much to commend it!
• I discovered Randy Bohlender when I was randomly Googling trying to find Jesus followers who had been to Burning Man. There was a time when I became fascinated with the said festival and was keen to find out if there were any Christians who’d been along – precisely because Burning Man evoked such a strong sense of community…of tribe. Randy was the guy who popped up, and I’m glad he did!
• Revolution Hawaii is a brilliant initiative of The Salvation Army in Hawaii…a gorgeous looking site, a really great approach to serving the community. It’s the kind of thing I wish I was young enough to take part in. Explore it!
• Rob Griggs-Taylor is a mutual friend of my dear buddy Andy Greig, who we lost to cancer last year. Andy’s passing has been deeply painful for all of us. His greatest legacy is his wonderful family. Also, his friends who have been left behind have been drawn closer. We value each other. We share deeply, and we are grateful for every day. Because of that, I feel Rob & his family will be part of my story for a very long time.

If you’re a friend I’ve accidently left off, please give me a prod and I’ll gladly add you.
If you used to be there, and somehow got lost in the transition from Blogger to Wordpress, call me out…and I’ll put you back in
If there’s someone you think I should be reading – even if it’s YOU – feel free to give them a shout out in the comments.

On Saturday May 8th I’ll be exploring & speaking about how we can use Twitter, blogging & other Social Media stuff in ministry at a media day held The Salvation Army in Kettering, England.

Other folks will be talking about sound engineering, presentation software, the use of video etc, whereas I’ll be concentrating a little more on community, tribes and connections…and stepping outside of the Church bubble.

The organisers are also hoping to arrange a video link up with the guys from the US to talk about MediaShout.

There’s no website per se for the event, but there is a registration place here, if you want to check it out.

Let’s assume Problogger’s Darren Rowse is your – and most other blogger’s – #1 port of call for blogging tips & inspiration.

If YOU were to choose only ONE OTHER guy to watch, who would it be?

When you make your choice, unpack it a little, and explain WHY?

HT to Darren Rowse for the pic

I once - a couple of years back – flagged Joe Noland as one of the few senior Salvation Army leaders to be actively engaged in blogging.

Two years on, nothing much has changed, but Joe continues to churn out some really thought provoking stuff.

His latest post on uniform wearing (he says he has a love/hate relationship with it) & Salvationism has a real resonance with the way I see things – even though I don’t always feel the necessity to make mention of the liberal and conservative worldviews. As a Brit – even one who almost reluctantly accepts that label – I don’t quite connect with that requirement to show we are bipartisan, or more accurately not aligned to any number of political mindsets as a movement.

Here are a few selected highlights:

Salvationism is a two part word: Salvation + ism. The salvation part is never changing – the same, yesterday, today, forever (The conservative part). Ism, by its proper definition is “a movement” – always changing: “Mobile, fluid, robust, pulsating, progressive, maturing – Genesis in motion.”

In other words, our methodology needs to stay relevant, inclusive and flexible in order to reach the last, the lost and least (The liberal part).
you will find that good, calculated, risk-taking begins to dissipate as mission metamorphosis into institutionalism. Early day Salvationists were risk-takers for the right reasons. Let’s take this primitive concept and make it contemporary, sans the traditional, institutional regulations and regalia. For many that’s too scary (risky) to even think about.

I also like the quote he includes from Commissioner Harry Read:

“Salvationism is an engine-room kind of word, for within its robust, energy-exuding frame pulsates the heart of the Army. Here, the essential beliefs of the Movement, its active, maturing and progressive concepts, its love and service-centred ministries, all reside in a living, quick-to-respond balance for the benefit of mankind.”

HT to Joe Noland for the wonderful pic
Follow Joe on Twitter

Having alluded to my plans to initiate

“some kind of increased & enhanced online activity”

in this earlier post about my life in 2010, I thought I’d sneak out a little about where I am with this, outline some of the useful resource sites I’ve been frequenting and explain – in case anyone reading this doesn’t know – what “woodshedding” is.

First up, my good friend JD Blundell was kind enough to make mention of me planning to beef up my online activity on his post “10 Kingdom bloggers to watch in 2010”, which in turn has turned up on Darren Rowse’s influential Problogger site.

New tools – resources I’m exploring:

Wordpress

A migration to Wordpress is looking likely for my new main blog. It seems to be it’s going to give me what I’m looking for aesthetically and in terms of the bells & whistles I’m looking for. Thankfully I’m picking the brains of buddies who have the technical nonce and good design taste to help me pull together a smokin’ new look!

Problogger

Problogger has been a regular landing spot for me these last few weeks, as it’s quite probably the best single resource out there for anyone trying to intelligently explore how to create revenue streams through their blog. What I like about Darren is that he’s not a fast buck, “get rich quick” huckster, but rather someone who seems to operate with an impressive level of integrity.

Recently I’ve read a post by respected online buddy Fernando Gros about “Pure Blogging”, transparency and honesty where he asks the question

“How upfront are we about our reasons for being in this game?”

This is a timely reminder for me in this transitional period for me and my blog.

Will my new site have a commercial element? Yes it will.

Web Worker Daily

Another great site for resources, ideas and inspiration is Web Worker Daily – great for someone who has recently migrated from office to home office. It’s rammed with good stuff

Freelance Advisor

At this point, I’m spending a little less time with this than the other sites, but Freelance Advisor’s local – i.e. UK – perspective is helpful, and I suspect may be increasingly so. There were a couple of podcasts that were interesting light relief during those early days of this journey when the UK was on lock down because of the January snow.

If it floats your boat check out “Making a living without a job” Part 1 and Part 2

Woodshedding

…perhaps a little off topic, but it you ever were a jazz aficionado, you’ll be familiar with the concept of “woodshedding”, that preparatory time when a jazzer takes them self away to the “woodshed” – a place of privacy and seclusion; hones their skills, works on their chops, does the ground work, practices like fury, getting ready to come unleashed themselves to the world.

I doubt any “unleashing” is going to go on, but this is the place I’m at right now. I’m woodshedding.

The first time I heard the term, I think it was in relation to the mighty genius that was Jaco Pastorius.

You may not want to check our any of the sites, podcasts or links I’ve suggested above….but you really do need to check out Jaco. For me, there has been no better bassist.