30 Hour Famine Event

The Blessing of A Famine

Usually when 27 middle and high schoolers gather at our church they would be asking 'where's the pizza?' However, on this occasion they were fully aware of the fact they would not be eating for some 30 hours. We gathered this past Sunday to take part in World Vision's 30 Hour Famine project. Each of them were nervous about not eating for thirty hours, yet they came with the anticipation of having fun and helping others in need. We did both.

Our time together consisted of a number of activities that included; prayer, bible reading, writing letters to missionaries, washing our feet, gathering food, feeding the homeless, building a cardboard hut village, and komodo dragon dodge ball. It was a blast.

The moment that moved me the most was our participation in the Sunday morning worship service. The young people sang a couple of music numbers. The first number was The Lord Reigns, but it was on the second number that I was moved to tears. As I led the group in singing Take My Life and Let It Be, I looked across the faces of each of them. Some were new members to our group others I have know for quite some time. I am not naive enough to think that they each were fully aware of what they were singing. Yet, the thought of them surrendering themselves to our Lord brought a special touch to my heart. I love them each and had been praying that the Lord would challenge them during this time and begin to use each of them in a special way. He fully answered my prayers.

You can check out more photos of our time together at our flickr account www.flickr.com/photos/saylakeland. Also, I will have a short highlight video of our time together posted soon.

Randy Larson Interview

This video is an interview Randy Larson, an investor in the Endure film project. The interview was conducted by Gary White of The Ledger.

Special Soccer Player

Since I am a soccer fan, I thought I would share this commercial with you.

The Diluting Of Trust

The following is a great article regarding the importance of trust in martketing relationships. Unfortunately, in recent years the church as lost the trust of the general population. This in turn makes it all the more difficult for us to establish the all important relationships needed to bring the lost to Christ. As with marketing a brand, we (the church) must rebuild our trust by those who need us most. The rebuilding will be done one relationship at a time. Start today.

Thie following article was taken from kentshaffer.com.

Last fall, Harris Interactive discovered that people are growing more and more skeptical of the statements that companies make. In fact, 44% of poll respondents think all 17 industries included in the study are generally not honest and trustworthy. They normally don’t believe company statements. From 2003-2007, such distrust grew from 37% to 44% of respondents.

Because people are growing less trusting of advertising and direct messages from companies, it is important to try to create relationships with your target audience. Relationships build trust. They tear down misconceptions, doubts, and stereotypes. And they do so because they make the unfamiliar familiar.

Of course, not just any relationship will do. You must be authentic. Be transparent. Accentuate your desire to meet their needs with your product or service. If money is your priority, it will likely show and compromise the relationship’s authenticity. But if the customer is your priority, customers will notice and begin giving you the priceless gift of their trust.

People are most loyal to companies they trust. When trust becomes increasingly scarce, it makes earning it all the more valuable.

[via The Experience Economist & The Consumerist]

Pics On The Promenade

Audience arriving for Pics On The Promenade

Audience preparing to watch Casablanca

My company NFocus has partnered with the City of Lakeland to bring a unique cultural experience to our city. One Friday a month for three months we are presenting a classic movie on the big screen in the beautiful outdoor environment of Lake Mirror in downtown Lakeland. The event is free to the public and non-profit organizations are using the event to raise dollars by selling popcorn and drinks. Last night's showing of Casablanca, with over 600 in attendance, was the first event with two more to follow (West Side Story and Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid) over the next two months.

Ethan Ranew

Ethan Zachery Ranew - Born February 4th - 7 lbs. 14 ounces - 20 inches