Hacking.Church 05: Green Badges
Should vaccinated folks get more church opportunities than non-vaccinated folks?
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Here’s what was published in our genres since our last newsletter, and the promised exclusive content at the bottom.
Church and Christianity articles:
From Pew Boxes to Green Badges, are two-tier churches on the horizon? When church members start being fully vaccinated in large numbers, should the church offer them more opportunities than those who are not vaccinated? Take a read of this ethical conundrum as vaccine visibility outpaces reality.
Why and How to do a Virtual Visioning Process for your Church. Rather than defer to a time when we could gather in person, my local church participated in a visioning process entirely online and it actually worked! Read on for the details.
Supreme Court confirms COVID-denying Christians are the new Sodomites. The Bible tells us the sin of inhospitality is the sin of Sodom...so does that mean Christians that defy COVID-19 restrictions are the new Sodomites? Take a read and…just stop it.
Welcome to Hacking Christianity 5.0 is the “welcome back” post after several months offline that explores the new logo, new features, and where we go from here. If you missed it at launch, here it is again!
Geek Gospel articles:
We love the Snyder Cut, but what about the Sermon Cut? As the internet geek world gets a glimpse at what could truly happen with director’s cuts, pastors wonder what to do with the parts of the sermon left on the cutting-room floor.
United Methodist articles:
Yes, Virginia, Drag Queens can be called to ministry too. Why the outrage over a ministry candidate who is reaching a population that conservative evangelicals have failed to reach for decades? Read on for what’s behind it.
Will the #UMC Delegates save the Bishops from themselves? A call to reduce the number of bishops by almost 25% is a drastic overreaction to the financial and governance problems in The United Methodist Church. Read on for more details.
The sage of the delayed General Conference plays out in three parts below!
Part 1: Traditionalists in panic mode as they lobby The #UMC to prioritize Protocol over Pandemic Relief The United Methodist Church might decide this week whether to adapt to the challenge of the pandemic age...or to pay off those who …
Part 2: Making Sense of the Delayed General Conference and the Special GC news. General Conference is again delayed due to the COVID-19 epidemic, delayed exactly a year later… here are some quick thoughts and reflections.
Part 3: A Better Way: Problematic Choices for the 2021 Special Conferences in The #UMC. The unprecedented delay of the General Conference has created an opportunity to include laity and clergy in decision-making…but we aren’t doing that!
Open Tabs:
Finally, as promised, email subscribers get exclusive content not available elsewhere. Right now, that is Open Tabs: these are the windows that are open RIGHT NOW on my computer that I just can’t stand to close yet:
Characteristics of Pilgrimage - we are creating an urban pilgrimage close to my ministry context, so this outline of pilgrimage elements was invaluable!
Hymn Society COVID-safe levels for congregational singing: My local church values congregational and choral singing of traditional hymnody, so we are paying attention to the recommended thresholds set by the Hymn Society.
The Church, not the Bible, determines Sin. When the Pope’s doctrinal agency again reaffirmed their rejection of marriage equality, they said the church couldn’t endorse sin. But the power to bind/loose laws is given by Jesus to the Church and can be applied to today’s debates about women, divorcees, LGBT Christians and many other topics that divide us. This is my writing but I have it open to see about updating it soon.
Man wins in court battle over red lights: I remember this conversation when I was in Portland, but it’s a helpful instance of “when you know, you know” and keeping on the subject for years. The guy is something else tho…
Green Evangelism Webinar is this week on the 25th! Sign up!
All of Google’s cloud products described in 4 words or less: An interesting exercise in conciseness and simplicity of vision—could you describe all your local church ministries and missions in 4 words or less?
That’s it for this week. Blessings to you and yours this season and look for an update in the coming weeks!
~Rev. Jeremy