Video: Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy

A very funny video giving leadership lessons from a dancing guy. You just have to see it really.

Series on cessationism/continuationism of the charismatic gifts - Two perpectives from two friends on Why they are (Sam Storms) and are not (Michael Patton) Charismatics

This looks like it will be a very interesting series of blog posts with a post by a cessationist (Michael Patton) and a continuationist/charismatic (Sam Storms) with them putting forward their position and the other responding to the post. Both are from a similar background and both argued against the continuation of the charismatic gifts but Sam Storms changed his position whilst Michael Patton didn't.

The series begins with each of them giving their stories. You can view the whole series here. Patton says its not so much a debate as a discussion.

Here is a list of the subjects that they'll cover (quoted from Patton's blog).

1. Introduction and personal history (where we are and why): Sam and I both come from backgrounds that were not favorable to the Charismatic gifts, to say the least. Both of us are graduates of Dallas Theological Seminary which, at one time, used to be considered the bastion of cessationism (i.e. not Charismatic) . Both of us have spent time arguing against the Charismatic movement. However, Sam changed his position and I have not.

2. Introduction to the debate: Here we will discuss who is on which side of the debate. The landscape has changed quite a bit over the last twenty years. I will argue that my position is quickly becoming the minority position in Evangelicalism. I hope Sam will give us the “insider” info from his perspective.

3. Defining our terms - ”Charismatic”: Here we will attempt to define what it does and does not mean to be Charismatic. We hope to correct misconceptions of what it means to be Charismatic and what is means to be cessationist.

4. Defining our terms – “Tongues”: Of course if we are going to discuss the issue of tongues, we need to understand what the gift of tongues is.

5. Defining our terms – “Prophecy”: When I say I don’t believe in modern-day prophets, I means something very particular. But do Sam and I have the same understanding of what it means to have the gift of “prophecy”? Maybe we are just speaking past each other. Maybe we are not. We will see.

6. A Biblical Defense of Cessationism: This post will be on my shoulders with Sam’s response. I will do my best to give a biblical defense of cessationism.

7. A Biblical Defense of Continuationism: This will be Sam’s. I will respond with cutting resolve and supernatural wisdom. Sam will cower in a corne . . . Ahem. Sam will respond to my response.

8. History of the Charismatic Gifts: I will explain how church history presents a problem for me with regard to the Charismatic issue. Sam, the former historic theology prof at Wheaton, will dismantle me at every turn, leaving only mud on my face.

9. Abuses in the Charismatic Movement: Here we will both talk about the practical problems Charimatic gifts can produce.

10.  What Are Non-Charismatics Missing: So what, Sam? Why should I be Charismatic? What am I missing if I don’t? We will start here with Sam. Then I will respond.

11. Conclusion: Open for any concluding remarks from either Sam or me.

Blog Tips: how to sync your google calendar with Mozilla Sunbird so you can access it offline

Here are the instructions to set up Mozilla Sunbird so that you can access it offline and have your offline calendar entries update to Google calendar when you get back online.  If you have any problems check the more detailed post here.

All the files they refer to can be found in the BIN directory where you install the program.

1) Install GCALDaemon (Java 1.5 required) (don't install it in program files or the firewall will block it)

2) Start password encoder ('password-encoder.bat' or 'password-encoder.sh'). Input your Gmail password and press ENTER. Copy the encoded password.

3) Copy the iCal URL for your calendar's Private Address on the Calendar Settings page.

4) Edit the 'gcal-daemon.cfg' file with your text editor.

A) Set the 'file.enabled' property to 'true'
B) Set the 'file.google.username' property to your Gmail address
C) Set the 'file.google.password' property to your encoded password
D) Set the 'file.private.ical.url' property to iCal URL, without protocol and hostname (see image)

5) The most important: Set the 'file.offline.enabled' property to 'true'!

6) Start GCALDaemon ('standalone-start.bat' or 'standalone-start.sh').

7) Launch Sunbird. Click the 'New Calendar...' menu on the Calendars page.

8) Select 'On the Network' option on 'Create New Calendar' dialog.

9) Select 'iCalendar' format, and put the local iCal file's path into the 'Location' field. Important: use the 'file:///' prefix before the file's path, and don't include backslash characters! Use standard file URL format (replace spaces to '%20', etc).

10) Input the new calendar's name (e.g. 'Google Calendar'). Click 'Next' then 'Finish'.

11) Items added (or modified/deleted) to your Sunbird calendar will now automatically appear in your Google Calendar. GCALDaemon compares your Google Calendar (if available) and local iCalendar file every 10 minutes, and does all modifications together. If it is unable to do so because the network is unavailable, it tries again when it detects network presence.

12) To set up multiple file listeners, you need to configure a path-username-password-url set for each of the Google Calendars you want to synchronize (see picture below; the first listener definition is unindexed, the others are indexed from '2'). Note: don't include backslash characters in the 'file.ical.path' properties.

1) Install GCALDaemon (Java 1.5 required).

2) Start Config Editor ('config-editor.bat' or 'config-editor.sh'). Select the second tab and disable the HTTP-based synchronizer. Select the third tab and enable the file-based synchronizer. Enable the 'dial-up connection' mode (second checkbox on this page), then click on the 'Google Accounts' button.

3) If required, you can register a new Google Account: Click on 'New Account', type in your Gmail address and password (twice), then click on 'Verify' button.

4) After the verification, click on the 'OK' button.

5) Click on the 'New' button.

6) Select/browse the appropriate Google Calendar and iCalendar file. Click on 'Copy to Clipboard' then click 'OK'. Save the changes (File/Save).

7) Launch Sunbird. Click the 'New Calendar...' menu on the Calendars page.

8) Select 'On the Network' option on 'Create New Calendar' dialog.

9) Select 'iCalendar' format, and paste [CTRL+V] the copied iCal file URL for your calendar's Private Address into 'Location' field.

10) Input the new calendar's name (e.g. 'Google Calendar'). Click 'Next' then 'Finish'.

11) Items added (or modified/deleted) to your Sunbird calendar will now automatically appear in your Google Calendar. GCALDaemon compares your Google Calendar (if available) and local iCalendar file every 10 minutes, and does all modifications together. If it is unable to do so because the network is unavailable, it tries again when it detects network presence.

Video: Conference - Reaching the Unreached: Preaching the Gospel and making disciples in hard places in the UK

Reaching the Unreached Conference (Crowded House)

Tim Chester co-authored the book Total Church and speaks here at a conference for people trying to reach people in hard places in England.

Seeing lives changed?

Gospel discipleship over the long haul

Council estates, urban priority areas, low income households: the gospel is powerful to save anyone, from anywhere, but what does making disciples look like in the ‘hard places’ of our country, where progress can seem heartbreakingly slow?
Main sessions

• Gospel ministry according to the parable of the sower
  
  Andy Mason – St John’s, Worlds End Estate, Chelsea, London

• Addressing the heart
  
  Tim Chester – The Crowded House, Sheffield, and author of Total Church and You Can Change

• Possessing victim mentality
  
  Duncan Forbes – New Life, Roehampton, South West London

• Change is possible
  
  Pete Jackson – St Andrew’s, Kendray, South Yorkshire

On the ground

• Discipling multi-cultural congregations
  
  Andy Mason

• Equipping women to pursue gospel friendships
  
  Jane Casey

• Realistic expectations for missional discipleship
  
  Dai Hankey

• Question and answer session
  
  Andy Mason, Jane Casey and Dai Hankey

To view the full flyer for the conference click here.

Comments from delegates in past years:

“…great hearing from real people working in real places…”
“…probably the most cutting-edge and sorely needed conference in the entire calendar…”
“…word-driven, not just lists of suggestions…”

Building Strong Families in Your Church Conference: Bible Teaching Mp3s

Conference from The Council on Biblical Manhood & Womanhood in 2000.

Building Strong Families in Your Church

Building Strong Families in Your Church: A Call to Clarity, Conviction, and Courage in Biblical Manhood and Womanhood was a national conference for pastors, staff, Christian lay leaders, and their spouses. It was held in Dallas, Texas on March 20-22, 2000.

Date	Item Title	Author
March 19, 2000	Male and Female in the Image of God	Bruce A. Ware
March 19, 2000	Marriage Lived for the Glory of God	John Piper
March 19, 2000	Preaching on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood	John Piper
March 19, 2000	The Unchangeable Difference: Eternally Fixed Sexual Identity for an Age of Plastic Sexuality	Daniel R. Heimbach
March 19, 2000	Egalitarian Interpretations of Scripture	Daniel Doriani
March 19, 2000	Portrait of a Foolish Woman	Nancy Leigh DeMoss
March 19, 2000	Rediscovering Femininity and Modesty	Carolyn Mahaney
March 19, 2000	Women Relating to God as Father	Mary Kassian
March 19, 2000	Older Women Mentoring Younger Women	Susan Hunt
March 19, 2000	Portrait of a Wise Woman	Nancy Leigh DeMoss
March 19, 2000	A Wife's Responsibility to Help Her Husband	Barbara Hughes
March 19, 2000	The Historical Novelty of Egalitarian Interpretations of Scripture	Daniel Doriani
March 19, 2000	Church Discipline: God's Tool to Preserve and Heal Marriages	Ken Sande
March 19, 2000	Pastoral Responses to Domestic Violence	Ken Sande
March 19, 2000	Ministering to Christians Married to Unbelievers	R. Kent Hughes
March 19, 2000	What To Do When a Wife Won't Follow	C. J. Mahaney
March 19, 2000	Standing Courageously in Your Home, Church, and Community	Paige Patterson
March 19, 2000	Reclaiming Biblical Manhood in the Home	Robert Lewis
March 19, 2000	Rebuilding Families: Five Priorities for the New Millennium	Dennis Rainey
March 19, 2000	How to Raise Masculine Sons	Stu Weber
March 19, 2000	Teaching Manhood to Men	Robert Lewis
March 19, 2000	The Key Issues in the Manhood-Womanhood Controversy and the Way Forward	Wayne Grudem
March 19, 2000	Adam and Eve's Impact on Marriage	Raymond C. Ortlund Jr.
March 19, 2000	Sexual Perversion: The Fruit of Neo-Pagan Spirituality	Peter Jones
March 19, 2000	The Meaning of Head in the Bible	Wayne Grudem
March 19, 2000	Passing on a Godly Legacy	Crawford W. Loritts Jr.
March 20, 2000	Anchoring Your Family in Christ for the Next One Hundred Years	Steve Farrar
March 20, 2002	Renewal in the Home	Crawford W. Loritts Jr.
March 20, 2002	A Song of Joy: Sexual Intimacy in Marriage	C. J. Mahaney
March 19, 2000	What are the Differences Between Men and Women?	Daniel L. Akin

Listen to full Brooke Waggoner albums free!

Brooke Waggoner makes very original music. Her main instrument is the piano but this is usually backed (but not overwhelmed) by strings of sorts. Her music is quirky, playful, occasionally melancholy. If you like Joanna Newsom, Regina Spektor or Kate Bush then she's wandered somewhere into their patch of the forest.

Recommended Tracks: On Fresh Pair of Eyes I enjoyed wonder-dummied. On Heal for the honey I really liked beaut and colorbloods

Music: Goldmund - beautiful piano music

Goldmund makes really beautiful piano music. Here are a few of my favourites. He also releases electronic music under the name Helios.