It's not every day you find someone who's willing to admit their mistakes, much less have you prosper because of them.

 

But that's exactly what I want you to do. I want you to get ahead because of the mistakes I've made. Specifically with social media. That's why I'm thrilled to announce my first ebook, "The Top 10 Mistakes I Made in Social Media". And I want to give it to you. For free.

 

This 14-page ebook is filled with all of the goofs, gaffes, and blunders I've made while building my personal social media strategy. I look at:

• What I would've done differently on Twitter
• The cost of ignoring a certain social network
• How you can spot people who "auto-follow" on Twitter
• Why you (yes, you) need to be on LinkedIn
• Some of my top-secret tips and tricks
• All this, and the proverbial "more"!

 

Download this free ebook now.

 

Subscribers of my newsletter have already had the content in their hot little hands for a few days, but you can get on the gravy train too. Just head over to this page, input a little info, and you'll get the ebook delivered nice and neat to your inbox. No hassle.

At the end of the day, we're called to be the instruments that God uses to change lives.

 

At times, it's personally been a challenge to completely reconcile my unique gifts with how it could directly be applied in the transformative process of salvation.

 

But thank God for the Internet, where I've really found my niche and where I've been able to maximize my time, attention, and resources! Our God is truly an amazing God who can use 1's and 0's to impact His Kingdom.

 

Not convinced? Here are 10 ways, as counted by John Edmiston, that the Internet is changing evangelism and missions...   

 

Evangelism, Missions, and the Internet

1. Information - The Internet is bringing an enormous amount of timely strategic information into the hands of even the smallest church or mission agency.
2. Ratiocination - People "think aloud" in cyberspace. The theology and practice (including ecclesiology and missiology) of most Christians is now primarily formed as a peer-to-peer online process with occasional expert input.
3. Exploration - People do their private, personal, and controversial thinking online. If a person wants to find out about a suspected medical matter or investigate a forbidden political opinion, they first check it out online.
4. Collaboration - The Internet is facilitating collaboration across denominational boundaries and across national borders. Experts are now able to link up with other experts in fields such as church planting and theological education.
5. Validation - People use the Internet to check things out. This applies to everything from a "too-good-to-be-true" investment scam to the local church they plan to attend when they move to a new city.

Click here to read the other 5 ways social media is changing outreach and missions. 

Register for the free webinar "Thriving Youth Ministry in Small Churches"

 

Join Stephanie Caro April 16, 2012 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. (e.s.t) for this online workshop.  Stephanie is a youth ministry veteran and author of Thriving Youth Ministry in Smaller Churches and 99 Thoughts for the Smaller Church Youth Worker.  Stephanie is a lead consultant for Youth Ministry Architects and the Director for their new division, Small Church Ministry Architects.  She is also serving as a mentor in our Certificate in Youth and Theology program.  This online workshop will provide practical tips for overcoming the challenges of youth ministry in a smaller church (defined as 150 or less in weekly worship).

 

Register now. 

Sandusky Presbyterian Church's Wild Hog's Men Association is selling church cookbooks. They are fundraising in hopes to sponsor another concert this summer.

The cookbook is a compilation of delicious recipes from our own congregation and others. These recipes have been field tested and approved by some of our best eaters, you won't be disappointed. Ingredients sold separately.

Pricing:
1-3 Books - $10 each
4-5 Book - $9 each
7 or more books - $8 each

 

For more information:

 

Call 810-648-3335 or e-mail spc104@sbcglobal.net

   

Please make checks payable to: Sandusky Presbyterian Men's Association

 

Click here for a printable version. 

The Synod of the Covenant is holding their first annual Multicultural Youth Conference June 21st-June 24th at the Kirkmont Center in Zanesfield, OH.  Rising 9th to 12th graders are invited to join youth from around the Synod.

For the fifth straight year, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has honored Alma College for its commitment to volunteerism and service.

 

Alma College was admitted to the 2012 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for engaging its students, faculty and staff in meaningful service. The Corporation, which has administered the Honor Roll since 2006, admitted 642 colleges and universities for their impact on issues from literacy and neighborhood revitalization to supporting at-risk youth.

 

"Service takes place in many ways at Alma College," says Anne Ritz, the College's service-learning coordinator. "Students meet community needs through participation with a number of organizations, including Alma Public Schools, the American Red Cross, Gratiot Literacy Council, United Way, Masonic Pathways, the Pine River Community Action Group, Commission on Aging, Big Brothers Big Sisters and many more."

 

Alma data reflects that 89 percent of the 2011 graduating seniors enrolled in academic service learning, with 50 percent of the class completing three or more service learning courses during their undergraduate career, says Ritz.

 

Exemplary projects at Alma include:

 

* The Explore/Mentor PLUS (People Learning and Uniting in Service) After School Program, in which college students provide homework help, enrichment classes and recreation activities for Alma middle and high school students.

 

* The Alternative Break program, in which students, faculty and staff serve in a variety of capacities during winter and spring breaks. Service issues include affordable housing, children's health, disabilities, disaster relief, education, environmental sustainability, food and nutrition, health and wellness, immigration/border issues and rural poverty.

 

* The New Frontier Initiative, designed to promote and encourage the idea that attending college can be a reality for local youth. Student volunteers hosted and led numerous college access opportunities on campus and in the community in collaboration with Alma Public Schools and Alma Community Education.

 

College students make a significant contribution to the volunteer sector. In 2010, 3.1 million students performed more than 312 million hours of service to communities across the country - service valued at more than $6.6 billion, according to data reported by the CNCS.

 

"Through service, these institutions are creating the next generation of leaders by challenging students to tackle tough issues and create positive impacts in the community," says Robert Velasco, acting CEO of CNCS. "We applaud the Honor Roll schools, their faculty and students for their commitment to make service a priority in and out of the classroom."

 

Honorees for the Community Service Honor Roll are chosen based on a series of selection factors, including the scope and innovativeness of service projects, the extent to which service-learning is embedded in the curriculum, the school's commitment to long-term campus-community partnerships, and measurable community outcomes as a result of the service.

Your compassion in action. That's the definition of the CWS Blankets+ Program. This Mother's Day take action - give help, give hope!

 

In 2011, Blankets+ contributions gave hope and resources to people in crisis when:

• Deadly tornadoes devastated communities all across the U.S.
• Refugees displaced by disaster or violence needed food and shelter.
• Hurricane Irene hit the East Coast, causing widespread flooding and power outages.
• Seeds and tools were needed to help Haitian families create community gardens for food security.
• Harsh Midwest winter storms put homeless people in danger of freezing.

Your congregation or group can send a powerful message to people in tragic situations: "You matter to us." 

 

We know more disasters will occur. Let's work together to put faith and compassion into action - for Mother's Day, Father's Day, any day - so help is there when it's needed most.

 

pfolkers@churchworldservice.org. Find out more at blanketsplus.org.

In cooperation with the Presbyterian Church in Costa Rica (IEPC) and the Latin American Biblical University (UBL) we invite you to study, dialogue and travel in Costa Rica.

 

This encounter is an opportunity to enrich your connections with the church world-wide. This will occur through fellowship and dialogue with Christian brothers and sisters who are doing the work of Christ in their communities. The group will learn about various aspects of culture and gain understanding of the history of the Christian church and its various communities of faith in Costa Rica.

 

Participants will learn about the ministries of the churches and the University, a leading protestant seminary in Latin America. Participants will be seeing how the money raised through the "Two Coins a Meal" program is put into action, while visiting various IEPC sponsored feeding programs. There will also be an opportunity to learn how the Presbyterian Church is supporting the University as it works to train people for Christian ministries.

 

The trip is sponsored by Flushing Presbyterian Church and

First Presbyterian Church of Mt. Pleasant.

 

The trip is scheduled for July 28 through August 6, 2012.

 

The cost of the trip is estimated at $550 plus airfare.

 

For more information please contact:

Flushing Presbyterian Church 

Phone # (810) 659-5831- with office hours from 9am to 3pm

flushingpc@sbcglobal.net

Visit our IEPC Costa Rica 2012 page for a printable flyer and an application.

Applications are now being accepted for the McCabe Charitable Foundation. This scholarship program is administered by Scholarship Management Services®, a division of Scholarship America®. Scholarship Management Services is the nation's largest designer and manager of scholarship programs for corporations, foundations, associations and individuals.

Applicants must: 

• Be Jewish or Presbyterian students from Bay, Saginaw or Midland County, MI
• Show financial need
• Plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at Delta Community College or Saginaw Valley State University for the entire 2012-2013 academic year

Application deadline is April 15th.

 

For more information, please click here or call 507-931-1682 or e-mail shintz@scholarshipamerica.org.

The Great Lakes Loons are excited to once again reach out to and partner with the congregations of the Great Lakes Bay Region for the 2012 Fellowship Nights at Dow Diamond.  One of our top priorities is to build and maintain strong relationships throughout the region, which is why we want to invite you to join us for a group outing at Dow Diamond on one of our Fellowship Nights.  While we expect to have church groups at the ballpark every night, we have dedicated a few special nights as Fellowship Nights. 

 

Fellowship Nights will be held on Sunday, June 3rd; Thursday, July 12th; and Tuesday, August 7th.  These nights provide a great platform to bring your congregation together with other churches from the region while having fun with Lou E. Loon and the 2012 Loons team.  These outings are perfect for church members of all ages and a great way to raise awareness in the community.  Churches in attendance on Fellowship Nights will be recognized with a display on the video board as well as a welcoming announcement over the public address system. 

 

Fully utilizing these Fellowship Nights for your church is easy.  Once you have decided on a date, the Loons will help you every step of the way, from promotions to securing ticket orders and the distribution of tickets.  We want this to be a fun experience for everyone involved and something your church can look forward to every season.

 

If you are interested in planning an outing for your church or would like more information, please contact Matt Hoffman, Group Sales Coordinator at 989-837-6136.

 

Click here for a printable flyer.