Most American companies employ specialists in brand management, which is the art and science of marketing products to consumers.Brand management has its origins with Procter & Gamble , my wife Julie's employer for the first seven years of her career in sales....
On January 1, 2000 . . .The iPod had not been invented.The World Trade Center towers still stood.Charlotte's basketball team was called the Hornets.South Tryon Street had two lanes from Tyvola Rd. to the Buster Boyd Bridge.Roger Federer was young, inconsistent, and...
Here's the promo for our new series called There's An App For That.The book of Proverbs, 21st Century style.I can't wait.It starts out with "Say You Don't Know Where To Turn . . ."Sunday, January 3, 2010.8:30. 10. 11:30.
This week I heard about a church that got "scammed" out of money by some persons posing as legitimate benevolent cases.It's a concern. Especially in the recession. Especially in our congregation, where we have been blessed beyond all expectation in the area of...
By all measures, Christmas Eve was a success around here. We had overflow crowds, high energy, and reverent spirituality. Yet behind the scenes, several things worked to frustrate me. I forgot some important things I needed to say. I broke the part of my wireless...
Here's what's ahead for tomorrow night -- our annual Christmas Eve experience at Good Shepherd:5 p.m. -- Family Experience. Our first service will feature an over-the-top children's drama that speaks to the heart of Christmas. For the young and young at heart.7 p.m....
Someone in our church knows Peter Billingsley, the actor who plays Ralphie in A Christmas Story.So, unknown to me, my Good Shepherd friend sent one of our Christmas Story promo cards to his friend Peter B.Who autographed it and sent it back."Ralphie" is now 38 and...
We received some kudos from Steve James, a United Methodist specialist in congregational development.And it all had to do with what we say in our bulletin.To see what he had to say, click here.You know what I find interesting? I had forgotten that our bulletin...
So here it is.The most enduring image of A Christmas Story: the leg lamp.How in the world are we going to make a sermon out of that?And how can such a sermon help family relationships this Christmas?Well, to find out how those things are possible, check it out Sunday...
So Oral Roberts died this week.Was he a charlatan or a prophet? An agent of healing or a master scam artist?Or somewhere in between?It seems so many high profile Christian leaders have, at best, mixed legacies.I'm currently reading Kevin Roose's memoir, The Unlikely...